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Fai PBA, Ngogang JN, Kouemo MD, Nfor B, Fobil JN, Basu N. Association between heavy metal uptake and growth and reproduction in the anecic earthworm, Alma nilotica (Grube 1855). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:1162-1173. [PMID: 37864594 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Elevated heavy metal concentrations in soils are a cause for concern as they are hazardous to soil organisms including earthworms which are considered as ecosystem engineers. Current ecotoxicity tests predominantly use temperate earthworm species, and thus there is the need to include a broader genera of native species to improve ecological risk assessment. Alma nilotica, is a tropical anecic earthworm species that survives well under laboratory conditions and has potential for use in ecotoxicology testing but lacks published toxicity data for important pollutants. Growth and reproduction bioassays were carried out with A. nilotica to determine the relationship between the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr in spiked soils and their bioaccumulation and toxic effects. Positive linear relationships were found between soil-metal and internal earthworm-metal concentrations. Cu did not inhibit growth up to 35 days of exposure but became toxic with longer exposure duration. Zn was not regulated by A. nilotica although it is an essential metal that is well regulated by Eisenia sp. commonly used in standard ecotoxicity tests, showing differences in metal regulation by earthworms of different ecological categories. Based on bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), growth inhibition and reproduction effects the metals were ranked in decreasing toxicity as Pb > Cr > Zn > Cu. The mean 20% Internal Effects Concentrations (IEC20s) for reproduction were 1.04, 2.9, 8.3 and 224.2 mg metal kg-1 earthworm for Pb, Cr, Zn and Cu respectively. These data can contribute to the improvement of metal risk assessment particularly in tropical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Bi Asanga Fai
- Department of Animal Biology, Dschang School of Science and Technology, University of Dschang, BP 96 Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon.
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 70 Bambili, Bambili, North West Region, Cameroon.
| | - Josephine Ngoune Ngogang
- Department of Animal Biology, Dschang School of Science and Technology, University of Dschang, BP 96 Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon
| | - Mariette Djeukam Kouemo
- Department of Animal Biology, Dschang School of Science and Technology, University of Dschang, BP 96 Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon
| | - Brian Nfor
- Department of Animal Biology, Dschang School of Science and Technology, University of Dschang, BP 96 Dschang, Dschang, West Region, Cameroon
| | - Julius N Fobil
- Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Niladri Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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Venugopal PD, Addo Ntim S, Goel R, Reilly SM, Brenner W, Hanna SK. Environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and hazards of chemicals in e-cigarette e-liquids: short-listing chemicals for risk assessments. Tob Control 2023:tc-2023-058163. [PMID: 37845042 PMCID: PMC11018712 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/METHODS Increased use and sales of e-cigarettes raises concerns about the potential environmental impacts throughout their life-cycle. However, few available research studies focus on the environmental impacts and ecotoxicity of e-cigarettes. In this study, we short-list e-liquid chemicals from published literature that should be considered in future environmental impact and risk assessments. We used a combination of available laboratory bioassays-based data and predictive methods (eg, Structure-Activity Relationships) to characterise the hazards of the e-liquid chemicals (environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and aquatic toxicity including hazardous concentration values (concentration affecting specific proportion of species)) for short-listing. RESULTS Of the 421 unique e-liquid chemicals compiled from literature, 35 are US Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous constituents, 42 are US Food and Drug Administration's harmful or potentially harmful constituents in tobacco products and smoke, and 20 are listed as both. Per hazard characteristics, we short-listed 81 chemicals that should be considered for future environmental impact and risk assessments, including tobacco-specific compounds (eg, nicotine, N'-nitrosonornicotine), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (eg, chrysene), flavours (eg, (-)caryophyllene oxide), metals (eg, lead), phthalates (eg, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate) and flame retardants (eg, tris(4-methylphenyl)phosphate). IMPLICATIONS Our findings documenting various hazardous chemicals in the e-liquids underscore the importance of awareness and education when handling or disposing of e-liquids/e-cigarettes and aim to inform strategies to prevent and reduce hazards from e-cigarettes. This includes any scenario where e-liquids can come into contact with people or the environment during e-liquid storage, manufacturing, use, and disposal practices. Overall, our study characterises the environmental hazards of e-liquid chemicals and provides regulators and researchers a readily available list for future ecological and health risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Dilip Venugopal
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Susana Addo Ntim
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Reema Goel
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha M Reilly
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - William Brenner
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - Shannon K Hanna
- Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
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Toropova AP, Toropov AA, Roncaglioni A, Benfenati E, Leszczynska D, Leszczynski J. CORAL: Model of Ecological Impact of Heavy Metals on Soils via the Study of Modification of Concentration of Biomolecules in Earthworms (Eisenia fetida). ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2023; 84:504-515. [PMID: 37202557 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-023-01001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The traditional application for quantitative structure-property/activity relationships (QSPRs/QSARs) in the fields of thermodynamics, toxicology or drug design is predicting the impact of molecular features using data on the measurable characteristics of substances. However, it is often necessary to evaluate the influence of various exposure conditions and environmental factors, besides the molecular structure. Different enzyme-driven processes lead to the accumulation of metal ions by the worms. Heavy metals are sequestered in these organisms without being released back into the soil. In this study, we propose a novel approach for modeling the absorption of heavy metals, such as mercury and cobalt by worms. The models are based on optimal descriptors calculated for the so-called quasi-SMILES, which incorporate strings of codes reflecting experimental conditions. We modeled the impact on the levels of proteins, hydrocarbons, and lipids in an earthworm's body caused by different combinations of concentrations of heavy metals and exposure time observed over two months of exposure with a measurement interval of 15 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla P Toropova
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Science, Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrey A Toropov
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Science, Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Roncaglioni
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Science, Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Emilio Benfenati
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Department of Environmental Health Science, Istituto Di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156, Milan, Italy
| | - Danuta Leszczynska
- Interdisciplinary Nanotoxicity Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jackson State University, 1325 Lynch Street, Jackson, MS, 39217-0510, USA
| | - Jerzy Leszczynski
- Interdisciplinary Nanotoxicity Center, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
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Aubrac G, Bastiansz A, Basu N. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mercury Exposure among Populations and Environments in Contact with Electronic Waste. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191911843. [PMID: 36231146 PMCID: PMC9564538 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling releases mercury (Hg) into the environment, though to our knowledge Hg levels at such sites have yet to be examined on a worldwide basis. A systematic review of scientific studies was conducted to extract, analyze, and synthesize data on Hg levels in e-waste products, environments near recycling sites, and in people. Data were extracted from 78 studies from 20 countries, and these included Hg levels in 1103 electrical and electronic products, 2072 environmental samples (soil, air, plant, food, water, dust), and 2330 human biomarkers (blood, hair, urine). The average Hg level in products was 0.65 μg/g, with the highest levels found in lamps (578 μg/g). Average soil and sediment Hg levels (1.86 μg/g) at e-waste sites were at least eight times higher than at control sites. Average urinary Hg levels (0.93 μg/g creatinine) were approximately two-fold higher among e-waste workers versus control groups. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that e-waste recycling may lead to Hg contamination in environments and human populations in close proximity to processing sites. These findings contribute to a growing knowledge base of mercury exposure through diverse source-exposure pathways, and the work has potential policy implications in the context of the Minamata Convention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwen Aubrac
- Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7, Canada
| | - Ashley Bastiansz
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Niladri Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Nfor B, Fai PBA, Tamungang SA, Fobil JN, Basu N. Soil Contamination and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by a Tropical Earthworm Species (Alma nilotica) at Informal E-Waste Recycling Sites in Douala, Cameroon. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:356-368. [PMID: 34888918 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil contamination at electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites is pervasive, though many locations have yet to be studied. While such contamination can present risks to soil organisms, little is known on the risks to native species. The objective of the present study was to assess soil contamination by heavy metals at e-waste recycling sites, and the potential of Alma nilotica, a native earthworm species, to bioaccumulate these metals. Soil samples collected from eight informal e-waste recycling sites and two non-e-waste sites in Douala, Cameroon, were analyzed for metal content. Metal concentrations in earthworm juveniles exposed to the soils for 21 days followed by a 14-day post-exposure period were measured weekly. Mean soil metal concentrations at e-waste sites ranked as Cu > Pb > Zn > Hg > Ni > As > Cd > Co > Cr. Based on contamination factors, soil contamination ranged from "moderate" (Cr), through "considerable" (Co and Cd), to "very high" for the rest of the metals. Based on the modified degree of contamination and risk index, all e-waste sites had "ultra-high" contamination with Ni, Pb, and Zn posing very high ecological risks and Bonaberi being the most contaminated site. There was a positive correlation between soil metal concentrations and metal accumulation (retention) by eathworms, but Hg and Co had the highest bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) despite having low soil concentrations. These results document that e-waste sites in Douala are contaminated with metals and that native earthworm species can bioaccumulate the studied metals at levels that could account for the toxic effects earlier recorded. With e-waste recycling growing worldwide, there is a need for more data, especially from understudied locations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:356-368. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Nfor
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Patricia Bi Asanga Fai
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Simon Awafor Tamungang
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Julius N Fobil
- Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Greater Accra, Ghana
| | - Niladri Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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