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Hepatic UDP-GTs are partly responsible for metabolism of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4), in mammals, but little is known of UDP-GT activity in birds. To determine the ontogenic pattern of UDP-GT activity in precocial birds, we measured activity in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) liver at days 12 and 14 of the 16.5-day incubation, 3 perihatch stages and <1, 1, 4, 6, 7, 20 and 42 days posthatch. We used an enzymatic reaction with para-nitrophenol (pNP) as substrate that was validated for quail tissue. The pattern of UDP-GT development included low embryonic activity, increased activity beginning in the perihatch period, a peak in activity at day 4 posthatch and a return to lower activity levels from day 6 to adults. The profile of UDP-GT activity, in relation to the ontogeny of circulating T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) in quail, is consistent with UDP-GT playing a role in regulating circulating T4 and with the perihatch peak in T3 stimulating the posthatch peak in UDP-GT activity. To examine the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on UDP-GT in developing precocial birds, we dosed chicken (Gallus domesticus) eggs with concentrations of PCB 126 from 0 to 0.80 ng/g egg (in sunflower oil) prior to incubation. Tissues were sampled at day 20 of the 21-day incubation and assayed for plasma hormones and UDP-GT activity. Eggs also were dosed with 0 or 0.25 ng PCB 126/g egg or with 0 or 0.64 ng/g egg of the coplanar PCB 77, allowed to hatch, and sampled at 42 days posthatch. There was no consistent pattern of altered thyroid hormones or UDP-GT activity in developing chickens exposed to either of these coplanar PCBs although previous studies indicated developmental alterations from exposure to the higher doses. / Master of Science

L'hexaclorobenzè (HCB) és un compost organoclorat àmpliament distribuït per tot el planeta, altament lipofílic que s'acumula als sistemes biològics. Els nounats s'exposen a aquests compostos organoclorats (OCs) a través de la placenta i de la lactància materna. Tot i que l'HCB és un dels OCs més comuns, la seva transferència a través de la placenta de la mare al fetus durant la gestació i a través de l'alletament matern està poc documentada. El coneixement sobre els seus possibles efectes sobre la salut infantil és també bastant limitat. A Flix, un poble de la Ribera d'Ebre, es van detectar nivells molt elevats d'HCB a l'atmosfera degut a la seva proximitat a una empresa electroquímica. Els objectius del present treball són els d'avaluar l'exposició a OCs a través de la placenta i de la lactància materna i els seus efectes sobre la salut infantil durant el primer any de vida en el conjunt de nounats d'aquesta població. / Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is an organochlorine compound widely spread in the environment, highly lipophyilic which accumulates in all biological systems. Newborns are exposed to organochlorine compounds (OCs) through placenta and via breastfeeding. Although HCB is one of the most common OCs, its transference from the mother to the child through placenta and via breastfeeding is poorly documented. The knowledgement of the possible adverse effects on infant's health is also limited. In Flix, a small village in the Ribera d'Ebre area, high levels of HCB were detected in the atmosphere of the village due to the vicinity of an electrochemical factory. The objectives of the present study are to evaluate OCS exposition through placenta and breastfeeding and its effects on infant's health during the first year of life.

L'explosion démographique a conduit à une augmentation intensive des contaminants environnementaux issus de différentes émissions anthropiques, par exemple, les hydrocarbures de pétrole, les pesticides, les biphényles polychlorés (BPC) ainsi que d’autres déchets ménagers tels que les détergents utilisés comme nettoyants ménagers. Du fait de leur persistance et du point de vue toxicologique, les résidus de ces contaminants organiques, qui peuvent être détectés dans les différentes matrices environnementales (eau, sédiments, air et biotes), parfois à très faible concentration (micropolluants), ont conquis l'attention du public. Cette étude vise à déterminer les niveaux de concentration de contaminants sélectionnés dans les sédiments de surface et à identifier la source de ces produits chimiques dans le ruisseau Cortiou. Les résultats ont montré une forte contamination par les hydrocarbures dans la zone étudiée. De plus, ces résultats ont probablement reflété le fait que les processus de biodégradation se sont produits parallèlement à une répartition chronique des charges d’épuration non traitées. Ces polluants organiques ont également confirmé un effet néfaste sur le biote marin et plus particulièrement sur les communautés benthiques pour certaines stations / Demographic explosion has led to increase intensively environmental contaminants issued from different anthropogenic release e.g. petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and also other domestic waste such as detergents as household cleaner. Due to their persistence and the toxicological point of view, the remnants of these organic contaminants, which can be detected in the different environmental matrices (water, sediment, air and biota), sometimes with very low concentration (micropollutants), has gained the public attention. This study aims to determine the concentration levels of selected contaminants in surficial sediments and identifying the source of these chemicals in Cortiou Creek. The results showed high contamination by hydrocarbons in the studied area. Additionally, these results probably reflected that biodegradation processes occurred concomitantly with a chronic apportionment of untreated sewage loading. These organic pollutants also confirmed an adverse effect for marine biota and more particularly for benthic communities for some stations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in Western societies and is linked to multiple modifiable risk factors including lifestyle choices. Emerging evidence implicates exposure to persistent environmental pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as a risk factor for the development or progression of cardiovascular disease. To reduce disease risks, it is critical to identify sensible means of biomedically reducing the toxicity of persistent organic pollutants and related environmental stressors. First, we tested a hypothesis that endothelial cell inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular toxicity initiated by coplanar PCBs is modulated by the crosstalk between caveolae and Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2(Nrf2) related proteins. Caveolae are lipid-enriched organelles found abundantly in endothelial cells and are important mediators of endocytosis and signal transduction. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), the major structural protein of caveolae, is known to bind and concentrate multiple proteins related to cardiovascular disease and PCB toxicity. Downregulation of Cav-1 protects against PCB-induced vascular toxicity, but possible mechanisms of this defense remain elusive. Studies using endothelial cells isolated from mice deficient in Cav-1 as well as in vitro silencing assays demonstrated that loss of Cav-1 increases available antioxidant enzymes by upregulating the antioxidant master controller Nrf2. Nutritional interventions focused on diets high in bioactive food components, such as polyphenols or certain fatty acids, may prove to be effective at decreasing environmental pollutant induced diseases. To test the hypothesis that dietary intervention can sensitize Nrf2 and/or caveolae signaling pathways, leading to a more effective anti-inflammatory defense against PCB insults, mice were fed a green tea polyphenol enriched diet and challenged with coplanar PCB 126. Mice fed an enriched diet and exposed to PCBs exhibited lower levels of oxidative stress and higher levels of multiple Nrf2 target antioxidant enzymes. Also, in separate in vitro studies, pretreatment of endothelial cells with the endogenously formed nutrient metabolite, nitro-linoleic acid, altered caveolae and Nrf2 related proteins, resulting in a modified response to PCB exposure. Together, these data support the paradigm that nutritional modulation may be a sensible means of reducing disease risks associated with exposure to environmental pollutants.

Rapid economic development has occurred during the past few decades in China with the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) area as one of the most progressive areas. The urbanization, industrialization, agricultural and aquaculture activities result in extensive production and application of chemicals. Organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) have been widely used as i.e. pesticides, flame retardants and plasticizers. They are persistent, bioaccumulative and pose a potential threat to ecosystem and human health. However, limited research has been conducted in the YRD with respect to chemicals environmental exposure. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the contamination level, distribution pattern and sources of OHCs in the YRD. Wildlife from different habitats are used to indicate the environmental pollution situation, and evaluate selected matrices for use in long term biomonitoring to determine the environmental stress the contamination may cause. In addition, a method is developed for dicofol analysis. Moreover, a specific effort is made to introduce statistic power analysis to assist in optimal sampling design. The thesis results show extensive contamination of OHCs in wildlife in the YRD. The occurrences of high concentrations of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are reported in wildlife, in particular in terrestrial species, (i.e. short-tailed mamushi snake and peregrine falcon). Impurities and byproducts of pentachlorophenol products, i.e. polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) and hydroxylated polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (OH-PCDEs) are identified and reported for the first time in eggs from black-crowned night heron and whiskered tern. High concentrations of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) are determined in these samples. The toxic equivalents (TEQs) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are at mean levels of 300 and 520 pg TEQ g-1lw (WHO2005 TEQ) in eggs from the two bird species, respectively. This is two orders of magnitude higher than European Union (EU) regulation limit in chicken eggs. Also, a novel pattern of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with octa- to decaCBs, contributing to as much as 20% of total PCBs therein, are reported in birds. The legacy POPs shows a common characteristic with relatively high level of organochlorine pesticides (i.e. DDT, hexacyclohexanes (HCHs) and Mirex), indicating historic applications. In contrast, rather low concentrations are shown of industrial chemicals such as PCBs and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). A refined and improved analytical method is developed to separate dicofol from its major decomposition compound, 4,4’-dichlorobenzophenone. Hence dicofol is possible to assess as such. Statistic power analysis demonstrates that sampling of sedentary species should be consistently spread over a larger area to monitor temporal trends of contaminants in a robust manner. The results presented in this thesis show high CPs and OCDD concentrations in wildlife. The levels and patterns of OHCs in YRD differ from other well studied areas of the world. This is likely due to the extensive production and use of chemicals in the YRD. The results strongly signal the need of research biomonitoring programs that meet the current situation of the YRD. Such programs will contribute to the management of chemicals and environment in YRD, with the potential to grow into the human health sector, and to expand to China as a whole. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 5: Submitted. Paper 6: Manuscript.</p><p> </p>

Bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) e pesticidas organoclorados são compostos que não ocorrem naturalmente no ambiente e não são facilmente degradados química ou microbiologicamente. Seu estudo no ambiente é importante devido à sua persistência, toxicidade, lipossolubilidade e conseqüente biomagnificação. Por isso, representam a maioria dos poluentes orgânicos persistentes (POPs) considerados prioritários pela UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) e banidos ou restritos pela Convenção de Estocolmo, de maio de 2001. Tais poluentes podem ser facilmente emitidos para a atmosfera, atingindo áreas remotas como a Antártida, integrando um processo cíclico de contaminação conhecido como destilação global. No presente trabalho otimizou-se uma metodologia analítica capaz de detectá-los em ovos gorados de pingüins e indivíduos de krill coletados na Baía do Almirantado, Ilha Rei Jorge, Antártida. Tal metodologia foi avaliada e enquadrou-se em critérios internacionais de controle de qualidade. Os compostos mais presentes foram, de um modo geral, os PCBs, DDTs e o HCB e a ocorrência pareceu ser espécie-específica dentro do gênero Pygoscelis. Em todos os casos, o teor dos compostos não foi superior ao de aves árticas em nível trófico semelhante. A análise do krill permitiu estimar a biomagnificação dos compostos encontrados nos ovos, cuja única fonte de contaminação é a transferência fêmea-filhote. / Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides are compounds that do not occur naturally in the environment and are not easily degraded by chemical or microbiological action. Their study in the environment is important due to persistence, toxicity, liposolubility and consequent biomagnification. For these reasons, they represent the majority of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs), considered to have priority by the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and banished and/or restricted by the Stockholm Convention of May, 2001. Such pollutants can be easily ejected into the atmosphere and reach areas as remote as Antarctica, integrating a cyclical contamination process known as ?global distillation?. In the present work an analytical methodology capable of detecting such compounds in unhatched penguin eggs and whole krill was optimized. The samples were collected in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica. This methodology was evaluated and fitted international quality control criteria. The compounds found in higher levels were, in most of the samples, the PCBs, DDTs and HCB and the occurrence seemed to be species-specific for the Pygoscelis genus. In all of the cases, the levels found were not higher than the ones in arctic birds in a similar trophic level.The krill samples analysis made it possible to estimate the biomagnification of the compounds found in eggs, whose only source of contamination is the female-offspring transfer.

The aim of this study was to investigate a potential impact of the old polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dump on their occurrence in Bezdrevsky stream basin. Wastes, containing PCBs, were illegally stored in the area of ex-agrochemical factory in Lhenice village. Six localities were chosen for sampling by the method of integrative passive samplers SPMD, which provides more valuable information about contamination than commonly used grab samples. Passive samplers were exponated for 18 days in June 2017. The samples extraction was performed at the Laboratory of environmental chemistry and biochemistry (Faculty of fisheries and protection of waters), followed by clean up and preparation of these extracts for analysis with gas chromatograph coupled to tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS). Obtained data on PCBs amount in the samples were recalculated to their concentration in water. Concentration of seven indicator PCBs congeners (PCB 28 + 31, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 118, PCB 138, PCB 153 a PCB 180) was determined. These congeners are typical for technical PCBs mixtures which were produced in Czechoslovakia in the past. From their relative abundance, the potential source and an age of the contamination were estimated. Their total sum indicated significant exceedance of the limit only for the first locality, in the reservoir draining the dump area. There was found the concentration of 100 ng.l-1 of the 7 indicator PCBs sum. Concentrations at other localities complied with required limits and varied between hundredths to tenths of ng.l-1. In comparison with older data acquired from this area, the concentration at the first locality did not change, whereas PCBs concentration at the second and third locality downstream is currently lower than in past. Our data were compared to the latest data of PCBs concentrations in selected localities in CZ, which were received from Czech hydrometeorological intitute. From measured values can be stated, that the basin of Bezdrevsky stream and its fish pond system are not endangered by the presence of PCBs. Only two localities situated near the source of PCBs are comparable with localities in CZ which are influenced by the long term industry presence.

First Nations peoples experience many benefits from eating locally-harvested wild foods, but these benefits must be considered along with the potential risks associated with exposure to environmental contaminants. Unlike store-bought foods, wild foods are an important traditional resource and a significant source of dietary protein, essential minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids, believed to help in the prevention and treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases such as type-2 diabetes mellitus. Wild foods continue to be an important and healthy food choice for First Nations peoples; however, they are also a primary source of dietary mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). To assess the effects of wild food consumption on dietary markers and contaminant accumulation, we grouped individuals from two remote Oji-Cree First Nations communities of north-western Ontario (n=71) according to their level of wild food consumption. In this study, I observed significantly higher organic contaminants in blood and higher mercury concentrations in hair for individuals consuming greater amounts of wild food. Age-adjusted contaminant concentrations were on average 3.5-times higher among high-frequency wild food consumers, with many exceeding federal and international health guidelines for mercury and PCB exposures. Contaminants in these populations approach, and in some cases exceed, threshold levels for adverse effects with potential consequences especially for prenatal development. Here, I also investigated the potential for stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) to serve as dietary markers and found strong positive correlations between stable isotopes and frequency of wild food and fish consumption. Frequency of fish consumption and δ15N was also shown to be positively correlated with mercury concentrations in hair and PCB concentrations in plasma. The results of this thesis demonstrate that known differences in dietary behaviour are clearly reflected in stable isotope ratios and contaminant concentrations. The data also show that contaminant exposures to those consuming wild foods in remote Boreal ecosystems is comparable to those associated with serious health effects in industrialized areas, and the problem of contaminants in wild foods is more widespread than the available literature would have led us to believe. These results affect our appreciation of contaminant exposures to First Nations peoples and will have implications for dietary choices, particularly if individuals are encouraged to consume greater amounts of wild foods for their proposed health benefits. We recommend further attention be given to the risks of contaminants in locally-harvested wild foods when promoting the benefits of their consumption to First Nations people as the problem of contaminants in remote communities practicing traditional lifestyles is often underreported and underplayed.