Toward a more realistic estimate of exposure to chromium and nickel in soils of geogenic and/or anthropogenic origin: importance of oral bioaccessibility.

To enhance risk assessment for contaminated sites, incorporating bioavailability through bioaccessibility as a corrective factor to total concentration is essential to provide a more realistic estimate of exposure. While the main in vitro tests have been validated for As, Cd, and/or Pb, their potential for assessing the bioaccessibility of additional elements remains underexplored. In this study, the physicochemical parameters, pseudototal Cr and Ni concentrations, soil phase distribution, and oral bioaccessibility of twenty-seven soil samples were analysed using both the ISO 17924 standard and a simplified test based on hydrochloric acid.

Floristic survey, trace element transfers between soil and vegetation and human health risk at an urban industrial wasteland.

This study aimed to determine the trace element accumulation in the soil and plants in an industrial wasteland and to estimate the extent of transfer to humans to measure the effects on and risks to vegetation and human health and find bioindicator plants representative of the levels of the main contaminants. In areas with the highest extractable trace element levels, we observed decreases in plant biodiversity explained by the disappearance of several families, favouring the coverage of tolerant species, such as Urtica dioica and Hedera helix. Trace elements were also found in the leaves of several plants, especially in a dominant species that is poorly studied, Alliaria petiolata.

Oral bioaccessibility of PTEs in soils: A review of data, influencing factors and application in human health risk assessment.

Understanding the behavior of metal(loi)ds transported from soil to humans is critical for human health risk assessment (HHRA). In the last two decades, extensive studies have been conducted to better assess human exposure to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) by estimating their oral bioaccessibility (BAc) and quantifying the influence of different factors. This study reviews the common in vitro methods used to determine the BAc of PTEs (in particular As, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Sb) under specific conditions (particularly in terms of the particle size fraction and validation status against an in vivo model).

In situ and ex situ bioassays with Cantareus aspersus for environmental risk assessment of metal(loid) and PAH-contaminated soils.

Environmental risk assessment of contaminated soils requires bioindicators that allow the assessment of bioavailability and toxicity of chemicals. Although many bioassays can determine the ecotoxicity of soil samples in the laboratory, few are available and standardized for on-site application. Bioassays based on specific threshold values that assess the in situ and ex situ bioavailability and risk of metal(loid)s and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils to the land snail Cantareus aspersus have never been simultaneously applied to the same soils.

From environmental bioavailability of metal(loid)s to their ecogenotoxicological effects in land snails.

To date, no study has linked the environmental and the ecogenotoxicological bioavailability of contaminants to land snails. Yet, understanding the specific ecotoxicological mechanisms from bioaccumulation to genotoxicity is necessary e.g.

From bioavailability to risk assessment of polluted soil using snails: link between excess transfer and inhibition of sexual maturation.

An accurate assessment of the environmental risk of soils contaminated by metal(loid)s (MEs) requires quantifying exposure and knowing the toxicity of contaminants transferred to biota. For this purpose, two indices have been developed with the bioindicator Cantareus aspersus to assess exposure (SET: sum of the excess of transfer) and risk (ERITME: evaluation of the risk of the transferred metal elements) of multi-contaminated soils. If the SET and ERITME indices allow characterization of exposure and risk based on unspecific toxicity points, then the link between these indices and real effects on some toxicological endpoints, such as growth or sexual maturation, remains to be demonstrated.

Impact of ageing and soil contaminants on telomere length in the land snail.

Telomeres (TLs) are non-coding DNA sequences that are usually shortened with ageing and/or chemical exposure. Bioindicators such as the land snail can be used to assess the environmental risk of contaminated soils. As for most invertebrates, the evolution of TLs with ageing or exposure to contaminants is unknown in this mollusc.

Telomere dynamic in humans and animals: Review and perspectives in environmental toxicology.

Telomeres (TLs) play major roles in stabilizing the genome and are usually shortened with ageing. The maintenance of TLs is ensured by two mechanisms involving telomerase (TA) enzyme and alternative lengthening telomeres (ALT). TL shortening and/or TA inhibition have been related to health effects on organisms (leading to reduced reproductive lifespan and survival), suggesting that they could be key processes in toxicity mechanisms (at molecular and cellular levels) and relevant as an early warning of exposure and effect of chemicals on human health and animal population dynamics.

How contamination sources and soil properties can influence the Cd and Pb bioavailability to snails.

To better understand the fate of metals in the environment, numerous parameters must be studied, such as the soil properties and the different sources of contamination for the organisms. Among bioindicators of soil quality, the garden snail (Cantareus aspersus) integrates multiple sources (e.g.

In situ assessment of phyto and zooavailability of trace elements: A complementary approach to chemical extraction procedures.

For an accurate risk assessment of sites contaminated by trace elements (TE), measurements of bioavailability must be performed. This is routinely achieved using the standardized 0.01M CaCl2 method.

Chemical extractions and predicted free ion activities fail to estimate metal transfer from soil to field land snails.

This study investigates the relevance of several soil chemical extractions (calcium chloride, acetic acid, citric acid and a four-step sequential procedure) and predicted free metal ion activities in the soil solution to characterise the transfer of trace metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn) from soil to snail soft tissues over a large smelter-impacted area (Metaleurop Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France). The study was first performed on six snail species together and then specifically on Cepaea sp. and Oxychilus draparnaudi.