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Exposure Routes (exposure + route)
Selected AbstractsDynamics of metal subcellular distribution and its relationship with metal uptake in marine musselsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2005Tania Y-T. Abstract We examined the dynamics of subcellular distribution of metals (Cd, Ag, and Zn) in the marine green mussel Perna viridis by partitioning the metals into the insoluble fraction (IF), heat-sensitive proteins (HSP), and metallothionein-like proteins (MTLP) during metal uptake and elimination. Variations in metal uptake and elimination then were correlated with the subcellular distributions of these metals. The IF and HSP were the first ligands to bind with the metals during the dissolved exposure, and more metals were found in the HSP when the metal influx rate was higher. However, to minimize toxicity, metals were redistributed from HSP to MTLP afterwards. The subcellular distribution of metals was dependent of the exposure route in the mussels. During dietary metal exposure, the metals attained equilibrium before they were assimilated and the metal assimilation efficiency was independent of the metal partitioning in different subcellular fractions. During the efflux, metals in the soluble fraction mediated depuration, whereas metals in the insoluble fraction acted as a final storage pool. Redistribution also may occur between the metal-sensitive and inactive pools without significant depuration as a secondary protective mechanism. We further demonstrated that the higher efflux rate of Ag and Cd was related to a higher partitioning in the MTLP and a lower partitioning in the IF. Our study shows that subcellular pools other than MTLP were involved in immediate metal handling in the bivalves. The wide dynamics of subcellular metal distribution suggests that the relevance of individual subcellular fractions is dependent on the exposure pathway. [source] Soil and plant diet exposure routes and toxicokinetics of lindane in a terrestrial isopodENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 10 2000José Paulo Sousa Abstract In most studies dealing with effects of toxic substances in saprotrophic isopods, animals are exposed to the test substance through contaminated food. Because these animals can be in a close contact with the soil surface, the substrate, as an exposure pathway, should not be neglected. Here the authors analyze the toxicokinetic behavior of lindane (,-hexachlorocyclohexane [,-HCH]) in the isopod species Porcellionides pruinosus, comparing two exposure routes: food and two soil types (artificial Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] soil and a natural agricultural soil). In the feeding experiment, a strong decrease of ,-HCH concentration over time was observed on the food material, with the animals showing a broader range in chemical assimilation efficiency values (averaging 17.7% and ranging from 10 to 40%). The ,-HCH bioaccumulation results indicate that when animals incubated under both soil types reached a steady state, they displayed much higher body burdens (1,359.60 pg/animal on OECD soil and 1,085.30 pg/animal on natural soil) than those exposed to contaminated food (43.75 pg/animal). Kinetic models also revealed much lower assimilation and elimination rates in the food experiment (20.66 pg/d and 0.10 pg/d) than in both soil experiments (238.60 pg/d and 350.54 pg/d for the assimilation rate and 0.19 pg/d and 0.32 pg/d for the elimination rate). Differences in results between exposure routes are discussed according to equilibrium-partitioning theory and the enhanced relevance of the substrate exposure route is analyzed under future prospects on chemical toxicity testing using isopods. [source] Transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in soil in the presence of the earthworm Eisenia andrei,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2000Agnès Y. Renoux Abstract The ability of the earthworm Eisenia andrei to metabolize 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied in experiments with TNT-spiked soils, dermal contact tests, and with an in vitro assay. Lethality of TNT in a forest sandy soil was first determined (14-d LC50 = 143 mg/kg). Then TNT at lethal and sublethal concentrations was applied to the same soil and was monitored along with its metabolites in extracts of soil and earthworm tissue for up to 14 d postapplication. High performance liquid chromatography-ultra violet analyses indicated that TNT was transformed in the presence of E. andrei by a reductive pathway to 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT), 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DANT), and traces of 2,6-di-amino-4-nitrotoluene (2,6-DANT) in earthworm tissues. This transformation could be explained by either a metabolic mechanism within the earthworm or by the enhancement of an earthworm-associated microbial activity or both. The TNT concentrations decreased from the spiked soils. However, the monoamino-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT and 4-ADNT) concentrations increased with exposure duration and were dependent on the initial TNT soil concentrations. This was also observed to a lesser extent in the TNT-spiked soils with no earthworms present. The biotransformation of TNT into 2-ADNT, 4-ADNT, and 2,4-DANT and the presence of these metabolites in E. andrei after dermal contact on TNT-spiked filter paper showed that dermal uptake can be a significant exposure route for TNT. In vitro experiments showed that earthworm homogenate could metabolize TNT and form 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT at room temperature and at 37°C. This effect was inhibited by heat inactivation prior to incubation or by incubation at 4°C, suggesting that the biotransformation of TNT in the presence of E. andrei may be enzymatic in nature. [source] Feeding responses of carabid beetles to dimethoate-contaminated preyAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Alice L. Mauchline Abstract 1,The feeding responses of Pterostichus madidus Fab., P. melanarius Illiger and Nebria brevicollis Fab. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to dimethoate-contaminated prey were investigated in ,no-choice' and ,choice' feeding tests. 2,In the no-choice tests, starved beetles were presented with aphid prey treated with four concentrations of dimethoate. In the choice tests, treated and untreated prey were presented together and the feeding preferences of the starved beetles observed. 3,No avoidance or rejection behaviour was seen in any of the carabids in either of the tests, i.e. no discrimination of the treated and untreated prey was observed. 4,Sufficient dimethoate was consumed with the aphid prey to cause significant mortality levels in the carabids. 5,The concentrations of dimethoate used in these experiments are comparable to field exposure, so carabids feeding in treated fields and field margins could potentially suffer lethal effects via the indirect exposure route of consuming contaminated prey. [source] Prediction of agrochemical residue data on fruit using an informatic system (PARDIS model)PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 10 2008Maura Calliera Abstract A ,step-by-step' method was used to develop a simplified procedure for calculating pesticide residue levels on fruit at harvest by considering the application of the compound and the relevant routes of loss. The model is applicable to cases where the most important exposure route is by direct spray to the canopy of the crop and where uptake into the plant by the roots can be disregarded. The exposure dose is calculated by considering the proportion of total crop cover represented by the fruits. The loss processes considered are photodegradation, uptake, volatilization and washoff. The outputs of the model were compared with measured residues of pesticides on pear. Analysis of the model fit demonstrates that the model predicted the measured data with a good level of accuracy for four of seven investigated pesticides. The predicted/observed quotients are close to 1, as is the modelling efficiency, and there are no great differences between the predicted and observed values. Taking into account the extreme simplicity of the model and the complexity of the environmental processes considered, these results encourage further research into the modelling of residue behaviour in food commodities. The objectives of this work were to produce a tool to predict pesticide residues in products of plant origin, to complement monitoring of pesticide levels and to be useful in evaluating the effect of government policies on food safety. All predicted values were below the maximum levels fixed for pesticide residues in pear, as amended in Council Directives 86/362/EEC and 90/642/EEC. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Developmental toxicity of indium: Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity in experimental animalsCONGENITAL ANOMALIES, Issue 4 2008Mikio Nakajima ABSTRACT Indium, a precious metal classified in group 13 (IIIB) in the periodic table, has been used increasingly in the semiconductor industry. Because indium is a rare metal, technology for indium recycling from transparent conducting films for liquid crystal displays is desired, and its safety evaluation is becoming increasingly necessary. The developmental toxicity of indium in experimental animals was summarized. The intravenous or oral administration of indium to pregnant animals causes growth inhibition and the death of embryos in hamsters, rats, and mice. The intravenous administration of indium to pregnant animals causes embryonic or fetal malformation, mainly involving digit and tail deformities, in hamsters and rats. The oral administration of indium also induces fetal malformation in rats and rabbits, but requires higher doses. No teratogenicity has been observed in mice. Caudal hypoplasia, probably due to excessive cell loss by increased apoptosis in the tailbud, in the early postimplantation stage was considered to account for indium-induced tail malformation as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. Findings from in vitro experiments indicated that the embryotoxicity of indium could have direct effects on the conceptuses. Toxicokinetic studies showed that the embryonic exposure concentration was more critical than the exposure time regarding the embryotoxicity of indium. It is considered from these findings that the risk of the developmental toxicity of indium in humans is low, unless an accidentally high level of exposure or unknown toxic interaction occurs because of possible human exposure routes and levels (i.e. oral, very low-level exposure). [source] Kinetic uptake of bioavailable cadmium, selenium, and zinc by Daphnia magnaENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2002Ri-Qing Yu Abstract Kinetic uptake of Cd, Se(IV), and Zn by Daphnia magna from the dissolved phase was determined using radiotracer techniques in moderately hard water. The metal influx rate and distribution in the soft tissue and the exoskeleton of the daphnids as influenced by metal concentration, inorganic ligands including pH, Ca2+ and SO42,, and body size were quantified. When the metal concentrations were <180 nM for Cd and <769 nM for Zn, the concentration factor in daphnids increased linearly within the 12 h of exposure. At a higher concentration, apparent steady state was reached after 3 h of exposure. Cadmium and Zn distribution in the soft tissues was not affected by the total ambient concentrations, whereas Se distribution in the soft tissue decreased by 7 to 10% with increasing Se concentration from 16 to 643 nM. A linear positive power relationship was found between the influx rates of the metals and the ambient concentrations. The concentration factor for Se, however, decreased significantly with increasing Se concentration in water. The influx rate of metals was inversely related to the body size in a power function. When the pH in ambient water increased from 5.0 to 7.0, the influx rate of Cd, Se, and Zn increased by 2.9, 16.6, and 4.1 times, respectively. The influx rates of Cd, Se, and Zn decreased by 6.9, 8.7, and 4.4 times, respectively, with an increase in Ca2+ concentration from 0.6 to 5.1 mM. In contrast, the uptake rates of all three metals were not significantly affected by the SO42, concentration. The majority of accumulated Se was distributed in the soft tissues after 12 h of exposure, whereas Cd and Zn were about evenly distributed in the soft tissue and exoskeleton. Any changes in pH, Ca2+, and SO42, concentrations did not apparently affect their distributions in the daphnids. Our study provides important kinetic data necessary for delineating the exposure routes and for further development of the biotic ligand model in Daphnia. Using a bioenergetic-based kinetic model, we showed that the dissolved uptake is dominant for Zn accumulation (>50%). For Cd and Se, dietary exposure is dominant when the bioconcentration factors of these metals in phytoplankton are at the high end. [source] Soil and plant diet exposure routes and toxicokinetics of lindane in a terrestrial isopodENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 10 2000José Paulo Sousa Abstract In most studies dealing with effects of toxic substances in saprotrophic isopods, animals are exposed to the test substance through contaminated food. Because these animals can be in a close contact with the soil surface, the substrate, as an exposure pathway, should not be neglected. Here the authors analyze the toxicokinetic behavior of lindane (,-hexachlorocyclohexane [,-HCH]) in the isopod species Porcellionides pruinosus, comparing two exposure routes: food and two soil types (artificial Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] soil and a natural agricultural soil). In the feeding experiment, a strong decrease of ,-HCH concentration over time was observed on the food material, with the animals showing a broader range in chemical assimilation efficiency values (averaging 17.7% and ranging from 10 to 40%). The ,-HCH bioaccumulation results indicate that when animals incubated under both soil types reached a steady state, they displayed much higher body burdens (1,359.60 pg/animal on OECD soil and 1,085.30 pg/animal on natural soil) than those exposed to contaminated food (43.75 pg/animal). Kinetic models also revealed much lower assimilation and elimination rates in the food experiment (20.66 pg/d and 0.10 pg/d) than in both soil experiments (238.60 pg/d and 350.54 pg/d for the assimilation rate and 0.19 pg/d and 0.32 pg/d for the elimination rate). Differences in results between exposure routes are discussed according to equilibrium-partitioning theory and the enhanced relevance of the substrate exposure route is analyzed under future prospects on chemical toxicity testing using isopods. [source] Brominated flame retardants as possible endocrine disruptersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 2 2008P. O. Darnerud Summary Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are endocrine disrupters in experimental systems, both in vitro and in vivo. Although BFR effects on thyroid hormones are well confirmed, studies of effects on oestrogen/androgen systems are fewer but today growing in numbers. The effects of BFR on other hormone systems are still unknown. Hormonal effect levels in animals start from ca 1 mg/kg b.w., but there are exceptions: effects on spermatogenesis, suggesting hormonal causes, have been observed at a low dose (60 ,g/kg b.w.) of a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener, BDE-99. It could be concluded that hormonal effects are of importance in risk assessment, and in some cases where effects are seen at low levels safety margins may be insufficient. One additional uncertainty is the lack of reliable human data that could be used to support animal BFR observations. In spite of the recent regulation of PBDE production, levels of both PBDE and of other BFR groups are still present in environmental samples. Thus, we have to deal with the possible effects of human BFR exposure for times to come. In order to reduce BFR exposure, the routes of exposure should be carefully examined and ways to reduce levels in major exposure routes considered. [source] Mercury accumulation in the fish community of a sub-Arctic lake in relation to trophic position and carbon sourcesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2002M. Power Summary 1Stable isotope analysis has improved understanding of trophic relationships among biota. Coupled with contaminant analysis, stable isotope analysis has also been used for tracing the pattern and extent of biomagnification of contaminants in aquatic food webs. 2Combined analysis of nitrogen (, 15 N) and carbon (, 13 C) isotopes from fish species in a sub-Arctic lake were related to tissue mercury (Hg) concentrations to assess whether carbon sources influenced Hg accumulation in fish, in addition to trophic position. 3Statistical models were used to estimate Hg biomagnification and uptake, to elucidate Hg accumulation dynamics and to appraise the relative importance of Hg exposure routes for the fish species. 4Species Hg contamination increased as a function of trophic position (, 15 N) and was inversely related to the , 13 C signature. Species connected to the benthic food chain had lower Hg concentrations than species connected to the pelagic food chain. Species undergoing ontogenetic dietary shifts with increasing size, e.g. lake trout Salvelinus namaycush , also showed increased Hg concentrations with increasing reliance on pelagic fish as prey. 5The results indicate that both vertical (trophic) and horizontal (habitat) food web structure influence Hg concentrations in fish tissue. 6The biomagnification and uptake models indicated that contamination at the base of the food chain in the lake exceeded estimates for more southerly environments, thereby demonstrating the importance of dietary and water column Hg exposure routes in the sub-Arctic for determining Hg concentrations in fish. 7Overall, the data reported here demonstrate how a combination of ecological concepts (food webs), developing ecological methods (stable isotopes) and environmental geochemistry can combine profitably to indicate the risks of exposure to environmental contaminants. Additional studies of the dynamics of Hg accumulation in the food webs of sub-Arctic lakes are needed, particularly in the light of the estimated high biomagnification rates and the heavy reliance of Inuit communities on subsistence fish harvests. [source] Chronic radiation exposure in the Rivne-Polissia region of Ukraine: Implications for birth defectsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Kelsey Needham Dancause Objectives: The health effects of chronic low-dose radiation exposure remains a controversial question. Monitoring after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine suggested that chronic low-dose radiation exposure was not linked to cancer mortality among the general population. However, elevated rates of birth defects in contaminated compared to uncontaminated regions suggest that exposure to radiation in utero might impact development and that chronic radiation exposure might represent an underestimated risk to human health. Methods: We sought to determine current radiation exposure routes in Rivne-Polissia, a region of Ukraine contaminated by the Chernobyl accident. This represents a first step toward comprehensive studies of the effects of chronic radiation exposure on human health. We designed and administered a dietary and activity survey to 344 women in Polissia. We assessed types and sources of food consumed, types of outdoor activities, and alcohol intake. Results: Alcohol intake was low and alone does not account for the observed high rates of birth defects. Wild foods, especially mushrooms and berries, and locally produced foods, especially milk related, were major radiation exposure routes. Additionally, women were exposed to radiation through inhalation while burning grasses and potato vines in fields, and wood for cooking and heating. Conclusions: Twenty four years after the Chernobyl accident, women continue to be chronically exposed to low-dose radiation at levels exceeding current recommendations. This might contribute (especially synergistically with alcohol consumption and micronutrient deficiencies) to higher prevalence of birth defects in areas of Ukraine with high levels of radiation contamination compared to uncontaminated areas. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 22:667,674, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||