Toxicity of aldicarb and fonofos to the early-life-stage of the fathead minnow

Flow-through early-life-stage (ELS) toxicity tests were conducted with the pesticides aldicarb (Temik^®) and fonofos (Dyfonate^®) to determine their effect on the survival and growth of fathead minnows. Concentrations of 78g/L of aldicarb and 16g/L of fonofos did not affect survival and growth. However, 156g/L of aldicarb and 33g/L of fonofos were lethal to larval-juvenile exposed for 30 days post-hatch. The maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) of aldicarb and fonofos for the fathead minnow is estimated to be between 78–156g/L and 16–33g/L, respectively. The corresponding chronic values (geometric mean of MATC values) would be 110g/L and 23g/L. Acute toxicity tests gave 96-hr LC50 values of 1370g aldicarb/L and 1090g fonofos/L. The acute-chronic ratio (96-hr LC50/chronic value) is 12 for aldicarb and 47 for fonofos.     

Internal lead and cadmium exposure in 6-year-old children from western and eastern Germany

Lead and cadmium levels in blood and deciduous teeth (shed incisors only) of 6-year-old German children were determined in 1991 in a large epidemiological study carried out in rural and urban areas of western Germany (Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Borken) and eastern Germany (Leipzig, Halle, Magdeburg, Osterburg, Gardelegen, Salzwedel). In total, blood lead and cadmium levels of 2311 German children and tooth lead and cadmium levels of 790 German children were analyzed. Blood lead levels were generally low in all study areas with geometric means between 39.3 g/1 and 50.8 g/l in the western German and between 42.3 g/1 and 68.1 g/l in the eastern German study areas. The mean blood lead level of Turkish children (n = 213) living in the western German study areas was 50.1 g/l and thus 5.6 g/1 higher than the overall geometric mean of the western German children. The higher exposure may be explained by a higher oral uptake from food and different living conditions. These children were excluded from multiple regression analysis because they were all living in the western study areas. The mean tooth lead levels ranged between 1.50 and 1.74 g/g in the western and between 1.51 g/g and 2.72 g/g in the eastern study areas. Thus, they show a distribution pattern similar to blood. Blood and tooth lead levels were higher in urban than in rural areas and higher in the eastern German than in the western German study areas. With regard to the blood and tooth cadmium concentrations, no significant differences between the study areas could be found. The mean cadmium levels in blood ranged between 0.12 g/1 and 0.14 g/l and the mean tooth cadmium concentrations between 20.8 ng/g and 27.8 ng/g. Blood and tooth lead and cadmium levels of the eastern and western German children were thus mainly at a relatively low level in all rural and urban study areas. The study demonstrates and confirms that blood and tooth lead levels are influenced by several demographic, social, and environmental variables. The results indicate that there has been a further significant decrease of lead and cadmium exposure in western German children since our last epidemiological study carried out in the same study areas in 1985/1986.     

Some effects of cadmium on maize plants

The growth of the whole plant and the chlorophyll content, oxygen evolution, and chloroplast ultrastructure of leaf tissues have been studied in maize plants grown on a culture medium either without cadmium (Cd) or supplied with increasing concentrations of the metal. The plants treated with high Cd concentrations showed symptoms of heavy metal toxicity, such as length reduction of both roots and shoots, leaf bleaching, ultrastructural alterations of chloroplasts and lowering of photosynthetic activity. Some symptoms appeared at 100 M Cd, but the strong toxic effects of the metal were found only at 250 M Cd.     

Accumulation of cadmium byNereis virens

Cadmium concentration inNereis virens exposed to sediment spiked with cadmium increased linearly with time, no equilibrium concentration being indicated by 24 days of exposure. The concentration withinN. virens also increased with concentration of Cd in the sediment, and smaller worms accumulated higher amounts per unit weight than larger worms. With exposure to sediment containing 1 to 4 ppm Cd, accumulation rates ranged from 0.018 to 0.037g Cd/g dry wt/hr for 1- to 2-g worms and from 0.014 to 0.024g Cd/g dry wt/hr for 5- to 7-g worms. N. virens exposed to 0.03 to 9.2 ppm Cd in sea water for 14 days had accumulation rates of 0.019 to 2.217g Cd/g dry wt/hr for 1- to 2-g worms and 0.013 to 1.327g Cd/g dry wt/hr for 5- to 7-g worms.There was practically no excretion of cadmium forN. virens with initial concentrations of 5 to 20g Cd/g dry wt during 75 days in clean conditions.Sediment containing 1 and 4 ppm Cd produced concentrations of about 0.03- and 0.1-ppm cd in the overlying water. The accumulation rates from sediment with 1 and 4 ppm Cd are equal to the rates from sea water with 0.03 and 0.1 ppm Cd, respectively, indicating that cadmium uptake byN. virens is primarily from the aqueous phase.     

Monitoring of Antifouling Booster Biocides in Water and Sedimentfrom the Port of Osaka, Japan

Concentrations of booster antifouling compounds in the port of Osaka, Japan were assessed. Concentrations of Sea-Nine 211 (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-3-isothiazolone), thiabendazole (2-(4-thiazolyl)-benzimidazole), IPBC (3-iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate), Diuron (3,4-dichlorophenyl-N, N-dimethylurea), Irgarol 1051 (2-methylthio-4-t-butylamino-6-cyclopropylamino-s-triazine), and M1 (2-methylthio-4-t-butylamino-6-amino-s-triazine) in port water samples were in the range of <0.003–0.004 g L^–1, <0.0008–0.020 g L^–1, <0.0007–1.54 g L^–1, <0.0008–0.267 g L^–1, and <0.0019–0.167 g L^–1, respectively. IPBC was not detected in the water samples, but the concentration of Diuron was higher than any previously reported. The concentrations of Sea-Nine 211, thiabendazole, Diuron, Irgarol 1051, and M1 in sediment samples were in the range of <0.04–2.4 g kg^–1 dry, <0.08–1.2 g kg^–1 dry, <0.64–1350 g kg^–1 dry, <0.08–8.2 g kg^–1 dry, and <0.18–2.9 g kg^–1 dry, respectively. IPBC was again not detected. The levels of Sea-Nine 211, Diuron, and Irgarol 1051 in water and sediment samples were high in a poorly flushed mooring area for small and medium-hull vessels. Levels of Diuron and Irgarol 1051 were highest in summer. The concentration of Sea-Nine 211 in water increased between August and October 2002. Except for M1, increases in the levels of booster biocides in sediment were observed during the study period. The sediment–water partition (Kd) was calculated by dividing the concentrations in sediment by the concentrations in water. The Kd values for Sea-Nine 211, thiabendazole, Diuron, Irgarol 1051, and M1 were 690, 180, 2700, 300, and 870. The Kd value for these alternative compounds was lower than for TBT.     

Biological monitoring of isocyanates and related amines

Summary Five men were exposed to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) atmospheres for 7.5 h. The TDI atmospheres were generated by a gas-phase permeation method, and the exposures were performed in an 8-m3 stainless-steel test chamber. The mean air concentration of TDI was ca. 40 g/m³, which corresponds to the threshold limit value (TLV) of Sweden. The inhaled doses of 2,4- and 2,6-TDI were ca. 120 g. TDI in the test chamber air was determined by an HPLC method using the 9-(N-methyl-aminomethyl)-anthracene reagent and by a continuous-monitoring filter-tape instrument. After hydrolysis of plasma and urine, the related amines, 2,4- and 2,6-toluenediamine 2,4-, and 2,6-TDA), were determined as pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) derivatives by capillary gas-chromatography using selected ion monitoring (SIM) in the electron-impact mode. The urinary elimination of the TDAs showed a possible biphasic pattern, with rapid first phases for 2,4-TDA (mean t _1/2 for the concentration in urine, 1.9 h) and for 2,6-TDA (mean t _1/2 for the concentration in urine, 1.6 h). The cumulative amount of 2,4-TDA excreted in urine within 28 h ranged from 8% to 14% of the estimated dose of 2,4-TDI, and the cumulative amount of 2,6-TDA in urine ranged from 14% to 18% of the 2,6-TDI dose. The average urinary level of 2,4-TDA was 5 g/l in the 6 to 8-h sample (range 2.8–9.6 g/l), and the corresponding value for 2,6-TDA was 8.6 g/l (range, 5.6–16.6 g/l). Biological monitoring of exposure to 2,4- and 2,6-TDI by analysis of 2,4- and 2,6-TDA in urine is feasible.     

Lead exposure in indoor firing ranges

Summary Higher air lead levels (time-weighted average 660, range 112–2238 g/m³) were measured in firing ranges where powder charges were employed than in ranges where air guns were used (4.6, range 1.8–7.2 g/m³); levels in the latter were in turn higher than those in ranges used for archery (0.11, range 0.10–0.13 g/m³) Twenty-two marksmen who used powder charges had significantly increased blood lead levels during the indoor shooting season (before: median 106, range 32–176 g/l; after: 138; range 69–288 g/l; P = 0.0001), while 21 subjects who mainly used air guns displayed no significant increase (before: median 91, range 47–179 g/l; after: 84; range 20–222 g/l). Thirteen archers had significantly lower levels than the pistol shooters before the season (P = 0.006), and showed a significant decrease during the season (before: median 61, range 27–92 g/l; after: 56; range 31–87 g/l; P = 0.04). At the end of the indoor season, there was a significant association between weekly pistol shooting time and blood lead levels.     

Short-term exposure of zooplankton to the synthetic pyrethroid,fenvalerate, and its effects on rates of filtration and assimilation of the alga,Chlamydomonas reinhardii

In acute tests of toxicity, two cladocerans,Daphnia galeata mendotae andCeriodaphnia lacustris, and the calanoid,Diaptomus oregonensis, were more sensitive to fenvalerate thanDaphnia magna, the organism used in standard laboratory bioassays. The 48-hr EC₅₀s for each species/stage in order of increasing sensitivity were adultD. magna — 2.52 g/L;D. magna (48-hr old) — 0.83 g/L; adultD. galeata mendotae — 0.29 g/L; adultC. lacustris — 0.21 g/L;D. galeata mendotae (48-hr old) — 0.16 g/L; adultDiaptomus oregonensis — –0.12 g/L. No toxicity was observed when these organisms were exposed to a range of concentrations of the emulsifiable concentrate without fenvalerate (the EC blank).Rates of filtration of the¹⁴C-labelled alga,Chlamydomonas reinhardii byD. galeata mendotae, C. lacustris andD. oregonensis were decreased significantly at sublethal concentrations of fenvalerate after only 24-hr exposure.Ceriodaphnia lacustris showed the greatest sensitivity with rates of filtration significantly decreased at 0.01 g fenvalerate/ L. Concentrations of fenvalerate 0.05 g/L resulted in decreased rates of filtration byD. galeata mendotae. A concentration of 0.10 g fenvalerate/ L caused rates of filtration to increase inD. oregonensis. whereas 0.05 and 0.5 g/L resulted in a decrease in these rates.Rates of assimilation of algae byD. galeata mendotae, C. lacustris andD. oregonensis exposed to similar concentrations of fenvalerate were decreased at concentrations 0.05 g fenvalerate/L. Changes in rates of assimilation were not as sensitive a parameter of toxicity as changes in rates of filtration. The EC blank had no significant effects on rates of filtration or assimilation for all three species.     

Cadmium kinetics in freshwater clams. III. Effects of zinc on uptake and distribution of cadmium inAnodonta cygnea

Freshwater clams (Anodonta cygnea) were exposed to Cd²⁺ (25 g/L) or to Cd²⁺ (25 g/L) plus Zn²⁺ (2.5 mg/L). In the presence of zinc, uptake of cadmium in whole clam was halved. In organs such as the gills, mantle, and labial palps a still larger reduction of Cd accumulation occurred. By contrast, accumulation in midgut gland and kidney was hardly affected by the presence of zinc. It is shown that in the gills zinc competes with cadmium for metal binding sites both within the particulate fraction and the high-molecular weight fraction of the cytosol. Zinc probably did not induce an enlarged synthesis of specific metal-binding, metallothionein-like, proteins. In conclusion, zinc exerts antagonistic effects on uptake of cadmium by gills, and accelerates Cd transport from the gills towards the internal organs.     

Search for anti-laminin antibodies in the serum of workers exposed to cadmium,mercury vapour or lead

Summary Anti-laminin antibodies were sought for in the serum of workers exposed to mercury vapour (Hg, n = 58), lead (Pb, n = 38) or cadmium (Cd, n = 47). Thirty-one workers removed from Cd exposure for an average of eight years were also examined. Compared with control workers matched for age and socio-economic status, the prevalence of circulating anti-laminin antibodies was not increased in workers exposed to Hg (mean duration of exposure: 7.9 years and mean urinary excretion of Hg: 72 g/g creatinine) nor in those exposed to Pb (mean duration of exposure: 10.6 years and mean Pb levels in blood: 535 g/l). In contrast, anti-laminin antibodies were significantly more prevalent in Cd-exposed workers whose urinary Cd exceeded 20 g/g creatinine. This observation was made in both currently exposed workers and in workers removed from Cd exposure (mean duration of exposure: 9.4 and 24.6 years and mean urinary Cd: 7.8 and 13.4 g/g creatinine respectively). These autoantibodies were found in Cd workers with normal renal function as well as in those with increased proteinuria.     

Biological effects of epidermal growth factor and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on developmental parameters of neonatal Mink

Newborn mink (Mustela vison) kits were administered 0.1 g 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)/kg body weight, 1g TCDD/kg body weight, 10g epidermal growth factor (EGF)/ kg body weight, or 50 (g EGF/kg body weight by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection (10 ml/kg body weight) for 12 consecutive days to compare the effects of TCDD and EGF on body weight gains, time of eyelid opening, tooth eruption, and pelage development. A 19 acetone-corn oil mixture and 0.85 NaCl served as vehicle controls for the TCDD and EGF groups, respectively. Mortality exceeded 50% at the higher doses of both TCDD and EGF, while at the lower doses, TCDD and EGF resulted in significant reduction of body weight gains. Additionally, EGF caused a significant decrease in the time of eyelid opening and retarded growth and development of the fur of the treated kits. TCDD had no discernible effects on the time of eyelid opening or hair growth. The time of tooth eruption was not significantly affected by either compound.Published with the approval of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article No. 12216.     

Tetrachloroethene in exhaled air of persons living near polution sources

Summary Exhaled air was analyzed for tetrachloroethene (PER) in teachers and 4–5-year-old pupils of a kindergarten situated near a factory, and in residents of an old folks' home situated near a former chemical waste dump. The PER concentrations were higher in the exhaled air of children living near the factory (mean 24 g/m³, n=6) than in control children (mean 2.8 g/m³, n=11). In the old folks' home, the PER concentrations in the exhaled air of people living on the first floor were higher (mean 7.8 g/m³, n=10) than in the exhaled air of the people living on the second floor and higher (mean 1.8 g/m³, n=19). From the results of this study, it is clear that in environmental exposure to tetrachloroethene, biological monitoring of exhaled air is a simple, efficient, effective and convenient method of assessing total ambient exposure of both young and aged subjects.     

Influence of salinity and temperature on acute toxicity of cadmium toMysidopsis bahia Molenock

Acute toxicity tests were conducted to compare estimates of toxicity, as modified by salinity and temperature, based on response surface techniques with those derived using conventional test methods, and to compare effect of a single episodic exposure to cadmium as a function of salinity with that of continuous exposure.Regression analysis indicated that mortality following continuous 96-hr exposure is related to linear and quadratic effects of salinity and cadmium at 20°C, and to the linear and quadratic effects of cadmium only at 25°C. LC50s decreased with increases in temperature and decreases in salinity. Based on the regression model developed, 96-hr LC50s ranged from 15.5 to 28.0 g Cd/L at 10 and 30% salinities, respectively, at 25°C; and from 47 to 85 g Cd/L at these salinities at 20°C. Trimmed Spearman-Karber method used in analysis of a second data set yielded estimates at 20°C and 25°C comparable to those of multiple regression analysis. At 30°C, the 96-hr LC50 was <11 g/L.The relationship of median tolerance to cadmium concentration and exposure time was related to the interaction of both factors and independent of salinity between 10 and 30% at 25°C. The quadratic model predicts mortality of 50% following exposures of <12 hr to the highest concentration examined (92 g/L). For exposure durations of 16 and 24 hr, 50% mortality is predicted to occur at 78 and 56 g/Cd/L, respectively.Environmental Research Laboratory-Narragansett, RI, Contribution #950.     

Peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of chlorophenols to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans

Chlorophenols are transformedin vitro to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/ Fs) by peroxidase-catalyzed oxidations. This is demonstrated with bovine lactoperoxidase as well as horseradish peroxidase, and with 3,4,5- and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (TrCP). The yield of total PCDD/Fs with lactoperoxidase was 11 g per g 345-TrCP and 10 g per g 245-TrCP, of which 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs constituted 8.5 and 2.2 g/g, respectively, corresponding to 0.85 and 1.2 g/g of Nordic TCDD-equivalents.     

Forestry workers involved in aerial application of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D): Exposure and urinary excretion

Urinalysis was conducted on six volunteer workers involved in mixing and loading 2,4-D ester solutions into aircraft and in guiding the spray aircraft in two conifer release programs during 1981 and 1982. Exposures were reduced by wearing a full line of protective clothing. Two females and one male were involved in mixing the spray for 109 aircraft loads over an 11-day period in 1981. During the 1981 operation, the highest daily excretion of 2,4-D in the urine was 0.30, 0.94 and 9.59 g/kg body weight for the three workers. In 1982, three male workers were involved, one diluting the concentrated solution and loading the aircraft, and two marking the swaths for aerial application over an 18 day period. The highest daily excretion of 2,4-D in the urine was 7.73, 8.37, 22.2 g/kg body weight for the three workers. One of the authors, acting as a bystander, was directly sprayed in the 1982 season and 0.44% was absorbed based on urine analysis. The highest daily excretion of 2,4-D in his urine was 4.75 g/kg body weight. For all seven people, the calculated exposure was less than the no-effect level of 10 mg/kg of body weight/day by a large margin of safety. The presence of 2,4-D in urine samples in the pre-spray period and its slow disappearance during the post spray period prompted further investigation. Swabs of internal surfaces of living quarters revealed deposits of 2,4-D from 0.7 to 288 g/0.1m² and on spray equipment from 0.7 to 184 g/0.1m².     

Acute and chronic exposure of Dunaliella salina and Chlamydomonas bullosa to copper and cadmium: Effects on growth

Effective copper and cadmium concentrations which limited the growth of two chlorophytes by 50%, EC(50)s, after 96 h of static exposure were determined. EC(50)s were 5.94 gM copper and 4.55 M cadmium for Dunaliella salina, and 0.78 M copper and 0.025 M cadmium for Chlamydomonas bullosa. The relationship of the two cations was synergistic towards the growth of both species. Chronic exposure to 4.5×10^–6 M cadmium or 4.9×10^–4 M copper increased the sensitivity of C. bullosa by 26% and 29% towards cadmium and copper, respectively. Changes in co-tolerance were not observed. Cd-treated D. salina was 50% more tolerant towards this cation, whereas Cu-treated cultures showed extreme sensitivity towards copper and co-sensitivity towards cadmium. Furthermore, the phylogenetic hypothesis, predictive of toxic response, failed to hold at the familial level.This work was submitted by Ioanna Visviki to the Department of Biology of the Graduate School of the City University of New York in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the PhD degree.     

Urinary 1-naphthol and 1-pyrenol as indicators of exposure to coal tar products

Chemical exposure of assemblers handling creosote-impregnated wood and of a single worker chiselling coal tar pitch layer was assessed by measuring airborne naphthalene and various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and by measurement of urinary excretion of 1-naphthol and 1-pyrenol. The sum concentration of PAHs and of 4–6 aromatic ring-containing PAHs were high, 440 g/m³ and 290 g/m³, respectively, when chiselling. In the assembler's workplace, the PAH concentrations were about 1/50 of this value. Regarding airborne naphthalene concentrations the situation was reversed (assemblers, 1000 g/m³; chiseller, 160 g/m³). Correspondingly, the assemblers' urinary 1-napthol concentrations were 15–20 times higher than those of the chiseller. The urinary 1-pyrenol concentration of the chiseller was 2–4 times higher than among the assemblers. As the estimated pyrene inhalation doses among the assemblers could account for only about 2%–25% of the 24-h pyrenol excretion in urine, the skin was presumably the main route of uptake. For an assessment of the exposure to PAHs, air measurements, monitoring of metabolites in urine and preferably also data on the composition of the skin-contaminating product are needed.     

Cadmium,copper and lead in wild rice from Central Canada

Samples of wild rice grains available for sale in Manitoba, Canada contained <0.01–6.2 g/g cadmium, <0.01–6.7 g/g lead, and 1.6–14.4 wg/g copper. Rice originating from Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba contained significantly higher copper concentrations than samples from Ontario and southeastern Manitoba. Larger and heavier grains contained higher lead concentrations per unit weight. Mean content of all three metals per individual grain was exponentially correlated with grain size and weight. Total soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein concentrations were negatively correlated with copper concentrations.     

Effects of cadmium on metal composition and adenylate energy charge in the sea starAsterias rubens L

Sea stars,Asterias rubens, were exposed to 200 g Cd/L or fed with mussels which contained about 70 g Cd/g dry wt. After 5 weeks, cadmium in the pyloric caeca of directly and indirectly exposed sea stars had reached levels of 12 and 9 g Cd/g dry wt, respectively. For both types of exposure, a reduction of 30% of the zinc levels in the pyloric caeca was found, which was correlated with a comparable displacement of zinc from the metallothionein-like proteins. Copper levels were increased in the pyloric caeca of directly exposed sea stars.In gonads, stomachs, and body wall of directly exposed sea stars, cadmium concentrations were 4 to 9 times higher than those in animals fed with Cd-contaminated mussels. Cadmium exposure also affected metal composition in these tissues. The ovaries contained relatively large amounts of zinc. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that this zinc and the accumulated cadmium were distributed over a large range of high-molecular-weight proteins.Both direct and indirect cadmium exposure resulted in a small, but significant decrease of the adenylate energy charge (AEC) in the pyloric caeca. In the gonads, no effect of the cadmium exposure could be demonstrated on the AEC, but in the ovaries a reduction of the adenylate pool was found.In semi-field experiments, stars were exposed to 25 g Cd/L or fed with mussels collected from the heavily polluted Dutch Western Scheldt. After 6 months of direct or indirect exposure, cadmium in the pyloric caeca had reached comparable levels of 8 and 7 g/g dry wt, respectively. In the gonads of sea stars that had been fed with Western Scheldt mussels, cadmium levels were lower than those in directly exposed sea stars, but still about a factor 10 higher than those in unexposed animals. Exposure of sea stars to 25 g Cd/L for three months, had no effects on the levels of zinc, copper and magnesium or on the AEC in the pyloric caeca.     

Effects of esfenvalerate on the reproductive success of the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus in littoral enclosures

Adult bluegills were exposed to the synthetic pyrethroid esfenvalerate, during a reproduction study conducted in six littoral enclosures located in a 2-ha pond near Duluth, Minnesota. Bluegill reproductive success was determined after two applications of esfenvalerate at nominal concentrations of 0.0, 0.01, 0.08, 0.20, 1.0, and 5.0 g/L. Responses measured were adult behavior and spawning, embryo hatchability, larval survival until swim-up, young-of-the-year (Y-O-Y) growth, and total biomass. All adult bluegills died within one day following the first application at 5.0 g/L. Successful spawning and resulting hatching of offspring were observed at all esfenvalerate concentrations except 5.0 g/L. Following exposure at 1.0 g/L, spawning was delayed for 15 days and few or no larvae survived. Bluegill Y-O-Y growth was reduced by 62, 57, and 86% in the 0.08, 0.20, and 1.0 g/L esfenvalerate treated enclosures. Delayed adult spawning and reduced Y-O-Y growth may result in poor Y-O-Y overwinter survival which would result in a diminished or extirpated year class.