Occurrence of endocrine disruptor compounds in the estuary of the Iberian Douro River and nearby Porto Coast (NW Portugal)

Previous studies in the Douro River estuary, based on occasional sampling, showed the presence of several estrogenic disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In sequence, we hypothesized that such type of pollution was more likely an enduring issue than an occasional phenomenon, and that it may even affect recreational beaches in each side of the estuarine mouth. Thus to conclude about the continuous influx of EDCs, water samples were taken twice a day, once per a week, from March to May of 2009, at four sites within the estuary and at two sites in the coastline. After solid-phase extraction, the extracts were prepared for GC-MS analysis of 11 reference EDCs. These embraced natural and pharmaceutical estrogens (17β-estradiol, estrone and 17α-ethynylestradiol) and xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and their mono and diethoxylates and bisphenol A). Data showed the ubiquitous presence of potentially hazardous amounts of natural estrogens (particularly of estradiol, ca 5.5?ng?L^?1) and persistent organic pollutants such as nonylphenol mono (up to 550?ng?L^?1) and diethoxylate (up to 2000?ng?L^?1). It was concluded that the targeted area is continuously polluted by the assayed EDCs, and as a consequence, conditions exist for endocrine disturbance in the biota by chronic exposure to EDCs.     

Relationships between exposure to polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides and the risk for developing type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a meta-analysis of exposures to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)

A systematic review was performed to evaluate the association between environmental exposures to polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides and the risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Searches of EMbase, Google Scholar, Medline, and Scopus were performed. Reports were included if they were original human studies whose design included a control group and if the sample size was larger than 10 participants per group. The articles were excluded if the type of diabetes was unknown or Type 1. Odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and modified Naranjo scores for the effects of environmental contaminants were determined for each study. Of the 35 eligible studies, six were included in the meta-analysis; these focused specifically on 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Meta-analysis of these studies showed no significant increased OR for the development of T2D from exposure to TCDD. However, subgroup analysis showed significant elevated OR for the development of T2D if exposure is repeated and accompanied by exposure to other persistent pesticides (OR?=?1.48; 1.10–1.90) but a decreased odds for T2D with exposure resulting from accidental exposure (OR?=?0.46; 0.39–0.52). Our results suggest that there are significant risks of developing T2D in populations with recurring exposures to TCDD in concert with other persistent chlorinated pesticides. A mean Naranjo score of 2.0 was determined for all 35 articles; this score was 2.5 when examining only TCDD studies and 2.1 when examining studies that looked only at T2D. Each of these Naranjo scores suggests a possible association between the prevalence of T2D and exposure to PHAHs or OC pesticides.     

Antioxidant enzyme activities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microcystis aeruginosa</Emphasis> in response to nonylphenols and degradation of nonylphenols by <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. aeruginosa</Emphasis>

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chemical nonylphenols (NPs) on the antioxidant system of Microcystis aeruginosa strains. The degradation and sorption of NPs by M. aeruginosa were also evaluated. High concentrations of NPs (1 and 2 mg/l) were found to cause increases in superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and in glutathione (GSH) levels. These results suggest that toxic stress manifested by elevated SOD and GST levels and GSH contents may be responsible for the toxicity of NPs to M. aeruginosa and that the algal cells could improve their antioxidant and detoxification ability through the enhancement of enzymatic and nonenzymatic prevention substances. The observed elevations in GSH levels and GST activities were relatively higher than those in SOD activities, indicating that GSH and GST contributed more in eliminating toxic effects than SOD. Low concentrations of NPs (0.05–0.2 mg/l) enhanced cell growth and decreased GST activity in algal cells of M. aeruginosa, suggesting that NPs may have acted as a protecting factor, such as an antioxidant. The larger portion of the NPs (>60%) disappeared after 12 days of incubation, indicating the strong ability of M. aeruginosa to degrade the moderate persistent NP compounds. The sorption ratio of M. aeruginosa after a 12-day exposure to low nominal concentrations of NPs (0.02–0.5 mg/l) was relatively high (>30%). The fact that M. aeruginosa effectively resisted the toxic effects of NPs and strongly degraded these pollutants indicate that M. aeruginosa cells have a strong ability to adapt to variations in environmental conditions and that low and moderate concentrations of organic compounds may favor its survival. Further studies are needed to provide detailed information on the fate of persistent organic pollutants and the survival of algae and to determine the possible role of organic pollutants in the occurrence of water blooms in eutrophic lakes.     

Renal lesions in Greenland sledge dogs ( Canis familiaris ) exposed to a natural dietary cocktail of persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants such as Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) are known to exert various adverse health effects in wildlife mammals. The impact from dietary intake of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber high in organohalogen and other chemical contaminants on renal morphology and function was investigated via a controlled study on West Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris). Our results showed significantly higher frequencies of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial lesions in the exposed group. Furthermore, higher urine protein?:?creatinine ratio and plasma urea levels were found in the exposed group, which indicated a negative impact on kidney function via tubular and glomerular dysfunctions. The lesions were similar to those observed in top predator marine species–such as seals and polar bears–and humans exposed via diet to persistent environmental pollutants. The lesions may have impacts on the overall health of these animals. It is reasonable to suggest that chronic exposure to organic pollutants via a country diet of high trophic level marine organisms may have an impact on renal morphology and function in Arctic apex predators in general as well as Inuit people.     

Bestimmung des Ferntransports von persistenten organischen Spurenstoffen und der Umweltexposition mittels Modelluntersuchungen

Background, Aim and Scope

Many environmental pollutants are slowly degrading (persistent) and very mobile. They are semivolatile, i.e. they are partitioned between the environmental media of soil, water and air, and undergo long-range transport. The combined action of climate and substance properties determines the distributions and fate of these substances, among them as the persistent organic pollutants (POPs), other pesticides and industrial chemicals.

Main Features

Multicompartment chemistry-transport models are under development in order to study environmental exposure models.

Results

The investigation of transport and fate of some POPs on the global scale has emphasized the significance of historically explicit and geo-referenced simulations for substance distributions, persistence and long-range transport potential. Apart from the substance properties, it is the regional climate which is most important. This was illustrated by studies into the regional cycling of DDT and γ-HCH in selected tropical and extra-tropical regions.

Discussion

The isolation of individual steps of subsequent cycles of emission, transport and deposition (a so-called grasshopper effect) in model experiments shows the potential to elucidate the complex superposition of substance properties and environmental conditions, variable in time and space.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the grasshopper effect enhances the long-range transport potential, but is not required to explain an accumulation in polar regions (at least for γ-HCH).

Perspectives

A number of relevant scientific questions should be addressed by exposure modelling.     

3种新型污染物对发光菌的毒性作用研究

分析了3种常见的代表性新型污染物对发光菌的单一毒性和等毒性比例下的联合毒性,基于毒性单位法(TU)、相加指数法(AI)和混合毒性指数法(MTI)评价混合体系联合毒性作用类型。三氯生、五氯酚、双酚A对发光菌的半数效应浓度(EC_(50))分别为:0.045、0.035、0.74 mg·L~(-1)。不同的评价方法对3种新型污染物的联合效应评价结果具有较好的一致性,多元混合体系呈现为不同程度的拮抗作用,结合分子结构特征和不同取代基的相互作用,初步分析了联合毒性机理,进一步毒性作用机制还需要通过对生物生理生化响应等进行深入研究。新型污染物混合体系对发光菌的联合作用呈现以拮抗作用为主,表明此类污染物环境残留可导致相关化学品功效降低,引发微生物耐药性的产生和传播的风险。     

我国持久性有机污染物人体负荷研究进展

持久性有机污染物所造成的污染已经成为全球性的环境问题.关于由其污染导致的环境和健康损害的研究是当前环境科学的热点之一.我国正处在经济快速发展时期,环境污染对居民健康的潜在危害尤其值得关注.本文对近年来有关我国居民持久性有机污染物的人体负荷的研究进展进行综述,为我国进一步开展相关研究提供参考.     

Fenton degradation of dialkylphthalates: products and mechanism

Contamination of wastewater by organic pollutants is a major worldwide issue. For instance plastic additives such as phthalates are found in wastewater. Efficient techniques are thus needed to clean wastewaters. The Fenton reaction involving H₂O₂ and Fe(II) salts can be used to treat polluted water. During the Fenton reaction pollutants are decomposed directly by hydroxyl radicals. In some cases toxic by-products are produced. Here dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, and dipropyl phthalate by-products formed during the Fenton reaction were studied. Fenton degradation of selected phthalates yielded numerous transformation products such as hydroxylated phthalates. The hydroxylation reaction occurred at the aromatic ring of phthalates and yielded mono- and dihydroxylated phthalates. For monohydroxylated phthalate, 3-hydroxy- and 4-hydroxydialkylphthalates are the main transformation products. In addition to hydroxylated derivatives, aliphatic chain degraded mono- and dihydroxylated phthalates were also detected.     

Addressing the environmental risk of persistent organic pollutants in China

The Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was adopted in 2001. This year is the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention. Until now, 22 chemicals or chemical categories have been listed as POPs in the Stockholm Convention. The POPs Research Center was established in Tsinghua University in the same year when the Convention was adopted. In the last ten years, much work has been done by Chinese researchers to understand the environmental risk of POPs in China. This article aims to review the recent research progress of our POPs Research Center and some other Chinese researchers?? studies in addressing the environmental risk of POPs, including the priority screening and inventory study of POPs, monitoring and modeling of POPs pollution and exposure, and environmental risk assessment and modeling of POPs. Although great advances in addressing the environmental risk of POPs have been made in recent years, we are still facing quite a few problems, such as data scarcity and uncertainty in environmental risk assessment of POPs. The study on the effect of POPs mixtures is in its infancy and currently POPs are usually assessed from legal perspective by risk assessment of single chemicals. These problems should be well addressed by further efforts. Further studies should also be taken in future to study environment risk of POPs by considering aspects of coupled dynamics between climate processes and POPs. Such sound scientific, riskbased information can support decision-making aiming to effectively minimize the risk level of POPs.     

几类有机污染物的微塑料/水分配系数的线性溶解能关系模型

水体中的微塑料会吸附其中的有机污染物,影响有机污染物和微塑料的环境归趋和生态毒性。研究微塑料对有机污染物的吸附行为,对于评价有机污染物和微塑料的环境赋存、迁移及生物有效性有重要意义。污染物在微塑料与水之间的平衡分配系数(Kd),是表征微塑料对有机污染物吸附能力的重要参数。实验方法难以逐个测定众多有机污染物的Kd值,有必要发展其预测模型。本研究搜集了有机污染物的线性溶解能关系(LSER)参数及Kd值,构建了可预测有机污染物在聚丙烯微塑料与海水、聚乙烯微塑料与海水、聚乙烯微塑料与淡水之间Kd值的LSER模型。模型具有良好的拟合优度(R2adj介于0.794~0.903)、稳健性(Q2LOO和Q2BOOT分别介于0.763~0.863和0.720~0.804)和预测能力(R2ext和Q2ext分别介于0.886~0.971和0.825~0.954),能够用于预测多氯联苯、多环芳烃、六氯环已烷和氯苯类有机污染物的Kd值。     

基于模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫的环境污染物生殖毒性研究进展

由于人类社会的发展,环境污染也越来越严重,研究环境污染物对生态及人类健康的影响极为重要。生殖系统是人和动物繁衍后代的重要系统,常见环境污染物对生殖系统的影响正引起研究人员的广泛关注。秀丽隐杆线虫具有身体透明、品系丰富和遗传背景清楚等优点,为生殖毒理学研究提供了一个便利的平台。以秀丽隐杆线虫为模型已对多种环境污染物的生殖毒性进行了评价。本文重点叙述了重金属、纳米材料、有机物等化学污染,辐射、磁场等物理污染,以及病毒等生物污染对秀丽线虫生殖系统的影响,并归纳讨论了环境污染物造成生殖功能障碍的几种主要机制,如氧化应激、DNA损伤、内质网应激以及神经损伤等,但不同类型污染物的毒性效应与其自身的物化性质紧密相关。环境污染物诱导的生殖毒性中不同响应机制之间的关联性、不同发育阶段的敏感性差异、污染物的传代效应以及有效的缓解方式的筛选等都有待进一步的开展。     

Trace elements and organochlorine pollutants in selected fish species from Lake Phewa,Nepal

Lake water and fish livers and gills of sahar (Tor putitora), spiny eel (Mastacembelus armatus), African magur (Clarias gariepinus), and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from Lake Phewa, Nepal, were assessed for the concentrations of trace metals/elements and persistent organic pollutants. The lake water was neutral with low ionic and metallic concentrations as compared to high-altitude lakes of Nepal. The four elements Cu, Zn, Se, and Cd had highest concentrations in livers, indicating uptake from diet, whereas four other metallic elements Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb had highest concentrations in gills, indicating uptake from lake water. O. niloticus tended to have most of trace metals in the liver at higher concentrations than the other species but significant differences among the different species were found only for Mn, Ni, and Zn in the gills. A pilot study on the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in muscle revealed that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and related compounds were the dominant organochlorine pesticides, having highest concentrations in C. gariepinus and lowest in O. niloticus.     

A framework for predicting personal exposures to environmental hazards

This paper presents a general framework for constructing a predictive distribution of the exposure to an environmental hazard sustained by a randomly selected member of a designated population. The individual’s exposure is assumed to arise from random movement through the environment, resulting in a distribution of exposure that can be used for environmental risk analysis. A specialization of the general framework is that of predicting human exposure to air pollution that can be used to develop models for such things as exposure to particulate matter; practical aspects of their construction are considered. These models can help answer questions such as what fraction of the population sustained ‘high’ levels of exposure for say 5 days in a row. The immediate implementation of the above framework takes the form of a computing platform referred to as pCNEM. This provides a facility for simulating exposures to airborne pollutants and is described in detail elsewhere. This paper considers some theoretical aspects underpinning probabilistic exposure models of this type, with the ideas illustrated in developing a model for predicting human exposure to PM ₁₀.     

污染水体中河蚬的生物毒性响应研究进展

河蚬作为广泛分布于世界各国的典型底栖生物,由于其活动性低、滤食性等特征被广泛用作指示生物研究多种水体污染物的生物有效性。但迄今为止,尚没有系统论述污染水体中河蚬生物毒性响应的研究进展。为此,本文从污染物种类、测试指标、试验参数等角度探讨了过去30多年间河蚬在氨、重金属、有机污染物生物富集及生物毒性效应等方面的研究过程及主要成果。以往研究主要以河蚬生物体内累积、形态学及行为学观察、生化指标、代谢组学、基因完整性等指标表征污染水体的生物毒性效应,并随着分子生物学的发展已逐步由多指标全面表征代替单一指标测试。此外,现有研究多偏重于重金属和持久性有机污染物,对氨、新型污染物及纳米材料的河蚬生物毒性效应探讨尚处于起步阶段。河蚬在自然水体污染状况评估、污染水体的生物修复、水体毒性预测等方面具有较高适用性,但河蚬在沉积物毒性鉴定评估(TIE,Toxicity Identification and Evaluation)中的应用研究依然较为缺乏,有待进一步开展。     

Aufnahmepfade von POPs in Biota

POPs (persistent organic pollutants) associated with aquatic sediments can pose a risk to aquatic food chains, since they can be re-introduced to the food web. One major pathway is the bioaccumulation of POPs by endobenthic, sedimentingesting invertebrates (especially tubificid oligochaetes). These worms serve as food for benthivorous fish, which thereby ingest the sediment-borne chemicals and may accumulate contaminant concentrations far higher than from water exposure alone, and consequently transfer them to organisms of higher trophic levels. In order to evaluate such a potential biomagnification, a laboratory test was developed. It consisted of a two-step food chain including the sediment dwelling freshwater oligochaete Tubifex tubifex (Müller) and the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus, Linné), a small teleost fish which often feeds primarily on benthic invertebrates. Artificial sediment and reconstituted water were used. To examine the influence of benthic prey on the bioaccumulation of a POP in the predator, fish were exposed to ¹⁴C-labelled hexachlorobenzene via spiked water, spiked sediment, pre-contaminated prey organisms, and to combinations of these exposure routes. Summarising the results of these experiments, it could be shown that the exposure to HCB via different routes resulted in a significantly higher accumulation in fish than an exposure to single pathways. It was concluded that the major uptake routes for fish were the overlying water and the food, whereas the contribution of spiked sediment itself was relatively small. HCB was biomagnified in the rested laboratory food chain. Therefore, concerning secondary poisoning, the environmental risk assessment of POPs like HCB should not be based on existing bioaccumulation tests alone, since they focus only on exposure via the water pathway. Instead, the influence of food and sediment as exposure routes should be considered as well, using comprehensive food chain modelling and/or laboratory studies.     

Accumulation, distribution and transformation of DDT and PCBs by Phragmites australis and Oryza sativa L.: II. Enzyme study

Two wetland plant species, Phragmites australis and Oryza sativa, were grown in a glasshouse under hydroponics conditions. Enzyme extracts from different parts of the plants were used to determine the transformation rate of o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDT and PCBs. The organic pollutants were directly spiked into the enzyme extracts, and samples were collected every 30 min and analyzed with a GC-ECD. Root extracts of P. australis readily degraded and transformed DDT and some PCB congeners with a low degree of chlorination. In contrast, crude extracts of O. sativa showed no appreciable degradation or transformation of DDT or PCBs. Inhibition studies indicated that the degradation and transformation of both DDT and PCBs by P. australis enzymes were partly mediated by peroxidase and the plant P-450 system. PCBs with a high degree of chlorination were highly resistant to transformation or degradation by plant enzymes. Both wetland plant species accumulated substantial quantities of the persistent organic chemicals but had different degradation capacities. The enzyme systems in P. australis were much more effective that those in rice in the degradation and transformation of the organic pollutants.     

超临界流体萃取在研究土壤和沉积物结合态残留中的应用

许多有机污染物在土壤和沉积物中形成持久稳定的结合态残留；结合态残留对土壤和沉积物的解毒过程、污染物长期分配行为、生物可用性和生物毒性都具有重要影响。为了揭示结合态残留的形成机制及其对污染物环境行为和毒理学参数的影响，从土壤或沉积物中提取出不同结合状态的有机污染物就显得非常重要。超临界流体萃取(SFE)可以实现选择性萃取，从而得到有关污染物一基体间相互作用的信息。文章介绍了SFE应用类型、超临界流体种类以及影响SFE萃取率的因素，对SFE模拟有机污染物长期吸附／解吸行为和生物可用性研究进行了论述，并认为SFE势必发展成为土壤或沉积物中结合态残留形成机理研究、土壤修复和生态风险评价的一种强有力的技术。     

Entwicklung von ökotoxikologischen Instrumenten und ihre rechtliche Implementierung zur marinen ökologischen Risikobewertung von Chemikalien, Pestiziden und Baggergut

Background, aim, and scope The marine environment is often the final sink for pollutants, especially for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances. The body burden of marine top predators in the Baltic Sea, in the North Sea and also in the Arctic seas is alarming. Thus, the question was investigated if the European environmental law considers a prospective marine ecological risk assessment of chemicals, pesticides and dredged material before they are launched on the market or disposed to the sea. Results The analysis of European environmental law showed that the European environmental protection goals demand a good quality status of coastal waters until 2015 (Waterframework Directive) and a good quality status of European seas until 2020 (Marine Strategy Directive), but a specific marine ecological risk assessment of chemicals and pesticides is not sufficiently required in current European legislation. Discussion It was shown that the ecological risk assessment for freshwater ecosystems is, due to the pecularities of pollutant impacts in the marine environment, not adequate to predict marine effects and to protect the marine environment sufficiently. A statistical analysis of international databases on the relative toxicity of narcotics revealed that marine organisms can be significantly more sensitive than freshwater organisms towards substances with an unspecific mode of action (narcotics). Approximately 60?% of the industrial chemicals are classified as narcotics by their mode of action. Thus, this substance class is of environmental importance. Due to the hydrophobic properties and the low solubility of narcotics in seawater, the ecotoxicological assessment of marine sediments was of interest. An estuarine and marine bioassay test set was established and further developed to assess the ecotoxicological potential of brackish and seawater sediments. It was important that the test procedures were adapted to brackish and marine conditions and were harmonised between each other as well as on the international level. Conclusions Beside two bioassays for the ecotoxicological assessment of elutriates of marine and brackish sediments (bacteria bioluminescence test and marine algae test), the implementation and further development of the whole sediment bioassay with the marine amphipod Corophium volutator was important for enhancing the risk assessment. In order to gain a more standardised, all-season available test organism, the marine amphipod was for the first time reproduced under laboratory conditions the whole year round (also in winter), which is the essential basis for the urgently needed chronic whole sediment bioassay. The results of this investigation were implemented in the international (ISO), European (EN) and national (DIN) standardisations. Therefore, a standardised test set is ready for the implementation in the marine ecological risk assessment of chemicals, pesticides and dredged material in international, European and national legislation. Recommendations and perspectives Recommendations to improve the implementation of a marine risk assessment in European regulations are given with the goal to reach the internationally required objective of a sustainable development of the seas.     

Comprehensive characterization of PAHs profile in Serbian soils for conventional and organic production: potential sources and risk assessment

This study presents a comprehensive characterization of occurrence and levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in arable soils used for conventional and organic production in northern and central part of Serbia as well as cross-border region with Hungary. Furthermore, this study includes a characterization of PAH sources and carcinogenic/non-carcinogenic human health risk for PAHs accumulated in analysed arable soils. The total concentration of 16 PAHs varied between 55 and 4584 µg kg^?1 in agricultural soil used for conventional production and between 90 and 523 µg kg^?1 in agricultural soil used for organic production. High molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were dominant compounds with similar contribution in both soil types (86% and 80% in conventional and in organic soil, respectively). Principal component analysis and diagnostic ratios of selected PAHs were used for identification of PAH sources in the analysed soils. Additionally, positive matrix factorization was applied for quantitative assessment. The results indicated that the major sources of PAHs were vehicle emissions, biomass and wood combustion, accounting for?~?93% of PAHs. Exposure of farmers assessed through carcinogenic (TCR) and non-carcinogenic (THQ) risk did not exceed the acceptable threshold (TCR?<?10^–6 and THQ?<?1). Oral ingestion was the main exposure route which accounted for 57% of TCR and 80% of THQ. It was followed by dermal contact. This investigation gives a valuable data insight into the PAHs presence in arable soils and reveals the absence of environmental and health risk. It also acknowledges the importance of comprehensive monitoring of these persistent pollutants.

     

秀丽线虫转基因品系在环境暴露评价与毒理学研究中的应用

目前,模式动物秀丽线虫已被广泛应用于环境暴露评价和环境毒理学研究中.在系统介绍了各种秀丽线虫转基因品系在环境暴露与毒性评价以及环境毒理研究中的应用进展基础上,分析了秀丽线虫转基因品系在环境暴露与毒性评价研究中的灵敏性与直观性的特点.最后,讨论了秀丽线虫转基因品系在环境暴露与毒性评价以及环境毒理研究中尚存在的问题和可能的...