Letters to the editor

Petroleum constitutes one of the major pollutants entering the global environment although hydrocarbons of recent origin are also produced in substantial quantities. Estimates of global discharges and emissions of petroleum during the various stages of production and use have been assessed. It was concluded that the input to the oceans from petroleum, approaches that due to recent hydrocarbons. Seepages constitute only a relatively minor source of petroleum in the oceans. However, chronic discharges probably account for about 90 percent of the total input to the marine environment.     

Letters to the editor

Malathion exposure at a concentration above 50 ppm elicited some alteration in the respiratory, swelling and contraction characteristics of mitochondria in the roots of 72 hr germinating seeds of Vigna sinensis (L). Change in these parameters is reflected by seedling growth characteristics of V. sinensis (L). The alteration of mitochondria by malathion (above 50 ppm) is also supported by the experiments which showed a marked leakage of NAD from the intra‐mitochondrial pool and a change in the activities of mitochondrial membrane bound ATPase and acid pyrophosphatase activities. Some change of sterol and phospholipid patterns in the associated mitochondrial membrane are also observed in the roots of the 72 hr germinating seeds of V. sinensis (IS) under malathion exposure (above 50 ppm).