Summer exposure assessment of Cu and Zn in drinking water in Shanghai, China.

Daily exposures to chemicals in drinking water are of importance in risk assessment to human health. However, exposure assessment of chemicals in drinking water has seldom been performed in China. Until now, no such a detailed exposure assessment was reported in China.

A biomimetic absorbent for removal of trace level persistent organic pollutants from water.

A novel biomimetic absorbent containing the lipid triolein was developed for removing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from water. The structural characteristics of the absorbent were obtained by SEM and a photoluminescence method. Under optimum preparation conditions, triolein was perfectly embedded in the cellulose acetate (CA) spheres, the absorbent was stable and no triolein leaked into the water.

[Genotoxicity of soil irrigated by wastewater using umu/SOS test].

umu/SOS test is used to screen the accumulation of genotoxic substances in soil irrigated with wastewater in urban Beijing. The relative genotoxicity is evaluated based on the weight of soil used for extraction that could result in a positive reaction (or the induction ratio R equals 2) and the characteristics of genotoxic substances could be evaluated by the slop of linear part of the dose/effect relationship, R reaches the maximum when the amount of soil in each cell is about 10 mg. In a case study on a wastewater or reclaimed water irrigation area, the genotoxicity of soil samples could be observed and it may be attributed to the accumulation of PAHs, according to relevant information.

[Comparison between biomimetic sampling technique using semipermeable membrane device and bioconcentration in caged fish for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons].

Semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) was recently accepted to estimate the time-integrated concentrations of bioavailable hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in a similar manner as lipophilic bioconcentration. However few field researches were carried out to verify the similarities of SPMD and fish in concentrating HOCs from water. In present work, SPMD and caged crucian carps (Carassius auratus) were deployed side-by-side at five sites in Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake for 32 days and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in SPMD and fish were analyzed.

Occurrence of estrogenic effects in sewage and industrial wastewaters in Beijing, China.

Estrogenic potencies of the effluents or water samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), industries and hospitals and some receiving rivers in Beijing city were estimated by using a human estrogen receptor recombinant yeast assay. Estrogenic activity of industrial wastewaters was found to range from 0.1 to 13.

Histological alternation and vitellogenin induction in adult rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) after exposure to ethynylestradiol and nonylphenol.

Adult rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) were exposed to 0, 1, 5, and 25 ng/l (nominal concentrations) of 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2) and 3, 10, and 30 microg/l (nominal concentrations) of 4-nonylphenol (NP) under flow-through conditions for a period of 28 d. Low mortality was observed at 5 and 25 ng/l EE2 and the growth of fish reduced significantly at 25 ng/l EE2 compared to controls. However, the gonadosomatic indices (GSI) of male fish were significantly higher in 1 ng/l EE(2) treatments and in 10 and 30 microg/l NP treatments (p<0.

Estimation of the uptake rate constants for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons accumulated by semipermeable membrane devices and triolein-embedded cellulose acetate membranes.

In this paper we report an extension of our previous work on the triolein-embedded cellulose acetate membrane (TECAM) as a passive sampling device (PSD) and describe the results from simultaneous exposure of TECAMs and triolein-containing semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to PAHs in lake water for 16 days. The data obtained provided a comparison of the uptake rates of specific PAHs by the two PSDs. Using 16-day accumulation tests, similar PAH distribution patterns in TECAMs and in SPMDs (R2 = 0.

Effects of pentachlorophenol on the reproduction of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is widely used to control termites and protect wood from fungal-rot and wood-boring insects, and is often detected in the aquatic environment. Few studies have evaluated PCP as an environmental endocrine disruptor. In the present work, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) was exposed to PCP for 28 days (F0 generation) with subsequent measurements of vitellogenin (VTG), hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), and reproductive endpoints.

Identification of Ah receptor agonists in sediment of Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake, China.

Deterioration of ecosystem and water quality in Taihu Lake, the third largest freshwater lake in China, is of great concern in China. However, most evaluations on water and sediment were carried out by chemical analysis, which could hardly gain information on the risk stressors affecting the system. Sediment samples from Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake were assayed for AhR-mediated EROD induction using a rat hepatoma cell line (H4IIE).

Organchlorinated pesticides in surface sediments of Meiliang Bay in Taihu Lake, China.

The concentration level of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sediments from Taihu Lake, China was investigated to evaluate the potential ecological risk. A total of 48 surface sediment samples were collected in Taihu Lake. Meiliang Bay in Taihu Lake was selected due to its importance as a drinking water source for nearby cities.

Soil screening for identifying ecological risk stressors using a battery of in vitro cell bioassays.

Soil screening could be a process of identifying and defining areas, contaminants, and condition at the sites that warrant further attention for developing ecological risk assessments. In present work, a total of 41 surface soil samples from Tianjin, China were sampled and the soil organic extracts were evaluated using a battery of in vitro cell bioassays. The battery included ethoxyresorfin O-deethylase (EROD) with H4IIE rat hepatoma cells bioassay for Aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor (Ah-agonists) effects, the SOS/umu bioassay for genotoxic effects, and human estrogen receptor recombinant yeast bioassay for estrogenic effects.

Assessing the detoxication efficiencies of wastewater treatment processes using a battery of bioassays/biomarkers.

A battery of in vitro bioassays, including a Neutral Red (NR) assay using MCF-7 cells for predicting cytotoxic chemicals, an ethoxy resorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity assay using H4IIE cells to check for dioxin-like chemicals, and a recombinant gene yeast assay for screening estrogenic chemicals, was conducted to assess the removal efficiencies of trace toxic chemicals by different treatment processes in the waste water treatment plant (WWTP). The effluents were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE) and were fractionated into three fractions based on polarities. The battery of bioassays was performed for each fraction.

Daily intakes of copper, zinc and arsenic in drinking water by population of Shanghai, China.

Daily intakes of metals in drinking water are of extreme importance in risk assessment to human health. Some papers focused on this topic, but most of them did not consider the effect of age, gender and work location on daily intakes of metals in drinking water. The objective of present paper is to estimate the levels of Cu, Zn and As ingestion in drinking water in Shanghai, China and the effect of age, gender and work location on daily intakes of these metals.

Residues and source identification of persistent organic pollutants in farmland soils irrigated by effluents from biological treatment plants.

Sewage and industrial effluents from biological treatment plant have been widely used for agricultural irrigation in north part of China. However, effluents after biological treatment still contain heavy metals and persistent organic contaminants. The persistent organic contaminants accumulated in soil may transfer through the food chains and cause adverse health effects on human or biological effects on soil fauna and flora after long-term application.

[New method to assess phosphorus bioavailability in the sediments and soils].

A new method to assess phosphorus bioavailability in the sediments and soils was developed by using a homemade iron oxide/ cellulose acetate membrane(FeO/CAM). The results show that the amount of bioavailable phosphorus(FeO-P) desorbed from the sediment and soil increased with the shaking time,and FeO-P desorption would come to equilibrium after 16 ot 20h. With the increase of the ratio between soil mass and water volume, the quantity of the desorbed FeO-P would decrease and then went planar after 20 to 30g/L.

Composition, sources, and potential toxicological significance of PAHs in the surface sediments of the Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake, China.

Twenty-five surface sediment samples were collected from Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake, China, in 2003. The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), identified as priority pollutants by the USEPA, were determined by gas chromatography equipped with a mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS). Total concentrations of the PAHs ranged from 1207 to 4754 ng/g dry weight.

Acute and early life stage toxicity of industrial effluent on Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

To develop the whole effluent toxicity testing methods (WET), embryo larval stage toxicity test using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) was conducted to evaluate an effluent from a banknote printing plant (BPP). The method is based on acute toxicity using endpoint of 96-h larval morality and on chronic toxicity using endpoints such as the time to hatch, hatching success, deformity, growth rate, swim-up failure, accumulative mortality and sexual ratio. In test for 96-h larval mortality, LC50 (the concentration was lethal to 50% of newly hatching medaka larvae) was 72.

Distribution, sources and potential toxicological significance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in Guanting Reservoir sediments, China.

The Guanting Reservoir lost its function as the second biggest drinking water source for Beijing due to the pollutions from the upstream flow of Yongding River in 1997. From 1998, lots of studies were carried out to renew the function of Guanting Reservoir as domestic drinking water source before 2008 Olympic Games. This is the first time that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in the surface sediment of Guanting Reservoir have been analyzed.

[Assessing the ecological risk of effluents from different advanced treatment units by using a battery of bioassay].

In this paper, effluents from different advanced treatment units, which were reclaimed for Olympic Park, were assessed regarding to the removal efficiencies of the technologies on acute toxicants, Ah-acceptor chemicals and estrogenic substances by using a battery of bioassays. The results showed that advanced treatments using ultra-filtration and activated carbon absorption were suitable for removal of toxic organic substances from STP effluent. Activated carbon absorption was the most effective technology to remove acute toxicants and Ah-acceptor chemicals, and the removal efficiency of Ah-acceptor chemicals reached 98%.

Accumulation of organochlorine pesticides from water using triolein embedded cellulose acetate membranes.

A new type of composite membrane, triolein embedded cellulose acetate membrane (TECAM), was produced by embedding triolein drops in the matrix of cellulose acetate polymers. The distribution of six organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) between water and TECAM was investigated in a static water system. Its field application was tested in Taihu Lake (China).

Long-term curative effects of combined hepatocholangioplasty with choledochostomy through an isolated jejunum passage on hepatolithiasis complicated by stricture.

Background: Hepatocholangioplasty combined with choledochostomy was designed through an isolated jejunum passage in 1988. This study was undertaken to evaluate its long-term curative effects in 163 patients.

Methods: The 163 patients with hepatolithiasis complicated by stricture were treated with this procedure from 1988 to 2003.

Biomarker responses and reproductive toxicity of the effluent from a Chinese large sewage treatment plant in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

The present study was conducted to assess the potential toxicity of the effluent from a large sewage treatment plant (GBD-STP) in Beijing. Japanese medakas (Oryzias latipes) at reproduction active period were exposed to a serial of graded concentrations of the effluent or 100 ng l-1 of 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2, positive control). Growth, gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), reproductive success, induction potency of vitellogenin (VTG) in male fish and that of 7-ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase activity (EROD) in male fish liver were used as test endpoints.

Assessing toxicities of hydrophobic organic pollutants in Huaihe River by using two types of sampling.

Hydrophobic organic pollutants in water from the Huaihe River were extracted by solid phase extraction and sequestered by semipermeable membrane device (SPMD), and those in sediments were extracted by organic solvent. Combined with chemical analysis, Lumistox test and ethoxyresorfin O-deethylase (EROD) assay were carried out for assessing the acute toxicities and the Ah-receptor-related toxic effects of the trace hydrophobic organic pollutants in this aquatic environment. The acute toxicants in water and sediment of the Huaihe River included substituted benzenes and pesticides, mainly 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, atrazine, hexachlorobenzene, and nitrobenzenes as well as persistent EROD inducers or Ah-agonists, including PAHs and PCBs, were determined.

Origins and mobility of phosphorus forms in the sediments of Lakes Taihu and Chaohu, China.

Phosphorus release from the sediment is generally an important factor for lake eutrophication. We have investigated phosphorus forms in surface sediments from Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu by a chemical extraction method. The results showed that the concentrations of Fe/Al-bound phosphorus (Fe/Al-P) and organic phosphorus (Org-P) had significant correlations with those of amorphous Fe/Al oxides and organic matter in the sediments.