Abstract  The genotoxicity of indigo has been assessed by two short-term tests. The mutagenicity of natural indigo was compared with that of synthetic indigo. Both chemicals were tested using the standard procedure of the Salmonella/microsome mutagenicity test as described by Ames. The substance exhibits mutagenicity towards strains TA1538 and TA98 when S9 preparations of rat liver induced with Aroclor 1254 were present in the medium. The clastogenic potential was evaluated by the micronucleus test in the bone marrow of male mice. The test compound was administered twice with an interval of 24 h, the animals were killed 30 h and 54 h after the first treatment. When the test compound was given by oral gavage as two equal dosages of 0.1, 1 and 1.2 g/kg body weight, no statistically significant increase in the percentage of polychromatic erythrocytes with micronuclei was observed for any group treated with natural indigo.

Abstract  Pollutants in aged field sediments seem to differ from spiked sediments in their chemical and biological availability. Biphasic desorption is often used as an explanation. In the present study, desorption kinetics and partitioning of chlorobenzenes (CBs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in long term field contaminated sediment cores and top layer sediment were measured by gas-purging. Desorption from sediment was deduced to be triphasic:  fast, slowly, and very slowly desorbing fractions were distinguished. In both the sediment core and the top layer sediment no detectable fast fractions were present for all the compounds studied, so these were estimated as upper limits from the desorption curves. This observation coincided with very high in situ distribution coefficients for several PCBs and PAHs:  10−1000 times higher than literature values for short contact time experiments. Rate constants were (3−8) × 10-3 h-1 for slow desorption and (0.16−0.5) × 10-3 h-1 for very slow desorption. In some cases only a very slowly desorbing fraction was detectable. Desorption from field contaminated sediments with extended contact times may not be readily estimated from laboratory experiments in which contaminants have contact times with the sediment in the order of weeks.

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. RRM PHALACROCORAX-AURITUS POLYCHLORINATED STYRENES POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS DDE HYDROCARBONS ORGANOCHLORINES DIELDRIN HEXACHLOROBENZENE INSECTICIDE SEASONALITY BODY FAT

Abstract  1. The accumulation of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) kv English sole (Parophrys vetulus) exposed for up to 108 days to an urban (test) sediment was compared to that for English sole exposed to sediment from a reference area. The concentrations of identified AHs and PCBs in the test sediment were 32 μg/g dry weight and 2·2 μg/g dry weight, respectively. English sole exposed to test and reference sediments for 108 days had biliary concentrations of aromatic compounds fluorescing at BaP wavelengths of 0·6 μg/g, wet weight and hepatic concentrations of PCBs of 1·4 ± 0·6 μg/g wet weight which were ten and eight times, respectively, as great as those in reference sole. These results show that accumulation of AHs and PCBs from sediment by English sole is a significant route of uptake in contaminated environments. 2. 3H-benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and 14C-PCBs were added to the test sediment to compare the uptake and metabolism of BaP to that of PCBs by sole. Steady-state concentrations of 3H-BaP and 14C-PCBs in tissues and fluids were reached by 4 days and 14 days, respectively. At steady state, the level of covalent binding of 3H-BaP to hepatic proteins in test sole was six times greater than that of 14C-PCBs, and there was significantly greater relative formation of BaP-glutathione (GSH) conjugates than PCB-GSH conjugates. Thus, the amount of BaP metabolized to reactive metabolites was greater than that for PCBs, even though the concentration of 14C-PCBs in liver of test sole was five times as great as that of 3H-BaP. 3. Trace amounts of 3H-BaP were also added to the reference sediment to determine how simultaneous exposure of English sole to those contaminants already present in the test sediment affected the metabolism and disposition of BaP. The 3H-BaP concentration ratios for liver to sediment and bile to sediment, as well as proportions of biliary BaP-GSH conjugates in test sole, were significantly greater than in reference sole. Thus, the formation and accumulation of potentially toxic metabolites of a carcinogenic AH (BaP) in sole liver were increased by simultaneous exposure to contaminants present in an urban sediment.

Abstract  Baleen whale forestomach anaerobic microbes were studied for their ability to detoxify recalcitrant environmental pollutants; these include components of crude oil and some chlorinated aromatic compounds which are constituents of oil spills not biodegraded by aerobic microbes. In this study, forestomach rumen samples were collected on two occasions on the North Slope. When incubated with anthracene and naphthalene (PAH), these pollutants were degraded in the majority of sample sets. All simple aromatic hydrocarbons (benzine, toluene, xylenes, ethylbenzene) were degraded. PCBs were biodegraded by microbes from only two of the whales. Variable results were found with picric acid, trinitrotoluene (TNT), and atrazine, and were likely due to analytical difficulties. Whale forestomach bacteria have adapted to an ecological niche where flow rates, mixing, and catabolism occur at rapid rates. These rates and the ability to metabolize complex molecules far exceed those of aerobic sediment and soil bacteria in biodegradation of environmental pollutants.

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. RRM MICROBIAL ECOLOGY DNA GENETIC ENGINEERING

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. A laminated sediment core collected in the southern part of the Baltic Proper was analysed for DDT compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) including the coplanar congeners, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCN). Two sewage sludge samples were also analysed for the same compounds. The results of the sediment analyses indicate the presence of PCB, DDT and PBDE compounds in sediment layers dating from the 1950s and later. Neither coplanar PCB nor PCN were detected at any level of the sediment core. The PCB concentrations indicate a slight increase in levels during the last decades, while there were no changes in the levels of DDT compounds. In contrast, TeRDE levels increase 4- to 8-fold and one PeBDE congeners levels increase 10- to 20-fold. The results of sewage sludge analyses showed the concentration of the individual PBDE to be at about the same level as for the individual PCB congeners. The congener pattern in sludge samples i

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Scooter exhaust particulate matter, which is known to be mutagenic, has caused heavy air pollution in Shanghai. There are about 400,000 scooters in the city, and the number will not significantly decrease for several years. In order to manage the pollution caused by scooter emissions, many new catalytic instruments and additives were developed. In this paper, the effect of two new lubricants on the emission of scooter exhaust particulate matter was evaluated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC), in vitro Salmonella/microsomal assay and the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay. The purpose was to learn if these new lubricants could have the ability to reduce the exhausts of particulate matter, and decrease the mutagenicity of exhaust particles. The domestic Jinniao (TN36L) vehicle was chosen as the test vehicle. The results showed that the two new lubricants reduced the emission of scooter exhaust particulate matter, including the quantity of particulate matter an

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Supercritical fluid ectraction (SFE) proven to be an attractive alternative to solvent extraction of PCBs and petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) from contaminated soils. This paper discusses the effects of a number Of parameters (pressure, temperature and modifier) on the SFE of PCBs and of the saturated (HCSs) and aromatic (PAHs) fractions which make up a crude oil as determined by Using CO2 as supercritical fluid. The experiments were carried out by spiking two different soils, composed by clay and clay-sand, with Aroclor 1254 (PCBs = 0.38 mug/gsoil) and saturated (HCSs = 0.02 g/gsoil) and aromatic (PAHs = 0.1 g/gsoil) fractions from crude Oil. CO2 modified by acetone yielded high recoveries of both PCBs (>95%) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (100%). Lower recoveries were observed for the aliphatic compounds due to the increase of the solvent polarity following on the addition of acetone to the supercritical fluid. In particular this paper shows that the li

Abstract  The objective of this study was to determine if exposure to aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs) or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was associated with altered ovarian development or reduced spawning success in rock sole Pleuronectes bilineatus. This objective was addressed in two separate phases. In the first study, concentrations of AHs and PCBs were measured in individual fish from four sites in Puget Sound, Washington (Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, Yukon Harbor, and Pilot Point) with different levels of AH and PCB contamination in sediments and their ovarian development was monitored during the 1989–1991 spawning seasons. In these fish, egg weight was negatively correlated with levels of PCBs in the liver. However, contaminant exposure levels were not significantly associated with the probability of entering vitellogenesis or with gonadosomatic index, plasma estradiol concentrations, or fecundity. In the second study, gravid female soles were taken from Eagle Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, Yukon Harbor, and University Point (known spawning areas for rock soles), and hormonally induced to spawn in the laboratory. Eggs were fertilized with pooled sperm from reference males. Consistent with the first study's findings, fish from Sinclair Inlet, where sediments contain elevated concentrations of PCBs, produced eggs with significantly reduced weight. Furthermore, the overall spawning success of fish from the site with the highest level of AH contamination (Eagle Harbor) was significantly impaired. These findings suggest that environmental exposure to AHs and PCBs may reduce reproductive success in female rock soles, but this species appears to be more resistant to such effects than other Puget Sound flatfish species, such as the English sole Pleuronectes vetulus.

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. There is a need for a better characterization of sludges from wastewater treatment plants which are destined to be spread on agricultural land. Inorganic pollutants are regularly controlled, but organic pollutants have received little attention up to now. The main problem for trace analysis of organic pollutants comes from the complexity of the various matrices of sludges, which depends on their origins. Therefore, methods described for soils and sediments cannot be directly applied to sludges which contain high amount of lipids. This paper provides a method for trace-determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the range of mg/kg of dried sludge including an extraction step, and an analysis step by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for sensitive quantification and UV-diode-array detection for confirmation, The extraction step was optimized by a selection of the solvent used for both Soxhlet and supercritical-fluid extraction and by setting the e

Abstract  BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. RRM PHOCA-VITULINA PHOCA-HISPIDA HALICHOERUS-GRYPUS OCEAN POLLUTION POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZOFURANS NAPHTHALENES DDT TOXICITY

Abstract  Water-resources investigations.

Abstract  EIS: Epidemiology Information System

Abstract  EIS: Epidemiology Information System

Abstract  Global climate change (GCC) is likely to alter the degree of human exposure to pollutants and the response of human populations to these exposures, meaning that risks of pollutants could change in the future. The present study, therefore, explores how GCC might affect the different steps in the pathway from a chemical source in the environment through to impacts on human health and evaluates the implications for existing risk-assessment and management practices. In certain parts of the world, GCC is predicted to increase the level of exposure of many environmental pollutants due to direct and indirect effects on the use patterns and transport and fate of chemicals. Changes in human behavior will also affect how humans come into contact with contaminated air, water, and food. Dietary changes, psychosocial stress, and coexposure to stressors such as high temperatures are likely to increase the vulnerability of humans to chemicals. These changes are likely to have significant implications for current practices for chemical assessment. Assumptions used in current exposure-assessment models may no longer apply, and existing monitoring methods may not be robust enough to detect adverse episodic changes in exposures. Organizations responsible for the assessment and management of health risks of chemicals therefore need to be more proactive and consider the implications of GCC for their procedures and processes. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:6278. (c) 2012 SETAC

Abstract  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the animals of the Yangtze estuarine and coastal areas were determined with GC-ECD. The results showed that the concentration distribution of PCBs ranged from 43.7 to 1260.4 ng/g, with an average value of 342.5 ng/g; 1.5-159.4 ng/g and 33.7 ng/g for DDTs; 0.9-77.0 ng/g and 13.0 ng/g for HCHs. The spatial distribution patterns of different contaminants in the same animal species and the same pollutant in the different animal species didn't follow obvious laws. Whereas, animals of the same species were characterized by higher contamination levels for males than females, and the small individuals than large ones. Compared with other areas at home and abroad and low-high level limits, a preliminary assessment was presented. As a result, it was shown that there existed a moderate level, to some extent, with the contamination in the animals from the study area.

Abstract  The stability of the two isoforms of poplar plastocyanin (PCa and PCb) was studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. It was shown that the thermal unfolding of both isoforms is an irreversible process with two endothermic and one exothermic peaks. The melting temperature of PCb was found to be 1.3+/-0.2 K degrees higher than of PCa, which indicates that PCb is more stable. The enthalpy of unfolding was estimated from the heat capacity curves and was found to be significantly higher for PCb at salt concentration I=0.1 M. In addition, PCb unfolding enthalpy and melting temperature are much more sensitive to the changes in the salt concentration as found in the experiments done at different ionic strength. The experiments were complemented with numerical calculations. The salt effect on the stability was modeled using the X-ray structure of PCa and a homology modeled structure of PCb. It was found, in agreement with the experimental data, that the stability of PCb changes by 4.7 kJ more than PCa, as the salt concentration increases from zero to 0.1 M. Thus, the differences in only 12 amino acid positions between "a" and "b" isoforms result in a measurable difference in the folding enthalpy and a significant difference in the salt dependence. The optimization of the electrostatic energies of PCa and PCb were studied and it was shown that PCb is better electrostatically optimized.