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Chemosphere Feb 2022
Topics: Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; Environmental Monitoring; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Naphthalenes; Paraffin; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 34863731
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133131 -
Environmental Science. Processes &... Oct 2023Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), which were conventionally classified into short- (SCCPs), medium- (MCCPs) and long- (LCCPs) chain CPs, have received growing attention due... (Review)
Review
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), which were conventionally classified into short- (SCCPs), medium- (MCCPs) and long- (LCCPs) chain CPs, have received growing attention due to their wide usage and extensive detection in environmental samples and biota. The number of studies regarding the biomonitoring of CPs in human beings increased rapidly and their health risk gained great concern. This review summarized their occurrence and homologue patterns in human matrices including blood/serum, placenta, cord serum and breast milk. As the production and usage of SCCPs was progressively banned after being listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention, the production of MCCPs and LCCPs was stimulated. Accordingly, the ratio of MCCPs/SCCPs in human samples has increased rapidly in the last 5 years. The current understanding of exposure routes and risk assessments of CPs was also reviewed. Oral dietary intake is the most predominant source of daily CP intake, but dust ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposure is also nonnegligible, especially for MCCPs and LCCPs. Furthermore, the reported upper bound of the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) in various risk assessment studies was close to or exceeded the tolerable daily intakes (TDIs). Considering the bioaccumulation and long-lasting exposure of CPs, their health impacts on humans and the ecosystem required continuous monitoring and evaluation.
Topics: Humans; Biological Monitoring; Paraffin; Environmental Monitoring; Ecosystem; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Risk Assessment; China
PubMed: 37655634
DOI: 10.1039/d3em00235g -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2022Humans are exposed to infection as pet cats gradually become family members and represent an increasing public health risk worldwide. Toxoplasmosis diagnosis...
Humans are exposed to infection as pet cats gradually become family members and represent an increasing public health risk worldwide. Toxoplasmosis diagnosis constitutes an important measure for disease prevention and control. In this study, real-time fluorescence quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) and visual LAMP detection technologies were established to conduct tests of based on the membrane DNA extraction method, and the optimal detection mix was determined by adding the protective reagent trehalose and screening the concentrations of Mg and dNTPs. Paraffin and lyophilization were used to reduce and even remove aerosol pollution, constructing a detailed anti-contamination protocol. Based on the positive standard plasmid DNA, the LODs of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 92 copies/μL and 92 copies/μL, and the standard curve of qLAMP was Y=2.9503X+20.8992 with R 0.99. The applicability of the qLAMP and visual LAMP assays in disease diagnosis was assessed by evaluating 200 clinical cat faeces samples. The assays showed good diagnostic consistency, with kappa values of 1.0 and 0.99 compared with Man qPCR, respectively. Compared with Man qPCR, the diagnostic specificity/sensitivity of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 100%/100% and 100%/80%, respectively. The qLAMP and visual LAMP assays reported here are rapid and simple tests without extensive sample preparation and have a short turnaround time within 60 min, making them suitable for point-of-care testing.
Topics: Animals; Cats; DNA, Protozoan; Humans; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Paraffin; Sensitivity and Specificity; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Trehalose
PubMed: 36225232
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1024690 -
Journal of Nephrology Sep 2022(Pre-)Implantation biopsies provide important data on the quality of donor kidneys. Interstitial fibrosis, as a known predictor for kidney disease progression, is an...
Computer-assisted evaluation enhances the quantification of interstitial fibrosis in renal implantation biopsies, measures differences between frozen and paraffin sections, and predicts delayed graft function.
BACKGROUND
(Pre-)Implantation biopsies provide important data on the quality of donor kidneys. Interstitial fibrosis, as a known predictor for kidney disease progression, is an essential feature of this evaluation. However, the assessment of frozen sections of implantation biopsies is challenging and can result in the disposal of candidate organs. We sought to apply digital image analysis (DIA) to quantify the differences between frozen and paraffin sections when evaluating interstitial fibrosis, identify factors that influence these variations and test the predictive value of the computerised measures.
METHODS
We quantified the differences between frozen and paraffin sections in the same biopsy samples by measuring Sirius red-stained interstitial areas (SRIA) in DIA. We compared them to the original reports, and retrospectively correlated our findings to clinical data, graft function and outcome in 73 patients.
RESULTS
Frozen sections display a broader interstitial area than paraffin sections, in some cases up to one-third more (mean difference + 7.8%, range - 7 to 29%). No donor-related factors (age or gender, cold ischemia time, or non-heart-beating donor) influenced significantly this difference. Compared to the original assessment of frozen vs paraffin sections in optical microscopy, the DIA of interstitial fibrosis shows a higher consistency (ICC 0.69). Our approach further allows to distinguish SRIA in paraffin sections as an independent predictor for delayed graft function (OR = 1.1; p = 0.028).
CONCLUSIONS
DIA is superior to and more consistent than routine optic microscopy for interstitial fibrosis evaluation. This method could improve implantation biopsy diagnostics and help to reduce disposal of organs.
Topics: Biopsy; Computers; Delayed Graft Function; Fibrosis; Humans; Kidney; Kidney Transplantation; Paraffin; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35438423
DOI: 10.1007/s40620-022-01315-y -
The Science of the Total Environment Oct 2022Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are synthetic chemicals that are produced at high volumes and have a global presence. CPs are generally divided into three groups based on... (Review)
Review
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are synthetic chemicals that are produced at high volumes and have a global presence. CPs are generally divided into three groups based on their carbon chain lengths: short-chain CPs (SCCPs, C), medium-chain CPs (MCCPs, C), and long-chain CPs (LCCPs, C). SCCPs have been formally recognized as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and have been listed under the Stockholm Convention on POPs. Concerns about increases in MCCP and LCCP production as replacements for SCCP products are rising, given their similar properties to SCCPs and the fact that they remain relatively understudied with only a few reported measurements in air. Passive air samplers with polyurethane foam disks (PUF-PAS), which have been successfully applied to SCCPs, provide an opportunity to expand the existing body of data on MCCP and LCCP air concentrations, as they are inexpensive and require little maintenance. The uptake of MCCPs and LCCPs by PUF disk samplers is characterized in this paper based on newly derived PUF-air partitioning coefficients using COSMOtherm. The ability of PUF disk samplers to capture both gas-phase and particle fractions is important because MCCPs and LCCPs have reduced volatility compared to SCCPs and therefore are mainly associated with particulate matter in air. In addition, due to their use as additives in plastics and rubber products, they are associated with micro- and nanoplastics, which are considered to be potential vectors for the long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) of these chemicals. The review has highlighted other limitations to reporting of MCCPs and LCCPs in air, including the lack of suitable analytical standards and the requirement for advanced analytical methods to detect and resolve these complex mixtures. Overall, this review indicates that further research is needed in many areas for medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins in order to better understand their occurrence, transport and fate in air.
Topics: China; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Paraffin; Particulate Matter
PubMed: 35779735
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157094 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2023Planarians are a model animal for the study of regeneration and homeostasis. Understanding how planarians control their cellular balance is key to the knowledge of their...
Planarians are a model animal for the study of regeneration and homeostasis. Understanding how planarians control their cellular balance is key to the knowledge of their plasticity. Both apoptotic and mitotic rates can be quantified in "whole mount" planarians. Apoptosis is usually analyzed through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), a technique that detects cell death by identifying DNA breaks. In this chapter we detail a protocol to analyze apoptotic cells in paraffin sections of planarians, which enables a more accurate cellular visualization and quantification than in "whole mount."
Topics: Animals; In Situ Nick-End Labeling; Planarians; Paraffin; Apoptosis; Staining and Labeling
PubMed: 37428382
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3275-8_15 -
Environment International May 2022Even though the chlorinated paraffins (CPs) have been on the environmental pollution agenda throughout the last 50 years it is a class of chemicals that only now is... (Review)
Review
Even though the chlorinated paraffins (CPs) have been on the environmental pollution agenda throughout the last 50 years it is a class of chemicals that only now is discussed in terms of an emerging issue with extensive annual publication rates. Major reviews on CPs have been produced, but a deeper understanding of the chemical fate of CPs, including formation of metabolites in animals and humans, is still missing. Thus, the present review aims to critically compile our present knowledge on the disposition, i.e. Adsorption, Disposition, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) of CPs in biota and to identify research needs. We conclude that CPs could be effectively absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract (GI) tract, and probably also from the lungs, and transported to various organs. A biphasic elimination is suggested, with a rapid initial phase followed by a terminal phase, the latter (e.g., fat tissues) covering half-lives of weeks and months. CPs are metabolized in the liver and excreted mainly via the bile and faeces, and the metabolic rate and type of metabolites are dependent on chlorine content and chain length. Results that strengthen CP metabolism are in vivo findings of phase II metabolites in bile, and CP degradation to carbon fragments in experimental animals. Still the metabolic transformations of CPs are poorly studied, and no metabolic scheme has yet been presented. Further, toxicokinetic mass balance calculations suggest that a large part of a given dose (not found as parent compound) is transformation products of CPs, and in vitro metabolism studies present numerous CP metabolites (e.g., chloroalkenes, chlorinated ketones, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids).
Topics: Animals; China; Chlorine; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Humans; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Paraffin
PubMed: 35447436
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107195 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Oct 2022This study explored chlorinated paraffin (CP)-degrading bacteria from the marine environment. Aequorivita, Denitromonas, Parvibaculum, Pseudomonas and Ignavibacterium...
This study explored chlorinated paraffin (CP)-degrading bacteria from the marine environment. Aequorivita, Denitromonas, Parvibaculum, Pseudomonas and Ignavibacterium were selected as the dominant genera after enrichment with chlorinated paraffin 52 (CP52) as the sole carbon source. Eight strains were identified as CP degraders, including Pseudomonas sp. NG6 and NF2, Erythrobacter sp. NG3, Castellaniella sp. NF6, Kordiimonas sp. NE3, Zunongwangia sp. NF12, Zunongwangia sp. NH1 and Chryseoglobus sp. NF13, and their degradation efficiencies ranged from 6.4% to 19.0%. In addition to Pseudomonas, the other six genera of bacteria were first reported to have the degradation ability of CPs. Bacterial categories, carbon-chain lengths and chlorination degrees were three crucial factors affecting the degradation efficiencies of CPs, with their influential ability of chlorinated degrees > bacterial categories > carbon-chain lengths. CP degradation can be performed by producing chlorinated alcohols, chlorinated olefins, dechlorinated alcohols and lower chlorinated CPs. This study will provide valuable information on CP biotransformation and targeted bacterial resources for studying the transformation processes of specific CPs in marine environments.
Topics: Alcohols; Alkenes; Bacteria; Carbon; China; Environmental Monitoring; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Paraffin
PubMed: 35963094
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129699 -
PloS One 2021Beeswax is intended for use in the beekeeping sector but also in the agro-food, pharmaceutical or cosmetics sectors. The adulteration of beeswax is an emerging issue...
Beeswax is intended for use in the beekeeping sector but also in the agro-food, pharmaceutical or cosmetics sectors. The adulteration of beeswax is an emerging issue that was reported lately at several occasions in the scientific literature. This issue tends to become more frequent and global, but its exact extent is not accurately defined. The present study aims to assess the current situation in Belgium through a nationwide survey. Randomized beeswax samples originating from Belgian beekeepers (N = 98) and commercial suppliers (N = 9) were analysed with a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) accessory (FTIR-ATR spectroscopy) for adulteration. The survey revealed a frequency of 9.2% and 33.3% of adulteration in beekeepers beeswax samples (9 samples out of 98: 2 with paraffin and 7 with stearin/stearic acid) and commercial beeswax samples (3 samples out of 9: all adulterated with stearin/stearic acid), respectively. The analysed samples were adulterated with various percentages of paraffin (12 to 78.8%) and stearin/stearic acid (1.2 to 20.8%). This survey indicates that in the beekeepers samples, beeswax adulteration was more frequent in comb foundation and crude beeswax than in comb wax. With the example of this nationwide survey conducted in Belgium, this study shows the emergence of the issue and the urgent need for action to safeguard the health of both honey bees health and humans, in particular with the setting of a proper regulation legal framework and a specific routine analytical testing of commercial beeswax to ensure beeswax quality.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Belgium; Drug Contamination; Paraffin; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Stearic Acids; Waxes
PubMed: 34499645
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252806 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Apr 2021Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are anthropogenic pollutants of growing environmental concern. These highly complex mixtures of thousands of homologs and congeners are...
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are anthropogenic pollutants of growing environmental concern. These highly complex mixtures of thousands of homologs and congeners are usually applied as additives in lubricants or as flame retardants and plasticizers in polymers and paints. Recent studies indicated the presence of high amounts of CPs in the kitchen environment whose sources could not be unequivocally identified. One option was the use of CPs as or in lubricants of hinges. To test this hypothesis, we performed wipe tests on lubricants on 29 hinges of different types of kitchen appliances (refrigerators, baking ovens, dishwashers, freezers, microwave oven, pasta machine, food processor, steam cooker) and analyzed them for short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs). CPs were detected in 21 samples (72%). Per wipe, SCCP concentrations ranged between 0.02 and 10 µg (median 0.23 µg), while MCCPs ranged from 0.09 to 750 µg (median 1.0 µg). Highest MCCP amounts (380 and 750 µg per wipe, respectively) were determined in new and unused appliances. A medium correlation between SCCP content and appliance age was observed, but no additional statistic correlation between SCCP/MCCP amount and appliance type or manufacturer could be observed. CPs released from hinges by volatilization, abrasion, and cleaning processes could enter the environment and come in contact with persons living in the corresponding households.
Topics: China; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Flame Retardants; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Paraffin
PubMed: 33829339
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09023-z