Meta-analysis of environmental contamination by phtalates

Introduction: Phthalate Acid Esters (PAE), commonly named Phthalates, are toxics classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds; they are primarily used as additives to improve the flexibility in polyvinyl chloride. Occurrence: Many studies have reported the occurrence of phthalates in different environmental matrices, however none of these studies has yet establish a complete overview for those compounds in the water cycle within an urban environment. This review summarizes PAE concentrations for all environmental media throughout the water cycle, from atmosphere to receiving waters. Once the occurrences of compounds have been evaluated for each environmental compartment (urban wastewater, wastewater treatment plants, atmosphere and the natural environment), data are reviewed in order to identify the fate of PAE in the environment and establish whether geographical and historical trends exist. Indeed, geographical and historical trends appear between Europe and other countries such as USA/Canada and China, however they remain location-dependent. Discussion: This study aimed at identifying both the correlations existing between environmental compartments and the processes influencing the fate and transport of these contaminants into the environment. In Europe, the concentrations measured in waterways today represent the background level of contamination, which provides evidence of a past diffuse pollution. In contrast, an increasing trend has actually been observed for developing countries, especially for China

Mapping the Naked Neck (NA) and Polydactyly (PO) mutants of the chicken with microsatellite molecular markers

The bulked segregant analysis methodology has been used to map, with microsatellite markers, two morphological mutations in the chicken: polydactyly (PO) and naked neck (NA). These autosomal mutations show partial dominance for NA, and dominance with incomplete penetrance for PO. They were mapped previously to different linkage groups of the classical map, PO to the linkage group IV and NA being linked to the erythrocyte antigen CPPP. An informative family of 70 offspring was produced by mating a sire, heterozygous for each of the mutations, to 7 dams homozygous recessive for each locus. Three DNA pools were prepared, pool PO included 20 chicks exhibiting at least one extra-toe, pool NA included 20 non-polydactyly chicks showing the typical phenotype associated with heterozygosity for the naked neck mutation, and pool NP included 20 chicks exhibiting neither of the mutant phenotypes. Typings were done on an ABI-373 automatic sequencer with 147 microsatellite markers covering most of the genome. An unbalanced distribution of sire marker alleles were detected between pool PO, and pools NA and NP, for two markers of chromosome 2p, MCW0082 and MCW0247. A linkage analysis taking into account the incomplete penetrance of polydactyly (80%) was performed with additional markers of this region and showed that the closest marker to the PO locus was MCW0071 (5 cM, lod score = 9). MCW0071 lies within the engrailed gene EN2 in the chicken. In the mouse, the homologous gene maps on chromosome 5, close to the hemimelic extra-toes mutation Hx. In the case of the NA locus, markers of chromosome 3 were selected because CPPP was mapped on this chromosome. Analysis of individual typings showed a linkage of 5.7 cM (lod score = 13) between the NA locus and ADL0237 in the distal region of chromosome 3q. These results contribute to connecting the former classical map to the molecular genetic map of the chicken, and open the way to the identification of the molecular nature of two developmental mutations of the chicken that are known to occur in many breeds of chickens

Proteoliza sardina i inćuna u slanim otopinama pomoću komercijalnih enzima

Fish sauce production is a very long process and there is a great interest in shortening it. Among the different strategies to speed up this process, the addition of external proteases could be a solution. This study focuses on the eff ect of two commercial enzymes (Protamex and Protex 51FP) on the proteolysis of two fish species traditionally converted into fish sauce: sardine and anchovy, by comparison with classical autolysis. Hydrolysis reactions were conducted with fresh fish at a temperature of 30 °C and under different saline conditions (from 0 to 30 % NaCl). Hydrolysis degree and liquefaction of the raw material were used to follow the process. As expected, the proteolysis decreased with increasing amount of salt. Regarding the fi sh species, higher rate of liquefaction and higher hydrolysis degree were obtained with anchovy. Between the two proteases, Protex 51FP gave better results with both fi sh types. This study demonstrates that the addition of commercial proteases could be helpful for the liquefaction of fi sh and cleavage of peptide bonds that occur during fi sh sauce production and thus speed up the production process.Postoji veliki interes za skraćivanjem procesa proizvodnje ribljeg umaka. Jedno je od mogućih rješenja ubrzavanja tog postupka dodatak proteaza. U ovom je radu ispitan učinak dvaju komercijalnih enzima (Protamex i Protex 51FP) na proteolizu dvije vrste riba koje se tradicionalno koriste za proizvodnju ribljeg umaka, i to sardina i inćuna, te su rezultati uspoređeni s onima dobivenim autolizom proteina. Hidroliza svježih riba provedena je na temperaturi od 30 °C i pri različitim udjelima soli (od 0 do 30 %). Tijekom postupka praćeni su stupanj hidrolize i likvefakcija sirovine. Prema očekivanjima, pri većim je udjelima soli stupanj hidrolize bio manji. Veća likvefakcija uzorka te veći stupanj hidrolize dobiveni su proteolizom inćuna. Primjenom enzima Protex 51FP postignuti su bolji rezultati s obje vrste riba. Rezultati rada pokazuju da dodatak komercijalnih proteaza može povoljno djelovati na likvefakciju ribe i kidanje peptidnih veza tijekom proizvodnje ribljeg umaka, te na taj način ubrzati proces proizvodnje

Phthalate and alkylphenol removal within wastewater treatment plants using physicochemical lamellar clarification and biofiltration

International audienceEndocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) have been found in surface waters worldwide. They are known for exerting adverse effects on animals of many species, including humans. EDCs comprise compounds of anthropogenic origin. They can enter waterways via either discharges from wastewater treatment plant (WWTPs), combined sewer overflows (CSO) or atmospheric deposition. In this work, the fate and removal of four phthalates and two alkylphenols: Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Di-n-Butyl phthalate (DnBP), Butyl Benzyl phthalate (BBP), Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) were investigated within a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) using lamellar clarification and biofiltration. This plant receives about 240,000 m 3 d -1 of wastewater. The whole treatment process comprises: screening, grit removal, primary sedimentation using coagulant and flocculant, followed by biofiltration units. Phthalates and alkylphenols were monitored at three locations, including raw sewage, before primary treatment, decanted effluents, before biological treatment, and final effluents, just before discharge to receiving waters. Nine campaigns were performed in 2011 during different seasons. In raw wastewater, DEHP was the major compound (32.42 to 71.88, median 42.95 μg.l -1), followed by DEP (7.00 to 36.03, median 21.00 μg.l -1) and NP (4.08 to 10.63, median 5.95 μg.l -1). Other compounds averaged few μg.l -1. During the WWTP treatment, DEP becomes major contaminant (0.46 to 6.77, median 2.95 μg.l -1), followed by DEHP (0.95 to 6.43, median 2.30 μg.l -1) and NP (0.31 to 1.36, median 0.63 μg.l -1). Contaminant removal depends on the physicochemical characteristics of the compounds. For example, for lamellar clarification, removal efficiency was found to be strongly dependent to log Kow and, hence, to be highly correlated with their sorption coefficient (Kd). As a consequence, compounds with high log Kow (>3) were removed to a significant extent. DEHP was highly removed by lamellar clarification (68.8%), followed by BBP (61.5%) and NP (51.0%). Besides, DEP (log Kow < 3) was slightly removed (13.8%). During biofiltration, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds were equally eliminated. Therefore, DEP (87.3%), OP (88.0%) and DEHP (81.9%) were mostly removed during biological treatment. © 201 WIT Press

Devenir des phtalates en milieu urbain: De l'égout au rejet de la station d'épuration

National audienceThis work reports the results obtained in the third phase of the OPUR program on the quality of wastewater passing through the Parisian sewer network, and in influent and effluent of the wastewater treatment plant of Seine Centre. Its purpose is to establish an inventory of the contamination by phthalates in an urban area. Furthermore, this study aims to determine the efficiency of various treatment processes (physico-chemical lamella clarification and biofiltration) in the phthalates removal. Concentrations in sewer network fluctuate between 0.60 and 3.91 μg/L for DnBP and BBP, and between 5.23 and 161 μg/L for DEP and DEHP. Additionally, concentrations vary between 0.97 and 6.01 μg/L for DnBP and BBP, and between 7.00 and 71.88 μg/L for DEP and DEHP in the raw influent. For DEHP, the concentration in the treated water (2.30 μg/L) exceeds the current EQS (1.30 μg/L) defined for the receiving environment. However, a dilution effect of these waters in the receiving environment will reduce the impact of this compound for the local flora and fauna. Finally, significant proportion pollution (> 83% for all compounds) is eliminated in the physico-chemical lamella clarification and the biofiltration with a lamella clarification that will promote the elimination of heavy compounds (DEHP, DBP and BBP) and a biofiltration eliminating mainly light compounds such as DEP

Domestic micropollutants, a diffuse industrial pollution – Part 1: from greywater to receiving water

International audienceAccording to the USEPA, nonpoint source pollution (NPS) generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage… NPS pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many sources. Besides, non-point sources of pollution are often termed 'diffuse' pollution and are often associated with particular land uses, as opposed to individual point source discharges. However, such a definition is a general one. Another way to consider the spread of diffuse pollution is to consider the use of human-made products. Indeed, exposure to micropollutants (MPs) is mainly due to the use of marketed products since more than 10,000 organic chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, ingredients of personal care products and biocides are ubiquitously used in everyday life (Wick 2010). Companies which manufacture, import or sell those marketed products contribute to the MP dissemination. As a consequence this study was conducted according to complementary approaches at the scale of the Paris conurbation. The main idea was to determine the MP sources: do they originate from domestic or industrial sources or both? To provide answers, the study followed two stages. The first one consisted in the comparison between the industrial and domestic discharges of alkylphenols (APs) and phthalates (PAEs) to the sewer network (Bergé et al. 2014). A total of 45 domestic samples as well as 101 industrial samples were collected from different sites, including 14 residential and 33 industrial facilities. The main findings of these early works were of prime interest for organizations in charge of the monitoring of industrial discharges. It has been highlighted that APs and PAEs are not rejected by the industry but originate from domestic wastewater: less than 5% of the load derived from industrial wastewater (Bergé et al., 2014). Hence, reducing industrial releases is not sufficient to decrease the AP and PAE loads to wastewater in urban areas. Therefore, the second stage focused on domestic wastewater and was enlarge to personal care products (namely parabens and triclosan), especially on greywater. The knowledge of the greywater contamination is needed for establishing a better management of the contamination at source. Greywater studied were those collected from showers, bathroom sinks, manual dishwashing, dishwashers, washing machines, and floor cleaning. A specific sampling procedure has been developed to collect each type of greywater separately (Deshayes 2015). About 25 samples for each type of greywater were collected. For all the studied contaminants (alkylphenols, phthalates, parabens and tricosan), their ubiquity has been demonstrated since they were found in all the different type of greywater (Zedek et al. 2016; Deshayes et al., 2015). Moreover, significant variability in concentrations within each type of greywater and between different types of greywater was observed. This variability was explained by the consumption practices. This latter finding indicates the need to link environmental sciences with social sciences as carried out within the frame of the Cosmet'eau project in order to reduce MP discharges to receiving waters. Acknowledgments This work is part of both the Cosmt'eau project and the OPUR research program

Meta-analysis of environmental contamination by phthalates.

International audiencePhthalate acid esters (PAE), commonly named phthalates, are toxics classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds; they are primarily used as additives to improve the flexibility in polyvinyl chloride. Many studies have reported the occurrence of phthalates in different environmental matrices; however, none of these studies has yet established a complete overview for those compounds in the water cycle within an urban environment. This review summarizes PAE concentrations for all environmental media throughout the water cycle, from atmosphere to receiving waters. Once the occurrences of compounds have been evaluated for each environmental compartment (urban wastewater, wastewater treatment plants, atmosphere, and the natural environment), we reviewed data in order to identify the fate of PAE in the environment and establish whether geographical and historical trends exist. Indeed, geographical and historical trends appear between Europe and other countries such as USA/Canada and China, however they remain location dependent. This study aimed at identifying both the correlations existing between environmental compartments and the processes influencing the fate and transport of these contaminants into the environment. In Europe, the concentrations measured in waterways today represent the background level of contamination, which provides evidence of a past diffuse pollution. In contrast, an increasing trend has actually been observed for developing countries, especially for China

Origins and behaviour of alkylphenols and phthalates across a megacity like Paris?

International audienc

Increased expression of adenosine A2A receptors in patients with spontaneous and head-up-tilt-induced syncope.

BACKGROUND: Adenosine may play a role in the triggering of neurocardiogenic syncope, but no information on adenosine receptors is available at the present time. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether adenosine A2A receptors expression is altered in patients with neurocardiogenic syncope. METHODS: Adenosine plasma levels (APLs), the expression of A2A receptors, were measured (mean +/- standard error of the mean) during tilt testing. Expression of receptors was assessed on mononuclear cells using a selective receptor ligand. RESULTS: At baseline, the APLs of 16 patients with a positive test were higher than those of 17 patients with a negative test and of those of a control group (2.10 +/- 0.30 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.05 and 0.41 +/- 0.06 muM, respectively; P <.0001). The number of receptors was higher in patients tested positive than in patients tested negative or in the control group (122 +/- 10 vs. 38 +/- 4 and 44 +/- 4 fmol/g of proteins, respectively; P <.0001). No difference was found in the affinity or synthesis among the three groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed an increased number and an up-regulation of adenosine A2A receptors in patients with spontaneous syncope and a positive head-up tilt, which in the context of high APLs may play a role in the recurrence of syncopal episodes