Biological effect monitoring in dab (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Limanda limanda</Emphasis>) using gene transcript of CYP1A1 or EROD—a comparison

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: Gene expression analyses with real-time (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gains importance in marine monitoring. This new technique has to be compared to the classical approaches like the well known biomarker ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) to test their suitability for monitoring programmes. The goal of the present study is to compare EROD activity and CYP1A1 mRNA expression in the important monitoring fish species dab (Limanda limanda) and to answer the question of whether these parameters reflect the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of the fish. Further on, glyceraldehyd-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was investigated as a potential housekeeping gene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Female dab were caught in the summer of 2004 in the North Sea and in the Baltic. EROD activity was determined in liver samples by a kinetic fluorimetric assay according to a standard protocol. The gene expression of CYP1A (cytochrome P450 1A) and GAPDH were determined by means of RT-PCR. Results were compared to gonado somatic index and to the concentration of PAH metabolite 1OHPyr (1-hydroxypyrene) analysed in the bile fluids of the fish, respectively. RESULTS: Dab from all stations showed a considerable individual variation in the levels of both CYP1A mRNA and EROD. Highest mean values for CYP1A mRNA and EROD were detected in the northern part of the sampling area. In contrast, the PAH metabolite 1OHPyr was found at the highest concentration in fish caught near the German coast. CYP1A mRNA and EROD showed only a minor but significant correlation (r = 0.32, p < 0.05, n = 123). 1OHPyr in bile correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with the amount of GAPDH mRNA content in the liver. DISCUSSION: The significant but low correlation of CYP1A mRNA and EROD activity on an individual basis illustrates that these two parameters are apparently not closely linked. However, maximum EROD values correspond with maximum CYP1A mRNA concentrations when station means are regarded. Because EROD and CYP1A mRNA in dab follow different physiological principles, their application will lead to related but not identical monitoring results. This should be taken into account when future marine monitoring programmes are designed. The results also indicate that PAH are not the crucial factor for CYP1A and EROD levels in dab from the off-shore areas in the North Sea. This is remarkable because the PAH metabolism is known to be CYP1A-dependent and the widely used biomarker EROD has been recommended for monitoring PAH-related effects in fish from the North Sea. Due to a correlation between GAPDH and 1OHPyr, GAPDH was not suitable as housekeeping gene for dab. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the results from EROD nor from CYP1A1 mRNA measurements in dab reflected their exposure to PAH as measured by the PAH metabolite 1OHPyr. Thus, the question arises of whether EROD or CYP1A mRNA is a suitable biomarker at all to indicate PAH exposure in dab from the open North Sea. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: For future biological effect monitoring, it is advisable to measure more and predominately independent parameters by RT-PCR and to incorporate more components of the detoxification system.     

Acute toxic hazard evaluations of glyphosate herbicide on terrestrial vertebrates of the oregon coast range

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The degree to which dose responses of model organisms (lab rodents) can adequately predict dose responses of free-ranging wild mammals or amphibians is unknown, and the relative sensitivity of such species to body loading of a toxicant such as glyphosate is seldom reported. For relative effects of dosage, we compare sensitivity of nine wild vertebrate species to effects of high doses of glyphosate in Swiss-Webster laboratory mice both by gavage and by intraperitoneal injection. We also evaluate sublethal effects of herbicide exposure on behavior and reproductive success of one mammal and one amphibian species. METHODS: Comparisons of acute toxicity of glyphosate were made with intraperitoneal dosings of technical glyphosate isopropylamine salt to nine species of terrestrial vertebrates (five amphibians, four mammals) and compared with responses in Swiss-Webster laboratory mice. Animals collected from sites that had no recent herbicide application were allowed 7-14 days to equilibrate in captivity before treatment. RESULTS: Median lethal dose ranged from 800 to 1,340 mg kg(-1) in mammals, and 1,170 to >2,000 mg kg(-1) in amphibians, with Oregon vole being the most sensitive. White lab mice were in the middle of the mammalian range. Tailed frog, at >2,000 mg kg(-1) was the least sensitive. Calibration of IP sensitivity to oral administration by gavage indicated that roughly four times as much glyphosate must be administered to obtain a comparable estimate of lethality. Administration by gavage in highly concentrated solutions tended to cause physical injury, hence may prove less useful as a relative indicator of toxicity. When sublethal dosages were given to roughskin newts or chipmunks, mobility and use of cover appeared largely unaffected. DISCUSSION: Direct toxic effects of spraying glyphosate under normal forest management seem unlikely for the nine species examined. Nor could we detect significant indirect effects of exposure on behavior and use of cover features in two species. There may be effects on other aspects of the field biology of these animals, such as reproductive rates, which we did not investigate. Recent field data indicate that changes in habitat quality following herbicide application can result in high reproductive activity in species associated with the grasses and forbs that proliferate following field applications. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to field data on body burdens of wild mammals exposed after aerial application of glyphosate at maximum rates in forests, there seems to be a large margin of safety between dosages encountered and those causing either death or limitation of movement, foraging or shelter. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Margins of safety for small mammals and amphibians appear to be large under any probable exposure scenarios, however our results indicate high variability in responses among species. Uncertainty introduced into field studies from unknown sources of mortality (e.g, likely predation) must be considered when interpreting our results.     

Photochemical behaviour of musk tibetene

BACKGROUND: Synthetic musk compounds are widely used as additives in personal care and household products. The photochemical degradation of musk tibetene in aqueous solutions or in acetonitrile/water mixtures under different conditions was studied in order to assess its environmental fate. METHODS: Musk tibetene dissolved (or suspended) in water and/or acetonitrile/water mixtures was irradiated at different times by UV-light and by solar light. The irradiation mixtures were analyzed by NMR and TLC. The photoproducts formed were identified by GC-MS and NMR data. RESULTS: The experimental results indicated that musk tibetene was photodegradable in water or acetonitrile/water mixtures with half-life reaction times close to 20 minutes. The irradiation mixtures were separated by chromatographic techniques yielding three photoproducts (3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indole, 3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-1H-indoline and 3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indolinone) identified by means of spectroscopic analysis. DISCUSSION: The numerical modelling of the photodegradation concentration-time profiles gave (8.13 +/- 0.15) x 10(-2) and (1.34 +/- 0.04) x 10(-2) mol/E for the overall primary quantum yield of direct photolysis for musk tibetene and the major intermediate (3,3,5,6,7-pentamethyl-4-nitro-3H-indolinone), respectively, in the wavelength range 305-366 nm. The half-life times of photodegradation of the both substances varied from 1-1.5 hours at 20 degrees N during the summer season to 6-10 hours for highest latitudes in winter. CONCLUSIONS: Under solar light, musk tibetene was photolabile in acetonitrile and acetonitrile/water 1/1, while it was slowly degraded when suspended in water. In all media, musk tibetene was photodegraded into three photoproducts. By using a kinetic model, the overall primary quantum yields of direct photolysis of musk tibetene and its main photoproduct, in the wavelength range 305-366 nm, were estimated, indicating that the photodegradation rate for musk tibetene is faster than the photolysis rate of the major by-product. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The results indicate that, in order to assess the environmental impact of musk tibetene on the aquatic ecosystem, great attention should be focused on the major photoproduct which is proved to be more persistent than the parent compound under light irradiation. The predicted half-life times of direct photolysis for both substances ranged from 1-1.5 hours at 20 degrees N during the summer season to about 6-10 hours for highest latitudes in winter, indicating that, from a photochemical point of view, the environmental persistence of these substances increases by increasing the latitudes and during the cold seasons, making more realistic an intake of these xenobiotic molecules into the food chain of aquatic living organisms. Tanabe reports in his Editorial (Tanabe 2005) that "It is necessary to have knowledge of the global picture of synthetic musk pathways. So, it is conceivable that now is the time to study the transport, persistency, distribution, bioaccumulation and toxic potential of this new environmental menace on a global scale, especially in developing countries". Therefore, the future environmental analysis and investigations on the eco-toxicity of nitro musk compounds should take into account not only the presence of the parent compounds but also their photochemical intermediates or end-by-products.     

胺丙基硅的微结构和表面特性在其对两种微囊藻毒素吸附中的作用

考察了粒状胺丙基硅(CUNAX00X)对水溶液中微囊藻毒素-LR(mLR)和微囊藻毒素-LA(mLA)的等温吸附行为,并通过对胺丙基硅结构中的微孔尺寸分布特征、表面官能团--胺丙基团(-CH2CH2CH2NH 3)和羟基自由基(·OH)的红外分析,对吸附机制进行了初步探讨.结果表明,胺丙基硅通过物理吸附和化学吸附对水溶液中的mLR和mLA进行吸附,即胺丙基硅结构中的有效吸附微孔对mLR/mLA的物理吸附,固体表面离子化的胺丙基团和·OH与mLR/mLA分子结构中离子化的羧基(-COO-)以及pH=4.33条件下mLR分子结构中离子化的胍基(-NHCNH·NH 2)之间的弱离子吸附.     

The zebrafish embryo model in environmental risk assessment—applications beyond acute toxicity testing

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: The use of fish embryos is not regulated by current legislations on animal welfare and is therefore considered as a refinement, if not replacement of animal experiments. Fish embryos represent an attractive model for environmental risk assessment of chemicals since they offer the possibility to perform small-scale, high-throughput analyses. MAIN FEATURES: Beyond their application for determining the acute toxicity, fish embryos are also excellent models for studies aimed at the understanding of toxic mechanisms and the indication of possible adverse and long-term effects. Therefore, we have reviewed the scientific literature in order to indicate alternative applications of the fish embryo model with focus on embryos of the zebrafish. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: The analysis of the mode of action is important for the risk assessment of environmental chemicals and can assist in indicating adverse and long-term effects. Toxicogenomics present a promising approach to unravel the potential mechanisms. Therefore, we present examples of the use of zebrafish embryos to study the effect of chemicals on gene and protein patterns, and the potential implications of differential expression for toxicity. The possible application of other methods, such as kinase arrays or metabolomic profiling, is also highlighted. Furthermore, we show examples of toxicokinetic studies (bioconcentration, ABC transporters) and discuss limitations that might be caused by the potential barrier function of the chorion. Finally, we demonstrate that biomarkers of endocrine disruption, immune modulation, genotoxicity or chronic toxicity could be used as indicators or predictors of sub-acute and long-term effects. CONCLUSIONS: The zebrafish embryo represents a model with an impressive range of possible applications in environmental sciences. Particularly, the adaptation of molecular, system-wide approaches from biomedical research is likely to extend its use in ecotoxicology. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Challenges for future research are (1) the identification of further suitable molecular markers as indicators of the mode of action, (2) the establishment of strong links between (molecular) effects in short-term assays in embryos and long-term (toxic) effects on individuals, (3) the definition of limitations of the model and (4) the development of tests that can be used for regulatory purposes.     

活性炭纤维上4-氯酚及焦化废水尾水的O3催化氧化降解实验研究

选择YT-1000型活性炭纤维（ACF）作为催化剂,考察ACF与O₃协同作用催化降解水溶液中4-氯酚的最佳反应条件,并将该条件应用于焦化废水生物处理尾水中难降解有机污染物的催化氧化。ACF表面具有丰富的微孔结构,对4-氯酚有良好的吸附作用,在动力学上提高了其与O3反应的起始浓度,并且在ACF表面含氧、含氮等基团的催化作用下发生氧化反应,1 L浓度为100 mg/L的4-氯酚水样中投加2 g ACF反应6 min时,吸附作用对TOC的去除率为43.4%,而ACF协同O₃作用时的TOC去除率提高到72.5%,协同增效作用为67.1%;在选定的反应条件下,ACF协同O₃降解焦化废水生物处理尾水,60 min时的TOC与色度的去除率分别达到56.8%和96.3%。上述研究过程证明了吸附作用与催化作用的协同能有效降解生物过程不能降解的焦化废水中惰性有机污染物。     

三峡库区大宁河流域非点源污染研究

以大宁河流域巫溪水文站控制流域为研究对象,应用分布式非点源污染模型SWAT,利用实测流量、泥沙负荷及氮、磷负荷数据对模型进行了率定和验证,并模拟了大宁河流域的径流量和营养物质氮、磷的排放.结果表明,月平均流量在率定期和验证期的效率系数分别达到了0.93和0.62;泥沙负荷的效率系数分别为0.70和0.34;氨氮和总磷的效率系数分别达到了0.31和0.37.大宁河流域污染物质的排放存在着较大的空间差异,有机氮和有机磷的5年平均排放量区间分别为2.01～38.15和0.35～5.89 ks/(hm2·a),其中,流域西南部子流域的有机氮和有机磷平均排放量最大,分别为38.15和5.89 ks/(hm2·a),是大宁河流域污染物排放的最敏感区域.     

土壤柴油污染修复的抽气提取去除实验研究

为得到土壤气相抽提(SVE)去除柴油的优化条件,进行了一维土柱抽气提取去除柴油污染物的实验研究,研究不同初始含水率、不同抽气量对污染土壤中柴油去除率的影响及不同深度残留柴油的变化规律。结果表明：在本实验模拟的范围内,抽气量越大,SVE处理效果越好;初始含水率越低,处理效果越好;此外,不同深度去除率变化的规律基本上是随深度的增大而减小。实验结果可为土壤轻油污染实际治理提供实验数据基础。     

AB工艺污水厂冬季运行效果分析

对乌鲁木齐市某AB工艺污水厂冬季实际运行效果进行监测分析。结果表明：冬季水温降低不影响AB工艺对BOD₅的去除效果,BOD5的去除率平均达到88.8%,但COD和SS的去除效果下降;在A段氨氮去除率为35%,经过B段后,氨氮含量反又上升,去除率下降为7.8%左右;降低了A段除磷效果,去除率仅29%,B段则表现出稳定的除磷效果,出水总磷稳定在1.0 mg/L以下,AB工艺总磷去除率达到80%。     

超声强化Fe0去除阳离子红GTL的研究

采用US/Fe^0系统去除阳离子红GTL,考察了pH值、Fe^0用量、超声功率及活性炭、H2O2、盐分添加对阳离子红GTL去除率的影响,利用紫外-可见吸收光谱变化查明阳离子红GTL在不同条件下的去除差异性,利用SEM解析铁的形态与染料去除的相关性。结果表明：pH≥5.0时超声和Fe^0具有协同效应,Fe^0用量2 g/L,pH=7.0,超声功率135 W,阳离子红GTL去除率达到96.07%;一定量的活性炭、H2O2、盐分添加会加速染料去除,US加速Fe^0反应速度,但不改变染料降解机理,添加活性炭能够彻底降解阳离子红GTL,添加H2O2提供的氧化环境抑制苯胺类化合物生成;铁的形态及与染料的接触是影响染料去除效果的重要原因。