Toksičnost odabranih kemikalija u vodenoj sredini kao temeljni kriterij za klasifikaciju njihove opasnosti za okoliš

In order to protect public health and the environment, the EU legislation has proposed a classification of dangerous substances. Chemicals are classified according to physico-chemical as well as toxicological and ecotoxicological properties. Environmental classification is based on inherent harmful potential of a substance to organisms and on its environmental fate, that is, degradation and bioaccumulation potential. In this study, experimental data on acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms and biodegradability and bioaccumulation data obtained from literature were used to classify arsenic (applied as As2O3), copper (applied as CuCl2), phenol and 1,4 – butynediol. For this purpose, the "base set data" obtained from standardised test methods served as a convenient indicator of the inherent toxicity of tested chemicals. Additional data about environmentally relevant properties of arsenic and 1,4 – butynediol could lead to a revision of present chemical classification and labelling.Zakonodavstvo Europske unije preporučilo je klasifikaciju opasnih kemikalija u svrhu zaštite zdravlja ljudi i okoliša. Opasne se kemikalije razvrstavaju na temelju fizikalno-kemijskih, toksikoloških i ekotoksikoloških svojstava. Autori su istraživali učinke različitih koncentracija arsena, bakra, fenola i 1,4-butindiola sa svrhom pokazivanja primjera kako se kemikalije mogu razvrstati na temelju rezultata pokusa na različitim algama, dafnijama i ribama. Pratili su akutnu i kroničnu toksičnost spomenutih kemikalija, njihovu biodegradabilnost i bioakumulaciju. Svoje su rezultate usporedili s postojećom klasifikacijom Europske unije. Utvrdili su da se bakar može klasificirati kao vrlo toksičan, a arsen kao toksičan za testirane vodene organizme te da oba mogu imati dugotrajne štetne učinke u vodenoj sredini. Fenol nije klasificiran zbog brze razgradljivosti, niskog bioakumulacijskog potencijala i niske toksičnosti. Klasifikacija bakra i fenola temeljena na dobivenim rezultatima u skladu je s postojećim normama Europske unije. Međutim, za arsen i 1,4-butindiol postoje razlike u rezultatima, pa će možda biti potrebna revizija postojeće klasifikacije zbog novih rezultata istraživanja okoliša

Stability and toxicity of selected chlorinated benzophenone-type UV filters in waters

Stability and toxicity of selected chlorinated benzophenone-type UV filters in water

Ispitivanje estrogene aktivnosti u vodama pomoću kvasaca

The presence of endocrine-disrupting compounds in wastewater, surface water, groundwater and even drinking water has become a major concern worldwide, since they negatively affect wildlife and humans. Therefore, these substances should be effectively removed from effluents before they are discharged into surface water to prevent pollution of groundwater, which can be a source of drinking water. Furthermore, an efficient control of endocrine-disrupting compounds in wastewater based on biological and analytical techniques is required. In this study, a yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassay has been introduced and optimized with the aim to assess potential estrogenic activity of waters. First, assay duration, concentration of added substrate to the assay medium and wavelength used to measure the absorbance of the substrate were estimated. Several compounds, such as 17-β-estradiol, 17-α-ethinylestradiol, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, genisteine, hydrocortisone, dieldrin, atrazine, methoxychlor, testosterone and progesterone were used to verify its specificity and sensitivity. The optimized YES assay was sensitive and responded specifically to the selected estrogenic and nonestrogenic compounds in aqueous samples. Potential estrogenicity of influent and effluent samples of two wastewater treatment plants was assessed after the samples had been concentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using Oasis® HLB cartridges and methanol as eluting solvent. Up to 90 % of relative estrogenic activity was detected in concentrated samples of influents to wastewater treatment plants and estrogenic activity was still present in the concentrated effluent samples. We found that the introduced YES assay is a suitable screening tool for monitoring the potential estrogenicity of effluents that are discharged into surface water.Prisutnost spojeva koji imaju estrogeni učinak u otpadnim, površinskim, podzemnim, a čak i pitkim vodama sve više zabrinjava stručnjake diljem svijeta zbog negativnog učinka na zdravlje ljudi i životinja. Stoga takve spojeve treba odstraniti iz otpadnih voda prije njihovog ispuštanja u površinske vode, te na taj način spriječiti zagađivanje podzemnih voda, što se koriste kao izvor pitke vode. Kemijskom analizom i biološkim testovima potrebno je učinkovito pratiti prisutnost spojeva s estrogenim učinkom u otpadnim vodama. U ovom smo radu razvili i optimirali metodu ispitivanja estrogenog učinka spojeva pomoću kvasca (test YES) radi procjene potencijalne estrogene aktivnosti u vodama. Optimirali smo trajanje testa, koncentraciju supstrata dodanog podlozi i valnu duljinu za mjerenje apsorbancije razgrađenog supstrata. Specifičnost i osjetljivost testa YES provjerili smo pomoću sljedećih spojeva: 17-β-estradiol, 17-α-etinilestradiol, bisfenol A, nonilfenol, genistein, hidrokortizon, dieldrin, atrazin, metoksiklor, testosteron i progesteron. Optimiranim testom YES mogu se u uzorcima voda detektirati odabrani spojevi s estrogenim učinkom ili bez njega. Moguća estrogenost pritoka i istoka vode iz dva postrojenja za obradu otpadnih voda određena je prethodnom ekstrakcijom uzoraka vode na čvrstoj fazi (SPE ekstrakcija) pomoću kolone Oasis® HLB i metanola kao otapala. U koncentriranim je uzorcima pritoka u postrojenjima određeno 90 % relativne estrogene aktivnosti. Isto tako je estrogena aktivnost pronađena i u koncentriranim uzorcima istoka iz postrojenja. Iz dobivenih se rezultata može zaključiti da je test YES prikladan za ispitivanje estrogene aktivnosti otpadnih voda, što naknadno dospijevaju u površinske vode

Yeast Estrogen Screen Assay as a Tool for Detecting Estrogenic Activity in Water Bodies

The presence of endocrine-disrupting compounds in wastewater, surface water, groundwater and even drinking water has become a major concern worldwide, since they negatively affect wildlife and humans. Therefore, these substances should be effectively removed from effluents before they are discharged into surface water to prevent pollution of groundwater, which can be a source of drinking water. Furthermore, an efficient control of endocrine-disrupting compounds in wastewater based on biological and analytical techniques is required. In this study, a yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassay has been introduced and optimized with the aim to assess potential estrogenic activity of waters. First, assay duration, concentration of added substrate to the assay medium and wavelength used to measure the absorbance of the substrate were estimated. Several compounds, such as 17-β-estradiol, 17-α-ethinylestradiol, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, genisteine, hydrocortisone, dieldrin, atrazine, methoxychlor, testosterone and progesterone were used to verify its specificity and sensitivity. The optimized YES assay was sensitive and responded specifically to the selected estrogenic and nonestrogenic compounds in aqueous samples. Potential estrogenicity of influent and effluent samples of two wastewater treatment plants was assessed after the samples had been concentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure using Oasis® HLB cartridges and methanol as eluting solvent. Up to 90 % of relative estrogenic activity was detected in concentrated samples of influents to wastewater treatment plants and estrogenic activity was still present in the concentrated effluent samples. We found that the introduced YES assay is a suitable screening tool for monitoring the potential estrogenicity of effluents that are discharged into surface water

Učinkovitost odstranjevanja strupenosti in estrogenske aktivnosti bisfenola A v vodnih vzorcih, tretiranih z naprednimi oksidacijskimi procesi

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known endocrine disruptor with adverse oestrogen-like effects eliciting adverse effects in humans and wildlife. For this reason it is necessary to set up an efficient removal of BPA from wastewaters, before they are discharged into surface waters. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of BPA removal from aqueous samples with photolytic, photocatalytic, and UV/H2O2 oxidation. BPA solutions were illuminated with different bulbs (halogen; 17 W UV, 254 nm; and 150 W UV, 365 nm) with or without the TiO2 P-25 catalyst or H2O2 (to accelerate degradation). Acute toxicity and oestrogenic activity of treated samples were determined using luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), water fleas (Daphnia magna), zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio), and Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay with genetically modified yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results confirmed that BPA is toxic and oestrogenically active. Chemical analysis showed a reduction of BPA levels after photolytic treatment and 100 % conversion of BPA by photocatalytic and UV/H2O2 oxidation. The toxicity and oestrogenic activity of BPA were largely reduced in photolytically treated samples. Photocatalytic oxidation, however, either did not reduce BPA toxic and oestrogenic effects or even increased them in comparison with the baseline, untreated BPA solution. Our findings suggest that chemical analysis is not sufficient to determine the efficiency of advanced oxidation processes in removing pollutants from water and needs to be complemented with biological tests.Bisfenol A je dobro poznan motilec endokrinega sistema z estrogensko aktivnostjo in škodljivimi učinki na ljudi in živali. Zaradi tega se pojavlja potreba po učinkovitem odstranjevanju BPA iz odpadnih voda. V raziskavi smo proučevali učinkovitost odstranjevanja BPA iz vodnih vzorcev s procesi fotolitske, fotokatalitske in UV/H2O2 oksidacije. Med poskusom smo vodne vzorce osvetljevali s tremi različnimi žarnicami (halogensko, 17 W UV, 254 nm in 150 W UV, 365 nm). V procesih foto(kata)litske oksidacije smo uporabili H2O2 in katalizator TiO2 P-25 (Degussa). Akutno strupenost in estrogensko aktivnost BPA ter tretiranih vzorcev smo določili s testi strupenosti na luminiscentne bakterije (Vibrio fischeri), vodne bolhe (Daphnia magna), zarodke cebric (Danio rerio) in YES testom z gensko spremenjenimi kvasovkami Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Rezultati so pokazali, da je BPA za vodne organizme strupen in estrogensko aktiven. Kemijske analize so pokazale zmanjšanje vsebnosti BPA po fotolitski oksidaciji in popolno odstranitev BPA iz vodnih vzorcev po fotokatalitski oksidaciji in UV/H2O oksidaciji. Strupenost in estrogenska aktivnost sta se zmanjšali pri vzorcih, tretiranih s fotolitsko oksidacijo, sorazmerno z zmanjšanjem vsebnosti BPA. Pri fotokatalitsko tretiranih vzorcih se kljub popolni pretvorbi BPA strupenost in estrogenska aktivnost nista zmanjšali ali pa sta se celo zvišali v primerjavi z izhodnim vzorcem. Ugotovili smo, da ugotavljanje učinkovitosti odstranjevanja BPA iz vodnih vzorcev z naprednimi oksidacijskimi procesi z uporabo kemijskih analiz ne zadostuje. Potrebna so biološka testiranja, ki dokažejo morebitno preostalo strupenost in estrogensko aktivnost obdelanih vzorcev