Biomonitoring Environmental Exposure in Syrian Refugees in Lebanon.

Over one million Syrian refugees have been residing in substandard living conditions in Lebanon for the past decade. Non-invasive biomonitoring of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) as a pulmonary inflammation biomarker was conducted following and preceding indoor environmental assessments (which revealed elevated mould counts in informal tented settlements and non-residential shelters) to further evaluate effects of environmental exposure to indoor contaminants. Results of biomonitoring (n = 57) provided some insight regarding existing respiratory conditions and the possible implementation of minimally invasive methods to establish susceptibility profiles in Syrian refugees amid limited access to healthcare. The clinical interpretation of FeNO results suggested possible persistent exposure to allergens in addition to significant type 2 inflammation in some subjects. These findings warrant the need to expand this study, investigate other biomarkers, and attempt to correlate findings with environmental conditions to evaluate if a dose-response relationship exists.

T-cell responses in oiled guillemots and swans in a rehabilitation setting.

Aquatic birds are commonly affected by oil spills. Despite rehabilitation efforts, the majority of rehabilitated common guillemots (Uria aalge) do not survive, whereas mute swans (Cygnus olor) tend to have higher postrelease survival. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in crude oil and diesel are immunotoxic in birds affecting cell-mediated responses to immunogens. Because it is a target of PAH toxicity, T-lymphocyte response to controlled mitogen administration (phytohemagglutinnin test) was investigated in a scoping study as a potentially useful minimally invasive in vivo test of cell-mediated immunity. The test was performed on 69 mute swans and 31 common guillemots stranded on the Norfolk and Lincolnshire coastline and inland waterways in England (UK) either due to injury or to contamination with crude or diesel oil. T-lymphocyte response was significantly decreased in swans with greater oil scores. T-lymphocyte responses were also decreased in guillemots, but this finding was not statistically significant.

Potential drug (oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid) pollution from Mediterranean sparid fish farms.

The potential for input of two common antibacterial agents in Mediterranean fish farms, oxytetracycline (OTC) and oxolinic acid (OA), was estimated from measurements of these drugs in the faecal excretions of two important farmed sparids, gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata and sharpsnout sea bream Diplodus puntazzo. Oxolinic acid was found to be well absorbed by gilthead sea bream (92%) and sharpsnout sea bream (88%) while the absorption of OTC was found to be considerably lower in both species (27 and 40%, respectively). These data were integrated with production records for sparids, drug dosage regimes and treatment frequency information to calculate potential annual drug release to the aquatic environment from Greek fish farms. These calculations suggest potentially significant quantities of unmetabolised OTC can be passed unabsorbed through the body of treated sparids and excreted via the faeces into the local marine environment. The situation with OA was much less pronounced. It was estimated that potentially more than 1900 kg of OTC and more than 50 kg of OA may be released via faecal excretion into the environment by sparid farms per year. Further drug may also be released via uneaten medicated feed, leached drugs and other routes of fish elimination (renal excretion, branchial secretions). Drug pollution of the marine environment in the vicinity of fish farms can have adverse ecological effects, including development of resistant bacterial populations and exposure with potential drug accumulation in aquatic fauna and flora.

Pharmacokinetics of flumequine and in vitro activity against bacterial pathogens of gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata.

The present study investigated the kinetic profile of flumequine (FLU) in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata (170 g) held at 19 degrees C and evaluated its in vitro efficacy against important bacterial diseases in Mediterranean mariculture. Following a single intravascular injection (10 mg kg(-1) fish), the distribution half-life (t1/2alpha) and the half-life of the terminal phase of elimination (t1/2gamma) of the drug were 0.2 and 30 h respectively. Tissue penetration of FLU was low, since both the apparent distribution volume of the drug at steady-state (Vd(SS)) and the apparent volume of the central compartment (Vc) were small (0.57 and 0.15 l kg(-1)). The mean residence time (MRT) was short (11 h) and the total clearance (CL(T)) of the drug was slow (0.05 l kg(-1) h(-1)). Following oral administration (20 mg kg(-1)), the bioavailability (F %) of FLU was 29% and the maximum plasma concentration was 1.7 microg ml(-1). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the drug in distilled water supplemented with 2% NaCl against Vibrio anguillarum Serotype 1b, Photobacterium damsela ssp. piscicida, V. alginolyticus, V. damsela and V. fluvialis was 0.15, 0.3, 1.2, 0.019 and 0.15 microg ml(-1) respectively. The addition however of 10 mM Ca2+ and 55 mM Mg2+ to the medium resulted in an 8- to >120-fold reduction in FLU activity. The results indicate that FLU has an adequate kinetic profile in gilthead sea bream and that marine cations induce a significant impact on the activity of FLU, rendering its use against bacterial pathogens questionable.

Polyaromatic hydrocarbon and PAH metabolite burdens in oiled common guillemots (Uria aalge) stranded on the east coast of England (2001 -2002).

Aside from the physical effects of oiling (e.g., hypothermia, dehydration, emaciation), chronic toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination is an important factor influencing long-term recovery of oiled sea birds following an oil spill. Monitoring PAH exposure can help identify populations at risk from toxic effects of PAHs for further study and/or protection. This is the first studyto quantify PAH and metabolite tissue burdens in sea birds directly oiled following oil spills. PAHs and hydroxylated PAHs were quantified in liver samples from oiled Common Guillemots (Uria aalge) stranded along the East Coast of England using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Mean parent and metabolite PAH concentrations were 0.25+/-0.09 (range 0.04-0.97) and 0.52+/-0.14 (range 0.05-1.48) microg/g (wet wt.), respectively. The main source of PAH exposure was via ingestion of crude oil during preening, resulting in PAH uptake and tissue contamination beyond levels expected from exposure via the food chain. PAH composition corresponded with number of benzene rings in each compound and was typical of contamination from petrogenic sources; pentacyclic < tri- and tetracyclic < tricyclic < dicyclic PAHs. The occurrence of PAH metabolites detected in liver samples also provided evidence of the presence and stereoselectivity of hepatic microsomal CYP1A1 in common guillemots.