Size-resolved respiratory-tract deposition of fine and ultrafine hydrophobic and hygroscopic aerosol particles during rest and exercise.

Airborne ultrafine particles (diameter <100 nm) are ubiquitous in the environment and have been associated with adverse health effects. The respiratory-tract deposition of these particles is fundamentally influenced by their hygroscopicity: their ability to grow by condensation of water in the humid respiratory system. Ambient particles are typically hygroscopic, to varying degrees. This article investigates the influence of hygroscopicity, exercise level, gender, and intersubject variability on size-dependent deposition of fine and ultrafine particles during spontaneous breathing. Using a novel and well-characterized setup, respiratory-tract deposition in the range 12-320 nm has been measured for 29 healthy adults (20 men, 9 women). Each subject completed four sessions: rest and light exercise on an ergometer bicycle while inhaling both hydrophobic (diethylhexylsebacate) and hygroscopic (NaCl) particles. The deposited fraction (DF) based on dry diameters was two to four times higher for the hydrophobic ultrafine particles than for the hygroscopic. The DF of hygroscopic ultrafine particles could be estimated by calculating their equilibrium size at 99.5% relative humidity. The differences in average DF due to exercise level and gender were essentially less than 0.03. However, the minute ventilation increased fourfold during exercise and was 18-46% higher for the men than for the women. Consequently the deposited dose of particles was fourfold higher during exercise and considerably increased for the male subjects. Some individuals consistently had a high DF in all four sessions. As an example, the results show that an average person exposed to 100-nm hydrophobic particles during exercise will receive a 16 times higher dose than a relaxed person exposed to an equal amount of hygroscopic (NaCl) particles.

Effect of tetracycline residues in pig manure slurry on tetracycline-resistant bacteria and resistance gene tet(M) in soil microcosms.

Effects of tetracycline residues from pig manure slurry on the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant bacteria and the tetracycline resistance gene, tet(M), were studied in soil microcosms. Four types of soil microcosms were established for a period of 152 days, supplemented with combinations of pig manure slurry and a tetracycline-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, CG110, containing the tetracycline resistance gene tet(M) (on the conjugative transposon, Tn916). The prevalence of both tetracycline-resistant aerobic bacteria and tetracycline-resistant enterococci declined rapidly until day 45 where no significant differences in the levels of tetracycline-resistant bacteria in any of the four types of microcosms could be detected. tet(M) could be detected in microcosms supplemented with either pig manure slurry and/or E. faecalis CG110 (tet(M)) for the whole period (152 days). tet(M) could be detected longer than tetracycline-resistant enterococci could be isolated (limit of detection 100 CFU/g soil) probably due to viable but not culturable (VBNC) bacteria with tet(M), horizontal gene transfer of tet(M) to indigenous soil bacteria or presence of "free" DNA. The concentration of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline were almost stable through out the experimental period, but the tetracycline concentrations had no effect on prevalence of tetracycline-resistant bacteria. The presented microcosm approach simulated natural farmland conditions well and supported results from previous field studies.

Dissipation and effects of chlortetracycline and tylosin in two agricultural soils: a field-scale study in southern Denmark.

Presently, there is a basic lack of information concerning the accumulation of antibacterial agent residues in agricultural soils. In this field study, performed in southern Denmark, we assess the dissipation of chlortetracycline (CTC), and tylosin A (TYL A) as a function of time. Field soils were classified as a sandy loam soil (field A) and a sandy soil (field B) and each field was sampled on six occasions during the 155-d experimental period from May to October 2000 for chemical analysis and counts of colony-forming units (CFU) detecting the level of aerobic bacteria surviving antibiotic exposure. Colony-forming units and TYL A were detected throughout the entire sampling period, with respective starting soil concentrations of 30 and 50 microg kg(-1) soil declining to 1 and 5 microg kg(-1) soil, on day 155. Compound half-lives (95% confidence limits in parentheses) were estimated for both fields and T1/2 for CTC was 25 d (20-34) and 34 d (28-42) in fields A and B, respectively, and T1/2 for TYL A was 67 d (54-86) and 49 d (40-64) in fields A and B, respectively. No significant difference was determined between compound half-lives on the two fields. The level of aerobic antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the soil over time and soil fauna community was assessed in relation to application of manure containing antibacterial agents to the agricultural fields. The level of both CTC- and TYL-resistant bacteria was affected in the soil by amendment of manure, but declined during the study to the same level as observed at the beginning.

Evaluation of manometric respiration tests to assess the effects of veterinary antibiotics in soil.

Extensive use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine results in environmental exposure. Of major concern are microbial effects; including effects on nutrient soil cycles and antibiotic resistance. There is a need to assess the effects of these compounds in the environment. The application of standardized guidelines is relevant in studying many compounds. However there is a lack of special test methods designed for antibiotics. We validate manometric test flasks using glucose and a recalcitrant herbicide. The suitability of these tests for studying antibacterial agents is then investigated using two target functions (aerobic biodegradation and carbon transformation). Compound stability is quantified using HPLC techniques. Effects on total soil respiration in the biodegradation test are immediate and differ significantly from background. We show that compounds do not function as substrates, so effects are due to other soil processes, correlate well to sorption characteristics and are not dose dependent. This test provides details of relative antimicrobial potency towards soil microorganisms and can be used to rank compounds. However the test does not provide details on the nature or extent of specific microbial effects. In contrast, the carbon transformation test is more specific and provides a reproducible indication of dose effect relationships, which is more suitable in assessing the effects of these compounds in the environment. Presently, standard guidelines do not take into account the normal input of antibiotics into soils via contaminated sludge or manure. This should be corrected in future guidelines as these inputs alter microbial composition, organic matter, ionic strength and pH affect sorption and overall impact the test results.

Organochlorines in Danish women: predictors of adipose tissue concentrations.

Organochlorines (OCs) are ubiquitously present in the environment, and food of animal origin is currently reported as the major source of exposure. Carcinogenicity in animals raises concern, and OCs may also be a risk factor for both neurological and immunological effects. Our primary objective was to study predictors of adipose tissue levels of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Danish women. We showed that adipose tissue concentrations of DDE and PCBs were consistently positively associated with age and the consumption of fish with a high fat content, while total lifetime duration of lactation had an inverse relationship. The direction of the association with body mass index (BMI) depended on the OC studied. The consumption of meat, fruit, lean fish, medium-fat-content fish, poultry, and eggs was not associated with OC concentrations in our study. We classified fish according to fat percentage, which seems more relevant than considering only total fish consumption. When PCBs were subdivided according to their chemical structure, similar results were obtained for the mono-, di-, and tri-ortho PCBs, indicating that PCBs can be treated as a homogenous group when studying predictors of concentrations in humans. In conclusion, the present study shows that age, lactation, and BMI are consistent predictors of human adipose tissue concentrations of DDE and PCBs and that dietary factors other than fish with a high fat content are not important predictors of these concentrations.