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Huang C, Murgulet I, Liu L, Zhang M, Garcia K, Martin L, Xu W. The effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on breast cancer metastasis depend on the phenotypes of the cancer cells: An in vivo study with zebrafish xenograft model. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 362:124975. [PMID: 39293659 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) have been associated with numerous human diseases. Recent in vitro studies have implicated the association of PFAS with an increased risk of breast cancer in humans. This study aimed to assess the toxic effects of PFAS during the development of human breast cancer using a zebrafish xenograft model. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was used as a PFAS chemical of interest for this study. Two common breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, were used to represent the diversity of breast cancer phenotypes. Human preadipocytes were co-implanted with the breast cancer cells into the zebrafish embryos to optimize the microenvironment for tumor cells in vivo. With this modified model, we evaluated the potential effects of the PFOA on the metastatic potential of the two types of breast cancer cells. The presence of human preadipocytes resulted in an enhancement to the metastasis progress of the two types of cells, including the promotion of cell in vivo migration and proliferation, and the increased expression levels of metastatic biomarkers. The enhancement of MCF-7 proliferation by preadipocytes was observed after 2 days post injection (dpi) while the increase of MDA-MB-231 proliferation was seen after 6 dpi. The breast cancer metastatic biomarkers, cadherin 1 (cdh1), and small breast epithelial mucin (sbem) genes demonstrated significant down- and upregulations respectively, by the co-injection of preadipocytes. In the optimized xenograft model, the PFOA consistently promoted cell proliferation and migration and altered the metastatic biomarker expression in MCF-7, which suggested a metastatic effect of PFOA on MCF-7. However, those effects were not consistently observed in MDA-MB-231. The presence of the preadipocytes in the xenograft model may provide a necessary microenvironment for the progress of tumor cells in zebrafish embryos. The finding suggested that the impacts of PFOA exposure on different phenotypes of breast cancers may differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Huang
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Ioana Murgulet
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States; Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005, United States
| | - Linda Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Mona Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Kaitlin Garcia
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Leisha Martin
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Science, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, United States.
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Ezeorba TPC, Okeke ES, Nwankwo CE, Emencheta SC, Enochoghene AE, Okeke VC, Ozougwu VEO. Emerging eco-friendly technologies for remediation of Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water and wastewater: A pathway to environmental sustainability. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 364:143168. [PMID: 39181463 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are rampant, toxic contaminants from anthropogenic sources, called forever chemicals for their recalcitrance. Although banned in several parts of the world for public health implications, including liver, kidney, and testicular diseases, PFAS are abundant in water sources due to easy dispersion. With chemical properties resulting from strong hydrophobic bonds, they defile many physicochemical removal methods. Though adsorption processes such as granular activated carbon (GAC) are widely used, they are marred by several limitations, including cost and secondary contamination. Thus, eco-friendly methods involving a synergy of the removal principles have been preferred for ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and near-zero effect on the environment. We present novel eco-friendly methods as the solution to PFAS remediation towards environmental sustainability. Current eco-friendly methods of PFAS removal from water sources, including electrocoagulation, membrane/filtration, adsorption, and phytoremediation methods, were highlighted, although with limitations. Novel eco-friendly methods such as microbial fuel cells, photoelectrical cells, and plasma treatment offer solutions to PFAS remediation and are quite efficient in terms of cost, result, and environmental sustainability. Overall, the successful integration of eco-friendly techniques in a seamless manner ensures the desired result. We also present a balanced position on the ecosystem impact of these ecofriendly methods, noting the successes towards environmental sustainability while exposing the gaps for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Prince Chidike Ezeorba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria; Department of Environmental Health and Risk Management, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanuel Sunday Okeke
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria; Natural Science Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria; Institute of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of Emergency Management, School of the Environment and Safety, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Rd., 212013, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chidiebele Emmanuel Nwankwo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria; School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Rd., 212013, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Stephen Chijioke Emencheta
- Deparment of Pharmaceutical Microbiology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | | | - Veronica Chisom Okeke
- Deparment of Pharmaceutical Microbiology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Vincent E O Ozougwu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.
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Kang P, Zhao Y, Wei T, Cai Y, Ji B, Addo-Bankas O. Interactions between MPs and PFASs in aquatic environments: A dual-character situation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119907. [PMID: 38157575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have drawn great attention as emerging threats to aquatic ecosystems. Although the literature to study the MPs and PFASs alone has grown significantly, our knowledge of the overlap and interactions between the two contaminations is scarce due to the unawareness of it. Actually, numerous human activities can simultaneously release MPs and PFASs, and the co-sources of the two are common, meaning that they have a greater potential for interactions. The direct interaction lies in the PFASs adsorption by MPs in water with integrated mechanisms including electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, plus many influence factors. In addition, the existence and transportation of MPs and PFASs in the aquatic environment have been identified. MPs and PFASs can be ingested by aquatic organisms and cause more serious combined toxicity than exposure alone. Finally, curbing strategies of MPs and PFASs are overviewed. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can be an effective place to remove MPs from wastewater, while they are also an important point source of MPs pollution in water bodies. Although adsorption has proven to be a successful curbing method for PFASs, more technological advancements are required for field application. It is expected that this review can help revealing the unheeded relationship and interaction between MPs and PFASs in aquatic environments, thus assisting the further investigations of both MPs and PFASs as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiying Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Yaqian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China.
| | - Ting Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yamei Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China
| | - Bin Ji
- School of Civil Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, PR China
| | - Olivia Addo-Bankas
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, PR China
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Cui J, Deng Y. Enhanced coagulation coupled with cyclic IX adsorption-ARP regeneration for removal of PFOA in drinking water treatment. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2023; 95:e10928. [PMID: 37740247 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10928] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory investigations were conducted to demonstrate a potentially transformative, cost-efficient per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment approach, consisting of enhanced coagulation and repeated ion exchange (IX)-advanced reduction process (ARP) for concurrent PFAS removal and IX resin regeneration. Enhanced alum coagulation at the optimal conditions (pH 6.0, 60 mg/L alum) could preferentially remove high molecular-weight, hydrophobic natural organic matter (NOM) from 5.0- to ~1.2-mg/L DOC in simulated natural water. This facilitated subsequent IX adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, a model PFAS in this study) (20 μg/L) using IRA67 resin by minimizing the competition of NOM for functional sites on the resin. The PFOA/NOM-laden resin was then treated by ARP, generating hydrated electrons (eaq - ) that effectively degraded PFOA. The combined IX-ARP regeneration process was applied over six cycles to treat PFOA in pre-coagulated simulated natural water, nearly doubling the PFOA removal compared with the control group without ARP regeneration. This study underscores the potential of enhanced coagulation coupled with cyclic IX-ARP regeneration as a promising, cost-effective solution for addressing PFOA pollution in water. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Enhanced alum coagulation can substantially mitigate NOM to favor the following IX removal of PFOA in water. Cyclic IX adsorption-ARP regeneration offers an effective, potentially economical solution to the PFOA pollution in water. ARP can effectively degrade PFOA during the ARP regeneration of PFOA/NOM-laden resin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junkui Cui
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yang Deng
- Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
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