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Correa Velez KE, Alam M, Baalousha MA, Norman RS. Wildfire Ashes from the Wildland-Urban Interface Alter Vibrio vulnificus Growth and Gene Expression. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8169-8181. [PMID: 38690750 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Climate change-induced stressors are contributing to the emergence of infectious diseases, including those caused by marine bacterial pathogens such as Vibrio spp. These stressors alter Vibrio temporal and geographical distribution, resulting in increased spread, exposure, and infection rates, thus facilitating greater Vibrio-human interactions. Concurrently, wildfires are increasing in size, severity, frequency, and spread in the built environment due to climate change, resulting in the emission of contaminants of emerging concern. This study aimed to understand the potential effects of urban interface wildfire ashes on Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) growth and gene expression using transcriptomic approaches. V. vulnificus was exposed to structural and vegetation ashes and analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes using the HTSeq-DESeq2 strategy. Exposure to wildfire ash altered V. vulnificus growth and gene expression, depending on the trace metal composition of the ash. The high Fe content of the vegetation ash enhanced bacterial growth, while the high Cu, As, and Cr content of the structural ash suppressed growth. Additionally, the overall pattern of upregulated genes and pathways suggests increased virulence potential due to the selection of metal- and antibiotic-resistant strains. Therefore, mixed fire ashes transported and deposited into coastal zones may lead to the selection of environmental reservoirs of Vibrio strains with enhanced antibiotic resistance profiles, increasing public health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlen Enid Correa Velez
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- NIEHS Center for Oceans and Human Health and Climate Change Interactions, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Mahbub Alam
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Mohammed A Baalousha
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - R Sean Norman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- NIEHS Center for Oceans and Human Health and Climate Change Interactions, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St., Suite 401, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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Villarruel CM, Figueroa LA, Ranville JF. Quantification of Bioaccessible and Environmentally Relevant Trace Metals in Structure Ash from a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2502-2513. [PMID: 38277687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are increasing in frequency and intensity, driven by climate change and anthropogenic ignitions. Few studies have characterized the variability in the metal content in ash generated from burned structures in order to determine the potential risk to human and environmental health. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we analyzed leachable trace metal concentration in soils and ash from structures burned by the Marshall Fire, a WUI fire that destroyed over 1000 structures in Boulder County, Colorado. Acid digestion revealed that ash derived from structures contained 22 times more Cu and 3 times more Pb on average than surrounding soils on a mg/kg basis. Ash liberated 12 times more Ni (mg/kg) and twice as much Cr (mg/kg) as soils in a water leach. By comparing the amount of acid-extractable metals to that released by water and simulated epithelial lung fluid (SELF), we estimated their potential for environmental mobility and human bioaccessibility. The SELF leach showed that Cu and Ni were more bioaccessible (mg of leachable metal/mg of acid-extractable metal) in ash than in soils. These results suggest that structure ash is an important source of trace metals that can negatively impact the health of both humans and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen M Villarruel
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Linda A Figueroa
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - James F Ranville
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Bocca B, Battistini B. Biomarkers of exposure and effect in human biomonitoring of metal-based nanomaterials: their use in primary prevention and health surveillance. Nanotoxicology 2024; 18:1-35. [PMID: 38436298 DOI: 10.1080/17435390.2023.2301692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Metal-based nanomaterials (MNMs) have gained particular interest in nanotechnology industry. They are used in various industrial processes, in biomedical applications or to improve functional properties of several consumer products. The widescale use of MNMs in the global consumer market has resulted in increases in the likelihood of exposure and risks to human beings. Human exposure to MNMs and assessment of their potential health effects through the concomitant application of biomarkers of exposure and effect of the most commonly used MNMs were reviewed in this paper. In particular, interactions of MNMs with biological systems and the nanobiomonitoring as a prevention tool to detect the early damage caused by MNMs as well as related topics like the influence of some physicochemical features of MNMs and availability of analytical approaches for MNMs testing in human samples were summarized in this review. The studies collected and discussed seek to increase the current knowledge on the internal dose exposure and health effects of MNMs, highlighting the advantages in using biomarkers in primary prevention and health surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Bocca
- Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Battistini
- Department of Environment and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Lopez AM, Pacheco JL, Fendorf S. Metal toxin threat in wildland fires determined by geology and fire severity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8007. [PMID: 38086795 PMCID: PMC10716285 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Accentuated by climate change, catastrophic wildfires are a growing, distributed global public health risk from inhalation of smoke and dust. Underrecognized, however, are the health threats arising from fire-altered toxic metals natural to soils and plants. Here, we demonstrate that high temperatures during California wildfires catalyzed widespread transformation of chromium to its carcinogenic form in soil and ash, as hexavalent chromium, particularly in areas with metal-rich geologies (e.g., serpentinite). In wildfire ash, we observed dangerous levels (327-13,100 µg kg-1) of reactive hexavalent chromium in wind-dispersible particulates. Relatively dry post-fire weather contributed to the persistence of elevated hexavalent chromium in surficial soil layers for up to ten months post-fire. The geographic distribution of metal-rich soils and fire incidents illustrate the broad global threat of wildfire smoke- and dust-born metals to populations. Our findings provide new insights into why wildfire smoke exposure appears to be more hazardous to humans than pollution from other sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alandra Marie Lopez
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Juan Lezama Pacheco
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Scott Fendorf
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Xing D, Magdouli S, Zhang J, Bouafif H, Koubaa A. A Comparative Study on Heavy Metal Removal from CCA-Treated Wood Waste by Yarrowia lipolytica: Effects of Metal Stress. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040469. [PMID: 37108923 PMCID: PMC10145133 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioremediation is an effective way to remove heavy metals from pollutants. This study investigated the effects of Yarrowia lipolytica (Y. lipolytica) on the bioremediation of chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood wastes. Copper ions stressed the yeast strains to improve their bioremediation efficiency. A comparison of changes in morphology, chemical composition, and metal content of CCA wood before and after bioremediation was conducted. The amount of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and copper (Cu) was quantified by microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometer. The results showed that yeast strains remained on the surface of CCA-treated wood after bioremediation. The morphologies of the strains changed from net to spherical because of the Cu2+ stress. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed that carboxylic acid groups of wood were released after removing heavy metals. A large amount of oxalic acid was observed when the optical density (OD600nm) was 0.05 on the 21st day. Meanwhile, the highest removal rate of Cu, As, and Cr was 82.8%, 68.3%, and 43.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the Cu removal from CCA-treated wood increased by about 20% after Cu2+ stress. This study showed that it is feasible to remove heavy metals from CCA-treated wood by Y. lipolytica without destroying the wood structure, especially by copper-induced Y. lipolytica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Xing
- Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, Canada
| | - Sara Magdouli
- Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jingfa Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China
| | - Hassine Bouafif
- Centre Technologique des Résidus Industriels en Abitibi Témiscamingue, 433 Boulevard du Collège, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 0E1, Canada
| | - Ahmed Koubaa
- Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, Canada
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