Effects of halobenzoquinone and haloacetic acid water disinfection byproducts on human neural stem cells

Human neural stem cells(h NSCs) are a useful tool to assess the developmental effects of various environmental contaminants; however, the application of h NSCs to evaluate water disinfection byproducts(DBPs) is scarce. Comprehensive toxicological results are essential to the prioritization of DBPs for further testing and regulation. Therefore, this study examines the effects of DBPs on the proliferation and differentiation of h NSCs. Prior to DBP treatment, characteristic protein markers of h NSCs from passages 3 to 6 were carefully examined and it was determined that h NSCs passaged 3 or 4 times maintained stem cell characteristics and can be used for DBP analysis. Two regulated DBPs, monobromoacetic acid(BAA) and monochloroacetic acid(CAA), and two emerging DBPs, 2,6-dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone(2,6-DBBQ) and 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone(2,6-DCBQ), were chosen for h NSC treatment. Both 2,6-DBBQ and 2,6-DCBQ induced cell cycle arrest at S-phase at concentrations up to 1 μmol/L. Comparatively, BAA and CAA at 0.5 μmol/L affected neural differentiation. These results suggest DBP-dependent effects on h NSC proliferation and differentiation. The DBP-induced cell cycle arrest and inhibition of normal h NSC differentiation demonstrate the need to assess the developmental neurotoxicity of DBPs.     

Cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Lake Taihu

<正>Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China and serves as an important drinking water source for the local populace;however,decades of excessive nutrient loading fueled by anthropogenic activities have resulted in hypertrophic conditions,promoting the annual formation of nuisance phytoplankton blooms(Chen et al.,2003;Duan et al.,2009)