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PubMed1986

Biological monitoring of environmental pollution and human exposure to some trace elements.

The extent of environmental pollution and resulting human exposure to hazardous toxic chemicals in the environment is often difficult to assess. One of the possible alternative approaches to this problem is the use of the biological indicators to demonstrate environmental pollution. This approach appears to be particularly suitable for demonstrating exposure to potentially toxic trace elements. In addition to analyses of plant and animal specimens the element content of human hair as an indicator of exposures to arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, antimony, manganese, nickel and cobalt has been repeatedly confirmed as reliable, provided the analyses were carried out and evaluated on group diagnostic basis and were done in groups of individuals occupationally not exposed to these metals. Preferably groups of 10-year-old children are to be used when only environmental pollution is to be taken into account. Hair samples are incomparably easier to collect, transport and store than the alternative biological material such as blood and urine used commonly to demonstrate exposure to various toxic agents. Biological monitoring of environmental pollution cannot replace the standard procedures of measuring air, water and soil pollution; however, the technique appears to have the potential of being an effective tool search for the extent of environmental pollution and for delimitation of territorial boundaries of areas affected most by hazardous emissions containing potentially toxic trace elements.

Activation Analysis↗
PubMed1999

Child health and environmental pollution in the Aral Sea region in Kazakhstan.

Environmental pollutants, which may occur in breast milk and in various food products and drinking water, and which are also transferred to the foetus, constitute a severe threat to the health of infants and children. Among such compounds, various organochlorines, such as pesticides for the control of parasites (DDTs, HCHs), and products of industry and agriculture, such as dioxins and dioxin-like compounds (PCBs), are much discussed, in addition to organic mercury and heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium. The consequences of acute exposure to PCB have been documented in Japan following the ingestion of rice oil contaminated by PCBs. In Sweden birthweight has been found to be reduced and the perinatal mortality rate higher than expected in regions with high consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea. In addition, from studies around Lake Michigan, it has been shown that children who have been exposed to PCBs in utero have retarded cognitive development. In the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia people have been subjected to long-term exposure to various pesticides, which have been distributed over the cotton fields in huge quantities. Organochlorines are resistant to breakdown in nature, thus they enter the food chain, eventually entering the human diet, and they may also be inhaled from dust. Such compounds accumulate in the foetus by placental transport and continue to do so postnatally if the infants are breastfed, as they may be present in high concentrations in human milk. The health of children living in the Aral Sea region is reported to be poor, with high morbidity and mortality and a high rate of chronic diseases and retarded mental and physical development. However, in addition to being subjected to environmental pollution, these children also suffer from health hazards related to poverty. Through epidemiological studies it may be possible to obtain information about to what extent exposure to environmental pollution from organochlorines contributes to the poor health of people living in the Aral Sea region.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Hierarchical cluster analysis of environmental pollutants through P450 induction in cultured hepatic cells.

Environmental pollutants are classically associated with increased drug metabolism. Cultures of rat hepatocytes, quail hepatocytes, and human hepatoma (Hep G2) cells were used to study the effects of pesticides on drug-metabolizing enzymes. Membrane integrity and mitochondrial activity were evaluated and induction of ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities were measured. Induced P450s were identified by immunoblotting. Pentachlorophenol and lindane appeared as the strongest inducers. On the immunoblots, specific antibodies revealed induced CYP1A1 in fetal rat hepatocytes, CYP2B in quail hepatocytes, and CYP3A7 in Hep G2 cells. Pesticide effects on these different activities in each type of cultured cells were compared by cluster analysis. Results obtained under similar conditions with reference inducers phenobarbital (PB) and benzo[a]anthracene and other environmental pollutants (polychlorobiphenyls) were added to previous data prior to multivariate analysis. The tested products fell into four major groups: a first group with pentachlorophenol, identified as a CYP3A inducer; a second group containing the methylcholanthrene-type inducers that increase CYP1A-related activities; a third class represented by dieldrin, a PB-type inducer; a fourth group including inert compounds or weak inducers. Lindane shares the criteria of the second and third groups and seems to induce both CYP1A and CYP2B activities. The current study results highlight the advantage of using several types of cultured hepatocytes to evaluate the short-term toxicity of environmental pollutants in vitro and constitute a useful model for predicting the potential toxicity of pesticides in humans (Hep G2 cells) and wildlife (fetal quail hepatocytes).

7-Alkoxycoumarin O-Dealkylase↗
PubMed2003

Environmental pollution and the global burden of disease.

Exposures to environmental pollution remain a major source of health risk throughout the world, though risks are generally higher in developing countries, where poverty, lack of investment in modern technology and weak environmental legislation combine to cause high pollution levels. Associations between environmental pollution and health outcome are, however, complex and often poorly characterized. Levels of exposure, for example, are often uncertain or unknown as a result of the lack of detailed monitoring and inevitable variations within any population group. Exposures may occur via a range of pathways and exposure processes. Individual pollutants may be implicated in a wide range of health effects, whereas few diseases are directly attributable to single pollutants. Long latency times, the effects of cumulative exposures, and multiple exposures to different pollutants which might act synergistically all create difficulties in unravelling associations between environmental pollution and health. Nevertheless, in recent years, several attempts have been made to assess the global burden of disease as a result of environmental pollution, either in terms of mortality or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). About 8-9% of the total disease burden may be attributed to pollution, but considerably more in developing countries. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and poor hygiene are seen to be the major sources of exposure, along with indoor air pollution.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1994

Assessing deleterious ecosystem-level effects of environmental pollutants as a means of avoiding evolutionary consequences.

Recent interest has been expressed in the possible need to develop ways to detect and quantify pollutants that affect evolution. Although environmental pollutants clearly can affect evolutionary processes, the evolutionary changes are a response to ecosystem-level toxicity elicited by the pollutant, rather than a direct effect of the pollutant on evolution. Accordingly, emphasis needs to be placed on assessing the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on ecosystem structure and function in order to avoid subsequent evolutionary consequences.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

[Effect of environmental pollutants on the spermatogram].

Increasing environmental exposure to harmful substances as a result of industry has led to an enhanced uptake of chemicals by means of food, water and inhalation. Therefore, the danger of damage of the male reproductive potential cannot be excluded. This assumption is supported by reports from the USA indicating a tendency towards a decrease in the number of spermatozoa in fertile men within the last 50 years. A similar tendency has been shown by investigations on the fertility potential in other industrial countries (Australia, Sweden, France). In Germany, however, so far there is no evidence indicating decrease in the quality of semen in fertile men. The influence of heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides on male fertility is well known. Chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds have aroused particular interest within recent years. Since there are only a few investigations demonstrating the impairment of male fertility by environmental pollutants, it is time to focus our efforts on studying the problem of environmental hazards regarding male fertility from an experimental, clinical and epidemiological viewpoint in order to prevent irreparable damage to mankind.

Environmental Pollutants↗