Investigating the mycobiome of the Holcomb Creosote Superfund Site.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Czaplicki LM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7242165 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Steam enhanced extraction (SEE) is an in situ thermal remediation technique used to remove and recover polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soils. However, limited studies have been conducted on the formation of PAH derivatives during and after SEE of PAH contaminated soils. Creosote contaminated soil samples collected from the Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Superfund site were remediated with laboratory scale SEE. The samples were quantified for unsubstituted PAHs and their derivatives and assessed for developmental toxicity, pre- and post-SEE. Following SEE, unsubstituted PAH concentrations decreased, while oxygenated PAH concentrations increased in soil and aqueous extracts. Differences in developmental toxicity were also measured and linked to the formation of PAH derivatives. Additive toxicity was measured when comparing unfractionated extracts to fractionated extracts in pre- and post-SEE samples. SEE is effective in removing unsubstituted PAHs from contaminated soil, but other, potentially more toxic, PAH derivatives are formed.
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Project description:Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, are adapted to creosote-based PAHs at the US EPA Superfund site known as Atlantic Wood (AW) on the southern branch of the Elizabeth River, VA USA. Subsequent to the discovery of the AW population in the early 1990s, these fish were shown to be recalcitrant to CYP1A induction by PAHs under experimental conditions, and even to the time of this study, killifish embryos collected from the AW site are resistant to developmental deformities typically associated with exposure to PAHs in reference fish. Historically, however, 90 +% of the adult killifish at this site have proliferative hepatic lesions including cancer of varying severity. Several PAHs at this site are known to be ligands for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In this study, AHR-related activities in AW fish collected between 2011 and 2013 were re-examined nearly 2 decades after first discovery. This study shows that CYP1A mRNA expression is three-fold higher in intestines of AW killifish compared to a reference population. Using immunohistochemistry, CYP1A staining in intestines was uniformly positive compared to negative staining in reference fish. Livers of AW killifish were examined by IHC to show that CYP1A and AHR2 protein expression reflect lesions-specific patterns, probably representing differences in intrinsic cellular physiology of the spectrum of proliferative lesions comprising the hepatocarcinogenic process. We also found that COX2 mRNA expression levels were higher in AW fish livers compared to those in the reference population, suggesting a state of chronic inflammation. Overall, these findings suggest that adult AW fish are responsive to AHR signaling, and do express CYP1A and AHR2 proteins in intestines at a level above what was observed in the reference population.
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Project description:Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are organic compounds commonly found in contaminated soil. Previous studies have shown the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in creosote-contaminated soils during steam enhanced extraction (SEE). However, less is known about the removal of alkyl-PAHs and heterocyclic compounds, such as azaarenes, and oxygen- and sulfur-heterocyclic PACs (OPACs and PASHs, respectively). Further, the impact of SEE on the freely dissolved concentration of PACs in soil as well as the soil bioactivity pre- and post-SEE have yet to be addressed. To fulfil these research gaps, chemical and bioanalytical analysis of a creosote-contaminated soil, collected from a U.S. Superfund site, pre- and post-SEE were performed. The decrease of 64 PACs (5-100%) and increase in the concentrations of nine oxygenated-PAHs (OPAHs) (150%) during SEE, some of which are known to be toxic and can potentially contaminate ground water, were observed. The freely dissolved concentrations of PACs in soil were assessed using polyoxymethylene (POM) strips and the concentrations of 66 PACs decreased post-SEE (1-100%). Three in vitro reporter gene bioassays (DR-CALUX®, ERα-CALUX® and anti-AR CALUX®) were used to measure soil bioactivities pre- and post-SEE and all reporter gene bioassays measured soil bioactivity decreases post-SEE. Mass defect suspect screening tentatively identified 27 unique isomers of azaarenes and OPAC in the soil. As a remediation technique, SEE was found to remove alkyl-PAHs and heterocyclic PACs, reduce the concentrations of freely dissolved PACs, and decrease soil bioactivities.
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Project description:Soils and groundwater contamination modifies the physical-chemical conditions of the environment, altering natural biogeochemical processes of the ground. As a result, several mineral transformations occur, in which iron plays a decisive role. The presence of iron enables the study of magnetic properties, improving the understanding of the geophysical signatures of highly dynamic environments (e.g., biogeochemical hotspots and contamination plumes). In this work, we seek to identify creosote biodegradation related to the precipitation of magnetic minerals on sediments at a contaminated site in São Paulo, Brazil. Several rock magnetism analyses were carried out to provide the magnetic mineralogy of the samples in terms of their composition, size, and abundance. We conducted high-temperature thermomagnetic curves, frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility, anesthetic remanent magnetization (ARM) and isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) data, superparamagnetic concentration and dipole moment (SPCDM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The magnetic signatures of the contaminated samples suggest an increase of superparamagnetic grains in the water table fluctuation zone if compared to the magnetic signatures of the uncontaminated samples. Thermomagnetic curves of contaminated samples showed a lower heterogeneity of the magnetic mineral phases than the uncontaminated ones. This work contributes to the advancement of the understanding of how natural biogeochemical processes are impacted by human actions, such as soil contamination, and even by climate change, which should affect soil redox conditions in periods of drought and flooding.
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Project description:Chemical fate is a concern at environmentally contaminated sites, but characterizing that fate can be difficult. Identifying and quantifying the movement of chemicals at the air-water interface are important steps in characterizing chemical fate. Superfund sites are often suspected sources of air pollution due to legacy sediment and water contamination. A quantitative assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and oxygenated PAH (OPAHs) diffusive flux in a river system that contains a Superfund Mega-site, and passes through residential, urban and agricultural land, has not been reported before. Here, passive sampling devices (PSDs) were used to measure 60 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 22 oxygenated PAH (OPAHs) in air and water. From these concentrations the magnitude and direction of contaminant flux between these two compartments was calculated. The magnitude of PAH flux was greater at sites near or within the Superfund Mega-site than outside of the Superfund Mega-site. The largest net individual PAH deposition at a single site was naphthalene at a rate of -14,200 (±5780) (ng/m2)/day. The estimated one-year total flux of phenanthrene was -7.9×105 (ng/m2)/year. Human health risk associated with inhalation of vapor phase PAHs and dermal exposure to PAHs in water were assessed by calculating benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations. Excess lifetime cancer risk estimates show potential increased risk associated with exposure to PAHs at sites within and in close proximity to the Superfund Mega-site. Specifically, estimated excess lifetime cancer risk associated with dermal exposure and inhalation of PAHs was above 1 in 1 million within the Superfund Mega-site. The predominant depositional flux profile observed in this study suggests that the river water in this Superfund site is largely a sink for airborne PAHs, rather than a source.
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Project description:High throughput sequencing data collected from acid rock drainage (ARD) communities can reveal the active taxonomic and functional diversity of these extreme environments, which can be exploited for bioremediation, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Here, we report a seasonal comparison of a microbiome and transcriptome in Ely Brook (EB-90M), a confluence of clean water and upstream tributaries that drains the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site in Vershire, VT, USA. Nucleic acids were extracted from EB-90M water and sediment followed by shotgun sequencing using the Illumina NextSeq platform. Approximately 575,933 contigs with a total length of 1.54 Gbp were generated. Contigs of at least a size of 3264 (N50) or greater represented 50% of the sequences and the longest contig was 488,568 bp in length. Using Centrifuge against the NCBI "nt" database 141 phyla, including candidate phyla, were detected. Roughly 380,000 contigs were assembled and ∼1,000,000 DNA and ∼550,000 cDNA sequences were identified and functionally annotated using the Prokka pipeline. Most expressed KEGG-annotated microbial genes were involved in amino acid metabolism and several KEGG pathways were differentially expressed between seasons. Biosynthetic gene clusters involved in secondary metabolism as well as metal- and antibiotic-resistance genes were annotated, some of which were differentially expressed, colocalized, and coexpressed. These data can be used to show how ecological stimuli, such as seasonal variations and metal concentrations, affect the ARD microbiome and select taxa to produce novel natural products. The data reported herein is supporting information for the research article "Characterization of an acid rock drainage microbiome and transcriptome at the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site" by Giddings et al. [1].
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Project description:Environmental remediation and restoration at hazardous waste sites is important for reducing risks and sustaining local economies. Navigating trade-offs between diverse and conflicting stakeholder perspectives to identify practical and affordable ways forward is important for sustaining objectives and goals. Differences in stakeholder perspectives are informed by their affiliations and roles and their views towards environmental, economic development, and public health issues. We used Q methodology, an approach that combines priority sorting and interviews, to elicit and interpret the perspectives of 28 stakeholders, representing government entities, non-profits, and industries at a mining-impacted Superfund site in the Coeur d'Alene Basin of Idaho, USA. Four primary perspectives were distinguished by their prioritization of: 1) government intervention, 2) the Superfund remediation, 3) local concerns, and 4) public-private partnerships. Participants' roles and affiliations played an influential role in informing primary perspectives. Overall, collaboration was viewed more favorably when it was associated with concrete implementation pathways.
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Project description:The microbial oxidation of metal sulfides plays a major role in the formation of acid rock drainage (ARD). We aimed to broadly characterize the ARD at Ely Brook, which drains the Ely Copper Mine Superfund site in Vermont, USA, using metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to assess the metabolic potential and seasonal ecological roles of microorganisms in water and sediment. Using Centrifuge against the NCBI "nt" database, ~25% of reads in sediment and water samples were classified as acid-tolerant Proteobacteria (61 ± 4%) belonging to the genera Pseudomonas (2.6-3.3%), Bradyrhizobium (1.7-4.1%), and Streptomyces (2.9-5.0%). Numerous genes (12%) were differentially expressed between seasons and played significant roles in iron, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen cycling. The most abundant RNA transcript encoded the multidrug resistance protein Stp, and most expressed KEGG-annotated transcripts were involved in amino acid metabolism. Biosynthetic gene clusters involved in secondary metabolism (BGCs, 449) as well as metal- (133) and antibiotic-resistance (8501) genes were identified across the entire dataset. Several antibiotic and metal resistance genes were colocalized and coexpressed with putative BGCs, providing insight into the protective roles of the molecules BGCs produce. Our study shows that ecological stimuli, such as metal concentrations and seasonal variations, can drive ARD taxa to produce novel bioactive metabolites.
| S-EPMC7423320 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundLimited epidemiologic data exist on prenatal arsenic exposure and fetal growth, particularly in the context of co-exposure to other toxic metals.ObjectiveWe examined whether prenatal arsenic exposure predicts birth outcomes among a rural U.S. population, while adjusting for exposure to lead and manganese.MethodsWe collected maternal and umbilical cord blood samples at delivery from 622 mother-infant pairs residing near a mining-related Superfund site in Northeast Oklahoma. Whole blood arsenic, lead, and manganese were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We modeled associations between arsenic concentrations and birth weight, gestational age, head circumference, and birth weight for gestational age.ResultsMedian (25th-75th percentile) maternal and umbilical cord blood metal concentrations, respectively, were as follows: arsenic, 1.4 (1.0-2.3) and 2.4 (1.8-3.3) ?g/L; lead, 0.6 (0.4-0.9) and 0.4 (0.3-0.6) ?g/dL; manganese, 22.7 (18.8-29.3) and 41.7 (32.2-50.4) ?g/L. We estimated negative associations between maternal blood arsenic concentrations and birth outcomes. In multivariable regression models adjusted for lead and manganese, an interquartile range increase in maternal blood arsenic was associated with -77.5 g (95% CI: -127.8, -27.3) birth weight, -0.13 weeks (95% CI: -0.27, 0.01) gestation, -0.22 cm (95% CI: -0.42, -0.03) head circumference, and -0.14 (95% CI: -0.24, -0.04) birth weight for gestational age z-score units. Interactions between arsenic concentrations and lead or manganese were not statistically significant.ConclusionsIn a population with environmental exposure levels similar to the U.S. general population, maternal blood arsenic was negatively associated with fetal growth. Given the potential for relatively common fetal and early childhood arsenic exposures, our finding that prenatal arsenic can adversely affect birth outcomes is of considerable public health importance.CitationClaus Henn B, Ettinger AS, Hopkins MR, Jim R, Amarasiriwardena C, Christiani DC, Coull BA, Bellinger DC, Wright RO. 2016. Prenatal arsenic exposure and birth outcomes among a population residing near a mining-related Superfund site. Environ Health Perspect 124:1308-1315;?http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510070.
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