There is general concern whether human exposure to selected Canadian bottled waters and the chemicals which may leach from them, could potentially cause deleterious effects. This research was designed to determine whether exposures to bottled water and plastic leachates caused toxicity to the freshwater Cnidarian Hydra viridissima (green hydra). Three chemicals used in the production of polycarbonate and polyethylene plastics, bisphenol A (BPA) and two phthalate esters: dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and bis (2- ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) along with one type of commercial bottled water were investigated. One brand of bottled water was analyzed over four months (stored in light and dark conditions) along with lab water similarly stored in glass, polycarbonate and polyethylene bottles. Following 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks in each of the two treatments, hydra bioassays were conducted. Chronic toxicity tests were also conducted on the two phthalates and BPA. The chronic toxicity tests showed that BPA caused effects on hydra morphology and population at low doses and DBP and DEHP both showed signs of hormesis.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), an ubiquitous environmental contaminant, has been shown to cause adverse effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in epidemiological studies, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. We therefore tested the hypothesis that chronic DEHP exposure causes impaired insulin sensitivity, affects body weight, adipose tissue (AT) function and circulating metabolic parameters of obesity resistant 129S6 mice in vivo. An obesity-resistant mouse model was chosen to reduce a potential obesity bias of DEHP effects on metabolic parameters and AT function. The metabolic effects of 10-weeks exposure to DEHP were tested by insulin tolerance tests and quantitative assessment of 183 metabolites in mice. Furthermore, 3T3-L1 cells were cultured with DEHP for two days, differentiated into mature adipocytes in which the effects on insulin stimulated glucose and palmitate uptake, lipid content as well as on mRNA/protein expression of key adipocyte genes were investigated.We observed in female mice that DEHP treatment causes enhanced weight gain, fat mass, impaired insulin tolerance, changes in circulating adiponectin and adipose tissue Pparg, adiponectin and estrogen expression. Serum metabolomics indicated a general increase in phospholipid and carnitine concentrations. In vitro, DEHP treatment increases the proliferation rate and alters glucose uptake in adipocytes. Taken together, DEHP has significant effects on adipose tissue (AT) function and alters specific serum metabolites. Although, DEHP treatment led to significantly impaired insulin tolerance, it did not affect glucose tolerance, HOMA-IR, fasting glucose, insulin or triglyceride serum concentrations. This may suggest that DEHP treatment does not cause impaired glucose metabolism at the whole body level.

Phthalates are industrial plasticizers with a wide range of applications. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most highly produced and frequently studied phthalates. Its metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) is known as a testicular toxicant. The objective of this study was to examine expression of the genes of interest in testicular germ cells exposed to MEHP in a dose- and time-dependent manner at concentrations of 1µM, 10µM, and 100µM at 24, 48, 72 and 96hr time points. The genes consisted of Testisin, GSPT1, and MGMT genes which are a tumor suppressors, phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme and DNA repair gene respectively. These genes were analyzed by Quantitative Real Time PCR (RT-PCR). The results revealed an overall down-regulation for each gene as the concentration and/or time increased. Testisin was the focus of the gene expression analysis. Testisin is epigenetically silenced in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) by DNA methylation at the 5’CpG island of the gene. To investigate if MEHP is capable of DNA hypermethylation, a co-exposure with 5-azacytidine (demethylating agent) was conducted. Compared with the 5-azacytidine treatment alone, there was a significant down-regulation of the Testisin gene in the co-exposure. This suggests that MEHP may down-regulate Testisin gene expression by DNA methylation. These findings provide evidence that MEHP can alter the expression of Testisin, GSTP1 and MGMT, genes that are associated in the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors. In addition, results indicated that MEHP may cause DNA methylation leading to the down-regulation/silencing of genes such as Testisin.

O poli(cloreto de vinila) - PVC é considerado um polímero muito versátil devido à possibilidade deste ser formulado mediante a incorporação de aditivos, alterando suas características originais. Plastificantes a base de ftalatos, como o di(2-etilhexil) ftalato (DOP) são os mais utilizados, porém, existem regulamentações que estão restringindo a sua utilização, intensificando-se os estudos com possíveis alternativos. Desta forma, este trabalho visa avaliar a influência de plastificantes de diferentes naturezas nas propriedades físicas, mecânicas, térmicas e reológicas do PVC plastificado. Para formulação dos compostos foi utilizado a resina Norvic SP1000 produzida via suspensão, com VK65 e portanto, propícia para aplicações de materiais flexíveis, além disso, para cada composto utilizou-se uma dosagem de 60 pcr de sete diferentes plastificantes: DOP, considerado como referência para comparação dos resultados, diisononil ciclohexano (DINCH), di(2-etilhexil) ciclohexanoato (DOCH), di(2-etilhexil) adipato (DOA), di(2-etilhexil) tereftalato (DOTP), óleo de soja epoxidado (OSE) e plastificante de óleos vegetais (DIMIT) Neste estudo foram efetuadas avaliações nos compostos como, gelificação e fusão, reologia via reômetro de placas paralelas, densidade, índice de fluidez entre outras para compreender a influência de cada plastificante no processamento do composto e várias caracterizações no produto final como estabilidade térmica dos compostos via TGA, Metrastat, propriedades óticas, propriedades mecânicas como dureza Shore A, tração, resistência a abrasão, resiliência, envelhecimento em câmara UV assim como ensaios de exsudação dos plastificantes. Os resultados indicam comportamentos distintos do PVC em função da natureza química do plastificante utilizado. O plastificante DIMIT possui boa estabilidade térmica, porém os resultados de cor e parâmetros de processamento foram insatisfatórios quando comparados ao DOP, já os plastificantes OSE e DOA apresentaram bons resultados para as propriedades avaliadas. Conclui-se que dentre os plastificantes analisados não foi possível determinar qual seria o melhor para substituição direta do DOP considerando toda a gama de produtos flexíveis de PVC, contudo esse trabalho colabora para a avaliação e seleção do melhor plastificante com base nos requisitos de cada aplicação do produto. / The poly (vinyl chloride) - PVC is a very versatile polymer due to the possibility of being formulated by incorporating additives, which can change the resin characteristics. Plasticizers composed of phthalates, such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP), are the most used, however, there are regulations restricting the use of this kind of plasticizers, intensifying studies with possible replacement alternatives. In this way, the objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of plasticizers from different sources in PVC, mainly physical, mechanical thermal stability, and rheological properties in the plasticized PVC. In the formulation of the compounds it was used the resin Norvic SP1000, product with VK65 and produced by suspension, suitable for flexible materials applications. In addition, it was used 60 phr of seven different plasticizers for each compound: DOP, considered as reference for all results, cyclohexane diisononyl (DINCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) cyclohexanoate (DOCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DOA), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DOTP), epoxidized soybean oil (OSE) and plasticizer produced from vegetable oils (DIMIT). In this study, the compounds were evaluated with many characterization analyzes, such as gelling and melting point in a torque rheometer, rheology by parallel plate rheometer, density, melt flow index in order to understand the influence of each plasticizer on the material processing Some characterizations in the final product as thermal stability through TGA, Metrastat, optical and mechanical properties such as hardness Shore A, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, resilience, aging in UV chamber as well as exudation tests. The results indicate different behaviors of PVC depending on the chemical nature of the plasticizer used. Results indicate that the DIMIT plasticizer had good thermal stability, but the color and processability results were unsatisfactory when compared to the DOP. In the other hand, the OSE and DOA presented good results for the evaluated properties. It can be concluded that among the plasticizers analyzed it wasn´t possible to determine the best for direct DOP replacement considering the entire range of flexible PVC products. However, this work contributes to the evaluation and selection of the best plasticizer based on the requirements of each application.

Phthalates are industrial plasticizers with a wide range of applications. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most highly produced and frequently studied phthalates. Its metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) is known as a testicular toxicant. The objective of this study was to examine expression of the genes of interest in testicular germ cells exposed to MEHP in a dose- and time-dependent manner at concentrations of 1µM, 10µM, and 100µM at 24, 48, 72 and 96hr time points. The genes consisted of Testisin, GSPT1, and MGMT genes which are a tumor suppressors, phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme and DNA repair gene respectively. These genes were analyzed by Quantitative Real Time PCR (RT-PCR). The results revealed an overall down-regulation for each gene as the concentration and/or time increased. Testisin was the focus of the gene expression analysis. Testisin is epigenetically silenced in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) by DNA methylation at the 5’CpG island of the gene. To investigate if MEHP is capable of DNA hypermethylation, a co-exposure with 5-azacytidine (demethylating agent) was conducted. Compared with the 5-azacytidine treatment alone, there was a significant down-regulation of the Testisin gene in the co-exposure. This suggests that MEHP may down-regulate Testisin gene expression by DNA methylation. These findings provide evidence that MEHP can alter the expression of Testisin, GSTP1 and MGMT, genes that are associated in the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors. In addition, results indicated that MEHP may cause DNA methylation leading to the down-regulation/silencing of genes such as Testisin.

The fate and transformation of laboratory-prepared nano-ZnO, nano-Ag and nano-CeO2 in three aqueous solutions under different environmental conditions were investigated in this work. Over the past decades nanomaterials have been widely used in different technical fields and consumer goods. As a result, nanomaterials might enter the environmental media via different routes and then posed potential hazards to the environment and human health. Researches in this regard have received much attention worldwide. In this work it was found that the solubility of each nanomaterial was highly influenced by the solution pH, but not by the solution temperature. The maximal solubility for the tested nanomaterials was obtained at pH 3, namely about 100% for nano-ZnO and lower than 2% for both nano-Ag and nano-CeO2. The solution pH and ionic strength were found to affect the stability of nanoparticles in different aquatic environments. For the solution pH of higher than the isoelectric point of the concerned nanomaterial, the higher the solution pH is, the greater the degree of stabilization of nanoparticles would be. On the contrary, nanoparticles aggregated as the ionic strength of the solution exceeded its critical aggregation concentration (CAC). CAC for each concerned nanomaterial could also be graphically determined as the attachment efficiency (£\) of nanoparticles increased with increasing ionic strength of the solution and then leveled off after reaching CAC. Experimental results also showed that Zn(OH)2(s) would form when nano-ZnO was in the solution of pH 10. The crystalline structure of the said precipitates was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Likewise, Ce4+ dissolved from nano-CeO2 reacted with SO42- in aqueous solution yielding Ce(SO4)2(s). Clearly, transformation of nanomaterials might take place when they are in contact with various species in different aquatic environments. Humic acid in aqueous solution was found to be beneficial to the stability of nanomaterial of concern. Efforts have also been made to study the reaction behaviors among di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, erythromycin, and selected nanomaterials when they co-existed in the same solution. Their interactions, however, seemed to be unobvious. In this work it was found that under sunlight irradiation nano-ZnO did show its antibiotic effect due to photocatalysis. Nano-Ag was proven to have a strong antibacterial ability even in natural aquatic environments. It yielded the total bacteria survival ratio of less than 2% within one hour of reaction. In summary, the findings of this study showed that the behaviors of nano-ZnO, nano-Ag, and nano-CeO2 in aqueous solutions could be greatly influenced by different factors in different reaction systems.

O poli(cloreto de vinila) - PVC é considerado um polímero muito versátil devido à possibilidade deste ser formulado mediante a incorporação de aditivos, alterando suas características originais. Plastificantes a base de ftalatos, como o di(2-etilhexil) ftalato (DOP) são os mais utilizados, porém, existem regulamentações que estão restringindo a sua utilização, intensificando-se os estudos com possíveis alternativos. Desta forma, este trabalho visa avaliar a influência de plastificantes de diferentes naturezas nas propriedades físicas, mecânicas, térmicas e reológicas do PVC plastificado. Para formulação dos compostos foi utilizado a resina Norvic SP1000 produzida via suspensão, com VK65 e portanto, propícia para aplicações de materiais flexíveis, além disso, para cada composto utilizou-se uma dosagem de 60 pcr de sete diferentes plastificantes: DOP, considerado como referência para comparação dos resultados, diisononil ciclohexano (DINCH), di(2-etilhexil) ciclohexanoato (DOCH), di(2-etilhexil) adipato (DOA), di(2-etilhexil) tereftalato (DOTP), óleo de soja epoxidado (OSE) e plastificante de óleos vegetais (DIMIT) Neste estudo foram efetuadas avaliações nos compostos como, gelificação e fusão, reologia via reômetro de placas paralelas, densidade, índice de fluidez entre outras para compreender a influência de cada plastificante no processamento do composto e várias caracterizações no produto final como estabilidade térmica dos compostos via TGA, Metrastat, propriedades óticas, propriedades mecânicas como dureza Shore A, tração, resistência a abrasão, resiliência, envelhecimento em câmara UV assim como ensaios de exsudação dos plastificantes. Os resultados indicam comportamentos distintos do PVC em função da natureza química do plastificante utilizado. O plastificante DIMIT possui boa estabilidade térmica, porém os resultados de cor e parâmetros de processamento foram insatisfatórios quando comparados ao DOP, já os plastificantes OSE e DOA apresentaram bons resultados para as propriedades avaliadas. Conclui-se que dentre os plastificantes analisados não foi possível determinar qual seria o melhor para substituição direta do DOP considerando toda a gama de produtos flexíveis de PVC, contudo esse trabalho colabora para a avaliação e seleção do melhor plastificante com base nos requisitos de cada aplicação do produto. / The poly (vinyl chloride) - PVC is a very versatile polymer due to the possibility of being formulated by incorporating additives, which can change the resin characteristics. Plasticizers composed of phthalates, such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP), are the most used, however, there are regulations restricting the use of this kind of plasticizers, intensifying studies with possible replacement alternatives. In this way, the objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of plasticizers from different sources in PVC, mainly physical, mechanical thermal stability, and rheological properties in the plasticized PVC. In the formulation of the compounds it was used the resin Norvic SP1000, product with VK65 and produced by suspension, suitable for flexible materials applications. In addition, it was used 60 phr of seven different plasticizers for each compound: DOP, considered as reference for all results, cyclohexane diisononyl (DINCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) cyclohexanoate (DOCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DOA), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DOTP), epoxidized soybean oil (OSE) and plasticizer produced from vegetable oils (DIMIT). In this study, the compounds were evaluated with many characterization analyzes, such as gelling and melting point in a torque rheometer, rheology by parallel plate rheometer, density, melt flow index in order to understand the influence of each plasticizer on the material processing Some characterizations in the final product as thermal stability through TGA, Metrastat, optical and mechanical properties such as hardness Shore A, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, resilience, aging in UV chamber as well as exudation tests. The results indicate different behaviors of PVC depending on the chemical nature of the plasticizer used. Results indicate that the DIMIT plasticizer had good thermal stability, but the color and processability results were unsatisfactory when compared to the DOP. In the other hand, the OSE and DOA presented good results for the evaluated properties. It can be concluded that among the plasticizers analyzed it wasn´t possible to determine the best for direct DOP replacement considering the entire range of flexible PVC products. However, this work contributes to the evaluation and selection of the best plasticizer based on the requirements of each application.

In the present study, both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to investigate modes of action of selected EDCs including mercury chloride (HgCl2), bisphenol A (BPA), vinclozolin (VZ) and Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) on male reproductive physiology in fish. Results obtained from in vitro studies showed that EDCs decrease sperm motility via disruption in energetics and damage to spermatozoa; however the effective doses are higher than reported in the environmentally relevant concentrations. In contrast, in vivo studies showed adverse effects of BPA, VZ, and DEHP on sperm quality at environmentally relevant concentrations. Decrease in sperm quality is associated with disruption in testicular steroidogenesis, particularly inhibition of androgens. Only BPA induced vitellogenin production, associated with increase in transcripts of estrogen receptor, androgen receptor and cytochrome P450 mRNA at the high dose approaching environmental level. Inhibition of androgen production is due to disruption in transfer of cholesterol into the steroidogenesis pathway, because transcript of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein mRNA was decreased. In addition, BPA acts through sex steroid-mediated mechanism while DEHP mode of action is sex-steroid independent mechanism.

O poli(cloreto de vinila) - PVC é considerado um polímero muito versátil devido à possibilidade deste ser formulado mediante a incorporação de aditivos, alterando suas características originais. Plastificantes a base de ftalatos, como o di(2-etilhexil) ftalato (DOP) são os mais utilizados, porém, existem regulamentações que estão restringindo a sua utilização, intensificando-se os estudos com possíveis alternativos. Desta forma, este trabalho visa avaliar a influência de plastificantes de diferentes naturezas nas propriedades físicas, mecânicas, térmicas e reológicas do PVC plastificado. Para formulação dos compostos foi utilizado a resina Norvic SP1000 produzida via suspensão, com VK65 e portanto, propícia para aplicações de materiais flexíveis, além disso, para cada composto utilizou-se uma dosagem de 60 pcr de sete diferentes plastificantes: DOP, considerado como referência para comparação dos resultados, diisononil ciclohexano (DINCH), di(2-etilhexil) ciclohexanoato (DOCH), di(2-etilhexil) adipato (DOA), di(2-etilhexil) tereftalato (DOTP), óleo de soja epoxidado (OSE) e plastificante de óleos vegetais (DIMIT) Neste estudo foram efetuadas avaliações nos compostos como, gelificação e fusão, reologia via reômetro de placas paralelas, densidade, índice de fluidez entre outras para compreender a influência de cada plastificante no processamento do composto e várias caracterizações no produto final como estabilidade térmica dos compostos via TGA, Metrastat, propriedades óticas, propriedades mecânicas como dureza Shore A, tração, resistência a abrasão, resiliência, envelhecimento em câmara UV assim como ensaios de exsudação dos plastificantes. Os resultados indicam comportamentos distintos do PVC em função da natureza química do plastificante utilizado. O plastificante DIMIT possui boa estabilidade térmica, porém os resultados de cor e parâmetros de processamento foram insatisfatórios quando comparados ao DOP, já os plastificantes OSE e DOA apresentaram bons resultados para as propriedades avaliadas. Conclui-se que dentre os plastificantes analisados não foi possível determinar qual seria o melhor para substituição direta do DOP considerando toda a gama de produtos flexíveis de PVC, contudo esse trabalho colabora para a avaliação e seleção do melhor plastificante com base nos requisitos de cada aplicação do produto. / The poly (vinyl chloride) - PVC is a very versatile polymer due to the possibility of being formulated by incorporating additives, which can change the resin characteristics. Plasticizers composed of phthalates, such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DOP), are the most used, however, there are regulations restricting the use of this kind of plasticizers, intensifying studies with possible replacement alternatives. In this way, the objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of plasticizers from different sources in PVC, mainly physical, mechanical thermal stability, and rheological properties in the plasticized PVC. In the formulation of the compounds it was used the resin Norvic SP1000, product with VK65 and produced by suspension, suitable for flexible materials applications. In addition, it was used 60 phr of seven different plasticizers for each compound: DOP, considered as reference for all results, cyclohexane diisononyl (DINCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) cyclohexanoate (DOCH), di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DOA), di(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DOTP), epoxidized soybean oil (OSE) and plasticizer produced from vegetable oils (DIMIT). In this study, the compounds were evaluated with many characterization analyzes, such as gelling and melting point in a torque rheometer, rheology by parallel plate rheometer, density, melt flow index in order to understand the influence of each plasticizer on the material processing Some characterizations in the final product as thermal stability through TGA, Metrastat, optical and mechanical properties such as hardness Shore A, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, resilience, aging in UV chamber as well as exudation tests. The results indicate different behaviors of PVC depending on the chemical nature of the plasticizer used. Results indicate that the DIMIT plasticizer had good thermal stability, but the color and processability results were unsatisfactory when compared to the DOP. In the other hand, the OSE and DOA presented good results for the evaluated properties. It can be concluded that among the plasticizers analyzed it wasn´t possible to determine the best for direct DOP replacement considering the entire range of flexible PVC products. However, this work contributes to the evaluation and selection of the best plasticizer based on the requirements of each application.

Phthalates are industrial plasticizers with a wide range of applications. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most highly produced and frequently studied phthalates. Its metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) is known as a testicular toxicant. The objective of this study was to examine expression of the genes of interest in testicular germ cells exposed to MEHP in a dose- and time-dependent manner at concentrations of 1µM, 10µM, and 100µM at 24, 48, 72 and 96hr time points. The genes consisted of Testisin, GSPT1, and MGMT genes which are a tumor suppressors, phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme and DNA repair gene respectively. These genes were analyzed by Quantitative Real Time PCR (RT-PCR). The results revealed an overall down-regulation for each gene as the concentration and/or time increased. Testisin was the focus of the gene expression analysis. Testisin is epigenetically silenced in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) by DNA methylation at the 5’CpG island of the gene. To investigate if MEHP is capable of DNA hypermethylation, a co-exposure with 5-azacytidine (demethylating agent) was conducted. Compared with the 5-azacytidine treatment alone, there was a significant down-regulation of the Testisin gene in the co-exposure. This suggests that MEHP may down-regulate Testisin gene expression by DNA methylation. These findings provide evidence that MEHP can alter the expression of Testisin, GSTP1 and MGMT, genes that are associated in the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors. In addition, results indicated that MEHP may cause DNA methylation leading to the down-regulation/silencing of genes such as Testisin.