Chemical characterization, bioaccessibility and genotoxic risk assessment of indoor dust from Estarreja, Portugal

International audienc

Chemical characterization, bioaccessibility and genotoxic risk assessment of indoor dust from Estarreja, Portugal

International audienc

In vivo exposure to benzo(a)pyrene induces significant DNA damage in mouse oocytes and cumulus cells

International audienc

A new approach for the oocyte genotoxicity assay: adaptation of comet assay on mouse cumulus-oocyte complexes

International audienceConventional genotoxicity tests are technically difficult to apply to oocytes, and results obtained on somatic cells cannot be extrapolated to gametes. We have previously described a comet assay (original-CA) on denuded mouse oocytes, but, invivo, oocytes are not isolated from their surrounding follicular cells. Our objective was to develop a comet assay on cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC-CA) for a more physiological approach to study the genotoxicity of environmental factors on oocytes. For COC-CA, whole COC were exposed directly to exogenous agents after ovulation and removal from oviducts. Three conditions were studied: a negative control group, and two positive control groups, one of which was exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the other group was incubated with cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs). With both tests, DNA damage was significant in the presence of both H2O2 and CeO2 NPs compared with the negative control. COC-CA offers an interesting tool for assaying the genotoxicity of environmental agents towards germinal cells. Furthermore, COC-CA is less time-consuming and simplifies the protocol of the original-CA, because COC-CA is easier to perform without the washing-out procedure

Fine atmospheric particles emitted by industrial, traffic and urban sources in France : characterization and genotoxicity.

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Chemical characterization and chromosome damaging effects of lipophilic fraction of finr particles (PM2.5) collected in the mining area of Provence

International audienc

Toxicity of nanoparticles on reproduction

International audienceNanoparticles (NPs) are sized between 1 and 100 nm. Their size allows new nanoscale properties of particular interest for industrial and scientific purpose. Over the past twenty years, nanotechnology conquered many areas of use (electronic, cosmetic, textile...). While, human is exposed to an increasing number of nanoparticles sources, health impacts and, particularly on reproductive function, remains poorly evaluated. Indeed, traceability of nanoparticles use is lacking and nanotoxicology follows different rules than classical toxicology. This review focuses on the impact of NPs on health and particularly on fertility and addresses potential risks of chronic exposure to NPs on human fertility. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Lead and zinc concentrations in household dust and toenails of the residents (Estarreja, Portugal): a source-pathway-fate model

This paper describes a methodology developed to assess and apportion probable indoor and outdoor sources of potentially toxic elements while identifying chemical signatures in the household dust collected from private homes in an industrial city (Estarreja, central Portugal). Oral bioaccessibility estimates and the chemical composition of toenail clippings were used to assess indoor dust ingestion as a potential exposure pathway and further investigate exposure–biomarker relationships. Indoor and paired outdoor dust samples were collected from each household. A total of 30 individuals, who provided toenail clippings and a self-reported questionnaire, were recruited for the study. Total concentrations of 34 elements, including lead and zinc, were determined in washed toenail samples and household dust via Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. The oral bioaccessibility was estimated using the Unified BARGE Method. The enrichment factor shows that lead was enriched (10 100) was anomalously enriched in the household dust, thus indicating potential exposure in the home environment. The results from principal component analysis coupled to cluster analysis and linear discriminant analysis suggested that mixed contamination derived from multiple sources with a predominance of biomass burning. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to model toenail data using the indoor dust elemental composition. Whereas the model obtained for lead was not reliable, indoor dust zinc and antimony contents arose as good predictors of toenail zinc. The exposure–biomarker relationships seem to be influenced by the oral bioaccessibility of the elements

Assessment of respiratory toxicity of ITER-like tungsten metal nanoparticles using an in vitro 3D human airway epithelium model

51st Congress of the European-Societies-of-Toxicology (EUROTOX), Portuguese Soc Pharmacol, Sect Toxicol, Porto, PORTUGAL, SEP 13-16, 2015International audienceno abstrac

A 3D in vitro model of the human airway epithelium exposed to tritiated water: Dosimetric estimate and cytotoxic effects

Tritium has been receiving worldwide attention, particularly because of its production and use in existing fission reactors and future nuclear fusion technologies, leading to an increased risk of release in the environment. Linking human health effects to low-dose tritium exposures presents a challenge for many reasons. Among these: biological effects strongly depend on the speciation of tritiated products and exposure pathway; large dosimetric uncertainties may exist; measurements using in vitro cell cultures generally lack a description of effects at the tissue level, while large-scale animal studies might be ethically questionable and too highly demanding in terms of resources. In this context, three-dimensional models of the human airway epithelium are a powerful tool to investigate potential toxicity induced upon inhalation of radioactive products in controlled physiological conditions. In this study we exposed such a model to tritiated water (HTO) for 24 h, with a range of activity levels (up to;33 kBq ll-1 cm-2). After the exposures, we measured cell viability, integrity of epithelial layer and pro-inflammatory response at different post-exposure time-points. We also quantified tritium absorption and performed dosimetric estimates considering HTO passage through the epithelial layer, leading to reconstructed upper limits for the dose to the tissue of less than 50 cGy cumulative dose for the highest activity. Upon exposure to the highest activity, cell viability was not decreased; however, we observed a small effect on epithelial integrity and an inflammatory response persisting after seven days. These results represent a reference condition and will guide future experiments using human airway epithelium to investigate the effects of other peculiar tritiated products