Genotoxicity analysis of two halonitromethanes, a novel group of disinfection by-products (DBPs), in human cells treated in vitro

Effects of Fe(III) on the formation and toxicity alteration of halonitromethanes, dichloroacetonitrile, and dichloroacetamide from polyethyleneimine during UV/chlorine disinfection

Trace iron ions (Fe(III)) are commonly found in water and wastewater, where free chlorine is very likely to coexist with Fe(III) affecting the disinfectant's stability and N-DBPs' fate during UV/chlorine disinfection, and yet current understanding of these mechanisms is limited. This study investigates the effects of Fe(III) on the formation and toxicity alteration of halonitromethanes (HNMs), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), and dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) from polyethyleneimine (PEI) during UV/chlorine disinfection. Results reveal that the maxima concentrations of HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm during UV/chlorine disinfection with additional Fe(III) were 1.39, 1.38, and 1.29 times higher than those without additional Fe(III), instead of being similar to those of Fe(III) inhibited the formation of HNMs, DCAN and DCAcAm during chlorination disinfection. Meanwhile, higher Fe(III) concentration, acidic pH, and higher chlorine dose were more favorable for forming HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm during UV/chlorine disinfection, which were highly dependent on the involvement of HO· and Cl·. Fe(III) in the aquatic environment partially hydrolyzed to the photoactive Fe(III)‑hydroxyl complexes Fe(OH)2+ and [Fe(H2O)6]3+, which undergone UV photoactivation and coupling reactions with HOCl to achieve effective Fe(III)/Fe(II) interconversion, a process that facilitated the sustainable production of HO·. Extensive product analysis and comparison verified that the HO· production enhanced by the Fe(III)/Fe(II) internal cycle played a primary role in increasing HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm productions during UV/chlorine disinfection. Note that the incorporation of Fe(III) increased the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm formed during UV/chlorine disinfection, and yet Fe(III) did not have a significant effect on the acute toxicity of water samples before, during, and after UV/chlorine disinfection. The new findings broaden the knowledge of Fe(III) affecting HNMs, DCAN, and DCAcAm formation and toxicity alteration during UV/chlorine disinfection.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of tributyltin in the early embryonic chick, Gallus gallus domesticus

Tributyltin (TBT) is used in many commercial applications, including pesticides and antifouling paints, due to its biocidal properties. We examined the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of TBT in the early chick embryo (Gallus gallus domesticus). Chick embryos (11 days) were treated with various doses of TBT to measure LD₅₀ values for 24, 48, and 72 h exposures, which were determined to be 110, 54, and 18 μg/egg, respectively. The embryos were exposed to sub-lethal doses of TBT for evaluation of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. An increase in the incidence of micronuclei (MN) was observed but it was not statistically significant. Induction of other nuclear abnormalities (ONA) after 72 h TBT exposure was significant. A significant increase in comet assay tail DNA content was also detected in TBT-exposed embryos. Cytotoxicity was also evidenced by alteration in the polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) to normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) ratio and by an increase in the erythroblast population in treated organisms. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of TBT may have long-term complications in later stages of the life cycle.

Occurrence of brominated disinfection by-products in thermal spas

Thermal spas are gaining more and more popularity among the population because they are used for recreational purposes. Disinfecting these baths without losing the health benefits poses a challenge for swimming pool operators. Previous studies have mainly focused on regulated chlorinated DBPs in freshwater pools with no bromide or seawater pools with very high bromide content. Thermal water pools have a low bromide content and in combination with chlorine can lead to chlorinated, brominated and mixed halogenated DBP species. The occurrence of brominated and mixed halogenated DBPs in these types of pools is largely unexplored, with very few or limited studies published on regulated DBPs and even fewer on emerging DBP classes. In the field of swimming pool water disinfection, apart from extensive studies in the field of drinking water disinfection, only a few studies are known in which >39 halogenated and 16 non-halogenated disinfection by-products, including regulated trihalomethanes (THM) and haloacetic acids (HAA), were investigated in swimming pool water. Calculated bromine incorporation factor (BIF) demonstrated that even small amounts of bromide in swimming pool water can lead to a large shift in DBP species towards brominated and mixed halogenated DBPs. Dihaloacetonitriles (DHANs) accounted for >50% of the calculated cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on average. Comparison of the target analysis with the TOX showed that a major part of the measured TOX (69% on average) could be explained by the regulated classes THMs, HAAs, and the unregulated class of HANs. This study aims to help operators of swimming pools with bromide-containing water to gain a better understanding of DBP formation in future monitoring and to fill the knowledge gap that has existed so far on the occurrence of DBPs in thermal water pools.

Structural and functional alterations of intestinal flora in mice induced by halonitromethanes exposure

Halonitromethanes (HNMs) as one typical class of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have been widely found in drinking water and are receiving more and more attentions because of their high cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. However, the effects of HNMs exposure on the intestinal tract and intestinal flora remain unknown. This study comprehensively determined the effects of trichloronitromethane, bromonitromethane, and bromochloronitromethane exposure on the intestinal tract and intestinal flora. Results showed that the three HNMs induced intestinal oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Further, HNMs exposure could change the diversities and community structure of intestinal flora, thereby triggering intestinal flora dysbiosis, which might be associated with the intestinal damage such as oxidative stress and inflammation. The intestinal flora dysbiosis was accompanied with mark alterations in function of intestinal flora, such as carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolisms. This research provides a new insight into studying the toxicity of HNMs exposure based on intestinal flora, which will further improve the health risk assessment of DBPs in drinking water.

Inhibition of nucleotide excision repair and damage response signaling by dibromoacetonitrile: A novel genotoxicity mechanism of a water disinfection byproduct

Dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN) is a carcinogenic disinfection byproduct (DBP) but how it precipitates cancer is unknown. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a versatile repair mechanism for removing bulky DNA lesions to maintain genome stability, and impairment of this process is associated with cancer development. In this study, we found that DBAN inhibited NER and investigated its mechanism with other DNA damage responses. Human keratinocytes HaCaT were treated with DBAN followed by ultraviolet (UV) as a model inducer of DNA damage, pyrimidine dimers, which require NER for the removal. DBAN pretreatment exacerbated UV-cytotoxicity, and inhibited the repair of pyrimidine dimers. DBAN treatment delayed the recruitment of NER proteins, transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) and xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group G (XPG), to DNA damaged sites, and subsequent gap filling process. Moreover, DBAN suppressed the UV-induced double strand breaks (DSBs) formation, as well as phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX), a widely used DNA damage marker. Altogether, DBAN could negatively impact the NER process and phosphorylation pathway responding to DNA damage. This study was the first to identify the inhibition of NER and damage response signaling as a genotoxicity mechanism of a class of DBPs and it may serve as a foundation for DBP carcinogenesis.

GFP-fused yeast cells as whole-cell biosensors for genotoxicity evaluation of nitrosamines

Nitrosamine compounds, represented by N-nitrosodimethylamine, are regarded as potentially genotoxic impurities (PGIs) due to their hazard warning structure, which has attracted great attention of pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities. At present, great research gaps exist in genotoxicity assessment and carcinogenicity comparison of nitrosamine compounds. In this work, a collection of GFP-fused yeast cells representing DNA damage repair pathways were used to evaluate the genotoxicity of eight nitrosamine compounds (10^-6-10⁵ μg/mL). The high-resolution expression profiles of GFP-fused protein revealed the details of the DNA damage repair of nitrosamines. Studies have shown that nitrosamine compounds can cause extensive DNA damage and activate multiple repair pathways. The evaluation criteria based on the total expression level of protein show a good correlation with the mammalian carcinogenicity data TD₅₀, and the yeast cell collection can be used as a potential reliable criterion for evaluating the carcinogenicity of compounds. The assay based on DNA damage pathway integration has high sensitivity and can be used as a supplementary method for the evaluation of trace PGIs in actual production. KEY POINTS: • The genotoxicity mechanism of nitrosamines was systematically studied. • The influence of compound structure on the efficacy of genotoxicity was explored. • GFP-fused yeast cells have the potential to evaluate impurities in production.

Comparison of DNA damages in blood lymphocytes of indoor swimming pool lifeguards with non-lifeguards athletes

Chlorination has been used as a major disinfectant process for swimming pool water in many countries. The purpose of this study is to compare the DNA damage of the blood lymphocytes in indoor pool lifeguards with non-lifeguards athletes. We performed a study in which the participants were Gonabad's lifeguards. We chose 30 participants (15 male and 15 female) for each group. We collected vein blood samples from each participant in both exposed and control group. The lymphocytes were isolated from the whole blood by ficoll, and the cell viability was determined by the trypan blue. The alkaline Comet assay was also performed on lymphocytes in order to measure the DNA damage. All the parameters indicated that the DNA damage was significantly greater in lifeguards group than control group (p < 0.001). Also, the results revealed a statistically significant higher level of DNA damage in females as evident by an increase in the tail length (μm) [8.97 ± 4.21 for females as compared to 4.32 ± 1.33 for males (p = 0.001)], tail DNA (%) [4.18 ± 1.27 for females as compared to 3.14 ± 0.94 for males (p = 0.016)] and tail moment (μm) [0.68 ± 0.53 for females and 0.26 ± 0.14 for males (p = 0.010)]. There was also a significant positive correlation between DNA damage and the duration of work (P < 0.001).

Single and combined effects of selected haloacetonitriles in a human-derived hepatoma line

Haloacetonitriles (HANs) are nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs) detected in drinking water that have high toxicity and are a high risk to human health. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity as well as the oxidative stress of five HANs, namely chloroacetonitrile (CAN), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), trichloroacetonitrile (TCAN), bromoacetonitrile (BAN), and dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN) on a hepatoma cell line (HepG2) were determined by single, binary or ternary exposure. The median effective concentrations, based on cell viability, ranged from 0.8360 mg/L for BAN to 256.9 mg/L for DCAN, with a cytotoxicity order of BAN > DBAN > CAN > TCAN > DCAN. The lowest observed effective concentrations regarding DNA damage were 0.01 mg/L for CAN and DCAN, 0.1 mg/L for DBAN and TCAN, and 1 mg/L for BAN. The DNA damage induced by CAN, DCAN and TCAN was repaired to about 80% in 30 min, and when induced by BAN and DBAN, it was repaired completely in 60 min. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were significantly increased by the five HANs, and bromo-acetonitrile produced a stronger oxidative stress than chloro-acetonitrile. Co-exposure of DCAN, TCAN and DBAN significantly inhibited cell viability, induced DNA damage and facilitated ROS generation in HepG2 cells. However, the interactive effects were inconsistent for the different endpoints, which seemed to be antagonism for cell viability but synergy for ROS generation.

Rapid and complete dehalogenation of halonitromethanes in simulated gastrointestinal tract and its influence on toxicity

Halonitromethanes (HNMs) as one typical class of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts in drinking water and wastewater are receiving attentions due to their high toxicity. This study applied a simulator of the human gastrointestinal tract to determine the dehalogenation processes of trichloronitromethane, bromonitromethane and bromochloronitromethane for the first time. Influence of digestion process of HNMs on gut microbiota and hepatotoxicity was further analyzed. Results showed that the three HNMs were rapidly and completely dehalogenated in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the stomach (2 h retention Time) and small intestine (4 h retention Time). Mucin, cysteine, pancreatin and bile salts in the digestive juice played major roles in the dehalogenation process. HNMs and their dehalogenation products in the resulting fluids of stomach induced the highest toxicity followed by those in intestine and colon, exhibiting dose-dependent effects. Although most HNMs were degraded in the stomach and small intestine, residual HNMs entered into colon changed the microbial community. Abundance of several genera, such as Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae_unassigned and Lactobacillus had high correlation with exposure concentration of HNMs. This study sheds new light on dehalogenation and toxic processes of HNMs by oral exposure, which provides basic data for their human health risk assessment.

Genotoxicity Assessment of Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts by DNA Damage and Repair Pathway Profiling Analysis

Genotoxicity is considered a major concern for drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Of over 700 DBPs identified to date, only a small number has been assessed with limited information for DBP genotoxicity mechanism(s). In this study, we evaluated genotoxicity of 20 regulated and unregulated DBPs applying a quantitative toxicogenomics approach. We used GFP-fused yeast strains that examine protein expression profiling of 38 proteins indicative of all known DNA damage and repair pathways. The toxicogenomics assay detected genotoxicity potential of these DBPs that is consistent with conventional genotoxicity assays end points. Furthermore, the high-resolution, real-time pathway activation and protein expression profiling, in combination with clustering analysis, revealed molecular level details in the genotoxicity mechanisms among different DBPs and enabled classification of DBPs based on their distinct DNA damage effects and repair mechanisms. Oxidative DNA damage and base alkylation were confirmed to be the main molecular mechanisms of DBP genotoxicity. Initial exploration of QSAR modeling using moleular genotoxicity end points (PELI) suggested that genotoxicity of DBPs in this study was correlated with topological and quantum chemical descriptors. This study presents a toxicogenomics-based assay for fast and efficient mechanistic genotoxicity screening and assessment of a large number of DBPs. The results help to fill in the knowledge gap in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of DBP genotoxicity.

Comparative toxicity of chloro- and bromo-nitromethanes in mice based on a metabolomic method

Halonitromethanes (HNMs) as one typical class of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts have been widely found in drinking water. In vitro test found HNMs could induce higher cytotoxicity and genotoxicity than trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. However, data on toxic effect from in vivo experiment is limited. In this study, bromonitromethane (BNM), bromochloronitromethane (BCNM) and trichloronitromethane (TCNM) were chosen as target HNMs, and exposed to mice for 30 d. Hepatic toxicity and serum metabolic profiles were determined to reveal toxic effects and mechanisms of the three HNMs. Results showed the three HNMs significantly decreased relative liver weight, indicating liver is one of the target organs. Further, the three HNMs exposure damaged hepatic antioxidant defense system, and increased oxidative DNA damage. Nuclear magnetic resonance based metabolomics analysis found amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were disturbed by HNMs exposure. Some metabolites in these metabolisms are related to oxidative stress and damage. Combined with above results, BNM had the highest toxicity, followed by BCNM and TCNM, indicating bromo-HNMs had higher toxicity than chloro-HNMs. Induction of oxidative stress is one of the toxicity mechanisms of HNMs. This study firstly provides the insight into in vivo toxicity of HNMs and their underlying mechanisms based on metabolomics methods, which is very useful for their health risk assessment in drinking water.

Genotoxicity of drinking water treated with different disinfectants and effects of disinfection conditions detected by umu-test

The genotoxicity of drinking water treated with 6 disinfection methods and the effects of disinfection conditions were investigated using the umu-test. The pretreatment procedure of samples for the umu-test was optimized for drinking water analysis. The results of the umu-test were in good correlation with those of the Ames-test. The genotoxicity and production of haloacetic acids (HAAs) were the highest for chlorinated samples. UV+chloramination is the safest disinfection method from the aspects of genotoxicity, HAA production and inactivation effects. For chloramination, the effects of the mass ratio of Cl₂ to N of chloramine on genotoxicity were also studied. The changes of genotoxicity were different from those of HAA production, which implied that HAA production cannot represent the genotoxic potential of water. The genotoxicity per chlorine decay of chlorination and chloramination had similar trends, indicating that the reaction of organic matters and chlorine made a great contribution to the genotoxicity. The results of this study are of engineering significance for optimizing the operation of waterworks.

Induction of bacterial antibiotic resistance by mutagenic halogenated nitrogenous disinfection byproducts

Halogenated nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs) raise concerns regarding their mutagenicity and carcinogenicity threatening public health. However, environmental consequence of their mutagenicity has received less attention. In this study, the effect of halogenated N-DBPs on bacterial antibiotic resistance (BAR) was investigated. After exposure to bromoacetamide (BAcAm), trichloroacetonitrile (TCAN) or tribromonitromethane (TBNM), the resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to both individual and multiple antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, polymyxin B, rifampin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin + gentamicin and ciprofloxacin + tetracycline) was increased, which was predominantly ascribed to the overexpression of efflux pumps. The mechanism of this effect was demonstrated to be mutagenesis through sequencing and analyzing antibiotic resistance genes. The same induction phenomena also appeared in Escherichia coli, suggesting this effect may be universal to waterborne pathogens. Therefore, more attention should be given to halogenated N-DBPs, as they could increase not only genotoxicological risks but also epidemiological risks of drinking water.

Chemical contaminants in swimming pools: Occurrence, implications and control

A range of trace chemical contaminants have been reported to occur in swimming pools. Current disinfection practices and monitoring of swimming pool water quality are aimed at preventing the spread of microbial infections and diseases. However, disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed when the disinfectants used react with organic and inorganic matter in the pool. Additional chemicals may be present in swimming pools originating from anthropogenic sources (bodily excretions, lotions, cosmetics, etc.) or from the source water used where trace chemicals may already be present. DBPs have been the most widely investigated trace chemical contaminants, including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), halobenzoquinones (HBQs), haloacetonitriles (HANs), halonitromethanes (HNMs), N-nitrosamines, nitrite, nitrates and chloramines. The presence and concentrations of these chemical contaminants are dependent upon several factors including the types of pools, types of disinfectants used, disinfectant dosages, bather loads, temperature and pH of swimming pool waters. Chemical constituents of personal care products (PCPs) such as parabens and ultraviolet (UV) filters from sunscreens have also been reported. By-products from reactions of these chemicals with disinfectants and UV irradiation have been reported and some may be more toxic than their parent compounds. There is evidence to suggest that exposure to some of these chemicals may lead to health risks. This paper provides a detailed review of various chemical contaminants reported in swimming pools. The concentrations of chemicals present in swimming pools may also provide an alternative indicator to swimming pool water quality, providing insights to contamination sources. Alternative treatment methods such as activated carbon filtration and advanced oxidation processes may be beneficial in improving swimming pool water quality.

Halopyrroles: a new group of highly toxic disinfection byproducts formed in chlorinated saline wastewater

Utilizing seawater for toilet flushing is an effective way to conserve freshwater in coastal cities. During chlorination for disinfecting saline wastewater effluents, the high levels of bromide from seawater are oxidized to hypobromous acid which may then react with effluent organics to form brominated disinfection byproducts (DBPs). In this research, by applying a new precursor ion scan method, we detected and identified a group of halopyrroles in a chlorinated saline wastewater effluent, including tetrabromopyrrole, tribromochloropyrrole, tribromoiodopyrrole, and tribromopyrrole, with tetrabromopyrrole as the predominant species. It is the first time that this group of halopyrroles were identified as wastewater DBPs (though 2,3,5-tribromopyrrole has been found to be a DBP in drinking water before). Detection of halopyrroles was problematic as these compounds in the pretreated samples were found to convert to halonitropyrroles; the problem was successfully solved by diluting the pretreated samples. The formation, occurrence, precursor, and toxicity of tetrabromopyrrole were investigated. This DBP showed significantly higher developmental toxicity than any of the haloaliphatic and haloaromatic DBPs previously tested.

Chloropicrin-induced toxic responses in human lung epithelial cells

Chloropicrin is a slowly evaporating toxic irritant that is known to cause damage in the respiratory system. Here we used a lung epithelial cell line (A549) to study the molecular responses underlying chloropicrin toxicity. Glutathione (GSH), synthetic peptide and 2'-deoxyguanosine were used as in vitro trapping agents to identify early markers of chloropicrin toxicity. Microscopy of the cells revealed massive vacuolization by chloropicrin exposure (80-100μM). The number of apoptotic cells increased with the chloropicrin concentration as assessed by flow cytometry. Immunoblotting analysis revealed increases in the amount of four proteins (p53, p21, p27 and phospho-Erk1/2) that are involved in DNA-damage, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Chloropicrin evoked a dose-dependent increase in levels of reactive oxygen species within one hour of exposure. The treatment triggered also the formation of disulphide bonds between the model thiol-containing peptides as analysed by LC/MS. Chloropicrin did not form stable adducts with the model peptides or 2'-deoxyguanosine. N-acetyl-cysteine (1mM NAC) fully prevented the vacuoles and chloropicrin-induced cytotoxicity. The results suggest that an oxidative insult, particularly modification of free sulfhydryl groups in proteins is involved in the acute toxicity evoked by chloropicrin in airway epithelial cells. The protective effect of NAC as a potential antidote in chloropicrin intoxication will require further investigation.

UV-induced effects on chlorination of creatinine

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is commonly employed for water treatment in swimming pools to complement conventional chlorination, and to reduce the concentration of inorganic chloramine compounds. The approach of combining UV irradiation and chlorination has the potential to improve water quality, as defined by microbial composition. However, relatively little is known about the effects of this process on water chemistry. To address this issue, experiments were conducted to examine the effects of sequential UV254 irradiation/chlorination, as will occur in recirculating system of swimming pools, on disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation. Creatinine, which is present in human sweat and urine, was selected as the target precursor for these experiments. Enhanced formation of dichloromethylamine (CH3NCl2) and inorganic chloramines was observed to result from post-chlorination of UV-irradiated samples. Chlorocreatinine was found to be more sensitive to UV254 irradiation than creatinine; UV254 irradiation of chlorocreatinine resulted in opening of the ring structure, thereby yielding a series of intermediates that were more susceptible to free chlorine attack than their parent compound. The quantum yields for photodegradation of creatinine and chlorocreatinine at 254 nm were estimated at 0.011 ± 0.002 mol/E and 0.144 ± 0.011 mol/E, respectively. The N-Cl bond was found to be common to UV-sensitive chlorinated compounds (e.g., inorganic chloramines, CH3NCl2, and chlorocreatinine); compounds that were less susceptible to UV-based attack generally lacked the N-Cl bond. This suggested that the N-Cl bond is susceptible to UV254 irradiation, and cleavage of the N-Cl bond appears to open or promote reaction pathways that involve free chlorine, thereby enhancing formation of some DBPs and promoting loss of free chlorine. Proposed reaction mechanisms to describe this behavior based on creatinine as a precursor are presented.

Genotoxic and clastogenic effects of monohaloacetic acid drinking water disinfection by-products in primary human lymphocytes

The haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the second-most prevalent class of drinking water disinfection by-products formed by chemical disinfectants. Previous studies have determined DNA damage and repair of HAA-induced lesions in mammalian and human cell lines; however, little is known of the genomic DNA and chromosome damage induced by these compounds in primary human cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic and clastogenic effects of the monoHAA disinfection by-products in primary human lymphocytes. All monoHAAs were genotoxic in primary human lymphocytes, the rank order of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity was IAA > BAA >> CAA. After 6 h of repair time, only 50% of the DNA damage (maximum decrease in DNA damage) was repaired compared to the control. This demonstrates that primary human lymphocytes are less efficient in repairing the induced damage by monoHAAs than previous studies with mammalian cell lines. In addition, the monoHAAs induced an increase in the chromosome aberration frequency as a measurement of the clastogenic effect of these compounds. These results coupled with genomic technologies in primary human cells and other mammalian non-cancerous cell lines may lead to the identification of biomarkers that may be employed in feedback loops to aid water chemists and engineers in the overall goal of producing safer drinking water.

Differential toxicity of drinking water disinfected with combinations of ultraviolet radiation and chlorine

Alternative technologies to disinfect drinking water such as ultraviolet (UV) disinfection are becoming more widespread. The benefits of UV disinfection include reduced risk of microbial pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and reduced production of regulated drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The objective of this research was to determine if mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity varied in response to different chlorination protocols with and without polychromatic medium pressure UV (MPUV) and monochromatic low pressure UV (LPUV) disinfection technologies. The specific aims were to analyze the mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of concentrated organic fractions from source water before and after chlorination and to determine the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the concentrated organic fractions from water samples treated with UV alone or UV before or after chlorination. Exposure of granular activated carbon-filtered Ohio River water to UV alone resulted in the lowest levels of mammalian cell cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. With combinations of UV and chlorine, the lowest levels of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity were observed with MPUV radiation. The best combined UV plus chlorine methodology that generated the lowest cytotoxicity and genotoxicity employed chlorination first followed by MPUV radiation. These data may prove important in the development of multibarrier methods of pathogen inactivation of drinking water, while limiting unintended toxic consequences.

Chloropicrin induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Chloropicrin is an aliphatic volatile nitrate compound that is mainly used as a pesticide. It has several toxic effects in animals and can cause irritating and other health problems in exposed humans. Since the mode of chloropicrin action is poorly understood, the aim of this study was to investigate molecular responses underlying chloropicrin toxicity. We used human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19) as a model cell type because the eyes are one of the main target organs affected by chloropicrin exposure. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that exposure to a chloropicrin concentration that decreased cell viability by 50%, evoked the formation of numerous electron-lucent, non-autophagy vacuoles in the cytoplasm with dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Lower concentrations led to the appearance of more electron-dense vacuoles, which contained cytoplasmic material and were surrounded by a membrane resembling autophagy vacuoles. According to immunoblotting analyses chloropicrin increased the amount of the ER-stress related proteins, Bip (about 3-fold compared to the controls), IRE1α (2.5-fold) and Gadd 153/Chop (2.5-fold), evidence for accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER. This property was further confirmed by the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (2-2.5-fold), induction of heme oxygenase-1 (about 6-fold), and increase in the level of the tumour suppressor protein p53 (2-fold). Thus, the cytotoxicity of chloropicrin in the retinal pigment epithelium is postulated to be associated with oxidative stress and perturbation of the ER functions, which are possibly among the mechanisms involved in oculotoxicity of chloropicrin.

Mutagenic analysis of six disinfection by-products in the Tk gene of mouse lymphoma cells

Drinking water must be disinfected prior to its distribution for human consumption. This water treatment process generates disinfection by-products (DBPs), formed by the interaction of the disinfectant with organic matter, anthropogenic contaminants and inorganic (bromide/iodide) matter naturally present in source water. Due to the potential genotoxic/carcinogenic risk of these DBPs, we have investigated the mutagenic potential of six of such compounds on the thymidine kinase (Tk) gene in the well-validated mouse lymphoma assay (MLA). The MLA quantifies a wide range of genetic alterations affecting the expression of this gene in L5178Y/Tk(+/-)-3.7.2C cells. In this study we selected six emerging DBPs, corresponding to three different chemical classes: halonitromethanes (bromonitromethane and trichloronitromethane), halogenated acetaldehydes (tribromoacetaldehyde and chloral hydrate) and hydroxyfuranones (mucobromic and mucochloric acids), each class including one chlorinated and one brominated form. The results showed that after 4h of treatment, only mucobromic acid increased the frequency of mutant colonies, with a higher proportion of small colonies, which would indicate a clastogenic potential. This is the first study reporting mutagenicity data in mammalian cells for the six selected DBPs.

Toxicity profile of labile preservative bronopol in water: the role of more persistent and toxic transformation products

Transformation products usually differ in environmental behaviors and toxicological properties from the parent contaminants, and probably cause potential risks to the environment. Toxicity evolution of a labile preservative, bronopol, upon primary aquatic degradation processes was investigated. Bronopol rapidly hydrolyzed in natural waters, and primarily produced more stable 2-bromo-2-nitroethanol (BNE) and bromonitromethane (BNM). Light enhanced degradation of the targeted compounds with water site specific photoactivity. The bond order analysis theoretically revealed that the reversible retroaldol reactions were primary degradation routes for bronopol and BNE. Judging from toxicity assays and the relative pesticide toxicity index, these degradation products (i.e., BNE and BNM), more persistent and higher toxic than the parent, probably accumulated in natural waters and resulted in higher or prolonging adverse impacts. Therefore, these transformation products should be included into the assessment of ecological risks of non-persistent and low toxic chemicals such as the preservative bronopol.

Genotoxic effects in swimmers exposed to disinfection by-products in indoor swimming pools

BACKGROUND

Exposure to disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water has been associated with cancer risk. A recent study (Villanueva et al. 2007; Am J Epidemiol 165:148-156) found an increased bladder cancer risk among subjects attending swimming pools relative to those not attending.

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated adults who swam in chlorinated pools to determine whether exposure to DBPs in pool water is associated with biomarkers of genotoxicity.

METHODS

We collected blood, urine, and exhaled air samples from 49 nonsmoking adult volunteers before and after they swam for 40 min in an indoor chlorinated pool. We estimated associations between the concentrations of four trihalomethanes (THMs) in exhaled breath and changes in micronuclei (MN) and DNA damage (comet assay) in peripheral blood lymphocytes before and 1 hr after swimming; urine mutagenicity (Ames assay) before and 2 hr after swimming; and MN in exfoliated urothelial cells before and 2 weeks after swimming. We also estimated associations and interactions with polymorphisms in genes related to DNA repair or to DBP metabolism.

RESULTS

After swimming, the total concentration of the four THMs in exhaled breath was seven times higher than before swimming. The change in the frequency of micronucleated lymphocytes after swimming increased in association with higher exhaled concentrations of the brominated THMs (p = 0.03 for bromodichloromethane, p = 0.05 for chlorodibromomethane, p = 0.01 for bromoform) but not chloroform. Swimming was not associated with DNA damage detectable by the comet assay. Urine mutagenicity increased significantly after swimming, in association with the higher concentration of exhaled bromoform (p = 0.004). We found no significant associations with changes in micronucleated urothelial cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support potential genotoxic effects of exposure to DBPs from swimming pools. The positive health effects gained by swimming could be increased by reducing the potential health risks of pool water.

DNA damage induction by two halogenated acetaldehydes, byproducts of water disinfection

Drinking water contains disinfection byproducts, generated by the interaction of chlorine (or other disinfecting chemicals) with organic matter, anthropogenic contaminants, and bromide/iodide naturally present in most source waters. One class of these chemicals is the halogenated acetaldehydes (HAs), identified in high quantities when ozone is used as primary or secondary disinfectant. In this study, an analysis of the genotoxic potential of two HAs, namely tribromoacetaldehyde (TBA) and chloral hydrate (CH) has been conducted in human cells (TK6 cultured cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes). The comet assay was used to 1) measure the induction of single and double-strand DNA breaks, 2) evaluate the capacity of inducing oxidative DNA damage, and 3) determine the DNA repair kinetics of the induced primary genetic damage. In addition, chromosome damage, as a measure of fixed damage, was evaluated by means of the micronucleus test. The results of the comet assay show that both compounds are clearly genotoxic, inducing high levels of DNA breaks, TBA being more effective than CH. According to the comet results, both HAs produce high levels of oxidized bases, and the induced DNA damage is rapidly repaired over time. Contrarily, the results obtained in the micronucleus test, which measures the capacity of genotoxic agents to induce clastogenic and aneugenic effects, are negative for the two HAs tested, either using TK6 cells or human peripheral blood lymphocytes. This would indicate that the primary damage induced by the two HAs is not fixed as chromosome damage, possibly due to an efficient repair or the death of damaged cells, which is an important point in terms of risk assessment of DBPs exposure.

Mammalian cell DNA damage and repair kinetics of monohaloacetic acid drinking water disinfection by-products

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are the second most common class of chlorinated water disinfection by-products (DBPs). The single cell gel electrophoresis genotoxicity assay using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was modified to include liquid holding recovery time to measure genomic DNA damage and repair kinetics of three monoHAAs: chloroacetic acid (CAA), bromoacetic acid (BAA), and iodoacetic acid (IAA). The rank order of genotoxic potency was IAA > BAA >> CAA from previous research. The concentration of each HAA was chosen to generate approximately the same level of genotoxic damage. No cytotoxicity was expressed during the 24 h liquid holding period. Nuclei from CHO cells treated with BAA showed the lowest rate of DNA repair (t(50) = 296 min) compared to that of CAA or IAA (t(50) = 134 and 84 min, respectively). The different rates of genomic repair expressed by IAA or CAA versus BAA suggest that different distributions of DNA lesions are induced. The use of DNA repair coupled with genomic technologies may lead to the understanding of the biological and genetic mechanisms involved in toxic responses induced by DBPs.