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Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (v.55, #1)
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Polybrominated Biphenyls in Sediment and Floodplain Soils of the Saginaw River Watershed, Michigan, USA by Se Hun Yun; Rudolf Addink; John M. McCabe; Arthur Ostaszewski; Deborah Mackenzie-Taylor; Allan B. Taylor; Kurunthachalam Kannan (pp. 1-10).
Despite known historical release of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs; brominated flame retardants) into the Pine River (St. Louis, MI, USA), a tributary of the Tittabawassee River which subsequently forms the Saginaw River and flows into Saginaw Bay-Lake Huron, little is known about spatial patterns of sediment contamination by PBBs in this watershed. In this study, concentrations of two groups of brominated flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑PBDE; BDE-28, -47, -66, -100, -99, -85, -154, -153, -138, and -209) and PBBs were measured in more than 120 floodplain soil samples, surface sediment samples, and sediment cores collected in 2004 from the Shiawassee River, the Saginaw River, and Saginaw Bay, Michigan. In addition, sediment samples collected in 2002 from the Pine River and the Tittabawassee River were analyzed, to elucidate riverine transport and attenuation of PBBs and PBDEs in this watershed. The mean concentration of ∑PBDE decreased from upstream to downstream, from the Shiawassee River and the Tittabawassee River to Saginaw Bay. BDE-209 was the predominant congener, accounting for 79% of the total PBDE concentration in the Shiawassee River and 90% in the Saginaw River. BDE-209 was followed, in order of decreasing abundance, by BDE-47, -99, and -100. The proportions of BDE congeners varied by water body, and by sample type, whether floodplain soil or sediment. High ∑PBDE concentrations were found in floodplain soil collected from the Shiawassee River near Chase Lake (55 ng/g, dry weight) and in sediment from the Saginaw River near Middleground Island (49 ng/g, dry weight). There was a significant positive correlation between ∑9PBDE (tri- to hexa-BDE) and BDE-209 in samples collected from the Shiawassee River and Saginaw Bay, but not in samples from the Saginaw River. Among PBBs, bromobiphenyl congener 153 (BB-153) was found in sediments from the Saginaw River but not in sediments from the Shiawassee River. An elevated concentration of BB-153 (13.5 ng/g, dry weight) was found in floodplain soil collected from the Pine River. The BB-153 concentration in sediment decreased by two to three orders of magnitude, from the Pine River downstream to Saginaw Bay. An elevated concentration of BB-153 (4.7 ng/g) was found in sediment collected from the mouth of the Saginaw River. Surface sediments collected near the mouth of the Saginaw River contained higher concentrations of both PBDEs and PBBs than did the subsurface sediments at these locations.
Distribution, Source Apportionment, and Transport of PAHs in Sediments from the Pearl River Delta and the Northern South China Sea by Xiao-Jun Luo; She-Jun Chen; Bi-Xian Mai; Guo-Ying Sheng; Jia-Mo Fu; Eddy Y. Zeng (pp. 11-20).
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 59 surface sediments from rivers in the Pearl River Delta and the northern continental shelf of the South China Sea. Total PAH concentrations varied from 138 to 6,793 ng/g dry weight. The sources of PAH inputs to sediments in the Pearl River Delta were qualitatively and quantitatively determined by diagnostic ratios and principal components analysis with multiple linear regression. The results showed that on average coal and wood combustion, petroleum spills, vehicle emissions, and nature sources contributed 36%, 27%, 25%, and 12% of total PAHs, respectively. Coal and biomass combustion was the main source of PAHs in sediments of the South China Sea, whereas petroleum combustion was the main source of pyrolytic PAHs in riverine and estuarine sediments of the Pearl River Delta. Perylene was formed in situ in river sediments and then transported to coastal areas along with other PAHs. The relative abundance of perylene from five-ring PAHs can be used to estimate the contribution of riverine-discharged PAHs to coastal sediments.
Availability and Bioaccessibility of Metals in Fine Particles of Some Urban Soils by F. Madrid; M. Biasioli; F. Ajmone-Marsan (pp. 21-32).
Metals in urban soils might be transferred to humans via ingestion, dermal contact, or breathing, especially to children due to the “hand to mouth” activity during outdoor activities in playground and recreational areas. This involuntary soil ingestion depends on soil adherence to skin; it is known that the adhesion process tends to exclude particles greater than 50 μm, so the fraction below this diameter would be the most dangerous for health. The aim of this work was to study the “availability”, estimated by the EDTA extraction, and “oral bioaccessibility”, estimated by the Simple Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET), of several metals in urban soils of two European cities (Sevilla and Torino), as related to the soil particle size distribution. Torino and Sevilla showed different levels of metal contents, availability, and bioaccessibility. In Torino, the finer particles showed metal enrichment of Cu, Zn, and, to a lesser extent, Pb, whereas in Sevilla, all of the studied metals showed this enrichment compared to the whole soils. The whole soil cannot be used as a good general indicator of the bioaccessibility of metals in the finest fractions of the soil. Metal availability was higher in the clay fraction (<2 μm) than in other fractions or whole soils in both cities, and principal component analysis shows that availability is especially due to this fraction. In contrast, Cu and Pb bioaccessibility in the clay fraction seems to be slightly lower than, or comparable to, all of the other fractions and the whole soil. Bioaccessibility of Cr and Ni is clearly greater in the coarser fractions of Sevilla than those of Torino, despite the considerably greater total contents of both metals in the latter city. Adsorbed metal forms are assumed to be preferentially responsible for metals released by EDTA. A different origin is attributed to bioaccessible metal forms. Anthropic influence seems more important in determining metal availability and bioaccessibility in urban soils of both cities than the different geological or industrial characteristics.
Keywords: Urban soils; EDTA extraction; SBET extraction; Fine particles
Effect of Metal-Tolerant Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobium on the Performance of Pea Grown in Metal-Amended Soil by Parvaze Ahmad Wani; Md. Saghir Khan; Almas Zaidi (pp. 33-42).
The nickel- and zinc-tolerant plant growth-promoting (PGP) Rhizobium sp. RP5 was isolated from nodules of pea, grown in metal-contaminated Indian soils. The PGP potentials of strain RP5 was assessed under in vitro conditions. Strain RP5 displayed a high level of tolerance to nickel (350 μg ml−1) and zinc (1500 μg ml−1) and showed PGP activity under in vitro conditions. The PGP activity of this strain was further assessed with increasing concentrations of nickel and zinc, using pea as a test crop. The bio-inoculant enhanced the dry matter, nodule numbers, root N, shoot N, leghemoglobin, seed yield, and grain protein (GP) by 19%, 23%, 26%, 47%, 112%, 26%, and 8%, respectively, at 290 mg Ni kg−1 while at 4890 mg Zn kg−1 soil, it increased the dry matter, nodule numbers, leghemoglobin, seed yield, GP, and root and shoot N by 18%, 23%, 78%, 26%, 7%, 25%, and 42%, respectively, compared to plants grown in soil amended with metal only. The bio-inoculant increased the glutathione reductase activity of roots and nodules by 46% and 65% at 580 mg Ni kg−1 and 47% and 54% at 9780 mg Zn kg−1 soil, respectively, compared to uninoculated plants. The inoculated strain decreased the concentration of nickel and zinc in plant organs. The intrinsic abilities of nitrogen fixation, growth promotion, and the ability to reduce the toxicity of nickel and zinc of the tested strain could be of practical importance in augmenting the growth and yield of pea, in nickel- and zinc-polluted soils.
Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Embryogenesis of Stagnicola elodes (Mollusca, Gastropoda): Potential Consequences for Parasite Transmission by M. Pietrock; T. Meinelt; D. J. Marcogliese (pp. 43-48).
Experiments on the toxicity of cadmium (Cd2+) to the embryonic development of Stagnicola elodes (Mollusca, Gastropoda), obligatory first intermediate host of numerous trematodes of pathogenic importance, were carried out as part of a study on the effects of metal pollution on host-parasite relationships. Freshly laid snail eggs were exposed to Cd concentrations of 0, 0.02, 0.2, and 2.0 mg Cd2+/L, and survival and embryogenesis were examined for 30 days. Mean survival time (± SD) of the control group was 23.1 (± 5.3) days compared with 10.1 (± 3.2) at 0.02 mg Cd2+/L, 3.9 (± 0.7) at 0.2 mg Cd2+/L, and 1.1 (± 0.08) at 2.0 mg Cd2+/L. Mortality patterns of all test groups differed significantly from each other, demonstrating that the percentage of surviving individuals at any given time was inversely related to Cd concentration. Concentration-dependent effects of Cd exposure on snail embryogenesis were noted. While embryos of the control group developed properly and started hatching on day 16, eggs exposed to 0.02 mg Cd2+/L exhibited a prolonged gastrula period and failed to hatch. Eggs in the 0.2 mg Cd2+/L group were blocked in the gastrula stage on day 5, whereas individuals exposed to 2.0 mg Cd2+/L died in the morula stage on the second day. Data showed that Cd severely affects S. elodes embryogenesis. By implication, Cd contamination at concentrations ≥0.02 mg Cd2+/L will thus decrease transmission success of various trematodes by decreasing intermediate host snail abundance.
Response of Na+-dependent ATPase Activities to the Contaminant Ammonia Nitrogen in Tapes philippinarum: Possible ATPase Involvement in Ammonium Transport by Alessandra Pagliarani; Patrizia Bandiera; Vittoria Ventrella; Fabiana Trombetti; Maria Pia Manuzzi; Maurizio Pirini; Anna Rosa Borgatti (pp. 49-56).
In vivo and in vitro experiments elicited different responses to ammonia nitrogen (ammonia-N) of gill and mantle Na,K-ATPase and ouabain-insensitive Na-ATPase activities in the Philippine clam Tapes philippinarum. Short-term (120 h) exposed clams to sublethal ammonia-N (NH3+NH 4 + ) concentrations (1.5 and 3.0 mg/L ammonia-N) showed enhanced gill and mantle ouabain-insensitive ATPase activity and decreased mantle Na,K-ATPase activity with respect to unexposed clams, while gill Na,K-ATPase was unaffected.In vitro experiments showed that NH 4 + could efficiently replace Na+ in ouabain-insensitive ATPase activation and K+, but not Na+, in Na, K-ATPase activation. Simple saturation kinetics was constantly followed with similar K 0.5 values to that of the substituted cation. The same maximal ouabain-insensitive ATPase activation was obtained at 80 mM Na+ or NH 4 + in the gills and at 50 mM Na+ or NH 4 + in the mantle and that of Na,K-ATPase at 10 mM K+ or NH 4 + in the presence of 100 mM Na+ in both tissues. The two coexistent ATPase activities maintained their typical response to ouabain also when stimulated by NH 4 + : when activated by Na++K+ or by Na++NH 4 + the ATPase activity was completely suppressed by 10−3 M ouabain, whereas the Na+- or NH 4 + -stimulated ATPase activity was unaffected by up to 10−2 M ouabain.The whole of the data suggests a possible involvement of the two ATPase activities in NH 4 + transmembrane transport.
In Vitro Induction of 60-kDa and 70-kDa Heat Shock Proteins by Endosulphan and Monocrotophos in Sheep Blowfly Lucilia cuprina by Sunita Sharma; Manoj Singh Rohilla; P. V. J. Reddy; P. K. Tiwari (pp. 57-69).
The effect of two most commonly used and highly toxic organic pesticides, endosulphan (organochlorine) and monocrotophos (organophosphate), was studied in a blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, to test whether these pesticides induce the stress response and, if so, whether the intensity of the response, in terms of induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs), HSP60 and HSP70 in particular, is pesticide concentration dependent. The in vitro exposure of larval and adult tissues to varying concentrations of these pesticides (endosulphan: 1.0–4.0 ppm for larva and 0.05–0.50 ppm for adult; monocrotophos: 0.0005–0.0050 ppm for larva and 0.0001–0.0010 ppm for adult) revealed that both compounds were able to induce the expression of HSP60 and HSP70 proteins. Western blot analysis of these HSPs indicated that the induction of expression was tissue-specific. The trypan blue staining of pesticide-exposed tissues demonstrated monocrotophos to exert more severe effect than endosulphan, as the former compound induced both HSP60 and HSP70 significantly at a much lower concentration than that of the later. The pattern of expression of these HSPs, in general, appeared in direct correlation with the pesticide concentration. Gut tissues were found relatively more sensitive to pesticide toxicity than other tissues, as revealed by trypan blue staining, and hence, they might serve as primary targets for early detection of pesticide toxicity. The results indicated that either of these HSPs or both could serve as a potential biomarker toward assessment and monitoring of toxicity induced by these pesticides.
Effect of Major Cations and pH on the Acute Toxicity of Cadmium to the Earthworm Eisenia fetida: Implications for the Biotic Ligand Model Approach by Lian-Zhen Li; Dong-Mei Zhou; Xiao-San Luo; Peng Wang; Quan-Ying Wang (pp. 70-77).
The purpose of this study was to characterize the individual effect of different cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, and H+) on the acute toxicity of Cd to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Higher activities of the considered cations increased the 48-h LC50 (expressed as Cd2+ activities) linearly to different extents in simulated soil solution. The conditional constants for the binding of H+ (log K = 5.41), Cd2+ (log K = 4.0), Ca2+ (log K = 3.35), Mg2+ (log K = 2.82), Na+ (log K = 1.57), and K+ (log K = 2.31) to the biotic ligand (BL) of E. fetida were derived from the toxicity data based on the biotic ligand model (BLM). Furthermore, it was calculated that on average 72% of the BL sites needed to be occupied by Cd2+ to induce 50% lethal effect. Autovalidation of the model with the results of the test sets showed that 48-h LC50 could be predicted within a factor of two.
Cadmium and Zinc in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (Argentina): Salinity Effects on Lethal Toxicity in Juveniles of the Burrowing Crab Chasmagnathus granulatus by M. Ornela Beltrame; Silvia G. De Marco; Jorge E. Marcovecchio (pp. 78-85).
The large Argentine marine littoral zone is characterized by great number of wetlands and includes only one coastal lagoon, Mar Chiquita, which has been declared as a Biosphere Reserve by the Man and Biosphere Reserve Program from UNESCO. Its margins present populations of Chasmagnathus granulatus, a semiterrestrial crab distributed along wide salinity gradients that plays an important role as a key species within the corresponding trophic web. Dissolved cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations present in this ecosystem were determined. Cadmium concentrations ranged between n.d. and 0.82 μg/L and zinc levels ranged between n.d. and 1224.38 μg/L within the mentioned coastal lagoon. Cd and Zn acute semistatic toxicity bioassays were carried out for 96 h on juvenile crabs of C. granulatus. LC50 96-h values were 2.24 mg Cd2+/L and 7.07 mg Zn2+/L at 5 psu, and 15.42 mg Cd2+/L and 11.41 mg Zn2+/L at 25 psu. Higher salinities resulted in lower metal toxicity. This effect was stronger for Cd than for Zn. C. granulatus juveniles LC50 96-h values determined for Cd were three to four orders of magnitude higher than the corresponding dissolved metal concentrations in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon; nevertheless, those Zn values determined were similar to several ones corresponding to natural water samples.
Effects of Water-Borne Copper on Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by Na Li; Yunlong Zhao; Jian Yang (pp. 86-93).
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential utility of enzyme parameters as indicators of water-borne copper (Cu2+) contamination in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Activities of the digestive enzymes of tryptase, pepsin, cellulase, amylase, and metabolic enzymes of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), acid phosphatase (ACP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were measured in the hepatopancreas of M. rosenbergii after 7 days of exposure to copper (Cu2+) concentrations ranging from 0.01 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L. A significant inhibition on the digestive enzymes by Cu2+ was observed, being relevant to the elevated Cu2+ concentration. The maximum inhibition rate was recorded in amylase among all the digestive enzymes. As regards the metabolic enzymes, although the activity of SOD had an increase in final copper treatment groups when comparing to the controls, those of ACP and AKP significantly decreased in accordance with increase in Cu2+ concentrations. In addition, though there was a significantly decreased GST activity in group treated with 0.01 mg/L Cu2+; the activity could increase gradually in the prawns when exposed to higher Cu2+ concentrations. The responses of the metabolic and digestive enzymes in the hepatopancreas of M. rosenbergii were sensitive to water-borne copper contamination; furthermore, amylase, and GST seem to be most suitable biomarkers of environmental Cu2+ stress in M. rosenbergii.
The Effects of the Herbicide Metolachlor on Agonistic Behavior in the Crayfish, Orconectes rusticus by Michelle E. Cook; Paul A. Moore (pp. 94-102).
Previous research suggests that agricultural herbicides interfere with olfactory-mediated behavior, such as responses to alarm signals and the ability to locate food, in aquatic organisms. In crayfish, aggressive interactions are also mediated by chemical signals. These social signals are important in establishing dominance, which in turn has an impact on an individual’s ability to find and use mates, food, and habitat space. In this study, we investigated the impact of exposure to sublethal levels of the herbicide metolachlor on the ability of crayfish to respond to olfactory signals used in agonistic behaviors. Crayfish were exposed to three different environmentally relevant concentrations (60 ppb, 70 ppb, and 80 ppb) of metolachlor for 96 hours. Each exposed crayfish was then placed in a fight arena and was allowed to interact with a naïve, untreated crayfish for 15 minutes. We analyzed several characteristics of fighting behavior, including initial aggressiveness, time to fight, intensity levels, duration, number of encounters, and the winner and loser of each fight. Crayfish exposed to 80 ppb metolachlor were less likely to initiate and win encounters against naïve conspecifics than any other treatment group. Analysis of fight dynamics shows that metolachlor does not alter the temporal fighting dynamics within crayfish aggression. We conclude that high sublethal concentrations of metolachlor may be interfering with the ability of crayfish to receive or respond to social signals and thus affect certain agonistic behaviors.
Cadmium Chloride-Induced Disruption of Testicular Steroidogenesis in Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss by Helena M. Lizardo-Daudt; Onkar S. Bains; Christopher R. Singh; Christopher J. Kennedy (pp. 103-110).
Cadmium (Cd) is a known endocrine disruptor with the ability to affect the production of hormones involved in the regulation of reproductive processes. In the present study, the effects of CdCl2 on unstimulated and stimulated testicular steroidogenesis were examined with the intention of furthering the understanding of the potential site(s) of action in the signaling pathway for 11-KT synthesis in teleosts. In short-term (2-h) exposures, CdCl2 stimulated 11-KT production (29% and 28% over controls) in minced testicular tissues at concentrations of 10 and 100 μM, respectively. However, 11-KT production was significantly lower than in controls (54%, 62%, and 54%) when tissues were incubated for 18 h with 1, 10, and 100 μM Cd. Incubation of testicular tissues with 100 IU/ml human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and 5 mM dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP), which activate rate-limiting steps in steroid synthesis, or 1.3 μM 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC), which augments production, resulted in significant increases in steroidogenesis over controls. hCG-stimulated steroidogenesis was reduced to 54% and 62% that of stimulated controls when tissues were incubated with CdCl2 at 1 and 10 μM, respectively. 11-KT production in dbcAMP-stimulated and 25-OHC-augmented tissues was not affected by Cd exposure. The results of this study indicate that one site of action of Cd in the signaling steroidogenic pathway is located prior to cAMP formation. This impairment could be overcome when higher concentrations of Cd were used in hCG-stimulated cells, suggesting the presence of a stimulatory site at, or following, hCG receptor binding.
Cliff Swallows Petrochelidon pyrrhonota as Bioindicators of Environmental Mercury, Cache Creek Watershed, California by Roger L. Hothem; Bonnie S. Trejo; Marissa L. Bauer; John J. Crayon (pp. 111-121).
To evaluate mercury (Hg) and other element exposure in cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), eggs were collected from 16 sites within the mining-impacted Cache Creek watershed, Colusa, Lake, and Yolo counties, California, USA, in 1997–1998. Nestlings were collected from seven sites in 1998. Geometric mean total Hg (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.013 to 0.208 μg/g wet weight (ww) in cliff swallow eggs and from 0.047 to 0.347 μg/g ww in nestlings. Mercury detected in eggs generally followed the spatial distribution of Hg in the watershed based on proximity to both anthropogenic and natural sources. Mean Hg concentrations in samples of eggs and nestlings collected from sites near Hg sources were up to five and seven times higher, respectively, than in samples from reference sites within the watershed. Concentrations of other detected elements, including aluminum, beryllium, boron, calcium, manganese, strontium, and vanadium, were more frequently elevated at sites near Hg sources. Overall, Hg concentrations in eggs from Cache Creek were lower than those reported in eggs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from highly contaminated locations in North America. Total Hg concentrations were lower in all Cache Creek egg samples than adverse effects levels established for other species. Total Hg concentrations in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) collected from 10 of the study sites were both positively correlated with THg concentrations in cliff swallow eggs. Our data suggest that cliff swallows are reliable bioindicators of environmental Hg.
Heavy Metal Concentrations in Feathers of Korean Shorebirds by Jungsoo Kim; Tae-Hoe Koo (pp. 122-128).
This study presents concentrations of zinc, manganese, copper, lead, and cadmium in the feather of five shorebird species from Yeongjong Island, Korea in the East Asian–Australian migration flyways. The objectives of this study were to determine levels of heavy metal concentrations in the feathers of shorebirds, to evaluate the pattern of heavy metal concentrations in the feather and the liver, and to examine the correlation between heavy metal concentrations in the feathers and livers. We hypothesized that difference of heavy metal concentrations will show by the breeding ground of shorebirds. Lead concentrations in dunlins (geomean = 14.8 μg/g wet weight) and great knots (20.8 μg/g wet weight) feathers were significantly higher than Terek sandpipers (3.32 μg/g wet weight); other metals were not different among shorebirds. Zinc, lead, and cadmium concentrations in the feather were correlated with the liver concentrations, but manganese and copper concentrations were not. Zinc, manganese, copper, lead, and cadmium concentrations in the feather from this study were within the range of earlier studies for wild birds, but cadmium concentrations in dunlins were higher than other studies. Because lead concentrations in livers and feathers of the Terek sandpiper were lower than in other shorebirds, we suggest that Terek sandpipers were exposed to lower lead concentrations than Kentish plovers, dunlins, and great knots on their breeding ground.
Metal-Induced Impairment of the Cellular Immunity of Newborn Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) by Antje Kakuschke; Elizabeth Valentine-Thon; Sonja Fonfara; Simone Griesel; Tanja Rosenberger; Ursula Siebert; Andreas Prange (pp. 129-136).
The cellular immunity of newborn harbor seals and the influence of pollutants are rarely investigated. This study evaluated the lymphocyte proliferation using a lymphocyte proliferation test (LTT) to understand the dynamics of immune response in seal pups of varying ages from the moment they arrived in a seal center after active beaching until their release into wildlife 3 months later after rehabilitation. Moreover, the effect of various metals (Ag, Al, Au, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, different Hg compounds, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sn, Ti) on lymphocyte proliferation in terms of immunosuppression and hypersensitivity was investigated. First, a strong lymphocyte proliferation in newborns as a reflection of relative immunocompetence was found. Second, different metal-induced influences on lymphocyte proliferation such as specific inhibition by Be, Cd, Hg, and Sn as well as stimulation induced by Mo and Ni were determined. For seals tested repeatedly, the suppressive effect was detected in newborns but not found in the same animals when they were older and had become immunologically competent. Summarizing, the lymphocyte proliferation used as a marker in this investigation provided useful immunological information on these developing animals, and its application for toxicological studies on pollutants can be recommended.
Concentrations of Organotin Compounds in the Stranded Killer Whales from Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan by Hiroya Harino; Madoka Ohji; Robert L. Brownell; Takaomi Arai; Nobuyuki Miyazaki (pp. 137-142).
We measured the concentrations of butyltin (BT) and phenyltin (PT) compounds in blubber, liver, lung, and muscle of seven stranded killer whales (Orcinus orca) collected from Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan. BTs in blubber (n = 6), liver (n = 4), lung (n = 1), and muscle (n = 4) of adult whale were in the range of 37–90, 385–676, 15, and 26–53 μg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Concentrations of PTs in blubber, liver, lung, and muscle were <1 to 58, <1 to 14, 7 and <1 to 4 μg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Detected frequencies of PTs were low in all tissues. Higher percentages of monobutyltin (MBT) in blubber, lung, and muscle were observed, while the percentage of dibutyltin (DBT) was high in liver. Detected frequencies of triphenyltin (TPT) were highest among tissues. Total BT concentrations in blubber and liver of a whale calf were lower than those in adult whales. MBT and DBT in the liver of the calf were the same (42%). MBT in blubber was the dominant compound among BTs.
Concentrations of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and Dioxin-Like PCBs in Adipose Tissue of Infertile Men by İsmet Çok; Menekse Keski Donmez; M. Hakan Satıroğlu; Batu Aydınuraz; Bernhard Henkelmann; Heqing Shen; Jarmila Kotalik; Karl-Werner Schramm (pp. 143-152).
Some epidemiological studies suggested the occurrence of an alteration in the male reproductive function in the past 50 years, particularly a decrease in the sperm count and quality, an increase in the malformations frequency of the reproductive apparatus (cryptorchidism and hypospadias) and of testicular cancers. Especially according the laboratory animals studies, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have been suspected to play a crucial and deleterious role in the alteration of human fertility. For this reason, we measured adipose tissue concentrations of PCDDs/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in 23 fertile and 22 infertile men living in Ankara, Turkey. Adipose tissue samples were analyzed for PCDD/F and 12 dioxin-like PCB congeners using high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. For the fertile and infertile groups, the World Health Organization (WHO)PCDD/F-TEQ concentrations ranged from 3.0 to 15.8 pg/g fat and from 2.8 to 17.2 pg/g fat, respectively (4.4–31.5 and 4.7–22.3 WHO-TEQs/g fat, respectively, including dioxin-like PCBs) (p > 0.05). The mean concentrations of WHOPCDD/F-TEQ and WHOPCB-TEQ have been calculated as 7.2 and 12.5 pg/g (on a lipid basis) for the fertile group and 7.0 and 9.4 pg/g for the infertile group, respectively. Concentrations of each of the PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB congeners were compared in fertile and infertile groups among themselves, and no statistical significance was obtained (p > 0.05), except 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (p = 0.0029) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzofuran (p = 0.01).
Plasma Cholinesterase Levels and Health Symptoms in Peruvian Farm Workers Exposed to Organophosphate Pesticides by Hector C. Cataño; Elizabeth Carranza; Carlos Huamaní; Antonio F. Hernández (pp. 153-159).
The purpose of this study was to examine plasma cholinesterase (PChE) changes and the adverse health effects associated with chronic low-dose exposure to organophosphates (OPs) in a Peruvian agricultural population. A cross-sectional study with a clinical interview and blood tests was performed among 213 farm workers from two subtropical valleys in Peru. The control group consisted of 78 nonexposed workers from the same areas. PChE levels from the two exposed subgroups (pesticide applicators and other agricultural jobs) were significantly lower than those of controls (1554 ± 315 U/l, 1532 ± 340 U/l, and 1787 ± 275 U/l, respectively). Fifteen percent of the exposed population reported a past poisoning by pesticides, all of them needing medical evaluation and treatment. They had significantly lower PChE levels as compared to those without this antecedent. Approximately 61% of the exposed workers reported pesticide-related symptoms, but no significant difference was found in their PChE as compared to workers without symptoms. On the other hand, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was significantly associated with higher PChE levels and with a lower risk of reporting pesticide-related symptoms, which supports the benefit from using appropriate protective measures. In conclusion, data indicate that farm workers exposed to OPs in developing countries need to be monitored by means of PChE and an examination of their clinical status, which would allow identification of farm workers most at risk from pesticide toxicity. The use of correct PPE is highly recommended.