Androgenic and Estrogenic Response of Green Mussel Extracts from Singapore’s Coastal Environment Using a Human Cell-Based Bioassay

In the last decade, evidence of endocrine disruption in biota exposed to environmental pollutants has raised serious concern. Human cell-based bioassays have been developed to evaluate induced androgenic and estrogenic activities of chemical compounds. However, bioassays have been sparsely applied to environmental samples. In this study we present data on sex hormone activities in the green mussel, Perna viridis, in Singapore’s coastal waters. P. viridis is a common bioindicator of marine contamination, and this study is a follow-up to an earlier investigation that reported the presence of sex hormone activities in seawater samples from Singapore’s coastal environment. Specimens were collected from eight locations around the Singapore coastline and analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals. Tissue extracts were then screened for activities on androgen receptors (ARs) and estrogen receptors (ER-α and ER-β) using a reporter gene bio-assay based on a HeLa human cell line. Mussel extracts alone did not exhibit AR activity, but in the presence of the reference androgenic hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), activities were up to 340% higher than those observed for DHT alone. Peak activities were observed in locations adjacent to industrial and shipping activities. Estrogenic activities of the mussel extract both alone and in the presence of reference hormone were positive. Correlations were statistically investigated between sex hormone activities, levels of pollutants in the mussel tissues, and various biological parameters (specimen size, sex ratio, lipid and moisture content). Significant correlations exist between AR activities, in the presence of DHT, and total concentration of POPs (r = 0.725, p < 0.05)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Christchurch environment

The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been determined in the Christchurch environment in the following sample types: city and suburban atmospheric particulate matter; mud in the Avon and Heathcote Rivers and their estuary; an estuarine bivalve, Chione stutchburyi, the common cockle; automobile exhaust particulates and domestic soot. More than forty PAH of four or more rings present in these samples have been identified using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The use of [PAH]/[Pb] ratios as sensitive and discriminating source indicators for airborne PAH is demonstrated and the results strongly suggest that the domestic fire is the predominant contributor to the overall atmospheric PAR pollution in Christchurch in winter. Comparison of PAR gas chromatographic profiles and the use of parent compound distributions indicate that the major proportion of the PAR in the mud of the rivers and estuary also originates from this source. Promising preliminary studies were made on the use of ultraviolet spectroscopy as a rapid quantitative method for total PAR determination, and as a qualitative method for identifying PAR mixtures from different sources

Micro-solid-phase extraction of organochlorine pesticides using porous metal-organic framework MIL-101 as sorbent

10.1016/j.chroma.2015.04.052Journal of Chromatography A14019-1

Ultra-hydrophobic ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate supported hollow-fiber membrane liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction of chlorophenols

10.1016/j.talanta.2014.08.074Talanta132132-13