Environmental contaminants in Arctic human populations: Trends over 30 years.

INTRODUCTION: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) monitors persistent organic pollutant (POP) levels in the Arctic populations and assesses health effects related to exposure to them. Many internationally regulated POPs persist in humans and biota, while new Emerging Contaminants of Arctic Concern (ECAC), many of which are unregulated, present additional challenges. Biomonitoring offers valuable insights into temporal trends within human matrices, revealing critical information not only about the efficacy of international regulations but also serving as an early warning system for exposure and risks for human health. METHODS: Data analyzed in this study is aggregated data presented in the AMAP Human Health in the Arctic assessments, which provide data on contaminant concentrations measured in human matrices from adults, and children across various population studies conducted in the Arctic since the 1980 s. Linear regression analyses were used to assess trends of various POPs including organochlorine (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), measured over time from the Arctic populations in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Canada and Alaska (USA). RESULTS: Overall, decreasing trends were observed for PCBs and OCPs. Regulated PFAS showed decreasing trends, but increasing trends were observed for unregulated PFAS in certain populations. PBDEs showed decreasing or inconsistent trends in certain Arctic populations. CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing trends are observed for legacy POPs, but the trends for new emerging contaminants are inconsistent. More focus is needed on biomonitoring the new emerging contaminants of concern in the Arctic and their implications on human health.

Viability of freeze dried microencapsulated human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Encapsulated human retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 has been successfully used in experimental cell therapy of retinal degenerations and Parkinson's disease, but the long-term storage of encapsulated cells is still an unresolved question. Reconstitution of viable encapsulated cells from dry form would benefit the development of cell therapy products. We freeze dried and reconstituted microencapsulated ARPE19 and ARPE19-SEAP cells. Cross-linked alginate matrix with polycation (poly-l-lysine, cationic starch) coating was used for microencapsulation. Cell viability was assessed with fluorescence microscopy and oxygen consumption of the cells. Freeze dried and reconstituted cell microcapsules were imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). We show partial viability of microencapsulated cells after freeze-drying. Unlike poly-l-lysine (PLL) coating, cationic starch supported microcapsule shape and cell viability during freeze-drying. Trehalose pre-treatment augmented cell viability. Likewise, some lyoprotectants (trehalose, glycerol) enabled preservation of cell viability. Upon reconstitution the freeze dried cell microcapsules rapidly regained their original spherical shape. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that microencapsulated cells can retain their viability during freeze-drying. Therefore, this approach can be further optimized for the benefit of cell therapy product development.