Soil plate bioassay: an effective method to determine ecotoxicological risks

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in the breast milk of mothers living in Giugliano (Campania, Italy), an area at increased risk of PCDD and PCDF exposure caused by recent and serious open-air waste-combustion accidents. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in milk samples were also studied. Breast milk was also monitored in two cities in northern Italy, Milan and Piacenza, which were selected as controls. Other variables, such as diet and age of the mothers, were also studied. PCDD/F and PCB levels and congener profiles in breast-milk samples were similar in all these cities, though total PCDD/F and DL-PCB TEQs in samples from Giugliano were significantly lower than those in Milan and Piacenza (8.65 pg WHO-TEQ in Giugliano vs. 11.0 and 9.94 pg WHO-TEQ in Milan and Piacenza respectively). Thus no direct correlations were found between PCDD/F and PCB levels in breast milk and the suspected increased exposure through open-air waste combustion in Giugliano. Diet did not seem to affect PCDD/F and PCB levels, whereas a significant correlation was observed between the mother’s age and an increased concentration of PCDDs/Fs and PCBs in milk. Comparison of these findings with those of previous surveys in Italy in 2000-2001 showed a marked reduction of PCDD/F (about 60%) and DL-PCB (about 20%) levels in breast milk occurring over the last 10 years. This might well be a result of well functioning legislation, for example European Directives on of the reduction of the emission limits of PCDDs/Fs and PCBs from waste incineration set by EU Directive 2000/76/EC implemented in 2000, or Commission Regulations such as (EC) No. 466/2001 and 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.     

Associations between maternal phthalate exposure and cord sex hormones in human infants

It has been speculated that maternal phthalate exposure may affect reproductive development in human newborns. However, the mechanism awaits further investigation. The aim is to evaluate the association between maternal phthalate exposure and cord sex steroid hormones in pregnant women and their newborns from the general population. A total of 155 maternal and infant pair were recruited and analyzed. Levels of urinary phthalate metabolites and sex steroid hormones were determined using liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and radioimmunoassay (RIA), respectively. No significant correlation was found between each steroid hormones and phthalate metabolites for male newborns, except MMP was marginally significantly correlated with E₂. After adjusting for maternal age, estradiol (E₂) levels in cord serum from male newborns were not correlated with maternal urinary phthalate metabolites. In female newborns, the maternal urinary levels of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP) were negatively correlated with the free testosterone (fT) and fT/E₂ levels in cord serum with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging between −0.24 and −0.29 (p < 0.05). Additionally, after gestational age was adjusted, the maternal urinary level of DEHP was negatively correlated with the free testosterone (fT) and fT/E₂ levels in cord serum. We suggest that maternal exposure to phthalates may affect sex steroid hormones status in fetal and newborn stage.     

Short term recovery of periphyton photosynthesis after pulse exposition to the photosystem II inhibitors atrazine and isoproturon

Aquatic organisms are exposed to fluctuating concentrations of herbicides which contaminate rivers following their use for agricultural or domestic purposes. The development of sensitive bioanalytical tests enabling us not only to detect the effects of those pollutants but to take into account this pattern of exposure should improve the ecological relevance of river toxicity assessment. In this respect, the use of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements is a convenient way to probe the effect of photosystem II (PSII) inhibitors on primary producers. This study was devoted to validate the combined use of two fluorescence parameters, the effective and the optimal quantum yields of PSII photochemistry (Φ_PSII and F_v/F_m), as reliable biomarkers of initial isoproturon (IPU) or atrazine (ATZ) toxicity to natural periphyton in a pulse exposition scenario. Φ_PSII and F_v/F_m were regularly estimated during a 7 h-exposure to each pollutant (0-100 μM) and also later after being transferred in herbicide-free water (up to 36 h). Our results showed that IPU was more toxic than ATZ, but with effects reversible within 12 h. Moreover, these two similarly acting herbicides (i.e. same target site) presented contrasted short term recovery patterns, regarding the previous exposure duration.     

一些致突变剂与致癌剂分子流行病学的研究进展

分子流行病学是一种新兴的并迅速发展的研究领域。它结合了内剂量、生物有效剂量、生物效应和个体易感性效应等流行病方法学的实验检测方法,如接触性生物标记：尿中的代谢物、DNA加合物;蛋白质加合物和彗星实验参数检测的DNA损伤;效应性生物标记：染色体畸变、姊妹染色单体交换、策核、次黄嘌呤－鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶基因（HPRT）的突变,编码p53或p21蛋白的肿瘤基因的活化;易感性生物标记：CYP1A1、GSTM1、GSTT1、NAT2等基因的多态性。但无论什么实验都需要人类监测的可靠根据。直到现在仍不能解释基因型、接触性生物标记与效应性生物标记之间的关系。     

Multi-objective optimization of air quality monitoring

A new method for multi-objective optimization of air quality monitoring systems based on satellite remote sensing of the troposphere is described in this work. The technique uses atmospheric turbidity as surrogate for air pollution loading. Through inverse chemical modeling and ancillary information the respective patterns of primary gaseous and particle pollutants are inferred. The optimization algorithm uses the resulting maps of ambient air pollution as input. It focuses on the gain of information with regard to human exposure to high pollution, potential impact on cultural heritage, compliance to ambient air quality standards, monitoring key point and area source emissions, as well as on the associated cost. Application of the method in Brescia, Italy showed its significant potential for improving the cost-effectiveness of air quality monitoring networks at the urban and regional scales.     

生活垃圾压缩车生物气溶胶的控制

对装有空气污染控制系统的垃圾压缩车同普通垃圾压缩车进行了实验比较,结果表明,前者收集垃圾时生物气溶胶的暴露减少：总尘量减少了约2／3（α=3％）;内毒素减少了约2／3（α=10％）;总微生物减少了约6／7（α=9％）;活菌减少了约3／4（α=15％）;活真菌减少了约4／5（α=1％）。垃圾压缩车收集垃圾时生物气溶胶暴露可通过在覆盖于压缩车垃圾斗处塑料薄板帘后安装的排风设备减少。     

地下轨道交通结构噪声与振动频率特性分析

通过研究地下轨道交通现行国家标准与地方标准监测方法与评价量,探讨标准中存在的不足之处。并通过对受地下轨道交通运行过程影响的建筑物进行室内噪声与振动实地测试和数据分析,大胆提出了监测地下轨道交通排放的新思路。即采用1/3倍频程时间历程方法对列车通过全过程产生的结构传声排放与振动排放全时记录,借鉴声暴露级的方法,通过实测各频率数值变化截取列车通过时噪声事件的振动分频振级与结构传声1/3倍频程声压级。对此种方法的数据结果进行各频率噪声与振动相关性分析,得出地下轨道交通运行所产生结构传声污染排放的低频排放特性。通过研究和测量发现,轨道交通所引起的室内结构传声与振动污染能量主要集中于500 Hz 以下低频部分,其峰值出现于40～60 Hz 附近。将其与现行国家或地方标准进行比较,提出了采用特征频率作为事件判别的依据,并将各事件的最终测量结果以低频分频数据进行评价的方式,最终归纳总结了实际地下轨道交通排放频率特性并展望其测量方法。     

面向人体暴露评价的植物中抗生素分析进展

抗生素通过动物粪便或生物固体的施用、再生水灌溉进入农业土壤后可以被蔬菜和粮食作物吸收,从而引起人体的被动暴露。为了评估抗生素对人体暴露的健康风险,需要基于植物样品,发展灵敏、稳定且针对性强的分析方法。本文综述了植物样品中抗生素残留分析的研究进展,重点介绍了样品提取、净化等前处理方法及其仪器分析方法,并对植物样品中抗生素分析的研究方向进行了展望。     

水体低氧的早期暴露对青鳉(Oryzias latipes)后期的生长、性别比和繁殖能力的影响

水体低氧已是全球性生态问题,常以季节性、偶发性和昼夜间等不同形式存在于不同的水体中。长期低氧可影响鱼类正常的生长和繁殖,但鱼类早期生活阶段暴露于不同形式的低氧后,后期的生长和繁殖是否会受到不利影响,目前研究甚少。本研究在实验室模拟了连续低氧(2.8 mg·L~(-1)DO)(H1)、昼夜低氧(H2)和发生在胚胎器官形成时期的偶发性低氧(H3)等3种情景对青鳉胚胎的发育影响,评估了这一早期暴露对青鳉后期的生长、存活和繁殖的影响。我们发现,3种低氧方式都可以显著延长青鳉胚胎的孵化周期,引起胚胎卵黄囊吸收和鱼鳔发育异常;暴露结束120 d后,H1组青鳉成鱼的畸形率显著升高、存活率和生长速度都显著下降;H1、H2和H3组中成鱼的雌雄比都发生了改变,鱼群中以雄鱼为主,且产卵量和受精率都显著下降。结果表明,鱼类早期胚胎发育阶段所受到的低氧暴露可对后期生长和繁殖产生不利影响,对子代补充和种群稳定产生重要影响;鱼类关键发育期所经历的低氧事件,以及昼夜低氧事件所产生的生态后果不容忽视。