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PubMedDate not supplied

[Biological monitoring of environmental benzene exposure in traffic wardens].

Vehicle exhausts are a well known source of aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in urban environments. The paper reports the results of environmental and biological monitoring of benzene exposure in traffic wardens carried out over a 5-hour workshift. Subjects (n = 131) were grouped according to smoking habits and job task as follows: group (A) 52 nonsmoking office workers, (B) 43 nonsmoking outdoor workers, subdivided into (B1) 36 working on foot and (B2) 7 cyclists; (C) 20 smokers office workers, (D) 16 smokers outdoor workers, subdivided into (D1) 11 working on foot and (D1) 5 cyclists. The median indoor environmental benzene concentration (26 micrograms/m3, n = 50) was significantly lower than the outdoor concentration (45 micrograms/m3, n = 43) (p < 0.01); median exposure value of cyclists was 78 micrograms/m3 (n = 12). For biological monitoring, urinary excretion of trans,transmuconic acid was determined in spot samples collected at 7:30 h (MAit) and 12:30 h (MAft). The MAftA median value (63 micrograms/l, range 2-242 micrograms/l) was not statistically different from MAftB (74 micrograms/l, range 15-216 micrograms/l), while the MAftB2 value of 96 micrograms/l was higher than both MAftB1 (71 micrograms/l) and MAftA. In group (B) there was a relationship between airborne benzene levels and MAftB excretion (y = 17.2 + 1.1x, r = 0.62, n = 35, p < 0.01). The influence of smoking on urinary MA excretion was studied by comparing the results obtained in all nonsmokers (AB) with smokers (CD). MAftCD (192 micrograms/l) was significantly higher than MAftAB (69 micrograms/l) (p < 0.01). In smokers, statistically significant relationships were observed between urinary excretion of MAft (y, microgram/l) and cotinine (x, microgram/l) (y = 83 + 0.08x, r = 0.73, n = 23, p < 0.01), and smoking (x, number cigarettes/day) (y = 87.4 + 4.4x, r = 0.53, n = 29, p < 0.01). Comparison between MAft and MAit median excretion values, calculated for each of the 6 exposure groups, showed that MAft was always higher than the corresponding MAit value. A rough estimate of the total dose of benzene ("index of exposure", EI) inhaled by each subject during the 5-hour working shift as a consequence of air pollution and smoking was also made. Considering the entire group of subjects, a significant association was observed between EI and MAft values (y = 43.4 + 0.39x, r = 0.65, n = 104, p < 0.01). Individual values of MA it were correlated with MAft according to the equation y = 43.6 + 0.82x (r = 0.62, n = 105; p < 0.01) and were also positively associated with EI values (y = 42.3 + 0.20x; r = 0.55; n = 74; p < 0.01). In conclusion, the results suggest that the measurement of urinary MA excretion is a poor indicator for assessing environmental benzene exposure at levels below 100 micrograms/m3, such as those seen in this study; MA can however be reliably used as a biomarker for higher exposures such as those, for example, due to smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Monitoring rotavirus environmental contamination in a pediatric unit using polymerase chain reaction.

Rotavirus environmental contamination in a pediatric unit was investigated. Surfaces were swabbed, then viruses eluted, ultracentrifuged, and detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Of 55 samples, 25 (46%) tested positive. Rotavirus RNA was more prevalent on surfaces in direct contact with children (thermometers and play mats) than on other environmental surfaces (washbasins, door handles, etc). PCR has proved useful for monitoring rotavirus environmental contamination.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

International monitoring for environmental health surveillance.

This paper offers an overview of existing international monitoring systems with relevance for environmental health surveillance. Representative monitoring systems are described that: address areas of chronic and acute exposure, and diseases and behavioural effects resulting from human-environment interactions; have an ecosystem focus with perhaps a secondary motivation of ascertaining human health impacts that may result from ecosystem conditions; and that incorporate socio-demographic and economic data that may reflect population health determinants. General conclusions on the state of environmental surveillance systems and suites of indicators reviewed are provided in relation to their utility for the development of a generic environmental health surveillance system. This review indicates, among other things, that no obvious short list of core indicators exists which spans "environmental health" to provide a sufficient set applicable in a global context. Through a summary of challenges and limitations in existing systems and indicator sets, recommendations are provided for the discussion of indicator selection and organization, and of developing general and widely applicable environmental health monitoring and surveillance systems.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Five years of the system of monitoring the environmental impact on population health of the Czech Republic.

The data collected in the System of monitoring the environmental impact on population health of the Czech Republic in 1994-1998 were obtained routinely and in a stabilized manner in six subsystems: health consequences and risks related to air pollution, drinking water quality, noise, human dietary exposure, human exposure to toxic pollutants from the environment and monitoring of the health status and evaluation of selected indicators of demographic and health statistics. They represent a useful and comprehensive background for providing objective information on the health status of the Czech population and on pollution of different components of the environment in the Czech Republic. The results obtained in the period 1994-1998 show that no critical situation needing urgent countermeasures to be taken appeared in the localities monitored. However, some results are indicative of the necessity to take certain remedial measures to maintain all population exposure burdens as low as reasonably possible from the economical and social points of view. Generally, the admissible limit values and exposure limits are exceeded only sporadically in some localities while for most contaminants monitored only very low values compared to the limits can be found and such situations are mostly considered as non-systematic changes.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

System of monitoring the environmental impact on population health of the Czech Republic.

The data collected in the System of monitoring the environmental impact on population health of the Czech Republic in 1994 and 1995 were obtained routinely and in a stabilized manner in six subsystems: health consequences and risks related to air pollution, drinking water quality, noise, human dietary exposure, human exposure to toxic pollutants from the environment and the monitoring of the health state and evaluation of selected indicators of demographic and health statistics. They represent a useful and comprehensive background for providing objective information on the health status of the Czech population and on pollution of different components of the environment in the Czech Republic to other countries in Europe and worldwide to facilitate their commercial and cultural contacts. The results of the calendar year 1995 show that no critical situation needing urgent countermeasures to be taken appeared in the localities monitored. However, some results are indicative of the necessity to take certain remedial measures to maintain all population exposure burdens as low as reasonably possible from the economical and social points of view. The set of problems was identified as important also in 1994. Generally, the limit values and exposure standards are exceeded only sporadically in some localities while for most contaminants monitored only very low values compared to the admissible limits can be found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Animals as monitors of environmental quality.

The various species of domesticated and wild animals can be excellent monitors of environmental quality. Although analyses of industrial air and water effluents and tests for toxicants in soils, plants, foods and feeds may provide some degree of predictability of environmental quality, the ultimate monitors are those organisms having metabolic activities that are comparable to man. If we closely observe animals that share our environment, like the coal miner's canary, they will alert us to unseen and perhaps devastating environmental hazards.

Animal Diseases↗
PubMed1996

Model of multiple exposure to contaminants in monitoring the environmental impact on population health.

The model study is focused on possibilities of comprehensive evaluation of the multiple exposure of humans to selected inorganic contaminants (arsenic, cadmium, lead, zinc) monitored within the subsystems of the monitoring the environmental impact on population health (inhalation and ingestion exposure from air, drinking water and foodstuffs and biological monitoring). The mean daily intake of contaminants of average adults is assessed using the monitoring and literature data. The exposure balance showed that the total intake of individual contaminants studied did not exceed the limit values given by the exposure standards (acceptable daily intake). The highest value of exposure reaching 28% of the limit was reported for cadmium. The prevailing pathway of exposure is ingestion of foodstuffs: more than 95% in all contaminants under study. Information on the intake of contaminants is used as input in a linear multicompartmental model describing their kinetics and retention in the human organism. The results of the model computation are compared with the laboratory data obtained in the biological monitoring of adult urine. The model and monitoring sets of results were found to conform well for cadmium and zinc. For arsenic and lead the model values are roughly one order of magnitude lower than the monitored ones which should be considered as acceptable for the model studies of this type. The model study of contaminant monitoring data processing and evaluation suggests further applications of health risk assessment representing one of the basic outputs of monitoring the environmental impact on population health.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Canadian environmental effects monitoring: experiences with pulp and paper and metal mining regulatory programs.

In Canada, Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) programs exist within two regulations: the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations and the new Metal Mining Effluent Regulations under the Canadian Fisheries Act. EEM provides a biological, effects-based feedback loop to assess the effectiveness of technology-based regulations in protecting receiving environments. The promulgation of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations, in 1992, represented a significant step forward in the Canadian regulatory approach by incorporating directly into a regulation a requirement to assess the effects of effluent discharges on receiving environments using proven scientific monitoring methodologies. Similarly, an assessment of the aquatic impacts of mines resulted in recommendations to amend the Metal Mining Effluent Regulations, recently promulgated in 2002, and includes an EEM program as a science-based feedback loop. As such, these regulations recognize the possibility that national, technology-based standards may not necessarily protect all receiving environments because of the diversity and variability of both discharges and receiving sites across the country. Since that time, EEM has improved its flexibility by considering both advances in science and the uniqueness of monitoring sites across Canada to allow the most appropriate and cost-effective monitoring approaches at each site while maintaining national consistency. This paper discusses the use of monitoring under two Canadian regulations to assess effects on aquatic ecosystems. As well, the National EEM approach to maintaining up-to-date scientific practices in a national regulatory program is discussed using examples.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

Online and in situ monitoring of environmental pollutants: electrochemical biosensing of cadmium.

Online sensitive monitoring of gene expression is essential for understanding microbial life and microbial communities, especially under stress-inducing conditions, such as the presence of environmental pollutants. We describe here a novel use of promoter-based electrochemical biosensing for online and in situ monitoring of gene expression in response to pollutants. As a model system, we used a cadmium-responsive promoter from Escherichia coil fused to a promoterless lacZ gene, which was monitored using an electrochemical assay of beta-galactosidase activity. This whole-cell biosensor could detect, within minutes, nanomolar concentrations of cadmium in water, sea water and soil samples, and it can be used for continuous online and in situ monitoring.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1992

Radionuclide monitoring in environmental water body using an in situ gamma probe.

An HPGe gamma probe designed to monitor radioactive nuclides in environmental water in situ is described. The probe is equipped with a 15% HPGe detector and an associated spectrum analyzer. Laboratory tests were performed to evaluate its operating depth, detecting sensitivity, detecting volume and the detection limits of radionuclides. A field operation was conducted to measure in situ radionuclide concentrations in a nuclear reactor pool, and the feasibility as well as the disadvantages of this rapid survey are discussed.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1986

Biological monitoring of environmental pollution and human exposure to some trace elements.

The extent of environmental pollution and resulting human exposure to hazardous toxic chemicals in the environment is often difficult to assess. One of the possible alternative approaches to this problem is the use of the biological indicators to demonstrate environmental pollution. This approach appears to be particularly suitable for demonstrating exposure to potentially toxic trace elements. In addition to analyses of plant and animal specimens the element content of human hair as an indicator of exposures to arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, antimony, manganese, nickel and cobalt has been repeatedly confirmed as reliable, provided the analyses were carried out and evaluated on group diagnostic basis and were done in groups of individuals occupationally not exposed to these metals. Preferably groups of 10-year-old children are to be used when only environmental pollution is to be taken into account. Hair samples are incomparably easier to collect, transport and store than the alternative biological material such as blood and urine used commonly to demonstrate exposure to various toxic agents. Biological monitoring of environmental pollution cannot replace the standard procedures of measuring air, water and soil pollution; however, the technique appears to have the potential of being an effective tool search for the extent of environmental pollution and for delimitation of territorial boundaries of areas affected most by hazardous emissions containing potentially toxic trace elements.

Activation Analysis↗
PubMed1994

Determination of benzene and its metabolites: application in biological monitoring of environmental and occupational exposure to benzene.

Methods for the biological monitoring of benzene and its metabolites in exhaled air, blood and urine are reviewed. Analysis of benzene in breath can be carried out by using an exhaled-air collection tube and direct analysis by GC or GC-MS; however, this technique is less reliable when compared to analysis using blood or urine. For the determination of non-metabolized benzene in blood and urine, GC head-space analysis is recommended. Phenol, the major metabolite of benzene can be monitored by either HPLC or GC methods. However, urinary phenol has proved to be a poor biomarker for low-level benzene exposure. Recent studies have shown that trans,trans-muconic acid, a minor metabolite of benzene can be determined using HPLC with UV detection. This biomarker can be used for detection of low-level benzene exposure. Urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid is another sensitive biomarker for benzene, but it can be detected only by GC-MS. Hydroquinone, catechol and 1,2,4-benzenetriol can be measured using HPLC with either ultraviolet or fluorimetric detection. Nevertheless, their use for low-level assessment requires further studies. Eventually, for the assessment of health risks caused by benzene, biological-exposure reference values need to be established before they can be widely used in a field setting.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Environmental genotoxicity monitoring using Salmonella typhimurium strains as indicator system.

Screening for mutagens in environmental complex mixtures is gradually accepted as a routine methodology in the monitoring processes. Examination of 70 drinking water samples showed that the variations in the degree of mutagenicity was dependent on the location of the water source and the type of drinking water tested. Analogous screening for mutagens in river and waste waters may help better assess the potential genotoxic hazard from various types of industrial technology. The recommended methods are routinely used for monitoring the mutagenicity and for checking the effectiveness of preventive measures.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed1991

Monitoring a genetically engineered bacterium in a freshwater environment by rapid enzymatic amplification of a synthetic DNA "number-plate".

In order to set up a sensitive and reliable detection method to monitor environmentally released genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) a 72-bp, double-stranded DNA fragment has been built by annealing and ligating four synthetic oligonucleotides. Binding sites for two 20-mer oligonucleotides are situated inside the DNA fragment, flanking the centre. Into the central part of the construction a 30-nucleotide identification sequence has been fitted. Thanks to the presence of the two oligonucleotide binding sites, the synthetic construction ("number-plate") can be submitted to enzymatic amplification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), thus enabling the identification system to take advantage of the outstanding sensitivity of this technique. When released into a freshwater microcosm, cells of Pseudomonas putida carrying a "number-plated" chromosome could be easily and rapidly detected merely by submitting boiled cell sediments to PCR amplification.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Biomonitoring heavy metals using the barn owl (Tyto alba guttata): sources of variation especially relating to body condition.

The feasibility of using the Barn Owl (Tyto alba guttata) to monitor environmental quality in the Netherlands was investigated, using Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Fe as indicators for environmental contamination. Throughout 1992, bird-watchers, volunteers, and officials submitted 53 birds. The age and geographical distribution of these birds, formed a representative sample of the population. The following interrelationships were investigated: cause of death, nutrient reserve, age, time of death, place of death, body measurements, sex, condition, and heavy metal concentration in kidney, liver, and tibia. Twenty-eight animals had died after collisions. Fifteen Barn Owls died of exhaustion. In total, twenty-four birds were exhausted, with coccidiosis or other parasitic gastrointestinal infections. The condition of the birds showed that as the birds' condition worsened, fat reserves were depleted before protein reserves. Significant linear relationships were found between decreasing protein reserves and decreasing dry weights of the liver, kidney, flight muscle and heart, but not of the tibia. An asymptotic, nonlinear relation was observed between dry organ weight and fat reserve. This suggested that fat reserves were only found when protein reserves exceeded 15% of the body mass at starvation. Concentrations of Cu and Fe in liver and kidney rose as protein reserves fell; the total content of Cu and Fe per organ, however, remained constant. The Mn concentration of these organs remained constant; Mn content increased with increasing organ sizes. Neither Cd nor Pb showed a clear relationship with parameters of body condition. The ratio between the organ content of Pb or Cd and the dry organ weight, however, revealed some birds from contaminated habitats. The findings suggested that concentrations of environmental contaminants should be measured on a dry weight basis. Furthermore, depending on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a contaminant, the total content of that contaminant per organ can be more informative than the concentration. In this one year sample of Barn Owls, no indications were found of toxic levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, or Fe in the Netherlands. It is concluded that the Barn Owl is a suitable biomonitor. Furthermore, a network of volunteers can produce an informative sample of the Barn Owl population without interfering with the population.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

TIRF-based biosensor for sensitive detection of progesterone in milk based on ultra-sensitive progesterone detection in water.

We report on recent advances of our immunoassay for the hormone progesterone in cow's milk. Detection is based on total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF), the binding-inhibition assay with an immobilized progesterone derivative, and a commercially available monoclonal antibody to progesterone as biological recognition element. The fully automated River Analyzer (RIANA) biosensor for unattended, cost-effective, and continuous monitoring of environmental pollution therefore was adapted for sensitive determination of progesterone in milk. First, the sensitivity and robustness of the existing progesterone assay for water analysis were improved, resulting in a detection limit (LOD) of only 0.2 pg mL(-1) and a quantification limit (LOQ) of only 2.0 pg mL(-1). These extraordinary results are the lowest detection and quantification limits for progesterone determination using biosensors yet reported in the literature. Second, the accurate indicator of ovulation was calibrated and detected in three different types of milk (UHT milk, fresh milk, and raw milk). For commercial milk and randomly procured raw milk nominal levels of progesterone are typically in the range 5-15 ng mL(-1). Limits of detection (LOD) achieved for added progesterone (i.e. spiked samples) were between 45.5 and 56.1 pg mL(-1) depending on milk type. Having in mind the 1:10 dilution factor, these results are still a success. For the first time a commercially available antibody was incorporated into an immunoassay for progesterone detection in bovine milk, giving a detection limit below 1 ng mL(-1) for a fully automated biosensor. Thus the outstanding progress made with this biosensor in environmental monitoring and water analysis has now been successfully adapted to milk analysis for use in the field of reproduction management.

Animals↗