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Campioni L, Oró-Nolla B, Granadeiro JP, Silva MC, Madeiros J, Gjerdrum C, Lacorte S. Exposure of an endangered seabird species to persistent organic pollutants: Assessing levels in blood and link with reproductive parameters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172814. [PMID: 38679096 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172814] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Ocean contamination, particularly from persistent organic pollutants (POPs), remains a significant threat to marine predators that occupy high trophic positions. Long-lived procellariform seabirds are apex predators in marine ecosystems and tend to accumulate contaminants. Prolonged exposure to pollutants negatively affects their fitness including reproductive success. Low breeding success may represent a hurdle for the restoration of small and endangered seabird populations, including several highly threatened gadfly petrels. Here we investigated the annual variation (2019 and 2022) in organochlorine pesticide (OCP), polychlorinated biphenyl ether (PCB), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in the endangered Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow), and the relationship between female contaminant burden and breeding parameters. We found that petrels were exposed to a wide range of pollutants (33 out of 55 showed measurable levels) with PCBs dominating the blood contaminant profiles in both years. Only 9 compounds were detected in >50 % of the birds. Specifically, among OCPs, p, p'-DDE and hexaclorobenzene were the most frequently detected while fluorene and acenaphthene were the most common PAH. The concentrations of ∑5PCBs and ∑7POPs were higher in older birds. Furthermore, females with greater contaminant burdens laid eggs with a lower probability of hatching. However, female investment in egg production (size and volume) was unrelated to their blood contaminant load. Overall, this study highlights the presence of a wide range of contaminants in the petrel's food web, and it sheds light on the potential impact of chronic exposure to sub-lethal levels of PCBs on the breeding success of seabirds. We claim that toxicological testing should be a practice integrated in the management of seabirds, particularly of endangered species to monitor how past and present anthropogenic activities impact their conservation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Campioni
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Ispa - Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Bernat Oró-Nolla
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - José P Granadeiro
- CESAM Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mónica C Silva
- CE3C- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jeremy Madeiros
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Ministry of the Environment, PO Box FL588, Flatts, FL BX, Bermuda
| | - Carina Gjerdrum
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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Quinete N, Hauser-Davis RA, Lemos LS, Moura JF, Siciliano S, Gardinali PR. Occurrence and tissue distribution of organochlorinated compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southeastern coast of Brazil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:141473. [PMID: 32836122 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds are suitable biomonitors for several persistent organic pollutants (POP), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), although scarce studies of PAHs in seabirds are available, especially in South American populations. Therefore, this study aimed to assess OCPs, PCBs and PAHs, through gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses, in liver (n = 9) and muscle tissue (n = 13) from juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) found stranded on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. DDT-related compounds were the most frequently detected OCP, and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), the main DDT metabolite found in penguin tissues. OCP concentrations in liver were two-fold higher than in muscle tissues. Compound specific ratios identified recent exposure of penguins to some OCPs as well as evidence of legacy pollution associated with industrial sources. The predominant PCB congeners were PCB 8/5, PCB 138/160 and PCB 153/132, with concentrations ranging from <LOQ and 1500 ng g-1 dry weight. This study comprises one of the few PAHs reports in penguin tissues, and, although most compounds were detected at very low levels or below the limit of quantitation (LOQ), the concentrations reported herein were up to 100-fold higher than in previous studies in penguins. Therefore, considering penguin vulnerability to marine oil spills during migration routes, further assessments are required in different tissues in order to assess potential environmental health risks to these sentinel species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Quinete
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Institute of Environment and Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA.
| | - Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos (GEMM-Lagos), Rua São José 1.260, Praia Seca, Araruama, RJ 28970-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Av. Brazil, 4.365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Leila S Lemos
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos (GEMM-Lagos), Rua São José 1.260, Praia Seca, Araruama, RJ 28970-000, Brazil; Marine Mammal Institute, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, OR 97365, USA
| | - Jailson F Moura
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos (GEMM-Lagos), Rua São José 1.260, Praia Seca, Araruama, RJ 28970-000, Brazil; Systems Ecology Group, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Fahrenheitstraße 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Salvatore Siciliano
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos (GEMM-Lagos), Rua São José 1.260, Praia Seca, Araruama, RJ 28970-000, Brazil; Laboratório de Biodiversidade, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Pavilhão Mourisco sala 217, Av. Brasil, 4.365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Piero R Gardinali
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Institute of Environment and Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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Landrigan PJ, Stegeman JJ, Fleming LE, Allemand D, Anderson DM, Backer LC, Brucker-Davis F, Chevalier N, Corra L, Czerucka D, Bottein MYD, Demeneix B, Depledge M, Deheyn DD, Dorman CJ, Fénichel P, Fisher S, Gaill F, Galgani F, Gaze WH, Giuliano L, Grandjean P, Hahn ME, Hamdoun A, Hess P, Judson B, Laborde A, McGlade J, Mu J, Mustapha A, Neira M, Noble RT, Pedrotti ML, Reddy C, Rocklöv J, Scharler UM, Shanmugam H, Taghian G, van de Water JA, Vezzulli L, Weihe P, Zeka A, Raps H, Rampal P. Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Ann Glob Health 2020; 86:151. [PMID: 33354517 PMCID: PMC7731724 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.2831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pollution - unwanted waste released to air, water, and land by human activity - is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world today. It is responsible for an estimated nine million premature deaths per year, enormous economic losses, erosion of human capital, and degradation of ecosystems. Ocean pollution is an important, but insufficiently recognized and inadequately controlled component of global pollution. It poses serious threats to human health and well-being. The nature and magnitude of these impacts are only beginning to be understood. Goals (1) Broadly examine the known and potential impacts of ocean pollution on human health. (2) Inform policy makers, government leaders, international organizations, civil society, and the global public of these threats. (3) Propose priorities for interventions to control and prevent pollution of the seas and safeguard human health. Methods Topic-focused reviews that examine the effects of ocean pollution on human health, identify gaps in knowledge, project future trends, and offer evidence-based guidance for effective intervention. Environmental Findings Pollution of the oceans is widespread, worsening, and in most countries poorly controlled. It is a complex mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, and sewage. More than 80% arises from land-based sources. It reaches the oceans through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition and direct discharges. It is often heaviest near the coasts and most highly concentrated along the coasts of low- and middle-income countries. Plastic is a rapidly increasing and highly visible component of ocean pollution, and an estimated 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the seas each year. Mercury is the metal pollutant of greatest concern in the oceans; it is released from two main sources - coal combustion and small-scale gold mining. Global spread of industrialized agriculture with increasing use of chemical fertilizer leads to extension of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) to previously unaffected regions. Chemical pollutants are ubiquitous and contaminate seas and marine organisms from the high Arctic to the abyssal depths. Ecosystem Findings Ocean pollution has multiple negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and these impacts are exacerbated by global climate change. Petroleum-based pollutants reduce photosynthesis in marine microorganisms that generate oxygen. Increasing absorption of carbon dioxide into the seas causes ocean acidification, which destroys coral reefs, impairs shellfish development, dissolves calcium-containing microorganisms at the base of the marine food web, and increases the toxicity of some pollutants. Plastic pollution threatens marine mammals, fish, and seabirds and accumulates in large mid-ocean gyres. It breaks down into microplastic and nanoplastic particles containing multiple manufactured chemicals that can enter the tissues of marine organisms, including species consumed by humans. Industrial releases, runoff, and sewage increase frequency and severity of HABs, bacterial pollution, and anti-microbial resistance. Pollution and sea surface warming are triggering poleward migration of dangerous pathogens such as the Vibrio species. Industrial discharges, pharmaceutical wastes, pesticides, and sewage contribute to global declines in fish stocks. Human Health Findings Methylmercury and PCBs are the ocean pollutants whose human health effects are best understood. Exposures of infants in utero to these pollutants through maternal consumption of contaminated seafood can damage developing brains, reduce IQ and increase children's risks for autism, ADHD and learning disorders. Adult exposures to methylmercury increase risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. Manufactured chemicals - phthalates, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals, many of them released into the seas from plastic waste - can disrupt endocrine signaling, reduce male fertility, damage the nervous system, and increase risk of cancer. HABs produce potent toxins that accumulate in fish and shellfish. When ingested, these toxins can cause severe neurological impairment and rapid death. HAB toxins can also become airborne and cause respiratory disease. Pathogenic marine bacteria cause gastrointestinal diseases and deep wound infections. With climate change and increasing pollution, risk is high that Vibrio infections, including cholera, will increase in frequency and extend to new areas. All of the health impacts of ocean pollution fall disproportionately on vulnerable populations in the Global South - environmental injustice on a planetary scale. Conclusions Ocean pollution is a global problem. It arises from multiple sources and crosses national boundaries. It is the consequence of reckless, shortsighted, and unsustainable exploitation of the earth's resources. It endangers marine ecosystems. It impedes the production of atmospheric oxygen. Its threats to human health are great and growing, but still incompletely understood. Its economic costs are only beginning to be counted.Ocean pollution can be prevented. Like all forms of pollution, ocean pollution can be controlled by deploying data-driven strategies based on law, policy, technology, and enforcement that target priority pollution sources. Many countries have used these tools to control air and water pollution and are now applying them to ocean pollution. Successes achieved to date demonstrate that broader control is feasible. Heavily polluted harbors have been cleaned, estuaries rejuvenated, and coral reefs restored.Prevention of ocean pollution creates many benefits. It boosts economies, increases tourism, helps restore fisheries, and improves human health and well-being. It advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). These benefits will last for centuries. Recommendations World leaders who recognize the gravity of ocean pollution, acknowledge its growing dangers, engage civil society and the global public, and take bold, evidence-based action to stop pollution at source will be critical to preventing ocean pollution and safeguarding human health.Prevention of pollution from land-based sources is key. Eliminating coal combustion and banning all uses of mercury will reduce mercury pollution. Bans on single-use plastic and better management of plastic waste reduce plastic pollution. Bans on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have reduced pollution by PCBs and DDT. Control of industrial discharges, treatment of sewage, and reduced applications of fertilizers have mitigated coastal pollution and are reducing frequency of HABs. National, regional and international marine pollution control programs that are adequately funded and backed by strong enforcement have been shown to be effective. Robust monitoring is essential to track progress.Further interventions that hold great promise include wide-scale transition to renewable fuels; transition to a circular economy that creates little waste and focuses on equity rather than on endless growth; embracing the principles of green chemistry; and building scientific capacity in all countries.Designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will safeguard critical ecosystems, protect vulnerable fish stocks, and enhance human health and well-being. Creation of MPAs is an important manifestation of national and international commitment to protecting the health of the seas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John J. Stegeman
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - Lora E. Fleming
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, GB
- University of Exeter Medical School, GB
| | | | - Donald M. Anderson
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | | | - Nicolas Chevalier
- Université Côte d’Azur, FR
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Inserm, C3M, FR
| | - Lilian Corra
- International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE), CH
- Health and Environment of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP), AR
| | | | - Marie-Yasmine Dechraoui Bottein
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, FR
- IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae, University of Copenhagen, DK
- Ecotoxicologie et développement durable expertise ECODD, Valbonne, FR
| | - Barbara Demeneix
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, FR
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, FR
| | | | - Dimitri D. Deheyn
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, US
| | | | - Patrick Fénichel
- Université Côte d’Azur, FR
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Inserm, C3M, FR
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mark E. Hahn
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | - Philipp Hess
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation des Mers, FR
| | | | | | - Jacqueline McGlade
- Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London, GB
- Strathmore University Business School, Nairobi, KE
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Lagos, NG
- Imperial College London, GB
| | | | | | | | - Christopher Reddy
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, SE
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Pál Weihe
- University of the Faroe Islands and Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health, FO
| | | | - Hervé Raps
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, MC
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Health and Sustainable Development, MC
| | - Patrick Rampal
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, MC
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Health and Sustainable Development, MC
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Huynh TB, Groth CP, Ramachandran G, Banerjee S, Stenzel M, Quick H, Blair A, Engel LS, Kwok RK, Sandler DP, Stewart PA. Estimates of Occupational Inhalation Exposures to Six Oil-Related Compounds on the Four Rig Vessels Responding to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Ann Work Expo Health 2020; 66:i89-i110. [PMID: 33009797 PMCID: PMC8989034 DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill involved thousands of workers and volunteers to mitigate the oil release and clean-up after the spill. Health concerns for these participants led to the initiation of a prospective epidemiological study (GuLF STUDY) to investigate potential adverse health outcomes associated with the oil spill response and clean-up (OSRC). Characterizing the chemical exposures of the OSRC workers was an essential component of the study. Workers on the four oil rig vessels mitigating the spill and located within a 1852 m (1 nautical mile) radius of the damaged wellhead [the Discoverer Enterprise (Enterprise), the Development Driller II (DDII), the Development Driller III (DDIII), and the HelixQ4000] had some of the greatest potential for chemical exposures. OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to characterize potential personal chemical exposures via the inhalation route for workers on those four rig vessels. Specifically, we presented our methodology and descriptive statistics of exposure estimates for total hydrocarbons (THCs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and n-hexane (BTEX-H) for various job groups to develop exposure groups for the GuLF STUDY cohort. METHODS Using descriptive information associated with the measurements taken on various jobs on these rig vessels and with job titles from study participant responses to the study questionnaire, job groups [unique job/rig/time period (TP) combinations] were developed to describe groups of workers with the same or closely related job titles. A total of 500 job groups were considered for estimation using the available 8139 personal measurements. We used a univariate Bayesian model to analyze the THC measurements and a bivariate Bayesian regression framework to jointly model the measurements of THC and each of the BTEX-H chemicals separately, both models taking into account the many measurements that were below the analytic limit of detection. RESULTS Highest THC exposures occurred in TP1a and TP1b, which was before the well was mechanically capped. The posterior medians of the arithmetic mean (AM) ranged from 0.11 ppm ('Inside/Other', TP1b, DDII; and 'Driller', TP3, DDII) to 14.67 ppm ('Methanol Operations', TP1b, Enterprise). There were statistical differences between the THC AMs by broad job groups, rigs, and time periods. The AMs for BTEX-H were generally about two to three orders of magnitude lower than the THC AMs, with benzene and ethylbenzene measurements being highly censored. CONCLUSIONS Our results add new insights to the limited literature on exposures associated with oil spill responses and support the current epidemiologic investigation of potential adverse health effects of the oil spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran B Huynh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Caroline P Groth
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-9190, USA
| | - Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA,Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1-410-502-0182; e-mail:
| | - Sudipto Banerjee
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mark Stenzel
- Exposure Assessment Applications, LLC, Arlington, VA 22207, USA
| | - Harrison Quick
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron Blair
- National Cancer Institute, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Gaithersburg, MN 20892, USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology Branch, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA,University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Richard K Kwok
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology Branch, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology Branch, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
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Amor-Carro Ó, White KM, Fraga-Iriso R, Mariñas-Pardo LA, Núñez-Naveira L, Lema-Costa B, Villarnovo M, Verea-Hernando H, Ramos-Barbón D. Airway Hyperresponsiveness, Inflammation, and Pulmonary Emphysema in Rodent Models Designed to Mimic Exposure to Fuel Oil-Derived Volatile Organic Compounds Encountered during an Experimental Oil Spill. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:27003. [PMID: 32074461 PMCID: PMC7064321 DOI: 10.1289/ehp4178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fuel oil-derived volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inhalation is associated with accidental marine spills. After the Prestige petroleum tanker sank off northern Spain in 2002 and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig catastrophe in 2009, subjects involved in environmental decontamination showed signs of ongoing or residual lung disease up to 5 y after the exposure. OBJECTIVES We aimed at investigating mechanisms driving persistent respiratory disease by developing an animal model of inhalational exposure to fuel oil-derived VOCs. METHODS Female Wistar and Brown Norway (BN) rats and C57BL mice were exposed to VOCs produced from fuel oil mimicking the Prestige spill. Exposed animals inhaled the VOCs 2 h daily, 5 d per week, for 3 wk. Airway responsiveness to methacholine (MCh) was assessed, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung tissues were analyzed after the exposure and following a 2-wk washout. RESULTS Consistent with data from human studies, both strains of rats that inhaled fuel oil-derived VOCs developed airway hyperresponsiveness that persisted after the washout period, in the absence of detectable inflammation in any lung compartment. Histopathology and quantitative morphology revealed the development of peripherally distributed pulmonary emphysema, which persisted after the washout period, associated with increased alveolar septal cell apoptosis, microvascular endothelial damage of the lung parenchyma, and inhibited expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). DISCUSSION In this rat model, fuel oil VOCs inhalation elicited alveolar septal cell apoptosis, likely due to DNA damage. In turn, the development of a peculiar pulmonary emphysema pattern altered lung mechanics and caused persistent noninflammatory airway hyperresponsiveness. Such findings suggest to us that humans might also respond to VOCs through physiopathological pathways different from those chiefly involved in typical cigarette smoke-driven emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If so, this study could form the basis for a novel disease mechanism for lasting respiratory disease following inhalational exposure to catastrophic fuel oil spills. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4178.
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Affiliation(s)
- Óscar Amor-Carro
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Biomedical Research Institute (IIb Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kathryn M. White
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Rebeca Fraga-Iriso
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Biomedical Research Institute (IIb Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis A. Mariñas-Pardo
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Laura Núñez-Naveira
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Beatriz Lema-Costa
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Marta Villarnovo
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Héctor Verea-Hernando
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - David Ramos-Barbón
- Respiratory Research Unit, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario and the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- Respiratory Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Biomedical Research Institute (IIb Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
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Ainerua MO, Tinwell J, Kompella SN, Sørhus E, White KN, van Dongen BE, Shiels HA. Understanding the cardiac toxicity of the anthropogenic pollutant phenanthrene on the freshwater indicator species, the brown trout (Salmo trutta): From whole heart to cardiomyocytes. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 239:124608. [PMID: 31499312 PMCID: PMC6857438 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater systems are faced with a myriad of stressors including geomorphological alterations, nutrient overloading and pollution. Previous studies in marine fish showed polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to be cardiotoxic. However, the cardiotoxicity of anthropogenic pollutants in freshwater fishes is unclear and has not been examined across multiple levels of cardiac organization. Here we investigated the effect of phenanthrene (Phe), a pervasive anthropogenic pollutant on a sentinel freshwater species, the brown trout (Salmo trutta). We first examined the electrical activity of the whole heart and found prolongation (∼8.6%) of the QT interval (time between ventricular depolarization and repolarization) of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and prolongation (∼13.2%) of the monophasic action potential duration (MAPD) following ascending doses of Phe. At the tissue level, Phe significantly reduced trabecular force generation by ∼24% at concentration 15 μM and above, suggesting Phe reduces cellular calcium cycling. This finding was supported by florescent microscopy showing a reduction (∼39%) in the intracellular calcium transient amplitude following Phe exposure in isolated brown trout ventricular myocytes. Single-cell electrophysiology was used to reveal the mechanism underlying contractile and electrical dysfunction following Phe exposure. A Phe-dependent reduction (∼38%) in the L-type Ca2+ current accounts, at least in part, for the lowered Ca2+ transient and force production. Prolongation of the MAPD and QT interval was explained by a reduction (∼70%) in the repolarising delayed rectifier K+ current following Phe exposure. Taken together, our study shows a direct impact of Phe across multiple levels of cardiac organization in a key freshwater salmonid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martins Oshioriamhe Ainerua
- Cardiovascular Division, School of Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Core Technology Facility Building, Manchester, M13 9NT, United Kingdom; Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, PMB 1154, Benin City, Nigeria
| | - Jake Tinwell
- Cardiovascular Division, School of Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Core Technology Facility Building, Manchester, M13 9NT, United Kingdom
| | - Shiva Nag Kompella
- Cardiovascular Division, School of Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Core Technology Facility Building, Manchester, M13 9NT, United Kingdom
| | - Elin Sørhus
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - Keith N White
- School of Earth Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9GB, United Kingdom
| | - Bart E van Dongen
- School of Earth Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Science, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Holly A Shiels
- Cardiovascular Division, School of Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Core Technology Facility Building, Manchester, M13 9NT, United Kingdom.
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Kwok RK, Miller AK, Gam KB, Curry MD, Ramsey SK, Blair A, Engel LS, Sandler DP. Developing Large-Scale Research in Response to an Oil Spill Disaster: a Case Study. Curr Environ Health Rep 2019; 6:174-187. [PMID: 31376082 PMCID: PMC6699641 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-019-00241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Research conducted in the wake of a disaster can provide information to help mitigate health consequences, support future recovery efforts, and improve resilience. However, a number of barriers have prevented time-sensitive research responses following previous disasters. Furthermore, large-scale disasters present their own special challenges due to the number of people exposed to disaster conditions, the number of groups engaged in disaster response, and the logistical challenges of rapidly planning and implementing a large study. In this case study, we illustrate the challenges in planning and conducting a large-scale post-disaster research study by drawing on our experience in establishing the Gulf Long-term Follow-up (GuLF) Study following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. We describe considerations in identifying at-risk populations and appropriate comparison groups, garnering support for the study from different stakeholders, obtaining timely scientific and ethics review, measuring and characterizing complex exposures, and addressing evolving community health concerns and unmet medical needs. We also describe the NIH Disaster Research Response (DR2) Program, which provides a suite of resources, including data collection tools, research protocols, institutional review board guidance, and training materials to enable the development and implementation of time-critical studies following disasters and public health emergencies. In describing our experiences related to the GuLF Study and the ongoing efforts through the NIH DR2 Program, we aim to help improve the timeliness, quality, and value of future disaster-related data collection and research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K Kwok
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
| | | | - Kaitlyn B Gam
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew D Curry
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Steven K Ramsey
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aaron Blair
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Acampora H, White P, Lyashevska O, O'Connor I. Contrasting congener profiles for persistent organic pollutants and PAH monitoring in European storm petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus) breeding in Ireland: a preen oil versus feathers approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:16933-16944. [PMID: 29623645 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1844-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are anthropogenic contaminants of environmental concern due to their persistence in the environment and capacity to accumulate in biota. Many of these contaminants have been found to have ill effects over wildlife and humans. Birds are known to be particularly affected through endocrine disruption and eggshell thinning. POPs have been banned or restricted through the Stockholm Convention (2001), making monitoring essential for tracking effects of regulation. Seabirds have been used as monitoring tools for being top predators and consuming a diverse array of prey in different trophic levels. Non-destructive sampling has become widely popular using feathers and preen oil, as opposed to carcasses and internal organs. This study aimed to set baseline levels of POP and PAH concentration in a highly pelagic and abundant seabird in Ireland and the Atlantic, the European storm petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus, and to investigate the profiles of contaminant congeners in preen oil and feathers, comparatively. Mean concentrations in preen oil followed: PCB (10.1 ng/g ww) > PAH (7.1 ng/g ww) > OCP (5.4 ng/g ww) > PBDE (3.9 ng/g ww), whilst mean concentrations in feathers followed the order: PAH (38.9 ng/g ww) > PCB (27.2 ng/g ww) > OCP (17.9 ng/g ww) > PBDE (4.5 ng/g ww). Congener profiles highly differed between preen oil and feathers, and little correlation was found between the matrices. These results demonstrate that the sampling of a single matrix alone (preen oil or feathers) might produce confounding results on contamination in seabirds and that more than one matrix is recommended to obtain a full picture of contamination by persistent organic pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Acampora
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Philip White
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Olga Lyashevska
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ian O'Connor
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
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Ramirez MI, Arevalo AP, Sotomayor S, Bailon-Moscoso N. Contamination by oil crude extraction - Refinement and their effects on human health. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:415-425. [PMID: 28826075 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The harmful effects of oil on various species of flora and fauna have been studied extensively; however, few studies have studied the effects of oil exposure on human health. The objective of this research was to collect information on the acute health effects and serious psychological symptoms of the possible consequences of such exposure to crude oil. Some studies focused on the composition of different chemicals used in the extraction process, and wastes generated proved to be highly harmful to human health. Thus, studies have shown that individuals who live near oil fields or wells - or who take part in activities of cleaning oil spills - have presented health conditions, such as irritation to the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, kidney damage, liver, reproductive, among others. In Ecuador, this reality is not different from other countries, and some studies have shown increased diseases related with oil crude and oil spills, like skin irritation, throat, liver, lung, infertility, and abortions, and it has been linked to childhood leukemia. Other studies suggest a direct relationship between DNA damage because of oil resulting in a genetic instability of the main enzymes of cellular metabolism as well as a relationship with some cancers, such as leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Ramirez
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Ana Paulina Arevalo
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Santiago Sotomayor
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
| | - Natalia Bailon-Moscoso
- Departamento de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, 11-01-608, Ecuador.
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Rusiecki J, Alexander M, Schwartz EG, Wang L, Weems L, Barrett J, Christenbury K, Johndrow D, Funk RH, Engel LS. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study. Occup Environ Med 2017; 75:165-175. [PMID: 28899964 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2017-104343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Long-term studies of oil spill responders are urgently needed as oil spills continue to occur. To this end, we established the prospective Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study. METHODS DWH oil spill responders (n=8696) and non-responders (n=44 823) who were members of the US Coast Guard (20 April-17 December 2010) were included. This cohort uses both prospective, objective health data from military medical encounters and cross-sectional survey data. Here, we describe the cohort, present adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) estimating cross-sectional associations between crude oil exposure (none, low/medium, high) and acute physical symptoms, and present adjusted relative risks (RRs) based on longitudinal medical encounter data (2010-2012) for responders/non-responders and responders exposed/not exposed to crude oil. RESULTS Responders and non-responders in this large cohort (n=53 519) have similar characteristics. Crude oil exposure was reported by >50% of responders. We found statistically significant associations for crude oil exposure with coughing (PRhigh=1.78), shortness of breath (PRhigh=2.30), wheezing (PRhigh=2.32), headaches (PRhigh=1.46), light-headedness/dizziness (PRhigh=1.96), skin rash/itching (PRhigh=1.87), diarrhoea (PRhigh=1.76), stomach pain (PRhigh=1.67), nausea/vomiting (PRhigh=1.48) and painful/burning urination (PRhigh=2.89) during deployment. Longitudinal analyses revealed that responders had elevated RRs for dermal conditions (RR=1.09), as did oil-exposed responders for chronic respiratory conditions (RR=1.32), asthma (RR=1.83) and dermal conditions (RR=1.21). CONCLUSIONS We found positive associations between crude oil exposure and various acute physical symptoms among responders, as well as longer term health effects. This cohort is well positioned to evaluate both short-term and long-term effects of oil spill exposures using both self-reported and clinical health data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Rusiecki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA
| | - Melannie Alexander
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA
| | - Erica G Schwartz
- Coast Guard, Directorate of Health, Safety and Work Life, Washington, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA
| | - Laura Weems
- United States Army Corps of Engineers, Safety and Occupational Health Office, Little Rock, USA
| | - John Barrett
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, USA
| | | | - David Johndrow
- Social & Scientific Systems, Durham, USA.,RTI International, Research Triangle Park, Durham, USA
| | - Renée H Funk
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA
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Liu YZ, Zhang L, Roy-Engel AM, Saito S, Lasky JA, Wang G, Wang H. Carcinogenic effects of oil dispersants: A KEGG pathway-based RNA-seq study of human airway epithelial cells. Gene 2016; 602:16-23. [PMID: 27866042 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The health impacts of the BP oil spill are yet to be further revealed as the toxicological effects of oil products and dispersants on human respiratory system may be latent and complex, and hence difficult to study and follow up. Here we performed RNA-seq analyses of a system of human airway epithelial cells treated with the BP crude oil and/or dispersants Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527 that were used to help break up the oil spill. Based on the RNA-seq data, we then systemically analyzed the transcriptomic perturbations of the cells at the KEGG pathway level using two pathway-based analysis tools, GAGE (generally applicable gene set enrichment) and GSNCA (Gene Sets Net Correlations Analysis). Our results suggested a pattern of change towards carcinogenesis for the treated cells marked by upregulation of ribosomal biosynthesis (hsa03008) (p=1.97E-13), protein processing (hsa04141) (p=4.09E-7), Wnt signaling (hsa04310) (p=6.76E-3), neurotrophin signaling (hsa04722) (p=7.73E-3) and insulin signaling (hsa04910) (p=1.16E-2) pathways under the dispersant Corexit 9527 treatment, as identified by GAGE analysis. Furthermore, through GSNCA analysis, we identified gene co-expression changes for several KEGG cancer pathways, including small cell lung cancer pathway (hsa05222, p=9.99E-5), under various treatments of oil/dispersant, especially the mixture of oil and Corexit 9527. Overall, our results suggested carcinogenic effects of dispersants (in particular Corexit 9527) and their mixtures with the BP crude oil, and provided further support for more stringent safety precautions and regulations for operations involving long-term respiratory exposure to oil and dispersants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Zhong Liu
- Dept. of Global Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Lei Zhang
- Center for Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics, School of Public Health, Medical College, Soochow University, Su Zhou, China
| | - Astrid M Roy-Engel
- Dept. of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Shigeki Saito
- Dept. of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Joseph A Lasky
- Dept. of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Guangdi Wang
- Dept. of Chemistry, RCMI Cancer Research Center, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - He Wang
- Dept. of Chronic Respiratory Diseases, School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
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Angelini S, Bermejo JL, Ravegnini G, Sammarini G, Hrelia P. Application of the lymphocyte Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus Assay to populations exposed to petroleum and its derivatives: Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis. MUTATION RESEARCH-REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2016; 770:58-72. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Li P, Cai Q, Lin W, Chen B, Zhang B. Offshore oil spill response practices and emerging challenges. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 110:6-27. [PMID: 27393213 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Offshore oil spills are of tremendous concern due to their potential impact on economic and ecological systems. A number of major oil spills triggered worldwide consciousness of oil spill preparedness and response. Challenges remain in diverse aspects such as oil spill monitoring, analysis, assessment, contingency planning, response, cleanup, and decision support. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current situations and impacts of offshore oil spills, as well as the policies and technologies in offshore oil spill response and countermeasures. Correspondingly, new strategies and a decision support framework are recommended for improving the capacities and effectiveness of oil spill response and countermeasures. In addition, the emerging challenges in cold and harsh environments are reviewed with recommendations due to increasing risk of oil spills in the northern regions from the expansion of the Arctic Passage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Li
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5
| | - Qinhong Cai
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5
| | - Weiyun Lin
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5
| | - Bing Chen
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5.
| | - Baiyu Zhang
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3X5.
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Persistence of Breakage in Specific Chromosome Bands 6 Years after Acute Exposure to Oil. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159404. [PMID: 27479010 PMCID: PMC4969035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The identification of breakpoints involved in chromosomal damage could help to detect genes involved in genetic disorders, most notably cancer. Until now, only one published study, carried out by our group, has identified chromosome bands affected by exposure to oil from an oil spill. In that study, which was performed two years after the initial oil exposure in individuals who had participated in clean-up tasks following the wreck of the Prestige, three chromosomal bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31) were found to be especially prone to breakage. A recent follow-up study, performed on the same individuals, revealed that the genotoxic damage had persisted six years after oil exposure. OBJECTIVES To determine whether there exist chromosome bands which are especially prone to breakages and to know if there is some correlation with those detected in the previous study. In addition, to investigate if the DNA repair problems detected previously persist in the present study. DESIGN Follow-up study performed six years after the Prestige oil spill. SETTING Fishermen cooperatives in coastal villages. PARTICIPANTS Fishermen highly exposed to oil spill who participated in previous genotoxic study six years after the oil. MEASUREMENTS Chromosome damage in peripheral lymphocytes. For accurate identification of the breakpoints involved in chromosome damage of circulating lymphocytes, a sequential stain/G-banding technique was employed. To determine the most break-prone chromosome bands, two statistical methods, the Fragile Site Multinomial and the chi-square tests (where the bands were corrected by their length) were used. To compare the chromosome lesions, structural chromosome alterations and gaps/breaks between two groups of individuals we used the GEE test which takes into account a possible within-individual correlation. Dysfunctions in DNA repair mechanisms, expressed as chromosome damage, were assessed in cultures with aphidicolin by the GEE test. RESULTS Cytogenetic analyses were performed in 47 exposed individuals. A total of 251 breakpoints in exposed individuals) were identified, showing a non-uniform distribution in the human ideogram. Ten chromosome bands were found to be especially prone to breakage through both statistical methods. By comparing these bands with those observed in certain exposed individuals who had already participated the previous study, it was found in both studies that four bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31 and 17p11.2) are particularly sensitive to breakage. Additionally, the dysfunction in DNA repair mechanisms was not significantly higher in oil-exposed individuals than in non-exposed individuals. LIMITATIONS The sample size and the possibility of some kind of selection bias should be considered. Genotoxic results cannot be extrapolated to the high number of individuals who participated occasionally in clean-up tasks. CONCLUSION Our findings show the existence of at least four target bands (2q21, 3q27, 5q31 and 17p11.2) with a greater propensity to break over time after an acute exposure to oil. The breaks in these bands, which are commonly involved in hematological cancer, may explain the increase of cancer risk reported in chronically benzene-exposed individuals. In addition, a more efficiency of the DNA repair mechanisms has been detected six years after in fishermen who were highly exposed to the oil spill. To date, only this study, performed by our group on the previous and present genotoxic effects, has analyzed the chromosomal regions affected by breakage after an acute oil exposure.
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Laffon B, Pásaro E, Valdiglesias V. Effects of exposure to oil spills on human health: Updated review. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2016; 19:105-28. [PMID: 27221976 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2016.1168730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Oil spills may involve health risks for people participating in the cleanup operations and coastal inhabitants, given the toxicological properties of the oil components. In spite of this, only after a few major oil spills (crude oil or fuel oil no. 6) have studies on effects of exposure to diverse aspects of human health been performed. Previously, Aguilera et al. (2010) examined all documents published to that date dealing with any type of human health outcome in populations exposed to oil spills. The aim of the present review was to compile all new information available and determine whether evidence reported supports the existence of an association between exposure and adverse human health risks. Studies were classified in three groups according to type of health outcome addressed: (i) effects on mental health, (ii) physical/physiological effects, and (iii) genotoxic, immunotoxic, and endocrine toxicity. New studies published on oil-spill-exposed populations-coastal residents in the vicinity of the spills or participants in cleanup operations-provide additional support to previous evidence on adverse health effects related to exposure regarding different parameters in all three categories considered. Some of the observed effects even indicated that several symptoms may persist for some years after exposure. Hence, (1) health protection in these individuals should be a matter of concern; and (2) health risk assessment needs to be carried out not only at the time of exposure but also for prolong periods following exposure, to enable early detection of any potential exposure-related harmful effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Laffon
- a DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology , Universidade da Coruña , Coruña , Spain
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- a DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology , Universidade da Coruña , Coruña , Spain
| | - Vanessa Valdiglesias
- a DICOMOSA Group, Department of Psychology, Area of Psychobiology , Universidade da Coruña , Coruña , Spain
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Liu YZ, Roy-Engel AM, Baddoo MC, Flemington EK, Wang G, Wang H. The impact of oil spill to lung health--Insights from an RNA-seq study of human airway epithelial cells. Gene 2015; 578:38-51. [PMID: 26692141 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (BP oil spill) in the Gulf of Mexico was a unique disaster event, where a huge amount of oil spilled from the sea bed and a large volume of dispersants were applied to clean the spill. The operation lasted for almost 3 months and involved >50,000 workers. The potential health hazards to these workers may be significant as previous research suggested an association of persistent respiratory symptoms with exposure to oil and oil dispersants. To reveal the potential effects of oil and oil dispersants on the respiratory system at the molecular level, we evaluated the transcriptomic profile of human airway epithelial cells grown under treatment of crude oil, the dispersants Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527, and oil-dispersant mixtures. We identified a very strong effect of Corexit 9500 treatment, with 84 genes (response genes) differentially expressed in treatment vs. control samples. We discovered an interactive effect of oil-dispersant mixtures; while no response gene was found for Corexit 9527 treatment alone, cells treated with Corexit 9527+oil mixture showed an increased number of response genes (46 response genes), suggesting a synergic effect of 9527 with oil on airway epithelial cells. Through GO (gene ontology) functional term and pathway-based analysis, we identified upregulation of gene sets involved in angiogenesis and immune responses and downregulation of gene sets involved in cell junctions and steroid synthesis as the prevailing transcriptomic signatures in the cells treated with Corexit 9500, oil, or Corexit 9500+oil mixture. Interestingly, these key molecular signatures coincide with important pathological features observed in common lung diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the detrimental effects of oil and oil dispersants to the respiratory system and suggests significant health impacts of the recent BP oil spill to those people involved in the cleaning operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Zhong Liu
- Dept. of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Astrid M Roy-Engel
- Dept. of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Melody C Baddoo
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Dept. of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erik K Flemington
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA; Dept. of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Guangdi Wang
- Dept. of Chemistry, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - He Wang
- Dept. of Chronic Respiratory Diseases, School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia.
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Human Genotoxic Study Carried Out Two Years after Oil Exposure during the Clean-up Activities Using Two Different Biomarkers. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse3041334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The north-west coast of Spain was heavily contaminated by the Prestige oil spill, in 2002. Individuals who participated in the clean-up tasks showed increased chromosome damage two years after exposure. Long-term clinical implications of chromosome damage are still unknown. OBJECTIVE To realize a follow-up genotoxic study to detect whether the chromosome damage persisted six years after exposure to the oil. DESIGN Follow-up study. SETTING Fishermen cooperatives in coastal villages. PARTICIPANTS Local fishermen who were highly exposed (n = 52) and non-exposed (n = 23) to oil seven years after the spill. MEASUREMENTS Chromosome damage in circulating lymphocytes. RESULTS Chromosome damage in exposed individuals persists six years after oil exposure, with a similar incidence than those previously detected four years before. A surprising increase in chromosome damage in non-exposed individual was found six years after Prestige spill vs. those detected two years after the exposure. LIMITATIONS The sample size and the possibility of some kind of selection bias should be considered. Genotoxic results cannot be extrapolated to the approximately 300,000 individuals who participated occasionally in clean-up tasks. CONCLUSION The persistence of chromosome damage detected in exposed individuals six years after oil exposure seems to indicate that the cells of the bone marrow are affected. A surprising increase in chromosome damage in non-exposed individuals detected in the follow-up study suggests an indirect exposition of these individuals to some oil compounds or to other toxic agents during the last four years. More long-term studies are needed to confirm the presence of chromosome damage in exposed and non-exposed fishermen due to the association between increased chromosomal damage and increased risk of cancer. Understanding and detecting chromosome damage is important for detecting cancer in its early stages. The present work is the first follow-up cytogenetic study carried out in lymphocytes to determine genotoxic damage evolution between two and six years after oil exposure in same individuals.
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Noh SR, Cheong HK, Ha M, Eom SY, Kim H, Choi YH, Paek D. Oxidative stress biomarkers in long-term participants in clean-up work after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 515-516:207-214. [PMID: 25727518 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Revised: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The oil tanker Hebei Spirit spilled 12,547kL of oil near the western coastline of Korea on December 7, 2007. We aimed to investigate the relationship between oil spill exposure and oxidative stress in residents living near the affected area. METHODS Study subjects were 671 residents who participated in a health examination between February and September 2009. As surrogates for oil spill exposure, we used the total duration of clean-up work and levels of urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 2-naphthol (2-NAPH). Oxidative stress was measured using urinary levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), indicators of lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage, respectively. RESULTS Levels of oxidative stress biomarkers were significantly increased with longer involvement in clean-up work over one year after the Hebei Spirit oil spill (MDA, p-trend<0.0001; 8-OHdG, p-trend<0.0001). As more time elapsed since the last involvement in clean-up, the total duration of clean-up work participation and levels of PAH metabolites (1-OHP and 2-NAPH), as well as levels of the oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA and 8-OHdG) decreased further. The level of 1-OHP had a significant positive correlation with the total duration of clean-up work involvement, with a higher level found in those who participated in clean-up for >100 days. Increasing levels of 1-OHP were significantly associated with increased MDA and 8-OHdG after adjusting for covariates, while the strength of association weakened as time passed since the last participation in clean-up work. The significance of the association was maintained for up to 12 months after the last clean-up work. CONCLUSIONS The results suggested that oil exposure from prolonged clean-up activity likely induced oxidative stress in clean-up participants up to at least one year after the last exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Ryeon Noh
- Taean Environmental Health Center, Taean, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae-Kwan Cheong
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mina Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang-Yong Eom
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Heon Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Domyung Paek
- Department of Environmental Health, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Is organic farming safer to farmers' health? A comparison between organic and traditional farming. Toxicol Lett 2014; 230:166-76. [PMID: 24576785 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to pesticides is a major public health concern, because of the widespread distribution of these compounds and their possible long term effects. Recently, organic farming has been introduced as a consumer and environmental friendly agricultural system, although little is known about the effects on workers' health. The aim of this work was to evaluate genetic damage and immunological alterations in workers of both traditional and organic farming. Eighty-five farmers exposed to several pesticides, thirty-six organic farmers and sixty-one controls took part in the study. Biomarkers of exposure (pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates, and thioethers in urine and butyrylcholinesterase activity in plasma), early effect (micronuclei in lymphocytes and reticulocytes, T-cell receptor mutation assay, chromosomal aberrations, comet assay and lymphocytes subpopulations) and susceptibility (genetic polymorphisms related to metabolism - EPHX1, GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 - and DNA repair-XRCC1 and XRCC2) were evaluated. When compared to controls and organic farmers, pesticide farmers presented a significant increase of micronuclei in lymphocytes (frequency ratio, FR=2.80) and reticulocytes (FR=1.89), chromosomal aberrations (FR=2.19), DNA damage assessed by comet assay (mean ratio, MR=1.71), and a significant decrease in the proportion of B lymphocytes (MR=0.88). Results were not consistent for organic farmers when compared to controls, with a 48% increase of micronuclei in lumphocytes frequency (p=0.016) contrasted by the significant decreases of TCR-Mf (p=0.001) and %T (p=0.001). Our data confirm the increased presence of DNA damage in farmers exposed to pesticides, and show as exposure conditions may influence observed effects. These results must be interpreted with caution due to the small size of the sample and the unbalanced distribution of individuals in the three study groups.
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Laffon B, Aguilera F, Ríos-Vázquez J, Valdiglesias V, Pásaro E. Follow-up study of genotoxic effects in individuals exposed to oil from the tanker Prestige, seven years after the accident. MUTATION RESEARCH-GENETIC TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENESIS 2013; 760:10-6. [PMID: 24370900 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2013.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Revised: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The accident with the oil tanker Prestige in November 2002 resulted in a major spill of about 63,000 tons of heavy fuel oil. More than 300,000 people participated in the clean-up activities, which lasted for up to 10 months. Previous studies reported increases in genotoxicity endpoints in individuals exposed to Prestige oil, both at the moment of exposure [DNA breakage, micronuclei (MN), sister chromatid exchange] and two years later (chromosomal aberrations). In this work we carried out for the first time the follow-up of genotoxic effects in subjects exposed to an oil spill seven years after the exposure. The main objective was to determine the possible persistence of genotoxic damage in individuals exposed to Prestige oil seven years after the accident. The exposed group was composed of 54 residents of Galician villages in Spain that were heavily affected by the spill. This group was involved in clean-up labor for at least two months in the period November 2002-September 2003. They were compared with 50 matched controls. Primary DNA damage was evaluated by the comet assay, mutagenicity by the T-cell receptor (TCR) mutation assay, and MN frequency was determined both by the cytokinesis-block test and by flow cytometry. The results obtained showed no significant differences between the exposed and the controls in the comet assay, the TCR mutation assay and the cytokinesis-block MN test. An unexpected and significant decrease was observed in the exposed group for the results of the MN test evaluated by flow cytometry, probably influenced by modifying factors - other than age, sex and smoking - not considered in this study. Our results show no evidence of the persistence of genotoxic damage in individuals exposed to Prestige oil seven years later. Nevertheless, the need to plan biomonitoring studies on people participating in clean-up activities in case a new oil spill occurs should be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Laffon
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Francisco Aguilera
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain; Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valparaíso, Blanco 1911, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Julia Ríos-Vázquez
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
| | - Vanessa Valdiglesias
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
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Monyarch G, de Castro Reis F, Zock JP, Giraldo J, Pozo-Rodríguez F, Espinosa A, Rodríguez-Trigo G, Verea H, Castaño-Vinyals G, Gómez FP, Antó JM, Coll MD, Barberà JA, Fuster C. Chromosomal bands affected by acute oil exposure and DNA repair errors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81276. [PMID: 24303039 PMCID: PMC3841120 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a previous study, we showed that individuals who had participated in oil clean-up tasks after the wreckage of the Prestige presented an increase of structural chromosomal alterations two years after the acute exposure had occurred. Other studies have also reported the presence of DNA damage during acute oil exposure, but little is known about the long term persistence of chromosomal alterations, which can be considered as a marker of cancer risk. OBJECTIVES We analyzed whether the breakpoints involved in chromosomal damage can help to assess the risk of cancer as well as to investigate their possible association with DNA repair efficiency. METHODS Cytogenetic analyses were carried out on the same individuals of our previous study and DNA repair errors were assessed in cultures with aphidicolin. RESULTS Three chromosomal bands, 2q21, 3q27 and 5q31, were most affected by acute oil exposure. The dysfunction in DNA repair mechanisms, expressed as chromosomal damage, was significantly higher in exposed-oil participants than in those not exposed (p= 0.016). CONCLUSION The present study shows that breaks in 2q21, 3q27 and 5q31 chromosomal bands, which are commonly involved in hematological cancer, could be considered useful genotoxic oil biomarkers. Moreover, breakages in these bands could induce chromosomal instability, which can explain the increased risk of cancer (leukemia and lymphomas) reported in chronically benzene-exposed individuals. In addition, it has been determined that the individuals who participated in clean-up of the oil spill presented an alteration of their DNA repair mechanisms two years after exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Monyarch
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular i Genètica Mèdica, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Fernanda de Castro Reis
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular i Genètica Mèdica, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jan-Paul Zock
- Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia i Salut Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Giraldo
- Unitat de Bioestadística and Institut de Neurociències, Facultat de Medicina, UAB, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Francisco Pozo-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Medicina Respiratoria, Unidad Epidemiologia Clínica, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Bunyola, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Ana Espinosa
- Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia i Salut Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gema Rodríguez-Trigo
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Bunyola, Mallorca, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina Respiratoria, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hector Verea
- Departamento de Medicina Respiratoria, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Gemma Castaño-Vinyals
- Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia i Salut Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Federico P. Gómez
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Bunyola, Mallorca, Spain
- Departament de Medicina Respiratòria, Hospital Clínic-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M. Antó
- Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia i Salut Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Dolors Coll
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Ciències, UAB, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Joan Albert Barberà
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Bunyola, Mallorca, Spain
- Departament de Medicina Respiratòria, Hospital Clínic-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Fuster
- Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular i Genètica Mèdica, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
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Laffon B, Aguilera F, Ríos-Vázquez J, García-Lestón J, Fuchs D, Valdiglesias V, Pásaro E. Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2013; 59:103-111. [PMID: 23792419 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In November 2002 the oil tanker Prestige spilled 63,000tonnes of heavy oil off the northwest coast of Spain, impacting more than 1000km of coastline. A general concern led to a huge mobilization of human and technical resources, and more than 300,000 people participated in cleanup activities, which lasted up to 10months. Some endocrine and immunological alterations were reported in Prestige oil exposed subjects for several months. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate if these alterations are still present seven years after the exposure. Fifty-four individuals exposed for at least 2months were compared to 50 matched referents. Prolactin and cortisol plasma concentrations, percentages of lymphocyte subsets (CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD19(+), and CD56(+)16(+)), plasma levels of circulating cytokines (interleukin (IL) 2, IL4, IL6, IL10, tumour necrosis factor α, and interferon γ), and serum concentrations of neopterin, tryptophan and kynurenine were determined in peripheral blood samples. Results showed significant differences in exposed individuals vs. referents only in cortisol (increase), kynurenine and %CD16(+)56(+) lymphocytes (both decrease). Time of exposure to the oil or using protective clothes did not influence the results, but effect of using protective mask was observed on neopterin, %CD8(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio and IL4. Surveillance of the exposed individuals for early detection of possible health problems related to the endocrine or immunological systems is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Laffon
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain.
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Levy BS, Nassetta WJ. The Adverse Health Effects of Oil Spills: A Review of the Literature and a Framework for Medically Evaluating Exposed Individuals. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2013; 17:161-7. [DOI: 10.1179/107735211799031004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Dhananjayan V. Accumulation pattern and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in liver tissues of seven species of birds from Ahmedabad, India, during 2005-2007. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 20:3414-3422. [PMID: 23128993 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-012-1282-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2012] [Accepted: 10/23/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in liver tissues of seven species of birds collected from Ahmedabad, India during 2005-2007. All the samples collected were dead as victims of kite flying. Concentrations of ∑PAHs in livers of birds were ranged from 110 ± 32.6 ng/g wet wt (1,078 ± 320 lipid wt) in common myna Acridotheres tristis to 382 ± 90.1 ng/g (2,388 ± 563 lipid wt) in white-backed vulture. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in ∑PAHs were observed among species. However, year of collection and sex of birds did not show significant differences in concentrations of PAHs. The levels of ∑PAHs measured in the present study species were higher than the levels documented for a number of avian species and were lower than those reported to have deleterious effects on survival or reproduction of birds. Presence of PAH residues in birds of Ahmedabad city show the continuous input of PAHs through environmental exposure. Although no threat is posed by any of the hydrocarbons detected, continuous monitoring of breeding colonies of birds is recommended in unpolluted reference sites as well as polluted sites. It is also the first account of a comprehensive analysis of PAHs in various species of birds in India. Therefore, the values reported in this study can serve as baseline values for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venugopal Dhananjayan
- Sàlim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty PO, Coimbatore 641108, India.
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Na JU, Sim MS, Jo IJ, Song HG. The duration of acute health problems in people involved with the cleanup operation of the Hebei Spirit oil spill. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2012; 64:1246-51. [PMID: 22491025 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Revised: 03/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/12/2012] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The authors investigated the duration of health problems of people involved with cleanup efforts for the Hebei Spirit oil spill, which occurred in December 2007 in Taean County, South Korea. The study identified risk factors correlated with the continuation of symptoms. Approximately one year after the accident, 442 people who had participated in the cleanup operation were examined. Data regarding demographic information, risk factors, and the continuation and duration of any symptoms were obtained. Eye symptoms (9.7 months), headaches (8.4 months), skin symptoms (8.3 months), and neurovestibular symptoms (6.9 months) had a relatively longer duration than did back pain (1.8 months) or respiratory symptoms (2.1 months). In particular, the remission of headaches had a negative correlation with female gender (HR 0.57, 0.34-0.95, 95% CI), and remission of eye symptoms had a negative correlation with the total hours of daily participation in the cleanup operation (HR 0.24, 0.06-0.95, 95% CI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Ung Na
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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Theodorakis CW, Bickham JW, Donnelly KC, McDonald TJ, Willink PW. DNA damage in cichlids from an oil production facility in Guatemala. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2012; 21:496-511. [PMID: 22080433 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-011-0811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on several wetlands in Laguna del Tigre National Park (Guatemala) as part of Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program. Sediment and water samples were collected from a laguna near Xan field, Guatemala's largest oil facility, and three other sites for determination of levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Cichlid fish (Thorichthys meeki and Vieja synspila) were collected for determination of DNA strand breakage (by gel electrophoresis), chromosomal breakage (flow cytometry), and fin erosion. For T. meeki from Xan field, chromosomal breakage and strand breakage was greater than in at least two of the three reference sites. For V. synspila, chromosomal breakage and strand breakage were greater in Xan than one of the two reference sites. Fin erosion was observed only at the Xan laguna. Genetic biomarker effects and fin erosion, along with patterns of aqueous PAH concentrations, indicate that fish are affected by anthropogenic contaminants. PAHs were elevated at some reference sites, but environmental forensic analysis suggested a pyrogenic or diagenic origin. It is possible that oil field brines injected into the ground water caused fin erosion and genotoxicity in fish at Xan field, and it is also possible that pyrogenic PAHs influence levels of DNA damage in reference sites. These analyses represent one of the first efforts to examine genotoxicity in native Mesoamerican cichlids.
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Valdiglesias V, Kiliç G, Costa C, Amor-Carro Ó, Mariñas-Pardo L, Ramos-Barbón D, Méndez J, Pásaro E, Laffon B. In vivo genotoxicity assessment in rats exposed to Prestige-like oil by inhalation. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2012; 75:756-764. [PMID: 22788363 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2012.689801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
One of the largest oil spill disasters in recent times was the accident of the oil tanker Prestige in front of the Galician coast in 2002. Thousands of people participated in the cleanup of the contaminated areas, being exposed to a complex mixture of toxic substances. Acute and prolonged respiratory symptoms and genotoxic effects were reported, although environmental exposure measurements were restricted to current determinations, such that attribution of effects observed to oil exposure is difficult to establish. The aim of this study was to analyze peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) harvested from a rat model of subchronic exposure to a fuel oil with similar characteristics to that spilled by the Prestige tanker, in order to determine potential genotoxic effects under strictly controlled, in vivo exposure. Wistar Han and Brown Norway rats were exposed to the oil for 3 wk, and micronucleus test (MN) and comet assay, standard and modified with 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) enzyme, were employed to assess genotoxicity 72 h and 15 d after the last exposure. In addition, the potential effects of oil exposure on DNA repair capacity were determined by means of mutagen sensitivity assay. Results obtained from this study showed that inhalation oil exposure induced DNA damage in both Brown Norway and Wistar Han rats, especially in those animals evaluated 15 d after exposure. Although alterations in the DNA repair responses were noted, the sensitivity to oil substances varied depending on rat strain. Data support previous positive genotoxicity results reported in humans exposed to Prestige oil during cleanup tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Valdiglesias
- Toxicology Unit, Department of Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
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Roscales JL, González-Solís J, Calabuig P, Jiménez B. Interspecies and spatial trends in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Atlantic and Mediterranean pelagic seabirds. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2011; 159:2899-905. [PMID: 21620541 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2011] [Revised: 04/20/2011] [Accepted: 04/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
PAHs were analyzed in the liver of 5 species of pelagic seabirds (Procellariiformes) from the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The main objective was to assess the trophic and geographic trends of PAHs in seabirds to evaluate their suitability as bioindicators of chronic marine pollution by these compounds. Although higher levels of PAHs have been described in the Mediterranean compared to other oceanic regions, we did not find significant spatial patterns and observed only minor effects of the geographic origin on seabird PAHs. However, we found significant higher PAH levels in petrel compared to shearwater species, which could be related to differences in their exploitation of mesopelagic and epipelagic resources, respectively, and the vertical dynamic of PAHs in the water column. Overall, although this study enhances the need of multi-species approaches to show a more comprehensive evaluation of marine pollution, seabirds emerged as poor indicators of pelagic chronic PAH levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Roscales
- Research Institute of Biodiversity and department of Animal Biology, Barcelona University, Av Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard D Goldstein
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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Cheong HK, Ha M, Lee JS, Kwon H, Ha EH, Hong YC, Choi Y, Jeong WC, Hur J, Lee SM, Kim EJ, Im H. Hebei spirit oil spill exposure and subjective symptoms in residents participating in clean-up activities. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY 2011; 26:e2011007. [PMID: 22125768 PMCID: PMC3214977 DOI: 10.5620/eht.2011.26.e2011007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. METHODS A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. RESULTS Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae-Kwan Cheong
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
| | - Mina Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
- Environmental Health Center, Dankook University Medical Center, Cheonam, Korea
| | - Jong Seong Lee
- Occupational Lung Diseases Institute, Compensation & Welfare Service Corporation, Ansan, Korea
| | - Hojang Kwon
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
- Environmental Health Center, Dankook University Medical Center, Cheonam, Korea
| | - Eun-Hee Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Ewha Woman's University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yun-Chul Hong
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeyong Choi
- Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Seoul, Korea
| | | | - Jongil Hur
- Taean Institute of Environmental Health, Taean, Korea
| | - Seung-Min Lee
- Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun-Jung Kim
- Environmental Health Center, Dankook University Medical Center, Cheonam, Korea
| | - Hosub Im
- Neodin Medical Institute, Seoul, Korea
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Aguilera F, Méndez J, Pásaro E, Laffon B. Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health. J Appl Toxicol 2010; 30:291-301. [PMID: 20499335 DOI: 10.1002/jat.1521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Harmful effects of oil spills on diverse flora and fauna species have been extensively studied. Nevertheless, only a few studies have been compiled in the literature dealing with the repercussions of oil exposure on human health; most of them have focused on acute effects and psychological symptoms. The objective of this work was to gather all these studies and to analyze the possible consequences of this kind of complex exposure in the different aspects of human health. Studies found on this topic were related to the disasters of the Exxon Valdez, Braer, Sea Empress, Nakhodka, Erika, Prestige and Tasman Spirit oil tankers. The majority of them were cross-sectional; many did not include control groups. Acute effects were evaluated taking into account vegetative-nervous symptoms, skin and mucous irritations, and also psychological effects. Genotoxic damage and endocrine alterations were assessed only in individuals exposed to oil from Prestige. The results of the reviewed articles clearly support the need for biomonitoring human populations exposed to spilled oils, especially those individuals involved in the cleanup, in order to evaluate not only the possible immediate consequences for their health but also the medium- and long-term effects, and the effectiveness of the protective devices used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Aguilera
- Unidad de Toxicología, Dpto. Psicobiología, Universidad de A Coruña, España
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Guitart R, Sachana M, Caloni F, Croubels S, Vandenbroucke V, Berny P. Animal poisoning in Europe. Part 3: Wildlife. Vet J 2010; 183:260-5. [PMID: 19423367 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2008] [Revised: 03/25/2009] [Accepted: 03/27/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This review article is the third in a series on animal poisoning in Europe and represents a collation of published and non-published wildlife poisoning data from Belgium, France, Greece, Italy and Spain over the last 10 years. Birds, particularly waterfowl and raptors, were more commonly reported as victims of poisoning than wild mammals. In addition to specific but important toxicological disasters, deliberate primary or secondary poisonings are of concern to all countries. Metals (particularly lead arising from sporting/hunting activities) and pesticides (mainly anticholinesterases and anticoagulants) are frequent causes of poisoning, and often have fatal consequences. A more unified and consistent approach throughout European countries to improve the reporting and the analytical confirmation of wildlife poisoning would help to reduce the number of cases of malicious or negligent animal poisoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raimon Guitart
- Unit of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
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Dhawan A, Bajpayee M, Parmar D. The Comet Assay: A Versatile Tool for Assessing DNA Damage. THE COMET ASSAY IN TOXICOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1039/9781847559746-00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alok Dhawan
- Developmental Toxicology Division Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Formerly Industrial Toxicology Research Centre) P.O. Box 80 M.G. Marg Lucknow 226 001 India
| | - Mahima Bajpayee
- Developmental Toxicology Division Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Formerly Industrial Toxicology Research Centre) P.O. Box 80 M.G. Marg Lucknow 226 001 India
| | - Devendra Parmar
- Developmental Toxicology Division Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Formerly Industrial Toxicology Research Centre) P.O. Box 80 M.G. Marg Lucknow 226 001 India
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Cemeli E, Mirkova E, Chiuchiarelli G, Alexandrova E, Anderson D. Investigation on the mechanisms of genotoxicity of butadiene, styrene and their combination in human lymphocytes using the Comet assay. Mutat Res 2009; 664:69-76. [PMID: 19428383 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2009.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2008] [Revised: 02/10/2009] [Accepted: 02/13/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity of butadiene and styrene is exerted by their metabolites. Such metabolites have been extensively scrutinized at the in vitro level demonstrating evident genotoxic properties. In monitoring, a diverse range of outcomes has been produced. Additionally, epidemiological studies in rubber workers face difficulties of data interpretation due to the changeability and multiple exposures of the workers as well as to confounding factors inherent to the cohorts. Nevertheless, toxicity has been associated with a significant trend of increasing the risk of leukaemia in employees at the styrene-butadiene rubber industry. Thus, further effort must be made to distinguish the exposures to each chemical over time and to characterize their interrelationships. The present investigation focuses on the effects and mechanisms of damage of the mixture styrene-butadiene by examining its metabolites: styrene oxide (SO), butadiene monoepoxide (BME) and butadiene diepoxide (BDE) respectively. The in vitro Comet assay on frozen lymphocytes has been employed to ascertain the DNA damage patterns for the styrene-butadiene metabolites combined and on their own. Different patterns were observed for the mixture and each of its components. This study has also led to determining the mechanism of damage of the mixture and the compounds. With regard to the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS), co-treatment with catalase does not modulate the genotoxicity of the mixture but it does modulate its components. The outcomes also indicate that the mixture induces cross-links and this is due to the influence of BDE in the mixture, being more evident as the concentration of BDE increases. An investigation on the sensitivity of lymphocytes from occupationally un/exposed subjects to in vitro exposure of the mixture and its components revealed that occupationally exposed subjects had a substantially higher background of DNA damage and a lower sensitivity to the metabolites of styrene, 1,3-butadiene and its mixture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Cemeli
- University of Bradford, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Richmond Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
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Pérez-Cadahía B, Méndez J, Pásaro E, Lafuente A, Cabaleiro T, Laffon B. Biomonitoring of human exposure to prestige oil: effects on DNA and endocrine parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INSIGHTS 2008; 2:83-92. [PMID: 21572833 PMCID: PMC3091333 DOI: 10.4137/ehi.s954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Since 1960, about 400 tankers spilled more than 377765 tons of oil, with the Prestige accident (Galician coast, NW Spain, November 2002) the most recent. Taking into account the consistent large number of individuals exposed to oil that exists all over the world, it seems surprising the absence in the literature of studies focused on the chronic effects of this exposure on human health. In this work we evaluated the level of DNA damage by means of comet assay, and the potential endocrine alterations (prolactin and cortisol) caused by Prestige oil exposure in a population of 180 individuals, classified in 3 groups according to the tasks performed, and 60 controls. Heavy metals in blood were determined as exposure biomarkers, obtaining significant increases of aluminum, nickel and lead in the exposed groups as compared to controls. Higher levels of genetic damage and endocrine alterations were also observed in the exposed population. DNA damage levels were influenced by age, sex, and the use of protective clothes, and prolactin concentrations by the last two factors. Surprisingly, the use of mask did not seem to protect individuals from genetic or endocrine alterations. Moreover, polymorphisms in genes encoding for the main enzymes involved in the metabolism of oil components were analyzed as susceptibility biomarkers. CYP1A1-3'UTR and EPHX1 codons 113 and 139 variant alleles were related to higher damage levels, while lower DNA damage was observed in GSTM1 and GSTT1 null individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía
- Toxicology Unit, Dept. Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
- Dept. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Josefina Méndez
- Toxicology Unit, Dept. Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
| | - Eduardo Pásaro
- Dept. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | | | - Teresa Cabaleiro
- Toxicology Laboratory, University of Vigo, Campus Ourense, Ourense, Spain
| | - Blanca Laffon
- Toxicology Unit, Dept. Psychobiology, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
- Dept. Cell and Molecular Biology, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
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Dhawan A, Bajpayee M, Parmar D. Comet assay: a reliable tool for the assessment of DNA damage in different models. Cell Biol Toxicol 2008; 25:5-32. [PMID: 18427939 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-008-9072-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2007] [Accepted: 03/17/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
New chemicals are being added each year to the existing burden of toxic substances in the environment. This has led to increased pollution of ecosystems as well as deterioration of the air, water, and soil quality. Excessive agricultural and industrial activities adversely affect biodiversity, threatening the survival of species in a particular habitat as well as posing disease risks to humans. Some of the chemicals, e.g., pesticides and heavy metals, may be genotoxic to the sentinel species and/or to non-target species, causing deleterious effects in somatic or germ cells. Test systems which help in hazard prediction and risk assessment are important to assess the genotoxic potential of chemicals before their release into the environment or commercial use as well as DNA damage in flora and fauna affected by contaminated/polluted habitats. The Comet assay has been widely accepted as a simple, sensitive, and rapid tool for assessing DNA damage and repair in individual eukaryotic as well as some prokaryotic cells, and has increasingly found application in diverse fields ranging from genetic toxicology to human epidemiology. This review is an attempt to comprehensively encase the use of Comet assay in different models from bacteria to man, employing diverse cell types to assess the DNA-damaging potential of chemicals and/or environmental conditions. Sentinel species are the first to be affected by adverse changes in their environment. Determination of DNA damage using the Comet assay in these indicator organisms would thus provide information about the genotoxic potential of their habitat at an early stage. This would allow for intervention strategies to be implemented for prevention or reduction of deleterious health effects in the sentinel species as well as in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Dhawan
- Developmental Toxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (formerly Industrial Toxicology Research Centre), PO Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow, 226 001, India.
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Pérez-Cadahía B, Laffon B, Valdiglesias V, Pásaro E, Méndez J. Cytogenetic effects induced by Prestige oil on human populations: the role of polymorphisms in genes involved in metabolism and DNA repair. Mutat Res 2008; 653:117-23. [PMID: 18495522 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrgentox.2008.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2007] [Revised: 10/31/2007] [Accepted: 04/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The spill from the oil tanker Prestige (NW Spain, November 2002) was perhaps the biggest ecological disaster that happened worldwide in the last decades. As a consequence of this catastrophe a general concern led to a huge mobilization of human and technical resources. Given that no information was reported in the scientific literature regarding to the chronic repercussions to human health of exposure to oil spills, a pilot study was performed by our group revealing some increased genotoxic effects in the subjects exposed to the oil during cleaning activities. Due to the seriousness of the results, we extended our study comprising a larger population and including an extensive evaluation of the main polymorphic sites in metabolizing and DNA-repair genes. General increases in micronucleus (MN) frequency and decreases in the proliferation index were observed in individuals with longer time of exposure. Age was a significant predictor of MN frequency. CYP1A1 3'-UTR, EPHX1 codons 113 and 139, GSTP1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 metabolic polymorphisms, and XRCC3 codon 241 and XPD codon 751 repair polymorphisms influenced cytogenetic damage levels. In view of these results, it seems essential to pay more attention to the chronic human health effects of exposure to oil and to focus new studies on such a relevant but overlooked public health field that involves a large number of people all over the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía
- Psychobiology Department, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
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Rodríguez-Trigo G, Zock JP, Isidro Montes I. [Health effects of exposure to oil spills]. Arch Bronconeumol 2008; 43:628-35. [PMID: 17983548 DOI: 10.1016/s1579-2129(07)60141-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The sinking of the oil tanker Prestige off the coast of Galicia was not only the worst ecological disaster ever to affect Spain, it also led to thousands of people who participated in the cleanup of the contaminated areas being exposed to potentially dangerous toxic substances. As the airway is one of the principal routes of entry into the body of these toxic compounds, the possible effects of exposure to such spills is of particular interest and concern to respiratory specialists. The paucity of clinical information available on the subject was the motive for this paper, which reviews the scientific studies undertaken in the aftermath of other accidents involving oil tankers and concludes with a summary of the clinical and epidemiological data published to date on the Prestige oil spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Rodríguez-Trigo
- Servicio de Neumología, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario Juan Canalejo, A Coruña, España.
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41
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Pérez-Cadahía B, Laffon B, Porta M, Lafuente A, Cabaleiro T, López T, Caride A, Pumarega J, Romero A, Pásaro E, Méndez J. Relationship between blood concentrations of heavy metals and cytogenetic and endocrine parameters among subjects involved in cleaning coastal areas affected by the 'Prestige' tanker oil spill. CHEMOSPHERE 2008; 71:447-455. [PMID: 18221981 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.10.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2007] [Revised: 10/18/2007] [Accepted: 10/28/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The sinking of the 'Prestige' oil tanker in front of the Galician coast (NW of Spain) in November 2002 offered a unique opportunity to analyze intermediate cytogenetic and endocrine effects among people exposed to the complex mixture of substances that oil constitutes, including several toxic heavy metals. In this work we evaluated the relationship between exposure to heavy metals (blood concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, nickel, lead and zinc) and genotoxic parameters (sister chromatid exchanges, micronucleus test and comet assay) or endocrine parameters (plasmatic concentrations of prolactin and cortisol) in subjects exposed to 'Prestige' oil during cleaning tasks developed after the spillage. Concentrations of lead were significantly related to the comet assay even after adjusting by age, sex and smoking. Cortisol concentrations were significantly influenced by aluminium, nickel (both, inversely) and cadmium (positively). Women had clearly higher concentrations of prolactin and cortisol, even when adjusting by age, smoking, cadmium, aluminium or nickel. Plasmatic cortisol was jointly influenced by gender, smoking and aluminium or nickel (all p<0.05). In women there was a strong relationship between concentrations of cadmium and prolactin (beta=0.37, p=0.031). When the effects of cadmium, aluminium and nickel on cortisol were simultaneously assessed, only the latter two metals remained statistically significant. Among parameters analysed, cortisol appeared to be the most sensitive to the effects of metal exposure. Plasma levels of cortisol deserve further evaluation as a potentially relevant biomarker to assess the effects of exposure to heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía
- Toxicology Unit, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, E-15071 A Coruña, Spain
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Pérez C, Velando A, Munilla I, López-Alonso M, Oro D. Monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in the marine environment after the Prestige oil spill by means of seabird blood analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2008; 42:707-13. [PMID: 18323091 DOI: 10.1021/es071835d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study we tested the use of seabird blood as a bioindicator of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution in the marine environment. Blood cells of breeding yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) were able to track spatial and temporal changes consistent with the massive oil pollution pulse that resulted from the Prestige oil spill. Thus, in 2004, blood samples from yellow-legged gulls breeding in colonies that were in the trajectory of the spill doubled in theirtotal PAH concentrations when compared to samples from unoiled colonies. Furthermore, PAH levels in gulls from an oiled colony decreased by nearly a third in two consecutive breeding seasons (2004 and 2005). Experimental evidence was gathered by means of an oil-ingestion field experiment. The total concentration of PAHs in the blood of gulls given oil supplements was 30% higher compared to controls. This strongly suggested that measures of PAHs in the blood of gulls are sensitive to the ingestion of small quantities of oil. Our study provides evidence that seabirds were exposed to residual Prestige oil 17 months after the spill commenced and gives support to the nondestructive use of seabirds as biomonitors of oil pollution in marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristóbal Pérez
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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Ha M, Lee WJ, Lee S, Cheong HK. A Literature Review on Health Effects of Exposure to Oil Spill. J Prev Med Public Health 2008; 41:345-54. [DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.2008.41.5.345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Korea
| | - Won Jin Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Korea
| | - Seungmin Lee
- CitizenKs Institute of Environmental Studies, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Korea
| | - Hae-Kwan Cheong
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Korea
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Rodríguez-Trigo G, Paul Zock J, Isidro Montes I. La exposición a las mareas negras y sus efectos en la salud. Arch Bronconeumol 2007. [DOI: 10.1157/13111350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Iarmarcovai G, Bonassi S, Botta A, Baan RA, Orsière T. Genetic polymorphisms and micronucleus formation: a review of the literature. Mutat Res 2007; 658:215-33. [PMID: 18037339 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2007.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2007] [Revised: 10/08/2007] [Accepted: 10/15/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The formation of micronuclei (MN) is extensively used in molecular epidemiology as a biomarker of chromosomal damage, genome instability, and eventually of cancer risk. The occurrence of MN represents an integrated response to chromosome-instability phenotypes and altered cellular viabilities caused by genetic defects and/or exogenous exposures to genotoxic agents. The present article reviews human population studies addressing the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and MN formation, and provides insight into how genetic variants could modulate the effect of environmental exposures to genotoxic agents, host factors (gender, age), lifestyle characteristics (smoking, alcohol, folate), and diseases (coronary artery disease, cancer). Seventy-two studies measuring MN frequency either in peripheral blood lymphocytes or exfoliated cells were retrieved after an extensive search of the MedLine/PubMed database. The effect of genetic polymorphisms on MN formation is complex, influenced to a different extent by several polymorphisms of proteins or enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism, DNA repair proteins, and folate-metabolism enzymes. This heterogeneity reflects the presence of multiple external and internal exposures, and the large number of chromosomal alterations eventually resulting in MN formation. Polymorphisms of EPHX, GSTT1, and GSTM1 are of special importance in modulating the frequency of chromosomal damage in individuals exposed to genotoxic agents and in unexposed populations. Variants of ALDH2 genes are consistently associated with MN formation induced by alcohol drinking. Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (with or without breast cancer) show enhanced sensitivity to clastogens. Some evidence further suggests that DNA repair (XRCC1 and XRCC3) and folate-metabolism genes (MTHFR) also influence MN formation. As some of the findings are based on relatively small numbers of subjects, larger scale studies are required that include scoring of additional endpoints (e.g., MN in combination with fluorescent in situ hybridization, analysis of nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds), and address gene-gene interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Iarmarcovai
- Laboratory of Biogenotoxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis EA 1784; IFR PMSE 112, Faculty of Medecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
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Pérez-Cadahía B, Lafuente A, Cabaleiro T, Pásaro E, Méndez J, Laffon B. Initial study on the effects of Prestige oil on human health. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2007; 33:176-85. [PMID: 17055056 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2006.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2006] [Revised: 04/11/2006] [Accepted: 09/12/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The big oil tanker Prestige wrecked at 130 miles from the coast of Galicia, on the Northwest of Spain, in November 19, 2002. During the accident over 40,000 tons of oil were spilled, and along the next weeks 22,000 more reached the shore in the way of three black tides. A great number of people participated in the cleaning tasks. The objective of this study was to initially evaluate the damage caused by Prestige oil in exposed individuals both from the cytogenetic and the endocrine points of view. Exposure level was determined by analysing volatile organic compounds in the environment and heavy metals in blood. Cytogenetic damage was determined by sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), and plasmatic prolactin and cortisol levels were used as biomarkers of endocrine toxicity. Finally we have determined the possible influence of GST genetic polymorphisms (GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms, GSTP1 Ala105Val) on the evaluated effects. The exposed population was classified according to the performed cleaning tasks in three groups: volunteers that collaborated for 1 week (N=25), hired manual workers (N=20) and hired high-pressure cleaner workers (N=23). The control population consisted of 42 individuals. Exposure to Prestige oil caused cytogenetic damage in exposed individuals, being its effect influenced by age, sex, tobacco consumption and GSTM1 polymorphism. With regard to endocrine toxicity, our results showed that xenobiotics present in Prestige oil induced alterations in hormonal status, and thus it may be considered as an endocrine disruptor. Therefore, the selected parameters have shown to be good indicators of toxicity related to exposure to Prestige oil. In addition, data obtained point to the importance of using protective devices in preventing the effects related to the exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Pérez-Cadahía
- Toxicology Unit, University of A Coruña, Edificio de Servicios Centrales de Investigación, Campus Elviña s/n, 15071-A Coruña, Spain
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