Bioaccessibility of arsenic from contaminated soils and alteration of the gut microbiome in an in vitro gastrointestinal model.

Arsenic exposure has been reported to alter the gut microbiome in mice. Activity of the gut microbiome derived from fecal microbiota has been found to affect arsenic bioaccessibility in an in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) model. Only a few studies have explored the relation between arsenic exposure and changes in the composition of the gut microbiome and in arsenic bioaccessibility.

Improving the predictive value of bioaccessibility assays and their use to provide mechanistic insights into bioavailability for toxic metals/metalloids - A research prospectus.

Widespread contamination of soil, dust, and food with toxic metal(loid)s pose a significant public health concern. Only a portion of orally ingested metal(loid) contaminants are bioavailable, which is defined as the fraction of ingested metal(loid)s absorbed across the gastrointestinal barrier and into systemic circulation. Bioaccessibility tools are a class of assays used as a surrogate to estimate risk of oral exposure and bioavailability.

In vitro bioaccessibility of copper azole following simulated dermal transfer from pressure-treated wood.

Micronized copper azole (MCA) and micronized copper quaternary (MCQ) are the latest wood preservatives to replace the liquid alkaline copper and chromated copper arsenate preservatives due to concerns over the toxicity or lack of effectiveness of the earlier formulations. Today, the use of MCA has become abundant in the wood preservative industry with approximately 38millionlbs of copper carbonate being used to treat lumber each year. Despite this widespread usage, little information is available on the bioaccessibility of this preservative upon gastrointestinal exposure.

Effects of atrazine and metolachlor on the survivorship and infectivity of Echinostoma trivolvis trematode cercariae.

Parasites play important roles in ecosystems and can be impacted by chemical inputs. In a series of experiments, we examined the impact of two common herbicides, metolachlor and atrazine, on a host-parasite system consisting of the trematode, Echinostoma trivolvis and its two intermediate hosts, the snail Planorbella trivolvis and larval Rana spp. tadpoles.