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A stream-lined method for the detection of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in fish samples is described. The samples were mechanically blended with anhydrous sodium sulphate and then packed in a glass column. The lipid fraction was eluted from the column with dichloromethane. The described extraction technique recovered 13 C-labelled surrogate spikes as effectively as a method based on acidic digestion and liquid phase extraction. Lipids were removed from the fish extracts by size exclusion chromatography followed by chromatography on a mini acid/base silica column. The extract was further enriched by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on basic alumina and activated carbon. The analytes were identified and quantified by gas chromatography combined with mass selective detection. Two sets of fish samples (n = 16 & n = 6) were used to evaluate the method: surrogate recoveries ranged from 67.5% to 75.5%, and analytical precision ranged from 13.9 to 26.4%. Tritiated 2,3,7,8-T 4 CDD was used to conveniently trouble shoot the method.

We report on an experiment in which emulsion chambers were exposed to a beam of 200 A GeV 16 O at the CERN SPS. Pseudo-rapidity distributions are measured with high precision. Pseudo-rapidity densities of 140 particles per unit rapidity corresponding to an energy density of about 3 GeV/fm3 are observed. Pseudo-rapidity density distributions and fluctuations are found to satisfactorily agree with the Lund Monte Carlo model Fritiof, although new and unknown sources for fluctuations might still be present.

Data on inclusive reactions π − p → π ± + … and π − n → π ± + … at 40 GeV/ c are presented. Inclusive cross sections of the reactions π − p → π ± + … at x = 0 normalized to the inelastic cross section coincide with the ISR results for pp interactions at 500 – 1500 GeV. A similar result has been obtained for the inclusive process π − p → γ + … as well.

After application of [ 14 C]lindane to the nutrient medium (1.45 ppm), 14.1% of the radioactivity was taken up by 12 lettuce plants during 4 weeks; in the nutrient medium, 7.8% was recovered after the same time interval. The radioactivity in the nutrient extract comprised: unchanged lindane (about 82%); free 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, free pentachlorophenol, conjugates of pentachlorophenol, and an unidentified polar compound (a total of 15%); 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohex-1-ene, and probably 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexene (a total of 3%). The radioactivity extracted from plants consisted of unchanged lindane (about 77%); free 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, conjugates of a tetrachlorophenol and pentachlorophenol, and a strongly hydrophilic compound that was not identified (a total of 20%); 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene, 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohex-1-ene, and probably 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexene (a total of 3%). Identification was carried out by means of comparisons of chromatographic properties and of the mass spectra with those of authentic reference compounds. The significance of hexachlorobenzene as a metabolite of lindane is discussed.

Results of the investigation of some correlation effects in π − p interactions at 40 GeV/ c incident momentum are given. On the basis of 2 000 events the dependence of the transverse momenta of π + and π − mesons on the longitudinal momenta was obtained, as well as two- particle distributions for various pion pairs, and correlation functions C ( y 1 , y 2 ) and R ( y 1 , y 2 ). For π + π − pairs R (0,0) = 0.65 ± 0.07 and the correlation length is L = 1.8 ± 0.2 for −1 ⩽ y 1 , y 2 ⩽ 1. For π + π + and π − π − pairs R (0,0) = 0.26 ± 0.10. Comparison of these results with proton-proton data at 200 GeV and at ISR energies suggests that limiting behaviour in two- particle distributions R ( y 1 , y 2 ) for π − p interactions is already reached at 40 GeV.

An analysis of the basic characteristics of secondary particles created in the interaction of pions with heavy emulsion nuclei at the highest accelarator energies available is presented. Calculations were performed with an intra-nuclear cascade model using the Monte-Carlo method, taking into account the “trailing effect”. Emission of slow particles from the excited residual nucleus was calculated using Weisskopf's evaporation theory. The theoretical results were compared with experimental results at 17.2 and 60 GeV interactions.