Scientific and trade groups clash over 'authoritative' statements for health claims.
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Adult↗
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Phthalate exposure and reproductive hormones in adult men.
BACKGROUND: Phthalates are used in personal and consumer products, food packaging materials, and polyvinyl chloride plastics and have been measured in the majority of the general population of the USA. Consistent experimental evidence shows that some phthalates are developmental and reproductive toxicants in animals. This study explored the association between environmental levels of phthalates and altered reproductive hormone levels in adult men. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2003, 295 men were recruited from Massachusetts General Hospital. Selected phthalate metabolites were measured in urine. Linear regression models explored the relationship between specific gravity-adjusted urinary phthalate monoester concentrations and serum levels of reproductive hormones, including FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, and inhibin B. RESULTS: An interquartile range (IQR) change in monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) exposure was significantly associated with a 10% [95% confidence interval (CI): -16, -4.0] decrease in FSH concentration. Additionally, an IQR change in monobutyl phthalate (MBP) exposure was associated with a 4.8% (95% CI: 0, 10) increase in inhibin B but this was of borderline significance. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found associations between MBP and MBzP urinary concentrations and altered levels of inhibin B and FSH, the hormone concentrations did not change in the expected patterns. Therefore, it is unclear whether these associations represent physiologically relevant alterations in these hormones, or whether they represent associations found as a result of conducting multiple comparisons.
Adult↗
DNA damage in human sperm is related to urinary levels of phthalate monoester and oxidative metabolites.
BACKGROUND: The ubiquitous use of phthalate esters in plastics, personal care products and food packaging materials results in widespread general population exposure. In this report, we extend our preliminary study on the relationship between urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and sperm DNA damage among a larger sample of men and include measurements of mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), two oxidative metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). METHODS: Among 379 men from an infertility clinic, urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites were measured using isotope-dilution high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Sperm DNA damage measurements, assessed with the neutral comet assay, included comet extent (CE), percentage of DNA in tail (Tail%) and tail distributed moment (TDM). RESULTS: Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), a metabolite of diethyl phthalate, was associated with increased DNA damage, confirming our previous findings. Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), a metabolite of DEHP, was associated with DNA damage after adjustment for the oxidative DEHP metabolites. After adjustment for MEHHP, for an interquartile range increase in urinary MEHP, CE increased 17.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 8.7-25.7%], TDM increased 14.3% (95% CI = 6.8-21.7%) and Tail% increased 17.5% (95% CI = 3.5-31.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Sperm DNA damage was associated with MEP and with MEHP after adjusting for DEHP oxidative metabolites, which may serve as phenotypic markers of DEHP metabolism to 'less toxic' metabolites. The urinary levels of phthalate metabolites among these men were similar to those reported for the US general population, suggesting that exposure to some phthalates may affect the population distribution of sperm DNA damage.
Adult↗
Polypropylene production and colorectal cancer: a review of the epidemiological evidence.
Polypropylene has been produced for over 35 years and has a wide variety of applications including industrial uses, food packaging and many domestic uses. As a high-molecular-weight polymer, polypropylene is considered chemically inert with little or no physiological or toxicological effects. Nevertheless, early epidemiological studies of polypropylene production workers and carpet manufacturing employees who use polypropylene reported a significant excess of colorectal cancer. In one study, five of the seven cases were diagnosed within a five-month period, and in the other study, five cases were diagnosed within an 18-month period. Recent updates of these two study populations have found no continuation of the excess of colorectal cancer, thereby indicating that the earlier observations on these two groups reflected the chance nature of a time-space cluster. Moreover, investigations of polypropylene production workers in the United States, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom found no association with colorectal cancer. When the results of all studies of polypropylene production workers are pooled, the summary risk ratio for colorectal cancer is 1.37 (95% confidence interval 0.83-2.11). Taken together, the epidemiological evidence and the absence of toxicological data do not support a causal association between polypropylene and colorectal cancer.
Adult↗
Effect of vacuum on moisture absorption and retention by marinated broiler fillets.
Effects of vacuum on moisture retention and quality characteristics of aged chicken breast fillets were evaluated. One hundred twenty-eight broilers (2 replicates of 64 birds each) were manually slaughtered, chilled in ice water, placed in unsealed plastic bags, and then aged overnight at 4 degrees C. Both pectoralis major muscles were harvested from each carcass. Left muscles were marinated for 30 min en vacuo with 20% (vol/wt) of a 10% NaCl (wt/vol) solution containing 4% (wt/vol) commercial food-grade polyphosphate. Right fillets were marinated similarly but without vacuum. Moisture absorption, cooked yield, pH change during marination, and shear values of vacuum-marinated fillets were compared to those on fillets marinated without vacuum. Use of vacuum during marination increased moisture absorption during marination, but after cooking, yields were similar. Nor did vacuum effect pH or shear values. Under the conditions of this study, use of vacuum during marination appeared to offer no significant advantage over marination at atmospheric pressure.
Absorption↗
Long-term effects of polyacrylamide hydrogel on human breast tissue.
Polyacrylamide hydrogel is an atoxic, stable, nonresorbable sterile watery gel consisting of approximately 2.5% cross-linked polyacrylamide and nonpyrogenic water. Polyacrylamide hydrogel is widely used in ophthalmic operations, drug treatment, food packaging products, and water purification. In the former Soviet Union, polyacrylamide hydrogel has been used in plastic and aesthetic surgery for more than 10 years, and Kiev City Hospital treats approximately 300 women a year for breast augmentation using the polyacrylamide hydrogel Interfall (Contura SA, Montreux, Switzerland). Capsule shrinkage following these injections has never been observed. The authors examined breast tissue samples from a total of 27 women who had polyacrylamide hydrogel injected at Kiev City Hospital up to 8 years and 10 months earlier. Age at operation, duration of polyacrylamide hydrogel implantation, history of possible side effects to the gel injection, other intercurrent diseases, the reason for present open breast operation, and breast palpation findings before operation were in each case compared with the histological findings on samples taken from breast tissue bordering the gel. The gel presented itself as a dark violet, homogenous mass with a rounded or ragged outline in large or medium-size deposits and as elongated strands, which mimicked the extracellular matrix, in small deposits. Histological findings of the breast tissue bordering the gel showed three different patterns: large collections of gel gave rise to a thick, soft-looking cellular membrane of macrophages and foreign-body giant cells; medium-size deposits were surrounded by just a thin layer of macrophages; and small deposits were not associated with any reaction in the surrounding tissue. Projections of the cellular soft membrane, known as granulomas, were seen in six patients. The granulomas were composed of macrophages, foreign-body giant cells, lymphocytes, and blood cells. A thin layer of fibrous connective tissue was occasionally present around the foreign-body membrane, but the thick fibrous capsule, which has been described in connection with silicone implants, was completely absent. The gel changes could be correlated to neither time since gel injection nor a history of recent injury or inflammation. It is concluded that the polyacrylamide hydrogel Interfall, which has been used in the former Soviet Union, is stable over time, nondegradable, confined to the breast, and diffusion and migration resistant. When the hydrogel is injected in medium-size or large quantities a cellular foreign-body reaction occurs, but in small amounts it is capable of splitting up individual connective tissue fibers and fat cells, substituting for the extracellular connective tissue matrix without eliciting any foreign-body reaction. As far as these data are concerned, polyacrylamide hydrogel is well tolerated by the breast and does not give rise to severe fibrosis, pain, or capsule shrinkage. However, to determine safety with more certainty, a larger sample size would be necessary.
Acrylic Resins↗
Clostridium algidixylanolyticum sp. nov., a psychrotolerant, xylan-degrading, spore-forming bacterium.
A psychrotolerant Clostridium species was isolated from vacuum-packed, temperature-abused raw lamb. Colonies of this micro-organism on sheep-blood agar were circular with an entire margin, grey-white, translucent and beta-haemolytic. Cells were single, tapered, motile rods. Elliptical subterminal spores were produced in the late stationary growth phase. Spores did not cause swelling of the maternal cells. The micro-organism was obligately anaerobic. In peptone yeast extract glucose starch (PYGS) broth at pH 7.0, the micro-organism grew optimally between 25.5 and 30.0 degrees C. The temperature range for growth was 2.5-32.2 degrees C. At 26 degrees C, the micro-organism grew optimally at pH 6.8 to 7.0. The pH range for anaerobic growth was 4.7-9.1. The micro-organism was saccharoclastic, hydrolysed starch and degraded xylan. The fermentation products formed in PYGS broth were acetate, formate, lactate, ethanol, butyrate, butanol, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The G + C content of the DNA was 38.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the strain belongs to cluster XIVa of the genus Clostridium (sensu Collins et al. 1994). The new strain differed from phylogenetically related clostridia in terms of cellular fatty acid composition, soluble protein profiles and phenotypic properties. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characterization data, the strain was assigned to a new species, namely Clostridium algidixylanolyticum. The type strain is strain SPL73T (= DSM 12273T).
Animals↗
Paenibacillus stellifer sp. nov., a cyclodextrin-producing species isolated from paperboard.
The microflora isolated from food-packaging board is dominated by paenibacilli; a number of these micro-organisms have been characterized using a polyphasic approach. The highest 16S rRNA gene similarity was found between these isolates and Paenibacillus azotofixans ATCC 35681(T) (97.7 %). The main fatty acid of the paperboard isolates was C(16 : 0) (34-45 %); straight-chain fatty acids made up 41-60 % of the total cellular fatty acids, thus distinguishing these strains from other Paenibacillus species. The paperboard isolates produced cyclodextrins from starch. The spore surface had a characteristic ribbed ornamentation. Spores and vegetative cells frequently had pilus-like appendages. Based on phylogenetic data and phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, it is proposed that the isolates represent a novel species, Paenibacillus stellifer sp. nov., with IS 1(T) (=DSM 14472(T)=CCUG 45566(T)) as the type strain.
Cyclodextrins↗
Human exposure to phthalates via consumer products.
Phthalate exposures in the general population and in subpopulations are ubiquitous and widely variable. Many consumer products contain specific members of this family of chemicals, including building materials, household furnishings, clothing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, medical devices, dentures, children's toys, glow sticks, modelling clay, food packaging, automobiles, lubricants, waxes, cleaning materials and insecticides. Consumer products containing phthalates can result in human exposures through direct contact and use, indirectly through leaching into other products, or general environmental contamination. Historically, the diet has been considered the major source of phthalate exposure in the general population, but all sources, pathways, and their relative contributions to human exposures are not well understood. Medical devices containing di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate are a source of significant exposure in a susceptible subpopulation of individuals. Cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and insecticides, may result in significant but poorly quantified human exposures to dibutyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, or dimethyl phthalate. Oven baking of polymer clays may cause short-term, high-level inhalation exposures to higher molecular weight phthalates.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical↗
Microbiological aspects of thermally processed foods.
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Food Analysis↗
Comparative evaluation of adhesion, surface properties, and surface protein composition of Listeria monocytogenes strains after cultivation at constant pH of 5 and 7.
AIMS: To analyse the cellular mechanisms that influence Listeria monocytogenes adhesion onto inert surfaces under acidic growth conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: The adhesion capability of all the strains was significantly reduced after cultivation at constant pH 5 than at constant pH 7 and the cell surface was significantly less hydrophobic at pH 5 than at 7. At pH 5, the analyses of surface protein composition revealed that the flagellin was downregulated for all strains, which was confirmed by the absence of flagella and the P60 protein was upregulated for L. monocytogenes EGD-e, X-Li-mo 500 and 111. The use of L. monocytogenes EGD mutants revealed that flagellin could be involved in the adhesion process, but not P60 protein. It was also observed that the hydrophobic character was not linked to the presence or the absence of flagellin or P60 protein at the cell surface of L. monocytogenes. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of L. monocytogenes adhesion at pH 5 could be attributed to the downregulation of the flagellin synthesis under the acidic conditions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Conservation of food product at pH 5 will delay bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation during food processing on inert surfaces when the product is contaminated with L. monocytogenes.
Bacterial Adhesion↗
Stochastic, compartmental, and dynamic modeling of cross-contamination during mechanical smearing of cheeses.
Cheese smearing is a complex process and the potential for cross-contamination with pathogenic or undesirable microorganisms is critical. During ripening, cheeses are salted and washed with brine to develop flavor and remove molds that could develop on the surfaces. Considering the potential for cross-contamination of this process in quantitative risk assessments could contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon and, eventually, improve its control. The purpose of this article is to model the cross-contamination of smear-ripened cheeses due to the smearing operation under industrial conditions. A compartmental, dynamic, and stochastic model is proposed for mechanical brush smearing. This model has been developed to describe the exchange of microorganisms between compartments. Based on the analytical solution of the model equations and on experimental data collected with an industrial smearing machine, we assessed the values of the transfer parameters of the model. Monte Carlo simulations, using the distributions of transfer parameters, provide the final number of contaminated products in a batch and their final level of contamination for a given scenario taking into account the initial number of contaminated cheeses of the batch and their contaminant load. Based on analytical results, the model provides indicators for smearing efficiency and propensity of the process for cross-contamination. Unlike traditional approaches in mechanistic models, our approach captures the variability and uncertainty inherent in the process and the experimental data. More generally, this model could represent a generic base to use in modeling similar processes prone to cross-contamination.
Algorithms↗
The development and evolution of U.S. Army field rations.
Armed conflicts create large masses of personnel that need to be fed nutritious foods in less than favorable conditions. The United States military, private industry, and academia continue to work together to develop rations that meet the needs of military personnel who find themselves in varying climates, conditions, and geography.
Food Packaging↗
New surfaces with hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics in relation to (no)bioadhesion.
The possibility of biosurfaces with high or low adhesiveness for protein, bacteria or eukaryotic cells is discussed. At the interface surface object/biological milieu, biocompatibility, (no) bioadhesion and (no) biocontamination are shown to be correlated with physico-chemical surface characteristics. First consequence is the (no) possibility of biofilm formation. Substrates with low surface energy could interact only with hydrophobic biomolecules. On substrates with high surface energy, a water monolayer spontaneously formed. Modification of a surface by plasma techniques is a way for engineering biomaterials. Plasma techniques are dry processes and more suitable for biomedical applications. In the field of biomaterial medical devices, in hygienic prevention of nosocomial diseases, in food packaging, the use of substrates with a very hydrophilic character may help to prevent the proliferation of cells and bacteria. Such a technique is so efficient that antibiotic molecules are not necessary. Therefore, surface engineering is a tool for modifying and adapting materials to specific biological applications.
Animals↗
ATSDR evaluation of health effects of chemicals. VI. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (also known as DEHP, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, or BEHP; CAS Registry Number 117-81-7) is a widely-used plasticizer. It is found in numerous plastic articles, such as paints, inks, floor tiles, upholstery, shower curtains, footwear, plastic bags, food-packaging materials, toys, and medical tubing. Not surprisingly, DEHP appears at many waste sites. As part of its mandate, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepares toxicological profiles on hazardous chemicals that are of greatest public health concern at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priority List (NPL) sites. These profiles comprehensively summarize toxicological and environmental information. This article constitutes the release of the bulk of ATSDR's profile for DEHP (ATSDR, 1993) into the mainstream scientific literature. An extensive listing of human and animal health effects, organized by route, duration, and endpoint, is presented. Toxicological information on toxicokinetics, biomarkers, interactions, sensitive subpopulations, reducing toxicity after exposure, and relevance to public health is also included. Environmental information encompasses physical properties, production and use, environmental fate, levels seen in the environment, analytical methods, and a listing of regulations. ATSDR, at the behest of Congress and therefore the citizenry, prepares these profiles to inform the public about site contaminants.
Biomarkers↗
Inhibition of testicular steroidogenesis by the xenoestrogen bisphenol A is associated with reduced pituitary luteinizing hormone secretion and decreased steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in rat Leydig cells.
Exposure of humans to bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer in polycarbonate plastics and a constituent of resins used in food packaging and dentistry, is significant. In this report exposure of rats to 2.4 microg/kg.d (a dose that approximates BPA levels in the environment) from postnatal d 21-35 suppressed serum LH (0.21 +/- 0.05 ng/ml; vs. control, 0.52 +/- 0.04; P < 0.01) and testosterone (T) levels (1.62 +/- 0.16 ng/ml; vs. control, 2.52 +/- 0.21; P < 0.05), in association with decreased LHbeta and increased estrogen receptor beta pituitary mRNA levels as measured by RT-PCR. Treatment of adult Leydig cells with 0.01 nm BPA decreased T biosynthesis by 25% as a result of decreased expression of the steroidogenic enzyme 17alpha-hydroxylase/17-20 lyase. BPA decreased serum 17beta-estradiol levels from 0.31 +/- 0.02 ng/ml (control) to 0.22 +/- 0.02, 0.19 +/- 0.02, and 0.23 +/- 0.03 ng/ml in rats exposed to 2.4 microg, 10 microg, or 100 mg/kg.d BPA, respectively, from 21-35 d of age (P < 0.05) due to its ability to inhibit Leydig cell aromatase activity. Exposures of pregnant and nursing dams, i.e. from gestation d 12 to postnatal d 21, decreased T levels in the testicular interstitial fluid from 420 +/- 34 (control) to 261 +/- 22 (P < 0.05) ng/ml in adulthood, implying that the perinatal period is a sensitive window of exposure to BPA. As BPA has been measured in several human populations, further studies are warranted to assess the effects of BPA on male fertility.
Aging↗
Bisphenol A is released from used polycarbonate animal cages into water at room temperature.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer with estrogenic activity that is used in the production of food packaging, dental sealants, polycarbonate plastic, and many other products. The monomer has previously been reported to hydrolyze and leach from these products under high heat and alkaline conditions, and the amount of leaching increases as a function of use. We examined whether new and used polycarbonate animal cages passively release bioactive levels of BPA into water at room temperature and neutral pH. Purified water was incubated at room temperature in new polycarbonate and polysulfone cages and used (discolored) polycarbonate cages, as well as control (glass and used polypropylene) containers. The resulting water samples were characterized with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and tested for estrogenic activity using an MCF-7 human breast cancer cell proliferation assay. Significant estrogenic activity, identifiable as BPA by GC/MS (up to 310 micro g/L), was released from used polycarbonate animal cages. Detectable levels of BPA were released from new polycarbonate cages (up to 0.3 micro g/L) as well as new polysulfone cages (1.5 micro g/L), whereas no BPA was detected in water incubated in glass and used polypropylene cages. Finally, BPA exposure as a result of being housed in used polycarbonate cages produced a 16% increase in uterine weight in prepubertal female mice relative to females housed in used polypropylene cages, although the difference was not statistically significant. Our findings suggest that laboratory animals maintained in polycarbonate and polysulfone cages are exposed to BPA via leaching, with exposure reaching the highest levels in old cages.
Animals↗
Microwave radar detection of stored-product insects.
A microwave radar system that senses motion was tested for capability to detect hidden insects of different sizes and activity levels in stored products. In initial studies, movements of individual adults or groups of Lasioderma serricorne (F.), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), Attagenus unicolor (Brahm), and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) were easily detected over distances up to 30 cm in air. Boxes of corn meal mix and flour mix were artificially infested with 5-100 insects to estimate the reliability of detection. The likelihood that a box was infested was rated by the radar system on a quantitative scale. The ratings were significantly correlated with the numbers of infesting insects. The radar system has potential applications in management programs where rapid, nondestructive targeting of incipient insect infestations would be of benefit to the producers and consumers of packaged foods.
Animals↗