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Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
Citation:
Alvarez, D., S. Corsi, L. De Cicco, Dan Villeneuve, AND A. Baldwin. Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 40(8):2165-2182, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5118
Impact/Purpose:
Focus area 1 of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has aimed to collect data to improve understanding of the potential threats that toxic substances pose to Great Lakes ecosystems and the services they provided. This product addresses specific needs identified under objective 3 to increase knowledge about chemicals of mutual concern identified pursuant to the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement Annex 3 as well as other priority chemicals with potential to negatively impact the ecological or public health of the Great Lakes. Specifically, occurrence, distribution, and concentrations of 185 chemicals were monitored using passive sampling devices. These data fill gaps related to classes of chemicals that may either bioaccumulate in tissues even though they are present at low concentrations in water (sampled via semi-permeable membrane devices) or chemicals they are present in water but not necessarily detected through monitoring of fish tissues due to metabolism, etc. (sampled via polar organic chemical integrative samplers). Chemical monitoring results are interpreted with respect to potential for biological effects to help prioritize contaminants and sites for further research and monitoring. This product provides Great Lakes resource managers at the federal, state, tribal, and regional level with information that can help focus their limited resources on toxic substances that represent the greatest threat to Great Lakes ecosystems.
Description:
Water-borne contaminants were monitored in 69 tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2010 and 2014 using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs), and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). A risk-based screening approach was used to prioritize chemicals and chemical mixtures, identify sites at greatest risk for biological impacts, and identify potential hazards to monitor at those sites. Analyses included 185 chemicals (143 detected) including PAHs, legacy and current-use pesticides, fire retardants, pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and others. Hazard quotients were calculated by dividing detected concentrations by biological effect concentrations reported in the ECOTOX Knowledgebase (Toxicity quotients, TQs) or ToxCast database (Exposure Activity Ratios, EARs). Mixture effects were estimated by summation of EAR values for chemicals that influence ToxCast assays with common gene targets. Nineteen chemicals, including atrazine, DEET, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, dl-menthol, galaxolide, p-tert-octylphenol, three organochlorine pesticides, three PAHs, four pharmaceuticals, and three phosphate flame retardants, had TQs greater than 0.1 or EARs for individual chemicals (EARchem) greater than 10-3 at 10% or more of the sites monitored. An additional four chemicals (tributyl phosphate, triethyl citrate, benz(a)anthracene, and benzo(b)fluoranthene) were present in mixtures with EAR (EARmixture) greater than 10-3. To evaluate potential apical effects and biological endpoints to monitor in exposed wildlife, in vitro bioactivity data were compared to adverse outcome pathway (AOP) and gene ontology information. Endpoints and effects associated with endocrine disruption, alterations in xenobiotic metabolism, and potentially neuronal development would be relevant to monitor at the priority sites. The EAR threshold exceedance for many chemical classes were correlated with urban land cover and wastewater effluent influence, while herbicides and fire retardants were also correlated to agricultural land cover.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Identifying chemicals and mixtures of potential biological concern detected in passive samplers from Great Lakes tributaries using high-throughput data and biological pathways
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