Anthropogenic and naturally-produced organobrominated compounds in marine mammals from Brazil.

Liver samples from 51 cetaceans, comprising 10 species, stranded between 1994 and 2006 in a highly industrialized and urbanized region in Southeast Brazil, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated-PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs). A concentration range of PBDEs (3-5960ng/g lw) similar to that observed in Northern Hemisphere dolphins was found. MeO-PBDE concentrations in continental shelf (CS) dolphins from Brazil are among the highest detected to date in cetaceans (up to 250microg/g lw).

Multimetal interactions between Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn uptake from water in the zebrafish Danio rerio.

The uptake of essential (Cu, Ni, and Zn) and nonessential (Cd and Pb) metals in the gills and whole body of zebrafish exposed to a mixture of trace elements at environmentally relevant concentrations was investigated using a stable isotope technique. Negative and positive interactions as well as nonlinear responses were observed. The Cd and Pb uptake processes were influenced the most by other metals.

Historical metal pollution in natural gudgeon populations: Inferences from allozyme, microsatellite and condition factor analysis.

This study presents the results of a microsatellite and allozyme analysis on natural populations of the gudgeon (Gobio gobio) located in a pollution gradient of cadmium and zinc. Differences among contaminated and reference populations were observed at 2 allozyme loci, as well as a relationship between the fish condition factor and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase genotypes, the locus that showed the largest difference in allele frequencies. The microsatellite data partly confirmed the differentiation pattern that was revealed by the allozyme survey.

Analysis of drugs of abuse in wastewater by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The simultaneous analysis of nine drugs of abuse (DOAs) and their metabolites (amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester and 6-monoacetylmorphine) in wastewater based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) was optimised and validated. For each analyte, the deuterated analogue was used for quantification. The separation by HILIC showed good performance for all compounds, especially for the hydrophilic compounds, which elute early (amphetamine-like stimulants) or show no retention (ecgonine methyl ester) in reversed-phase liquid chromatography.

Anthropogenic and naturally-produced organobrominated compounds in bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean Sea.

Anthropogenic compounds, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), together with naturally-produced organobromines, such as methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), polybrominated hexahydroxanthene derivatives (PBHDs), 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) and a mixed halogenated monoterpene (MHC-1), were measured in muscle from 26 farmed and wild bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught in the Mediterranean Sea. This species is ecological attractive because of the changes of geographic habitat throughout its long lifespan which affect its feeding. PBDE concentrations were similar between tuna samples of different groups (17-149 ng g(-1) lipid weight - lw in farmed tuna, 25-219 ng g(-1)lw in longline fished tuna and 26-126 ng g(-1)lw in net-fished tuna).

Effect of Na, Ca and pH on simultaneous uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the water flea Daphnia magna measured using stable isotopes.

The present study investigates the effects of Na(+), Ca(2+) and pH on the kinetics of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn uptake in Daphnia magna at low exposure concentrations measured using a stable isotope technique. Using experimental data the uptake rate constants were calculated for each metal individually on the basis of total metal concentrations. The copper uptake was not significantly affected by variations in chemical composition of the test medium.

Do acid volatile sulfides (AVS) influence the accumulation of sediment-bound metals to benthic invertebrates under natural field conditions?

The present study evaluates the influence of acid volatile sulfides (AVS) on accumulation of sediment-bound metals in benthic invertebrates under natural field conditions. Natural sediments, pore water, surface water, and two species of widespread benthic invertebrates (Chironomus gr. thummi and Tubifex tubifex) were collected from 17 historical polluted Flemish lowland rivers and measured for metal concentrations.

Conventional and (eco) toxicological assessment of batch partial ozone oxidation and subsequent biological treatment of a tank truck cleaning generated concentrate.

This paper compares the treatment efficiencies of direct (pH 7.5) and advanced (pH 11.5) partial ozonation followed by biodegradation for the treatment of tank cleaning wastewater concentrate.

Habitat type-based bioaccumulation and risk assessment of metal and As contamination in earthworms, beetles and woodlice.

The present study investigated the contribution of environmental factors to the accumulation of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in earthworms, beetles and woodlice, and framed within an exposure assessment of the European hedgehog. Soil and invertebrate samples were collected in three distinct habitat types. Results showed habitat-specific differences in soil and invertebrate metal concentrations and bioaccumulation factors when normalized to soil metal concentration.

Best practices for hybridization design in two-colour microarray analysis.

Two-colour microarrays are a popular platform of choice in gene expression studies. Because two different samples are hybridized on a single microarray, and several microarrays are usually needed in a given experiment, there are many possible ways to combine samples on different microarrays. The actual combination employed is commonly referred to as the 'hybridization design'.

Differences in metal sequestration between zebra mussels from clean and polluted field locations.

Organisms are able to detoxify accumulated metals by, e.g. binding them to metallothionein (MT) and/or sequestering them in metal-rich granules (MRG).

Biomagnification of naturally-produced methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) in harbour seals and harbour porpoises from the southern North Sea.

Harbour seals and harbour porpoises are top predator species from the North Sea, have long life spans and hence, are known to accumulate high levels of anthropogenic contaminants. To gain knowledge about the behaviour of naturally-produced compounds in these marine mammals, the biomagnification of naturally-produced methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) was assessed. The biomagnification of MeO-PBDEs (2'-MeO-BDE 68 and 6-MeO-BDE 47) was lower in harbour seals (all biomagnification factors (BMFs)<1) compared to the same age-gender groups of the harbour porpoises (all BMFs>1).

Can cocaine use be evaluated through analysis of wastewater? A nation-wide approach conducted in Belgium.

Aims: Cocaine is the second most-used illicit drug world-wide and its consumption is increasing significantly, especially in western Europe. Until now, the annual prevalence has been estimated indirectly by means of interviews. A recently introduced and direct nation-wide approach based on measurements of the major urinary excreted metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, in wastewater is proposed.

Omics in algae: paving the way for a systems biological understanding of algal stress phenomena?

The last decade, the biological and biomedical scientific landscape has seen the increase in use and applications of "omics" technologies. These technologies provide methods that allow for a comprehensive description of nearly all components within the cell. Microalgae not only play an important ecological role, but are also of commercial importance and therefore call for an in depth knowledge of basic biological functions.

Concentrations of chlorinated and brominated contaminants and their metabolites in serum of harbour seals and harbour porpoises.

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are top predators in the North Sea and consequently accumulate a variety of pollutants in their tissues. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their hydroxylated metabolites (HO-PCBs and HO-PBDEs) were measured in serum of wild harbour seals (n=47) and captive harbour porpoises (n=21). Both species exhibit long life spans and do not have extreme situations, such as complete fasting during periods of lactation, in their annual cycles.

Application of a stable isotope technique to determine the simultaneous uptake of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc by the water flea Daphnia magna from water and the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata.

Accumulation and toxicological effects of water and dietary metals in aquatic organisms can potentially be very different. Therefore, it is important to know the relative contribution of these different sources to metal exposure, availability, and accumulation. In the present study, a stable isotope technique was applied to investigate the uptake of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn by the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the water flea Daphnia magna during simultaneous exposure to the five metals at environmentally realistic concentrations from separate water and dietary routes.

Comparative assessment of reproductive impairment in the gastropod mollusc Littorina littorea along the Belgian North Sea coast.

In this study we present the results of an intersex survey of Littorina littorea along the Belgian coast. Levels of female intersex and sterility were determined to assess TBT related adverse effects. In addition, we determined the levels of male penis shedding and trematode infestation and investigated the morphology of the shell.

The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: from bioinformatics to lexomics.

Phylogenetic methods have revolutionised evolutionary biology and have recently been applied to studies of linguistic and cultural evolution. However, the basic comparative data on the languages of the world required for these analyses is often widely dispersed in hard to obtain sources. Here we outline how our Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database (ABVD) helps remedy this situation by collating wordlists from over 500 languages into one web-accessible database.

Nickel and binary metal mixture responses in Daphnia magna: molecular fingerprints and (sub)organismal effects.

The recent development of a custom cDNA microarray platform for one of the standard organisms in aquatic toxicology, Daphnia magna, opened up new ways to mechanistic insights of toxicological responses. In this study, the mRNA expression of several genes and (sub)organismal responses (Cellular Energy Allocation, growth) were assayed after short-term waterborne metal exposure. Microarray analysis of Ni-exposed daphnids revealed several affected functional gene classes, of which the largest ones were involved in different metabolic processes (mainly protein and chitin related processes), cuticula turnover, transport and signal transduction.

Spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine in waste- and surface water from Belgium and removal during wastewater treatment.

Estimates of cocaine consumption are currently resulting from population surveys, consumer interviews and crime statistics. A new approach ("sewage epidemiology") based on the analysis of cocaine (COC) and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE), in water samples was applied to 10 river sites and 30 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Belgium. Each river site was sampled twice, during the summer of 2007 and the winter of 2007-2008, while each WWTP was sampled on a Sunday and a Wednesday, during the summer-autumn of 2007 and the winter of 2007-2008.

Relevance of hair and spines of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) as biomonitoring tissues for arsenic and metals in relation to blood.

Hair has been proven to be suitable for non-destructive and non-invasive exposure assessments in human and mammal populations. A previous study with European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) showed that, for some metals, hair and spine metal concentrations were positively correlated to levels in liver, kidney and muscle. Although blood has been studied in a wide variety of species, the relationship between hair and blood metal concentrations has yet to be quantified in many mammalian species.

Hepatocellular transport and gastrointestinal absorption of lanthanum in chronic renal failure.

Lanthanum carbonate is a new phosphate binder that is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and eliminated largely by the liver. After oral treatment, we and others had noticed 2-3 fold higher lanthanum levels in the livers of rats with chronic renal failure compared to rats with normal renal function. Here we studied the kinetics and tissue distribution, absorption, and subcellular localization of lanthanum in the liver using transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectrometry, and X-ray fluorescence.

Integration of molecular with higher-level effects of dietary zinc exposure in Daphnia magna.

We exposed Daphnia magna for 21 days to dietary Zn, incorporated in a diet of the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata at 720 microg Zn/g dry wt and compared its response to D. magna fed with a control diet (116 microg Zn/g dry wt). Exposure to dietary Zn resulted in an increased body burden of D.

Bioaccumulation of micropollutants and biomarker responses in caged carp (Cyprinus carpio).

At four different aquatic sites in Flanders (Belgium) with different types and degrees of contamination, juvenile carp (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed in cages for 4 weeks. After exposure, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analyzed in the tissues of the carp. Besides pollutant accumulation, several effects were measured as well.

Inter-species differences for polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in marine top predators from the Southern North Sea: Part 1. Accumulation patterns in harbour seals and harbour porpoises.

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are two representative top predator species of the North Sea ecosystem. The median values of sum of 21 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and sum of 10 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were 23.1 microg/g lipid weight (lw) and 0.