Aqueous and organic (hexane, chloroform, and methanol) extracts of siliquae, stems and leaves, and seeds of Cleome arabica L. (Brassicales: Capparidaceae) were evaluated in the laboratory for their antifeeding and insecticidal effect on larvae of the cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), using a leaf dipping bioassay with castor bean, Ricinus communis L. (Malpighiales: Euphorbiaceae), leaf discs. The polar extracts caused significant mortality. At the highest dose, C. arabica extracts exhibited significant antifeeding and phagostimulating activities against S. littoralis larvae. Under no-choice conditions, the methanol extract of siliquae was the most active, and the antifeedant index calculated over 24 hr for 3rd instar larvae varied significantly from 16 to 37%. Using nutritional indices, it was established that there was a significant decrease in growth rate concomitant with a reduction in consumption. These results suggest the presence of anti-feeding and/or toxic substances in the extracts that may be useful in developing bio-insecticides based on C. arabica extracts for use in integrated pest management of leafworm and other agricultural pests. * Abbreviations : AD : approximate digestibility ECD : efficiency of conversion of digested food ECI : efficiency of conversion of ingested food MC : metabolic cost RCR : relative consumption rate RGR : relative growth rate S : seeds; Si : siliquae SL : stems and leaves

Numerous substances from different chemical sectors, from the pharmaceutical industry to the many consumer products available for everyday usage, can find their way into water intended for human consumption and wastewater, and can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Thus, the disinfection process is an essential stage in water and wastewater treatment plants to destroy pathogenic microorganisms but it can form degradation byproducts. Sodium hypochlorite is the most common disinfectant, but the most important drawback associated with this kind of compound is the generation of toxic disinfection byproducts. Many studies have been carried out to identify alternative disinfectants, and in the last few years, peracetic acid has been highlighted as a feasible solution, particularly in wastewater treatment. This study compares the transformations of five emerging pollutants (caffeine, tramadol, irbesartan, diclofenac, trazodone) treated with peracetic acid, to evaluate their degradation and the possible formation of byproducts with those obtained with sodium hypochlorite. Although peracetic acid has many advantages, including a wide field of use against microorganisms and a low toxicity towards animal and plant organisms, it is not as effective in the degradation of the considered pollutants. These ones are recovered substantially and are unchanged quantitatively, producing a very low number of byproducts.