Genotoxicity assessment of triclocarban by comet and micronucleus assays and Ames test.

The widespread usage and ubiquitous distribution of triclocarban (3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide, TCC) have raised public concerns about its health effects. At present, there is little information about the genotoxicity of TCC. In this study, we used a battery of genotoxicity testing methods including salmonella reverse mutation test (Ames test), comet assay and micronucleus assay to detect the effects of TCC on gene mutation, DNA breakage, and chromosome damage. The results of Ames test showed that TCC at 0.1-1000 µg/plate did not significantly increase the number of revertant colonies in the four standard Salmonella typhimurium strains, i.e., TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA102, when compared to the vehicle control. The results from comet assay demonstrated that exposure to 5, 10, or 15 µM TCC for 24 h did not significantly increase the percentage of comet cells, tail length (TL), DNA in tail (T DNA%), or olive tail moment (OTM) in keratinocyte HaCaT and hepatic L02 cells. Moreover, TCC did not markedly enhance the frequency of micronucleated cells or micronuclei in HaCaT and L02 cells in the micronucleus assay. Taken together, the results indicated that TCC did not exhibit any genotoxic effects. Our study provides additional information for the safety profile of TCC.

Environmental risk assessment of triclosan and triclocarban from personal care products in South Africa.

Trends in the widespread use of personal care products (PCPs) containing triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) have led to continuous emissions of these chemicals into the environment. Consequently, both chemicals are ubiquitously present at high concentrations in the aquatic systems based on widely reported measured environmental concentration (MECs) data in different environmental systems (e.g. freshwater) worldwide, especially in developed countries. In developing countries, however, lack of MECs data is a major issue, and therefore, inhibits effective risk assessment of these chemicals. Herein, TCS and TCC releases from personal care products (PCPs) were quantified, using a modelling approach to determine predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) in wastewater, freshwater, and soils, and likely risk(s) were estimated by calculating risk quotient (RQs). TCS and TCC in freshwater had RQs >1 based on estimated PECs with wide variations (≈2-232) as performed across the three dilutions factors (1, 3, and 10) considered in this study; an indicator of their likely adverse effect on freshwater organisms. In untreated and treated wastewater, TCS RQs values for bacteria were >1, but <1 for TCC, implying the former may adversely affect the functioning of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and with no plausible impacts from the latter. In terrestrial systems, RQ results for individual chemicals revealed no or limited risks; therefore, additional investigations are required on their toxicity, as effects data was very limited and characterised by wide variations. Future national monitoring programs in developing countries should consider including TCS and TCC as the results suggest both chemicals are of concern to freshwater, and TCS in WWTPs. Potential risks of their metabolites remain unquantified to date.

Triclocarban: UV photolysis, wastewater disinfection, and ecotoxicity assessment using molecular biomarkers.

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antibacterial agent found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP). It is potentially bioaccumulative and an endocrine disruptor, being classified as a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). In normal uses, approximately 96% of the used TCC can be washed down the drain going into the sewer system and eventually enter in the aquatic environment. UV photolysis can be used to photodegrade TCC and ecotoxicity assays could indicate the photodegradation efficiency, since the enormous structural diversity of photoproducts and their low concentrations do not always allow to identify and quantify them. In this work, the TCC was efficiently degraded by UVC direct photolysis and the ecotoxicity of the UV-treated mixtures was investigated. Bioassays indicates that Daphnia similis (48 h EC50 = 0.044 µM) was more sensitive to TCC than Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (72 h IC50 = 1.01 µM). TCC and its photoproducts caused significant effects on Eisenia andrei biochemical responses (catalase and glutathione-S-transferase); 48 h was a critical exposure time, since GST reached the highest activity values. UVC reduced the TCC toxic effect after 120 min. Furthermore, TCC was photodegraded in domestic wastewater which was simultaneously disinfected for total coliform bacterial (TCB) (360 min) and Escherichia coli (60 min). Graphical abstract TCC degradation and ecotoxicological assessment.

Toxic Assessment of Triclosan and Triclocarban on Artemia salina.

In this study, we investigated the possible acute toxic and genotoxic effects of triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) on Artemia salina. Genotoxicity was evaluated using single-cell gel electrophoresis and apoptotic frequency assays (Annexin V-FITC/PI assay). Acute toxicity test results showed that TCC (LC50-24 h = 17.8 µg/L) was more toxic than TCS (LC50-24 h = 171.1 µg/L). Significant increases in both genotoxic biomarkers were observed at 24 h after initial exposure, indicating that these two chemicals are potentially dangerous for this aquatic biological model. Although further studies are required, a comparison of data both in vitro and in vivo allowed us to suggest possible mechanisms of action for TCS and TCC in this sentinel organism.

Ecotoxicity and screening level ecotoxicological risk assessment of five antimicrobial agents: triclosan, triclocarban, resorcinol, phenoxyethanol and p-thymol.

Acute and chronic (or sub-chronic) toxicity of five selected antimicrobial agents, including triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), resorcinol, phenoxyethanol and p-thymol, was investigated using the conventional three-aquatic-organism battery. These compounds are widely used in cosmetics and other personal care products and their ecological risk has recently become a significant concern. As results of toxicity tests, TCS was found to be most strongly toxic for green algae [e.g. 72 h no observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 0.50 µg l(-1) ] among the selected compounds, followed by TCC, while TCC was more toxic or similar to TCS for Daphnia and fish (e.g. Daphnia 8 day NOEC of 1.9 µg l(-1) ). Having compared the predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) determined from the toxicity data with measured environmental concentrations (MEC), the preliminary ecological risk assessment of these five antimicrobials was conducted. The MEC/PNEC ratios of TCS and TCC were over 1 for some monitoring data, especially in urban streams with watershed areas without sewage service coverage, and their potential risk for green algae and Daphnia might be at a level of concern, although the contribution of TCS/TCC on the total toxicity of the those sites needs to be further investigated. For the three other antimicrobials, the maximum MEC/PNEC ratio for resorcinol was 0.1-1, but those for phenoxyethanol and p-thymol were <0.1 and their risk to aquatic organisms is limited, although the additive effects with TCS, TCC and other antimicrobial agents, such as parabens, need to be further examined in future studies.

Risk assessment of land-applied biosolids-borne triclocarban (TCC).

Triclocarban (TCC) is monitored under the USEPA High Production Volume (HPV) chemical program and is predominantly used as the active ingredient in select antibacterial bar soaps and other personal care products. The compound commonly occurs at parts-per-million concentrations in processed wastewater treatment residuals (i.e. biosolids), which are frequently land-applied as fertilizers and soil conditioners. Human and ecological risk assessment parameters measured by the authors in previous studies were integrated with existing data to perform a two-tiered human health and ecological risk assessment of land-applied biosolids-borne TCC. The 14 exposure pathways identified in the Part 503 Biosolids Rule were expanded, and conservative screening-level hazard quotients (HQ values) were first calculated to estimate risk to humans and a variety of terrestrial and aquatic organisms (Tier 1). The majority of biosolids-borne TCC exposure pathways resulted in no screening-level HQ values indicative of significant risks to exposed organisms (including humans), even under worst-case land application scenarios. The two pathways for which the conservative screening-level HQ values exceeded one (i.e. Pathway 10: biosolids➔soil➔soil organism➔predator, and Pathway 16: biosolids➔soil➔surface water➔aquatic organism) were then reexamined using modified parameters and scenarios (Tier 2). Adjusted HQ values remained greater than one for Exposure Pathway 10, with the exception of the final adjusted HQ values under a one-time 5 Mg ha(-1) (agronomic) biosolids loading rate scenario for the American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda). Results were used to prioritize recommendations for future biosolids-borne TCC research, which include additional measurements of toxicological effects and TCC concentrations in environmental matrices at the field level.