SMALL FISH MODELS FOR IDENTIFYING CARCINOGENS IN THE AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENT1

ABSTRACT: Contaminants in water and sediments can be carcinogenic to aquatic wildlife as well as humans. Identifying those carcinogens, however, is difficult because they often occur in low concentrations and exert their effects over a large part of the life span of affected organisms. Furthermore, the carcinogens are often components of complex mixtures. Recent studies suggest that laboratory-reared fish species might be well suited for testing water-associated and other carcinogens. Here, we review the principal carcinogen exposure methods that utilize small fish species or can be adapted to utilize small fish species to detect carcinogens in aqueous environments. Emphasis is placed on methods for which the end-point is tumor induction. The methods discussed are dietary exposures, skin painting, embryo microinjection, early life stage (pulse) exposures, static water exposures, flow-through exposures, and controlled field exposures. Early life stage exposures seem to have the greatest utility with regard to carcinogen sensitivity, ease of administration, disposal of test compounds, and economy of materials and effort. For certain types of carcinogens, however, long-term flow-through exposures are probably required. In summary, small fish carcinogenesis models offer an array of methodologies that can be utilized in a variety of combinations depending on compounds tested, exposure parameters employed, and end points sought.     

光释光(OSL)测年技术的初步实验研究

提出了基于X射线激发的光释光测年原理，据此进行了初步实验研究。研究表明，利用X射线是可以激发辐射样品使其产生光释光信号的。     

香港住宅室内环境及污染暴露量研究

对选定的14间香港住宅的PM10、CO、NO2等主要室内污染物浓度进行监测，通过建立多元线性回归模型，分析了室内．外PM10浓度与居民室内各种活动等其它有关因素之间的相关关系．结合香港居民日常时间安排调查的结果，计算出各种室内污染物的暴露量，对住宅室内环境污染对居民健康的影响进行了初步评估，提出了改善住宅室内环境的一些建议。     

低浓度2,4-DCP对鲫鱼肝脏抗氧化防御系统的影响

 采用室内模拟方法,以2,4-二氯苯酚(2,4-DCP)和小鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)为实验材料,研究了0.1mg/L 2,4-DCP在不同暴露期内对鲫鱼肝脏抗氧化防御系统的影响.结果表明,过氧化氢酶(CAT)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)及氧化型谷胱甘肽(GSSG)对2,4-DCP非常敏感,在暴露第2天就受到极显著的诱导或抑制(P<0.01);还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量总体上被抑制;谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)活性整体上呈现轻微诱导趋势谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(Se-GPx)活性先受抑制后被诱导;谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(GST)的活性先被诱导,后降低到对照组水平.上述肝脏抗氧化酶指标可作为水生生态系统中2,4-DCP污染的生物监测指标.     

防护装饰性镀层16年大气曝露试验

介绍了几种不同组合的防护装饰性镀层经16年大气曝露试验后的情况。结果表明：具有约40μm厚度的多层镍 微孔铬或微裂纹铬组合镀层可以有效地保护钢铁基体在亚热带气候条件下免遭腐蚀：而厚度达60μm的普通铜 镍 铬、镍 铬组合镀层对钢铁基体不能提供可靠的腐蚀保护。     

汽油车尾气亚慢性暴露对小鼠肺的损伤作用

机动车尾气是我国大气细颗粒物PM_(2.5)污染的主要来源之一,长期暴露于机动车尾气对动物呼吸系统及其他多种脏器造成损害。为探索长期暴露于汽油燃烧的汽车尾气对小鼠肺组织的损伤作用,将51只雄性8周龄SPF级ICR小鼠随机分为7个处理。其中,空气对照组1个(6只);箱体对照组3个:0.5 h对照组(5只)、1 h对照组(8只)、2 h对照组(8只);汽油车尾气暴露组3个:0.5 h暴露组(8只)、1 h暴露组(8只)、2 h暴露组(8只)。小鼠每天在自制染毒箱中暴露0.5 h、1 h、2 h。95 d的暴露实验后,处死实验鼠,测定其肺组织的炎症因子白介素-6(IL-6)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、转化生长因子β(TGF-β),并制作小鼠肺部病理学切片进行HE染色。暴露实验过程中,观察记录小鼠行为特征,测定箱体内O_2、NO_x、NO_2、NO、SO_2和CO的浓度。采集汽油车尾气的PM2.5,对其水溶性阴离子(F~-、Cl~-、NO_2~-、NO_3~-、SO_4~(2-))、水溶性阳离子(Na~+、NH_4~+、Ca~(2+)、K~+、Mg~(2+))、有机碳(OC)和元素碳(EC)、7种重金属元素(Cu、Ni、Mn、Zn、Pb、As、Cr)、16种多环芳烃(PAHs)浓度等进行了测定。结果表明:(1)亚慢性染毒箱内汽油车尾气PM2.5所分析的化学物质中,OC浓度最高,占PM2.5中总化学物质浓度的75.5%;其次是EC,占22.9%;再次是阴离子和阳离子,分别占1.11%和0.27%。(2)3个暴露组小鼠活跃程度降低,暴露5～8 min后进入睡眠或休息状态,呼吸频率降低,小鼠通过这些行为来减少汽油车尾气的伤害。(3)汽油车尾气长期暴露组的体重增长率与各自对照组之间不存在显著差异,但2 h暴露组体重增长率明显小于2 h对照组,且2 h暴露组在第14周开始体重有下降的趋势。(4)与对照组相比,1 h暴露组的IL-6和0.5 h暴露组的TNF-α显著升高,说明汽油车尾气暴露造成小鼠肺炎症损伤,使IL-6、TNF-α的分泌增加。随着暴露时间的延长,IL-6和TNF-α表现为2 h暴露组分别显著低于1 h暴露组和0.5 h暴露组,意味长期暴露后小鼠肺部受到严重伤害,免疫力严重下降,不再有积极的抗炎性反应。(5)组织病理观察表明,与开放对照组比较,3个汽油车尾气暴露组小鼠肺部组织充血较为严重,大量淋巴细胞、中性粒细胞浸润,肺泡间质增生明显,呈现出随时间延长损伤加重的梯度差异。(6)汽油车尾气长期暴露可致实验鼠肺脏损伤,且随着暴露时间的增加,对肺组织造成的损伤程度增加。     

Exposure Assessment of Naturally Metal Enriched Topsoils, Port Macquarie, Australia

An exposure assessment was conducted on naturally metal enriched topsoils of the city of Port Macquarie in order to establish whether the soils pose any threat to human health. Surface soils (0–10 cm depth, <2 mm) were investigated for their total, bioavailable and leachable Cr and Ni concentrations. Total metal concentrations ranged from 145 to 4540 mg Cr kg^–1 and 20 to 2030 mg Ni kg^–1, whereas soil extractions revealed low leachable contaminant concentrations (EDTA extraction: <0.1–0.2 mg Cr L^–1 and <0.1–4.7 mg Ni L^–1; acetic acid extraction: <0.1 mg L^–1 Cr and Ni). Thus the bioavailability of Cr and Ni to plants is low, the leaching of metals into ground and surface waters is insignificant and the pathways of these metal pollutants from topsoils into residents are limited to the inadvertent ingestion, inhalation and skin adsorption of soil metals. Simulated gastric experiments, using hydrochloric acid, indicated that less than 0.01% of the total Cr and 0.1–2.4% of the total Ni ingested are soluble and available, for uptake into the human body. Critical receptors, such as small children would have to ingest considerable soil quantities (> 11.8 g per day) over long periods of time to experience an appreciable risk of deleterious effects. Thus, although Cr and Ni are present in high concentrations, the effective uptake of Cr and Ni from soil by the majority of residents is insignificant. The possibility that the Ni enriched topsoil induces allergic contact dermatitis in sensitised individuals remains to be evaluated.     

Effects of lead exposure on redox status,DNA and histological structures in Venus verrucosa gills and digestive gland

ABSTRACT

Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic heavy metals that affect the physiological status of aquatic organisms. The present investigation evaluated the possible toxic effect of lead chloride (PbCl₂) on biomarkers responses, DNA damage and histological alterations in Venus verrucosa gills and digestive gland. Three concentrations of PbCl₂ (D1:1µgL^?1, D2: 10µgL^?1 and D3: 100µgL^?1) were chosen for V. verrucosa exposure during six days. At the end of the trial, it was found that Pb tended to accumulate in both gills and digestive gland in a dose-dependent manner. However, gill tissues exhibited the highest metal burden. Our results showed an increase of malondialdehyde, protein carbonyls and advanced oxidation protein product levels in both organs following PbCl₂exposure. The induction of both non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant systems; as well as the decrease of the acetylcholinesterase activity and degradation of DNA structure was recorded in the gills and digestive gland. The histopathological alterations observed in gills (disruption of lamellas and cilia filaments?…) and digestive gland (lumens occlusion, necrosis and fibrosis) confirmed the aforementioned results. Our data highlighted the short-term toxicity effects of PbCl₂ on V. verrucosa and pointed out a high sensitivity of gills towards this metal.     

The Influence of Varying Planktonic and Periphytic Algal Biomass On Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Mesocosms

Algal populations, either suspended in the water column (planktonic) or present on the walls of an enclosure (periphytic), develop differently depending upon the physical scale of the system. This study determined whether these variations altered the speciation and therefore exposure of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in estuarine mesocosms. Exposure was defined as the fraction of applied contaminant taken up by plankton after two hours. Using a three phase equilibrium model, the partitioning of a suite of PCBs within variously-sized mesocosms was predicted using laboratory derived distribution coefficients and measured levels of planktonic and periphytic algal biomass. in mesocosms having large wall surface area to volume ratios, sorption of hydrophobic PCBs to periphyton significantly decreased contaminant exposure. However, within the range of planktonic algal biomasses observed in this study, the regulation of PCB exposure was relatively invariant between variously-sized mesocosms. to minimize sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to periphyton and reduce artefacts inherent with this partitioning, we suggest using mesocosms with low wall surface area to volume ratios (less than or equal to 1). in addition, periphytic biomass should be quantified regularly and a three-phase equilibrium approach used to predict the actual exposure concentrations.