Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Mycotoxins In Grains – Causes, Prevention And Control, Hester F. Vismer

INTSORMIL Presentations

Discusses mycotoxins, their effect on grain, mitigation considerations, and resulting human toxicology.

Ecological Risk Assessment Should Be Value-Relevant But Not Value-Biased, Peter Calow, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

To be useful in informing environmental management decisions, ecological risk assessments (ERAs) need to be expressed in value-relevant terms (USEPA 2009). Making decisions about accepting more or less ecological resources for more or less economic and social gain depends upon public values. ERAs have been criticized for not delivering value-relevant results and for therefore not being useful as a basis for management decisions (Gibbs 2010). We agree that ERAs need to be value-relevant, but we also must be explicit about what constitutes science and what constitutes values in this process. In a recent editorial, Backhaus et al. (2010) discuss the …

Chloroacetamid Spray Drift And Leaf Tatters In Hackberry, Ariana P. Miller

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During the last decade, leaf tatters has been reported in white oak and hackberry across several Midwestern states. Herbicide spray drift studies have shown that chloroacetamides can induce leaf tatters. The objectives of this research were to: 1) identify vulnerable bud developmental stages in hackberry and 2) determine if different commercial chloroacetamides affect severity of leaf tatters. In 2008, a preliminary spray drift experiment was conducted on mature trees from a former hackberry provenance test stand. Acetochlor (Harness), S-metolachlor (Dual II Magnum), and dimethenamid (Outlook) were applied at concentrations approximating 27%, 54%, 81%, or 108% of the recommended field rate. …

Investigation Of The Fate And Effects Of Acetyl Cedrene On Capitella Teleta And Sediment Bacterial Community, Lea Ellegaard-Petersen, Henriette Selck, Anders Priemé, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

The fate of the fragrance material, acetyl cedrene (AC), in sediment was examined in a 16 day laboratory experiment using the sediment microbial community subjected to the following treatments: AC (nominal concentration; 0 and 50 μg g−1 dw sediment) and macrofaunal worms (with/without Capitella teleta (formerly Capitella sp. I)). Furthermore effects of AC on microbial respiration in the system were determined by examining CO₂ flux. T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) was used to analyze PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplified 16S DNA gene fragments from the sediments to detect changes in the structure and diversity of the bacterial community. …

The Effects Of Landscape Modifications On The Long-Term Persistence Of Animal Populations, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Richard M. Sibly, Mads C. Forchhammer, Valery E. Forbes, Christopher J. Topping

Valery Forbes Publications

Background: The effects of landscape modifications on the long-term persistence of wild animal populations is of crucial importance to wildlife managers and conservation biologists, but obtaining experimental evidence using real landscapes is usually impossible. To circumvent this problem we used individual-based models (IBMs) of interacting animals in experimental modifications of a real Danish landscape. The models incorporate as much as possible of the behaviour and ecology of four species with contrasting life-history characteristics: skylark (Alauda arvensis), vole (Microtus agrestis), a ground beetle (Bembidion lampros) and a linyphiid spider (Erigone atra). This allows …

Environmentally Sensitive Life-Cycle Traits Have Low Elasticity: Implications For Theory And Practice, Valery E. Forbes, Mette Olsen, Annemette Palmqvist, Peter Calow

Valery Forbes Publications

The relationships between population growth rate and the life-cycle traits contributing to it are nonlinear and variable. This has made it difficult for ecologists to consistently predict changes in population dynamics from observations on changes in life-cycle traits. We show that traits having a high sensitivity to chemical toxicants tend to have a low elasticity, meaning that changes in them have a relatively low impact on population growth rate, compared to other life-cycle traits. This makes evolutionary sense in that there should be selection against variability in population growth rate. In particular, we found that fecundity was generally more sensitive …

Integrating Population Modeling Into Ecological Risk Assessment, Valery E. Forbes, Peter Calow, Volker Grimm, Takehiko Hayashi, Tjalling Jager, Annemette Palmqvist, Rob Pastorok, Dan Salvito, Richard Sibly, Julann Spromberg, John Stark, Richard A. Stillman

Valery Forbes Publications

Current approaches to ecological risk assessment (ERA) are not sufficient to address environmental protection goals stated in current regulations in the European Union, North America and elsewhere. For example, the data used to estimate the likelihood of adverse ecological effects typically include responses of survival, growth, or reproduction of individuals measured under constant and typically favorable laboratory conditions. But these organism-level endpoints are far removed from the ecological features that the process aims to protect (i.e., the long-term persistence of populations of species in space and time under naturally varying field conditions and in the presence of other stressors). Ecological …

Improving The Value Of Standard Toxicity Test Data In Reach, Magnus Breitholtz, Elin Lundström, Ulrika Dahl, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Worldwide, environmental risk assessment strategies are based on the assumption that measuring direct effects of single substances, using a few single species tests, in combination with safety factors correcting for extrapolation inconsistencies, can be used to protect higher levels of biological organization, such as populations and even ecosystems. At the same time, we are currently facing a range of pollution problems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Series 2005), of which some could at least indirectly be linked to the fact that this assumption may not be fully valid. Consequently, there is an ongoing scientific debate on whether current chemical control protocols are …

The Effects Of Spatial And Temporal Heterogeneity On The Population Dynamics Of Four Animal Species In A Danish Landscape, Richard M. Sibly, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Mads C. Forchhammer, Valery E. Forbes, Christopher J. Topping

Valery Forbes Publications

Background: Variation in carrying capacity and population return rates is generally ignored in traditional studies of population dynamics. Variation is hard to study in the field because of difficulties controlling the environment in order to obtain statistical replicates, and because of the scale and expense of experimenting on populations. There may also be ethical issues. To circumvent these problems we used detailed simulations of the simultaneous behaviours of interacting animals in an accurate facsimile of a real Danish landscape. The models incorporate as much as possible of the behaviour and ecology of skylarks Alauda arvensis, voles Microtus agrestis, …

Effects Of The Polycyclic Musk Hhcb On Individual- And Population-Level Endpoints In Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Signe Pedersen, Henriette Selck, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Although the polycyclic musk 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) is frequently detected in aquatic sediments, very little is known about its effects on sediment-feeding organisms. Effects of sediment-associated HHCB on growth, feeding rate, survival and reproduction in the gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum were measured in the laboratory. Snails were exposed to six nominal HHCB concentrations: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) sediment. Adult survival and growth were not affected by HHCB. However, juvenile growth and survival, reproduction, time to first reproduction and adult feeding rate were more sensitive endpoints and declined with increasing HHCB concentration. Individual-level endpoints for …

The Potential For The Use Of Agent-Based Models In Ecotoxicology, Christopher J. Topping, Trine Dalkvist, Valery E. Forbes, Volker Grimm, Richard M. Sibly

Valery Forbes Publications

This chapter introduces ABMs, their construction, and the pros and cons of their use. Although relatively new, agent-based models (ABMs) have great potential for use in ecotoxicological research – their primary advantage being the realistic simulations that can be constructed and particularly their explicit handling of space and time in simulations. Examples are provided of their use in ecotoxicology primarily exemplified by different implementations of the ALMaSS system. These examples presented demonstrate how multiple stressors, landscape structure, details regarding toxicology, animal behavior, and socioeconomic effects can and should be taken into account when constructing simulations for risk assessment. Like ecological …

Ecological Models In Support Of Regulatory Risk Assessments Of Pesticides: Developing A Strategy For The Future [Short Communication], Valery E. Forbes, Udo Hommen, Pernille Thorbek, Fred Heimbach, Paul J. Van Den Brink, Jörn Wogram, Hans-Hermann Thulke, Volker Grimm

Valery Forbes Publications

This brief communication reports on the main findings of the LEMTOX workshop, held from September 9 to 12,2007, at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, regulatory authorities, contract research organizations, and industry, representing Europe, the United States, and Asia, to discuss the role of ecological modeling in risk assessments of pesticides, particularly under the European regulatory framework. The following questions were addressed: What are the potential benefits of using ecological models in pesticide registration and risk assessment? What obstacles prevent ecological modeling from being used …

Mechanistic Effect Models For Ecological Risk Assessment Of Chemicals (Memorisk) — A New Setac-Europe Advisory Group, Thomas G. Preuss, Udo Hommen, Anne Alix, Roman Ashauer, Paul Van Den Brink, Peter Chapman, Virginie Ducrot, Valery E. Forbes, Volker Grimm, Dieter Schäfer, Franz Streissl, Pernille Thorbek

Valery Forbes Publications

Recent reviews of the state-of-the-art of ecological modeling for risk assessments have highlighted the need for standardization of modeling approaches (Pastorok et al. 2003; Grimm et al. 2009). Such standardization requires concerted actions with all stakeholders involved in the regulatory process.

Therefore, a new SETAC-Europe Advisory Group on “Mechanistic effect models for ecological risk assessment of chemicals” (MEMoRisk) was established in autumn 2008. During the SETAC-Europe Annual Meeting in Warsaw in May 2008, 21 people joined the founding meeting where the necessity, scope and aim of such a group were discussed. A founding steering committee (the authors of this paper) …

The Amphipod Orchomenella Pinguis — A Potential Bioindicator For Contamination In The Arctic, Lis Bach, Valery E. Forbes, Ingela Dahllöf

Valery Forbes Publications

Indigenous organisms can be used as bioindicators for effects of contaminants, but no such bioindicator has been established for Arctic areas. Orchomenella pinguis is a benthic amphipod, ubiquitous in the Arctic and can be found in high numbers. We collected O. pinguis at sites with different contamination levels. Population characteristics (body length distribution, average dry weight and amphipod organic content) were related to sediment contaminant concentrations, in order to identify suitable endpoints for using this species as a bioindicator. We show that O. pinguis was prevalent in both clean and contaminated areas, easy to sample and that its population characteristics …

Cream: A European Project On Mechanistic Effect Models For Ecological Risk Assessment Of Chemicals, Volker Grimm, Roman Ashauer, Valery E. Forbes, Udo Hommen, Thomas G. Preuss, Annette Schmidt, Paul Van Den Brink, Jörn Wogram, Pernille Thorbek

Valery Forbes Publications

Examples that clearly demonstrate the power of mechanistic effect models (MEMs) for risk assessment are urgently needed, and industry, academia, and regulatory authorities across Europe need scientists that are trained in MEMs, principles of ecotoxicology, and regulatory risk assessment.

To meet these needs, Chemical Risk Effects Assessment Models (CREAM), a European project including 20 Ph.D. and three postdoctoral projects, has been launched for September 2009 and will last for 4 years. CREAM is a “Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN)” funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. ITNs are part of the commission’s “People” Programme and focus …

Using The World Wide Web To Educate And Inform The Public About Risk And Agricultural Biotechnology, Douglas A. Golick, Robert D. Peterson, Leon G. Higley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The University of Nebraska and AgBios, Inc. launched the AgBiosafety website (http://agbiosaftzy.unl.edu) with the purpose of educating the public about agricultural biotechnology risk and safezy issues through science-based content. This article discusses the creation ofthe website, its components, and data gathered from usage statistics and a web-delivered survey. Also included is a discussion of the results ofdata gathered and recommendations for future web-based educational efforts in biotechnology safety and risk assessment.

Ecological Niche Of The 2003 West Nile Virus Epidemic In The Northern Great Plains Of The United States, Michael Wimberly, Michael B. Hildreth, Stephen P. Boyte, Erik Lindquist, Lon Kightlinger

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The incidence of West Nile virus (WNv) has remained high in the northern Great Plains compared to the rest of the United States. However, the reasons for the sustained high risk of WNv transmission in this region have not been determined. To assess the environmental drivers of WNv in the northern Great Plains, we analyzed the county-level spatial pattern of human cases during the 2003 epidemic across a seven-state region.
Methodology/Principal Findings: County-level data on WNv cases were examined using spatial cluster analysis, and were used to fit statistical models with weather, climate, and land use variables as predictors. …

Superfeminization As An Effect Of Bisphenol A In Marisa Cornuarietis & Response From Forbes Et Al. To Oehlmann Et Al., Jörg Oehlmann, Ulrike Schulte-Oehlmann, Jean Bachmann, Matthias Oetken, Ilka Lutz, Werner Kloas, Valery E. Forbes, John Aufderheide, Ryan Warbritton, Nelly Van Der Hoeven, Norbert Caspers

Valery Forbes Publications

[Oehlmann et al.]: Recently, we had the opportunity to read two articles in volume 66 of Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Forbes et al. (2007a, , 2007b) declare “to explore the reproducibility of prior work” showing that bisphenol A (BPA) induces superfeminization in the freshwater snail Marisa cornuarietis (Oehlmann et al., 2000, 2006; Schulte- Oehlmann et al., 2001). Based on the outcome of a toxicity test with the same species, the authors conclude that their results “do not support previous claims of enhanced reproduction in M. cornuarietis in response to exposure to BPA.” We take issue with the declaration of …

Mixture Toxicity Of Three Toxicants With Similar And Dissimilar Modes Of Action To Daphnia Magna, Kristian Syberg, Anders Elleby, Henrik Pedersen, Nina Cedergreen, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Mixture toxicity of similar- and dissimilar-acting toxicants can be predicted by the models concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) using single substance toxicity data. Knowledge of the toxicants mode of action is thus required in order to use the models. In order to test the predictive capability of the models, we conducted Daphnia magna 48 h immobilization experiments with three toxicants with known modes of action (dimethoate, pirimicarb and linear alkyl benzene sulfonate) singly, and in binary and ternary mixtures. Our results indicate that CA and IA predict binary mixtures of similar- and dissimilar-acting toxicants equally well. CA and …

Life History And Population Dynamics Of The Opportunistic Polychaete Capitella Sp. I In Relation To Sediment Organic Matter, Tina Ramskov, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Capitella sp. I is a deposit-feeding polychaete that occurs in estuarine and marine environments and that shows boom-bust population dynamics in response to organic pollution. A lifecycle experiment was carried out to quantify the relative importance of individual life-history traits for driving the dynamics of Capitella sp. I populations in response to changes in sediment organic matter concentrations. Individual-level effects were estimated as changes in survival, reproductive characteristics, and growth. Effects at the population-level were assessed by integrating the measured life-history traits in a simple 2-stage demographic model that was used to estimate the population growth rate (λ). Low organic …

Plankton Stress Responses From Pah Exposure And Nutrient Enrichment, Morten Hjorth, Valery E. Forbes, Ingela Dahllöf

Valery Forbes Publications

The hypothesis that the nature and force of PAH stress responses from plankton systems are coupled to the nutrient status of that system was tested in a mesocosm experiment. Four treatments were applied consisting of control (Cn), pyrene exposed (Py). nutrient spiked (Nu), and nutrient spiked and pyrene exposed (NuPy) groups in replicate bags (n = 3) representing plankton communities including bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton. Regardless of nutrient status, all the Py mesocosms were affected directly with decreases in chlorophyll α concentrations to 20 % of control values on Day 1. Primary production was also significantly lower (< 50 %) than Cn communities in both Py and NuPy communities after the first pyrene exposure. Indirect effects were observed as increased bacterial activity due to nutrient release from algal death, thereby channelling growth to another trophic level. With time the plankton system became top-down controlled, dominated by zooplankton, which was also the trophic group experiencing the longest lasting effect on structure. The occurrence of late effects in the zooplankton communities were seen in all treatments, but the magnitude of the effects was dependent on the nutrient status, most probably because of a larger trophic transfer of the contaminant. To improve our understanding of contaminant effects on food webs in natural communities, it is imperative that interactions between trophic levels in relation to abiotic factors are investigated.

Comparison Of Total Mercury And Methylmercury Cycling At Five Sites Using The Small Watershed Approach, James B. Shanley, M. Alisa Mast, Donald H. Campbell, George R. Aiken, David P. Krabbenhoft, Randall J. Hunt, John F. Walker, Paul F. Schuster, Ann Chalmers, Brent T. Aulenbach, Norman E. Peters, Mark Marvin-Dipasquale, David W. Clow, Martin M. Shafer

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The small watershed approach is well-suited but underutilized in mercury research. We applied the small watershed approach to investigate total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) dynamics in streamwater at the five diverse forested headwater catchments of the US Geological Survey Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program. At all sites, baseflow THg was generally less than 1 ng L^-1 and MeHg was less than 0.2 ng L^-1. THg and MeHg concentrations increased with streamflow, so export was primarily episodic. At three sites, THg and MeHg concentration and export were dominated by the particulate fraction in association with …

Does Bisphenol A Induce Superfeminization In Marisa Cornuarietis? Part Ii: Toxicity Test Results And Requirements For Statistical Power Analyses, Valery E. Forbes, John Aufderheide, Ryan Warbritton, Nelly Van Der Hoeven, Norbert Caspers

Valery Forbes Publications

This study presents results of the effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on adult egg production, egg hatchability, egg development rates and juvenile growth rates in the freshwater gastropod, Marisa cornuarietis. We observed no adult mortality, substantial inter-snail variability in reproductive output, and no effects of BPA on reproduction during 12 weeks of exposure to 0, 0.1, 1.0, 16, 160 or 640 μg/L BPA. We observed no effects of BPA on egg hatchability or timing of egg hatching. Juveniles showed good growth in the control and all treatments, and there were no significant effects of BPA on this endpoint. Our …

Nonylphenol Stimulates Fecundity But Not Population Growth Rate (Λ) Of Folsomia Candida, T. H. Widarto, P. H. Krogh, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

The toxicity of nonylphenol (NP) to springtails was pronounced at 40 mg/kg dry weight soil, at which no animals survived. Body length and fecundity were the individual life-history traits significantly stimulated by sublethal concentrations of NP during a 64-day experiment. However, the effects of NP on these traits did not result in a statistically significant increase in population growth rate (λ). Decomposition analysis indicated that fecundity was the main contributor to the (non-significant) changes observed in λ. However, since the elasticity of fecundity was very low, large changes in fecundity resulted in a minimal effect on λ. Juvenile survival had …

Conceptual Model For Improving The Link Between Exposure And Effects In The Aquatic Risk Assessment Of Pesticides, J. J.T.I. Boesten, H. Köpp, P. I. Adriaanse, T. C.M. Brock, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Assessment of risks to aquatic organisms is important in the registration procedures for pesticides in industrialized countries. This risk assessment consists of two parts: (i) assessment of effects to these organisms derived from ecotoxicological experiments (= effect assessment), and (ii) assessment of concentration levels in relevant environmental compartments resulting from pesticide application (= exposure assessment). Current procedures lack a clear conceptual basis for the interface between the effect and exposure assessments which may lead to a low overall scientific quality of the risk assessment. This interface is defined here as the type of concentration that gives the best correlation to …

Does Bisphenol A Induce Superfeminization In Marisa Cornuarietis? Part I: Intra- And Inter-Laboratory Variability In Test Endpoints, Valery E. Forbes, Henriette Selck, Annemette Palmqvist, John Aufderheide, Ryan Warbritton, Nadine Pounds, Roy Thompson, Norbert Caspers

Valery Forbes Publications

It has been claimed that bisphenol A (BPA) induces superfeminization in the freshwater gastropod, Marisa cornuarietis. To explore the reproducibility of prior work, here we present results from a three-laboratory study, the objectives of which were to determine the mean and variability in test endpoints (i.e., adult fecundity, egg hatchability, and juvenile growth) under baseline conditions and to identify the sources of variability. A major source of variability for all of the measured endpoints was due to differences within and among individuals. With few exceptions, variability among laboratories and among replicate tanks within laboratories contributed little to the observed variability …

Biodosepr-2006 Consensus Committee Report On Biodosimetric Methods To Evaluate Radiation Doses At Long Times After Exposure, Steven L. Simon, Ian Bailiff, André Bouville, Paola Fattibene, Ruth A. Kleinerman, David C. Lloyd, Stephen W.S. Mckeever, Alexander Romanyukha, Alexander V, Sevan’Kaev, James D. Tucker, Albrecht Wieser

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

The requirements for biodosimetric techniques used at long times after exposure, i.e., 6 months to more than 50 years, are unique compared to the requirements for methods used for immediate dose estimation. In addition to the fundamental requirement that the assay measures a physical or biologic change that is proportional to the energy absorbed, the signal must be highly stable over time to enable reasonably precise determinations of the absorbed dose decades later. The primary uses of these biodosimetric methods have been to support long-term health risk (epidemiologic) studies or to support compensation (damage) claims. For these reasons, the methods …

Microbial Content Of Abattoir Wastewater And Its Contaminated Soil In Lagos, Nigeria, A. O. Adesemoye, B. O. Opere, S. C. O. Makinde

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Microbial content of wastewater in two abattoirs and the impact on microbial population of receiving soil was studied in Agege and Ojo Local Government Areas in Lagos State, Nigeria. Wastewater samples were collected from each of the abattoirs over three months period and examined for microbial content. Soil samples contaminated with the wastewaters were also collected and analyzed for microbial content as compared to soil without wastewater contamination in the neighborhood (control). Some physico-chemical parameters of the samples such as total dissolved solid, chemical oxygen demand, etc., were examined. The wastewater samples from both abattoirs were highly contaminated; Agege abattoir …

Science-Based Organic Farming 2006: Toward Local And Secure Food Systems, Charles A. Francis, Katja Koehler-Cole, Twyla Hansen, Peter Skelton

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Organic farming includes growing food and fiber—animals, agronomic crops, horticultural fruits and vegetables, related products—as one dynamic and rapidly evolving component of our complex U.S. food system. Even as more farmers are moving toward organic certification and participation in an environmentally sound and economically lucrative market, questions arise about the long-term social impacts and sustainability of a set of practices that has gone from a movement to an industry. Consolidations in the organic trade have brought multinational corporations to the table, as they have observed a grassroots activity that has grown by 20% per year for the past two decades, …

Differential Expression Of Immune Response Genes In Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus): An Indicator Of Ecosystem Health?, Lizabeth Bowen, Brian Aldridge, Kimberlee Beckmen, Tom Gelatt, Lorrie Rea, Kathy Burek, Ken Pitcher, Jeffrey L. Stott

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Characterization of the polygenic and polymorphic features of the Steller sea lion major histocompatibility complex (MHC) provides an ideal window for evaluating immunologic vigor of the population and identifying emergence of new genotypes that reflect ecosystem pressures. MHC genotyping can be used to measure the potential immunologic vigor of a population. However, since ecosystem-induced changes to MHC genotype can be slow to emerge, measurement of differential expression of these genes can potentially provide real-time evidence of immunologic perturbations. MHC DRB genes were cloned and sequenced using peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes derived from 10 Steller sea lions from southeast Alaska, Prince …