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Scientific Reports Oct 2020This study introduces an applicable colorimetric sensor array for the detection of pesticides in the vapor phase. The array consisted of six metal nanoparticles spotted...
This study introduces an applicable colorimetric sensor array for the detection of pesticides in the vapor phase. The array consisted of six metal nanoparticles spotted on the piece of filter paper. 3D-origami pattern was used for the fabrication of a paper-based sensor to decrease the effect of the nanoparticles leaching after exposure to analytes. Exposure to pesticide aerosols caused changes in the color of the array due to the aggregation of nanoparticles. These changes provided selective responses to thion pesticides such as malathion, parathion, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon. The sensing assay could also differentiate between aliphatic and aromatic thions and discriminate amine-containing compounds from the other studied analytes. These finding results are clearly confirmed by both visual detection and multivariate statistical methods. The proposed sensor was successfully developed for the quantitative measurement of pesticide aerosols at a very low concentration. The limit of detection of this method determined for malathion, parathion, chlorpyrifos and diazinon were 58.0, 103.0, 81.0 and 117.0, respectively. Moreover, the array could be employed to simultaneously analyze four studied pesticides. The statistcal results confirmed that the method has high performance for concurrent detection of thions as a major air pollutant without the interference of other species.
PubMed: 33057151
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74509-8 -
Journal of Toxicology 2020Organophosphorus compounds are extensively used worldwide as pesticides which cause great hazards to human health. Nerve agents, a subcategory of the organophosphorus... (Review)
Review
Organophosphorus compounds are extensively used worldwide as pesticides which cause great hazards to human health. Nerve agents, a subcategory of the organophosphorus compounds, have been produced and used during wars, and they have also been used in terrorist activities. These compounds possess physiological threats by interacting and inhibiting acetylcholinesterase enzyme which leads to the cholinergic crisis. After a general introduction, this review elucidates the mechanisms underlying cholinergic and noncholinergic effects of organophosphorus compounds. The conceivable treatment strategies for organophosphate poisoning are different types of bioscavengers which include stoichiometric, catalytic, and pseudocatalytic. The current research on the promising treatments specifically the catalytic bioscavengers including several wild-type organophosphate hydrolases such as paraoxonase and phosphotriesterase, phosphotriesterase-like lactonase, methyl parathion hydrolase, organophosphate acid anhydrolase, diisopropyl fluorophosphatase, human triphosphate nucleotidohydrolase, and senescence marker protein has been widely discussed. Organophosphorus compounds are reported to be the nonphysiological substrate for many mammalian organophosphate hydrolysing enzymes; therefore, the efficiency of these enzymes toward these compounds is inadequate. Hence, studies have been conducted to create mutants with an enhanced rate of hydrolysis and high specificity. Several mutants have been created by applying directed molecular evolution and/or targeted mutagenesis, and catalytic efficiency has been characterized. Generally, organophosphorus compounds are chiral in nature. The development of mutant enzymes for providing superior stereoselective degradation of toxic organophosphorus compounds has also been widely accounted for in this review. Existing enzymes have shown limited efficiency; hence, more effective treatment strategies have also been critically analyzed.
PubMed: 33029136
DOI: 10.1155/2020/3007984 -
Biotechnology Reports (Amsterdam,... Sep 2020Due to high contamination of organophosphate (OP) insecticides in agricultural products and the environment, efficient and convenient devices for their monitoring are...
Due to high contamination of organophosphate (OP) insecticides in agricultural products and the environment, efficient and convenient devices for their monitoring are necessary. Here, a simple, inexpensive, efficient, and easy-to-use absorbance-based biosensor was fabricated utilizing recombinant methyl parathion hydrolase fused with glutathione--transferase (MPH-GST), covalently immobilized onto a chitosan film-coated polystyrene microplate, for the detection of methyl parathion (MP) as a representative of OPs. Having been connected to the transducer system designed to work through an Arduino microcontroller, the biosensor could detect MP as efficiently as the conventional methods, with the detection limit of 0.1 μM, the lowest value ever reported for this method. It was stable at 25 °C for 30 days, could function 100 rounds repetitively, and yielded high recovery with real samples. Hence, this simply designed MPH-GST biosensor could be an easy and inexpensive alternative for efficient OP screening at site to help control its contamination.
PubMed: 32642456
DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00495 -
Neurochemical Research Jan 2021Organophosphate (OP) compounds are widely used as pesticides and herbicides and exposure to these compounds has been associated with both chronic and acute forms of...
Organophosphate (OP) compounds are widely used as pesticides and herbicides and exposure to these compounds has been associated with both chronic and acute forms of neurological dysfunction including cognitive impairment, neurophysiological problems and cerebral ataxia with evidence of mitochondrial impairment being associated with this toxicity. In view of the potential mitochondrial impairment, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to commonly used OPs, dichlorvos, methyl-parathion (parathion) and chloropyrifos (CPF) on the cellular level of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) electron carrier, coenzyme Q (CoQ) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The effect of a perturbation in CoQ status was also evaluated on mitochondrial function and cell viability. A significant decreased (P < 0.0001) in neuronal cell viability was observed following treatment with all three OPs (100 µM), with dichlorvos appearing to be the most toxic to cells and causing an 80% loss of viability. OP treatment also resulted in a significant diminution in cellular CoQ status, with levels of this isoprenoid being decreased by 72% (P < 0.0001), 62% (P < 0.0005) and 43% (P < 0.005) of control levels following treatment with dichlorvos, parathion and CPF (50 µM), respectively. OP exposure was also found to affect the activities of the mitochondrial enzymes, citrate synthase (CS) and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex II+III. Dichlorvos and CPF (50 µM) treatment significantly decreased CS activity by 38% (P < 0.0001) and 35% (P < 0.0005), respectively compared to control levels in addition to causing a 54% and 57% (P < 0.0001) reduction in complex II+III activity, respectively. Interestingly, although CoQ supplementation (5 μM) was able to restore cellular CoQ status and CS activity to control levels following OP treatment, complex II+III activity was only restored to control levels in neuronal cells exposed to dichlorvos (50 µM). However, post supplementation with CoQ, complex II+III activity significantly increased by 33% (P < 0.0005), 25% (P < 0.005) and 35% (P < 0.0001) in dichlorvos, parathion and CPF (100 µM) treated cells respectively compared to non-CoQ supplemented cells. In conclusion, the results of this study have indicated evidence of neuronal cell CoQ deficiency with associated mitochondrial dysfunction following OP exposure. Although CoQ supplementation was able to ameliorate OP induced deficiencies in CS activity, ETC complex II+III activity appeared partially refractory to this treatment. Accordingly, these results indicate the therapeutic potential of CoQ supplementation in the treatment of OP poisoning. However, higher doses may be required to engender therapeutic efficacy.
Topics: Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Chlorpyrifos; Dichlorvos; Electron Transport Complex II; Electron Transport Complex III; Humans; Insecticides; Methyl Parathion; Mitochondria; Neurons; Ubiquinone
PubMed: 32306167
DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03033-y -
Royal Society Open Science Mar 2020Superhydrophilic graphene oxide/electrospun cellulose nanofibre (GO/CNF) was synthesized, characterized and successfully used in a solid-phase membrane tip adsorption...
Superhydrophilic graphene oxide/electrospun cellulose nanofibre (GO/CNF) was synthesized, characterized and successfully used in a solid-phase membrane tip adsorption (SPMTA) as an adsorbent towards a simultaneous analysis of polar organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in several food and water samples. Separation, determination and quantification were achieved prior to ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detector. The influence of several parameters such as sample pH, adsorption time, adsorbent dosage and initial concentration were investigated. SPMTA was linear in the range of 0.05 and 10 mg l under the optimum adsorption conditions (sample pH 12; 5 mg of adsorbent dosage; 15 min of adsorption time) for methyl parathion, ethoprophos, sulfotepp and chlorpyrifos with excellent correlation coefficients of 0.994-0.999. Acceptable precision (RSDs) as achieved for intraday (0.06-5.44%, = 3) and interday (0.17-7.76%, = 3) analyses. Low limits of detection (0.01-0.05 mg l) and satisfactory consistency in adsorption (71.14-99.95%) were obtained for the spiked OPPs from Sungai Pahang, Tasik Cheras, cabbages and rice samples. The adsorption data were well followed the second-order kinetic model and fits the Freundlich adsorption model. The newly synthesized GO/CNF showed a great adsorbent potential for OPPs analysis.
PubMed: 32269813
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192050 -
RSC Advances Apr 2020A simple low-temperature water-based and one-pot synthesis was developed for the preparation of nanocrystalline CeO that was used for degradation of the toxic...
A simple low-temperature water-based and one-pot synthesis was developed for the preparation of nanocrystalline CeO that was used for degradation of the toxic organophosphate pesticide parathion methyl. By changing the reaction temperature in the range from 5 °C to 95 °C, several properties (, crystallinity, grain size and surface area) of nanoceria can be easily controlled. The catalytic decomposition of parathion methyl to its degradation product 4-nitrophenol was highly dependent on the CeO preparation temperature. It was demonstrated that at low temperature ( 5 °C), CeO with very small crystallites (<2 nm) and high surface area can be obtained. For practical use, it was demonstrated that highly crystalline CeO can be prepared at room-temperature (30 °C) in at least 100 g batches. It was shown that precipitated nanoceria had high thermal stability and its post-synthesis annealing up to 400 °C did not significantly alter the material properties and hence the catalytic activity. Furthermore, as shown by the reusability tests, the sorbent can be reactivated by simply washing with water which demonstrated its durability.
PubMed: 35498481
DOI: 10.1039/d0ra00937g -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2020There is interest in incorporating nanoemulsions into certain foods and beverages, including dips, dressings, drinks, spreads, and sauces, due to their potentially...
There is interest in incorporating nanoemulsions into certain foods and beverages, including dips, dressings, drinks, spreads, and sauces, due to their potentially beneficial attributes. In particular, excipient nanoemulsions can enhance the bioavailability of nutraceuticals in fruit- and vegetable-containing products consumed with them. There is, however, potential for them to also raise the bioavailability of undesirable substances found in these products, such as pesticides. In this research, we studied the impact of excipient nanoemulsions on the bioaccessibility of pesticide-treated tomatoes. We hypothesized that the propensity for nanoemulsions to raise pesticide bioaccessibility would depend on the polarity of the pesticide molecules. Bendiocarb, parathion, and chlorpyrifos were therefore selected because they have Log P values of 1.7, 3.8, and 5.3, respectively. Nanoemulsions with different oil contents (0%, 4%, and 8%) were fabricated to study their impact on pesticide uptake. In the absence of oil, the bioaccessibility increased with increasing pesticide polarity (decreasing Log P): bendiocarb (92.9%) > parathion (16.4%) > chlorpyrifos (2.8%). Bendiocarb bioaccessibility did not depend on the oil content of the nanoemulsions, which was attributed to its relatively high water-solubility. Conversely, the bioaccessibility of the more hydrophobic pesticides (parathion and chlorpyrifos) increased with increasing oil content. For instance, for chlorpyrifos, the bioaccessibility was 2.8%, 47.0%, and 70.7% at 0%, 4%, and 8% oil content, respectively. Our findings have repercussions for the utilization of nanoemulsions as excipient foods in products that may have high levels of undesirable non-polar substances, such as pesticides.
Topics: Biological Products; Chlorpyrifos; Emulsions; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Parathion; Pesticides; Phenylcarbamates
PubMed: 32213953
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25061466 -
Environmental Research May 2020Miscarriage is a prevalent public health issue and many events occur before women are aware of their pregnancy, complicating research design. Thus, risk factors for...
BACKGROUND
Miscarriage is a prevalent public health issue and many events occur before women are aware of their pregnancy, complicating research design. Thus, risk factors for miscarriage are critically understudied. Our goal was to identify environmental chemicals with a high number of interactions with miscarriage genes, based on known toxicogenomic responses.
METHODS
We used miscarriage (MeSH: D000022) and chemical gene lists from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database in human, mouse, and rat. We assessed enrichment for gene ontology biological processes among the miscarriage genes. We prioritized chemicals (n = 25) found at Superfund sites or in the blood or urine pregnant women. For chemical-disease gene sets of sufficient size (n = 13 chemicals, n = 20 comparisons), chi-squared enrichment tests and proportional reporting ratios (PRR) were calculated. We cross-validated enrichment results.
RESULTS
Miscarriage was annotated with 121 genes and overrepresented in inflammatory response (q = 0.001), collagen metabolic process (q = 1 × 10), cell death (q = 0.02), and vasculature development (q = 0.005) pathways. The number of unique genes annotated to a chemical ranged from 2 (bromacil) to 5607 (atrazine). In humans, all chemicals tested were highly enriched for miscarriage gene overlap (all p < 0.001; parathion PRR = 7, cadmium PRR = 6.5, lead PRR = 3.9, arsenic PRR = 3.5, atrazine PRR = 2.8). In mice, highest enrichment (p < 0.001) was observed for naphthalene (PRR = 16.1), cadmium (PRR = 12.8), arsenic (PRR = 11.6), and carbon tetrachloride (PRR = 7.7). In rats, we observed highest enrichment (p < 0.001) for cadmium (PRR = 8.7), carbon tetrachloride (PRR = 8.3), and dieldrin (PRR = 5.3). Our findings were robust to 1000 permutations each of variable gene set sizes.
CONCLUSION
We observed chemical gene sets (parathion, cadmium, naphthalene, carbon tetrachloride, arsenic, lead, dieldrin, and atrazine) were highly enriched for miscarriage genes. Exposures to chemicals linked to miscarriage, and thus linked to decreased probability of live birth, may limit the inclusion of fetuses susceptible to adverse birth outcomes in epidemiology studies. Our findings have critical public health implications for successful pregnancies and the interpretation of adverse impacts of environmental chemical exposures on pregnancy.
Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Animals; Databases, Factual; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Live Birth; Mice; Pregnancy; Rats; Toxicogenetics
PubMed: 32143025
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109259 -
PloS One 2019Wastewater treatment plant effluents are important point sources of micropollutants. To assess how the discharge of treated wastewater affects the ecotoxicity of small...
Wastewater treatment plant effluents are important point sources of micropollutants. To assess how the discharge of treated wastewater affects the ecotoxicity of small to medium-sized streams we collected water samples up- and downstream of 24 wastewater treatment plants across the Swiss Plateau and the Jura regions of Switzerland. We investigated estrogenicity, inhibition of algal photosynthetic activity (photosystem II, PSII) and growth, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition. At four sites, we measured feeding activity of amphipods (Gammarus fossarum) in situ as well as water flea (Ceriodaphnia dubia) reproduction in water samples. Ecotoxicological endpoints were compared with results from analyses of general water quality parameters as well as a target screening of a wide range of organic micropollutants with a focus on pesticides and pharmaceuticals using liquid chromatography high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Measured ecotoxicological effects in stream water varied substantially among sites: 17β-estradiol equivalent concentrations (EEQbio, indicating the degree of estrogenicity) were relatively low and ranged from 0.04 to 0.85 ng/L, never exceeding a proposed effect-based trigger (EBT) value of 0.88 ng/L. Diuron equivalent (DEQbio) concentrations (indicating the degree of photosystem II inhibition in algae) ranged from 2.4 to 1576 ng/L and exceeded the EBT value (70 ng/L) in one third of the rivers studied, sometimes even upstream of the WWTP. Parathion equivalent (PtEQbio) concentrations (indicating the degree of AChE inhibition) reached relatively high values (37 to 1278 ng/L) mostly exceeding the corresponding EBT (196 ng/L PtEQbio). Decreased feeding activity by amphipods or decreased water flea reproduction downstream compared to the upstream site was observed at one of four investigated sites only. Results of the combined algae assay (PSII inhibition) correlated best with results of chemical analysis for PSII inhibiting herbicides. Estrogenicity was partly and AChE inhibition strongly underestimated based on measured steroidal estrogens respectively organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. An impact of dissolved organic carbon on results of the AChE inhibition assay was obvious. For this assay more work is required to further explore the missing correlation of bioassay data with chemical analytical data. Overall, the discharge of WWTP effluent led to increased estrogenicity, PSII and AChE inhibition downstream, irrespective of upstream land use.
Topics: Acetylcholinesterase; Algal Proteins; Amphipoda; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Chromatography, Liquid; Cladocera; Feeding Behavior; Photosystem II Protein Complex; Reproduction; Rivers; Switzerland; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Purification
PubMed: 31881027
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226278 -
Sensors and Actuators. B, Chemical Jun 2019In the current work we report a simple and scalable technique for synthesis of ordered nanoporous Si-ZrO composite derived from the diatom . The composite was well...
In the current work we report a simple and scalable technique for synthesis of ordered nanoporous Si-ZrO composite derived from the diatom . The composite was well characterized using SEM, TEM-EDX, FTIR, TGA, BET and DLS. The diatom-ZrO was found to have a specific surface area of 140 m/g, Si:Zr ratio of 1:4 and a particle size of 80 ± 2 nm. This composite was evaluated as an enzyme free electrochemical sensor towards the detection of methyl parathion (MP) and showed excellent sensing ability at extremely low detection limits of 54.3 pM and a linear concentration range of 3.4 nM to 64 μM. The diatom-ZrO composite was also found to be highly selective towards MP as shown by its response even in the presence of high concentrations of other interfering molecules and ions.
PubMed: 31772421
DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2019.03.036