bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biomarkers of contaminant exposure in common terns and black-crowned night herons in the Great Lakes
Authors: Hoffman David J. , Smith Gregory J. , Rattner Barnett A.
Published: March 2010

Morphological and biochemical indexes of contaminant exposure were examined in hatching common terns (Sterna hirundo) and black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) from industrialized and nonindustrialized locations in the Great Lakes. In 1984, naturally incubated, pipping common tern and black-crowned night heron embryos collected from industrialized locations exhibited smaller femur-length-to-body-weight ratios, elevated hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activities, and lower hepatic DNA concentrations (P < 0.05). In addition, a high incidence of subcutaneous edema was noted in pipping herons (P < 0.01). In 1985, reduced hatching success was observed for laboratory-incubated common tern eggs collected from the industrialized sites, compared to nonindustrialized sites (P < 0.01). Day-old hatchlings exhibited reduced femur-length-to-body-weight ratio, developmental anomalies, and elevated hepatic AHH activity (P < 0.05). For hatching common terns studied in 1984 and 1985, femur-length-to-body-weight ratio was inversely related to AHH activity (r = −0.67, P < 0.05) and inversely related to log-transformed PCB concentrations (r = −0.70, P ≤ 0.05) of unincubated eggs from the same colony. The activity of AHH in hatching terns was also directly related (r = 0.71, P ≤ 0.05) to log-transformed PCB concentrations in unincubated eggs. Other examined contaminants, including DDE, other organochlorine pesticides, and mercury, were not directly related to these effects.
Metal accumulation and metallothionein concentrations in tree swallow nestlings near acidified lakes
Authors: Louis Vincent L. St. , Breebaart Loes , Barlow Jon C. , Klaverkamp Jack F.
Published: March 2010

We studied metal accumulation in hepatic and renal tissues of tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings at acidified and nonacid reference lakes in northwestern Ontario Hepatic concentrations of metallothionein (metal binding proteins, MT) in tree swallow nestlings were negatively correlated with pH of the nest-site lake. Combined concentrations of Cu and Zn in the liver were correlated with liver MT concentrations, but Cd was not. Although no overt signs of metal toxicity were observed in nestlings near acid lakes, our results clearly provided evidence that metals are transferred from acid lakes to birds and that these metals are correlated with increases in hepatic MT production.
Inhibition of hepatic thyroxine 5′-monodeiodinase by humic acids
Authors: Huang Tien-Shang , Lu Fung Jou , Chopra Inder J.
Published: March 2010

Humic substances are implicated as a kind of environmental goitrogen, and increased prevalence of goiter has been recently noticed in the blackfoot disease endemic area in the southwest of Taiwan, where well water is rich in humic substances. In this study we have investigated the effects of humic substances on hepatic 5′-monodeiodinase (5′-MD) in rats to gain knowledge of such effects on thyroid hormone metabolism. Aliquots of rat liver microsome (about 5 μg of protein) were preincubated in 0.1 M Tris buffer (pH 7.4) for 30 min with or without various concentrations (12.5-800 μg/ml) of humic acids, then incubated with thyroxine (T4, 2.5 μM; final volume 1 ml) and dithiothreitol (DTT, 5 or 25 mM) in the same buffer for 30 min. The 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3) generated during incubation was quantified by radioimmunoassay (RIA) of ethanol extracts of the incubation mixture. Humic acids caused a dose-dependent inhibition of hepatic T4 5′-monodeiodi-nation. The mean dose (± sd) that caused a 50% inhibition of 5′-MD activity was 58 ± 6 μg/ml (n = 8). The inhibition was not a result of the depletion of T4 during incubation of T4 with humic acids. Free radical scavengers — catalase (300 U/ml) and superoxide dismutase (100 U/ml) — had no effect on the inhibition of hepatic T4 5′-monodeiodination induced by humic acids. Our data suggest that humic acids influence thyroid hormone metabolism by inhibiting hepatic 5′-MD activity.
Molecular size exclusion by soil organic materials estimated from their swelling in organic solvents
Authors: Lyon William G. , Rhodes David E.
Published: March 2010

A published method previously developed to measure the swelling characteristics of powdered coal samples has been adapted for swelling measurements on various peat, pollen, chitin, and cellulose samples. The swelling of these macromolecular materials is the volumetric manifestation of absorption, that is, sorption by dissolution (or partitioning) of the sorbed liquids into cross linked macromolecular solid phases. Direct evidence for the existence of this additional category of sorbed materials has been obtained for soil organic materials by the present research, however, it seems to be limited by molecular size exclusion effects to fairly small molecules. Liquids with molar volumes greater than about 93 cm3 mol−1 appeared to be strongly excluded from sorption inside most cross linked soil organic materials studied in this work. Cellulose excluded liquids with molar volumes greater than about 88 cm3 mol−1
Biomonitoring environmental contamination with pipping black-crowned night heron embryos: Induction of cytochrome P450
Authors: Rattner Barnett A. , Melancon Mark J. , Custer Thomas W. , Hothem Roger L. , King Kirke A. , Lecaptain Leonard J. , Spann James W. , Woodin Bruce R. , Stegeman John J.
Published: March 2010

Cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities and cytochrome P450 proteins were measured in pipping black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) embryos collected from a reference site (next to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, VA) and three polluted sites (Cat Island, Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI; Bair Island, San Francisco Bay, CA; West Marin Island, San Francisco Bay, CA). In a laboratory study, artificially incubated night heron embryos from the reference site were treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (200 μg administered into the air cell 2 d before pipping) or phenobarbital (2 mg daily for 2 d before pipping). Compared to controls (untreated + vehicle-treated embryos), 3-methylcholanthrene induced a greater than fivefold increase in activities of several monooxygenases (arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase, AHH; benzyloxyresorufin-O-dealkylase, BROD; ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase, EROD; pentoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase, PROD) and a greater than 100-fold increase in the concentration of immunodetected cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A). Phenobarbital treatment resulted in only a slight increase in BROD activity but induced proteins recognized by antibodies to cytochrome P450 2B (CYP2B) by 2,000-fold. In a field study, activities of AHH, BROD, EROD, and ethoxycoumarin-O-dealkylase (ECOD) were up to 85-fold higher in pipping black-crowned night herons collected from Cat Island compared to other sites. Hepatic CYP1A and CYP2B cross-reactive proteins were detected in significantly more individuals from Cat Island than from the reference site. Greatest burdens of total PCBs and p,p′-DDE were detected in embryos from Cat Island. Cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities and cytochrome P450 proteins (AHH, BROD, EROD, ECOD, CYP1A, CYP2B) were significantly associated with total PCB burdens (r = 0.50-0.72). These data indicate that cytochrome P450 may be a useful biomarker of exposure to some PCB mixtures in black-crowned night heron embryos.
Assessment of published literature pertaining to the uptake/accumulation, translocation, adhesion and biotransformation of organic chemicals by vascular plants
Authors: Nellessen James E. , Fletcher John S.
Published: March 2010

Information in the UTAB data base was used to determine the general makeup of published data pertaining to how vascular plants influence organic chemicals in the environment. UTAB contains information on the uptake/accumulation, translocation, adhesion, and biotransformation of xenobiotic organic chemicals by vascular plants. The percentage distribution of data (records) in UTAB among four important fate processes was 58, 16, 7, and 19 for uptake/accumulation, translocation, adhesion, and biotransformation, respectively. The tabulated data show the 30 most frequently reported chemicals, the 30 plants most often studied, and the frequency of examining plants maintained under different experimental conditions (contaminated site, controlled environments, etc.). Sixty-five percent of the 1,047 chemicals in the data base are pesticides, and data (records) pertaining to these compounds account for 90% of the information in the data base. Crop species account for 33% of the plants and 77% of the data in UTAB. These summary values illustrate the imbalance of attention given to agrichemicals vs. industrial and municipal waste compounds, and emphasize the need for additional research addressing the influence of plants on environmental pollutants, with special attention given to industrial pollutants and native plants.
Biogeochemical processes affecting selenium cycling in wetlands
Authors: Masscheleyn Patrick H. , Patrick William H.
Published: March 2010

Important selenium data in the literature are discussed with reference to the biogeochem-ical processes affecting selenium cycling in wetlands. Selenium oxidation-reduction reactions are shown to be the most important biogeochemical processes controlling speciation, precipitation/dissolution, sorption/desorption, methylation, and volatilization of selenium. Furthermore, bioavailability and toxicity of selenium, with reference to wetland ecosystems, are summarized. Based on the information available in the literature, a conceptual model depicting selenium chemistry and behavior in wetlands is described.
Mercury cycling and effects in freshwater wetland ecosystems
Authors: Zillioux E.J. , Porcella D.B. , Benoit J.M.
Published: March 2010

This literature review borrows from diverse fields because of the paucity of freshwater wetland studies on mercury cycling and effects. Peat cores provide an excellent means of dating mercury deposition temporal patterns. Conclusions about cycling suggest that a biogeochemical model would prove useful for evaluating wetland processes of mercury transformation and accumulation. Mercury methylation and the association of mercury with organic matter require additional research. Wetlands trap and release mercury, and its association with organic matter seems to affect the release rate. At high exposure, usually associated with laboratory studies or waste discharges, a variety of biotic toxic responses are observed. Predator species accumulate mercury predictably, and residue-effect relationships seem useful for an index of ecologic damage. More definitive conclusions require additional research to define the ecosystem properties that affect mercury transfer to wetland predators.
Fate of atrazine in biologically active granular activated carbon
Authors: Selim Mustafa I. , Wang Jun
Published: March 2010

The fate of atrazine in biologically active laboratory-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) reactors was studied through analysis of atrazine and its breakdown products in the influent and effluent water of the GAC reactor and sand reactor. The biological activity in the GAC bed, influent, and effluent was monitored by measuring the heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria. The HPC reached equilibrium concentrations of 1.37 to 1.67 × 106 colony-forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml) after two to three weeks in the GAC effluents, and 7.65 × 103 cfu/ml after four to six weeks in the effluent of the sand reactor. A solution of natural ground water spiked with 200 μg/L atrazine was continuously applied to the biologically active reactors at a flow rate of 5 ml/min for 70 d. Composite weekly samples of the effluent were extracted and analyzed for atrazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine using GC. Hydroxyatrazine was analyzed by liquid chromatography. Deethylatrazine was consistently detected in the effluent of the sand reactor only, and hydroxyatrazine was detected in the effluent of one of the GAC reactors, before complete development of bacterial activity. The percentage of atrazine disappearance was 98.10 to 98.67% in the GAC reactors and 42.10% in the sand reactor. The results suggest the possibility of complete mineralization of atrazine at 200 μg/L in biologically active GAC, with significantly low exportation of toxic breakdown products to the effluent water.
Effects of water temperature on the toxicity of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol to developing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Howe George E. , Marking Leif L. , Bills Terry D. , Boogaard Michael A. , Mayer Foster L.
Published: March 2010

Early-life-stage (ELS) toxicity tests were conducted to determine the effect of selected water temperatures on the toxicity of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). NOECs were determined for growth and mortality at selected time intervals and water temperatures of 7, 12, and 17°C. As tests progressed, NOECs leveled to constant time-independent values that were similar for tests at each temperature. In 4-nitrophenol tests, the time-independent NOEC values at 7, 12, and 17°C, respectively, were 1.16, 1.20, and 1.16 mg/L for growth and 3.40, 3.38, and 2.20 mg/L for mortality. For 2,4-dinitrophenol, time-independent NOEC values at 7, 12, and 17°C, respectively, were 1.07, 0.50, and 0.80 mg/L for growth and 1.30, 1.89, and 1.60 mg/L for mortality. Temperature did, however, affect the rate at which time-independent NOECs were reached. More time was required to reach time-independent NOECs as temperature decreased. For example, the time-independent NOEC in 4-nitrophenol tests at 17°C was reached in 14 d, whereas it required 42 d at 7°C. The effect of temperature on toxicity must be considered in hazard assessment protocols to assess risk accurately and protect aquatic organisms adequately. Chronic toxicity tests are necessary to assess risk because acute toxicity tests cannot provide the information necessary to predict the long-term effects of factors such as temperature in natural environments.
Occurrence of non-ortho-, mono-ortho- and di-ortho-substituted PCB congeners in different organs and tissues of polecats (Mustela putorius L.) from the Netherlands
Authors: Leonards Pim E.G. , van Hattum Bert , Cofino Wim P. , Th. Brinkman Udo A.
Published: March 2010

The presence and concentrations of non-ortho-, mono-ortho-, and di-ortho-substituted PCB congeners in the polecat (n = 7), a member of the mustelid family, were investigated. PCBs were extracted with a Soxhlet apparatus. After cleanup the non-ortho-substituted PCB congeners were separated from the other PCBs by HPLC. Determinations were accomplished with GC-ECD or GC-MSD. Patterns of PCBs were examined in different organs and tissues: liver, kidney, muscle, anal gland secretion, mesenteric fat, and subcutaneous fat. Using a multivariate statistical method for data analysis (SIMCA), a significant difference of PCB patterns between anal gland secretion and the other organs and tissues was revealed. Lesser concentrations of congeners with seven and eight chlorine atoms in anal gland secretion were mainly responsible for this phenomenon. A more or less organ- and tissue-specific PCB pattern was observed in all animals. PCB patterns were not dependent on prey choice, which ranged from terrestrial (small rodents) to aquatic (amphibians). This finding implies that PCB patterns in the polecat seem to be controlled by metabolic processes rather than diet factors. The total concentration of PCBs (sum of 29 congeners) in polecats varies widely, two orders of magnitude, from 1 to 370 μg/g lipid. In some animals, PCBs exceeded the experimentally determined reproduction effect concentrations of mink and ferrets. Using the toxic equivalent approach, it was observed that planar PCB 126 accounts for 63 to 98% of the toxic equivalents. The results showed that juvenile animals contain greater PCB levels than adult males and females, which might be related to an increased elimination of PCBs in adult animals due to anal gland secretion. High concentrations of PCBs were observed in such secretion. A preliminary model for concentrations of PCBs in polecats including this effect is proposed.
Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. Israelensis on nontarget benthic organisms in a lentic habitat and factors affecting the efficacy of the larvicide
Authors: Charbonneau Colette S. , Drobney Ronald D. , Rabeni Charles F.
Published: March 2010

Field and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Vectobac-G®) on waterfowl macroinvertebrate food resources at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, Minnesota. Laboratory toxicity tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of environmental variables (e.g., temperature and depth). The EC50 was 0.20 ppm for Chironomus riparius. Field studies evaluated the effects of three applications at 5.6 kg/ha on ben-thic communities during the spring and summer of 1989, and three experiments with one application of 5.6 kg/ha and 28.1 kg/ha during the spring and summer of 1990. Benthic invertebrates were sampled before each application of Vectobac-G and at 48 h after application. There was no reduction of the major taxa found in the ponds that could be accounted for by the treatments. However, results from laboratory toxicity tests conducted with field-collected Chironomidae indicated that these organisms were affected at 5.6 and 28.1 kg/ha. Further toxicity tests using Chironomus riparius determined that various environmental variables influenced the efficacy of Vectobac-G, including temperature, larval instar, water depth, and water surface area coverage by macrophytes. This study indicates that chironomids (a major waterfowl food source) are adversely affected by Vectobac-G under a controlled laboratory situation; however, environmental factors reduce the efficacy of the larvicide in the field.
Environmental effects on wetlands of queletox® applied to ploceid roosts in Kenya
Authors: Keith James O. , Bruggers Richard L. , Kimball Bruce A. , Ngondi John G. , Elliott Clive C.H.
Published: March 2010

Queletox® (Fenthion) is widely used in Africa to kill birds that eat cereal crops. Applications of Queletox have been reported to kill nontarget animals and contaminate areas used by livestock and humans. In 1988, we evaluated Queletox treatments to wetland roosts at the Njoro dam (2.88 kg/ha) and Gicheha farm (12.0 kg/ha) near Nakuru, Kenya. Fenthion deposits measured in the roosts ranged up to 1,100 g/ha, but were >1 0 g/ha at distances of 100 m or more from roosts. Following applications, 61 birds of 14 species at the Njoro dam and 22 birds of eight species at the Gicheha farm were found dead or severely debilitated. However, the general abundance of waterfowl, wading birds, plovers, doves, and passerines seemed unaffected. Residues in crop contents of 11 dead birds ranged up to 11.0 ppm, substantiating death from fenthion. Fenthion residues (2.2-750 μg) recovered from skin and feathers of 36 dead birds were sufficient to have been hazardous to predators and scavengers. Neither amphibians nor fishes were affected by treatments. At the Njoro dam, scarabids, dytiscids, and notonec-tids were killed, and their numbers decreased; many insects also were killed at the Gicheha farm. The abundance of these groups, however, had increased within 6 d post-treatment. Fenthion residues of 1.8 to 17 ppb were found in positive water samples for up to 5 d post-treatment. All sampled vegetation had temporarily hazardous residues; levels ranged up to 83 ppm on grasses but had decreased to <1.0 after 3 d.
Structural responses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities from different stream orders to zinc
Authors: Kiffney Peter M. , Clements William H.
Published: March 2010

It is well established that benthic invertebrate community structure and function shift in a predictable fashion along longitudinal stream gradients as a result of variation in environmental conditions. Our research is concerned with experimentally testing whether this shift in community structure influences the response of benthic macroinvertebrates to heavy metals. Using artificial streams, we compared effects of Zn on natural assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrate communities collected from Little Beaver Creek (LBC; a third-order stream) and the Big South Fork of the Cache la Poudre River (SFP; a fourth-order stream) of the Cache la Poudre, Colorado, catchment. Organisms collected from LBC and SFP were exposed to 0 or 130μg/L Zn in indoor experimental streams for 7 d. In general, similar taxa were found at both sites, but densities were generally higher at SFP than at LBC. We observed significant effects at the community and population level as a result of Zn, stream order, and the interaction between Zn and stream order. Specifically, mayflies from both sites were sensitive to Zn, but the magnitude of the response varied between sites. Our results indicate that benthic macroinvertebrate communities from different stream orders may vary in sensitivity to Zn.
Effect of fluctuating low-level chlorine concentrations on valve-movement behavior of the asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea)
Authors: Ham Kenneth D. , Peterson Mark J.
Published: March 2010

Asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea) exposed to water from the upstream section of East Fork Poplar Creek (Oak Ridge, TN), a stream receiving chlorine-containing industrial discharges, were monitored for changes in valve movement patterns. Individual clams were attached to an automated valve-movement monitoring apparatus and suspended in flow-through tanks located streamside. Valve-closure behavior of two clams exposed to untreated water was compared to that of two clams exposed to dechlorinated water for two 18-d periods. Chlorine concentrations in untreated water exhibited a pronounced diurnal cycle, fluctuating between a mean daily minimum of 0.02 mg/L total residual chlorine (TRC) during the day and a mean daily maximum of 0.07 mg/L TRC at night during the second monitoring period. In over 2,300 fifteen-minute intervals, clams closed for 0.70 of the intervals while exposed to untreated water, but closed for only 0.22 of the intervals while exposed to dechlorinated water. Treatment differences in valve closure were tested by repeated-measures ANOVA. A significant treatment effect (p = 0.026) on valve closure was found in the first monitoring period. Graphical analysis of valve-closure records revealed die! cycles that differed between treatments. Clams in untreated water usually opened only near midday, when TRC concentrations were lowest. Clams in dechlorinated water opened more often, for longer periods, and appeared to respond to dawn and dusk changes in light. The valve-closure behavior of clams in untreated water effectively minimized tissue exposure to waterborne TRC, presumably reducing toxic effects. Valve-closure monitoring in conjunction with other studies may help estimate the effect of tissue isolation on the toxicity or bioaccumulation of waterborne chemicals. Such estimates could improve prediction of toxicological or ecological consequences of stressful conditions on bivalves.
Differential accumulation of heavy metals by web spiders and ground spiders in an old-field
Authors: Larsen Kirk J. , Brewer Susan R. , Taylor Douglas H.
Published: March 2010

Accumulation of the heavy metals Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by web spiders (orb weavers: Araneidae) and ground spiders (wolf spiders: Lycosidae) was examined in an old-field that had been subjected to 11 years of nutrient enrichment. The study area consisted of six 0.1-ha plots treated from 1978 to 1988 with municipal sewage sludge (Milorganite®) containing heavy-metal contaminants, urea-phosphate fertilizer, or left as untreated controls. In 1991 and 1992, heavy-metal concentrations in the soil, ground spiders, and web spiders were measured with a flame AA spectrophotometer. Spiders accumulated Cd, Cu, and Zn to concentrations greater than those present in the soil but did not accumulate Pb. Ground spiders contained significantly higher levels of Cd and Cu than web spiders (p < 0.05), whereas web spiders contained slightly greater levels of Pb than ground spiders. No trend between spider guilds was apparent for Zn accumulation. To understand the impact of the application of metal-contaminated municipal sludge on ecosystems, the toxicological effects on the biology and behavior of major biotic components (such as spiders) in terrestrial food webs must be known.
The effects of diflubenzuron (Dimilin®) on selected mayflies (heptageniidae) and stoneflies (peltoperlidae and pteronarcyidae)
Authors: Harrahy Elisabeth A. , Perry Sue A. , Wimmer Mary J. , Perry William B.
Published: March 2010

Two types of laboratory toxicity tests (exposure in water and feeding) were conducted to determine the effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) on nontarget aquatic insects. The mayflies Cynygmula subaequalis, Stenacron interpunctatum, Stenonema meririvulanum, and Stenonema femoratum (Heptageniidae) and the stonefly Peltoperla arcuata (Peltoperlidae) were exposed to DFB in water for 96 h, then transferred to pesticide-free water and observed for 36 d. The mayflies were exposed to 0, 0.6, 5.6, 55.7, or 557.2 ppb and the stoneflies to 0, 1.0, 10.2, 101.5, or 1,015 ppb DFB in water. The mayflies were found to be sensitive to DFB in water at concentrations as low as 0.6 ppb. The stonefly was less sensitive to DFB in water. In our feeding studies, Peltoperla arcuata and Pteronarcys proteus (Pteronarcyidae) were fed DFB-treated yellow poplar leaves for 24 d, then observed for 60 and 90 d, respectively. Survival of treated Peltoperla was significantly different from the controls at day 60. Survival of treated Pteronarcys was not significantly different from the controls during the 90-d test period, although the low number of molts that occurred during that time may have influenced these results. Future studies should use early life stages that coincide with leaf fall, when treated leaves would be introduced to headwater streams. The life histories of many aquatic insects are timed to make maximum use of leaf detritus as a food base. Introduction of DFB-treated leaves to headwater streams may adversely affect these organisms.
A short-exposure, sublethal, sediment toxicity test using the marine bivalve Mulinia lateralis: Statistical design and comparative sensitivity
Authors: Burgess Robert M. , Morrison George E.
Published: March 2010

Over the last 10 years a great deal of research effort has concentrated on determining the effects of contaminated sediments on aquatic organisms. For marine systems, this effort has emphasized acute sediment toxicity tests using amphipods, although a variety of other end points and species have been used. Another candidate species for marine, solid-phase, sublethal sediment toxicity testing is the bivalve Mulinia lateralis. Useful attributes of this euryhaline bivalve include a wide geographic distribution (along the North American Atlantic coast from Prince Edward Island to the Gulf of Mexico), easy lab culture, and amenability to toxicity testing applications (end points are mortality and growth [milligrams per organism dry weight]). Detailed in this paper are organism selection and culture, establishment of statistical design, and an estimate of organism mortality and sublethal response variability. Results of Mulinia lateralis toxicity tests with 65 contaminated sediments from eight sites are reported, as well as results of comparative toxicity tests using two amphipod species, Ampelisca abdita and Eohaustorius estu-arius. Analysis of statistical power indicates treatment weight and survival responses that are 25% different from the site control responses can be detected with a probability of 95%. Results of comparative toxicity tests illustrate that although Mulinia lateralis and amphipod acute end points are relatively similar in sensitivity, utilization of the Mulinia lateralis sublethal growth end point greatly increases test sensitivity. This paper describes a new marine sediment toxicity test that complements the existing suite of marine sediment toxicity assessment techniques.
Aluminum bioavailability to the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa in acidified synthetic soft water
Authors: Parent Lise , Campbell Peter G.C.
Published: March 2010

A unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, was exposed to inorganic Al under controlled experimental conditions to determine whether the biological response elicited by the dissolved metal could be predicted from the free-metal ion concentration, [Al3+]. The experimental approach involved concurrent measurement of both Al speciation and Al bioavailability (bioaccumulation/growth inhibition) in buffered synthetic solutions of defined composition. The bioassay exposure media, containing neither phosphate nor trace metals, covered the pH range 4.3 to 6. For systems at a given pH, containing only inorganic monomeric Al, aluminum bioavailability varies predictably as a function of the free Al3+ concentration. However, the effect of Al3+ on algal growth is highly pH dependent; [Al3+] needed to inhibit growth by 30% (EC30) increases markedly from 3 μg L−1 (0.1 μM) to 50 μg L−1 (1.8 μM) as the pH is decreased from 6 to 5. This decreased toxicity of Al at low pH is partly explained by an effective competition between the H+ ion and Al3+ for binding sites at the algal surface; the effects of acidification at the biological surface are much more important than are its effects on Al speciation in solution. For systems containing both monomeric and polynuclear Al (the AlO4Al12(OH) 7+24 polycation), polymeric aluminum also contributes to aluminum toxicity.
Chronic effects of the Exxon valdez oil spill on blood and enzyme chemistry of river otters
Authors: Duffy Lawrence K. , Bowyer R. Terry , Testa J. Ward , Faro James B.
Published: March 2010

River otters (Lutra canadensis) living in marine environments of Prince William Sound, Alaska, and exposed to crude oil from the Exxon Valdez spill in March 1989 showed elevated levels of blood haptoglobins, and interleukin-6 ir, as well as elevated activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and creatine kinase in summer 1991 Stepwise logistic regression, using a subset of these and other blood proteins and enzyme activities as potential independent variables, correctly classified 86 4% of 22 otters as inhabiting oiled or nonoiled areas River otters abandoned latrine sites (an index to their abundance) over three times more often in oiled than in nonoiled areas, suggesting there may have been a delayed response in river otter populations to exposure to crude oil Ours is the first clear model for the long-term effects of an oil spill on blood parameters of a free-rangmg mammal using a nonlethal methodology These effects occurred two years after the spill and following a major effort to clean oil from the shorelines of Prince William Sound
Multivariate characterization and modeling of the chemical reactivity of epoxides
Authors: Eriksson Lennart , Verhaar Henk J. M. , Hermens Joop L. M.
Published: March 2010

The chemical reactivity of epoxides is an important determinant for their toxic effects. The issue of modeling the chemical reactivity toward the nucleophile 4-nitrobenzylpyridine (NBP) of a series of 15 epoxides is addressed. For this purpose a multivariate characterization of their chemical and structural properties is carried out using quantum chemical molecular orbital calculations. By means of partial least-squares projections to latent structures (PLS), a set of nine theoretical descriptors is found to be sufficiently informative for modeling the reactivity with NBP. Two calculated quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs) are also shown to exhibit sound predictive capabilities.
House sparrow preferential consumption of carriers used for pesticide granules
Authors: Best Louis B. , Gionfriddo James P.
Published: March 2010

House sparrows were given pairwise choices between silica granules and five other carrier types heat treated clay, bentomte clay, gypsum, corncob, and cellulose complex The carriers differed in size, shape/surface texture, and color, as well as in composition An outdoor aviary equipped with a video recording system was used to document bird visits to, and pecks within, a tray setup containing the granules The house sparrows strongly preferred the silica granules (≥69% of the trips and >92% of the pecks) over the alternative choice in all experiments Of the five alternative granule carriers tested, the birds were most inclined to consume those made of clay and least likely to pick up those of corncob and especially, gypsum The physical characteristics of granular pesticide carriers influence their attractiveness to birds and should be considered in risk assessments of these products
Energy acquisition and allocation in Peromyscus maniculatus exposed to aldicarb and cool temperatures
Authors: French John B. , Porter Warren P.
Published: March 2010

We hypothesized an energetic effect of the pesticide Aldicarb (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) through its action on gut innervation, and hence digestive efficiency, and tested this in deer mice (Peromyscus mamculatus Rafinesque) exposed to both the pesticide and cold temperature. Growing deer mice were exposed to Aldicarb in their drinking water at concentrations of 0, 10, and 10,000 ppb and housed at 11 and 23°C. There were no changes due to Aldicarb in several measures of physiological energetics, including energy intake (food consumption, digestive efficiency, gut size) or in the allocation of energy to growth or activity. Two of eight measures of gut size (length and weight of the large intestine) increased significantly with exposure to Aldicarb at the high concentration. Also, there was significant interaction effect of exposure to Aldicarb and cool temperatures on the ratio of mucosal to serosal mass in the small intestine, such that mucosal mass increased when mice were exposed to low doses of Aldicarb at low temperatures but not under other conditions. Although increased absorptive area of the gut (i.e., size or mucosal mass) can be a compensatory response to energy shortfalls, there was no indication of that cause in Aldicarb-exposed mice. Cold-temperature treatment did increase energy costs, however, and both food consumption and gut size increased in mice housed at 11°C, so that digestive efficiency and allocation to growth and activity were no different from those of mice housed at warmer temperatures. Thus, Aldicarb is unlikely to produce any chronic effects on these mice in the wild through disruption of digestion or other causes of energetic shortfall.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibition in federally endangered colorado squawfish exposed to carbaryl and malathion
Authors: Beyers Daniel W. , Sikoski Peter J.
Published: March 2010

Toxicity of technical carbaryl and malathion to endangered Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) was estimated by 24-h in vivo brain acetylcholinesterase-inhibition tests. Effect concentrations were estimated by ANOVA and an alternative procedure utilizing a linear-plateau regression model. NOECs were 29.3 μg/L carbaryl and 371 μg/L malathion. Threshold concentrations estimated by linear-plateau regression were 7.40 μg/L carbaryl and 150 μg/L malathion. NOECs showed that carbaryl was approximately 13 times more toxic than malathion. Relative potency of the two toxicants was confirmed by linear-plateau regression analysis: Threshold estimates showed that carbaryl was approximately 20 times more toxic than malathion. NOECs for acetylcholinesterase inhibition were 15 times lower for carbaryl, and four times lower for malathion, than NOECs estimated from growth and survival in 32-d early-life-stage tests. The difference between effect concentrations estimated by the two methods was attributed to development of tolerance in 32-d early-life-stage tests and greater sensitivity of biochemical processes compared to whole-organism responses.
Resource and environmental profile analysis of children's diaper systems
Authors: Sauer Beverly J. , Hildebrandt Carol C. , Franklin William E. , Hunt Robert G.
Published: March 2010

Life-cycle assessment is increasingly being recognized as an important tool for determining the environmental impacts of products and packaging. A complete life-cycle assessment consists of three components: life-cycle inventory, impact assessment, and improvement assessment. The impact assessment methodology is still relatively undeveloped and controversial; however, the life-cycle inventory methodology is well established. Life-cycle inventory provides useful information on the quantities of energy and resources consumed and environmental releases associated with product and packaging systems. This article illustrates the types of useful information that are obtained from a life-cycle inventory and shows how the information can be analyzed and used to target areas for improving products in terms of reducing energy usage, resource usage, and environmental releases.
Genotoxic and developmental effects in sea urchins are sensitive indicators of effects of genotoxic chemicals
Authors: Anderson Susanc L. , Hose Jo Ellen , Knezovich John P.
Published: March 2010

Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) gametes and embryos were exposed to three known mutagenic chemicals (phenol, benzidine, and pentachlorophenol) over concentration ranges bracketing the effect levels for fertilization success Normal development and cytogenetic effects (anaphase aberrations) were assessed after the cultures were allowed to develop for 48 h Using radiolabeled chemicals, we also characterized concentrations in the test water as well as doses in the embryos following 2 and 48 h exposures We observed dose responses for all chemicals and all responses, except for phenol, which showed no significant effect on development Fertilization success was never the most sensitive end point Anaphase aberrations were the most sensitive response for phenol, with an LOEC of 2 5 mg/L exposure concentration Anaphase aberrations and development were equivalent in sensitivity for benzidine within the tested dose range, and an LOEC of <0 1 mg/L was observed Development was the most sensitive response for pentachlorophenol (LOEC 1 mg/L) The LOEC values for this study were generally lower than comparable data for aquatic life or human health protection We conclude that genotoxicity and development evaluations should be included in environmental management applications and that tests developed primarily for human health protection do not reliably predict the effects of toxic substances on aquatic life
Toxic effects of pollutants on the mineralization of 4-chlorophenol and benzoate in methanogenic river sediment
Authors: van Beelen P. , van Vlaardingen P.
Published: March 2010

The toxic effects of pollutants on the mineralization of 2 μg/L [U-14C]-4-chlorophenol and benzoate were studied in microcosms with methanogenic sediment from a little harbor in the Rhine River In contrast with studies using a high sub-strate concentration, no lag time was observed and the half-lives for 4-chlorophenol and benzoate were 1.6 and 0.55 h, respectively The effect of increasing additions of benzene, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, pentachlorophenol, and zinc on each mineralization reaction was measured. Toxicity data were fitted with a logistic dose-effect curve. The IC10 is defined as the concentration of a toxicant inhibiting the mineralization rate for 10% The IC10 concentrations of benzene, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, pentachlorophenol, and zinc on the benzoate mineralization were 150, 0 04, 71, 6, and 842 mg/kg sediment dry weight, respectively. This latter value includes the background concentration of 800 mg Zn/kg sediment The mineralization of 4-chlorophenol and benzoate showed similarities in the sensitivity to these toxicants. 4-Chlorophenol can be degraded via benzoate, which might explain the similarities in sensitivity of both mineralization reactions. Chloroform proved to be extremely toxic to anaerobic mineralization reactions, which might be attributed to the formation of very toxic and reactive intermediates formed during the slow anaerobic degradation of the chloroform in anaerobic sediments Sediment quality criteria derived solely from standard toxicity tests using aerobic organisms may lead to complete inhibition of several important microbial processes in anaerobic sediments
Chlorinated diphenyl ethers in great lakes fish and their environmental implication
Authors: Niimi A.J. , Huestis S.Y. , Metcalfe C.D.
Published: March 2010

Tetra- to decachlorodiphenyl ether (CDPE) concentrations were measured in lake trout and walleye, fish that represent the higher trophic levels in the North American Great Lakes GC MS analyses indicated the mean total CDPE concentrations were 4, 16, 57, and 126 μg/kg in whole fish from Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, respectively The number of known and unidentified congeners detected above the 0 4 μg/kg detection limit ranged from six to 24 congeners among the lakes, and this number increased with the total concentration of CDPEs The Cl6 homologue represented 46 to 61% of total CDPEs in Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and the Cl5, Cl6, and Cl7 homologues represented 78 to 93% of total CDPE concentrations About 83 to 91% of total CDPEs detected in these samples were identified from analytical standards Rank correlation analyses indicated no significant differences among the relative concentration patterns of congeners in Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron fish A similar congener pattern was not shown in Lake Superior fish because of relatively higher contributions from unidentified Cl8 and Cl9-DPEs
Metabolism and acute toxicity of methyl parathion in pen-reared and wild northern bobwhites
Authors: Buerger Theodore T. , Mortensen Spencer R. , Kendall Ronald J. , Hooper Michael J.
Published: March 2010

Pesticide registration guidelines in the United States accept pen-reared northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) for acute toxicity testing and consider them representative of wild terrestrial birds. It is not known how well the various pen-reared bobwhite strains represent their wild counterpart. The metabolic activation, cholinesterase sensitivity, and toxicity of the or-ganophosphorus insecticide methyl parathion were compared in pen-reared and wild bobwhites. Phosphorothioate insecticides such as methyl parathion are activated to their anticholinesterase oxygen analogues (oxons) by microsomal monooxygenases. Methyl paraoxon 150 values for whole-brain cholinesterase were similar (P > 0.05) for pen-reared and wild bobwhites (60.0-65.1 nM). Activation of methyl parathion to methyl paraoxon by liver microsomes was measured indirectly by inhibition of brain cholinesterase. Microsomal specific activities were similar (P > 0.05) for male and female pen-reared and wild birds (1.15-1.54 nmol min−1 mg protein−1). There were no differences (P> 0.05) in LD50 values between pen-reared (9.84 mg/kg) and wild (10.22 mg/kg) bobwhites. Brain cholinesterase was depressed 70 to 85% in nonsurvivors and 23 to 35% in survivors. Results suggest that pen-reared bobwhites are representative of wild bobwhites. However, comparisons with our previous field research demonstrate that sublethal effects seen in the lab can become lethal under natural conditions. Extrapolations from lab to field must be made cautiously.
Polymerase chain reaction as a tool for developing stress protein probes
Authors: Cochrane Bruce J. , Mattley Yvette D. , Snell Terry W.
Published: March 2010

Because of the high degree of evolutionary conservation of stress proteins, potential exists for the development of nucleic acid probes from particular species that could be used to monitor stress related changes in mRNA abundance The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a powerful tool that can be applied to the generation of these probes, provided that primer sequences can be identified that specifically amplify sequences of interest from a wide variety of organisms We identified such sequences from multiple alignments of published chaperomn and stress-70 sequences, and tested their ability to amplify appro priately sized fragments from genomic DNA from a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates Although no primer pair could be used successfully with all species, we were able to derive specific products from most species by testing different pairs One primer pair for chaperomn proved particularly useful Products were obtained from all tested species, and with a single exception (human), these primers appeared to amplify a single copy sequence We determined the nucleotide sequence of the product obtained from the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and determined by phylogenetic analysis of the inferred protein product that the product obtained is most likely derived from a rotifer DNA template Finally, we show that this product can be used to detect changes in abundance of homologous mRNA in heat stressed rotifers We suggest that this approach may prove useful not only in the context of development of hybridization probes for stress proteins, but also for designing peptides to be used for generation of specific antibodies, as well as for obtaining probes for other stress regulated genes that are less conserved than the classical stress proteins
Sampling the hudson river estuary for pcbs using multiplate artificial substrate samplers and congener-specific gas chromatography in 1991
Authors: Bush Brian , Wood Lindsay , Madrigal E. Cheryl , Dzurica Susan
Published: March 2010

During the summer of 1991, multiplate artificial substrate samplers were deployed at five locations in the Hudson River from Troy to Poughkeepsie, New York The sedimentary material that collected on these plates was fractionated and analyzed using a congener specific method for PCB content The results were compared intrasite, intersite, and across time We found no difference between the PCB congener distribution patterns in the coarse and fine fractions, as determined by linear regression We also found little evidence of intersite differentiation – we found no discernible difference in PCB congener distribution, but we did find a difference in magnitude The 1991 results were then compared to the results from a previous study conducted from 1977 to 1985 We found that over the studied 120 km stretch of the river there has been a 3 7 ± 1 2% per annum decline in PCB multiplate residue since 1983
Toxicity and irreversible binding of two DDT metabolites —3-methylsulfonyl-DDE and o,p'-DDD-in adrenal interrenal cells in birds
Authors: Jonsson C.-J. , Lund B.O. , Brunstrom B. , Brand I.
Published: March 2010

The toxicity and the metabolism dependent irreversible binding of the lipophilic DDT metabolites 3-methylsulfonyl DDE (MeSO2 DDE) and o,p DDD in the adrenal gland of the chicken were examined As determined by histopathology, vacuolar degeneration and pycnosis of adrenal interrenal cells occurred 4 d after injection of a single dose of either compound (0 25 mmol/kg, 80–100 mg/kg body weight) to 6-d old chicken In addition, o,p DDD, but not MeSO2 DDE, induced fatty degeneration of the liver According to autoradiography, irreversibly bound radioactivity was present in the interrenal cells after injection of the 14C-labeled compounds into the air sacs of eggs Both DDT metabolites were also irreversibly bound to protein after incubation with adrenal 300 g supernatant in vitro, with apparent Km values of 2 0 and 8 3 μM for MeSO2 DDE and o,p DDD, respectively The irreversible binding in vitro was inhibited by metyrapone, SKF 525A, and carbon monoxide, suggest ing a cytochrome P450-dependent metabolic activation to reactive intermediates Addition of glutathione to the incubations reduced the irreversible binding of MeSO2-[14C]DDE significantly, whereas the irreversible binding of o,p [14C]DDD remained un changed The results indicate that MeSO2-DDE and o,p DDD are adrenocorticolytic following an adrenal P450-dependent met abolic activation in the chicken Experiments with embryonated eggs from common eider and domestic duck demonstrated that MeSO2 DDE and o,p DDD are also metabolically activated and irreversibly bound to adrenal tissue in embryos of these species