Evaluation of disinfection byproducts for their ability to affect mitochondrial function.

In the race to deliver clean water to communities through potable water reuse, disinfection and water quality assessment are and will continue to be fundamental factors. There are over 700 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water; evaluating each compound is practically impossible and very time consuming. A bioanalytical approach could be an answer to this challenge.

Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Assay.

Mitochondrial function, a key indicator of cell health, can be assessed through monitoring changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Cationic fluorescent dyes are commonly used tools to assess MMP. We used a water-soluble mitochondrial membrane potential indicator (m-MPI) to detect changes in MMP in various types of cells, such as HepG2, HepaRG, and AC16 cells.

Toxicity of lanthanide coagulants assessed using four in vitro bioassays.

Rare earth element (REE) coagulants are prime contenders in wastewater treatment plants to remove phosphorus; unlike typical coagulants, they are not affected by pH. However, the use of REEs in wastewater treatment could mean increased human exposure to lanthanides (Ln) through wastewater effluent discharge to the environment or through water reuse. Information on the toxicity of lanthanides is scarce and, where available, there are conflicting views.

Assessing how assay types predict toxicology data.

animal bioassays are increasingly being supplemented with assays to serve as the new standard for chemical toxicity tests. Despite this shift, investigators face challenges related to increased reliance on data. The aim of this study was to deploy a streamlined method to assess the ability of data to predict similar results as data by correlating chemical toxicity rankings obtained using Benchmark Doses and Benchmark Dose Lower Limits (BMD(L)s) derived from and assays.

Monohalogenated acetamide-induced cellular stress and genotoxicity are related to electrophilic softness and thiol/thiolate reactivity.

Haloacetamides (HAMs) are cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic byproducts of drinking water disinfection. They are soft electrophilic compounds that form covalent bonds with the free thiol/thiolate in cysteine residues through an S2 reaction mechanism. Toxicity of the monohalogenated HAMs (iodoacetamide, IAM; bromoacetamide, BAM; or chloroacetamide, CAM) varied depending on the halogen substituent.