Effect of reactive core mat application on bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds.

Sediment remediation techniques to limit the bioavailability of contaminants are of special interest due to related acute or chronic toxicities associated with sediment contaminants. Bioavailability in aquatic sediments can be particularly problematic due to their accessibility to food chain biota, and interactions with surface and ground water. The effect of a reactive core mat (RCM) containing organoclay on the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) (i.e., PCBs and naphthalene) was studied using oligochaete worms (Lumbriculus variegatus). Sediment sampled from the Neponset River (Milton, MA) with 10 ppm background PCB contamination was used in the experimental study. The objective of this study is to investigate the difference in HOC concentration of worms exposed to: a) a grab sample of contaminated sediment (10.4% total organic carbon); and b) an initially clean mixture of sand and organic matter (the so-called biouptake layer), placed on top of the RCM-capped sediment during consolidation coupled solute transport experiments. In addition to the experimental data, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) database was validated and used to model biouptake of contaminants for certain cases. Results indicate that RCM capping reduced the average bioavailability of both PCBs and naphthalene by a factor of about 50. In fact, worms exposed to the RCM-protected biouptake layer show virtually the same HOC concentrations as those measured in the control worm samples.

The subgingival microbiota of Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There is little information about the microbiologic profiles of periodontal lesions in Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome (PLS) and the significance of bacteria in the pathogenesis of periodontitis in these patients. This comprehensive analysis of the subgingival microbiota in patients with PLS used 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) clonal analysis and the 16S rRNA-based Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM). METHODS: Thirteen patients with PLS from seven unrelated families volunteered for this microbiologic study. Subgingival plaque was collected with sterile paper points from multiple sites with ≥5 mm probing depth, and whole genomic DNA was extracted. The 16S rRNA genes were amplified, cloned, and sequenced. The samples were then probed for ≈300 predominant oral bacterial species using the HOMIM. RESULTS: The most commonly detected phylotypes in the clonal analysis were Gemella morbillorum, Gemella haemolysans, Granulicatella adiacens, Lachnospiraceae OT 100 (EI074), Parvimonas micra, Selenomonas noxia, and Veillonella parvula. As a group, streptococci were commonly detected in these individuals. In the HOMIM analysis, a total of 170 bacterial species/phylotypes were detected, with a range of 40 to 80 species per patient with PLS. Of these, 12 bacterial species were detected in medium to high levels in ≥50% of the individuals. The high-frequency strains were clustered into eight groups: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Campylobacter spp., Capnocytophaga granulosa, G. morbillorum, P. micra, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Streptococcus spp., and Tannerella forsythia. CONCLUSIONS: The subgingival microbiota in PLS is diverse. Periodontal pathogens commonly associated with chronic and aggressive periodontitis and opportunistic pathogens may be associated with the development of severe periodontitis in patients with PLS.