Dimethyl and monomethyl sulfate: presence in coal fly ash and airborne particulate matter

Chronic diseases and early exposure to airborne mixtures: Part III. Potential origin of pre-menopausal breast cancers

This is the third in a series dealing with chronic diseases and early exposure to airborne mixtures from industrial releases. The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of previously unconsidered factors in the physical environment potentially acting as risk factors for female breast cancer. Data are from the Environmental Quality Database containing lifetime residential records for about 20,000 cases, with 1 of 15 cancers and about 5000 controls. Subjects resided within 25 km of all kraft mills, sulfite mills, coke ovens, oil refineries, copper, nickel and lead/zinc smelters operating in Canada in 1967-1970, and were aged <31 years. Subjects are exposed at home to simultaneous counter-current plumes of dioxin congeners and dimethyl sulfate (DMS) during the exposure period. DMS concentration increases with time of flight from the source and [SO(2)] at 2 km. For all source types the number of cancers in an age cohort declines as the age of the cohort increases. The number of cases less than the median distance is less than the number of cases greater than the median distance. This supports the presence of a new source of risk with an origin in the plume. The crude rate of breast cancer, averaged over the 25 km of the study area for each age cohort <31 years of age, as well as source type, is least when the conditions of initial exposure are [SO(2)] > or = [DMS] and increases as [DMS] increases. The probability of an adverse effect from early, intermittent and simultaneous exposure to Dioxin and DMS, manifesting as a breast cancer after a latency period of as little as 26 years, is a function of age of first exposure, distance from the source and source type. The most susceptible age cohorts are the youngest.

Chronic disease and early exposure to air-borne mixtures. 2. Exposure assessment

This work is part of a larger study of the impact of early exposure to releases from industry on the etiology of cancer. Releases from all kraft and sulfite mills, coke ovens, oil refineries, copper, nickel, and lead/zinc smelters operating in Canada during the exposure period of 1967-1970 have been determined. All plumes have been expressed in microg BaP eq/d using the RASH methodology. The releases have been divided into process, boiler fuel, dioxin, and SO2 emissions. Combustion sources have been defined with FIREv6.23. Dioxin congenors are expected in all source types when the boiler fuel is heavy fuel oil, wood or wood bark, or coal. All approximately 90 communities examined have an inverted sex ratio.

DNA methylation, cell proliferation, and histopathology in rats following repeated inhalation exposure to dimethyl sulfate

Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) is an alkylating agent that is carcinogenic to the respiratory tract of rodents. DNA adducts, cell proliferation, and histopathology were assessed in rats to better understand the molecular dosimetry and tissue dynamics associated with repeated inhalation exposure to DMS. For DNA methylation, rats were exposed to DMS vapor 6 h/day for up to 10 days to 0.0, 0.1, 0.7 and 1.5 ppm. N7-Methylguanine and N3-methyladenine were detected in neutral thermal hydrolysates of DNA isolated from respiratory tract tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using fluorescence and ultraviolet (UV) detection. DNA methylation was greatest in DNA isolated from nasal respiratory mucosa, less in olfactory, and little was found in lung. N7-Methylguanine levels in respiratory mucosa approached steady-state levels by day 5, and N7-methylguanine persistence following exposure for 5 consecutive days was also determined. Loss of N7-methylguanine from respiratory and olfactory mucosa appeared to follow first-order kinetics. N3-Methyladenine levels were at or below detection limits in all samples. The effect of DMS on histopathology and cell proliferation in the nasal epithelium was also investigated. Rats were exposed nose-only for 2 wk to DMS vapor at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.7, or 1.5 ppm. Inhalation exposure to DMS induced degenerative and inflammatory changes in nasal epithelium at >or=0.7 ppm. Cell proliferation evaluations showed a trend towards an increased response at 1.5 ppm. These experiments demonstrate that DMS can induce cytotoxic and proliferative effects and is a potent methylating agent of the nasal mucosa in vivo. These experiments will provide data for the development of dosimetry models useful for risk extrapolation.

The genotoxicity of ambient outdoor air, a review: Salmonella mutagenicity

Mutagens in urban air pollution come from anthropogenic sources (especially combustion sources) and are products of airborne chemical reactions. Bacterial mutation tests have been used for large, multi-site, and/or time series studies, for bioassay-directed fractionation studies, for identifying the presence of specific classes of mutagens, and for doing site- or source-comparisons for relative levels of airborne mutagens. Early research recognized that although carcinogenic PAHs were present in air samples they could not account for the majority of the mutagenic activity detected. The mutagenicity of airborne particulate organics is due to at least 500 identified compounds from varying chemical classes. Bioassay-directed fractionation studies for identifying toxicants are difficult to compare because they do not identify all of the mutagens present, and both the analytical and bioassay protocols vary from study to study. However, these studies show that the majority of mutagenicity is usually associated with moderately polar/highly polar classes of compounds that tend to contain nitroaromatic compounds, aromatic amines, and aromatic ketones. Smog chamber studies have shown that mutagenic aliphatic and aromatic nitrogen-containing compounds are produced in the atmosphere when organic compounds (even non-mutagenic compounds) are exposed to nitrogen oxides and sunlight. Reactions that occur in the atmosphere, therefore, can have a profound effect on the genotoxic burden of ambient air. This review illustrates that the mutagenesis protocol and tester strains should be selected based on the design and purpose of the study and that the correlation with animal cancer bioassay results depends upon chemical class. Future emphasis needs to be placed on volatile and semi-volatile genotoxicants, and on multi-national studies that identify, quantify, and apportion mutagenicity. Initial efforts at replacing the Salmonella assay for ambient air studies with some emerging technology should be initiated.

A 13C-NMR study of the mechanism of bacterial metabolism of monomethyl sulfate

Two different mechanisms have been proposed previously for initiating the biodegradation of monomethyl sulfate (MeSO4) in bacteria. For a Hyphomicrobium species, a sulfatase enzyme has been proposed to hydrolyse MeSO4 to methanol and inorganic sulfate. For an Agrobacterium sp., an alternative proposal involves monooxygenation of MeSO4 (hydroxylation) to produce methanediol monosulfate, which decomposes spontaneously to formaldehyde and inorganic sulfate. In the present study, 13C-NMR was used to monitor metabolic intermediates of [13C]MeSO4 in real time in each species in order to resolve the issue of mechanism of biodegradation. Agrobacterium sp. M3C grew on MeSO4 but not on methanol. MeSO4-grown cells catabolised [13C]MeSO4 but not [13C]methanol, and [13C]methanol did not accumulate from MeSO4 in the presence of a known inhibitor of methanol dehydrogenase (cyclopropanol). Hyphomicrobium MS223 grew on MeSO4 and, in contrast with the Agrobacterium sp., also on methanol. The normally rapid metabolism of [13C]methanol by methanol-grown cells was arrested by cyclopropanol, but metabolism of [13C]MeSO4 by MeSO4-grown cells was unaffected. Moreover there was no accumulation of [13C]methanol from [13C]MeSO4 under conditions in which methanol dehydrogenase was shown to be inactive. The results provided strong evidence against the intermediacy of methanol in the biodegradation of MeSO4 in either species, and thereby render untenable mechanisms involving sulfatase-mediated hydrolysis of MeSO4. The data are consistent with the hydroxylation of MeSO4 via a monooxygenation mechanism and subsequent spontaneous hydrolysis of the methanediol monosulfate intermediate.

Purification and characterization of the short-chain alkylsulphatase of coryneform B1a

Using a combination of streptomycin sulphate precipitation, and DEAE-cellulose and butyl-agarose chromatography, an alkylsulphatase active towards short-chain alkyl sulphates has been purified approx. 70-fold from extracts of coryneform B1a grown on butyl-1-sulphate. The enzyme protein is dimeric with a subunit molecular mass of 77.6 kDa, has an isoelectric point of pI 7.2, and converts butyl-1-sulphate stoichiometrically into butan-1-ol and inorganic sulphate. Stoichiometric incorporation of 18O from H2(18)O into sulphate during the reaction showed that enzymic hydrolysis occurred at the O-S bond of the C-O-S ester linkage. The enzyme was active on C3-C7 linear primary alkyl sulphates but not on higher (C8,9) or lower (C1,2) homologues, although the latter pair were competitive inhibitors. The specificity constant (kcat./Km) was highest for pentyl sulphate (Km 1.89 +/- 0.38 mM; kcat. 6.86 +/- 0.52 s-1) and decreased for higher and lower homologues. No activity was detected towards C3-C9 racemic alkyl-2-sulphates, D- or L-enantiomers of butyl-2-sulphate, the symmetrical secondary alkyl sulphates pentyl-3-sulphate, heptyl-4-sulphate, nonyl-5-sulphate, C1-C8 alkane sulphonates, choline sulphate, or butyric acid-4-sulphate; none of these compounds (except the symmetrical esters and butyric acid-4-sulphate, which were not tested) was demonstrably inhibitory. The enzyme was compared with other alkylsulphatases in terms of substrate specificity and mode of action.

Oxygen-dependent desulphation of monomethyl sulphate by Agrobacterium sp. M3C

Agrobacterium sp. M3C, previously isolated from canal-water for its ability to grow on monomethyl sulphate, degraded this ester with stoichiometric liberation of inorganic sulphate. In contrast with the biodegradation of monomethyl sulphate in Hyphomicrobium sp., and of other longer-chain alkyl sulphates in Pseudomonas spp., the pathway in Agrobacterium appeared not to involve a sulphatase enzyme capable of catalysing ester-bond hydrolysis. No such sulphatase was detectable under a range of conditions of bacterial culture, or using various methods for preparing cell-extracts, or different assay conditions. There was no incorporation of 18O-label from H2(18O) into the liberated inorganic sulphate. No methanol was detectable during biodegradation, and the organism was incapable of growth on methanol, and did not produce methanol dehydrogenase activity when grown on monomethyl sulphate. Tracer studies using mono[14C]-methyl sulphate indicated that formate serine and glycine were produced during the biodegradation. The presence of these amino acids, together with high activity of hydroxypyruvate reductase, indicated the operation of the serine pathway common in methylotrophs. Use of an oxygen electrode in conjunction with monomethyl[35S]sulphate showed that release of 35SO2(-4) was dependent on availability of O2, and that there was equimolar stoichiometry among monomethyl sulphate degraded, O2 consumed and 35SO2(-4) released. A proposed pathway for the degradation involved an initial mono-oxygenation to methanediol monosulphate with subsequent elimination of SO2(-4) and concomitant formation of formaldehyde. The pathway was compared with degradation mechanisms for other C1 compounds and for other sulphate esters.

Purification and some properties of the D-lactate-2-sulphatase of Pseudomonas syringae GG

A soil bacterium grown on propan-2-yl sulphate as sole source of carbon and sulphur yielded extracts containing an enzyme capable of liberating sulphate from racemic lactate-2-sulphate. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by a combination of streptomycin sulphate precipitation of nucleic acids, batch treatment with DEAE-cellulose, and chromatography on columns of DEAE-cellulose, Sephacryl S-300 and butyl-agarose. The protein was monomeric with an Mr of 55 000-60 000. The enzyme activity was specific for D-lactate-2-sulphate (Km 6.6 nM; maximal specific activity 14.3 mumol/min per mg of protein) and showed no activity towards the L-isomer. The products of the enzyme's action were inorganic sulphate and D-lactate which were released in equimolar amounts and stoicheiometrically with the amount of ester hydrolysed. No L-lactate was formed. Retention of configuration implied cleavage of the O-S bond of the C-O-S ester link and this was confirmed by 18O-incorporation experiments in which 18O from 18O-enriched water in the incubation medium was incorporated exclusively and quantitatively into inorganic sulphate. Only two other esters (serine-O-sulphate and p-nitrophenyl sulphate) of a total of 29 compounds tested were substrates for the enzyme. D-Lactate, L-lactate-2-sulphate and the substrate analogues glycollate-2-sulphate and butyrate-2-sulphate were significantly inhibitory.

A comparison of carbon black with soot

Carbon black is frequently confused with soot. In order to clarify the distinction between these materials, we have examined 6 carbon blacks and 18 samples of soot. Carbon black is composed of turbostratic colloidal aggregates which we call aciniform carbon (AC). Chimney soots from domestic wood or coal fires contain very little AC, while in diesel soots the solid particulates are essentially all AC. All soots examined contain much more extractable organic material and/or ash than does carbon black. Ames Salmonella assays were carried out on solvent extracts. The results were calculated as net revertants per mg of the original soot or carbon black. On this basis, the majority of the soot extracts assayed were at a much higher level of mutagenicity than any of the carbon black extracts. For several reasons, even greater differences in mutagen availability would be expected if the unextracted materials were compared in vivo.

What do losses in selenium and arsenic bioavailability signify for health?

Levels of As and Se in human foods and animal feeds respectively have decreased in recent years as a result of official limits and other factors. The reduction of SeO2 by SO2 to Se0 results in less bioavailability in the food cycle. Acid rain further reduces the pH of Se-depleted soils and soluble forms of Se are bound by metal ions in fallout from burning of fossil fuels. However, there is evidence that Se and As act as essential nutrients with anticancer value. The need for As in nutrition was shown by three laboratories in four mammalian species. Selenium inadequacies among people, as well as animals, are being recognized worldwide in the form of Se-responsive diseases. Reported data indicate that we have yet to learn the optimal intake levels for Se or As and how their decreased bioavailabilities affect human health.

Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of dimethyl and monomethyl sulfates in the CHO/HGPRT system

It has recently been shown that coal fly ash collected from coal-fired plants contains dimethyl sulfate (DMS) and monomethyl sulfate (MS) at concentrations as high as 830 ppm. Both these compounds were tested in the CHO/HGPRT system, and it was found that only DMS was cytotoxic and mutagenic to CHO cells. On a molar basis, DMS is twice a mutagenic as methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Under our treatment conditions, maximum mutation induction and cytotoxicity were obtained after approximately 1 h. The Mutagenic potency of DMS was more stable in aqueous solutions at 4 degrees C than at the ambient temperature of 22 degrees C, but was least stable in DMSO solutions at 22 degrees C. Near-ultraviolet (near-UV) light caused an approximately twofold decrease in the mutagenic and cytotoxic effects of DMS. Although DMS produced by coal combustion could be rendered innocuous by environmental agents in a short span of time, this compound could still pose a health risk to workers closely involved in coal-combustion technology.