Toxicology Commons^™

An Investigation In The Physiological Effect Of Microplastic And Chemical Mixtures In The Body Length Of C. Elegans, Gregory Guantos, David M. Mares, Jennifer C. Harr Phd

Posters - 2026

• Microplastics (MP) are pieces of plastic less than 5 micrometers (mm). Microplastics are found in our environment and have even been found in the food humans consume, including in drinks from plastic bottles (Hu 2020).

• Di-butyl Phthalate (DBP) is a chemical known as a plasticizer commonly used in PVC applications, ink, fragrances, and adhesives

• Di-butyl Phthalate has been found to have negative effects on the physiological length of C. elegans (Xiyan 2018)

• Microplastics have similarly been found to decrease the physiological length of C. elegans (Schöpfer 2020)

• The combined effects of MPs and DBP include …

Metabolomics In Precision Medicine: Application And Prospect In Cancer Research, Ming-Shi Shiao

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Metabolomics is the most recent and final discipline among the post-genomic, multiomics fields. It encompasses key technologies in systems biology, providing an overview of low-molecular-weight metabolites while examining disturbances to offer pathophysiological explanations. The two key analytical tools in metabolomics are nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, which includes gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Metabolomic research relies on a three-stage data generation process: the first stage involves precise analytical chemistry to produce data; the second stage employs multivariate statistical analysis; and the last stage uses big data as a reference for comparison to establish biochemical, metabolic, and …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics For Studying Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites In Biological Samples, Ya-Ting Lin, Huai-Hsuan Chiu, Chih-Ning Cheng, Ching-Hua Kuo

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Gut microbiota produces a wide range of metabolites and plays a critical role in maintaining host health. Dysregulation of these metabolites can influence host metabolism through systemic circulation, contributing to the development of various diseases, including immunological, neurological and cancer-related disorders. Chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful analytical approach, offering high sensitivity and resolution for studying gut microbiota-related metabolites. This review provides a comprehensive overview of chromatographic MS-based methods applied to the study of the gut microbial metabolome. We summarize strategies for sample collection, storage, and preparation of commonly analyzed sample types, including feces, plasma/serum, …

Special Issue: Analytical Technologies In Metabolomics: Applications And Future Prospects, Sung-Fang Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

No abstract for this article type.

Comparison Of Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil And Wood Core Within Tallassee And Tuskegee, Alabama, Alicia R. Wilson, Brianna Smith, Latricia Miller, Rashidah Farid

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Heavy metals are natural components of the environment and can be relatively non-impactful in low concentrations. However, high concentrations of heavy metal toxicity can result in air, water, and soil contamination that adversely impacts environmental, human, and wildlife health. This study focuses on detecting the presence of heavy metals in soil, Loblolly Pine tree bark, and wood core samples from sites near a landfill in the Tallassee, Alabama, community and a post-agricultural site in Tuskegee, Alabama. It has been hypothesized that heavy metals are present in soil, tree bark, and the tree’s wood core from sampling sites. Samples were taken …

Seafood, Mercury, And Human Health In Coastal South Carolina: Findings From A Community-Based Study, Russell Fielding, Julia Saltzman, Rylee-Jade Bean, Jenna Monroe, Theodore R. Them Ii

Honors College Faculty Publications

Mercury (Hg), an environmental pollutant, can harm human health. Seafood consumption is a major way that people are exposed to Hg and the analysis of human hair is a standard method to measure Hg exposure. This community-based study identified demographic and dietary factors associated with elevated Hg concentrations and health outcomes of individuals with elevated Hg concentrations throughout two coastal South Carolina (SC) counties. We collected hair samples (n = 85) at local barbershops and salons; participants completed an online survey with questions on demographics, diet, and health histories; and we analyzed hair samples using a DMA-80. Between 4.9–8.4% of …

Trophic Structure And Mercury Bioaccumulation In Walleye And Yellow Perch In The Upper And Lower Red Lake Basins, Marissa Pribyl

Biology Graduate Theses

Mercury is a persistent global contaminant that biomagnifies through aquatic food webs, with dietary and environmental factors serving as the primary drivers of accumulation in fishes. Trophic structure and methylmercury dynamics in Walleye (ogaa; Sander vitreus) and Yellow Perch (asaawens; Perca flavescens) were investigated in the Upper and Lower Red Lake basins in Red Lake, Minnesota, during 2024-2025. Diets of Walleye and Yellow Perch were assessed through stomach dissections, and tissue samples from both species were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. Additional analyses included shiners (gigoozens; Notropis spp., Hudsonius spp.) along with a variety of freshwater fish and …

Conditioned Feed Aversion As A Means Of Conditioning Livestock To Avoid Consuming Toxic Plants Growing In South Africa : An Overview, Leendert D. Snyman, Frederick D. Provenza

Poisonous Plant Research (PPR)

Significant economic losses to the livestock industry are caused by the ingestion of toxic plants in South Africa, among which the most dangerous ones are Moraea pallida (geeltulp), Urginea/Drimea sanguinea (rooislangkop), Senecio latifolius (Staggers Ragwort), and Geigeria ornativa (vermeerbos). Conditioned feed aversion is a potential means to address this issue. Treating animals with an aversive substance along with an extract of the sensory characteristics of a specific plant conditions animals to avoid the plant. Geigeria ornativa, unlike the other three plants, is non-aversive. Following treatment for aversion, the induced aversion fades with time and eventually breaks down. Continuous exposure …

Analysis Of Active Ingredients In Medicinal Herbs With High-Performance Liquid Chromatography And Related Technologies: A Review, T.-H. Tsai, C.-Y. Hong, C.-F. Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

An increasing number of analytical techniques have been brought to bear on the herbal drugs used in traditional Chinese medicine. This in turn has led to improved quality control of medicinal herbs, ingredient stability and shelf-life tests, ensurement of the concentrations of herbal drug ingredients in biological fluids, and pharmacokinetic studies. In the past decades, gas chromatography has been the method of choice for the analysis of volatile compounds, while liquid chromatography is a highly successful separation technique for nonvolatile molecules. Recently, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with various column and detection systems have become some of the most important techniques …

Feeding Performance And Survival Of Louisiana Poeciliid Fishes Exposed To Residential Wastewater Effluent, Jonathan Chapman

Masters Theses

Mosquitoes are a primary transmitter of vector-borne disease, and their larvae can thrive within shallow pools of stagnant water. Rainwater drainage ditches are a common sight in many communities, and in Louisiana, they are dually used as outlets for onsite residential wastewater discharge in neighborhoods disassociated from municipal sewage treatment. However, when discharge systems malfunction, the water becomes uninhabitable to mosquito predators, allowing mosquitoes to thrive. This research examines the predation performance of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna), and least killifish (Heterandria formosa), the primary biological control agents utilized to combat mosquitoes within ditch communities. Individuals were captured …

Evaluation Of Pulmonary Toxicity To Inhaled Erbium Oxide Nanoparticles In Golden Syrian Hamsters, Randy Liang

Theses and Dissertations

Erbium oxide nanoparticles (Er2O3 NPs) are used in various products from simple pottery to semiconductors and such usage leads to an elevated risk of accidental occupational exposure. In the present study, the pulmonary toxicity of Er2O3 NPs was assessed by examining tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from the lungs of Golden Syrian Hamsters following inhalation exposure. The study’s goal was to determine the severity and mechanism of toxicity upon exposure to inhaled Er2O3 NPs. Animals were divided into 4 groups all being exposed for 4 hours a day for 8 days: Group-1: room air, Group-2: vehicle control (water), Group-3: …

Evaluation Of The Mechanism Of Cell Death After Exposure To Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles In Rat Pleural Mesothelial Cells And Golden Syrian Hamsters, Rachel P. Renda

Theses and Dissertations

Amorphous Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are widely used in the industrial processes, chemical, and cosmetics industries. Amorphous SiO2 NPs are abundant in the earth’s crust and can be released into the air through industrial and manufacturing activities. Such particles are overlooked and not as commonly studied when compared to their crystalline counterpart. Amorphous SiO2 NPs are pulmonary toxicants; however, the mechanism of toxicity is uncertain. In the current study, toxicity was assessed using both in vitro and in vivo systems to understand a possible mechanism of cell death. Rat Pleural Mesothelial Cells (RPMCs) were exposed to 50-800 μg/ml SiO2 …

Ion-Imprinted Polymer-Based Sensors For Toxic Metal-Ion Detection In Water: Coordination Chemistry, Transduction Strategies, And Environmental Applications, Ghita Yammouri, Gymama Slaughter

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

Toxic metal contamination in aquatic environments remains a persistent threat to human health and ecosystems. Yet, the high cost, infrastructure demands, and centralized nature of conventional analytical methods constrain routine monitoring. Ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs), a subclass of molecularly imprinted polymers, have emerged as promising synthetic recognition materials for metal-ion sensing because they generate coordination-defined binding sites with high selectivity, chemical stability, low cost, and reusability. This review summarizes recent advances in Ion-imprinted polymer (IIP)-based sensing technologies for toxic metal-ion detection in water from 2016 to 2026. It examines the fundamental recognition chemistry of IIPs, major synthesis strategies used to generate …

Hfpo-Da Aquatic Toxicity And Bioaccumulation, Bailey Dawn Rappold

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected globally in environmental media and biota. Legacy compounds PFOA and PFOS have been observed to be toxic and bioaccumulative in low doses and have been removed from production and industrial processes. Replacement PFAS chemicals are less understood and present a gap in current knowledge in their toxicological effects. This research utilized extended chronic toxicity studies to assess the impacts of HFPO-DA, a short chain replacement PFAS, on the standard aquatic toxicology organism Pimephales promelas. Organisms were exposed for 29 to 30 days at environmentally relevant concentrations of the toxicant, 7.8125 ng/L …

Rna-Sequence-Driven Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Α-Crystallin-Deficient Zebrafish, Kehlie Hopper

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition that develops in infants when exposed to alcohol in utero, leading to physical impairments such as reduced eye size and disrupted retinal function. Alpha-crystallin A is a key structural protein required for proper lens development and maintenance of transparency, while Alpha-crystallin B plays a protective role against cellular stress during eye development. In this study, I compared AB wild-type (ABWT), αA-crystallin knockout (cryaa), and αB-crystallin knockout (cryaba) zebrafish to investigate how the loss of these proteins influences eye development under ethanol exposure. The cryaa mutants exhibited reduced eye size even under control conditions, …

Murder On The Menu, Andrea Florian, Leslie Deleon, Angela Simpkins, Anamika Chhetri

SPARK Symposium Presentations

You're invited to a birthday party in Maryland! There will be many guests and even...seafood cuisine at a fancy restaurant! All is well until one of our guests comes down with a peculiar sickness. Do you think you can figure out what happened?

Honeymoon Horror Story, Andrea Florian, Aunalise Terreri, Kiley St. John, Sienna White

SPARK Symposium Presentations

On what was supposed to be a romantic honeymoon getaway, a newly married couple’s paradise quickly turns dark. The wife, Julia Harper, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, and suspicion falls on her neuroscientist husband. As lies unravel, investigators discover that this honeymoon was never about love, but revenge. In the end, all that’s left is betrayal and secrets…Can you solve this murder mystery?

The Last Ball, Andrea Florian, Lili M. Wrenne, Mehrael Adly, Jia Howell

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sixty-year old, billionaire, Walter Spencer has been found dead at his annual birthday celebration. Guests reported odd behavior before he passed with wild mood swings, speaking gibberish, and experiencing hallucinations. Close friends of Walter say his young 25-year-old wife was the last to see him. Are you able to solve his mystery?

A Sweet Deception, Andrea Florian, Ellis Stafford, Bridget Mcloud, Awi Siam

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Have you ever wanted to be a detective and solve a murder? Well, here is your chance! Bradley Thompson, an investment banker at JP Morgan, was murdered in his home, and we are relying on you to piece together the toxicological clues and find his killer! This murder-mystery activity will involve selecting different toxicological tests and evaluating evidence to determine who committed this heinous crime.

Murder Of The Magic Mushroom Man, Andrea Florian, Alexa Cabral, Olivia Fawkes, Emily Gomez

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Rowan Tucker is an heirloom vegetable farmer that lives in Newbury, VT on an 80-acre farm. Most of the money in Rowan’s name was from selling psilocybin mushrooms that he disguised as payments under “crop-selling”. He was found dead presenting symptoms early that morning of confusion, hallucinations, vomiting, sweating, and extreme salivation. How did he get murdered? Who did it?