1. Human hair treated with cold-waving lotions, hair bleaching lotions, synthetic organic hair dyes, or depilatories was hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid, and the hydrolyzed solution was submitted to amino acid autoanalyzer. Determined values of various amino acids were compared with the values of normal hair. A marked depletion of cystine and formation of cysteic acid were observed in the hair treated with cold-waving lotions, hair bleaching solutions, and synthetic organic hair dyes. Formation of cysteic acid was not observed in the hair treated with a depilatories but there was a marked decrease in cystine, with formation of a trace of methionine sulfoxide and methionine sulfone. 2. Amino acids formed by the decomposition of keratin when human hair is treated with cold-waving solutions or hair bleaching solutions were determined, both qualitatively and quantitatively, by amino acid autoanalyzer. Damaging effect of these solutions on the hair was proved by the dissolution of various amino acids.

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To find the mechanism of indirect action of lead on the body, movement of trace metals in the liver of rats intoxicated with lead acetate was examined. Lead acetate was dissolved in distilled water to a concentration of 20 mg/ml as lead ion. The solution (1.0 ml/kg) was administered intraperitoneally once to rats. Some trace metals (Ca, Fe, Zn, Mg, Mn, and Cu) in the liver was quantitatively determined using chloric acid digestion by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. No significant difference was found in the amount of Cu, Zn, Mg, and Mn in the liver of rats between the lead-poisoned group and the control group, but the content of calcium in the liver of rats treated with lead acetate increased 25.77 times (p<0.001) and the content of iron decreased about one-third (p<0.01) compared with normal rats. In the case of administration of stannous acetate, zinc acetate, manganese acetate, or calcium acetate, no significant difference was found in the amount of calcium in the liver between the matal-treated and normal rats. The content of calcium in the kidneys of rats treated with stannous acetate increased 6.19 times (p<0.01) compared with normal rats, and then the kidneys changed into white. After a single intraperitoneal administration of lead acetate, the amount of calcium in the liver reached a maximum after 72 hr, and deposition of calcium increased rapidly and linearly in proportion to the amount of lead adminisered.

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Subacute toxicity test (4 weeks) and chronic toxicity test (24 weeks) of elastase in a rat were carried out. It was found that elastase had no toxic effect, in a dose of 500 mg/kg/day in the former test and 150 mg/kg/day in the latter, with respect to the appetite, behavior, and body weight of the rats, as well as in macroscopic findings of internal organs, in organ weight, and from serological, clinicochemical, and pathological examinations.

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Following the previous report on body retention, excretion, and distribution of cadmium chloride (^115mCdCl₂) after a single oral administration in rats acute and subacute toxicity tests were made on cadmium chloride and the results were as follows : LD₅₀ of cadmium chloride by a single oral administration in female rats was 168.6 mg/kg body weight, and its confidence limit was 149.0-191.0 mg/kg. These rats in the acute toxicity tests of cadmium chloride reduced spontaneous movement, became hyposensitive to external stimulus, and then showed nasal discharge or nasal hemorrhage. Thereafter, these rats eventually died of respiratory embarrassment. The subacute toxicity was examined by continuous oral administration of 5 or 20 mg/kg/day of cadmium chloride for 30 days in male and female rats. Experimentally, male rats showed inhibition of the growth, but not the female rats. It was recognized that the volumes of daily urine increased for 30 days. After administration, weight of the liver decreased, but not that of the kidney. The weight of stomach, small intestine and large intestines increased markedly.

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Following the preceeding work on the acute and subacute toxicity tests of cadmium chloride, metabolism and organ distribution of cadmium chloride in rats were investigated after continuous oral administration of 5 or 20 mg/kg/day of cadmium chloride for 30 days. Most of the administered cadmium chloride was excreted in feces and only less than 0.1% was detected in urine. The amount of accumulation of cadmium chloride was highest in the liver, followed by kidney, pancreas, and spleen in that order. Examination of calcium and phosphate excreted in urine and feces showed that the amount of discharged calcium increased markedly in proportion to that taken, while the amount of phosphate excreted in urine and feces decreased. As for the distribution pattern of calcium and phosphate, a clear change could not be observed in the group administered cadmium.

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The selenium content in the human hair from 185 males and 185 females residing in Tokyo was determined by fluorometry, using 2, 3-diaminonaphthalene. The distribution of selenium in the hair of both sexes was analogous to the normal type distribution in the concentration range of 0.2 to 2.0 μg/g, but the values in 17 male and 24 female samples exceeded the concentration of 2.0 μg/g, which did not show a normal type distribution, and such deviation was considered to be due to surface contamination of antidandruff shampoo containing selenium sulfide. For that reason, these values were eliminated from the data for statistical analysis. The average content of selenium was 0.86±0.03 μg/g in 168 males and 0.79±0.04 μg/g in 161 females. The content of selenium in the hair of males increased with age and that of females decreased. Correlation between selenium and other trace elements (As, Fe, Cu, and Zn) was not found in the hair of both sexes.

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A method for cadmium-copper reduction, which had been used for sea water, was applied for the determination of nitrate nitrogen in drinking water. This is more accurate, sensitive, and more simple than ordinary methods. The determination method is as follows : One ml of 0.1 M NaCl solution is added to 50 ml of a sample aliquot containing between 0.15 and 100 μg of nitrare nitrogen. After rinsing the cadmiumcopper column with the column washing solution (2mM EDTA·4Na solution), the test solution is passed through the column (column length 12 cm, flow rate 10-20 ml/min). Nitrate is quantitatively reduced to nitrite, and many substances in drinking water do not interfere the reduction. Initial 15 ml of the effluent is discarded and the next 10 ml effluent is collected. Nitrite nitrogen concentration of the effluent is determined by the diazotization method.

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Seasonal changes in the quality of water and in planktons was investigated in the moat around the Imperial Palace. At present the moat is not polluted by industrial or domestic waste water. The sampling stations were placed at eight points in the moat and the following results were obtained. 1) Changes in the quality of water and in planktons showed a seasonal characteristic pattern. 2) It is considered that water of the moat is eutroph because of the alkalinity and excessive saturation of dissolved oxygen in the water during four seasons and formation of the so-called"aquatic blossom." 3) The prosperity and decay of planktons in the moat are related to BOD, DO, dissolved silicate, and sulfide.

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The yearly and daily changes in the quality of water in the moat around the Imperial Palace were examined to find a relationship, if any, between water quality and horizontal insolation intensity (H.I.I.). The sampling station for the daily survey was placed at the moat of Hibiya Bori ([○!A]), and the following results were obtained. 1) Quality of the water in the moat is eutroph, and yearly progressive pollution was not recognized. 2) The horizontal insolation intensity is related to dessolved oxygen in the Hibiya Bori in summer (August 21, 1970).

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The bacteria in activated sludge from fish-meat processing were found to be halophilic or halotolerant, similar to marine bacteria. By mixing sea water in the drainage, a firm activated sludge was formed after aeration but the supernatant liquid of this mixture after sedimentation had somewhat higher C.O.D. (chemical oxygen demand) value. A neutral or slightly alkaline pH before the treatment had a good result on the purification of meat drainage. When the pH of the drainage was adjusted to a slightly acidic 5.2 after air blowing, both the residual protein and C.O.D. of the supernatant decreased markedly. During the digestion of fish-meat homogenate, residual total protein and C.O.D. increased temporarily as a result of liquefaction of granular meat but decreased gradually with progress in purification.

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There are many difficulties for estimating cyanide ion in actual analysis of the industrial waste water. A new analytical procedure has been designed to use a cyanometer in colorimetry. The use of cyanometer simplifies the steps in analysis, though dat a obtained from the direct use of cyanometer to waste water samples are unreliable. The stability of pyridine-pyrazolone reagent in colorimetry was examined and it was found that the mixed reagent solution should not be preserved for more than one day. It has become obvious that chlorine, sulfide, and sulfite ions have some effect on cyanide ion, the reagents for colorimetry, and conditions of a cyanometer.

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