Assessing the human health effects of PCBs

Toxic effects can be induced in experimental animals by high doses of pure PCBs, and in man by PCDF-contaminated PCB. In order to assess the effects of ordinary, uncontaminated PCB on man, a group of capacitor workers who had direct occupational exposure to Aroclors 1254, 1242, and 1016 during the period 1946 to 1977 has been under medical surveillance since 1976. This group presented some indications of non-AhR-mediated microsomal enzyme induction during the period of direct exposure, but no chloracne or increased cancer mortality. Multiple regression studies revealed no significant associations between lipid PCB levels and clinical indicators of hepatotoxicity, hypertension, or pulmonary impairment.     

Distribution of PCDDs and PCDFs in Soils Collected from the Denver Front Range - Principal Components Analysis of Diffuse Dioxin Sources (10 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) is a US Army facility located northeast of Denver, Colorado that has been listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). It is currently being re-mediated under the authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). As part of the remediation activities at RMA, indications were found that a source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) had existed on the RMA. As a result, investigations were undertaken to assess the possible nature and extent of any potential sources of PCDDs and PCDFs on the RMA site. In addition, other studies were conducted that examined PCDD/PCDF contamination in the Denver area. The goal of these studies was to examine nature and extent of PCDD/PCDF contamination both on the RMA as well as in the surrounding Denver area. The intent of this study was to characterize sources of dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) at low environmental concentrations which might have originated from diffuse sources in the Denver Colorado area and in particular, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Methods Over 200 soil samples were collected from the RMA and the Denver area. From the RMA, soil was collected as part of three studies that included a (1) random site-wide sampling of the RMA, (2) soils from the Western Tier Parcel (WTP), and (3) soils from Historic Use areas. Denver area soil samples were collected from five different land use categories: Residential, Agricultural, Open Space, Commercial, and Industrial. PCA was conducted on concentrations of 17 2,3,7,8-substuituted PCDD and PCDF congeners in 220 soil samples collected from the RMA and the Denver Front Range region. Results and Discussion PCA demonstrated the presence of possible minor sources of dioxins on the RMA. Current remediation efforts on RMA will result in the removal of these sources. Samples from the RMA were identified by the presence of a congener profile containing higher chlorinated PCDFs while the Denver Front Range areas were characterized by the presence of higher chlorinated PCDD congeners. The presence of a PCDF signature for the RMA samples does not necessarily indicate a major source of these contaminants on-site. Indeed, the relatively diffuse nature of the sample clusters would argue strongly against the presence of a single large source. Instead, the predominance of the PCDF congeners probably indicates the mixed industrial activities that took place on and near the site. Conclusion PCA results indicate that PCDD/PCDF profiles in soils collected from the RMA differed from those collected from the outlying Denver areas but that a major source of these contaminants was not present. Rather, the diffuse nature of sample clusters from the PCA indicated that the congener profile of RMA samples was most likely a result of the mixed industrial activities that historically have taken place on and near the site. PCA also indicated that many of the 'open area' (peripheral site-wide) RMA soils samples did not differ from Denver are reference congener profiles. This finding was also true for samples collected from the WTP that were essentially indistinguishable from Off-RMA reference samples. In addition, total TEQ concentrations in soils collected from WTP were similar to those measured in soils collected from the Denver Front Range areas indicating that lack of a major source of PCDD/PCDF within the WTP zones of the RMA. Recommendation and Outlook Analytical as well as statistical results of the soil congener data indicate that the WTP soils are indistinguishable from soils collected from non-industrial areas in the Denver area. This finding would support the recent 'de-listing' of the WTP from the other RMA areas and its' transfer to other authorities in the Denver area.     

焚烧炉及周围环境样品中多氯联苯的监测分析

对焚烧炉禁烧处理多氯联苯的效果及其周围环境样品中的多氯联苯进行了监测分析，建立了不同基体中ＰＣＢｓ高效毛细管色谱／质谱，气相色谱／电子捕获鉴定器检测的常规方法，燕根据对炉渣、尾气及环境样品的分析结果，认为多氯联苯的焚烧处理达到设计要求。     

土壤中多氯联苯监测分析方法

文章综述了国内外现有的土壤中多氯联苯的标准监测方法及其它文献报道方法，评述了各方法的优、缺点，介绍了本文所研制的适用性强、能满足监测需求的方法。     

多氯联苯的微生物降解

以多氯联苯(PCB)为唯一碳源,通过选择性富集培养,从变电站变压器油污染的土样中分离出25株PCB降解菌,底物生长试验结果表明,它们可以利用多种PCB作为唯一碳源,对其中三株菌作了鉴定,都属于假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)用气相色谱法和氯离子测定法检测了八株菌对各种PCB的降解能力,降解率一般为20—50%,高的可达60—100%,降解能力随含氯量的增高而降低,不同异构体降解的难易程度有很大差别,在PCB的降解中有氯离子的释放。     

土壤中多氯联苯监测分析方法

文章综述了国内外现有的土壤中多氯联苯的标准监测方法及其它文献报道方法,评述了各方法的优、缺点,介绍了本文所研制的适用性强、能满足监测需求的方法.     

好氧生物泥浆法降解土壤中三氯代多氯联苯的影响因素分析

采用好氧生物泥浆法处理多氯联苯（PCBs）污染土壤,基于五因素三水平正交试验探究葡萄糖、联苯、任意甲基化-β-环糊精（RAMEB）、土水比和降解菌剂5个因素对PCBs降解效率的影响.结果表明：在好氧生物泥浆体系中,仅三氯代PCBs含量显著下降（最高降解率为42.1%）,而四氯~七氯代PCBs含量无显著变化.以三氯代PCBs的降解率为试验指标,对正交试验结果进行极差分析,可知影响三氯代PCBs好氧降解率的主次因素依次为：土水比、RAMEB、葡萄糖、降解菌剂、联苯.其中,葡萄糖和联苯对三氯代PCBs的降解有抑制作用,而土水比、RAMEB及降解菌剂对三氯代PCBs的降解有促进作用.因此,通过提升泥浆体系传质水平、提高PCBs生物有效性及增加降解菌数量,有望进一步提高好氧生物泥浆法降解PCBs的效率.     

Potential and Limitations of Microbial Reductive Dechlorination for Bioremediation Applications

Current knowledge and recent advances in the area of microbial reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated organic compounds are summarized. Factors which may limit the efficacy of the dechlorination process for the in situ bioremediation of contaminated soil and sediment systems are identified. Results of recent studies on the anaerobic biotransformation of soil-sorbed chlorinated ethenes and sediment-sorbed chlorinated benzenes are provided to illustrate how low contaminant bioavailability may control the rate and extent of dechlorination in subsurface systems, especially those with long-term contamination. Use of nonionic, polysorbate surfactants as the sole electron donors of a mixed, methanogenic culture supported the microbial sequential reductive dechlorination of either free or sediment-bound hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to primarily 1,3-dichlorobenzene, but did not enhance the bioavailability of sediment-bound HCB as compared to microcosms, which used glucose. Because current knowledge on the interactions of dechlorinating populations with other microbial populations in the presence of alternative terminal electron acceptors (e.g., nitrate, Fe³⁺ , Mn⁴⁺) is limited, such interactions and their effect on the dechlorination process in subsurface systems need to be further explored to improve our understanding of the reductive dechlorination process in complex environmental systems and lead to the development of more efficient in situ bioremediation technologies and strategies.     

Enhanced hepatotoxicity induced by repeated exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in combination in male rats

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin(TCDD) and polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) are among persistent polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons that exist as complex mixtures in the environment worldwide.The present study was attempted to investigate the hepatotoxicity following repeated exposure to TCDD and PCBs in combination in male rats,and to reveal the involvement of potential mechanisms.Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to TCDD(10 μg/kg) and Aroclor 1254(10 mg/kg,a representative mixture of PCBs) alone ...