The treated effluent from sewage treatment plants (STP) is a major source of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that enter the aquatic environment. Bioaccumulation of 11 selected psychoactive pharmaceuticals (citalopram, clomipramine, haloperidol, hydroxyzine, levomepromazine, mianserin, mirtazapine, paroxetine, sertraline, tramadol and venlafaxine) was examined in Zivny Stream (tributary of the Blanice River, the Czech Republic), which is a small stream highly affected by effluent from the Prachatice STP. Six of the 11 pharmaceuticals were detected in grab water samples and in passive samplers. All pharmaceuticals were found in fish exposed to the stream for a defined time. The organs with highest presence of the selected pharmaceuticals were the liver and kidney; whereas only one pharmaceutical (sertraline) was detected in the brain of exposed fish. Fish plasma and muscle samples were not adequate in revealing exposure because the number of hits was much lower than that in the liver or kidney. Using the criterion of a bioaccumulation factor (BAF) ≥ 500, citalopram, mianserin, mirtazapine and sertraline could be classified as potential bioaccumulative compounds. In combination, data from integrative passive samplers and fish liver or kidney tissue samples were complimentary in detection of target compounds and simultaneously helped to distinguish between bioconcentration and bioaccumulation.
- MeSH
- Water Pollutants, Chemical pharmacokinetics MeSH
- Pharmaceutical Preparations MeSH
- Waste Disposal, Fluid MeSH
- Sewage MeSH
- Rivers MeSH
- Fishes * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
Widely used conazole fungicides (CFs) belong to the most frequently detected pesticides in Central European arable soils. However, data on their environmental behaviour and bioavailability to soil organisms are surprisingly scarce. In the present laboratory microcosm study prochloraz, tebuconazole, epoxiconazole and flusilazole were applied to 12 different agricultural soils at background levels. Bioaccumulation to earthworm E. andrei and lettuce L. sativa roots and leaves was evaluated in non-aged (biota exposure after addition of pesticides) and aged (exposure started three months later) systems. In contrast with expectations from ageing effect (decrease of bioavailability), bioaccumulation in E. andrei was both reduced and enhanced after ageing depending on soil properties. The reduction of bioaccumulation correlated positively to the percentage of clay but negatively to soil organic matter. The affinity of compost worm E. andrei towards organic matter where hydrophobic pesticide molecules are sorbed is discussed as a possible explanation. An apparent effect of ageing (reduction of bioavailability) was particularly observed in lettuce roots, where bioaccumulation was significantly reduced in time. However, bioaccumulation in leaves changed ambiguously in aged variants among CFs, possibly as a combined result of bioconcentration, dilution by plant growth and metabolism. This study brings first insights into how the bioaccumulation of conazole fungicides is affected by sequestration in agricultural soils. The results indicate that in complex systems, the ageing is not necessarily connected with decrease of bioaccumulation.
- MeSH
- Bioaccumulation MeSH
- Biological Availability MeSH
- Epoxy Compounds MeSH
- Clay MeSH
- Soil Pollutants analysis metabolism MeSH
- Oligochaeta metabolism MeSH
- Pesticides analysis MeSH
- Fungicides, Industrial analysis metabolism MeSH
- Soil chemistry MeSH
- Lactuca metabolism MeSH
- Silanes MeSH
- Triazoles MeSH
- Agriculture MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Knowledge regarding partitioning behavior and bioaccumulation potential of environmental contaminants is important for ecological and human health risk assessment. While a range of models are available to describe bioaccumulation potential of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) in temperate aquatic food webs, their applicability to tropical systems still needs to be validated. The present study involved field investigations to assess the occurrence, partitioning, and bioaccumulation behavior of several legacy and emerging HOCs in mangrove ecosystems in Singapore. Concentrations of synthetic musk fragrance compounds, methyl triclosan (MTCS), polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were measured in mangrove sediments, clams, and caged mussels. Freely dissolved concentrations of the HOCs in water were determined using silicone rubber passive samplers. Results showed that polycyclic musks and MTCS are present in mangrove ecosystems and can accumulate in the tissues of mollusks. The generated HOC concentration data for mangrove water, sediments, and biota samples was further utilized to evaluate water-sediment partitioning (e.g., Koc values) and bioaccumulation behavior (e.g., BAF and BSAF values). Overall, the empirical models fit reasonably well with the data obtained for this ecosystem, supporting the concept that general models are applicable to predict the behavior of legacy and emerging HOCs in mangrove ecosystems.
- MeSH
- Water Pollutants, Chemical * MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Geologic Sediments MeSH
- Environmental Monitoring MeSH
- Organic Chemicals MeSH
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls * MeSH
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
BACKGROUND: Selenium is a trace element performing important biological functions in many organisms including humans. It usually affects organisms in a strictly dosage-dependent manner being essential at low and toxic at higher concentrations. The impact of selenium on mammalian and land plant cells has been quite extensively studied. Information about algal cells is rare despite of the fact that they could produce selenium enriched biomass for biotechnology purposes. RESULTS: We studied the impact of selenium compounds on the green chlorococcal alga Scenedesmus quadricauda. Both the dose and chemical forms of Se were critical factors in the cellular response. Se toxicity increased in cultures grown under sulfur deficient conditions. We selected three strains of Scenedesmus quadricauda specifically resistant to high concentrations of inorganic selenium added as selenite (Na2SeO3) - strain SeIV, selenate (Na2SeO4) - strain SeVI or both - strain SeIV+VI. The total amount of Se and selenomethionine in biomass increased with increasing concentration of Se in the culturing media. The selenomethionine made up 30-40% of the total Se in biomass. In both the wild type and Se-resistant strains, the activity of thioredoxin reductase, increased rapidly in the presence of the form of selenium for which the given algal strain was not resistant. CONCLUSION: The selenium effect on the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was not only dose dependent, but the chemical form of the element was also crucial. With sulfur deficiency, the selenium toxicity increases, indicating interference of Se with sulfur metabolism. The amount of selenium and SeMet in algal biomass was dependent on both the type of compound and its dose. The activity of thioredoxin reductase was affected by selenium treatment in dose-dependent and toxic-dependent manner. The findings implied that the increase in TR activity in algal cells was a stress response to selenium cytotoxicity. Our study provides a new insight into the impact of selenium on green algae, especially with regard to its toxicity and bioaccumulation.
- MeSH
- Biomass MeSH
- Scenedesmus metabolism growth & development drug effects MeSH
- Sodium Selenite metabolism toxicity MeSH
- Selenomethionine metabolism MeSH
- Sulfur metabolism MeSH
- Selenium Compounds toxicity MeSH
- Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase metabolism MeSH
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug MeSH
- Publication type
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
With increasing demand for aquaculture products, water reuse is likely to increase for aquaculture operations around the world. Herein, wastewater stabilization ponds (WSP) represents low cost and sustainable treatment technologies to reduce nutrients and various contaminants of emerging concern from effluent. In the present study, we examined bioaccumulation of selected pharmaceuticals from several therapeutic classes by two important fish species in aquaculture with different feeding preferences (Cyprinus carpio and Sander lucioperca) and their common prey to test whether species specific accumulation occurs. Forty and nineteen from 66 selected pharmaceuticals and their metabolites were positively found in water and sediment samples, respectively from the representative WSP. After a six-month study, which corresponds to aquaculture operations, fourteen pharmaceuticals and their metabolites were detected (at a frequency of higher than 50% of samples) in at least one fish tissue collected from the WSP. We observed striking differences for species and organ specific BAFs among study compounds. Though muscle tissues consistently accumulated lower levels of the target analytes, several substances were elevated in brain, liver and kidney tissues (e.g., sertraline) of both species. Low residual concentrations of these target analytes in aquaculture products (fish fillets) suggest WSPs are promising to support the water-food nexus in aquaculture.
- MeSH
- Bioaccumulation MeSH
- Water Pollutants, Chemical * MeSH
- Carps * MeSH
- Pharmaceutical Preparations * MeSH
- Wastewater MeSH
- Ponds MeSH
- Water MeSH
- Aquaculture MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
In this study, radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and common duckweed (Lemna minor L.) were treated with an aqueous dispersion of carboxylated silica-coated photon-upconversion nanoparticles containing rare-earth elements (Y, Yb, and Er). The total concentration of rare earths and their bioaccumulation factors were determined in root, hypocotyl, and leaves of R. sativus after 72 h, and in L. minor fronds after 168 h. In R. sativus, translocation factors were determined as the ratio of rare earths concentration in hypocotyl versus root and in leaves versus hypocotyl. The lengths of the root and hypocotyl in R. sativus, as well as the frond area in L. minor, were monitored as toxicity endpoints. To distinguish rare earth bioaccumulation patterns, two-dimensional maps of elemental distribution in the whole R. sativus plant and L. minor fronds were obtained by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with a lateral resolution of 100 μm. Moreover, the bioaccumulation was inspected using a photon-upconversion laser microscanner. The results revealed that the tested nanoparticles became adsorbed onto L. minor fronds and R. sativus roots, as well as transferred from roots through the hypocotyl and into leaves of R. sativus. The bioaccumulation patterns and spatial distribution of rare earths in nanoparticle-treated plants therefore differed from those of the positive control. Overall, carboxylated silica-coated photon-upconversion nanoparticles are stable, can easily translocate from roots to leaves, and are expected to become adsorbed onto the plant surface. They are also significantly toxic to the tested plants at nominal concentrations of 100 and 1000 μg/mL.
- MeSH
- Photons MeSH
- Nanoparticles chemistry MeSH
- Raphanus drug effects MeSH
- Plant Extracts chemistry MeSH
- Spectrum Analysis methods MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
