Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety最新文献

Mushroom poisoning, predominantly caused by α-amanitin, is a critical food safety concern in worldwide, with severe cases leading to hepatotoxicity and fatalities. This study delves into the hepatotoxic effects of α-amanitin, focusing on the NLRP3 inflammasome and PPAR-γ's regulatory role in inflammation. In vitro studies with L-02 cells showed that α-amanitin reduces cell viability and triggers NLRP3 inflammasome activation, increasing NF-κB phosphorylation and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 mitigated these effects without impacting NF-κB. Conversely, PPAR-γ knockdown intensified the inflammatory response. In vivo, α-amanitin induced dose-dependent liver injury in mice, evident by elevated serum ALT and AST, and histological liver damage. MCC950 pretreatment offered protection against hepatotoxicity, while PPAR-γ inhibition with GW9662 worsened the condition. The study highlights the interplay between α-amanitin, NLRP3, and PPAR-γ in hepatotoxicity, proposing potential therapeutic targets for mushroom poisoning-induced liver diseases.

In order to investigate the causes of population degradation and resource decline, this thesis investigated the ecotoxicological effects of heavy metal Cu(Ⅱ) on the embryonic development of Sepiella maindroni. Results indicate significant effects of Cu(Ⅱ) concentrations on the developmental toxicity, teratogenicity, and lethality of S. maindroni embryos. Different concentrations of Cu(Ⅱ) caused varying degrees of malformations in embryos, altered developmental rates, reduced hatchability and hatchling quality, and increased malformation and mortality of hatchlings. At the same time, Cu(Ⅱ) exposure led to an increase in the content of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) and a significant decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT]), energy-metabolizing enzymes (adenylate kinase [AK]), and cholinergic-related enzymes (acetylcholinesterase [AChE], choline acetyltransferase [ChAT]). In conclusion, when the concentration of Cu(Ⅱ) in the environment is ≥ 0.01 mg/L, it causes significant lethality toxicity, developmental toxicity and teratogenicity in S. maindroni embryos. These effects are likely related to Cu(Ⅱ)-induced stress impacting the antioxidant capacity, energy metabolism, and cholinergic system. Ultimately, these toxic effects may lead to population degradation and resource decline in fishery organisms by affecting the early replenishment process of fisheries.

Oxytetracycline (OTC), a crop-absorbable antibiotic, poses a health risk to humans through the food chain. Conversely, 24-epibrassinolide (EBL), a plant growth hormone, mitigates the toxic effects of various pollutants on plants. However, the mechanism by which exogenous EBL affects the growth of rape seedlings exposed to OTC remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that environmental OTC concentrations significantly inhibited plant growth and metabolism, whereas exogenous EBL could restore plant growth characteristics. Exogenous EBL significantly decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, alleviating OTC-induced cell membrane lipid peroxidation. This was achieved by increasing the antioxidant capacity and secondary metabolism levels. Notably, our findings suggested that EBL stimulated glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, enhancing reduced glutathione synthesis and participating in plant OTC detoxification. OTC residues in EBL + OTC-treated seedlings at 21 d were significantly reduced by 29 % compared with OTC alone. Further transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that the differentially expressed genes and metabolites in the EBL and OTC alone or combined treatment groups were primarily involved in the regulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and lant hormone signal transduction pathways in response to phytotoxic effects and detoxification mechanisms, as compared to the control group.

In 2023, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a re-evaluation of the safety of bisphenol A (BPA), establishing the new tolerable daily intake (TDI) as 0.2 ng/kg·bw/day with a 20,000-fold reduction compared to 2015, which regained public concern about the impact of bisphenols (BPs) on human health. In order to explore the health risk to thyroid function of BPs, in this study, we assessed the internal exposure levels of BPs and the relationships between urinary BPs and thyroid function in general adults. We carried out a cross-sectional study in Chengdu, China, recruiting 1486 adults without special indentities and diseases (aged 18-68), and measured 6 BPs in urine. We found BPA was the predominant compound in urinary samples of this population, and the estimated daily intake (EDI) of BPA was 0.027 μg/kg·bw/day (geometric mean), exceeding the TDI value by two orders of magnitude. Using multivariable regression model, we observed a negative association between BPA and T3 and T3/T4 in males. Trend tests indicated that higher BPA levels were correlated with higher rates of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in males (OR=1.383, 95 % CI [1.024, 1.867]). We also observed that bisphenol F (BPF) contributed to the occurrence of thyroid globulin antibody positivity (TGAb.P) in both males and females. Although the use of BPs has been restricted, the adverse health effects still deserve public attention.

Lead (Pb), a toxic metal, causes severe health hazards to both humans and plants due to environmental pollution. Biochar addition has been efficiently utilized to enhance growth of plants as well as yield in the presence of Pb-induced stress. The present research introduces a novel use of biochar obtained from the weed Achyranthes japonica to enhance the growth of plants in Pb-contaminated soil. An experiment was performed with 7 treatments: Control, Pb²⁺ (10 mg kg^-1) only, biochar (4 %) only, allantoin (4 g kg^-1) only, biochar combined with Pb²⁺, allantoin combined with biochar, as well as a combination of allantoin and biochar with Pb²⁺. Lead toxicity alone markedly diminished plant growth metrics, including root and shoot length, biomass (wet and dry), chlorophyll concentration, and grain production. The application of biochar, allantoin, or their joint administration markedly enhanced the length of shoots (by 50.3 %, 29 %, and 70 %), length of roots (by 69 %, 50 %, and 69 %), and fresh biomass of shoots (by 5 %, 29 %, and 5 %), respectively. This enhancement is ascribed to improved soil characteristics and more efficient absorption of nutrients. The application of biochar, allantoin and their combination improved the tolerance against Pb²⁺ by increasing the total chlorophyll level by 12 %, 16 %, and 17 %, respectively, vs. the control. Likewise, these amendments significantly (p < 0.05) improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, POD, and CAT by 49 %, 29 %, and 49 %, respectively. The resistance towards Pb²⁺ was enhanced by biochar, allantoin, and their combined application, with lower Pb²⁺ concentrations in shoots (59.9 %, 40.1 %, and 49.8 %), roots (48.2 %, 24.1 %, and 58.3 %), and grains (60.2 %, 29.7 %, and 40.1 %) compared to solely Pb-stress, respectively. In summary, converting the weed Achyranthes japonica into biochar and integrating it with allantoin provides an eco-friendly approach to control its proliferation while efficiently alleviating Pb-induced toxicity in plants.

Microorganisms that utilize organic matter to reduce Fe oxides/hydroxides constitute the primary geochemical processes controlling the formation of high-arsenic (As) groundwater. Biogenic secondary iron minerals play a significant role in As migration. However, the influence of quinone electron shuttles and competitive anionic phosphate on this process has not been thoroughly studied. In this study, 10 mM phosphate effectively increased the growth and reproduction of the indigenous metal-reducing bacterium Bacillus D2201, ensuring high biomass participation in goethite reduction. Three forms of goethite (pure goethite [Gt], goethite with coprecipitated As [Gt-As], and goethite with adsorbed As [Gt*As]) were synthesized and reduced by strain D2201 to investigate the fate of As/Fe. The results showed that the amount of Fe(II) released and precipitated in the Gt-As group with the addition of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid (AQDS) and phosphate was the highest. Various solid-phase analytical techniques revealed that a significant amount of dissolved Fe(II) precipitated and formed the secondary mineral vivianite owing to phosphate input. Vivianite formation was pH-dependent, with high pH levels inhibiting vivianite development. As migration in the Gt-As system exhibited desorption and re-adsorption phenomena. The total As content decreased by 59.0 %, 53.7 %, and 49.4 %, at pH 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0, respectively, compared to the maximum As content values. The As re-adsorption percentage in the Gt*As group was lower than that in the Gt-As group, with decreases of 30.2 %, 16 %, and 10.3 % at pH, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0, respectively. The results indicated that phosphate and AQDS enhanced goethite bioreduction and facilitated the migration of As and Fe. However, the subsequent formation of secondary vivianite resulted in the re-fixation of As and Fe. Our research suggested that metal-reducing bacteria may not universally facilitate As migration from sediments to groundwater, as previously assumed. This study highlights the effects of phosphate, As doping methods, and pH levels on As migration and transformation and refines theories on microbiologically induced high-As groundwater formation.

Background: Research has shown that exposure to joint air pollution is related to atherosclerosis, but little evidence has been found for carotid plaques. Our objective is to assess the association between exposure to joint air pollutants and carotid plaque and explore the mediating role of cardiometabolic factors in this relationship.

Methods: The Beijing Health Management Cohort (BMHC) study followed participants recruited from 2013 to 2014 until December 31, 2020. All participants underwent carotid ultrasound and were free of carotid plaque at baseline. A satellite-based land-use regression (LUR) model was applied to estimate air pollution exposure. The joint exposure to air pollutants was assessed by incorporating a weighted air pollution score. A modified Poisson regression model was conducted to investigate the relationship between exposure to air pollution and carotid plaque occurrence. Mediation analysis explored how cardiometabolic factors mediate the relationships between exposure to joint air pollution and carotid plaque risk.

Results: During an average follow-up period 4 years, 1240 cases of carotid plaque were identified among 7358 participants. Each interquartile range (IQR) increase in air pollutants was associated with the following relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) for carotid plaque: 2.5-micrometer particulate matter (PM_2.5), 1,04 (1.01, 1.07), 10-micrometer particulate matter (PM₁₀), 1.10 (1.01, 1.20), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), 1.28 (1.15, 1.42), ozone (O₃), 1.18 (1.01, 1.37), and carbon monoxide (CO), 1.32 (1.15, 1.50). Joint exposure to air pollution was positively and linearly associated with the occurrence of carotid plaque, with low-density cholesterol (LDL-C) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) mediating 2.24 % and 4.28 % of the association, respectively.

Conclusions: Long-term joint exposure to ambient air pollutants elevates the risk of developing carotid plaque. LDL-C and MAP suggest partial mediating effects of joint air pollution on carotid plaques. Our results emphasize the need to thoroughly evaluate various air pollutants concerning carotid plaque.

Neonicotinoids exposure was found to induce thyroid dysfunction. However, there lack of direct evidence between neonicotinoids exposure and thyroid hormone (TH) disruption in population study, especially in children, which limits the understanding on their health hazard. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a cross-sectional study on children of a rural area in South China (n = 88), and analyzed urinary ten neonicotinoids (including metabolites), serum TH, thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Based on linear regression, generalized additive model, and Bayesian kernel machine regression, neonicotinoids levels were found to be correlated with TH, TBG, and TSH levels, with stronger effects for metabolites than parent compounds in most cases. Mixture exposure of neonicotinoids had significantly positive effect on free triiodothyronine (T₃)_. N-desmethyl-acetamiprid (N-dm-ACE) was negatively associated with T₃ for female, which corresponded to much lower T₃ levels for female than for male. Also, N-dm-ACE was found to non-monotonic associated with free thyroxine for male. Some neonicotinoids had interactive effects with lead and cadmium on TH disruption. The results provide an evidence on TH disruption of neonicotinoids in children, and highlight the need to explore TH disruption of neonicotinoids and safeguard the health of children.

With the increasing severity of heavy metal pollution in soil and water, phytoremediation is becoming increasingly popular because of its low cost, high returns, and environmental friendliness. The use of leguminous plants such as the broad bean for heavy metal remediation is becoming a research hotspot because of their symbiotic relationship with rhizobia. This study investigated the cadmium (Cd) remediation ability of fava beans by M. crassicauda feeding on or not using both hydroponic and soil cultures containing varying concentrations of Cd. Under hydroponic conditions, the Cd content in fava beans increased significantly following aphid invasion. while the Cd content decreased after aphid infestation under soil cultivation conditions. Aphid infestation significantly decreased the Cd content in both soil and hydroponic solution. However, there were no significant changes in germination rate and phenotype. We also found that prolonged Cd treatment increased the activities of stress-related antioxidant enzymes in fava beans, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and malondialdehyde. After consumption by M. crassicauda, the levels of total sugar content underwent varying changes. These results demonstrate that fava beans not only exhibit high Cd tolerance but can also effectively absorb Cd ions from soil and water. Moreover, pest infestation can enhance broad bean remediation efficiency, making them potential targets for use in the phytoremediation of heavy metal pollution.

Cognitive fatigue in specific occupations may present a risk to personal safety. The study aimed to explore the characteristic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath in response to cognitive fatigue, to provide a scientific basis for the non-invasive exhaled breath diagnostic techniques for cognitive fatigue assessing. Thirty healthy young adults were recruited and assigned to complete two 1.5-hour cognitive fatigue-inducing trials of the N-back task and one control trial of low emotion film watching of the same duration time. The Chalder Fatigue Scale was employed to assess the cognitive fatigue of the subjects before and after the induction and film watching. Exhaled VOCs were collected and detected using a Bio-VOC sampler and Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy method. The differences in exhaled VOCs between the pre- and post-induction and film watching was evaluated using either the paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. It was found that the scale scores of the task group (n = 50) significantly increased after the induction, whereas no such findings were observed in the control group (n = 10), indicating that the cognitive fatigue state of the task group was effectively induced through the performance of the N-back task. A total of 15 VOCs were identified in the exhaled breath samples of the task group. And only the level of isoprene changed significantly from 339.77 ± 162.21 μg/m³ to 604.18 ± 230.75 μg/m³ with the induction of cognitive fatigue. In contrast, the change of isoprene in the control group was not statistically significant. The study demonstrated that after inducing cognitive fatigue by N-back task in healthy young subjects, isoprene levels in exhaled breath increased significantly. It suggests that isoprene could be considered a characteristic volatile organic compound in exhaled breath associated with cognitive fatigue.