Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in recreational marina sediments of San Diego Bay, southern California

Insight into the mechanism of melatonin in attenuating PCB126-induced liver injury: Resistance to ROS-dependent NETs formation to alleviate inflammation and lipid metabolism dysfunction

3,3',4',4',5-Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB126) is classified as a persistent organic environmental pollutant that can cause liver damage by producing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS also can stimulate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation, which cause damage to organism if NETs are produced in excess. Melatonin is generally considered to possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammation prosperities, but it is unclear whether it can alleviate PCB126-induced injury. To explore whether PCB126-induced liver injury is related to the formation of NETs and whether melatonin has a potent protective effect, we established PCB126 exposure/ PCB126 and melatonin co-treatment mouse models by gavage. To further clarify the specific mechanism, we also cultured neutrophils and AML12 cells to replicate in vivo model. Here, we found PCB126 exposure resulted in an elevation in the activities of MDA, LPO, PCO, and 8-OHdG, and a reduction in the activities of CAT, GSH-PX and SOD. We found that PCB126 exposure led to an elevation in the expression levels of chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CXCL12, and CXCL8) and marker factors for NETs formation (MPO, NE, NOX2, PKCα, and PKCζ) in the PCB126 group. IF, SYTOX staining, and SEM results also revealed that PCB126 could stimulate NETs formation. In addition, results of a co-culture system of PBNs and AML12 cells revealed that the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) significantly decreased and the expression levels of metabolism factors (Fas, Acc, and Srebp) slightly decreased for scavenging NETs, indicating NETs formation aggravated PCB126-induced hepatic damages. Noteworthy, treatment with melatonin reversed these results. In summary, our findings revealed that melatonin alleviated hepatic damage aggravated by PCB126-induced ROS-dependent NETs formation through suppressing excessive ROS production. This finding not only enriches toxicological mechanism of PCB126, but more importantly extends biological effects of melatonin and its potential application values.

Spatiotemporal distribution, source analysis and ecological risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Bohai Bay, China

As a class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the spatial and temporal distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in seawater is important for environmental assessment. Surface water samples were collected from 35 stations during summer and 36 stations during autumn of 2020 in the Bohai Bay. The concentration, composition, distribution and sources of PCBs were analyzed to assess the ecological impact of PCBs. The average concentration of ∑18PCBs was 124.6 ng/L (range of 28.1-445.5 ng/L) in summer and 122.8 ng/L (range of 21.0-581.4 ng/L) in autumn. PCBs in surface seawater of the Bohai Bay showed high near-shore and low far-shore characteristics, indicating the serious influence of land-based sources such as port activities and river inputs. Proportion analysis showed that Tetra-PCBs and Penta-PCBs were the major constituents in most stations. It was assessed as moderate and high risk (MRQ > 0.1) by mixture risk quotient (MRQ) and concentration addition (CA) model in surface seawater of the Bohai Bay. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explain the sources of PCBs in the Bohai Bay. PCBs in the Bohai Bay may come from commercial PCBs and their incineration products, municipal landfills, wood and coal combustion, and industrial activities, etc.

Heavy metal and persistent organic pollutant profile of sediments from marine protected areas: the northern Persian Gulf

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one of the policy tools to support marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The distribution, sources, and ecological risk assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals (HMs) in sediments of MPAs in the northern Persian Gulf, were evaluated for the first time in this study. The Σ16PAHs ranged from 4.65 to 20.86 μg/kg dry weight (dw). The molecular ratios and ring's pattern of PAHs suggested a mixed origin with a predominance of pyrogenic sources. The TPH concentration varied from 5.21 to 17.90 μg/g dw. Ecological risk assessment suggested that sediment samples in Bushehr Province's MPAs can be categorized as medium risk. The mean concentration of ∑18PCB was 0.345-0.419 ng/g dw, and the main components correspond to PCB-77, PCB-105, PCB-81, PCB-101, and PCB-114. The mean concentration of As, Co, Cr, Ni, V, Mg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Al, and Fe varied from 4.79 to 9.69, 2-12, 39-142, 18-90, 15-58, 184-425, 7-45.9, 6-42.4, 4-20 μg/g dw, 0.75-4.12%, and 0.35-1.62%, respectively. Multivariate analysis, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA), coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, was used to analyze the analytical data and to identify possible pollution sources. The results of this study provided the background information on the extent of POP contamination in the sediment and highlighted the need to further control pollution in MPAs.

Astilbin targeted Sirt1 to inhibit acetylation of Nrf2 to alleviate grass carp hepatocyte apoptosis caused by PCB126-induced mitochondrial kinetic and metabolism dysfunctions

3, 3', 4, 4', 5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) is extensively utilized in electronic products, lubricant, and insecticide due to its excellent chemical stability and insulation prosperity, resulting in its frequent detection in environment. In addition, atmospheric deposition, as well as industrial and urban wastewater discharge can also lead to PCB126 contamination in marine environment, triggering damages to the tissues of aquatic organisms through oxidative stress. Astilbin is a type of flavonoid compound found in plants that plays a crucial role in providing powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we aimed to investigate the specific mechanism of PCB126-induced damage and the potential protective effect of Astilbin. To achieve this, we treated grass carp hepatocytes (L8824) with 75 μM PCB126 and/or 0.5 mM Astilbin for 24 h and used experimental methods such as Flow cytometry, molecular docking, PPI analysis, detection of commercial kits (ATP concentration and ATPnase activity) and measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Our findings revealed that PCB126 exposure resulted in a decrease in expression levels of Sirt1, factors related to mitochondrial fusion (Opa1, Mfn1, and Mfn2), antioxidant (CAT, SOD1, and SOD2), energy metabolism (PKM2, IDH, and SDH) and anti-apoptosis (Bcl-2), and an increase in expression levels of Nrf2 acetylation, mitochondrial fission (Drp1), factors that promote apoptosis (Cytc, Bax, Cas9, and Cas3) in L8824 cells. Furthermore, our findings revealed a decrease in ΔΨm, ATP concentration and ATPnase activity and apoptosis levels in L8824 cells. Noteworthy, treatment with Astilbin reversed these results. Molecular docking provides solid evidence for the interaction between Astilbin and Sirt1. In summary, our findings suggested that Astilbin promoted the deacetylation of Nrf2 by interacting with Sirt1, thereby alleviating PCB126-induced mitochondrial apoptosis mediated by mitochondrial dynamics imbalance and energy metabolism disorder through the inhibition of oxidative stress in L8824 cells. Our research has initially revealed the correlation between acetylation and apoptosis induced by PCB126, which provided a foundation for a better comprehension of PCB126 toxicity. Additionally, it expanded the potential application value of Astilbin.

Toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic environments - A review

The assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their congeners resulting from the pollution of all environmental media is inherently related to its persistence and ubiquitous nature. In principle, determination of this class of contaminants are limited to the determination of their concentrations in the various environmental matrices. For solving many problems in this context, knowledge of the emission sources of PCBs, transport pathways, and sites of contamination and biomagnification is of great benefit to scientists and researchers, as well as many regulatory organizations. By far the largest amounts of PCBs, regardless of their discharged points, end up in the soil, sediment and finally in different aquatic environments. By reviewing relevant published materials, the source of origin of PCBs in the environment particularly from different pollution point sources, it is possible to obtain useful information on the nature of different materials that are sources of PCBs, or their concentrations and their toxicity or health effects and how they can be removed from contaminated media. This review focuses on the sources of PCBs in aquatic environments and critically reviews the toxicity of PCBs in aquatic animals and plants. The review also assesses the toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs) of PCBs providing valuable knowledge to other scientists and researchers that enables regulatory laws to be formulated based on selective determination of concentrations regarding their maximum permissible limits (MPLs) allowed. This review also supplies a pool of valuable information useful for designing decontamination technologies for PCBs in media like soil, sediment, and wastewaters.

Occurrence, partitioning, and bioaccumulation of an emerging class of PBT substances (polychlorinated diphenyl sulfides) in Chaohu Lake, Southeast China

Polychlorinated diphenyl sulfides (PCDPSs) represent an emerging group of constituents that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances of great concern in terms of human health and ecological integrity. However, little is known about the occurrence, environmental behaviour and ecological risks of PCDPSs in lake environments. In this study, the concentrations of 21 PCDPSs were determined in surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, and 8 fish species from Chaohu Lake, China. Eighteen PCDPS congeners were prevalently detected in the samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.272-1.69 ng/L (water), 0.477-2.03 ng/g d.w. (SPM), 0.719-4.07 ng/g d.w. (sediment) and 0-0.131 ng/g w.w. (fish), respectively. Medium- and high-chlorinated PCDPSs in SPM and sediment were significantly higher than those in water samples. Increased PCDPS concentrations were found in higher trophic level fishes and those with a demersal habitat preference, indicating their bioaccumulation and biomagnification potential. The logBCFs, BSSAFs, and BSAFs of PCDPS congeners in fishes were determined to be 3.91-5.18, 0.0500-2.33, and 0.0360-4.94 L/kg, respectively. The organic carbon normalized partition coefficients (logK_oc) of PCDPSs in surface water-SPM (4.61-5.54 L/g) and surface water-sediment (4.38-5.69 L/g) systems were determined, and it was found that highly chlorinated PCDPSs were more prone to migrate from water to sediment and SPM. The toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of PCDPSs in the samples (lower than 10^-1 pg/g or pg/L) and daily intake via fish consumption (0.180-0.340 μg/kg/day) were estimated for humans, and cumulative risk quotients (RQs) after correction at ten sampling sites (0.065-0.66) were calculated for green algae. The findings elucidated the environmental behaviour of PCDPSs in Chaohu Lake.

Trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in the surface sediments from Sanya River, China: Distribution, sources and ecological risk

The urban inland river ecosystems are now facing comprehensive pollution and governance pressures. Up to now, few works related to the multiple pollution assessment of trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for the urban inland river sediments have been reported in China. Our study investigated the spatial distribution, ecological risk and potential sources of trace metals, PAHs and PCBs in surface sediment collected from 20 sampling sites of Sanya River, Hainan Province, China. The pollution status and potential ecological risk of trace metals were evaluated using the contamination indexes including geoaccumulation index (I_geo), individual potential ecological risk (E_rⁱ), potential ecological risk index (RI) and pollution load index (PLI). Considering the carcinogenicity and toxicity of PAHs and PCBs to human health and the ecological environment, we also analyzed the distributions, sources and adverse biological effects of PAHs and PCBs according to the sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), principal component analysis (PCA) and other source analysis. This study revealed that the surface sediments in Sanya River were extremely slight pollution and showed a very low ecological risk according to I_geo, E_rⁱ, PLI and RI results for trace metals. Besides, PAHs and PCBs pollution detected may not pose considerable adverse biological effect to ecological environment in a foreseeable period on the basis of comprehensive research results. The overall surface sediments quality of the Sanya River not seem to pose a serious pollution and ecological risk based on the evaluation results of multiple pollution factors. The study provided detailed information on the multiple pollution status and location of surface sediments, one of the key environmental indicators of international tourism cities, in the Sanya River, which would be useful for the water quality improvement of Sanya River and the environmental remediation of the other coastal ecosystems from different regions.

Low-dose PCB126 exposure disrupts cardiac metabolism and causes hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice

The residue of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exists throughout the environment and humans are subject to long-term exposure. As such, the potential environmental and health risk caused by low-dose exposure to PCBs has attracted much attention. 3, 3', 4, 4', 5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), the highest toxicity compound among dioxin-like-PCBs, has been widely used and mass-produced. Cardiotoxicity is PCB126's crucial adverse effect. Maintaining proper metabolism underlies heart health, whereas the impact of PCB126 exposure on cardiac metabolic patterns has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we administered 0.5 and 50 μg/kg bw of PCB126 to adult male mice weekly by gavage for eight weeks. Pathological results showed that low-dose PCB126 exposure induced heart injury. Metabolomic analysis of the heart tissue exposed to low-dose PCB126 identified 59 differential metabolites that were involved in lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Typical metabolomic characteristic of cardiac hypertrophy was reflected by accumulation of fatty acids (e.g. palmitic, palmitoleic, and linoleic acid), and disturbance of carbohydrates including D-glucose and intermediates in TCA cycle (fumaric, succinic, and citric acid). Low-dose PCB126 exposure increased glycine and threonine, the amino acids necessary for the productions of collagen and elastin. Besides, PCB126-exposed mice exhibited upregulation of collagen synthesis enzymes and extracellular matrix proteins, indicative of cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, the expression of genes related to TGFβ/PPARγ/MMP-2 signaling pathway was perturbed in the PCB126-treated hearts. Together, our results reveal that low-dose PCB126 exposure disrupts cardiac metabolism correlated with hypertrophy and fibrosis. This study sheds light on the underlying mechanism of PCBs' cardiotoxicity and identifies potential sensitive biomarkers for environmental monitoring.

Investigating the spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in sediment in the Pearl River Delta, South China

One hundred forty-three surface sediment (0-5 cm depth) samples were collected from locations representing industrialized areas, less-industrialized areas, and e-waste recycling areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The spatial distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms were investigated. The average PCB concentration in the less-industrialized areas (background) in the PRD was approximately 10 ng/g dry weight (dw), which was generally half that found in the industrialized areas (approximately 22 ng/g dw). Severe PCB contamination, with concentrations ranging from 1000 to 26500 ng/g dw, was found in pond sediments collected from e-waste recycling areas. It is very likely that such contamination would have had adverse effects on the aquatic biota there. PCBs in the e-waste recycling areas were dominated by penta- and hex-PCB congeners, which made them significantly different from those found in other regions, where tri- and tetra-PCB congeners were predominant. Higher abundances of less chlorinated congeners were seen in the less-industrialized areas compared to the industrialized areas. Differences in the transport abilities of different congeners, together with dechlorination of higher chlorinated congeners, is the most likely reasons for this.

Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in marine sediment of Makran region, Chabahr bay, Iran

In this study, selected PCB congeners (IUPAC numbers 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were quantified in 34 stations of Chabahr bay and around it in the Makran region of Iran. The sum of total PCB concentrations varied from below the detection limit to 485 ng kg^-1 dry weight of sediment. Based on the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines, the effect of detected PCBs was negligible for aquatic organisms. According to the dominance of PCB 28 and 52 with average range of 62 to 100% of total PCBs, maritime transportation and atmospheric deposition appear to be the important source of PCBs in this region. Further, the presence of components of commercial products such as ClophenA50 appears to be one of the probable sources.

Levels and characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyls in surface sediments of the Chaobai river, a source of drinking water for Beijing, China

We collected surface sediments from the Chaobai river, the dominant source of drinking water for Beijing, China, to assess the status of contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls and evaluate their sources. Total concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in the sediments ranged from 0.125 to 70.6 ng/g dry weight and correlated with the locations relating to painting operation such as printing factories and construction material markets. Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls were present and corresponded with constituents of commercial polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures. Principal component analysis indicated two dominant sources of polychlorinated biphenyls in the sediments-deposition from airborne emissions and point-source pollution from factories. An ecological risk assessment concluded that there was only slight polychlorinated biphenyl pollution in the sediments of the Chaobai river, which was not likely to induce adverse biological effects. Our findings provide information for polychlorinated biphenyl risk assessment and recognition of the dominant sources of these compounds in drinking water in China.

First polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) monitoring in seawater, surface sediments and marine fish communities of the Persian Gulf: Distribution, levels, congener profile and health risk assessment

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that, due to their high toxicity, lipophilic property and widespread dispersal in the global environment, present a danger for human health and ecological systems. Although the inventory and use of PCBs are extensively reported worldwide, the status of PCBs in Iran is still unknown. In this study, the concentrations of PCBs were determined in the environmental matrices and in five commercially important fish species from Larak coral Island, Persian Gulf, Iran, in winter and summer 2015. A positive correlation was found among PCBs levels and congeners profiles in seawater (0.97-3.10 ng L^-1), surface sediments (2.95-7.95 ng g^-1dw) and fish samples (7.20-90.19 ng g^-1dw), indicating fish as suitable bioindicator of environmental PCBs contamination. In all matrices, a high contribution of light and medium chlorinated congeners was detected in both seasons. In fish, the higher PCBs levels were found for both sexes in both seasons in liver and kidney than other tissues (skin, gonad, muscle) due to their high lipid content and PCBs lipophilicity. More importantly, the risks for human health associated with fish consumption were also evaluated, and it was found that all the toxicity indices measured for PCBs were within the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible limit of food consumption. However, it is highly recommended to inform the local population about potential risks attributable to dietary incorporation of locally caught fish, and establish a surveillance monitoring programme on PCBs in this region.

Occurrence, sources and ecotoxicological risks of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment cores from urban, rural and reclamation-affected rivers of the Pearl River Delta, China

Sediment cores were collected to a depth of 40 cm (50 cm for urban river sediments) in the Pearl River Delta of China from rural river sediments and river sediments undergoing the process of urbanization and reclamation. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment cores were determined to evaluate their levels, distribution, possible sources and potential risks aimed at providing effective information of management practices for local governments. Our results showed that the total concentrations of PCBs (∑16PCBs) in urban, rural and reclamation-affected river sediments ranged from 16.15 to 477.85 μg kg^-1 (dry weight), with mean values of 121.94, 150.49 and 124.20 μg kg^-1 (dry weight), respectively. The most abundant PCB congeners among the study area were light PCBs. Generally, PCBs showed a decreasing trend with depth along sediment cores at most sampling sites. Source analysis indicated that PCBs in the three types of river sediments mainly originated from Aroclor 1242, 1248, 1254 and 1016. Risks evaluation based on sediment quality guideline quotient (SQGQ) showed PCBs at most sampling sites would cause no or moderate adverse biological effects on benthic organisms except surface sediments of U4 and R5 (high adverse biological effects). However, threshold effects level (TEL) is ignored when calculating SQGQ, which might underestimate the risks of PCBs. Thus, a new SQGQ (NSQGQ) taken TEL into consideration was established. Results showed that NSQGQ could evaluate ecotoxicological risks of PCBs better. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that PCBs in sediments were positively correlated with sand content and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (p < 0.05).

Mapping the environmental risk assessment of marinas on water quality: The Atlas of the Spanish coast

Recreational sailing sector has an impact on water quality in marinas. This study proposes a standard procedure to assess the environmental risk of marinas on water quality. Risk is assessed through integrating environmental pressures, environmental conditions and societal responses (i.e. the Pressure-State-Response model). Pressures are estimated considering the main driving forces: navigation, port, dredging and external activities. State is estimated through combining the susceptibility, the ecological value and naturalness. Response is estimated through environmental management instruments and adopted measures. Managers and authorities can hierarchically classify marinas from a multi-scale spatial framework. This tool is particularly powerful for generating local, regional or national atlases to prioritize environmental planning actions. The method is applied to 320 marinas along the Spanish coast. This implementation confirms the usefulness, versatility and adaptability of this procedure as a tool for the environmental management of marinas.

Carboxylated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction Sorbent to Determine Eighteen Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Vegetable Samples by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

A simple, rapid, and reliable method based on dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for quantitating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in vegetable samples. Parameters affecting both the extraction yields and cleanup efficiency, including the type and volume of extraction solvent, extraction time, type and volume of cleanup sorbent, and cleanup time, were optimized. Matrix effects were evaluated, and matrix-matched calibration was recommended. Under the optimized conditions, carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH), which exhibit excellent adsorption capabilities due to large surface area and unique structure, were employed as d-SPE sorbent to remove interfering substances, rather than the analytes, from vegetable samples. Satisfactory linear relationship was observed for all PCBs across a concentration range of 5-500 μg/kg with correlation coefficients no less than 0.9993. Four representative vegetables (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and cabbage) were selected as matrices for method validation. Each matrix was spiked at concentrations of 5, 10, and 100 μg/kg to evaluate recoveries, which ranged from 84.5% to 116.5% with relative standard deviations (n=6) between 0.6% and 17.6%. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.3 to 1.4 μg/kg and 0.8 to 4.5 μg/kg, respectively. Twelve real vegetable samples were analyzed using the proposed method. Three of the target PCBs were detected in one lettuce sample with the total concentration of 17.9 μg/kg.

Polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) in surface sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and surface water of Chaohu Lake, China

Polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) are typical halogenated aromatic pollutants that have shown various toxicological effects on organisms. However, the contamination status of PCDEs in the fresh water lakes of China remains poorly researched. In this study, the levels of 15 congeners of PCDEs in the sediments, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and water of Chaohu Lake were determined. The results showed that the ranges of concentrations of total PCDEs (ΣPCDEs) in the sediment, SPM and water were 0.279 ng g^-1 dry weight (d.w.)-2.474 ng g^-1 d.w., 0.331 ng g^-1 d.w.-2.013 ng g^-1 d.w. and 0.351 ng L^-1-2.021 ng L^-1, respectively. The most abundant congeners found in sediments, SPM and water were 3,3',4,4'-tetra-CDE, deca-CDE and 2,4,6-tri-CDE, with average contributive ratios of 17.36%, 15.48% and 20.63%, respectively. The medium and higher chlorinated PCDEs (e.g., penta- and deca-CDEs) were the dominant congeners in sediments and SPM. The percentages of lower chlorinated PCDEs (e.g., tri-CDEs) in the water were higher than those in the sediments. The combined input of ΣPCDEs from the eight main tributaries to Chaohu Lake was estimated at 6.94 kg y^-1. Strong linear correlations between the concentrations of ΣPCDEs and organic carbon (OC) contents in three type samples from Chaohu Lake suggested OC could influence the distribution of PCDEs in Chaohu Lake substantially. In addition, the calculated average organic carbon normalized partition coefficients (logK_oc) of 15 PCDEs between water and SPM were in the range of 4.55-5.45 mL g^-1. This study confirmed that Chaohu Lake is contaminated by PCDEs.