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Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Feb 2023Evaluation of postnatal exposure to organic pollutants is especially important for suckling infants during breastfeeding, a crucial perinatal growth period when organs...
Evaluation of postnatal exposure to organic pollutants is especially important for suckling infants during breastfeeding, a crucial perinatal growth period when organs and hormonal systems develop. We determined levels of 60 pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), pyrethroids (PYRs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in 81 breast milk samples from breastfeeding mothers from Santiago de Compostela (north-western Spain). For most detected organic pollutants, levels were correlated with the season of milk sampling, maternal age at delivery, and place of residence. Dietary consumption habits (eggs, molluscs, and vegetable oils) were also correlated with OCP, OPP, PCB, PBDE and PYR levels. We also assessed the risk to infant health of exposure to organic pollutants in breast milk. PAHs, OCPs, OPPs, and PYRs accounted for almost 95% of the targeted organic pollutants in the samples analysed.
Topics: Infant; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Environmental Pollutants; Pesticides; Spain; Organophosphorus Compounds; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Milk, Human; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Maternal Exposure
PubMed: 36549446
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120903 -
Toxics Dec 2022We developed and applied a method for measuring selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (i.e., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides,...
We developed and applied a method for measuring selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (i.e., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) in dust collected from pregnant African Americans (AAs) in Atlanta using isotope dilution gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Limits of quantification were ranged from 0.10 to 2.50 ng/g dust. NIST standard reference material measurements demonstrated the robustness of our method. Our accuracies ranged from 82 to 108%, relative standard deviations ranged from 2 to 16%, and extraction recoveries ranged from 76 to 102%. We measured POPs in dust collected from 34 homes of pregnant AAs participating in the Atlanta AA birth cohort study who were enrolled from 2016 to 2019. Concentrations of POPs were detected in all samples with the frequencies of detection ranging from 8 to 100%. Concentrations of PBDE congeners 99 and 47, ,'-DDT, and PCB153 were detected at some of the highest concentrations with geometric means of 1270, 730, 63.4 and 240 ng/g, respectively. The ratio of DDT/DDE was quite large (~2.7) indicating that ,'-DDT remains intact in homes for long periods of time. These data demonstrate that care should be taken to remediate POPs in indoor dust, especially in vulnerable, disparate segments of the population.
PubMed: 36548588
DOI: 10.3390/toxics10120755 -
Environment International Jan 2023There is increasing data showing that some environmental chemicals can increase susceptibility to follow-up stress or injuries, possibly thereby contributing to certain...
There is increasing data showing that some environmental chemicals can increase susceptibility to follow-up stress or injuries, possibly thereby contributing to certain clinical and subclinical diseases. Previous studies reported that tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), one of the most used brominated flame retardants, exerted little male reproductive toxicity in terms of conventional endpoints but affected testis development and thereby caused testicular alterations at the molecular and cellular levels. Here, we aimed to reveal whether developmental exposure to TBBPA can increase testicular susceptibility to follow-up stress in adulthood. For this purpose, newborn mice were exposed to 50 or 500 μg/kg/d TBBPA for 56 days to confirm adverse effects on testes, followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of 3 mg/kg busulfan (BSF) to induce spermatogenic stress. Four weeks after BSF injection, TBBPA-treated mice exhibited severe pathological alterations, including reduced testis weight, damaged testicular histological structure, declined sperm count, apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, while no remarkable damage was observed in mice without historical exposure to TBBPA. These results demonstrate that historical exposure to TBBPA, either 50 or 500 µg/kg/d, increased the susceptibility of mouse testes to BSF-induced spermatogenic stress, resulting in severe adverse reproductive outcomes. Further analysis indicates that TBBPA-caused microtubule and microfilament damage, along with spermatogonia and spermatocyte reduction, could contributed to the increased susceptibility of testes, suggesting that these non-conventional reproductive lesions caused by chemicals should not be ignored. This is the first study to investigate the reproductive hazard of chemicals from the perspective of testicular susceptibility to stress, thereby opening a new avenue to identify environmental chemicals possibly contributing to male infertility and subfertility.
Topics: Humans; Male; Animals; Mice; Testis; Semen; Spermatogenesis; Polybrominated Biphenyls; Infertility, Male; Flame Retardants; Mammals
PubMed: 36512917
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107683 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling is a prerequisite of normal tissue function. Environmental pollutants with the potential to disrupt endocrine functions represent an...
Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling is a prerequisite of normal tissue function. Environmental pollutants with the potential to disrupt endocrine functions represent an emerging threat to human health and agricultural production. We used our Thyroid Hormone Action Indicator (THAI) mouse model to study the effects of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA; 150 mg/bwkg/day orally for 6 days) and diclazuril (10.0 mg/bwkg/day orally for 5 days), a known and a potential hormone disruptor, respectively, on local TH economy. Tissue-specific changes of TH action were assessed in 90-day-old THAI mice by measuring the expression of a TH-responsive luciferase reporter in tissue samples and by in vivo imaging (14-day-long treatment accompanied with imaging on day 7, 14 and 21 from the first day of treatment) in live THAI mice. This was followed by promoter assays to elucidate the mechanism of the observed effects. TBBPA and diclazuril impacted TH action differently and tissue-specifically. TBBPA disrupted TH signaling in the bone and small intestine and impaired the global TH economy by decreasing the circulating free T4 levels. In the promoter assays, TBBPA showed a direct stimulatory effect on the promoter, indicating a potential mechanism for silencing TH action. In contrast, diclazuril acted as a stimulator of TH action in the liver, skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue without affecting the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Thyroid axis. Our data demonstrate distinct and tissue-specific effects of TBBPA and diclazuril on local TH action and prove that the THAI mouse is a novel mammalian model to identify TH disruptors and their tissue-specific effects.
Topics: Humans; Male; Mice; Animals; Larva; Polybrominated Biphenyls; Thyroid Hormones; Signal Transduction; Mammals
PubMed: 36499108
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314782 -
Data in Brief Dec 2022This data article presents the dataset collected for selected organic pollutants in the framework of a larger research project aimed at assessing the effects of...
This data article presents the dataset collected for selected organic pollutants in the framework of a larger research project aimed at assessing the effects of different environmental stressors (natural and anthropogenic) in sediments of the Lake of Cavazzo, a basin of glacial origin located in a seismically active region of the Italian Eastern Alps. Information relative to sampling strategy and operations, location of sampling sites, sedimentary chronological benchmarks, and profiles of RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color code determined from high resolution photos taken at cores CAV-04 and CAV-06 are reported, together with analytical data for 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 21 polychlorinated biphenyls' congeners (including the non-Aroclor CB-11), 14 polybrominated diphenyl ethers' congeners, and 22 organochlorine pesticides, whose concentrations were determined by Gas Chromatography coupled both to Low-Resolution and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Interpretation of this dataset is fully discussed in the companion article by Pizzini et al. (2022) and relys on the multi-proxy analysis of sediment samples presented in Polonia et al. (2021) that highlighted lake stratigraphy and major changes occurring at a decadal scale since the 1950s.
PubMed: 36426007
DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108633 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Dec 2022Polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are new persistent pollutants that are widely exist in the environment and have many toxic effects. However, their toxicity...
Behavioral changes and transcriptomic effects at embryonic and post-embryonic stages reveal the toxic effects of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether on neurodevelopment in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
Polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are new persistent pollutants that are widely exist in the environment and have many toxic effects. However, their toxicity mechanisms on neurodevelopment are still unclear. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to 2, 2', 4, 4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) (control, 10, 50 and 100 μg/L) at 2 h postfertilization (hpf) - 7 dpf. Locomotion analysis indicated that BDE-47 increased spontaneous coiling activity in zebrafish embryos under high-intensity light stimuli and decreased locomotor in zebrafish larvae. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that most of the up-regulated pathways were related to the metabolism of cells and tissues, while the down-regulated pathways were related to neurodevelopment. Consistent with the locomotion and KEGG results, BDE-47 affected the expression of genes for central nervous system (gfap, mbpa, bdnf & pomcb), early neurogenesis (neurog1 & elavl3), and axonal development (tuba1a, tuba1b, tuba1c, syn2a, gap43 & shha). Furthermore, BDE-47 interfered with gene expression of the Wnt signaling pathway, especially during embryonic stages, suggesting that the mechanisms of BDE-47 toxicity to zebrafish at various stages of neurodevelopment may be different. In summary, early neurodevelopment effects and metabolic disturbances may have contributed to the abnormal neurobehavioral changes induced by BDE-47 in zebrafish embryos/larvae, suggesting the neurodevelopmental toxicity of BDE-47.
Topics: Animals; Ether; Zebrafish; Transcriptome; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Ethyl Ethers; Larva
PubMed: 36423367
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114310 -
Environmental Science & Technology Dec 2022Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can significantly impact marine mammal health, reproduction, and fitness. This study addresses a significant 20-year gap...
Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can significantly impact marine mammal health, reproduction, and fitness. This study addresses a significant 20-year gap in gray whale contaminant monitoring through analysis of POPs in 120 blubber biopsies. The scope of this substantial sample set is noteworthy in its range and diversity with collection between 2003 and 2017 along North America's west coast and across diverse sex, age, and reproductive parameters, including paired mothers and calves. Mean blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (∑DDTs), and chlordanes (∑CHLs) generally decreased since previous reports (1968-1999). This is the first report of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and select hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in this species. Statistical modeling of the 19 most frequently detected compounds in this dataset revealed sex-, age-, and reproductive status-related patterns, predominantly attributed to maternal offloading. Mean POP concentrations differed significantly by sex in adults (17 compounds, up to 3-fold higher in males) but not in immatures (all 19 compounds). Mean POP concentrations were significantly greater in adults versus immatures in both males (17 compounds, up to 12-fold) and females (13 compounds, up to 3-fold). POP concentrations were detected with compound-specific patterns in nursing calves, confirming maternal offloading for the first time in this species.
Topics: Animals; Male; Female; Persistent Organic Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; Whales; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Adipose Tissue
PubMed: 36346717
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05998 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of flame-retardant organohalogen pollutants that act as endocrine/neuroendocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In...
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of flame-retardant organohalogen pollutants that act as endocrine/neuroendocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In humans, exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFR) or other environmentally persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and novel organophosphate flame retardants has been associated with increasing trends of diabetes and metabolic disease. However, the effects of PBDEs on metabolic processes and their associated sex-dependent features are poorly understood. The metabolic-disrupting effects of perinatal exposure to industrial penta-PBDE mixture, DE-71, on male and female progeny of C57BL/6N mouse dams were examined in adulthood. Dams were exposed to environmentally relevant doses of PBDEs daily for 10 weeks (): 0.1 (L-DE-71) and 0.4 mg/kg/d (H-DE-71) and offspring parameters were compared to corn oil vehicle controls (VEH/CON). The following lipid metabolism indices were measured: plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, adiponectin, leptin, and liver lipids. L-DE-71 female offspring were particularly affected, showing hypercholesterolemia, elevated liver lipids and fasting plasma leptin as compared to same-sex VEH/CON, while L- and H-DE-71 male F1 only showed reduced plasma adiponectin. Using the quantitative Folch method, we found that mean liver lipid content was significantly elevated in L-DE-71 female offspring compared to controls. Oil Red O staining revealed fatty liver in female offspring and dams. General measures of adiposity, body weight, white and brown adipose tissue (BAT), and lean and fat mass were weighed or measured using EchoMRI. DE-71 did not produce abnormal adiposity, but decreased BAT depots in L-DE-71 females and males relative to same-sex VEH/CON. To begin to address potential central mechanisms of deregulated lipid metabolism, we used RT-qPCR to quantitate expression of hypothalamic genes in energy-regulating circuits that control lipid homeostasis. Both doses of DE-71 sex-dependently downregulated hypothalamic expression of , , , , in female offspring while H-DE-71 downregulated in exposed females relative to VEH/CON. In contrast, exposed male offspring displayed upregulated and . Intestinal barrier integrity was measured using FITC-dextran since it can lead to systemic inflammation that leads to liver damage and metabolic disease, but was not affected by DE-71 exposure. These findings indicate that maternal transfer of PBDEs disproportionately endangers female offspring to lipid metabolic reprogramming that may exaggerate risk for adult metabolic disease.
Topics: Animals; Female; Male; Mice; Pregnancy; Adiponectin; Agouti-Related Protein; Cholesterol; Corn Oil; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Pollutants; Flame Retardants; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Homeostasis; Leptin; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Organophosphates; Persistent Organic Pollutants; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Triglycerides; Sex Factors
PubMed: 36277707
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.997304 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Feb 2023Hunting, trapping, and fishing are part of an Indigenous lifestyle in subarctic Canada. However, this lifestyle may be a route of exposure to contaminants and may pose a...
A probabilistic hazard and risk assessment of exposure to metals and organohalogens associated with a traditional diet in the Indigenous communities of Eeyou Istchee (northern Quebec, Canada).
Hunting, trapping, and fishing are part of an Indigenous lifestyle in subarctic Canada. However, this lifestyle may be a route of exposure to contaminants and may pose a risk for the people who rely on a subsistence diet. Monte Carlo simulations for the chemical concentration of eight game species and one fish species were carried out by randomly sampling 10,000 samples from the contaminant measures for each species. We then calculated a probabilistic non-carcinogenic hazard quotient or carcinogenic risk values to estimate the human health risk of exposure to contaminants. Of the species examined, ducks were of concern for potential carcinogenic risk. There was a modeled probabilistic 95-percentile risk associated with the consumption of ducks and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) congener 153 in boys, women, and men (1.09 × 10, 1.57 × 10, and 2.17 × 10, respectively) and, to a lesser extent, with geese and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener 153 in men (1.19 × 10). Contaminant concentration in the intake rate (food consumption) for PBB congener 153 exposure risk was more important than that for PCB congener 153, where intake rate had greater relevance. The consumption of waterfowl may increase the exposure to organohalogens; however, there are health and wellness benefits associated with the harvesting and consumption of subsistence foods that must also be considered. We recommend follow-up species-specific studies focused on ducks to clarify and elucidate the results in the present study.
Topics: Male; Animals; Humans; Female; Quebec; Indians, North American; Canada; Diet; Metals; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 36152091
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23117-2 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is the most commonly used brominated flame retardant (BFR) in the industry. TBBPA has been determined in environmental samples, food, tap...
BACKGROUND
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is the most commonly used brominated flame retardant (BFR) in the industry. TBBPA has been determined in environmental samples, food, tap water, dust as well as outdoor and indoor air and in the human body. Studies have also shown the toxic potential of this substance. In search of a better and less toxic BFR, tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) has been developed in order to replace TBBPA in the industry. There is a lack of data on the toxic effects of TBBPS, while no study has explored apoptotic mechanism of action of TBBPA and TBBPS in human leukocytes.
METHODS
The cells were separated from leucocyte-platelet buffy coat and were incubated with studied compounds in concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 50 µg/mL for 24 h. In order to explore the apoptotic mechanism of action of tested BFRs, phosphatidylserine externalization at cellular membrane (the number of apoptotic cells), cytosolic calcium ion and transmembrane mitochondrial potential levels, caspase-8, -9 and -3 activation, as well as PARP-1 cleavage, DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation in PBMCs were determined.
RESULTS
TBBPA and TBBPS triggered apoptosis in human PBMCs as they changed all tested parameters in the incubated cells. It was also observed that the mitochondrial pathway was mainly involved in the apoptotic action of studied compounds.
CONCLUSIONS
It was found that TBBPS, and more strongly TBBPA, triggered apoptosis in human PBMCs. Generally, the mitochondrial pathway was involved in the apoptotic action of tested compounds; nevertheless, TBBPS more strongly than TBBPA caused intrinsic pathway activation.
Topics: Calcium; Caspase 8; Chromatin; Flame Retardants; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Phosphatidylserines; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; Polybrominated Biphenyls
PubMed: 36144785
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27186052