自动化前处理-气相色谱串联质谱法测定淡水鱼体中的有机磷阻燃剂

应用自动化前处理设备和气相色谱串联四级杆质谱仪建立了淡水鱼体中10种有机磷阻燃剂的检测方法。该方法先采用自动索氏提取仪进行样品的提取,再应用凝胶渗透色谱净化仪和florisil柱对提取液进行两级净化,最后用气相色谱串联四级杆质谱法(多反应监测模式)对样品中的有机磷阻燃剂(OPFRs)定性定量。实验表明,凝胶渗透色谱净化系统在以乙酸乙酯∶环己烷(1∶1,V/V)为流动相,流速为5.0 m L·min-1的条件下,收集OPFRs的最佳时间为900~1 680 s;方法的检出限为0.002~0.192 ng·g~(-1)湿重,加标水平为5.000 ng·g~(-1)湿重时,平均加标回收率为48.7%~122%,相对偏差除磷酸三乙酯(TEP)(17.7%)和磷酸三(1,3-二氯异丙基)酯(TDCP)(11.9%)外均小于10%。应用该方法测定采集于东江某污水处理厂入河排污口的鱼类样品时,回收率指示物(d27-TBP)的回收率为82.4%~114%,鱼类样品中∑OPFRs的浓度范围为nd~6.41 ng·g~(-1)湿重。     

The impact of pesticides on oxidative stress level in human organism and their activity as an endocrine disruptor

Pesticides cause serious environmental and health problems both to humans and animals. The aim of this review is to discuss selected herbicides and fungicides regarding their mode of action and their influence on basic oxidative stress parameters and endocrine disruption properties tested in selected cell cultures in vitro. Because of numerous difficulties which animal studies are subject to, cell cultures are an excellent experimental model reflecting human exposure to different pesticides through all relevant routes. This experimental model can be used to monitor aggregate and cumulative pesticide exposures.     

Risk estimation to human health caused by the mercury content of Sushi and Sashimi sold in Japanese restaurants in Brazil

Although fish is a healthy alternative for meat, it can be a vehicle for mercury (Hg), including in its most toxic organic form, methylmercury (MeHg). The objective of the present study was to estimate the risk to human health caused by the consumption of sushi and sashimi as commercialized by Japanese food restaurants in the city of Campinas (SP, Brazil). The total Hg content was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry with thermal decomposition and amalgamation, and the MeHg content calculated considering that 90% of the total Hg is in the organic form. The health risk was estimated from the values for the provisional tolerable weekly ingestion (PTWI) by both adults and children. The mean concentrations for total Hg were: 147.99, 6.13, and 3.42 µg kg^?1 in the tuna, kani, and salmon sushi samples, respectively, and 589.09, 85.09, and 11.38 µg kg^?1 in the tuna, octopus and salmon sashimi samples, respectively. The tuna samples showed the highest Hg concentrations. One portion of tuna sashimi exceeded the PTWI value for MeHg established for children and adults. The estimate of risk for human health indicated that the level of toxicity depended on the type of fish and size of the portion consumed.     

At the intersection of disaster risk and religion: interpretations and responses to the threat of Tsho Rolpa glacial lake

Over the last several decades, the scientific community has replaced the ‘acts of god’ explanations for disasters with a view that disasters are actually ‘acts of nature,’ and more recently, ‘acts of human behavior and decision making.’ Despite the secular orientation of contemporary disaster research, religious beliefs still govern people’s interpretations of natural events across many continents and cultures. Using a case study of a rural Sherpa community in Nepal, this paper responds to the challenge of linking religion and disaster risk in the context of a climate change-induced glacial lake outburst flood hazard. Data collection employed ethnographic techniques including participant observation and 53 interviews with community members. Results indicate that the case study community’s religious belief system influences how they interpret and respond to the glacial lake hazard, although their beliefs co-exist with more scientific interpretations of risk. Rather than being immobilised by their belief system, we found that religious aspects like rituals and prayer can enhance social cohesion and contribute to capacities for coping with fear and uncertainty in this community. We assert that religion can yield valuable resources to glacial lake risk reduction strategies, which will benefit from incorporating social-cultural factors more profoundly.     

Flow‐Biology Relationships Based on Fish Habitat Guilds in North Carolina

The health of freshwater biota is dependent on streamflow, yet identification of the flow regimes required to maintain ecological integrity remains challenging to states in the United States seeking to establish ecological flows. We tested the relationship between decreases in streamflow and Shannon‐Weaver diversity index of fish species for four flow‐based habitat guilds: riffle, riffle‐run, pool‐run, and pool in North Carolina. We found species that prefer shallow habitats, such as riffles and riffle‐runs were the most sensitive to decreases in streamflow; whereas no significant relationships were found for pool or pool‐run species. The sensitivity to decreases in streamflow was greatest during summer and fall, when streams are naturally lower. When all fish habitat guilds were included in the assessment of flow‐biology relationships, there were no significant relationships to decreases in streamflow. As the sensitivity of fish to reductions in streamflow is not constant across habitat guilds, combining all fish species together for flow‐biology analyses may greatly underestimate the response of fish species to decreases in flow and should be acknowledged when establishing ecological flows.     

Enrichment and Isolation of a Mixed Bacterial Culture for Complete Mineralization of Endosulfan

In the present study, we isolated three novel bacterial species, namely, Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus circulans–I, and Bacillus circulans–II, from contaminated soil collected from the premises of a pesticide manufacturing industry. Batch experiments were conducted using both mixed and pure cultures to assess their potential for the degradation of aqueous endosulfan in aerobic and facultative anaerobic condition. The influence of supplementary carbon (dextrose) source on endosulfan degradation was also examined. After four weeks of incubation, mixed bacterial culture was able to degrade 71.82 ± 0.2% and 76.04 ± 0.2% of endosulfan in aerobic and facultative anaerobic conditions, respectively, with an initial endosulfan concentration of 50 mg l^?1. Addition of dextrose to the system amplified the endosulfan degradation efficiency by 13.36 ± 0.6% in aerobic system and 12.33 ± 0.6% in facultative anaerobic system. Pure culture studies were carried out to quantify the degradation potential of these individual species. Among the three species, Staphylococcus sp. utilized more beta endosulfan compared to alpha endosulfan in facultative anaerobic system, whereas Bacillus circulans–I and Bacillus circulans–II utilized more alpha endosulfan compared to beta endosulfan in aerobic system. In any of these degradation studies no known intermediate metabolites of endosulfan were observed.     

The health risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides in smoked fish products available in Szczecin,Poland

The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of organochlorine pesticides [HCH and isomers (α, β, γ), aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide and DDT and its metabolites (op’-DDD, pp’-DDD, op’-DDT, pp’-DDE, pp’-DDT] in smoked fish. Analysis was made of 12 typical smoked fish products that are the most popular among customers from the city of Szczecin, Poland. Pesticide residues were found in all samples of smoked fish. The smoked sprat and cold-smoked Baltic salmon were the most contaminated smoked fish products in terms of chlorine pesticides. The sum of DDT metabolites ranged from 1.48 (smoked mackerel) to 35.53 ng/g wet weight (smoked sprat), with the lowest concentrations found for op’-DDT and the highest for pp’-DDE. The level of heptachlor epoxide isomer B was low and ranged from 0.06 ± 0.01 (smoked eel) to 0.27 ± 0.07 ng/g w.w. (smoked sprat). The content of heptachlor was 0.48–1.99 ng/g w.w. Concentration of endrin was higher compared to other pesticides, ranged from 1.50 (cold-smoked salmon fillet) to 16.84 ng/g w.w (hot-smoked warehou). The contamination of smoked products was significantly low and poses no risk to the health of consumers provided that they eat a diverse diet. The concentration of organochlorine pesticides in the analysed products was below the standards accepted in European countries.     

Challenges in assessing the toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to marine organisms: a case study on the acute toxicity of pyrene to the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

The acute toxicity (96 h) of pyrene (PY) to European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) juveniles assessed in a semi-static bioassay (SSB) with medium renewal at each 12 h, and in a static bioassay (SB) without medium renewal was compared in laboratorial conditions (water PY concentrations: 0.07-10 mg L⁻¹). Main findings in the SSB that assessed mainly the toxicity of PY and its metabolites were: increased levels of bile PY metabolites in good agreement with the profile of lipid peroxidation levels (LPO) in exposed fish relating PY exposure and oxidative damage; increased levels of PY-type compounds in the brain indicating their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier; increased levels of these substances in liver and muscle which are edible tissues for humans thus raising concern on potential adverse effects on consumers of fish from PY contaminated areas; a significant inhibition of glutathione S-transferase activity suggesting its involvement in PY detoxication as toxicant scavenger; finally, an almost complete impairment of the swimming velocity at all the PY concentrations linking sub-individual to higher population level effects. In the SB, where the overall toxicity of PY, its metabolites and environmental degradation products was evaluated, 19% and 79% of PY decay in test media was found at 12 and 96 h, respectively. In general, the effects were similar to those of SSB but with significant effects being induced at higher PY concentrations indicating that the parental compound is more toxic than its environmental degradation products. The other main differences relatively to the SSB were: increased levels of PY-type substances in the liver suggesting more accumulation in this organ. Therefore, these findings highlight the need of carefully considering experimental design options when assessing the toxicity of readily degradable substances to marine fish, and stress the importance of taking into consideration the toxicity of environmental degradation products in addition to toxic effects of the parental substance and its metabolites for marine ecological risk assessment.