Dietary uptake kinetics of polychlorinated biphenyls from sediment-contaminated sandworms in a marine benthic fish (Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae)

To evaluate the dietary uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from live food, we investigated the dietary uptake and depuration kinetics of PCBs in a marine benthic fish (marbled sole, Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae) by using as food live sandworms (Perinereis nuntia) that were laboratory-exposed to field-collected PCB-contaminated sediment. Marbled sole were fed the PCB-contaminated sandworms for 28 d and then uncontaminated sandworms for 56 d. The assimilation efficiencies (AEs) of 84 PCB congeners via the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) to the muscle of the fish ranged from 0.21 to 0.78; whole-body AEs would be lower than those of muscle because of the lower PCB concentrations, on a lipid basis. The AEs determined in this study were lower than those in other studies that used PCB-spiked commercial pelletized food. The lower AEs found in this study might be attributable to differences in the food administered (live sandworms vs. commercial pellet food), possibly because of low digestibility of sandworm lipids by marbled sole. In addition, the AEs in this study tended to increase with increasing log octanol-water partition coefficients (K_OW) up to about seven, although AEs in the other studies using commercial pelletized food did not increase with increasing log K_OW. This result suggests the co-transport of highly hydrophobic PCB congeners along with lipids and fatty acids from the digested sandworms into the GIT epithelium cells. The growth-corrected half-lives of 26 PCB congeners in the muscle of fish ranged from 20 to 107 d.     

Biochemical and cellular effects of electrophiles present in ambient air samples

Ambient vapor-phase samples collected in Riverside, California had shown that both redox and electrophilic activity were present, with the vapor phase containing higher levels of electrophiles than the particle phase. In this study, the biochemical effects of the vapor-phase electrophiles were examined using the purified thiol proteins, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and KELCH-1 like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). The results demonstrated that the thiol proteins were inactivated by the vapor-phase samples through covalent modifications. Next, two cellular responses, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), to the ambient vapor-phase samples were assessed in A549 and RAW 264.7 cell lines, respectively. The vapor-phase samples, at non-oxidative concentrations, increased phosphorylation of EGFR, which is negatively regulated by PTP1B, and its downstream MAP kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2. Activation of Nrf2, which requires Keap1 alkylation, and expression of its downstream proteins were also observed. The electrophilic compounds present in ambient vapor-phase were shown to modify cellular proteins through covalent modification and to activate diverse cellular responses that can lead to inflammatory and adaptive responses.     

Isolation and identification of new vasodilative substances in diesel exhaust particles

Background, aim, and scope  

We recently developed a new isolation method for diesel exhaust particles (DEP), involving successive extraction with H₂O, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium hydroxide, in which the sodium hydroxide extract was found to consist of phenolic components. Analysis of the extract revealed that vasodilative-active nitrophenols are in DEP in significantly higher concentrations than those estimated by an earlier method involving a combination of solvent extraction and repeated chromatography. These findings indicated that our new procedure offers a simple, efficient, and reliable method for the isolation and identification of bioactive substances in DEP. This encouraged us to extend our work toward investigating new vasodilatory substances in the sodium bicarbonate extract.     

Use of the electrical aerosol detector as an indicator of the surface area of fine particles deposited in the lung

Because of recent concerns about the health effects of ultrafine particles and the indication that particle toxicity is related to surface area, we have been examining techniques for measuring parameters related to the surface area of fine particles, especially in the 0.003- to 0.5-microm size range. In an earlier study, we suggested that the charge attached to particles, as measured by a prototype of the Electrical Aerosol Detector (EAD, TSI Inc., Model 3070), was related to the 1.16 power of the mobility diameter. An inspection of the pattern of particle deposition in the lung as a function of particle size suggested that the EAD measurement might be a useful indicator of the surface area of particles deposited in the lung. In this study, we calculate the particle surface area (micrometer squared) deposited in the lung per cubic centimeter of air inhaled as a function of particle size using atmospheric particle size distributions measured in Minneapolis, MN, and East St. Louis, IL. The correlations of powers of the mobility diameter, Dx, were highest for X = 1.1-1.6 for the deposited surface area and for X = 1.25 with the EAD signal. This overlap suggested a correspondence between the EAD signal and the deposited surface area. The correlation coefficients of the EAD signal and particle surface area deposited in the alveolar and tracheobronchial regions of the lung for three breathing patterns are in the range of Pearson's r = 0.91-0.95 (coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.82-0.90). These statistical relationships suggest that the EAD could serve as a useful indicator of particle surface area deposited in the lung in exposure and epidemiologic studies of the human health effects of atmospheric particles and as a measure of the potential surface area dose for the characterization of occupational environments.     

Environmental awareness,environmental R&D spillovers,and privatization in a mixed duopoly

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - Assuming that consumption goods are differentiated in terms of environmental friendliness in a mixed duopolistic market, we present an analysis of...     

TEMPO-Mediated Oxidation of Hemp Bast Holocellulose to Prepare Cellulose Nanofibrils Dispersed in Water

Hemp bast holocellulose fiber (Cannabis sativa L. Subsp. Sativa) was oxidized by TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical)-mediated oxidation at various NaClO addition levels in water at pH 10. When carboxylate contents of the oxidized products were 1.5–1.7 mmol/g, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils almost completely dispersed at the individual nanofibril were obtained by mechanical disintegration of the TEMPO-oxidized hemp bast holocelluloses in water, where the nanofibrillation yields were 98–100 %. The sugar composition analysis revealed that most of hemicelluloses originally present in the hemp bast holocellulose were degraded and removed from the solid oxidized products, providing almost pure TEMPO-oxidized celluloses. X-ray diffraction patterns of all TEMPO-oxidized hemp bast holocelluloses had the same cellulose I crystal structure and similar crystallinity indices and crystal widths, indicating that carboxylate groups formed by the oxidation were selectively present on the crystalline cellulose microfibril surfaces in the holocellulose. However, the weight recovery ratios and viscosity-average degrees of polymerization of the TEMPO-oxidized hemp bast holocelluloses decreased to 69–59 % and 470–380, respectively, when their carboxylate contents increased to 1.5–1.7 mmol/g by the TEMPO-mediated oxidation. Atomic force microscopy height images showed that the nanofibril widths were 2.7–2.9 nm, and the average nanofibril lengths decreased from 590 to 400 nm as the NaClO addition level was increased from 7.5 to 12.5 mmol/g in the TEMPO-mediated oxidation.     

Genetic Engineering of Cyanobacteria to Enhance Biohydrogen Production from Sunlight and Water

To mitigate global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, a renewable energy source available in large quantity is urgently required. We are proposing large-scale photobiological H₂ production by mariculture-raised cyanobacteria where the microbes capture part of the huge amount of solar energy received on earth’s surface and use water as the source of electrons to reduce protons. The H₂ production system is based on photosynthetic and nitrogenase activities of cyanobacteria, using uptake hydrogenase mutants that can accumulate H₂ for extended periods even in the presence of evolved O₂. This review summarizes our efforts to improve the rate of photobiological H₂ production through genetic engineering. The challenges yet to be overcome to further increase the conversion efficiency of solar energy to H₂ also are discussed.     

Detection of Dechlorane Plus and brominated flame retardants in marketed fish in Japan

Fish samples purchased from Japanese markets were analyzed for Dechlorane Plus (DP)(syn-, anti-), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)(α, γ). Twenty fish were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for DP and PBDE, and using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for HBCD. DP was detected in 18 samples and ∑DP concentrations were <0.2-14.2 pg g⁻¹ wet wt. Among the DP isomers, anti-DP was the dominant residue observed in this study. PBDE was detected in all samples. Concentrations of ∑PBDE ranged from 2.2 to 878 pg g⁻¹ wet wt. HBCD was detected in 18 samples, and ∑HBCD concentrations were <0.02-21.9 ng g⁻¹ wet wt. In fish landed near the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, we detected relatively high concentrations of DP, PBDE, and HBCD. These results indicate that the seawaters around East Asia are contaminated with flame retardants. This study demonstrates the presence of DP in fish marketed in Japan for the first time.     

Contributions of humic substances to the dissolved organic carbon pool in wetlands from different climates

Wetlands are an important source of DOM. However, the quantity and quality of wetlands' DOM from various climatic regions have not been studied comprehensively. The relationship between the concentrations of DOM (DOC), humic substances (HS) and non-humic substances (NHS) in wetland associated sloughs, streams and rivers, in cool temperate (Hokkaido, Japan), sub-tropical (Florida, USA), and tropical (Sarawak, Malaysia) regions was investigated. The DOC ranged from 1.0 to 15.6 mg CL(-1) in Hokkaido, 6.0-24.4 mg CL(-1) in Florida, and 18.9-75.3 mg CL(-1) in Sarawak, respectively. The relationship between DOC and HS concentrations for the whole sample set was regressed to a primary function with y-intercept of zero (P<0.005) and a slope value of 0.841. A similar correlation was observed between DOC and NHS concentrations, with a smaller slope value of 0.159. However, the correlation coefficient of the latter was much larger when the data was regressed to a logarithmic curve. These observations suggest the presence of a general tendency that the increased DOC in the river waters was mainly due to the increased supply of HS from wetland soils, whereas the rate of the increase in the NHS supply has an upper limit which may be controlled by primary productivity.     

Distribution of Todarodes pacificus (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) paralarvae near the Kuroshio off southern Kyushu, Japan

The distribution and abundance of Japanese common squid [Todarodes pacificus (Steenstrup, 1880)] paralarvae off southern Kyushu Island near the Kuroshio were examined in relation to water types in the region. Surveys were conducted in 1996 and 1997 using paired, 70 cm diameter Bongo nets. Temperature–salinity plots from 0, 50 and 100 m depths were used to assign sampling stations to three water types: inshore, mixing and Kuroshio. In total, 4103 T. pacificus paralarvae were collected at 59 of 72 stations. Catch densities at positive stations ranged between 8 and 4282 ind./50 m² sea surface area. Catches during both years were highest in mixing waters, followed by inshore and Kuroshio waters. Total catches were highest just north of the oceanographic front at the inshore edge of the Kuroshio and declined with increasing distance away from the front. Catches of paralarvae ≤1.0 mm mantle length also peaked near the front. In both years, ≥85% of all paralarvae and ≥69% of those ≤1.0 mm mantle length occurred less than 25 km from the front. We conclude that most spawning off southwest Kyushu occurs near the frontal zone, where Kuroshio and inshore waters meet. Received: 18 November 1998 / Accepted: 11 May 1999