Toxicity and transfer of metal oxide nanoparticles from microalgae to sea urchin larvae

Nanoparticles (NPs) contained in commercial products are released and enter into the aquatic ecosystem, posing serious possible risks to the environment and affecting the food chain. Therefore, investigating the potential toxicity of NPs on aquatic organisms has become an important issue. This study assessed the toxicity and trophic transfer of metal oxide NPs from marine microalgae (Cricosphaera elongata) to the larvae of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Larvae (24 h old) were fed on 2000 cell mL^?1 48 h of microalgae contaminated with 5 mg L^?1 of several metal oxide NPs (SiO₂, SnO₂, CeO₂, Fe₃O₄) for 15 days. Larval viability and development were monitored from the 4-arm stage to the 8-arm pluteus stage. A significant decrease in survival was observed in larvae fed with microalgae exposed to SiO₂ and CeO₂ NPs. Abnormal development, characterised by skeletal degeneration and altered rudiment growth, was observed in all larvae fed with contaminated NP algae. Our findings revealed that SiO₂ and CeO₂ NPs exerted a toxic effect in the trophic interaction analysed, by reducing sea urchin larval viability, and all metal oxide NPs induced toxicological effects. In conclusion, metal oxide NPs may enter the food chain and become bioavailable for marine organisms, affecting their development.     

Effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate on behavioural activity,regeneration and antioxidant enzymes in planarian Dugesia japonica

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a persistent organic pollutant and has been found to be the predominant perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in the environment. In the present study, planarian Dugesia japonica is employed to investigate the toxicity of this compound. The behavioural activity, survival, regeneration and antioxidant enzyme activities of the D. japonica exposed to PFOS were investigated. The results showed that the planarian D. japonica is very sensitive to low concentration pollutants including PFOS and suitable for toxicological bioassays. PFOS has severe toxicity in inducing oxidative stress, regeneration and development toxicity in planarians. The toxicity is indicated by reduced planarian locomotor velocity (pLMV), reduced appearance of auricles in regenerating animals, changed in antioxidant enzyme SOD and CAT activities. The information presented in this study will help elucidating the PFOS-induced toxicity in aquatic organisms.     

广州市某A2/O工艺城镇污水处理厂出水对大型溞的生殖毒性作用

城镇污水处理厂废水中存在大量生物毒性物质,但该废水对动物的生殖能力影响研究还十分缺乏。利用大型溞暴露实验,检测广州市某采用A~2/O工艺的城镇污水处理厂出水的急性毒性和生殖毒性。48 h急性毒性实验表明,所有水样均未表现出急性毒性效应。慢性生殖毒性(14 d)测试结果表明:(1)从进水到缺氧池出水均能显著提高第一胎产溞数量;(2)进水和沉砂池出水显著增加受试期总产溞数量;(3)从厌氧池到出水工艺段受试溞的第一胎产溞时间均推后;(4)好氧池出水的毒性显著降低,但仍然对大型溞具有生殖毒性。研究表明,好氧池(A~2/O)工艺能够显著去除具有大型溞生殖毒性的物质,但污水处理厂废水的生殖毒性仍需要引起关注。     

2种经典模型对抗生素与重金属锌的蛋白核小球藻时间依赖联合毒性作用的评估比较

污染物在环境中普遍以混合物的形式存在,其累积毒性与毒性相互作用具有潜在的环境风险。因此,本研究以水环境中普遍存在的氨基糖苷类抗生素(硫酸链霉素、硫酸安普霉素和双氢链霉素)和重金属锌(Zn)为目标污染物,以蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa,C. pyrenoidosa)为指示生物,应用直接均分射线法设计3种抗生素与Zn的3个二元混合物体系,应用时间毒性微板分析法系统测定3种抗生素和重金属Zn及其二元混合物射线的时间-浓度-毒性数据,以浓度加和(concentration addition,CA)与独立作用(independent action,IA)为标准加和参考模型,分析混合物毒性相互作用及其随时间变化规律。结果表明,随着暴露时间延长,3种抗生素和重金属Zn对C. pyrenoidosa的毒性逐渐增强; 2种模型对3个二元混合物体系的毒性相互作用评估基本一致,即在低浓度区域始终呈现加和作用,而在高浓度区域随暴露时间延长由协同作用逐渐转变为加和作用;而对于同一混合物体系,CA和IA模型预测毒性之间的差距随着浓度增加而增加,且IA预测曲线始终位于CA预测曲线上方,显示了IA模型在评估具有相异组分混合物的毒性时较CA模型接近实际观测值。     

环境浓度下的混合抗生素对普通小球藻的联合毒性

近年来,抗生素已成为一类备受关注的新型环境污染物。为了探究这类化合物对各类生物的毒性效应,本实验以红霉素(ERY)、恩诺沙星(ENR)、磺胺甲恶唑(SMX)这3种常见的抗生素作为代表,研究其单独作用和两两联合作用对普通小球藻的生长、蛋白合成及丙二醛(MDA)含量的影响。结果表明:ERY、ENR和SMX对小球藻的96 h-EC50分别为85.7、124.5和1 672.7μg·L~(-1),且3种抗生素两两联合时对小球藻的毒性作用类型均为协同作用。此外,当暴露于环境浓度的抗生素时,无论是单独加药还是联合加药,除ERY处理组的小球藻的蛋白合成被轻微抑制外,其他各处理组的蛋白含量与对照组相比,均展现出低剂量刺激效应。对于MDA产量,ENR处理组的MDA含量与对照组无显著差异,其他各处理组均高于对照组;故环境浓度下的ENR并没有对小球藻造成明显的氧化损伤,而其他2种抗生素则对小球藻造成了氧化损伤。该研究为低浓度混合抗生素在淡水环境中联合暴露的生态风险评估提供了科学依据。     

咪鲜胺和多菌灵对斑马鱼联合毒性效应

水生生物经常暴露于多种化合物中,多种农药联合会产生不同的毒性作用。在目前农药管理中,仅要求开展单剂的毒性评价,没有考虑到多种混合物对水生生物的联合毒性。咪鲜胺和多菌灵是农业生产中常混用的2种农药,为评价其联合毒性,以斑马鱼为受试生物,采用静态法和实时荧光定量PCR方法,测定了其单剂及混剂对斑马鱼胚胎的急性毒性和对斑马鱼幼鱼甲状腺轴关键基因的影响。急性毒性试验结果显示:咪鲜胺和多菌灵对斑马鱼胚胎96 h-LC50值分别为8.41 mg·L~(-1)和0.81 mg·L~(-1),表现为中毒和高毒。二元组合时,在24～96 h暴露时间内,对斑马鱼胚胎的急性毒性均表现为拮抗效应。基因表达结果显示:咪鲜胺抑制斑马鱼幼鱼促甲状腺激素释放激素(CRH)、促甲状腺激素(TSH)、甲状腺激素受体(TRα)、脱碘酶(D1、D2)基因的表达,对甲状腺激素转运蛋白(TTR)基因的表达没有显著影响;多菌灵抑制CRH、TSH、D1和D2基因的表达;暴露于二元组合时,低、中剂量组抑制CRH、TSH、D1和D2基因表达;二元组合与单剂相比,高剂量组促进TSH、D1和D2基因的表达,中剂量组促进TRα基因的表达。综上所述,咪鲜胺和多菌灵联合暴露能够干扰斑马鱼幼鱼早期发育,且与单剂相比,对斑马鱼甲状腺轴上基因干扰效应存在差异。因此,在农药风险评估中,应充分考虑农药联合暴露的效应。     

基于代谢组学技术分析磷酸三苯酯诱导斑马鱼胚胎发育毒性的分子机制

磷酸三苯酯(TPhP)是广泛存在于环境介质和生物体内的一种典型有机磷阻燃剂。为探求TPhP诱发水生动物发育毒性的分子机制,本研究以斑马鱼为模式动物,将发育至2.5 hpf (hours post fertilization)的斑马鱼胚胎暴露于0.0025、0.1、1、10、100和1 000μg·L~(-1)TPhP溶液至7 dpf (days post fertilization),考察斑马鱼胚胎生长发育指标和线粒体功能的变化,通过代谢组学分析揭示相关分子机制。结果表明,环境相关浓度(0.0025、0.1和1μg·L~(-1)) TPhP对斑马鱼胚胎发育无显著影响,但是轻微干扰了斑马鱼的代谢过程。100和1 000μg·L~(-1)TPhP暴露引起斑马鱼心跳速率、孵化率和线粒体膜电位明显下调,畸形率分别增加6.8倍和12.5倍,死亡率分别增加7.2倍和16.5倍。代谢组学分析发现,10、100和1 000μg·L~(-1)TPhP显著抑制斑马鱼氨基酸代谢,降低缬氨酸、亮氨酸和异亮氨酸水平,抑制氨酰-tRNA生物合成过程;同时引起葡萄糖糖酵解过程和三羧酸循环发生障碍。氨基酸和糖代谢异常可能是TPhP引起斑马鱼发育畸形的主要原因,线粒体功能紊乱可能是TPhP诱发三羧酸循环障碍的原因。上述研究结果为TPhP发育毒性机制分析提供了新思路。     

啶氧菌酯对斑马鱼的安全性评价及其生物富集行为研究

啶氧菌酯是一种新型的内吸性杀菌剂,本研究对其水生生物的毒性和累积风险进行了评估。啶氧菌酯原药对斑马鱼的急性毒性试验结果显示,96 h-LC₅₀为0.0509 mg a.i. L^-1。设置0.005 mg L^-1(1/100LC₅₀)和0.05 mg L^-1(1/10LC₅₀)2个浓度8 d生物累积试验。在0.005 mg L^-1组,第8天斑马鱼体内啶氧菌酯浓度达到0.48 mg kg^-1,生物富集系数(BCF_{8 d})缓慢增长到80.00。而在0.05 mg L^-1组,第8天斑马鱼体内的啶氧菌酯浓度为5.27 mg kg^-1,BCF_{8 d}值为99.42。研究表明,啶氧菌酯对斑马鱼为有剧毒,同时具有中等生物累积效应。因此在使用过程中,需要考虑其对水生生物的毒性和水生食物链的放大效应。     

Toxic effects of realgar transforming solution on the reproduction of Caenorhabditis elegans

Realgar transforming solution is an arsenic formulation which has shown anticancer effects with low toxicity both in vivo and in vitro. In this study, Caenorhabditis elegans was used to evaluate its reproductive toxicity and its possible mechanisms. Realgar transforming solution decreased the brood size and induced proliferation arrest and apoptosis significantly only at an elemental concentration of 37.5 mg/L, while arsenic trioxide reduced the brood sizes and induced proliferation arrest and apoptosis of both the wild type N2 and let-60 ras(gf) mutant worms in an arsenic concentration dependent manner. Mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein p53 pathways may be involved in reproductive toxicity as evidenced by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, RNA interference, and inhibition experiments with mitogen-activated protein kinases and p53. In conclusion, realgar transforming solution at the low arsenic (As) concentrations showed lower reproductive toxicity than arsenic trioxide, and a different molecular mechanism of reproductive toxicity is suggested.     

轮虫在生态毒理学中的研究进展

轮虫是浮游动物中的重要类群,因具有生活周期短、对毒物的敏感性高、有两性生殖方式、易培养和实用性强等优势特征,已被用作生态毒理学实验中重要的模式生物,颇有研究前景。本文简介了轮虫作为受试生物的特点及其生活史,并从实验方法、污染物种类、测试指标等角度对近几十年来轮虫在生态毒理学中的应用现状、主要成果和最新进展作了概述,主要包括轮虫在常规毒性评价中的应用:急性毒性、慢性毒性以及对其行为的影响效应;综述了几类典型环境污染物,例如重金属、UV辐射、持久性有机污染物以及农药化合物的胁迫对轮虫的毒性效应,特别对目前存在的问题、研究热点及今后需要加强研究的方向进行了讨论和展望,以期为应用轮虫生态毒理学进行环境污染及风险评估提供参考。