Interpretation of the ORHASP Report for the Scarboro Community

The Oak Ridge Health Agreement Steering Panel (ORHASP) Report is a human health risk assessment of the effects of the activities of the three United States Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The period covered is 1944 to 1995. The study started in 1991 and it was completed in 1999. The ORHASP Report is available to the public. This report has three goals. These follow: 1) To put relevant results from the ORHASP Report in a more readily and easily comprehended form.2) To examine some air intake parameters used in the ORHASP Report for the Scarboro Community.3) To check some risk and hazard index results for the Scarboro Community that were presented in the ORHASP Report. This research was completed money allocated during Round 3 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/score/1000/thumbnail.jp

Immunomodulation in eastern oysters, \u3ci\u3eCrassostrea virginica\u3c/i\u3e, exposed to a PAH-contaminated, microphytobenthic diatom

The trophic transfer of sediment-associated pollutants is a growing concern in shellfish harvesting areas. Previous studies have examined the role of phytoplankton in the transport of organic contaminants to bivalve species, but little information on microphytobenthic communities and their role as contaminant vectors exists. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds formed during natural and industrial processes; they are termed “persistent organic pollutants” because they are only slowly degraded by natural processes. This study examined the transfer of PAH compounds (naphthalene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene) by a microphytobenthic diatom to the eastern oyster, a commercially important shellfish species, to determine if dietary accumulation is a route of contaminant exposure capable of inducing physiological responses. PAH compounds were adsorbed to a diatom culture (Nitzschia brevirostris) in a range of concentrations (5, 125, 625, and 1000 Mg L−1), and eastern oysters were exposed experimentally to the contaminated diatom cultures to assess possible effects upon oyster hemocytes and selected immune-defense functions. A preliminary experiment was designed to identify individual effects of several PAH compounds (naphthalene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene) on hemocyte viability and phagocytic activity. Results from this experiment revealed that the most-toxic compound, benzo(a)pyrene, at the highest concentration, stimulated an increase in agranular hemocyte counts. A follow-up study examined the effects of benzo(a)pyrene on hemocyte viability, adhesion, phagocytosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). These studies showed the ability of this benthic diatom to transport PAHs to the eastern oyster and to cause immunomodulation. Hemocyte responses to dietary PAH exposure included an increase in circulating hemocytes and increased production of reactive oxygen species by these cells

Rodent pollination in Protea nana

Floral morphology, late winter flowering time and a distinct yeasty odour in Protea nana suggest that it is adapted for rodent pollination. To test this hypothesis, rodents were trapped in a stand of P. nana, examined for presence of pollen (on their noses and in their scats) and then observed in the laboratory for pollination behaviour. Inflorescences were placed in wire and shade-cloth exclosures and seed-set compared to controls in the field. Otomys irroratus, Aethomys namaquensis, Rhabdomys pumilio and Myomyscus (Praomys) verreauxi were captured and all tested positive for the presence of protea pollen. All, except O. irroratus, displayed legitimate pollination of P. nana. Myomyscus verreauxi was regarded as the most competent pollinator as it displayed superior climbing ability in comparison to the other rodent species. R. pumilio sometimes displayed highly destructive behaviour of P. nana inflorescences and is the likely explanation for the observed 20% reduction in average number of inflorescences per plant over a two month period. Seeds per inflorescence were lowest in shade-cloth covered inflorescences (total pollinator exclusion), but not significantly lower in wire exclosures which provided access for insects. A high percentage of sugar (29.4% by weight) in the nectar of P. nana is similar to known rodent pollinated species. We conclude that P. nana is at least partially rodent pollinated

Empowering Environmental Justice Communities Locally and Globally

The Fourth Annual Environmental Law and Justice Symposium features current and future leaders with expertise in environmental law, environmental justice, human rights law, public policy, political science, international finance and development, Native American law and policy, environmental science, and community organizing.https://commons.law.famu.edu/cilj-lectures-pres/1001/thumbnail.jp

Induction of Cell Death, DNA Strand Breaks, and Cell Cycle Arrest in DU145 Human Prostate Carcinoma Cell Line by Benzo[a]pyrene and Benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, is a major environmental pollutant. In this study, the effects of this carcinogen/mutagen and one of its metabolites, benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), on human prostate carcinoma cell line DU145, were examined. Cell viability, DNA damage, and cell cycle progression were evaluated as toxic end-points. We have shown that B[a]P and BPDE inhibited cell viability following 48 hr of exposure. Furthermore, comet assay analyses revealed that both B[a]P and BPDE induced DNA strand breaks in a concentration -dependent fashion. Flow cytometric analyses showed that about 70 % of DU145 cells were arrested by B[a]P at the G1 phase, while about 76% were arrested at G1 phase by BPDE. These data reveal that B[a]P and BPDE are cytotoxic and genotoxic to DU145 prostate cancer cells

Climate Change and Global Food Security

The Third Annual Environmental Law and Justice Symposium, co-sponsored by Florida A&M University\u27s Environment, Development & Justice Program in the Center for International Law and Justice at the College of Law, and the Center for Environmental Equity and Justice at the School of the Environment, will engage the general public, college faculty and students, environmental policy and decision makers, and community food stakeholders in dialogue, activities, and publication of lectures and scholarship addressing the impact of climate change on the global, regional, and local food supply.https://commons.law.famu.edu/cilj-lectures-pres/1000/thumbnail.jp