• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 1989

Dichromate reflux method for COD analysis is one of the useful and precise way to solve the organic content of the wastewater. But the standard procedure for COD is not entirely satisfactory for sample containing appreciable amounts of inhibiting substance, especially chloride ion. Under the conditions of the established test, a big disadvantage of the method is that dichromate oxidizes chloride quantitatively to chlorine. When it is necessary to use silver sulfate as a catalyst in the COD procedure, chloride must be removed before the addition of the catalyst. Silver sulfate and mecuric sulfate forms a precipitate of AgCl and HgCl$_{2}$ separately which is not completely oxidized during the test and, therefore, cannot be corrected for. So, we evaluate and compensate the amount of chloride oxidation in the absence of chemicals during the experimental procedure. Calculation of COD is made using the following reviced formula: real COD = tested COD - 0.2277Cl.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.31-46
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• 1997

Ultrastructure of mouse thymus was evaluated, following the administration of potassium dichromate and mercuric chloride, the heavy metals of evironmental pollutants. Potassium dichromate (20 mg/kg) or mercuric chloride solutions (10 mg/kg) were subcutanously injected to the mice. Six hours, three days and two weeks after the injections, animals were sacrificed. Thymic tissues were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solutions. The procedure was followed by the fixation in 1% osmium tetroxide solutions. Washed and dehydrated tissue-blocks were embedded in the araldite mixture. Ultra-thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate-lead citrate solutions. Results observed were as follows: 1. In electron microscopy, cortical population of thymocytes in the thymus of experimental groups were reduced. especially in the outer cortex. Subcapsular cortices of potassium dichromate treated mice were filled with many epithelial reticular cells, whereas the similar area of mercuric chloride-treated mice exhibited large intercellular spaces. 2. In the thymus of mercuric chloride treated group, large intercellular spaces were formed by shrinkage of epithelial reticular cells, and the space was invaded by numerous cytoplasmic projections of macrophages. Thymocytes nuded out from the shrunken cytoplasm of epithelial reticular cells, presented numerous microvilli. 3. In the thymus of potassium dicromate treated group, many activated macrophages and plasma cells migrated into thymic cortices. 4. In the perivascular spaces of thymic cortices of potassium dichromate- and mercuric chloride-treated mice, activated macrophages. plasma cells, collagen fibrils, and flocculent substance of exudated materials were exhibited. From the above findifgs, it was concluded that potassium dichromate or mercuric chloride could disturb the normal differentiation or 'education' of T cells in the thymic cortex. In turn, these heavy metals may hurt the immunological defense mechanism.