Particles and poisons: new and existing threats

1
Particles and poisons new and existing threats

• Tamara Galloway
• University of Plymouth

2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
Risk assessment exists to.

• provide a quantitative estimate of the
  probability of an adverse effect occurring as a
  consequence of a contaminant release
• Newman, 1998
• protect the health of humans and the environment

5
Human versus ecological risk
6
Research prioritiesWHO IPCS guidelines (Munns
et al., 2003)
1. Improved communication 2. Harmonized methods
and models 3. Common endpoints across
taxa 4. Study of mechanisms of effect at
multiple scales of biological organization
7
Research prioritiesWHO IPCS guidelines (Munns
et al., 2003)
1. Improved communication 2. Harmonized methods
and models 3. Common endpoints across
taxa 4. Study of mechanisms of effect at
multiple scales of biological organization
8
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons
9
Metabolic activation of PAHs
Benzo(a)pyrene
B(a)P epoxide
Radical cations
Covalent binding to DNA, Initiation of cancer
Phenanthrene
10
PAH exposure factory workers
Ovreba et al., 1995, EHP 103
11
PAH exposure shore crabs
Fluorescence scan
Watson et al., 2003, 2005
12
Chromosomal aberrations
Oyster
Human
Cheung et al., 2005
13
Micronucleus formation
Human lymphocytes
Mussel haemocytes
Hagger and Galloway, 2005
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
GC-MS Chromatogram of Fuel Oil spilt from the
Napoli
17
Sampling Sites
Lyme Regis
Branscombe
Port Quin
Chesil Cove
Bantham
18
Species selection
Common limpet, Patella vulgata
19
Results

• Oil - surface layer only
• Bioassays minimal toxicity in hold water
• Pesticide exposure none
• PAH exposure none
• Oxidative/DNA damage none
• Cellular damage - some

20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
Overall biological status
Severe impact Major impact Moderate impact No
impact
2
Mussels
Crabs
24
PAH exposure
2
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
Question is this indicative of human PAH
exposure?
29
Incidence of melanoma Standardised incidence
ratio 1994-2003
Courtesy of Sean McPhail, SWPHO
30
UV activation of PAHs
Benzo(a)pyrene
B(a)P epoxide
Radical cations
31

Future directions

• Novel contaminants
• New technologies
• Human health-driven ecological assessments
• Environmental impacts informing human epidemiology

• 1. Improved communication
• 2. Harmonized methods and models
• 3. Common endpoints across taxa
• Study of mechanisms of effect at multiple scales
  of biological organization

32
Brain Injury During Carbon Nanotube Exposure In
Trout
Smith, Shaw Handy, Aquatic Toxicology, In press
33
Plastic debris
Smallest debris identified as plastic 20µm
microplastic
Thompson et al., 2004
34

Future directions

• Novel contaminants
• New technologies
• Human health-driven ecological assessments
• Environmental impacts informing human epidemiology

• 1. Improved communication
• 2. Harmonized methods and models
• 3. Common endpoints across taxa
• Study of mechanisms of effect at multiple scales
  of biological organization

35
Acknowledgements
Robin Law CEFAS Paul Leonard DEFRA Jim Readman,
David Lowe PML Bill Langston, MBA At Plymouth Jo
Hagger, Mal Jones, Ceri Lewis, Alan Scarlett,
Chris Pook, Marie Hannam, Richard Thompson,
Richard Handy, Awadhesh Jha