Health care facilities and hospitals generate significant amounts of wastewater which are released into the sewage system, either after a preliminary treatment or without any further treatment. Hospital wastewater may contain large amounts of hazardous chemicals and pharmaceuticals, some of which cannot be eliminated entirely by wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, hospital effluents may be loaded with a plethora of pathogenic microorganisms or other microbiota and microbiome residues. The need to monitor hospital effluents for their genotoxic hazard is of high importance, as detailed information is scarce. DNA-based information can be acquired directly from samples through the application of various molecular methods, while cell-based biomonitoring assays can provide important information about impaired cellular pathways or mechanisms of toxicity without prior knowledge of the identity of each toxicant. In our study, we evaluated samples of chlorinated hospital wastewater discharged into the sewage system after this disinfection process. The assessment of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity of the hospital effluents was performed in vitro by using a broad battery of biomonitoring assays that are relevant for human health effects. All the tested hospital wastewater samples could be classified as potentially genotoxic, and it is concluded that the microbiota present in hospital wastewater might contribute to this genotoxic potential.
- MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu * analýza toxicita MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nemocnice MeSH
- odpadní voda * toxicita MeSH
- poškození DNA MeSH
- testy genotoxicity MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) Test was adopted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as OECD TG 236 in 2013. The test has been designed to determine acute toxicity of chemicals on embryonic stages of fish and proposed as an alternative method to the Fish Acute Toxicity Test performed according to OECD TG 203. In recent years fish embryos were used not only in the assessment of toxicity of chemicals but also for environmental and wastewater samples. In our study we investigated the acute toxicity of treated wastewater from seven hospitals in the Czech Republic. Our main purpose was to compare the suitability and sensitivity of zebrafish embryos with the sensitivity of two other aquatic organisms commonly used for wastewater testing - Daphnia magna and Aliivibrio fischeri. For the aim of this study, in addition to the lethal endpoints of the FET test, sublethal effects such as delayed heartbeat, lack of blood circulation, pericardial and yolk sac edema, spinal curvature and pigmentation failures were evaluated. The comparison of three species demonstrated that the sensitivity of zebrafish embryos is comparable or in some cases higher than the sensitivity of D. magna and A. fischeri. The inclusion of sublethal endpoints caused statistically significant increase of the FET test efficiency in the range of 1-12 %. Based on our results, the FET test, especially with the addition of sublethal effects evaluation, can be considered as a sufficiently sensitive and useful additional tool for ecotoxicity testing of the acute toxicity potential of hospital effluents.
- MeSH
- Aliivibrio fischeri účinky léků MeSH
- časové faktory MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu toxicita MeSH
- dánio pruhované embryologie MeSH
- Daphnia účinky léků MeSH
- embryo nesavčí účinky léků MeSH
- hodnocení rizik MeSH
- LD50 MeSH
- monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
- nemocnice * MeSH
- odpadní voda toxicita MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- testy akutní toxicity * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
Growing worldwide efforts to replace (reduce) animal testing and to improve alternative in vitro tests which may be more efficient in terms of both time, cost and scientific validity include also genotoxicity/mutagenicity endpoints. The aim of the review article was to summarize currently available in vitro testing approaches in this field, their regulatory acceptance and recommended combinations for classification of chemicals. A study using the combination of Comet Assay performed on two cell lines and the Chromosomal Aberration test on human peripheral lymphocytes was performed with the aim to predict the genotoxic potential of selected paraben esters, serving as a model chemical group. Parabens are widely used in consumer products as preservatives and have been reported to exhibit inconclusive results in numerous genotoxicity studies. The Comet Assay identified Ethylparaben and Benzylparaben as potentially genotoxic. The Chromosomal Aberration test revealed weak genotoxic potential in case of Ethylparaben and positive genotoxicity in case of Butylparaben, Propylparaben and Isopropylparaben. The main reasons for variability seem to be limited water solubility of parabens, determining their bioavailability at the cellular level, and absence of metabolic activation in the Comet Assay. The results confirmed that the Comet Assay should serve as a screening test and should not be used as a stand-alone method for classification of genotoxicity. The weight of evidence approach in risk assessment should be supported with data generated with the use of human relevant in vitro methods based on cells / tissues of human origin.
- MeSH
- alternativy testů na zvířatech * MeSH
- buněčné linie keratinocytů HaCaT MeSH
- chromozomální aberace chemicky indukované MeSH
- hodnocení rizik MeSH
- kometový test MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- lymfocyty účinky léků patologie MeSH
- mikrojaderné testy MeSH
- mikrojádra chromozomálně defektní chemicky indukované MeSH
- mutageneze účinky léků MeSH
- parabeny toxicita MeSH
- poškození DNA * MeSH
- testy genotoxicity * MeSH
- viabilita buněk účinky léků MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine toxicity of wastewater from hospitals in the Czech Republic using traditional and alternative toxicological methods. The pilot study comprised weekly dynamics of sewage ecotoxicity of treated wastewater from one hospital in two different seasons. A detailed investigation of wastewater ecotoxicity, genotoxicity and reprotoxicity followed in five different hospitals. METHODS: The seven following bioassays were used in this study: algal growth inhibition test (ISO 8692), Vibrio fischeri test (ISO 11348-2), Daphnia magna acute toxicity test (ISO 6341), Allium cepa assay, Ames test (OECD TG 471), Comet assay and YES/YAS assay. RESULTS: The wastewater ecotoxicity during one week showed no differences in separate working days, however, higher toxicity values were recorded in May compared to November. In the following study, samples from two of the five hospitals were classified as toxic, the others as non toxic. Genotoxicity has not been confirmed in any sample. In several cases, wastewater samples exhibited agonist activity to the estrogen and androgen receptors. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated different levels of toxicity of treated hospital wastewater. Variable sensitivity of individual bioassays for tested wastewater samples was recognized. A more extensive study including proposal for improvement of hospital wastewater treatment within the Czech Republic can be recommended with the aim to decrease the discharge of toxic chemicals into the local sewage system and the environment.
- MeSH
- Aliivibrio fischeri fyziologie MeSH
- biotest metody MeSH
- česneky fyziologie MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza toxicita MeSH
- Chlorophyceae fyziologie MeSH
- Daphnia fyziologie MeSH
- nemocnice MeSH
- odpadní voda analýza toxicita MeSH
- odstraňování zdravotnického odpadu MeSH
- pilotní projekty MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
