Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Persistent organic pollutants were determined in 33 surface sediments from Gyeonggi Bay, Korea. The concentrations (ng/g dry weight-range, mean in brackets) of PCBs, DDTs and HCHs in sediments were 0.16–41.9 (2.22), 0.03–5.17 (0.67) and 0.03–0.88 (0.29), respectively. Sum of 24 PAHs ranged from 6.37 to 648 ng/g (111 ng/g). Tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) were detected in 10, 3 and 31 out of 33 stations surveyed. TBT, DBT, and MBT were in the range of non detectable (n.d.)-122 ng Sn/g, n.d.-84 ng Sn/g, and n.d.-41 ng Sn/g respectively. t-octylphenol, nonylphenol and bisphenol-A were in range of 0.1–15.4 ng/g, 3–1070 ng/g and 0.2–15.9 ng/g, respectively. These levels are lower than in other Korean bays. Station K8, located close to a wastewater reservoir showed the highest concentration. Molecular tracers such as nonylphenol, t-octylphenol, bisphenol-A, indicated that PCBs and PAHs entered the bay through sewage discharge, while butyltins, DDTs and HCHs entered either through atmospheric depositions or from shipping activities. According to international sediment quality guidelines, the noted concentrations may not impact benthic life.

This study investigated the adverse health outcomes and urinary heavy metal levels in residents exposed to cement dust, compared to those who were not exposed. A total of 374 residents (276 for the exposed group and 98 for the unexposed group) were surveyed. Participant demographics, health-related behaviors (smoking and drinking), medical history, and clinical symptoms were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Urinary metal levels were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Clinical adverse health outcomes such as asthma, rhinitis, and dermatitis were found to be more common in the group exposed to cement dust than in the unexposed group. Urinary levels of chromium and mercury were found to be significantly higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. A limitation of this study is that we did not measure air pollution and heavy metals in local soils and plants and the cement dust could not be concluded as the unique origin of those metals because of other sources of those metals. Although these limitation are, these results suggest that exposure to cement dust may lead to chronic symptoms and disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequently occurring and intensively investigated neurodegenerative disorder, which is associated with extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. In this review, AD related diagnostic strategies and the potential biomarkers of AD will be discussed. Several proteomics methods were developed for disease diagnosis, such as ELISA, MALDI-TOF, SELDI-TOF, and 2 D-electrophoresis. Imaging technologies, such as MRI and PET analyses, are also important, since they could directly show the changes in the brain, associated with dementia progression. MRI technologies might estimate the presence and degree of neurodegeneration by identification and quantification of atrophy. PET could reflect the metabolic changes in the brain by various radioactive molecules (tracers). Along with neuropsycoanalysis of behavioral changes, the progression of dementia can be characterized with biochemical changes in brain metabolisms, in addition to fluctuations in many inflammatory mediators in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), blood and in other bodily fluids. These biochemical changes in the brain and other body fluids can be initiated before the appearance of AD symptoms. There is no specific marker for AD along with other dementia, but the combination of different markers may predict the disease progression more accurately. Monitoring the changes in their levels in brain, CSF, blood and body fluids with biomarkers in early disease stages might improve the diagnosis and therapies. Several molecules were established as successful biomarkers for AD diagnosis. Ratio of Abeta42/40 became an important AD marker, which could reflect the disease-associated changes in the blood plasma and CSF. Additional markers were available in blood, such as apolipoprotein E or inflammatory molecules. In CSF, the Abeta42, Tau or phospho-tau could be the most successful biomarker for AD progression. Several new biomarkers and diagnostic approaches were developed for differentiating AD from other forms of dementia. It should be important to predict the AD progression prior to the development of clinical symptoms. Above all, the improvement of above strategies, especially with diverse biomarkers, should support the precise diagnosis of AD, greatly enhancing both AD therapies and preventative measures.

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphate insecticide widely used in crop applications. It exerts its toxicity by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at cholinergic synapses. This study aims to investigate the impact of repeated dietary exposure to CPF during adulthood on the contractile performance of the diaphragm and hormonal regulation in male rats. Three groups of 10 Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed daily to a diet mixed either with a vehicle (control group), a low dose of CPF (1 mg/kg/day; CPF1 group), or a higher dose of CPF (5 mg/kg/day, CPF5 group), for 6 consecutive weeks. CPF exposure at both doses increased the twitch tension, time to peak tension, half-relaxation time, and fatigability index of the diaphragm. The myofibrillar protein content was not affected in CPF1 group but increased in CPF5 group compared to controls. Alterations in the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms expression were observed in CPF1 group with increased expression of fast-twitch MHC IIa isoform without any significant modifications in the expression of the different MHC isoforms in CPF5 group. Independent of the used doses, CPF exposure induced a decrease in the testosterone level and an increase in the serum corticosterone and growth hormone levels. Chronic exposure of adult male rats to CPF is associated with increased diaphragm contractile performance and fatigability which could be related to perturbations in anabolic and catabolic hormonal balance, and/or possible modification in the excitation–contraction coupling mechanism. This finding provides a deeper insight into the respiratory diaphragm muscle dysfunction associated with long-term dietary CPF exposure.

Here we present our triad approach followed by major findings based on sediment pollution studies that determined the chemical concentration, biological effect, and community structure associated with trace pollutants in the Korean coastal environment. Since the late-1990s, over several hundred sites along the Korean coast have been surveyed including sediment (including pore-water), water, and biological samples and analyzed for instrumental quantification, in vitro and in vivo bioassays, and benthic community indices. The instrumental data of persistent heavy metals and organic pollutants in Korean sediments generally suggest that concentrations of target pollutants are relatively low to moderate but their distribution is widespread across the coasts. The compositional pattern and spatial distribution suggests that their sources are independent of each other. However, there are local zones with extremely high concentrations of certain pollutants indicating point sources. In order to search for the relationship between chemical concentrations and biological responses, some selected data (n=123) were further analyzed in terms of mass balance analysis (sediment-TIE towards TEQ approach). Most of the dioxin-like activities were observed in the fractions containing dioxins, furans, and certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and about half of the samples showed significant estrogenic activities in the fractions of PAHs and alkylphenols. Direct relationship(s) between chemical and ecotoxicological data could not be fully addressed between component(s). However, a positive relationship between them became apparent in some cases, indicating a general good agreement between chemical stresses and biological responses. Overall, we found that a sediment triad approach for an integrated assessment of trace pollutants in the coastal environment was extremely useful. It would be much more powerful when all the components are fully and simultaneously analyzed and interpreted.

Recent ecological studies have demonstrated that mid-life mortality rates in US American Indians and non-Hispanic whites (NHW) have been rising for the past 20 years and are correlated with prescription opioid sales. The study hypothesis was that temporal correlations exist between annual hydrocodone and oxycodone sales and female NHW CV mortality rates in the Deep South USA. Six states in the Deep South were studied across the 2000–2017 timeframe: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. Female NHW mortality rates in the 35–44-, 45–54-, and 55–64-, and 65–74-year-old groups were obtained from the CDC Wonder Detailed Mortality database. Hydrocodone and oxycodone sales data were obtained from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center database. Time-series datasets were graphed and analyzed using Spearman rank correlation testing, after second differencing to control for trend. A 1-year adjustment was made to accommodate a 1-year temporal lag of mortality behind opioid sales. Annual CV mortality in 35–44-year-old NHW females was not associated with annual opioid sales. Annual CV mortality in 45–54-year-old NHW females was correlated with hydrocodone sales [rs(13) 0.650; P = 0.009], oxycodone [rs(13) 0.454; P = 0.090], and combined hydrocodone–oxycodone [rs(13) 0.764; P = 0.001]. Annual cardiovascular mortality in 55–64-year-old NHW females was associated with hydrocodone sales [rs(13) 0.499; P = 0.059], oxycodone [rs(13) 0.561; P = 0.030], and combined hydrocodone–oxycodone [rs(13) 0.545; P = 0.036]. Annual CV mortality in 65–74-year-old NHW females was associated with oxycodone [rs(13) 0.696; P = 0.004]. At the population level, prescription opioid sales are temporally correlated with cardiovascular mortality rates in NHW females of the Deep South.

Garlic is an established antioxidant, owing its antioxidant property to a number of constituent sulfhydryl compounds, the most important of which is diallyl sulfide (DAS). Garlic and its constituents are known to protect against reactive oxygen species mediated damages by various toxicants including asbestos, a well known carcinogen. Present study is a first attempt to compare potential of crude garlic extract and DAS to protect against asbestos induced genotoxicity in vivo. Female albino rats were exposed to Indian chrysotile asbestos intratracheally. Other groups of rats were exposed to chrysotile and either garlic or diallyl sulfide. We employed the micronucleus and chromosomal aberrations assays in the alveolar macrophages to analyze the genotoxicity of asbestos fibers. Our results indicate that both garlic extract as well as DAS, when administered to rats, significantly reduced genetic damages induced by asbestos, although the protection by garlic extract was much higher than that of DAS. We conclude two important outcomes; first, garlic extract provides more robust protection as compared to any of its isolated constituents and second, the macrophages can be used as a non-invasive tool for genotoxicity assessment after exposure through inhalation.

Habitat evaluation, water chemistry, fish community data, and a chemical exposure biomarker were used to evaluate the effects of multiple stressors on fish community structure and identify the probable cause(s) of fish community degradation in the Gap Stream, South Korea during May-October 2000. Downstream of a wastewater outfall, there was a decline in the Index of Biotic Integrity of the fish community due to a decrease in the number of native species, an increase in the percentage of tolerant species, and an increase in external deformities and lesions. Five candidate causes of fish community degradation were identified including habitat alteration, chemicals including metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), low dissolved oxygen, and nutrient enrichment. The results of our causal analysis suggest that chemical contamination, habitat alteration, and nutrient enrichment were the principal probable causes responsible for the degradation of the fish community in the Gap Stream below the municipal wastewater treatment plant.