No abstract

There are few ecotoxicological studies involving reptiles, despite the fact that anthropogenic pollutants have been identified as a major threat to reptile populations worldwide. Particularly lacking are effects-based studies in reptiles exposed to known concentrations of contaminants. We hypothesized that acute exposure to neurotoxic metals and pesticides could influence locomotor performance of reptiles. To test this hypothesis, we exposed western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to two common and widely studied neurotoxic contaminants, malathion and lead (Pb). Single doses were administered via oral gavage at order-of-magnitude levels ranging from 0.2 to 200 and 1.0 to 1,000 mg/kg (body weight basis) for malathion and Pb, respectively. Lizard sprint velocity was determined using a 2.3-m sprint track interfaced with a laptop computer 24 hrs prior to dosing and again at 4, 24, 120, and 312 hrs post-dose. Twenty percent and 30% mortality occurred at the highest malathion and Pb dose levels (200 and 1000 mg/kg) and 70% of the lizards exposed to 200 mg/kg malathion exhibited clinical symptoms of organophosphate poisoning. Contrary to our predictions, exposure to Pb had no effect on locomotor performance, and exposure to the highest concentration of malathion increased sprint velocity. Based on the fact that the lower and most ecologically relevant concentrations of Pb and malathion had no effect on sprint velocity, we suggest that other performance parameters that require fine locomotor skills (e.g., climbing ability) may be more sensitive metrics of acute neurotoxicity and warrant further study.

No abstract

In 2011, poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were analyzed in surface water and fish fillet samples taken from Pool 2 of the Upper Mississippi River, a 33-mile stretch inclusive of the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (USA) metropolitan area. Approximately 100 each of bluegill, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, and white bass were sampled within the study area. Surface water samples were also collected from each of the 10 sampling reaches established for the study. Water and fillet samples were analyzed for perfluorinated carboxylic acids (C4-C12), perfluorinated sulfonic acids (C4, C6, and C8), and perfluorooctane sulfonamide. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was observed with the greatest frequency in fish fillets and ranged from 3.0 to 760 ng/g wet weight. Mean (geometric) PFOS concentrations in bluegill, freshwater drum, smallmouth bass, and white bass were 20, 28, 29, and 58 ng/g wet weight, respectively. When compared with fish data collected in 2009, a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in PFOS concentrations was noted. This finding was confirmed based on data from studies conducted in 2012 and 2013. Overall, between 2009 and 2013, PFOS concentrations decreased by 65, 76, and 50% for bluegill, freshwater drum, and white bass, respectively (44% decrease for smallmouth bass from 2009 to 2012). These declines in fish PFOS concentrations are consistent with ongoing efforts to effectively control sources of PFASs to the Mississippi River. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3138-3147. © 2017 SETAC.

No abstract

Eggs, nestlings, and adults of the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) and house wren (Troglodytes aedon) were collected at a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site and a reference location on the Kalamazoo River (MI, USA). Eggs and nestlings of eastern bluebirds at the more contaminated location contained concentrations of 8.3 and 1.3 mg/kg, respectively, of total PCBs and 77 and 6.3 ng/kg, respectively, of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs). Eggs, nestlings, and adults of house wrens from the contaminated location contained 6.3, 0.77, and 3.2 mg/kg, respectively, of PCBs and 400, 63, and 110 ng/kg, respectively, of TEQs. Concentrations of total PCBs and TEQs in tissues at the more contaminated location were significantly greater than concentrations in tissues at the reference site for all tissue types of both species. Exposures of the two species studied were different, which suggests that terrestrial-based insectivorous passerine species, foraging in the same area, may have differential exposure to PCBs depending on specific foraging techniques and the insect orders that are targeted. Despite the greater accumulation of PCBs at the more contaminated location, the risk of exposure to PCBs did not exceed the threshold for adverse effects at either location.

Mink are often used as a sentinel species in ecological risk assessments of chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDDs), and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) that cause toxicity mediated through the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor. Considerable toxicological information is available on the effects of PCBs and PCDDs on mink, but limited toxicological information is available for PCDFs. Thus, exposure concentrations at which adverse effects occur could not be determined reliably for complex mixtures in which PCDFs dominate the total calculated concentration of 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin equivalent (TEQ). Two studies were conducted to evaluate the potential toxicity of PCDFs to mink. The first was a chronic exposure, conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, in which mink were exposed to 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzofuran (2,3,7,8‐TCDF) concentrations as great as 2.4 × 103 ng 2,3,7,8‐TCDF/kg wet‐weight (ww) diet or 2.4 × 102 ng TEQ2006‐WHO‐mammal/kg ww diet. In that study, transient decreases in body masses of kits relative to the controls was the only statistically significant effect observed. The second study was a 3‐y field study during which indicators of individual health, including hematological and morphological parameters, were determined for mink exposed chronically to a mixture of PCDDs and PCDFs under field conditions. In the field study, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the measured parameters between mink exposed to a median estimated dietary dose of 31 ng TEQ2006‐WHO‐mammal/kg ww and mink from an upstream reference area where they had a median dietary exposure of 0.68 ng TEQ2006‐WHO‐mammal/kg ww. In both studies, concentrations of TEQ2006‐WHO‐mammal to which the mink were exposed exceeded those at which adverse effects, based on studies with PCDD and PCB congeners, would have been expected. Yet in both instances where PCDF congeners were the sole or predominant source of the TEQ2006‐WHO‐mammal, predicted adverse effects were not observed. Taken together, the results of these studies suggest that the values of the mammalian‐specific toxicity equivalency factors suggested by the World Health Organization overestimate the toxic potency of PCDFs to mink. Therefore, hazard cannot be accurately predicted by making comparisons to toxicity reference values derived from exposure studies conducted with PCBs or PCDDs in situations where mink are exposed to TEQ mixtures dominated by PCDFs.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. The risk of being infected at least once in a lifetime among both men and women is estimated to be 50%. Although the majority of HPV infections are asymptomatic and improve within 2 years, approximately 10% of individuals develop a persistent infection and have an increased risk of developing carcinomas. The association of HPV and genital cancer is well established. However, there is evidence that HPV may also be associated with other cancers, including those of the gastrointestinal system. The aim of this review is to organize the current evidence of associations between HPV infections and oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal cancers, including the following: oropharyngeal, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, and anal cancers. A comprehensive review of the most up-to-date medical literature concluded that an HPV infection might have a role in the oncogenesis of gastrointestinal tract cancers. HPV may have a causal relationship with oropharyngeal and esophageal squamous cell cancers. However, the association between HPV and gastric and colorectal cancers is weaker. The development of cancer in the oropharyngeal and gastrointestinal tract is usually multifactorial, with HPV having a role in at least a subset of these cancers. HPV infections pose a big challenge due to their burden of infection and their oncogenic potential.