1. |
- Al Naggar, Yahya, et al.
(author)
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Are Honey Bees at Risk from Microplastics?
- 2021
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In: Toxics. - : MDPI AG. - 2305-6304. ; 9:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and persistent pollutants, and have been detected in a wide variety of media, from soils to aquatic systems. MPs, consisting primarily of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyacrylamide polymers, have recently been found in 12% of samples of honey collected in Ecuador. Recently, MPs have also been identified in honey bees collected from apiaries in Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as nearby semiurban and rural areas. Given these documented exposures, assessment of their effects is critical for understanding the risks of MP exposure to honey bees. Exposure to polystyrene (PS)-MPs decreased diversity of the honey bee gut microbiota, followed by changes in gene expression related to oxidative damage, detoxification, and immunity. As a result, the aim of this perspective was to investigate whether wide-spread prevalence of MPs might have unintended negative effects on health and fitness of honey bees, as well as to draw the scientific community's attention to the possible risks of MPs to the fitness of honey bees. Several research questions must be answered before MPs can be considered a potential threat to bees.
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2. |
- Benisek, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in composts and digestates from European countries as determined by the in vitro bioassay and chemical analysis
- 2015
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In: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 122, s. 168-175
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion plays an important role in reduction of organic waste by transforming the waste into humus, which is an excellent soil conditioner. However, applications of chemical-contaminated composts on soils may have unwanted consequences such as accumulation of persistent compounds and their transfer into food chains. The present study investigated burden of composts and digestates collected in 16 European countries (88 samples) by the compounds causing dioxin-like effects as determined by use of an in vitro transactivation assay to quantify total concentrations of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-(AhR) mediated potency. Measured concentrations of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibeno-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) equivalents (TEQ(bio)) were compared to concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and selected chlorinated compounds, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), co-planar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), indicator PCB congeners and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Median concentrations of TEQ(bio), (dioxin-like compounds) determined by the in vitro assay in crude extracts of various types of composts ranged from 0.05 to 1.2 with a maximum 8.22 mu g (TEQ(bio)) kg(-1) dry mass. Potencies were mostly associated with less persistent compounds such as PAHs because treatment with sulfuric acid removed bioactivity from most samples. The pan-European investigation of contamination by organic contaminants showed generally good quality of the composts, the majority of which were in compliance with conservative limits applied in some countries. Results demonstrate performance and added value of rapid, inexpensive, effect-based monitoring, and points out the need to derive corresponding effect-based trigger values for the risk assessment of complex contaminated matrices such as composts.
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3. |
- Ding, Ling, et al.
(author)
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Effects of brominated flame retardants and brominated dioxins on steroidogenesis in H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line
- 2007
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In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 26:4, s. 764-772
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and brominated dioxins are emerging persistent organic pollutants that are ubiquitous in the environment and can be accumulated by wildlife and humans. These chemicals can disturb endocrine function. Recent studies have demonstrated that one of the mechanisms of endocrine disruption by chemicals is modulation of steroidogenic gene expression or enzyme activities. In this study, an in vitro assay based on the H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line, which possesses most key genes or enzymes involved in steroidogenesis, was used to examine the effects of five bromophenols, two polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs 77 and 169), 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo-p-dioxin, and 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzofuran on the expression of 10 key steroidogenic genes. The H295R cells were exposed to various BFR concentrations for 48 h, and the expression of specific genes - cytochrome P450 (CYP11A, CYP11B2, CYP17, CYP19, and CYP21), 3β- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD2), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17βHSD1 and 17βHSD4), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) - was quantitatively measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability was not affected at the doses tested. Most of the genes were either up- or down-regulated, to some extent, by BFR exposure. Among the genes tested, 3βHSD2 was the most markedly up-regulated, with a range of magnitude from 1.6- to 20-fold. The results demonstrate that bromophenol, bromobiphenyls, and bromodibenzo-p-dioxin/furan are able to modulate steroidogenic gene expression, which may lead to endocrine disruption.
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4. |
- Eichbaum, Kathrin, et al.
(author)
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In vitro bioassays for detecting dioxin-like activity : Application potentials and limits of detection, a review
- 2014
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - Amsterdam : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 487, s. 37-48
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Use of in vitro assays as screening tool to characterize contamination of a variety of environmental matrices has become an increasingly popular and powerful toolbox in the field of environmental toxicology.While bioassays cannot entirely substitute analytical methods such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the increasing improvement of cell lines and standardization of bioassay procedures enhance their utility as bioanalytical pre-screening tests prior to more targeted chemical analytical investigations. Dioxin-receptor-based assays provide a holistic characterization of exposure to dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) by integrating their overall toxic potential, including potentials of unknown DLCs not detectable via e.g. GC-MS. Hence, they provide important additional information with respect to environmental risk assessment of DLCs.This review summarizes different in vitro bioassay applications for detection of DLCs and considers the comparability of bioassay and chemical analytically derived toxicity equivalents (TEQs) of different approaches and various matrices. These range from complex samples such as sediments through single reference to compound mixtures. A summary of bioassay derived detection limits (LODs) showed a number of current bioassays to be equally sensitive as chemical methodologies, but moreover revealed that most of the bioanalytical studies conducted to date did not report their LODs, which represents a limitation with regard to low potency samples.
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5. |
- Hollert, Henner, et al.
(author)
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Eine Weight-of-Evidence-Studie zur Bewertung der Sedimentbelastung und des Fischrückgangs in der Oberen Donau [Assessing sediments and fish health using a weight-of-evidence approach : in search for the causes of fish decline in the Danube river]
- 2009
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In: Umweltwissenschaften und Schadstoff-Forschung. - Berlin : Springer. - 0934-3504 .- 1865-5084. ; 21:3, s. 260-263
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and aim Despite intensive and continuous stocking and improvement of water quality since the 1970s, fish populations, especially those of the grayling (Thymallus thymallus), have declined over the last two decades in the upper Danube River (Germany). In order to assess 1) possible links between molecular/biochemical responses and ecologically relevant effects, and 2) if ecotoxicological effects might be related to the decline in fish catches in the upper Danube river, sediment samples and fish were collected at different locations and analyzed using a weight-of-evidence (WOE) approach with several lines of evidence. The objective of the presentation is to introduce the conceptual framework and to review results of the ongoing study. As previously addressed by Chapman and Hollert (2006) a variety of lines of evidence can be used in WOE studies. Briefly, 1) a comprehensive battery of acute and mechanism-specific bioassays was used to characterize the ecotoxicological hazard potential. 2) Histopathological investigations and the micronucleus assay with erythrocytes were applied, analyzing in situ parameters. 3) Diversity and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates and fish as well as 4) persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disrupting substances, limnochemical parameters and the concentration of heavy metals were recorded. To identify organic contaminants a spotential causes of sediment toxicity assays, 5) effect directed analysis was applied. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.
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6. |
- Jernbro, Susanne, et al.
(author)
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Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Increases the Genotoxicity of Cyclophosphamide in the Micronucleus Assay with V79 Cells : Further Proof of Alterations in Cell Membrane Properties Caused by PFOS
- 2007
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In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Ecomed. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 14:2, s. 85-87
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS; C8F17SO3–) is a fully fluorinated organic compound which has been manufactured for decades and was used widely in industrial and commercial products. The recent toxicological knowledge of PFOS mainly concerns mono-substance exposures of PFOS to biological systems, leaving the potential interactive effects of PFOS with other compounds as an area where understanding is significantly lacking. However, a recent study, reported the potential of PFOS to enhance the toxicity of two compounds by increasing cell membrane permeability. This is of particular concern since PFOS has been reported to be widely distributed in the environment where contaminants are known to occur in complex mixtures. In this study, PFOS was evaluated alone and in combination with cyclophosphamide (CPP) to investigate whether a presence of PFOS leads to an increased genotoxic potential of CPP towards hamster lung V79 cells. Genotoxicity was investigated using the micronucleus(MN) assay according to the recent draft ISO/DIS 21427-2 method. PFOS alone demonstrated no genotoxicity up to a concentration of 12.5 μg/ml. However, PFOS combined with two different concentrations of CPP, with metabolic activation, caused a significant increase in the number of micronucleated cells compared to treatments with CPP alone. These results provide a first indication that PFOS has the potential to enhance the genotoxic action of CPP towards V79 cells, suggesting, together with the alterations in cell membrane properties shown previously, that genotoxicity of complex mixtures may be increased significantly by changes in chemical uptake. Together with an earlier study performed by the own working group, it can be concluded that PFOS alone is not genotoxic in this bioassay using V79 cells up to 12.5 μg/ml, but that further investigations are needed to assess the potential interaction between PFOS and other substances, in particular regarding the impact of membrane alterations on the uptake of toxic substances.
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7. |
- Kaisarevic, Sonja, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of dioxin-like contamination in soil and sediments from the "hot spot" area of petrochemical plant in Pancevo (Serbia)
- 2011
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In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 18:4, s. 677-686
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Combinatorial bio/chemical approach was applied to investigate dioxin-like contamination of soil and sediment at the petrochemical and organochlorine plant in Pancevo, Serbia, after the destruction of manufacturing facilities that occurred in the spring of 1999 and subsequent remediation actions. Materials and methods: Soil samples were analyzed for indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD). Prioritized soil sample and sediment samples from the waste water channel were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Microethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (Micro-EROD) and H4IIE–luciferase bioassays were used for monitoring of dioxin-like compounds (DLC) and for better characterization of dioxin-like activity of soil samples. Results: Bioanalytical results indicated high dioxin-like activity in one localized soil sample, while the chemical analysis confirmed the presence of large quantities of DLC: 3.0 × 105 ng/g d.w. of seven-key PCBs, 8.2 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs, and 3.0 × 105 ng/g d.w. of planar and mono-ortho PCBs. In the sediment, contaminant concentrations were in the range 2–8 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs and 9–20 ng/g d.w. of PCBs. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of combined application of bioassays and instrumental analysis, especially for developing and transition country which do not have capacity of the expensive instrumental analysis. The results indicate the high contamination of soil in the area of petrochemical plant, and PCDD/Fs contamination of the sediment from the waste water channel originating from the ethylene dichloride production.
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8. |
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9. |
- Lam, Monika M., 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Methylated PACs Are More Potent than Their Parent Compounds : A Study on AhR-mediated Activity, Degradability and Mixture Interactions in the H4IIE-luc Assay
- 2018
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In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 37:5, s. 1409-1419
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Twenty-six polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs; including native polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs], hydroxylated PAHs, alkylated and oxygenated PAHs, and [alkylated] heterocyclic compounds) were investigated for their aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated potencies in the H4IIE-luc bioassay. Potential degradabilities of PACs were investigated by use of various durations of exposure (24, 48, or 72 h), and various mixtures of PACs including PAHs, alkylated and oxygenated PAHs, and heterocyclic compounds were tested for their joint AhR-mediated potency. Additive behaviors of PACs in mixtures were studied by comparing observed mixture potencies with mixture potencies predicted by use of the concentration addition model. Methylated derivatives were more potent than their parent compounds in the H4IIE-luc assay. A time-dependent decrease in relative potency was observed for all AhR-active compounds, which may be indicative of in vitro biotransformation. Monomethylated compounds seemed to be more rapidly transformed than analogous unsubstituted compounds. In addition, the results showed that the predictive power of the concentration addition model increased with the number of compounds, suggesting additivity in multicomponent mixtures. Due to the greater potency of methylated derivatives and their ubiquitous occurrence, there is a need for further research on the toxicity and mixture behavior of these environmentally and toxicologically relevant compounds.
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