Association of urinary triclosan, methyl triclosan, triclocarban, and 2,4-dichlorophenol levels with anthropometric and demographic parameters in children and adolescents in 2020 (case study: Kerman, Iran)

Bisphenol A adsorption using modified aloe vera leaf-wastes derived bio-sorbents from aqueous solution: kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies

Reactive-oxygen-species are produced more often in the body when bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting-substance, is present. In this investigation, bio-sorbents from an aqueous solution adapted from Aloe-vera were used to survey BPA removal. Aloe-vera leaf wastes were used to create activated carbon, which was then analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Zeta potential, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. It was revealed that the adsorption process adheres to the Freundlich isotherm model with R2>0.96 and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2>0.99 under ideal conditions (pH = 3, contact time = 45 min, concentration of BPA = 20 mg.L-1, and concentration of the adsorbent = 2 g.L-1). After five-cycle, the efficacy of removal was greater than 70%. The removal of phenolic-chemicals from industrial-effluent can be accomplished with the assistance of this adsorbent in a cost-effective and effective-approach.

Acute/chronic triclosan exposure induces downregulation of m6A-RNA methylation modification via mettl3 suppression and elicits developmental and immune toxicity to zebrafish

Triclosan (TCS), a prevalent contaminant in aquatic ecosystems, has been identified as a potential threat to both aquatic biota and human health. Despite its widespread presence, research into the immunotoxic effects of TCS on aquatic organisms is limited, and the underlying mechanisms driving these effects remain largely unexplored. Herein, we investigated the developmental and immune toxicities of environmentally relevant concentrations of TCS in zebrafish, characterized by morphological anomalies, histopathological impairments, and fluctuations in cytological differentiation and biomarkers following both acute (from 6 to 72/120 hpf) and chronic exposure periods (from 30 to 100 dpf). Specifically, acute exposure to TCS resulted in a significant increase in innate immune cells, contrasted by a marked decrease in T cells. Furthermore, we observed that TCS exposure elicited oxidative stress and a reduction in global m6A levels, alongside abnormal expressions within the m6A modification enzyme system in zebrafish larvae. Molecular docking studies suggested that mettl3 might be a target molecule for TCS interaction. Intriguingly, the knock-down of mettl3 mirrored the effects of TCS exposure, adversely impacting the growth and development of zebrafish, as well as the differentiation of innate immune cells. These results provide insights into the molecular basis of TCS-induced immunotoxicity through m6A-RNA epigenetic modification and aid in assessing its ecological risks, informing strategies for disease prevention linked to environmental contaminants.

Associations of mixed urinary metals exposure with metabolic syndrome in the US adult population

BACKGROUND

Metals are harmful to human health in many ways. However, the association between metals and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. Aims of this study is to discuss the relationship between urinary metal and MetS.

METHODS

This study included 3419 adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005-2018). Logistic regression analysis, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), weighted quantile sum (WQS), and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to explore the associations of nine urinary metal and MetS.

RESULTS

BKMR and WQS showed the effects of combined nine urinary metal were negatively correlated with MetS. Logistic regression analysis, WQS, and BKMR all suggested that cesium (Cs) and lead (Pb) were negatively correlated with MetS (all PFDCR <0.05). And RCS suggested log2-transformed Cs (χ2 = 20, P < 0.001) and log2-transformed Pb (χ2 = 19.9, P < 0.001) were negatively and linearly associated with MetS.

CONCLUSION

Existing evidence suggests that urine metal content is related to MetS. Cs and Pb are negatively related to MetS. It is still necessary to study and further discuss the causal relationship and mechanism.

Environmental exposure to organophosphate pesticides and effects on cognitive functions in elementary school children in a Middle Eastern area

Although the fundamental reasons for cognitive function disorders have been well documented, little is known about the impact of environmental exposures, such as pesticides, on children's cognitive function development. This study investigated the effect of exposure to organophosphate pesticides on children's cognitive function. In order to determine various factors of exposure, hair samples were collected from 114 elementary school children who lived in Boyer-Ahmad County in the province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Iran. A detailed questionnaire was utilized to gather demographic information and exposure profile. Pesticides were detected in hair samples using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS); also, cognitive function was assessed using the trail-making test (TMT), which was divided into two parts: TMT-part A and TMT-part B. Participants in the study were 10.12 ± 1.440 years old on average. Children in rural areas had higher mean total pesticide concentrations (13.612 ± 22.01 ng/g) than those who lived in the urban areas (1.801 ± 1.32). The results revealed that boys (46.44 s and 92.37 s) completed the TMT-part A and part B tests in less time than girls (54.95 s and 109.82 s), respectively, and showed better performance (2.14) on the cognitive function exam than girls (2.07). Diazinon and TMT-part B were positively correlated (p < 0.05). With the increase in pesticides, there was no discernible difference in cognitive function. Pesticide use throughout a child's development may affect certain cognitive function indicators. In order to assess causal relationships, group studies and case studies are required because the current research was cross-sectional in nature.

Bisphenol A contamination in aquatic environments: a review of sources, environmental concerns, and microbial remediation

The production of polycarbonate, a high-performance transparent plastic, employs bisphenol A, which is a prominent endocrine-disrupting compound. Polycarbonates are frequently used in the manufacturing of food, bottles, storage containers for newborns, and beverage packaging materials. Global production of BPA in 2022 was estimated to be in the region of 10 million tonnes. About 65-70% of all bisphenol A is used to make polycarbonate plastics. Bisphenol A leaches from improperly disposed plastic items and enters the environment through wastewater from plastic-producing industries, contaminating, sediments, surface water, and ground water. The concentration BPA in industrial and domestic wastewater ranges from 16 to 1465 ng/L while in surface water it has been detected 170-3113 ng/L. Wastewater treatment can be highly effective at removing BPA, giving reductions of 91-98%. Regardless, the remaining 2-9% of BPA will continue through to the environment, with low levels of BPA commonly observed in surface water and sediment in the USA and Europe. The health effects of BPA have been the subject of prolonged public and scientific debate, with PubMed listing more than 17,000 scientific papers as of 2023. Bisphenol A poses environmental and health hazards in aquatic systems, affecting ecosystems and human health. While several studies have revealed its presence in aqueous streams, environmentally sound technologies should be explored for its removal from the contaminated environment. Concern is mostly related to its estrogen-like activity, although it can interact with other receptor systems as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. Present review article encompasses the updated information on sources, environmental concerns, and sustainable remediation techniques for bisphenol A removal from aquatic ecosystems, discussing gaps, constraints, and future research requirements.

Health risk assessment of exposure to triclosan in pregnant women using Monte Carlo simulation techniques: based on biomonitoring data

This study aimed to assess the triclosan (TCS) health risk in an Iranian pregnant women sample by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The urinary TCS of 99 women after the 28th week of pregnancy was detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS), and the MCS model implemented a health risk assessment. The corresponding hazard quotient (HQ) and the sensitivity analysis were calculated. TCS was measured in 100% of the urine samples with a median concentration of 2.89 µg/L. The median of HQ was obtained at 1.93 × 10-4. The TCS exposure risk in the studied population was lower than the allowable limit. A comparison between HQ values in the two weight subgroups of pregnant women showed that the risk level is almost equal, and there was minimal health risk in pregnant women from exposure to TCS.

Adverse effects of triclosan exposure on health and potential molecular mechanisms

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of disinfectants has grown significantly around the world. Triclosan (TCS), namely 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol or 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether, is a broad-spectrum, lipophilic, antibacterial agent that is extensively used in multifarious consumer products. Due to the widespread use and bioaccumulation, TCS is frequently detected in the environment and human biological samples. Accumulating evidence suggests that TCS is considered as a novel endocrine disruptor and may have potential unfavorable effects on human health, but studies on the toxic effect mediated by TCS exposure as well as its underlying mechanisms of action are relatively sparse. Therefore, in this review, we attempted to summarize the potential detrimental effects of TCS exposure on human reproductive health, liver function, intestinal homeostasis, kidney function, thyroid endocrine, and other tissue health, and further explore its mechanisms of action, thereby contributing to the better understanding of TCS characteristics and safety. Moreover, our work suggested the need to further investigate the biological effects of TCS exposure at the metabolic level in vivo.

Maternal exposure to benzophenone derivatives and their impacts on offspring's birth outcomes in a Middle Eastern population

Widespread use of benzophenones (BPs), a group of environmental phenolic compounds, is suspected of interfering with human health. The association of prenatal exposure to benzophenone derivatives with birth outcomes including birth weight and length, head, arm and thoracic circumference, abnormalities, corpulence index and anterior fontanelle diameter (AFD) was investigated. Mother-infant pairs of 166 within PERSIAN cohort population in Isfahan, Iran, in the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy were assessed. Four common benzophenone metabolites including 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP-1), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-3), 4-hydroxy benzophenone (4-OH-BP) and 2,2'-dihydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (BP-8) were measured in maternal urine samples. The median concentration of 4-OH-BP, BP-3, BP-1 and BP-8 were 3.15, 16.98, 9.95 and 1.04 µg/g Cr, respectively. In the 1st trimester, 4-OH-BP showed a significant correlation with AFD in total infants, decreasing 0.034 cm AFD per a log unit increase of 4-OH-BP. Within the male neonates, 4-OH-BP in the 1st and BP-8 in the 3rd trimester were significantly associated with head circumference and AFD increase, respectively. Among female neonates in the 3rd trimester, increasing 4-OH-BP and BP-3 concentration was correlated with a decrease in birth weight and AFD, respectively. This study demonstrated that all the target BP derivatives can influence normal fetal growth at any age of the pregnancy, nevertheless, to support these findings further studies are needed in a large and different group population.

Immunotoxicity induced by triclocarban exposure in zebrafish triggering the risk of pancreatic cancer

Owing to frequent application as a broad-spectrum bactericide, triclocarban (TCC) exposure has raised great concern for aquatic organisms and human health. Herein, based on transcriptome sequencing data analysis of zebrafish, we confirmed that TCC induced oxidative stress and dysimmunity through transcriptional regulation of the related genes. With aid of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) assembler database, 52 common differentially expressed genes, whose functions were related to immunity, were screened out by virtue of the meta-analysis of pancreatic cancer sample data and differential transcription profiles from TCC-exposed larvae. Acute TCC exposure affected formation of the innate immune cells, delayed mature thymic T-cell development, reduced immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels and promoted excessive release of the pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β and tnfα). Under TCC exposure, the expressions of the genes associated with immune cell abundance in pancreatic cancer were significantly down-regulated, while the levels of ROS were prominently increased in concomitant with suppressed antioxidant activity. Moreover, a series of marker genes (pi3k, nrf2, keap1, ho-1 and nqo1) in the PI3K/Nrf2 antioxidant-stress pathway were abnormally expressed under TCC exposure. Interestingly, vitamin C decreased the malformation and increased the survival rate of 120-hpf larvae and effectively alleviated TCC-induced oxidative stress and immune responses. Overall, TCC exposure induced immunotoxicity and increased the risk of pancreatic cancer by inhibiting the antioxidant capacity of the PI3K/Nrf2 signal pathway. These observations enrich our in-depth understanding of the effects of TCC on early embryonic-larval development and immune damage in zebrafish.

Demographic and anthropometric characteristics and their effect on the concentration of heavy metals (arsenic, lead, chromium, zinc) in children and adolescents

Background

Biomonitoring is a well-established method for assessing people's exposure to contaminants in the environment. Many non-communicable diseases can be prevented or aggravated by physiologically monitoring heavy metals in biological matrices such as urine, evaluating their association with non-communicable diseases, and attempting to limit exposure to them. The focus of this research was to determine the association between potentially toxic elements (PTE) such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn) urine concentrations and anthropometric indices and demographic data in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years in Kerman, Iran.

Methods

106 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years in Kerman were randomly selected. A questionnaire was used to acquire demographic information from the participants' parents. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were all assessed, as well as body mass index (BMI) and BMI Z-score. Induced Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) was used to quantify As, Pb, Cr, and Zn concentrations in participants' urine.

Results

The geometric mean concentrations were As (38.72 ± 39.30), Pb (19.58 ± 22.91), Cr (1.06 ± 0.28), and Zn (344.72 ± 288.16) μg/creatinine. Boys aged 12-18 years old had higher mean concentration of As than boys aged 6-11 years old (p = 0.019) according to two measurement standards, μg/L, and μg/creatinine, whereas girls had no significant difference. In general, there was a strong association between parental education and metal concentrations of As, Pb, and Cr. As, Pb, and Zn (μg/creatinine) had a significant positive association with BMI z-score and BMI. As, Pb, and Zn metals were shown to have a substantial positive association (p < 0.001). There was no evidence of an association between the metals evaluated and WC.

Conclusions

The findings of this study generally showed that there was a significant association between demographic characteristics and exposure to these metals in children and adolescents, indicating that these people were exposed to these metals, which can harm their health. As a result, the pathways of exposure to metals must be limited.

Temporal trends in risk of bisphenol A, benzophenone-3 and triclosan exposure among U.S. children and adolescents aged 6-19 years: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2016

BACKGROUND

Phenolic compounds with potential adverse health effects are gradually being replaced. Little is known about the potential health risks of BPA, BP3, and TCS exposure in children and adolescents aged 6-19 years in the United States.

OBJECTIVES

To determine trends and rates of change in hazard indices (HI) for three phenolics in U.S. children and adolescents for BPA, BP3, TCS, and to assess changes in gender, race/ethnicity, age, and potential health risks.

METHODS

Metabolic biomonitoring data from field-collected urine samples from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized. Daily intake of three phenols (bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, and triclosan) between 2005 and 2016 in children and adolescents were obtained. Cumulative risk indicators, including hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and maximum cumulative ratio (MCR), were used for the health risk assessment of the three phenols.

RESULTS

During this period, the change in LSGM HI was -2.9% per cycle [95% Cl: (-3.7%, -2.2%)], and the percentage of participants with HI > 0.1 decreased from 15.6% to 10.5%. Children (6-11 years) had higher mean HI values than adolescents (12-19 years), while female had higher LSGM HI values than male. MCR values were generally low and negatively correlated with HI. However, the average value of MCR increased from 1.722 to 2.107 during this period.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to phenolics among U.S. children and adolescents has changed in recent decades. However, gaps in data limit the interpretation of trends but legislative activity and advocacy campaigns by nongovernmental organizations may play a role in changing trends. Moreover, there are growing concerns about the potential health risks associated with exposure to multiple phenols in children and adolescents.

Effect of Maternal Triclosan Exposure on Neonatal Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective

This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between maternal urinary triclosan (uTCS) exposure and the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level of infant cord blood.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2019-2020 in Isfahan, Iran, and 99 pregnant women participated in the study. Urine samples were collected after the 28th week of pregnancy, and the concentration of TCS was measured using GC/MS. The cord blood levels of TSH (CBL-TSH) were measured. The association between uTCS and CBL-TSH was examined based on the general linear model.

Results

TCS was detected (≥0.01 ng/mL) in 100% of the urine samples, with the interquartile range (25%-75%) of uTCS levels 0.6-6.23 μg/g Cr. uTCS was not associated with CBL-TSH after adjustment for covariates. A significant relationship was observed between CBL-TSH of neonates born to mothers who had given birth only once compared to mothers who had given birth twice or more times.

Conclusions

Maternal exposure to TCS did not affect the infant CBL-TSH. However, the high concentrations of TCS in maternal urinary samples indicate the necessity of more precise regulations to decrease the use of this chemical in the industry and increase public awareness about using TCS-free compounds.

A Pilot Study on the Association of Lead, 8-Hydroxyguanine, and Malondialdehyde Levels in Opium Addicts' Blood Serum with Illicit Drug Use and Non-Addict Persons

While a large body of literature has shown the health problems of illicit drug use, research is needed on how substance abuse impacts DNA damage and contaminants in blood, especially given Pb-contaminated opium. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the levels of lead (Pb), 8-hydroxy di-guanine (8-oxo-Gua), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the blood serum of opium addicts and non-addict people. The current study is a case–control study with a cross-sectional design. A sample of 50 opium-addicted and non-addict adults were chosen for this study using convenience and random sampling methods. Participants were divided into two groups: addicts and non-addicts. The atomic absorption spectroscopy method was used to measure the quantity of Pb, and the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method was used to measure the amount of 8-oxo-Gua and MDA. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test. The results show that the amount of Pb in the blood serum of addicted women and men was higher than levels in non-addict men and women, for the study participants (p-value = 0.001). Blood levels were not significantly different between addicts and non-addicts for men or women for 8-oxo-Gua (p-value = 0.647 for women and p-value = 0.785 for men) and MDA (p-value = 0.867 for women and p-value = 0.995 for men). In general, addicts’ blood Pb levels were found to be substantially higher than those of normal non-addict persons in this pilot study. As a result, testing for blood Pb levels in addicts may be informative in instances when symptoms are inconclusive.