MiRNA-451 is a potential biomarker for estrogenicity in mouse uterus

The uterotrophic assay has been commonly used to test environmental estrogens in vivo, however, it is often not sensitive enough sometimes. An alternative way is to evaluate estrogenicity through biomarker genes. MicroRNA （miRNA） is a class of regulatory gene, which has been shown to be a good biomarker for many diseases and toxicological effects in recent years, and some evidences showed that estrogen induced response was partially mediated by miRNAs. In this study, two types of microarrays were used to test the 17[3-estradiol （E2） induced miRNA expression profile at different time points in the immature mouse uterus. Statistical analysis showed the aldehyde slide based array had less variation than the amino slide based array, and 11 dysregulated miRNAs were screened out for significant fold change. Real-time PCR was performed to further confirm that 4 out of 7 selected miRNAs, namely miR-451, miR-155, miR-335- 5p, and miR-365, are E2 regulated miRNAs in the uterus. The function of the predicted targets of these miRNAs is involved in cell grow control, which is consistent with the main E2 function in the uterus. MiR-451 had similar strong responses to E2 in the uterus of both immature and overiectomized mice, and could be a potential biomarker for estrogenicity in the uterus.     

臭氧氧化法降解聚氯乙烯离心母液废水中3种有机物

以聚氯乙烯离心母液废水中含量较高的3种有机物(聚乙烯醇、异辛醇和α-甲基苯乙烯)作为目标物,考察臭氧氧化工艺对3种有机物的去除效果,同时考察反应时间、臭氧投加量和初始pH对处理效果的影响。实验结果表明,臭氧氧化处理3种废水的最佳反应时间和臭氧投加量分别为:聚乙烯醇25 min,136 mg/L;异辛醇60min,312 mg/L;α-甲基苯乙烯60 min,32 mg/L。在此条件下,3种有机物的去除率分别为98%、85%和95%。此外,碱性条件有助于臭氧氧化工艺对3种有机物的降解。产物分析结果表明,经臭氧氧化,聚乙烯醇断链后进一步反应生成了草酸单乙酯,异辛醇和α-甲基苯乙烯分别生成了和苯乙酮。     

Measurements of selected PCBs in open urban ambient air of Madrid (Spain)

The focus of this study was to characterize the concentration levels of selected PCBs and compare them to compiled data in order to contribute to the international database. The sampling site is located in the outskirts of Madrid and can be considered an open urban area. 32 samples of air were taken from February 1998 to June 1998 by using a high volume air sampler. Glass fiber filters and polyurethane foam (PUF) were used to collect the paniculate and gas phase material, respectively. PUF plugs were Soxhlet extracted and filters were ultrasonically extracted by using pesticide-grade hexane and dichloromethane, respectively. The cleanup procedure was carried out on a florisil column with hexane and hexane/dichloromethane as elution solvents. GC/MS in a selected ion monitoring mode was used for quantification and 29 selected PCBs congeners were analyzed.     

串联四极杆质谱(GC-QqQ-MS/MS)测定土壤中的有机氯农药和多氯联苯

建立了用加速溶剂萃取仪(ASE)萃取、凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)净化、气相色谱/串联四极杆质谱多反应监测、同时测定土壤中17种有机氯农药和19种多氯联苯的方法.加标浓度在3.3μg/kg时的平均回收率在79.6%～93.2%之间,相对标准偏差在2.9%～13.0%之间,定量限在0.01～0.51μg/kg之间.在检测土壤样品中的有机氯农药和多氯联苯残留方面,Gc-QqQ-MS/MS相对于气相色谱/电子捕获检测器(GC-ECD)和GC-MS的选择离子检测(SIM)模式具有非常明显的优势,尤其是在低浓度水平的定性和定量方面.     

渤海湾南排河海域脉红螺中多氯联苯的污染特征

本文利用气相色谱-质谱/质谱测定了渤海湾南排河海域野生脉红螺肌肉组织中多氯联苯(PCBs)的含量,并对其污染特征进行讨论.结果表明:(1)肌肉中多氯联苯(∑PCBs)总浓度在8.40—10.06 ng.g-1(lw,以脂肪质量计)之间,其中PCB-114含量最高(0.74—1.06 ng.g-1(lw));(2)五氯联苯和六氯联苯为主要检出组分,占∑PCBs的43.7%—84.8%;(3)雌性脉红螺个体中PCBs的平均浓度略高于雄性及性畸变脉红螺中PCBs的平均浓度,分别为(10.06±0.89)ng.g-1(lw)、(8.40±0.63)ng.g-1(lw)和(8.51±0.67)ng.g-1(lw),但性别间无显著性差异.     

多氯联苯复合污染农田土壤的植物协同修复效应

采用田间微域试验,初步研究了紫花苜蓿与海州香薷、伴矿景天在不同栽培模式下对多氯联苯(PCBs)复合污染农田土壤的协同修复作用.结果表明,紫花苜蓿与海州香薷、伴矿景天混作对PCBs复合污染土壤的修复效果明显高于紫花苜蓿单作,其中紫花苜蓿-海州香薷混作、紫花苜蓿-海州香薷-伴矿景天混作种植120d后,土壤中PCBs含量比紫花苜蓿单作时分别降低43.0%和47.8%,强化效果显著.与紫花苜蓿单作相比,紫花苜蓿与海州香薷、伴矿景天混作可有效提高植株总生物量,增强植物对土壤中PCBs的吸收富集能力.土壤PCBs同系物分析结果表明,种植植物可有效降低土壤中低氯代PCBs含量,植物混作栽培模式可以促进高氯代PCBs组分向低氯代PCBs组分的转变.可见,紫花苜蓿与海州香薷、伴矿景天混作对多氯联苯复合污染农田土壤具有较好的协同修复作用.     

Use of a food web model to evaluate the factors responsible for high PCB fish concentrations in Lake Ellasjøen, a high Arctic Lake

Background, aim, and scope

Lake Ellasjøen, located in the Norwegian high arctic, contains the highest concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) ever recorded in fish and sediment from high arctic lakes, and concentrations are more than 10 times greater than in nearby Lake Øyangen. These elevated concentrations in Ellasjøen have been previously attributed, in part, to contaminant loadings from seabirds that use Ellasjøen, but not Øyangen, as a resting area. However, other factors, such as food web structure, organism growth rate, weight, lipid content, lake morphology, and nutrient inputs from the seabird guano, also differ between the two systems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relative influence of these factors as explanatory variables for the higher PCB fish concentrations in Ellasjøen compared with Øyangen, using both a food web model and empirical data.

Methods

The model is based on previously developed models but parameterized for Lakes Ellasjøen and Øyangen using measured data wherever possible. The model was applied to five representative PCB congeners (PCB 105, 118, 138, 153, and 180) using measured sediment and water concentrations as input data and evaluated with previously collected food web data.

Results

Modeled concentrations are within a factor of two of measured concentrations in 60% and 40% of the cases in Lakes Ellasjøen and Øyangen, respectively, and within a factor of 10 in 100% of the cases in both lakes. In many cases, this is comparable to the variability associated with the data as well as the efficacy of the predictions of other food web model applications.

Discussion

We next used the model to quantify the relative importance of five major differences between Ellasjøen and Øyangen by replacing variables representing each of these factors in the Ellasjøen model with those from Øyangen, in separate simulations. The model predicts that the elevated PCB concentrations in Ellasjøen water and sediment account for 49%–58% of differences in modeled fish PCB concentrations between lakes. These elevated sediment and, to a lesser extent, water concentrations in Ellasjøen are due to PCB loadings from seabird guano. However, sediment–water fugacity ratios of PCBs are consistently greater in Ellasjøen compared with Øyangen, which suggests that internal lake processes also contribute to differences in sediment and water concentrations. We hypothesize that the nutrients associated with guano influence sediment–water fugacity ratios of PCBs by increasing the stock of pelagic algae. As both these algae and the guano settle, their organic carbon content is degraded faster than PCBs, which causes an extra magnification step in Ellasjøen before these detrital particles are consumed by benthic organisms, which are in turn consumed by fish. The model predicts that the remaining ～50% of the differences in PCB concentrations observed between the fish of these lakes are due to other subtle differences in their food web structures.

Conclusions

In conclusion, based on the results of a food web model, we found that the most dominant factors influencing the higher PCB fish concentrations in Lake Ellasjøen compared with Øyangen are the higher sediment and water concentrations in Ellasjøen, caused by seabird guano. Together, sediment and water are predicted to account for 49%–58% of differences in fish concentrations between lakes. Although seabird guano provides a source of nutrients to the lake, in addition to contaminants, empirical data and indirect model results suggest that nutrients are not leading to decreased bioaccumulation, in contrast to what has been observed in temperate, pelagic food webs.

Recommendations and perspectives

The results of this study emphasize the importance of considering even small differences in food web structure when comparing bioaccumulation in two lakes; although the food web structures of Ellasjøen and Øyangen differ only slightly, the model predicts that these differences account for most of the remaining ～50% of the differences in PCB fish concentrations between the two lakes. This study further demonstrates the utility of food web models as we were able to predict and tease apart the influence of various factors responsible for the elevated concentrations in the fish from Lake Ellasjøen, which would have been difficult using the field data alone.     

Investigation on sampling artifacts of particle associated PAHs using ozone denuder systems

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） are complex organic compounds which are identified as significant carcinogenic to human health. PAHs （mainly in particle phase） are susceptible to atmospheric oxidant gases, especially ozone, nitrogen oxides （NOx）, hydroxyl radical （OH）, and could be degraded on filters during sampling process, leading to an underestimation of ambient PAH concentrations. The goal of this work was to investigate particle associated PAHs sampling artifacts caused by ozone in summer of Beijing. Comparative sampling systems were operated simultaneously during the whole campaign, one with activated carbon ozone denuder, the other being set as conventional sampling system. Activated carbon denuder was testified to be highly efficient to eliminate ozone from air stream. In general, nine particle-bound PAHs observed from conventional sampler were all lower than those from ozone denuder system. The total PAHs （particle phase） concentration was averagely underestimated by 35.9% in conventional sampling procedure. Benzo[a]pyrene （BaP） had the highest percentage of mass loss. founded to have influences Ambient temperature was on PAHs sampling artifacts. High temperature can increase loss of particle associated PAHs during sampling.     

上海室内外灰尘中多氯联苯及其人体暴露评估

2008年11月~2009年6月以气象学分4个季度测定了上海地区居民家庭室内外灰尘中多氯联苯(PCBs)的浓度.研究表明,春季和冬季室内灰尘中PCBs平均含量高于夏季和秋季,而室外灰尘中PCBs含量表现相反特征.单个室内样品∑PCBs浓度范围为1.0×103~1.97×106pg/g,室外为n.d.~1.96×106pg/g.此外,通过生理学的体外实验模拟人体胃肠消化过程,并利用响应面法研究影响PCBs生物有效性的因素,发现胆汁浓度相对于消化时间、液固比和污染物浓度对PCBs生物有效性影响最大.依据室内外灰尘中PCBs年平均浓度、生物有效性及灰尘摄入量计算得出,上海地区儿童和成人通过摄入灰尘人均PCBs的日暴露量分别为2.657×102~1.078×104pg/d和1.328×102~ 5.392×103pg/d.     

Distribution and ecological risk of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments from the Mediterranean coastal environment of Egypt

Organochlorine contamination in the Mediterranean coastal environment of Egypt was assessed based on 26 surface sediments samples collected from several locations on the Egyptian coast, including harbors, coastal lakes, bays, and estuaries. The distribution and potential ecological risk of contaminants is described. Organochlorine compounds (OCs) were widely distributed in the coastal environment of Egypt. Concentrations of PCBs, DDTs, and chloropyrifos ranged from 0.29 to 377 ng g⁻¹ dw, 0.07 to 81.5 ng g⁻¹ dw, and below the detection limit (DL) to 288 ng g⁻¹ dw, respectively. Other organochlorinated pesticides (OCP) studied were 1–2 orders of magnitude lower. OCP and PCBs had higher concentrations at Burullus Lake, Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria Eastern Harbor, and El Max Bay compared to other sites. OCP and PCB contamination is higher in the vicinity of possible input sources such as shipping, industrial activities and urban areas. PCB congener profiles indicated they were derived from more than one commercially available mixture. The ratios of commercial chlordane and heptachlor metabolites indicate historical usage; however, DDT and HCHs inputs at several locations appear to be from recent usage. The concentrations of PCBs and DDTs are similar to those observed in sediments from coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Ecotoxicological risk from DDTs and PCBs is greatest in Abu Qir Bay, Alexandria Harbor, and El-Max Bay.