Oxidative stress related effect of xenobiotics on eukaryotic model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ecotoxicological assays have traditionally focused on the effects of chemicals at the individual level by exploiting mortality and reproduction as endpoints. Although these two parameters are ecologically relevant, they rarely provide information regarding the elemental toxic mechanisms. Obviously, the number of xenobiotics used has been rapidly increased.

Application of equilibrium passive sampling to assess the influence of anthropogenic activities and bioturbation on the distribution of hydrophobic organic chemicals in North Sea sediment cores.

The pollution state in the German Bight was investigated by determination of pollutant concentrations of sediment samples using equilibrium passive sampling. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined in the pore water of North Sea sediment. The freely dissolved pore water concentration (C) was measured applying Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) by using PDMS-coated glass fibers.

Spatial and temporal variations in anti-androgenic activity and environmental risk in a small river.

The biological effects of multiple compounds have been widely investigated in aquatic environments. However, investigations of spatial and temporal variations in biological effects are rarely performed because they are time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, the variability of the anti-androgen, receptor-mediated activity of surface water samples was observed over 3 years using in vitro bioassays.

A plea for the integration of Green Toxicology in sustainable bioeconomy strategies - Biosurfactants and microgel-based pesticide release systems as examples.

A key aspect of the transformation of the economic sector towards a sustainable bioeconomy is the development of environmentally friendly alternatives for hitherto used chemicals, which have negative impacts on environmental health. However, the implementation of an ecotoxicological hazard assessment at early steps of product development to elaborate the most promising candidates of lowest harm is scarce in industry practice. The present article introduces the interdisciplinary proof-of-concept project GreenToxiConomy, which shows the successful application of a Green Toxicology strategy for biosurfactants and a novel microgel-based pesticide release system.

Demonstration of an aggregated biomarker response approach to assess the impact of point and diffuse contaminant sources in feral fish in a small river case study.

The assessment of the exposure of aquatic wildlife to complex environmental mixtures of chemicals originating from both point and diffuse sources and evaluating the potential impact thereof constitutes a significant step towards mitigating toxic pressure and the improvement of ecological status. In the current proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate the potential of a novel Aggregated Biomarker Response (ABR) approach involving a comprehensive set of biomarkers to identify complex exposure and impacts on wild brown trout (Salmo trutta fario). Our scenario used a small lowland river in Germany (Holtemme river in the Elbe river catchment) impacted by two wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and diffuse agricultural runoff as a case study.

The Green toxicology approach: Insight towards the eco-toxicologically safe development of benign catalysts.

Green toxicology is a novel approach increasingly applied for the development of materials and chemicals that are more benign to the environment and human health than their conventional counterparts. It includes predictive eco-toxicological assessments of chemicals during the early developmental process to exclude adverse effects. In the present study, two guanidine zinc catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of lactide were investigated using eco-toxicological tools.

Evidence of increased estrogenicity upon metabolism of Bisphenol F - Elucidation of the key metabolites.

The increasing concern over bisphenol A (BPA) has directed much attention toward bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS) as BPA alternatives for the development of "BPA-free" products. Consequently, BPS and BPF were frequently detected in surface water, sediment, sewage effluent, indoor dust, and even in food and biological fluids in humans. Thus, environmental researches start to focus on the potential environmental risks of BPA alternatives.

Open Science in regulatory environmental risk assessment.

A possible way to alleviate the public skepticism toward regulatory science is to increase transparency by making all data and value judgments used in regulatory decision making accessible for public interpretation, ideally early on in the process, and following the concepts of Open Science. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges in strengthening Open Science initiatives in regulatory environmental risk assessment (ERA). In this discussion paper, we argue that the benefits associated with Open Science in regulatory ERA far outweigh its perceived risks.

The EU Green Deal's ambition for a toxic-free environment: Filling the gap for science-based policymaking.

Around the world, many ambitious environmental conventions and regulations have been implemented over recent decades. Despite this, the environment is still deteriorating. An increase in the volume and diversity of chemicals is one of the main drivers of this deterioration, of which biodiversity loss is a telling indicator.

Comparative toxicity assessment of in situ burn residues to initial and dispersed heavy fuel oil using zebrafish embryos as test organisms.

In situ burning (ISB) is discussed to be one of the most suitable response strategies to combat oil spills in extreme conditions. After burning, a highly viscous and sticky residue is left and may over time pose a risk of exposing aquatic biota to toxic oil compounds. Scientific information about the impact of burn residues on the environment is scarce.

Bioanalytical equivalents and relative potencies for predicting the biological effects of mixtures.

Bioanalytical equivalents (BEQs) of mixtures and environmental samples are widely used to reflect the potential threat of pollutants in the environment and can be obtained by bioassays or using chemical analysis combined with relative potencies (REPs). In this study, the relationships between bioassay-detected BEQs (Bio-BEQs) and chemically analyzed BEQs (Chem-BEQs) were studied. BEQs and REPs are correlated with effect level and the concentration-response curves of the reference standard and sample.

Combining Different In Vitro Bioassays to Evaluate Genotoxicity of Water-Accommodated Fractions from Petroleum Products.

Genotoxicity assessment is of high relevance for crude and refined petroleum products, since oil compounds are known to cause DNA damage with severe consequences for aquatic biota as demonstrated in long-term monitoring studies. This study aimed at the optimization and evaluation of small-scale higher-throughput assays (Ames fluctuation, micronucleus, Nrf2-CALUX) covering different mechanistic endpoints as first screening tools for genotoxicity assessment of oils. Cells were exposed to native and chemically dispersed water-accommodated fractions (WAFs) of three oil types varying in their processing degree.

Microplastics Lead to Hyperactive Swimming Behaviour in Adult Zebrafish.

Microplastic pollution has drawn the attention of both scientists and the public regarding their potential ecotoxicological risks. In the present study, we carried out aqueous exposure experiments to adult zebrafish with polystyrene microplastics (5 μm) at a wide range of concentrations (0.001-20 mg/L, equals to 14.

Differences in biomarker and behavioral responses to native and chemically dispersed crude and refined fossil oils in zebrafish early life stages.

Petroleum products including crude oils and refined distillates are unique environmental pollutants consisting of thousands of compounds with varying physical-chemical properties and resulting toxicity for aquatic biota. Hence, for a reliable risk assessment individual petroleum product toxicity profiles are needed. Furthermore, the influence of oil spill response strategies like the application of chemical dispersants has to be implemented.

Receptor-mediated estrogenicity of native and chemically dispersed crude oil determined using adapted microscale reporter gene assays.

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) emerged as a major concern for water quality in the last decade and have been studied extensively since. Besides typical natural and synthetic estrogens also petroleum product compounds such as some PAHs have been identified as potential EDCs, revealing endocrine disruption to be a relevant mode of action for crude oil toxicity. Hence, in the context of a comprehensive retro- or prospective risk assessment of oil spills the implementation of mechanism-specific toxicity such as endocrine disruption is of high importance.

Optimization of screening-level risk assessment and priority selection of emerging pollutants - The case of pharmaceuticals in European surface waters.

Pharmaceuticals in surface waters have raised significant concern in recent years for their potential environmental effects. This study identified that at present a total of 477 substances (including 66 metabolites and transformation products) have been analyzed in European surface waters. Around 60% (284) of these compounds belonging to 16 different therapeutic groups were positively detected in one or more of 33 European countries.

Toxicity of 10 organic micropollutants and their mixture: Implications for aquatic risk assessment.

Micropollutants, as a serious water pollution issue, raise considerable toxicological concerns, particularly when present as components of complex mixtures. Due to the interactions of environmental pollution components (contaminant), the micropollutant problem is increasingly complex, thus, water quality of organic chemical contamination assessed substance-by-substance might lead to underestimation in aquatic environmental risk assessment. To assess the aquatic environmental risk of micropollutants mixture, a total of 10 organic micropollutants were selected and analysed by an approach of integration of literature data, laboratory experiments and prediction techniques.

Behavioral profile alterations in zebrafish larvae exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of eight priority pharmaceuticals.

Although the effects of pharmaceuticals on aquatic organisms have been widely investigated during the last decades, toxic effects, especially delayed toxicity, during the developmental stage at environmental relevant concentrations were rarely known. In this study, a sensitive assay based on behavioral alterations was used for studying the delayed toxicity during the developmental stage on zebrafish embryos. Eight pharmaceuticals that were frequently detected with concentrations ranging from ng/l to μg/l were screened for this study.

Is Hyalella azteca a Suitable Model Leaf-Shredding Benthic Crustacean for Testing the Toxicity of Sediment-Associated Metals in Europe?

The leaf-shredding crustacean Hyalella azteca, which is indigenous to Northern and Central America, is used to assess environmental risks associated with (metal-)contaminated sediments and to propose sediment quality standards also in Europe. Yet, it is unknown if H. azteca is protective for European crustacean shredders.

Acute toxicities and effects on multixenobiotic resistance activity of eight pesticides to the earthworm Eisenia andrei.

Investigations of deleterious effects on non-target species, including earthworms, have been conducted for a number of pesticides, but there is a need for additional assessments of potential adverse effects. In the present study, the acute toxicity of eight pesticides to the earthworm Eisenia andrei was assessed and compared. The exposures were conducted using the filter paper contact toxicity method.

Integrated zebrafish-based tests as an investigation strategy for water quality assessment.

Water pollution risks to human health and the environment are emerging as serious concerns in the European Union and worldwide. With the aim to achieve good ecological and chemical status of all European water bodies, the "European Water Framework Directive" (WFD) was enacted. With the framework, bioanalytical techniques have been recognized as an important aspect.

Cyanobacterial blooms act as sink and source of endocrine disruptors in the third largest freshwater lake in China.

Cyanobacterial blooms are of global concern due to the multiple harmful risks they pose towards aquatic ecosystem and human health. However, information on the fate of organic pollutants mediated by cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic water remains elusive. In the present study, endocrine disruptive potentials of phytoplankton samples were evaluated throughout a year-long surveillance in a large and eutrophic freshwater lake.

Integrating bioassays, chemical analysis and in silico techniques to identify genotoxicants in surface water.

Identification of hazardous compounds, as the first step of water protection and regulation, is still challenged by the difficulty to establish a linkage between toxic effects and suspected contaminants. Genotoxic compounds are one type of highly relevant toxicants in surface water, which may attack the DNA and lead to cancer in individual organism, or even damaged germ cells to be passed on to future generations. Thus, the establishment of a linkage between genotoxic effects and genotoxicant is important for environmental toxicologists and chemists.

Effect-based and chemical analyses of agonistic and antagonistic endocrine disruptors in multiple matrices of eutrophic freshwaters.

In the present study, both bioanalytical and instrumental tools were employed to examine the endocrine-disruptive potentials of water samples, cyanobloom samples, and sediment samples collected from in the northern region of Taihu Lake (China) during cyanobloom season. Results from cell-based bioassays suggested the occurrence of estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, anti-androgenic, and anti-glucocorticogenic activities, while no androgenic and glucocorticogenic activities were observed in the collected samples. Using an UPLC-MS/MS system, 29 endocrine disrupting compounds including seven estrogens, seven androgens, six progestogens, and five adrenocortical hormones and four industrial pollutants were simultaneously detected.

Herbicides diuron and fluazifop-p-butyl affect avoidance response and multixenobiotic resistance activity in earthworm Eisenia andrei.

The usage of pesticides has been steadily increasing over the last decades, and among them herbicides are the most commonly used ones. Despite their main mode of action targeting plant organisms, they can also have adverse effects on non-target animal organisms. In soil ecosystems, earthworms play an important role due to their positive impacts on the soil functioning and they represent good model organisms in soil ecotoxicology.