Oxidative stress in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi) exposed to diesel oil

Considering that diesel oil is one of the most common aquatic contaminants, we compare the oxidative stress between two species of fish with different habitats (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi, benthic and Oreochromis niloticus, nektonic) exposed to diesel oil. Malondialdehyde concentrations (MDA) and the activities of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase were all analyzed in the fishes' livers and gills after 2 and 7 days of exposure to different concentrations of diesel (0.1 and 0.5 mL/L). In the tilapia, MDA levels and the activities of EROD and GST activity in the liver, as well as MDA levels and the activities of GST and SOD in the gill had statistically significant differences between the treatments and between the times of exposure. For the catfish, the same occurred in the case of MDA, EROD, and SOD in the liver and in CAT and SOD in the gills. There were significant differences in the enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation between the species. Although the activity of most enzymes seemed to be more expressive and responsive to diesel in O. niloticus, diesel oil also caused significant effects on oxidative stress parameters in P. anisitsi, even though this species is benthic and thus has less access to insoluble fractions of diesel oil. Therefore, both species can be used as sentinel organisms in environmental biomonitoring of diesel contamination.     

Oxidative stress response in zebrafish (Danio rerio) gill experimentally exposed to subchronic microcystin-LR

The worldwide occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms makes it necessary to perform environmental risk assessment procedures to monitor the effects of microcytins on fish. Oxidative stress biomarkers are valuable tools in this regard. Considering that zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a common model species in fish toxicology and the zebrafish gill is potentially useful in screening waterborne pollutants, this study investigated the oxidative stress response in zebrafish gill exposed to subchronic microcystin-LR (MCLR) concentrations (2 or 20?μg/l) via measurement of toxin accumulation, protein phosphatase (PP) activity, and the antioxidant parameters (glutathione-S-transferase-GST; glutathione-GSH; superoxide dismutase-SOD; catalase-CAT; glutathione peroxide-GPx; glutathione reductase-GR), as well as levels of hydroxyl radical (OH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO). The results showed that after 30?days exposure, MCLR accumulated in zebrafish gill and MCLR exposure induced PP activity in gill. A linear inhibition of GST activity and GSH content was observed in the gills, revealing that they were involved in the first step of MCLR detoxification. The 2?μg/l MCLR treatment neglectably affected OH content and the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR), however oxidative stress was induced under the 20?μg/l MCLR treatment in which an enhanced OH content and alterations of the antioxidant enzymes were observed in the treated gills, although both treatments exerted little effect on LPO level. The principal component analysis results indicated that the most sensitive biomarkers of MCLR exposure were GST and GSH in zebrafish gill. So, D. rerio could be regarded as a suitable bioindicator of MCLR exposure by measuring CAT, GR, GST, and GSH as biomarkers.     

杭州湾上虞工业园区环境空气中苯系物的调查及其特征

用活性炭吸附空气中有机物苯、甲苯、乙苯、对二甲苯、间二甲苯、邻二甲苯、苯乙烯,二硫化碳解吸后用毛细管气相色谱法同时测定,各组分线性响应良好,曲线相关系数均大于0.995;灵敏度高,检出限在0.01～0.03μg/ml之间;回收率在82.4%～105.8%之间。苯、甲苯、二甲苯均未超过GB 16297—1996中规定的0.5、0.3、1.5mg/m3,也未超过新污染源大气污染物排放限值中规定的0.4、2.4、1.2mg/m3,苯乙烯浓度也远小于恶臭污染物排放标准GB 14554—93中规定的一级标准3.0mg/m3,虽然工业园区及其周边大气环境均能检测出苯系物,但都在国家相关标准范围内。     

Histopathology alterations and lipid peroxidation as biomarkers of hydrocarbon-induced stress in earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae

This study investigated the biomarker responses of the earthworm, Eudrilus eugeniae, exposed to sublethal concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) for a time span of 28 days. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and histopathological alterations were examined. Toxicological evaluations of BTX were carried out against E. eugeniae. On the basis of the 96-h LC₅₀ value, xylene (1.212 mg/kg) was found to be the most toxic followed by toluene (1.335 mg/kg) and benzene (1.896 mg/kg) was the least toxic. The exposure of earthworms to sublethal concentrations (1/10th and 1/100th of 96 h LC₅₀) of BTX premixed with the substrate (loamy and humus soil) induced pathological changes in the clitella such as severe lesion, necrosis and dark brown pigments. The result of the lipid peroxidation assay showed a significant increase in oxidative damage with LPO values ranging from 2.58–7.8 nM/g in exposed animals when compared to 0.07 nM/g in the control group. The findings from this study suggest the use of LPO and histopathology as useful biomarkers of exposure for early detection of petroleum related stress in terrestrial ecosystems     

Contaminants-Induced Oxidative Damage on the Carp Cyprinus carpio Collected from the Upper Yellow River, China

The Yellow River, the second largest river in China, is the most important resource of water supply in North China. In the last 40 years, even in the upper Yellow River, with the development of industry and agriculture, more and more contaminants have been discharged into this river and greatly polluted the water. Although a routine chemical component analysis has been performed, little is known about the real toxic effects of the polluted water on organisms at environmental level. To explore whether the pollutants induced oxidative stress and damage to aquatic organisms, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in hepatopancreas, kidney and intestine of the field-collected carp Cyprinus carpio from a mixed polluted (Lanzhou Region, LZR) and a relatively unpolluted (Liujiaxia Region, LJXR) sites of the upper Yellow River were measured. The results showed that when the values of LZR compared with those of LJXR, SOD and GST activities increased and GPx activity decreased significantly in all the three organs (P < 0.05–0.01); CAT activity decreased but MDA level increased significantly (P < 0.05–0.01) only in kidney and intestine. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the pollutants can induce obvious oxidative damage in the carp, and the SOD, GST and GPx might be better indicators for the oxidative damage in aquatic organisms.     

Oxidative stress in freshwater fish, Labeo rohita as a biomarker of malathion exposure

This study examined the effect of lethal (4.5 μg/l) and sublethal (0.45 μg/l) malathion levels on oxidative stress responses of the freshwater edible fish, Labeo rohita. Fish were exposed to lethal (1–4 days) and sublethal (1, 5, 10, and 15 days) periods. In the present study, catalase and protease activity, hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls, and free amino acids levels increased in the gill, liver, and kidney tissues of fish exposed to lethal and sublethal concentrations of malathion except protein content. Time- and concentration-dependent induction/reduction of the above parameters by lethal and sublethal concentrations of malathion was observed in the tissues (the gill, liver, and kidney) of L. rohita. Thus, the results clearly infer oxidative damage and decline in antioxidant defense due to malathion-induced oxidative stress.     

A novel in vitro exposure technique for toxicity testing of selected volatile organic compounds

Exposure to vapours of volatile chemicals is a major occupational and environmental health concern. Toxicity testing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has always faced significant technological problems due to their high volatility and/or low solubility. The aim of this study was to develop a practical and reproducible in vitro exposure technique for toxicity testing of VOCs. Standard test atmospheres of xylene and toluene were generated in glass chambers using a static method. Human cells including: A549-lung derived cell lines, HepG2-liver derived cell lines and skin fibroblasts, were grown in porous membranes and exposed to various airborne concentrations of selected VOCs directly at the air/liquid interface for 1 h at 37 degrees C. Cytotoxicity of test chemicals was investigated using the MTS (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) and NRU (neutral red uptake) assays following 24 h incubation. Airborne IC(50) (50% inhibitory concentration) values were determined using dose response curves for xylene (IC(50)=5350+/- 328 ppm, NRU; IC(50)=5750+/- 433 ppm, MTS in skin fibroblast) and toluene (IC(50)=0 500+/- 527 ppm, NRU; IC(50)=11,200 +/- 1,044 ppm, MTS in skin fibroblast). Our findings suggest that static direct exposure at the air/liquid interface is a practical and reproducible technique for toxicity testing of VOCs. Further, this technique can be used for inhalational and dermal toxicity studies of volatile chemicals in vitro as the exposure pattern in vivo is closely simulated by this method.     

光离子化检测器便携式气相色谱仪快速测定空气中苯系物

本文研究了使用光离子化检测器便携式气相色谱仪，直接测定空气中ｍｇ／ｍ３级苯系物（苯、甲苯、乙苯、邻、间、对位的二甲苯及异丙苯）的快速分析方法。方法的线性范围为０～１００ｍｇ／ｍ３，相关系数均在０．９９９以上，方法的变异系数分别为２．９～１２．５％（５ｍｇ／ｍ３），３．４～７．９％（３０ｍｇ／ｍ３），方法最低检测限达０．２～１．０ｍｇ／ｍ３。     

Alteration of antioxidant enzymes and impairment of DNA in the SiO2 nanoparticles exposed zebra fish (Danio rerio)

The incorporation of nanoparticles in industrial and biomedical applications has increased significantly in recent years, yet their hazardous and toxic effects have not been studied extensively. While standard toxicological test methods are generally capable of detecting the toxic effects, the choice of relevant methods for nanomaterials is still discussed. Among the various oxide nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles are widely used in biological applications that include nano-medicine. But studies on adverse effects of silica nanoparticle exposure to fish remain unclear. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the oxidative toxic effects of silicon dioxide nanoparticles using fish model. The size of the SiO₂ nanoparticles was between 68 and 100 nm which was confirmed by X-ray diffractometer, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The zebra fish were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations (5 and 2.5 mg/L) of characterized SiO₂ nanoparticles for a period of 7 days. After 7 days, SiO₂ nanoparticle-treated fishes were sacrificed, and tissues such as liver, muscle and gill were dissected out for the analysis of antioxidant enzymes and DNA fragmentation. The DNA profiles were analysed in the tissues of zebra fish that treated with SiO₂ nanoparticles. Tissues of fish from clean water were used as control, and DNA profiles were analysed. It is found that DNA from control tissues was intact, whereas the tissues treated with SiO₂ were all fragmented. SiO₂ nanoparticle-mediated antioxidant enzymes activities, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione (GSH)-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and GSH, in the tissues of zebra fish were measured. The results revealed that alteration of antioxidant enzymes due to SiO₂ nanoparticle can be considered as a biomarker to SiO₂-mediated oxidative stress in biological samples.     

Monitoring of soil and groundwater contamination following a pipeline explosion and petroleum product spillage in Ijegun, Lagos Nigeria

In May 2008, an accidental damage of a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline occurred in Ijegun area of Lagos, Nigeria, resulting in oil spillage and consequent contamination of the environment. The residual concentration of the total hydrocarbon (THC) and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) in the groundwater and soil was therefore investigated between March 2009 and July 2010. Results showed elevated THC mean levels in groundwater which were above the World Health Organization maximum admissible value of 0.1 mg/l. THC values as high as 757.97 mg/l in groundwater and 402.52 mg/l in soil were observed in March 2009. Pronounced seasonal variation in the concentration of THC in groundwater and soil samples show that there was significant (P?<?0.05) difference in the measured concentration of THC between each season (dry and wet), with the highest being in the dry season and between the years 2009 and 2010. Significant hydrocarbon contamination, 500 m beyond the explosion site and 25 months after the incident, was observed revealing the extent of the spillage of petroleum products. The highest concentrations of 16.65 μg/l (benzene), 2.08 μg/l (toluene), and 4864.79 μg/l (xylene) were found in stations within the 100 m buffer zone. Most of the samples of groundwater taken were above the target value of 0.2 μg/l set for BTEX compounds by the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for Petroleum Industry in Nigeria. The level of hydrocarbon in the impacted area calls for concern and remediation of the area is urgently needed to reduce further negative impact on the ecosystem.     

Atmospheric BTEX concentrations in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery of the Baltic region

Among chemical industries, petroleum refineries have been identified as large emitters of a wide variety of pollutants. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) form an important group of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) because of their role in the troposphere chemistry and the risk posed to human health. A very large crude oil refinery of the Baltic States (200,000 bbl/day) is situated in the northern, rural part of Lithuania, 10 km from the town of Ma?eikiai (Lithuania). The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine of atmospheric levels of BTEX in the region rural and urban parts at the vicinity of the crude oil refinery; and (2) to investigate the effect of meteorological parameters (wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, humidity) on the concentrations measured. The averaged concentration of benzene varied from 2.12 ppbv in the rural areas to 2.75 ppbv in the urban areas where the traffic was determined to be a dominant source of BTEX emissions. Our study showed that concentration of benzene, as strictly regulated air pollutant by EU Directive 2008/50/EC, did not exceed the limit of 5 ppbv in the region in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery during the investigated period. No significant change in air quality in the vicinity of the oil refinery was discovered, however, an impact of the industry on the background air quality was detected. The T/B ratio (0.50-0.81) that was much lower than 2.0, identified other sources of pollution than traffic.     

Response mechanisms of antioxidants in bryophyte (Hypnum plumaeforme) under the stress of single or combined Pb and/or Ni

The short-term responses and mechanisms of antioxidants in moss Hypnum plumaeforme subjected to single or combined Pb and/or Ni stress has been revealed in this study, in order to clarify (1) the relationship between the stress intensity and antioxidant fluctuation, (2) the difference between single and combined stress, and (3) the possibility of biomonitoring by the application of antioxidant fluctuation under stress. The results showed that the stress induced dose dependent formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent lipid peroxidation. Total chlorophyll (Chl) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were initiated under lower stress but were inhibited under higher stress. Both single and combined stress decreased catalase (CAT) activity but increased peroxidase (POD) activity, indicating POD in the moss played an important role in resisting the oxidative stress induced by Pb and Ni. The accumulation of (.)O2(-) and H2O2 in H. plumaeforme was respectively related to the low activity of SOD and the decreased activity of CAT. The study indicated that Pb and Ni had synergistic effect in inducing the oxidative stress in moss H. plumaeforme, especially under the combination of high concentration of Ni (0.1, 1.0 mM) and Pb. POD and CAT activity, as well as H2O2 and MDA content, which increased or decreased regularly with a dose dependent under Pb and Ni stress, could be used as an effective indicator in moss biomonitoring, especially in the case of light pollution caused by heavy metals without the changes in the appearance of mosses.     

Remediation of hydrocarbons in crude oil-contaminated soils using Fenton’s reagent

Sandy soil samples spiked with Bonny light crude oil were subsequently treated with Fenton's reagent at acidic, neutral, and basic pH ranges. Oil extracts from these samples including an untreated one were analyzed 1?week later with a gas chromatograph to provide evidence of hydrocarbon depletion by the oxidant. The reduction of three broad hydrocarbon groups-total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH); benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) were investigated at various pHs. Hydrocarbon removal was efficient, with treatment at the acidic pH giving the highest removal of about 96% for PAH, 99% for BTEX, and some TPH components experiencing complete disappearance. The four-ringed PAHs were depleted more than their three-ringed counterparts at the studied pH ranges.     

Using condition factor and blood variable biomarkers in fish to assess water quality

The condition factor and blood variables, including erythrocyte lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), in two ecologically distinct fish species (Astyanax fasciatus and Pimelodus maculatus) were evaluated at five sites in the Furnas Hydroelectric Power Station reservoir (Brazil) to assess water quality. Aldrin/dieldrin, endosulfan, heptachlor epoxide, and metolachlor were detected at different concentrations in four of the sites. Condition factor was not directly affected by such contaminants. A negative correlation between hematocrit and heptachlor was detected in P. maculatus. Positive correlations between red blood cells and heptachlor as well as an interactive effect of metolachlor and aldrin/dieldrin were detected in A. fasciatus. The erythrocytes of both species collected from the contaminated sites showed high levels of LPO, an increase in SOD and GPx activities and a decrease in CAT activity. Although the leukocyte number and the differential percentage of leukocytes varied among the sites, the hematological variables, the LPO levels, and the antioxidant enzyme activities could be used to assess water quality, regardless of the differences in the responses of the fish species.     

Relationship between environmental exposure to toluene,xylene and ethylbenzene and the expired breath concentrations for gasoline service workers

This study evaluated the relationship between the breath concentrations of, and personal exposure to, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene of thirty workers from ten gasoline stations. Personal exposure air samples and workplace samples were collected simultaneously. Each subject provided a sample of exhaled breath after his or her personal exposure air was sampled. Twenty-five personal air, 17 workplace and 30 breath samples were collected in this study. Results indicated that breath concentrations of toluene and xylene were significantly correlated with personal monitoring concentrations. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis showed that exhaled toluene levels were highly influenced by personal toluene concentrations and the amount of personal gasoline sold (r2 = 0.762), while exhaled xylene levels depended on wind speed and personal xylene exposure concentrations (r2 = 0.665). Exhaled ethylbenzene levels were too low to present a relationship between concentrations and personal exposure levels. The exhaled toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene concentrations ranged from 4.3 to 41.8, 0.9 to 13.9, and 0.2 to 6.5 ppb, and the corresponding personal monitoring concentrations ranged from 60.3 to 572.3, 16.4 to 156.6, and 10.7 to 136.6, respectively. The average number of symptoms per person, according to neurotoxic questionnaire 16 (abbreviated as Q16) was 4.1 and six workers showed over six symptoms in Q16. This study suggests that exhaled toluene and xylene levels are suitable for use as biological exposure indices even at the ppb-level of exposure. Gasoline service workers are exposed to high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the potential threats to their neurological systems deserve further investigation.     

南通市区加油站污染现状调查及对策建议

对南通市区具有代表性的加油站废气进行监测,确定废气中主要污染物为非甲烷总烃、苯、甲苯和二甲苯,摸索其排放规律,并提出对策建议。     

室内装饰装修材料中苯、甲苯、二甲苯含量测定法改进

采用毛细管气相色谱法,对室内装饰装修材料中的苯、甲苯、二甲苯的测定进行了改进。称取样品后,用N,N-二甲基甲酰胺稀释定容,CBP20毛细管柱分离,可同时测定苯、甲苯、二甲苯的含量,数据准确,操作简单。     

Environmental Monitoring of Benzene and Alkylated Benzene from Vehicular Emissions

The volatile organic pollutants from direct vehicular exhaust were trapped with activated charcoal, desorbed with carbon disulphide and analysed by GC/MS with tert-butyl benzene as an internal standard. A comparative study was made from the exhaust of 1000 cc, 1300 cc, 1600 cc cars, pickup, lorry(diesel), 125 cc and 70 cc motorbikes. The level of pollutants emitted were in the following order, motorbike(petrol) car(petrol) pickup(petrol) lorry(diesel). The range of highest emission (125 cc motorbike) to the lowest emission (lorry(diesel)) was of the order of 102 for benzene, 6×102 for ethyl benzene, 5×102 for toluene and 3×102 for xylenes. Among cars, those fitted with catalytic convertors emitted a lower level of benzene (2 to 3 times) when compared with those without catalytic convertors. Similar studies on the air in air-conditioned buses, non air-conditioned buses and three metres from the edge of the road shows that they have the same pollutant level. The level of these pollutant as compared to those from direct car exhaust are of the order of 102 times less for benzene, xylene and toluene and 103 times less for ethylbenzene. The levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes by the road side and in the buses were found to be lower than the exposure limits of ACGIH, OSHA and EH40.     

运用热脱附/GC/MS分析研究室内空气中TVOC浓度及种类分布

利用热脱附/GC/MS联用技术定性、定量(半定量)分析了多组有代表性的室内空气样品。结果表明,室内空气挥发性有机气体的主要成分是苯系物、烃类、醛酮类、酯类等;装修后3个月内的家居室内空气中的苯25%超标,甲苯58%超标,二甲苯79%超标,TVOC 100%超标;一年后,仅TVOC还有11%的超标。办公室情况类似。     

Measurements of benzene and formaldehyde in a medium sized urban environment. Indoor/outdoor health risk implications on special population groups

In the present study, the results of a measurement campaign aiming to assess cancer risk among two special groups of population: policemen and laboratory technicians exposed to the toxic substances, benzene and formaldehyde are presented. The exposure is compared to general population risk. The results show that policemen working outdoor (traffic regulation, patrol on foot or in vehicles, etc.) are exposed at a significantly higher benzene concentration (3-5 times) than the general population, while the exposure to carbonyls is in general lower. The laboratory technicians appear to be highly exposed to formaldehyde while no significant variation of benzene exposure in comparison to the general population is recorded. The assessment revealed that laboratory technicians and policemen run a 20% and 1% higher cancer risk respectively compared to the general population. Indoor working place air quality is more significant in assessing cancer risk in these two categories of professionals, due to the higher Inhalation Unit Risk (IUR) of formaldehyde compared to benzene. Since the origin of the danger to laboratory technicians is clear (use of chemicals necessary for the experiments), in policemen the presence of carbonyls in indoor air concentrations due to smoking or used materials constitute a danger equal to the exposure to traffic originated air pollutants.