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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Genotoxic effects and chemical compositions of four creosotes.

Four creosotes used in Finland for impregnating wood were tested in the Ames Salmonella test, the SCE test and the SOS chromotest. Compounds volatile at 37 degrees C were assayed using the taped plate testing protocol. The creosotes were fractionated according to their natural boiling ranges and the fractions were tested in the Ames Salmonella assay. Chemical compositions of creosotes and fractions were determined by high resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry techniques and by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Mutagenic activities were shown to reside in fractions having the highest boiling point ranges (greater than 290 degrees C). The concentrations of mutagenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in creosotes and in some of their corresponding distillation fractions, when compared with mutagenic activities, indicated synergistic or antagonistic interactions.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

In vitro embryotoxicity of petroleum creosote monitored via mouse preimplantation embryo culture.

A mouse preimplantation embryo culture system was utilized to characterize the in vitro embryotoxicity of petroleum creosote (PC), a complex mixture of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. ICR mouse embryos, collected on d 3.5 of gestation (blastocyst stage), were exposed for 1 h to varying concentrations of petroleum creosote in serum-supplemented culture medium. Parallel embryo cultures were exposed to PC in medium supplemented with rodent hepatic S9 microsomal fractions to monitor the role of bioactivation in PC-induced embryotoxicity. Embryos were subsequently cultured in control medium for 72 h and observed for viability as well as specific, time-dependent developmental end points--hatching and attachment to the culture dish at 48 h, and trophoblastic outgrowth with a distinct inner cell mass at 72 h. Embryonic viability varied in inverse proportion to PC concentration. Petroleum creosote caused embryolethal effects at concentrations of 33 micrograms/ml of culture medium and 54 micrograms/ml. Embryotoxicity was not observed at 22 micrograms/ml. Culture supplementation with rodent hepatic S9 fractions did not modify, either qualitatively or quantitatively, the embryotoxicity of PC in vitro. These findings implicate PC as a prenatal toxicant and support environmental and human health concerns regarding PC exposure from PC-containing chemical waste sites.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Biodegradation of creosote and pentachlorophenol in contaminated groundwater: chemical and biological assessment.

Shake flask studies examined the rate and extent of biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 42 components of coal-tar creosote present in contaminated groundwater recovered from the American Creosote Works Superfund site, Pensacola, Fla. The ability of indigenous soil microorganisms to remove these contaminants from aqueous solutions was determined by gas chromatographic analysis of organic extracts of biotreated groundwater. Changes in potential environmental and human health hazards associated with the biodegradation of this material were determined at intervals by Microtox assays and fish toxicity and teratogenicity tests. After 14 days of incubation at 30 degrees C, indigenous microorganisms effectively removed 100, 99, 94, 88, and 87% of measured phenolic and lower-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and S-heterocyclic, N-heterocyclic, and O-heterocyclic constituents of creosote, respectively. However, only 53% of the higher-molecular-weight PAHs were degraded; PCP was not removed. Despite the removal of a majority of the organic contaminants through biotreatment, only a slight decrease in the toxicity and teratogenicity of biotreated groundwater was observed. Data suggest that toxicity and teratogenicity are associated with compounds difficult to treat biologically and that one may not necessarily rely on indigenous microorganisms to effectively remove these compounds in a reasonable time span; to this end, alternative or supplemental approaches may be necessary. Similar measures of the toxicity and teratogenicity of treated material may offer a simple, yet important, guide to bioremediation effectiveness.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The induction of cytochrome P-450-IA1 in juvenile fish by creosote-contaminated sediment.

Intact sediment cores, including their surface layers, were used in simulated field exposure tests of juvenile guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to creosote-contaminated sediments. Mixed-function oxygenase activity was induced in the fish after 43 days of exposure to environmentally realistic, sublethal concentrations of creosote-related compounds. An average 50-fold induction in the cytochrome P-450-IA1 was found in the liver in the absence of any histopathological lesions. The possibility that a threshold level for proliferative liver changes was not reached is discussed in the light of the observed biochemical activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cancer incidence among creosote-exposed workers.

Cancer incidence was studied among 922 creosote-exposed impregnators at 13 plants in Sweden and Norway. The subjects had been impregnating wood (eg, railroad cross-ties and telegraph poles), but no data on individual exposures were available. The study population was restricted to men employed during the period 1950-1975, and their cancer morbidity was checked through the cancer registries. The total cancer incidence was somewhat lower than expected, 129 cases versus 137 expected [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 0.94]. Increased risks in both countries combined were observed for lip cancer (SIR 2.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.81-5.83), skin cancer (SIR 2.37, 95% CI 1.08-4.50), and malignant lymphoma (SIR 1.9, 95% CI 0.83-3.78). Exposure to sunlight may have contributed to the risk of lip and skin cancer. The small number of cancer cases does not permit valid conclusions. The findings indicate that impregnating wood with creosote in earlier decades increased the risk of skin cancer.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of the CYP1A1 gene in peripheral lymphocytes as a marker of exposure to creosote in railroad workers.

We have conducted a pilot study to assess levels of cytochrome CYP1A1 gene expression in human peripheral lymphocytes as a molecular biomarker assay for polycyclic hydrocarbon exposure. Basal and 3-methylcholanthrene-induced levels of gene expression were measured by standard slot-blot mRNA analyses in mitogen-stimulated cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes from creosote-exposed railroad workers and unexposed control subjects. Dermal and inhalation exposure of workers to creosote may vary substantially as a function of working conditions related to temperature. Therefore, blood specimens were collected from separate groups during the winter, fall, and summer. Basal and induced CYP1A1 gene expression levels were not elevated in workers from any of the three seasonal studies. However, induced/basal (inducibility) CYP1A1 mRNA ratios from workers sampled in the summer (when actual exposures were greatest) were significantly higher when compared to those of controls (P < 0.01). These studies demonstrate the potential usefulness of specific gene expression assays in human peripheral lymphocytes for the assessment of carcinogen exposure in human populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Detoxification of pentachlorophenol and creosote contaminated groundwater by physical extraction: chemical and biological assessment.

Chemical analyses revealed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other organic compounds were present in a perennial freshwater stream that flowed through the abandoned American Creosote Works and into Pensacola Bay, Florida. Moreover, groundwater pumped from a well depth of 21 m at a location adjacent to the site was heavily contaminated with PAHs and other organics. A study was conducted to determine the efficacy of ultrafiltration for removal of organics from groundwater at this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Super Fund site. Ultrafiltration reduced the concentration of total identified organics from 210.0 mg/L in groundwater to 1.5 mg/L in the post-filtration permeate. Tests for toxicity/teratogenicity in embryonic inland silversides, Menidia beryllina; and Microtox 15 min EC50's were conducted with: 1) streamwater, 2) untreated groundwater, 3) feedwater used in the ultrafiltration system and 4) permeate water that passed through the ultrafiltration system. A concentration of 100% streamwater caused significant (alpha less than or equal to 0.05) teratogenic responses in fish embryos and larvae; the Microtox EC50 was 3.7% streamwater. Groundwater and feedwater caused significant embryo toxic or teratogenic responses at concentrations of 100, 10, and 1%; the Microtox EC50's were 0.85 and 0.48%, respectively. In contrast, only 100% permeate water caused significant increases in terata, compared to the control response; at 10 and 1% concentrations greater than 90% of hatched larvae appeared normal. The Microtox EC50 was 30% permeate water.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Creosote.

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Animals↗
PubMed1992

Suppression of intestinal smooth muscle contraction by phenolic compounds.

Wood creosote, a mixture of guaiacol, creosol, and other related phenolic compounds, suppresses the spontaneous longitudinal phasic contractions of an isolated rat ileal segment. Thirty-two phenolic compounds were screened for this activity to identify the active substances in wood creosote. Of the 32 compounds tested, 2,3,6-trimethylphenol, 2,4,6-trimethylphenol, and 4-ethylguaiacol were most effective and their respective IC50 values were 0.035, 0.037, and 0.043 mM. Guaiacol and creosol, the chief constituents of wood creosote, were moderately effective and their respective IC50 values were 0.18 and 0.13 mM. Other phenolic compounds in wood creosote also suppressed the ileal contraction although their IC50 values differed markedly from each other. These results suggest that practically all of its constituent phenolic compounds contribute to wood creosote's capacity to suppress ileal contraction.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Use of a job-exposure matrix to evaluate parental occupation and childhood cancer.

We examined the association between parental occupation and childhood cancer among 252 incident cases of childhood cancer (ages 0-14, diagnosed 1976-83) and 222 controls selected by random digit dialing in Denver, Colorado (USA). A job-exposure matrix was used to assign parental exposures based on job titles, emphasizing chemicals that were implicated in previous studies. All cancers, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and brain cancer were examined in relation to parental occupation during the year prior to the birth of the child. Elevated odds ratios (OR), all with confidence intervals extending below the null, were found for maternal exposure to benzene (OR = 1.9), petroleum/coke pitch/tar (OR = 2.2), and soot (OR = 3.3) in relation to total cancers. The ORs for total cancer and paternal exposure to all hydrocarbons combined was 1.0. Results for individual hydrocarbons and ALL showed larger odds ratios, including aniline (OR = 2.1), benzene (OR = 1.6), and petroleum/coke pitch/tar (OR = 1.6). Potential exposure to creosote was strongly associated with brain cancer (OR = 3.7) based on five exposed cases (95 percent confidence interval = 0.8-16.6). Control for other potential childhood cancer risk factors did not alter the results substantially. In spite of uncertainties due to small numbers and errors in exposure classification, results tend to corroborate past research that suggests an association between specific parental occupational exposures and childhood cancer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Aquatic toxicity testing for multicomponent compounds with special reference to preparation of test solution.

An adequate method of determining the toxicity of a compound consisting of multiple components, such as creosote, coal tar, and coal tar pitch, was studied for different test solution preparation methods, i.e., direct dosing without filtration, diluting the stock solution of saturated concentration, and dispersing with acetone. Killifish, Oryzias latipes, as a freshwater fish; red sea bream, Pagrus major, as a saltwater fish; and daphnia, Daphnia magna, as a representative crustacean, were used for testing. The chemical analysis of each preparation of test solution with gas chromatography revealed an entirely different profile of the components. The highest toxicity was obtained with preparation by acetone dispersion. That was followed by the preparations with direct dosing method and with the method of dilution of saturated concentration stock solution. Considering the results obtained, the direct dosing method with a suitable settling time may provide useful information enabling extrapolation of the test results to the natural environment for complex multicomponent compounds.

Acetone↗
PubMed1975

The innervation of hyperplastic epidermis in the mouse: a light microscopic study.

The innervation of the skin of hairless mice has been studied following induction of epidermal hyperplasia by physical and chemical methods. Physical stimuli comprised ultraviolet irradiation, heat, wounding, and friction. Effective chemicals included benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, creosote, formaldehyde, hexadecane, hydrobromic acid, sodium lauryl sulfate, and turpentine. Epidermal hyperplasia, however produced, was associated with growth of sensory nerve fibers into the outer part of the epidermis. Following a single 10-min exposure to an ultraviolet sunalmp at 40 cm, the nerves extended into the epidermis within 24 hr and disappeared during the second week as the epidermis reverted to its normal thickness. Repeated irradiation (until tumors appeared) was accompanied by persistent hyperplasia and neural invasion. Of 32 papillomas examined, intraepithelial nerves were found in 28. The presence and location of nerves in the tumor epithelium were related to the incorporation of tactile hair disc epithelium. The hyperplastic regenerative epithelium at the margins of skin ulcers were also invaded by nerves which sometimes followed the migrating epithelium across the ulcer floor. Since the regenerative epithelium was not directly treated, it was concluded that the proliferation of nervous tissue in response to skin injury was the result of the hyperplasia per se, regardless of the method used to produce it.

Acids↗
PubMed1975

Evaluation of coal tar fractions for use in psoriasiform diseases using the mouse tail test. III. High boiling tar oil acids.

Twelve phenolic fractions of creosote and anthracene oils derived from a high temperature tar were applied in an ointment base to mouse tail skin. After treatment with the higher boiling acids, formerly parakeratotic scale areas underwent granular layer induction and 'basket-weave' keratin was produced. Changes in distribution of acid phosphatase and in horny layer fluorescence were consistent with the conversion to an orthokeratotic state. It is suggested that some of these phenols may be of value in the treatment of chronic psoriasis.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1991

Evidence of aberration of the natural cytotoxic cell activity in Fundulus heteroclitus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) from the Elizabeth River, Virginia.

There is a general agreement that exposure to high concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediments is associated with high frequencies of neoplasms in feral fish species. Since PAH modulate the activity of murine and amphibian natural cytotoxic (killer) cells, a leukocyte subpopulation that is believed to play an important role in immunosurveillance, we wished to determine if fish exposed to PAH could have an altered natural cytotoxic cell (NCC) activity. In the present study, mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus L.) were collected from two sites in the Elizabeth River, VA that are heavily contaminated with PAH, and from a relatively unpolluted reference site in the York River, VA. The cytotoxic activity of anterior kidney and splenic leukocytes was tested against the tumor cell line K562. The leukocytes from Elizabeth River fish displayed a significant depression of the in vitro tumorilytic activity as compared with leukocytes from the York River fish. Analysis of leukocyte-tumor cell conjugates indicated that Elizabeth River fish leukocytes were unable to recognize and subsequently bind to the tumor target cells. This suggests an aberration in the early events of the cytotoxic mechanism. By keeping the fish in cleaner York River water for up to 28 weeks the suppressed NCC activity was reversed totally in one site, which is slightly contaminated, and partially in the other site, which is heavily polluted with creosote from an operating wood treatment plant. This indicates that the decreased NCC activity was related, at least in part, to exposure to the chemical pollutants in the Elizabeth River sediments.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

EPA SITE demonstration of the BioTrol soil washing process.

A pilot-scale soil washing process, patented by BioTrol, Inc., was demonstrated on soil contaminated by wood treating waste, primarily pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote-derived polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although soil washing was the main object of this demonstration, the treatment train that was evaluated included two other BioTrol technologies for treatment of waste streams from the soil washer. The three technologies were: The BioTrol Soil Washer (BSW)--a volume reduction process, which uses water to separate contaminated soil fractions from the bulk of the soil. The BioTrol Aqueous Treatment System (BATS)--a biological water treatment process. The Slurry Bioreactor (SBR)--a BioTrol biological slurry treatment process conducted in an EIMCO BIOLIFT reactor. The sandy soil at the site, consisting of less than 10 percent of fines, was well suited for treatment by soil washing. The soil washer was evaluated in two tests on soil samples containing 130 ppm and 680 ppm of PCP, respectively. The BSW successfully separated the feed soil (dry weight basis) into 83 percent of washed soil, 10 percent of woody residues, and 7 percent of fines. The washed soil retained about 10 percent of the feed soil contamination while 90 percent of the feed soil contamination was contained within the woody residues, fines, and process water. The soil washer achieved up to 89 percent removal of PCP and 88 percent of total PAHs, based on the difference between their levels in the as-is (wet) feed soil and the washed soil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Environmental Pollution↗
PubMed1992

Cytochrome P450IA1 in hepatic lesions of a teleost fish (Fundulus heteroclitus) collected from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated site.

The expression of cytochrome P450IA1 was examined in hepatic lesions of mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), a small, non-migratory teleost fish collected from a site in the Elizabeth River, VA, heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) of creosote origin. Immunoblot ('Western' blot) analysis using monoclonal antibody (MAb 1-12-3) to P450IA1 of the marine fish Stenotomus chrysops indicated that cytochrome P450IA1 levels in hepatocellular carcinoma and in foci of cellular alteration were 28-85% lower than those of adjacent non-neoplastic tissue. P450IA1-dependent monooxygenase activity, measured as ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), exhibited a similar trend with EROD activity in lesions being 15-77% lower than activity in non-neoplastic tissue. Immunohistochemical examination of liver sections revealed general low intensity P450IA1-associated staining in hepatocellular carcinoma, exocrine pancreatic tissue, bile ducts and cholangiocellular proliferative lesions. Staining intensity of non-neoplastic hepatic parenchyma varied considerably and was focally distributed. In one case intense staining was observed in an altered hepatocellular focus (putative preneoplastic lesion). The results indicate important similarities in the expression of P450IA1 in neoplasms of fish and mammals and suggest an adaptive response of a wild population to carcinogen exposure.

Animals↗