Spinnability and characteristics of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based bicomponent fibers with a carbon nanotube (CNT) modified polypropylene core for piezoelectric applications

Biodiesel production has received considerable attention in the recent past as a nonpolluting fuel. However, this assertion has been based on its biodegradability and reduction in exhaust emissions. Assessments of water and soil biodiesel pollution are still limited. Spill simulation with biodiesel and their diesel blends in soils were carried out, aiming at analyzing their cytotoxic and genotoxic potentials. While the cytotoxicity observed may be related to diesel contaminants, the genotoxic and mutagenic effects can be ascribed to biodiesel pollutants. Thus, taking into account that our data stressed harmful effects on organisms exposed to biodiesel-polluted soils, the designation of this biofuel as an environmental-friendly fuel should be carefully reviewed to assure environmental quality. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Genotoxic Effects in Swimmers Exposed to Disinfection By-products in Indoor Swimming Pools

37 páginas, 1 figura, 4 tablas.-- PDF con material suplementario.[BACKGROUND]: Exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water has been associated with cancer risk. A recent study found an increased bladder cancer risk among subjects attending swimming pools relative to those not attending.[OBJECTIVES]: To evaluate whether swimming in pools is associated with biomarkers of genotoxicity.[METHODS]: We collected blood, urine, and exhaled air samples from 49 non-smoking adult volunteers before and after they swam for 40 min in an indoor chlorinated pool. We estimated associations between the concentrations of four trihalomethanes in exhaled breath and changes in the following biomarkers: micronuclei and DNA damage (comet assay) in peripheral blood lymphocytes before and 1 h after swimming, urine mutagenicity (Ames assay) before and 2 h after swimming, and micronuclei in exfoliated urothelial cells before and 2 weeks after swimming. We also estimated associations and interactions with polymorphisms in genes related to DNA repair or DBP metabolism.[RESULTS]: After swimming, the total concentration of the four trihalomethanes in exhaled breath was seven times higher than before swimming. The change in the frequency of micronucleated lymphocytes after swimming increased in association with exhaled concentrations of the brominated trihalomethanes (p = 0.03 for CHCl2Br, p = 0.05 for CHClBr2, p = 0.01 for CHBr3) but not chloroform. Swimming was not associated with DNA damage detectable by the comet assay. Urine mutagenicity increased significantly after swimming in association with the concentration of exhaled CHBr3 (p = 0.004). No significant associations with changes in micronucleated urothelial cells were observed.[CONCLUSIONS]: Our findings support potential genotoxic effects of exposure to DBPs from swimming pools. The positive health effects gained by swimming could be increased by reducing the potential health risks of pool water.Research supported by Plan Nacional Grant SAF2005-07643-C03-01/02/03, Spain and FIS CP06/00341, Spain. CM Villanueva supported by the ISCIII (CP06/00341), Spain, L Font-Ribera by a predoctoral fellowship (FI06/00651), Spain, and D Liviac by a postgraduate fellowship UAB (PIF409-009), Barcelona.Peer reviewe

Emerging risks from ballast water treatment: The run-up to the International Ballast Water Management Convention

AbstractUptake and discharge of ballast water by ocean-going ships contribute to the worldwide spread of aquatic invasive species, with negative impacts on the environment, economies, and public health. The International Ballast Water Management Convention aims at a global answer. The agreed standards for ballast water discharge will require ballast water treatment. Systems based on various physical and/or chemical methods were developed for on-board installation and approved by the International Maritime Organization. Most common are combinations of high-performance filters with oxidizing chemicals or UV radiation. A well-known problem of oxidative water treatment is the formation of disinfection by-products, many of which show genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, or other long-term toxicity. In natural biota, genetic damages can affect reproductive success and ultimately impact biodiversity. The future exposure towards chemicals from ballast water treatment can only be estimated, based on land-based testing of treatment systems, mathematical models, and exposure scenarios. Systematic studies on the chemistry of oxidants in seawater are lacking, as are data about the background levels of disinfection by-products in the oceans and strategies for monitoring future developments. The international approval procedure of ballast water treatment systems compares the estimated exposure levels of individual substances with their experimental toxicity. While well established in many substance regulations, this approach is also criticised for its simplification, which may disregard critical aspects such as multiple exposures and long-term sub-lethal effects. Moreover, a truly holistic sustainability assessment would need to take into account factors beyond chemical hazards, e.g. energy consumption, air pollution or waste generation

Anthropogenic organic micro-pollutants and pathogens in the urban water cycle: assessment, barriers and risk communication (ASKURIS)

In urban areas, water often flows along a partially closed water cycle in which treated municipal wastewater is discharged into surface waters which are one source of raw waters used for drinking water supply. A number of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) can be found in different water compartments. In the near future, climatic and demographic changes will probably contribute to an increase of OMP and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in aquatic ecosystems. The occurrence of OMP, possible adverse effects on aquatic organisms and human health and the public perception must be carefully assessed to properly manage and communicate potentially associated risks and to implement appropriate advanced treatment options at the optimum location within the water cycle. Therefore, the interdisciplinary research project ASKURIS focuses on identification and quantification, toxicological assessment and removal of organic micro-pollutants and antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the Berlin water cycle, life cycle-based economic and environmental assessment, public perception and management of potential risks

The Evaluation of Reactive Textile Dyes Regarding their Potential to Cause Organ-Specific Cyto- and Geno-Toxicity

The textile industry extensively uses synthetic chemicals such as dyes. Several studies report the deleterious effects (e.g., cell death and DNA damage) of dyes on humans. Humans can be exposed to toxic dyes by ingesting contaminated waters or dermal contact with colored garments. Thus, toxicity evaluations of textile dyes using organ-specific cell lines are relevant to estimate their hazard. Cyto- and geno-toxicity of the dyes Reactive Green 19 (RG19), Reactive Blue 2 (RB2), Reactive Blue 19 (RB19), Reactive Red 120 (RR120) and Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) were evaluated by the In Vitro MicroFlow® kit with immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and immortalized human hepatic cell line (HepaRG). Concentration-dependent cytotoxicity was observed for HaCaT cells exposed to five of the six tested dyes (RB2, RB19, RR120, RO16), while in HepaRG cells, cytotoxic effects were only verified after exposure to RB19 and RO16 at the highest tested concentration (1000 µg/mL). Genotoxicity was not detected in any tested textile dyes under both test conditions (HaCaT and HepaRG). In conclusion, our data provide evidence that, although the tested reactive dyes are not genotoxic, which is in agreement with published literature, they can cause cytotoxicity in both target tissue, and the effect can be more severe in epidermal cells (HaCaT) than in liver cells (HepaRG). This differential cytotoxicity data emphasizes the need to assess the toxicity of textile dyes to the target organ specificity

Adverse Effects in Aquatic Ecosystems: Genotoxicity as a Priority Measurement in: Biosensors for the Environmental Monitoring of Aquatic Systems - Bioanalytical and Chemical Methods for Endocrine Disruptors

Some chemical substances are capable of modifying genetic material and thereby also damaging it. Aquatic genotoxicity testing represents an important contribution to environmental research today. Sensitive testing methods for practical applications have been developed with reasonable certainty, which allow genotoxic (mutagenic) agents to be discovered in the environment. Risk levels for humans and the environment may be reliably assessed and the resulting consequences predicted

Saliva as a biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: In vitro detection of cytotoxic effects by using the plating efficiency index

Worldwide, the incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is increasing. The development of an effective prevention program would provide a promising opportunity to control this disease. We applied the 'plating efficiency index' of Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts to demonstrate the presence of cytotoxic effects in saliva samples from cancer patients as well as from healthy probands. Correlations between individual risk factors and the cytotoxic effects of saliva specimens were analysed and evaluated. Saliva samples were obtained from male patients (n=43) with carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract, and from a healthy age-matched male control group (n=131) with different tobacco and alcohol consumption habits. The extraction of non-stimulated sober saliva was chosen for this investigation. In vitro cytotoxicity of the saliva was detected using the permanent mammalian cell line V79 (lung fibroblasts) of Chinese hamsters. The determination of the plating efficiency index was made in the logarithmic growth phase of the initial cell culture. A reduction in cell colonies (plating efficiency) of at least 50% was defined as strongly cytotoxic. A significant direct correlation was found between daily tobacco consumption and the reduction of plating efficiency (p < 0.0001). We found only a moderate increase in the cytotoxicity of tested saliva samples in correlation with daily alcohol uptake. The difference between tumor patients and healthy probands was highly significant (X-2 test; p=0.001). Using the method of logistic regression analysis, we found a 3.6-fold increased cancer risk in probands with cytotoxic saliva (p < 0.001). According to our results, the plating efficiency index seems to be a suitable method for the detection of increased cancer risk. In combination with several effective biomarkers on cytogenetic end-points, it may help to establish biomonitoring programs for secondary cancer prevention