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The e-newsletter Marine Science Review compiles citations and abstracts of significant marine-related research, selected from more than 650 science journals. Each of its 12 subject areas, which include the range of important issues involving the intersection of human activity with coastal and marine environments, is distributed monthly. You can subscribe to each subject area individually or to all.
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- Kullenberg, G. Human empowerment: Opportunities from ocean governance. Ocean and Coastal Management 53(8): 405-420, 2010.
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Stimulus to reach the millennium goals of poverty abatement and empowerment, including education and employment, for the large part of the population in the coastal zone can be found in the resources and services of oceans and coasts; the required financial means, given political will and right priorities, can be provided through implementation of the related international conventions, in particular UNCLOS with the EEZ, the Common Heritage of Mankind and other provisions, Agenda 21 of UNCED and the WSSD 2002 Ocean Targets; the motivation is the necessity to address over-exploitation, depletion and destruction of resources, habitats and coastal ecosystem services, global changes, as well as economic transformations and social conditions of poverty, employment and unequity. Achieving adequate management and protection of natural assets as ecosystems and their services, habitats, biodiversity requires that the socio-economic and human security needs of the coastal populations are met. One way to reach the goal is to enable them, representing about 50% of the global population and increasing, to fight poverty and cope with uncertainties and changing conditions of employment, environment and sustainability through proper governance of the coastal and ocean assets. This includes provision of education and knowledge as regards these assets and their proper uses. They include energy, water, food, transportation and trade, communication, coastal developments, tourism, recreation and ecosystem services, as well as the need to properly manage them. The present economic system cannot fully harmonize with the required governance, partly since the ecosystem resources and services are not internalised in the market-oriented system. This calls for a revised education and training system, more comprehensive than the present, taking into account the social, cultural and environmental requirements, and stressing the sustainable development paradigm. In order to achieve ocean governance and comprehensive human security an understanding of the system is needed. This is substantiated through the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development as well as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The aim here is to discuss some of the issues in context of implementation of related ocean conventions and commitments, which include achieving ocean governance, and to elucidate opportunities given by oceans and coasts, also in generating employment and providing for basic human needs.
- Weeratunge, N., Snyder, K.A., and Sze, C.P. Gleaner, fisher, trader, processor: Understanding gendered employment in fisheries and aquaculture. Fish and Fisheries 11(4): 405-420, 2010.
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Most research on gender difference or inequities in capture fisheries and aquaculture in Africa and the Asia-Pacific focuses on the gender division of labour. Emerging research on globalization, market changes, poverty and trends in gendered employment within this sector reveals the need to move beyond this narrow perspective. If gleaning and post-harvesting activities were enumerated, the fisheries and aquaculture sector might well turn out to be female sphere. A livelihoods approach better enables an understanding of how employment in this sector is embedded in other social, cultural, economic, political and ecological structures and processes that shape gender inequities and how these might be reduced. We focus on four thematic areas – markets and migration, capabilities and well-being, networks and identities, governance and rights – as analytical entry points. These also provide a framework to identify research gaps and generate a comparative understanding of the impact of development processes and socioecological changes, including issues of climate change, adaptation and resilience, on gendered employment. Without an adequate analysis of gender, fisheries management and development policies may have negative effects on people's livelihoods, well-being and the environment they depend on, or fail altogether to achieve intended outcomes.
- McBean, G. and Rodgers, C. Climate hazards and disasters: The need for capacity building. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 1(6): 871-884, 2010.
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Climate and climate-related hazards such as floods, storms, and droughts have served as trigger events for more than 75% of the disasters that have occurred globally over the past decade. Proportionately, these disasters affect the least developed countries most intensely, proving to be especially harmful to poverty stricken populations. In the future, a changing climate is likely to exacerbate these effects and could make development unsustainable in many places. It is necessary to develop the capacity of all countries to combat hazards so that they do not become disasters. The international framework connects climate change and development, mainly within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Millennium Development Goals and Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction, and most recently the Declarations of the G8 and the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate provide further mandates for action. Climate hazards are now clearly linked with issues such as food security, migration, and national security. The linking of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction provides a framework for responding. The development of capacity for knowledge-based reduction of hazards and disasters risk demands an integrated approach that recognizes the changing nature of natural hazards. Further, capacity development must also recognize the limitations in governmental response and facilitate alternate ways to overcome barriers. For example, the role of resilience is examined in order to demonstrate the tools available for policymakers and individuals, to respond to hazards as they occur. The path forward to sustainable development depends on investments in the development and then the utilization of knowledge-based, integrated approaches that factor in the future in balance with the present needs of societies.
- Garcia, S.M. and Rosenberg, A.A. Food security and marine capture fisheries: characteristics, trends, drivers and future perspectives. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [B] 365(1554): 2869-2880, 2010.
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World population is expected to grow from the present 6.8 billion people to about 9 billion by 2050. The growing need for nutritious and healthy food will increase the demand for fisheries products from marine sources, whose productivity is already highly stressed by excessive fishing pressure, growing organic pollution, toxic contamination, coastal degradation and climate change. Looking towards 2050, the question is how fisheries governance, and the national and international policy and legal frameworks within which it is nested, will ensure a sustainable harvest, maintain biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and adapt to climate change. This paper looks at global fisheries production, the state of resources, contribution to food security and governance. It describes the main changes affecting the sector, including geographical expansion, fishing capacity-building, natural variability, environmental degradation and climate change. It identifies drivers and future challenges, while suggesting how new science, policies and interventions could best address those challenges.
- United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN). 2010. Climate Change and Nutrition Security: Message to the UNFCCC negotiators. UNSCN Secretariat, Geneva. 11pp.
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Undernutrition remains one of the world’s most serious but least addressed socioeconomic and health problems. The number of people suffering from hunger stood at 925 million in 2010 and maternal and child undernutrition remain pervasive. In developing countries nearly one-third of children are underweight or stunted. Undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies (also referred to as “hidden hunger”) is caused by inadequate dietary intake and disease which in turn stem from food insecurity, poor maternal and child care practices and inadequate access to clean drinking water and safe food, sanitation and quality health services. The human and socioeconomic costs of undernutrition are enormous, falling hardest on the poorest, especially on women and children. Undernutrition interacts with infectious disease, causing an estimated 3.5 million preventable maternal and child deaths annually. The resulting impacts in terms of lost national productivity and economic growth are huge, and the recent food and economic crises and economic downturn have magnified the challenge of hunger and undernutrition. Climate change affects food and nutrition security and further undermines current efforts to reduce hunger and protect and promote nutrition. Additionally, undernutrition in turn undermines the resilience to shocks and the coping mechanisms of vulnerable populations, lessening their capacities to resist and adapt to the consequences of climate change. This paper highlights how climate change further exacerbates the already unacceptably high levels of hunger and undernutrition and proposes policy directions to address the nutrition impact of climate change for consideration by the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. The current negotiation process offers opportunities to identify and address some of the actions needed. However, large efforts will be required beyond COP16, and nutrition should be part of future negotiations.
- Ziervogel, G. and Ericksen, P.J. Adapting to climate change to sustain food security. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 1(4): 525-540, 2010.
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Climate change poses considerable challenges to food security. Adapting food systems both to enhance food security for the poor and vulnerable and to prevent future negative impacts from climate change will require attention to more than just agricultural production. This article surveys the multiple components of food security, particularly those relating to access and utilization, which are threatened by the complex responses of food systems to the impacts of climate change. Food security can only be ensured and enhanced with a suite of interventions across activities, ranging from production to distribution and allocation. Although many studies have demonstrated the importance of policy and institutional interventions for ensuring food security after a shock, the climate change impacts and adaptation community have been slow to pick up on these lessons. This article pulls together lessons from the literature on the type of institutional interventions that could be strengthened to enable adaptation in the food system to buffer against climate change at multiple levels, from the local to the global level.
- Srinivasan, U.T., Cheung, W.W.L., Watson, R., and Sumaila, U.R. Food security implications of global marine catch losses due to overfishing. Journal of Bioeconomics 12(3): 183-200, 2010.
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Excess fishing capacity and the growth in global demand for fishery products have made overfishing ubiquitous in the world's oceans. Here we describe the potential catch losses due to unsustainable fishing in all countries' exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and on the high seas over 1950-2004. To do so, we relied upon catch and price statistics from the Sea Around Us Project as well as an empirical relationship we derived from species stock assessments by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2000 alone, estimated global catch losses amounted to 7-36% of the actual tonnage landed that year, resulting in a landed value loss of between $6.4 and 36 billion (in 2004 constant US$). From 1950-2004, 36-53% of commercial species in 55-66% of EEZs may have been overfished. Referring to a species-level database of intrinsic vulnerability (V) based on life-history traits, it appears that susceptible species were depleted quickly and serially, with the average V of potential catch losses declining at a similar rate to that of actual landings. The three continental regions to incur greatest losses by mass were Europe, North America, and Asia-forming a geographic progression in time. But low-income and small island nations, heavily dependent on marine resources for protein, were impacted most profoundly. Our analysis shows that without the inexorable march of overfishing, ~20 million people worldwide could have averted undernourishment in 2000. For the same year, total catch in the waters of low-income food deficit nations might have been up to 17% greater than the tonnage actually landed there. The situation may be worst for Africa, which in our analysis registered losses of about 9-49% of its actual catches by mass in year 2000, thus seriously threatening progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals.
- Marques, A., Nunes, M.L., Moore, S.K., and Strom, M.S. Climate change and seafood safety: Human health implications. Food Research International 43(7): 1766-1779, 2010.
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Worldwide, anthropogenic climate change is now a reality and is already affecting the biology and ecology of some organisms, as well as several chemical pathways. Little is known about the consequences of climate change for the food system, particularly seafood, comprising all stages from ''farm to fork'' (mainly primary production, processing, transport and trading). In this context, the current review aims to elucidate climate change impacts on seafood safety and its human health implications. Both chemical and biological risks are foreseen to impair seafood safety in the future as a consequence of climate change; in particular, toxic metals, organic chemicals residues, algal toxins and pathogens of both humans and marine organisms. However, different species respond differently to such stresses. Public health authorities will face new challenges to guarantee seafood safety and to sustain consumers' confidence in eating seafood in a warmer world.
- Tirado, M.C., Clarke, R., Jaykus, L.A., McQuatters-Gollop, A., and Franke, J.M. Climate change and food safety: A review. Food Research International 43(7): 1745-1765, 2010.
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Climate change and variability may have an impact on the occurrence of food safety hazards at various stages of the food chain, from primary production through to consumption. There are multiple pathways through which climate related factors may impact food safety including: changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, ocean warming and acidification, and changes in contaminants' transport pathways among others. Climate change may also affect socio-economic aspects related to food systems such as agriculture, animal production, global trade, demographics and human behaviour which all influence food safety. This paper reviews the potential impacts of predicted changes in climate on food contamination and food safety at various stages of the food chain and identifies adaptation strategies and research priorities to address food safety implications of climate change. The paper concludes that there is a need for intersectoral and international cooperation to better understand the changing food safety situation and in developing and implementing adaptation strategies to address emerging risks associated with climate change.
- Rotkin-Ellman, M., Navarro, K.M., and Solomon, G.M. Gulf oil spill air quality monitoring: Lessons learned to improve emergency response. Environmental Science and Technology 44(22): 8365-8366, 2010.
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- Savitz, D.A. and Engel, L.S. Lessons for study of the health effects of oil spills. Annals of Internal Medicine 153(8): 540-541, 2010.
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- Suzuki, K. et al. Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury and PCBs, and seafood intake: Neonatal behavioral assessment scale results of Tohoku study of child development. Environmental Research 110(7): 699-704, 2010.
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As factors affecting neonatal neurodevelopment, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and maternal seafood intake reflecting n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are believed to have adverse or beneficial effects, but there are a few reports addressing such factors simultaneously. We carried out a birth cohort study to clarify the effects of these three factors on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), administered 3 days after birth. In a total of 498 mother-neonate pairs, the total mercury level (median, 1.96 µg/g) in maternal hair at parturition and the ΣPCB level (45.5 ng/g-lipid) in cord blood were analyzed, and maternal seafood intake was estimated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A negative relationship between the hair mercury level and the motor cluster of NBAS was observed, even after adjusting for PCBs, maternal seafood intake, and possible confounders such as maternal age, birth weight, and parity. The ΣPCB level was negatively correlated with the motor cluster, but this association was attenuated after adjusting for mercury and the confounders. There was seen to be a positive association between maternal seafood intake and the motor cluster when considering the effects of mercury and PCBs. In conclusion, our data suggest that prenatal exposure to methylmercury adversely affects neonatal neurobehavioral function; in contrast, maternal seafood intake appears to be beneficial. The neurobehavioral effect of prenatal exposure to PCBs remains unclear in our study. Further research is necessary to elucidate interactive effects of methylmercury, PCBs, and n-3 PUFAs, originating from fish, on child neurodevelopment.
- Château-Degat, M.L., Pereg, D., Dallaire, R., Ayotte, P., Dery, S., and Dewailly, É. Effects of perfluorooctanesulfonate exposure on plasma lipid levels in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Northern Quebec). Environmental Research 110(7): 710-717, 2010.
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Background: Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) was used as a surfactant in various commercial products. In rodents, exposure to this compound induced various health effects, including hypolipidemia. In human populations, the potential toxicity of PFOS is not yet fully characterized, but indications of effects on lipids are reported. A recent study reported an increase in plasma cholesterol associated with exposure to perfluorinated compounds in humans exposed through drinking water, but similar effects were not reported in all exposed human populations. PFOS is widely distributed in the environment, including the arctic biota. The Inuit of Nunavik are exposed to environmental contaminants through the consumption of fish and game. This diet is also a source of omega 3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) that are known to lower plasma triacylglycerols. Objective: This cross-sectional epidemiologic study aims at assessing the relationship between PFOS exposure and plasma lipids, while taking account of the concomitant hypolipidemic effect exerted by n-3 PUFAs. Methods: Plasma concentrations of PFOS and lipids were assessed in Nunavik Inuit adults (n = 723) in the framework of a large-scale environmental health study. Associations of exposure levels to age, gender and selected wild food consumption associated with n-3 PUFAs intake, as well as the exposure on lipid levels were investigated by multivariate linear modeling. Results: In the Inuit population, PFOS exposure and n-3 PUFAs intake are related to traditional food consumption. Triacylglycerol and ratio of total cholesterol to high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were negatively associated with PFOS plasma levels, while HDL-C levels were positively associated, after adjustment for circulating levels of n-3 PUFAs and for the interaction between gender and PFOS plasma levels. Other plasma lipids, such as low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and non-HDL-C were not related to PFOS plasma concentrations. Conclusion: The results of this study show a relationship between PFOS and plasma lipid levels in an environmentally exposed human population, and this effect appears distinct from that of n-3 PUFAs.
- Lee, D.H., Steffes, M.W., Sjodin, A., Jones, R.S., Needham, L.L., and Jacobs, D.R. Low dose of some persistent organic pollutants predicts type 2 diabetes: A nested case-control study. Environmental Health Perspectives 118(9): 1235-1242, 2010.
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BACKGROUND: Low doses of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) associate cross-sectionally with type 2 diabetes, whereas associations with high POP exposures are inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether several POPs prospectively predict type 2 diabetes within the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort. METHODS: Participants in this nested case-control study were diabetes free in 1987-1988. By 2005-2006, the 90 controls remained free of diabetes, whereas the 90 cases developed diabetes. Using serum collected in 1987-1988, we measured 8 organochlorine pesticides, 22 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs), and 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB). We compared POP concentrations from CARDIA and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2003- 2004. We computed odds ratios (ORs) for incident diabetes using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Chlorinated POPs in CARDIA in 1987-1988 were much higher than corresponding NHANES 2003-2004 concentrations. POPs showed nonlinear associations with diabetes risk. The highest risk was observed in the second quartiles of trans-nonachlor, oxychlordane, mirex, highly chlorinated PCBs, and PBB153 – a finding that suggests low-dose effects. We concentrated risk by summing these POPs and isolated very low concentrations of multiple POPs in the lowest sextile of the sum. The adjusted OR in the second sextile vs. the lowest sextile was 5.3 overall and 20.1 for body mass index ≥30 kg/ m². CONCLUSIONS: Several POPs at low doses similar to current exposure levels may increase diabetes risk, possibly through endocrine disruption. Certain POPs may a play a role in the current epidemic of diabetes, which has been attributed to obesity.
- Grandjean, P., Poulsen, L.K., Heilmann, C., Steuerwald, U., and Weihe, P. Allergy and sensitization during childhood associated with prenatal and lactational exposure to marine pollutants. Environmental Health Perspectives 118(10): 1429-1433, 2010.
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BACKGROUND: Breast-feeding may affect the risk of developing allergy during childhood and may also cause exposure to immunotoxicants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are of concern as marine pollutants in the Faroe Islands and the Arctic region. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to assess whether sensitization and development of allergic disease is associated with duration of breast-feeding and prenatal or postnatal exposures to PCBs and methylmercury. METHODS: A cohort of 656 singleton births was formed in the Faroe Islands during 1999-2001. Duration of breast-feeding and history of asthma and atopic dermatitis were recorded at clinical examinations at 5 and 7 years of age. PCB and mercury concentrations were determined in blood samples obtained at parturition and at follow-up. Serum from 464 children (71%) at 7 years of age was analyzed for total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and grass-specific IgE. RESULTS: The total IgE concentration in serum at 7 years of age was positively associated both with the concomitant serum PCB concentration and with the duration of breast-feeding. However, the effect only of the latter was substantially attenuated in a multivariate analysis. A raised grass-specific IgE concentration compatible with sensitization was positively associated with the duration of breast-feeding and inversely associated with prenatal methylmercury exposure. However, a history of asthma or atopic dermatitis was not associated with the duration of breast-feeding, although children with atopic dermatitis had lower prenatal PCB exposures than did nonallergic children. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that developmental exposure to immunotoxicants may both increase and decrease the risk of allergic disease and that associations between breast-feeding and subsequent allergic disease in children may, at least in part, reflect lactational exposure to immunotoxic food contaminants.
- Wojtyniak, B.J. et al. Association of maternal serum concentrations of 2,2', 4,4'5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) levels with birth weight, gestational age and preterm births in Inuit and European populations. Environmental Health 9: art. 56, 2010.
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Background: Epidemiological studies on the association between maternal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and fetal growth alteration report inconsistent findings which weights in favor of additional studies. Methods: Blood samples were collected from interviewed pregnant women in Greenland (572), Kharkiv (611) and Warsaw (258) and were analyzed for CB-153 and p,p'-DDE by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Data on birth weight, gestational age and preterm birth were obtained for 1322 singleton live births. We examined the association between natural log-transformed serum POPs concentration and birth weight and gestational age using multiple linear regression and the association with prematurity using logistic regression controlling for potential confounding factors. Results: The median serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE were for Inuit mothers 105.6 and 298.9, for Kharkiv mothers 27.0 and 645.4 and for Warsaw mothers 10.7 and 365.2 ng/g lipids, respectively. Increase in CB-153 concentration by one unit on the log scale in Inuit mothers serum was associated with significant decrease in infant birth weight of -59 g and gestational age by -0.2 week. Decreases observed in the cohorts in Kharkiv (-10 g and -0.1 week) and in Warsaw (-49 g and -0.2 week) were not statistically significant. Increase in p,p'-DDE concentration by one unit on the log scale was associated with a statistically significant decrease in infant birth weight of -39.4 g and -104.3 g and shortening of gestational age of -0.2 week and -0.6 week in the Inuit and Warsaw cohorts, respectively. In the Kharkiv cohort decrease in birth weight (-30.5 g) was not significant, however a shortening of gestational age of -0.2 week per increase in p,p'-DDE concentration by one unit on the log scale was of the borderline significance. There was no significant association between CB-153 and p,p'-DDE concentrations and risk of preterm birth however, in all cohorts the odds ratio was above 1. Conclusions: In utero exposure to POPs may reduce birth weight and gestational age of newborns however, new insights as to why results vary across studies were not apparent.
- Park, H.Y., Hertz-Picciotto, I., Sovcikova, E., Kocan, A., Drobna, B., and Trnovec, T. Neurodevelopmental toxicity of prenatal polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by chemical structure and activity: a birth cohort study. Environmental Health 9: art. 51, 2010.
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Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental toxins. Although there is growing evidence to support an association between PCBs and deficits of neurodevelopment, the specific mechanisms are not well understood. The potentially different roles of specific PCB groups defined by chemical structures or hormonal activities e.g., dioxin-like, non-dioxin like, or anti-estrogenic PCBs, remain unclear. Our objective was to examine the association between prenatal exposure to defined subsets of PCBs and neurodevelopment in a cohort of infants in eastern Slovakia enrolled at birth in 2002-2004. Methods: Maternal and cord serum samples were collected at delivery, and analyzed for PCBs using high-resolution gas chromatography. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II (BSID) were administered at 16 months of age to over 750 children who also had prenatal PCB measurements. Results: Based on final multivariate-adjusted linear regression model, maternal mono-ortho-substituted PCBs were significantly associated with lower scores on both the psychomotor (PDI) and mental development indices (MDI). Also a significant association between cord mono-ortho-substituted PCBs and reduced PDI was observed, but the association with MDI was marginal (p = 0.05). Anti-estrogenic and di-ortho-substituted PCBs did not show any statistically significant association with cognitive scores, but a suggestive association between di-ortho-substituted PCBs measured in cord serum and poorer PDI was observed. Conclusion: Children with higher prenatal mono-ortho-substituted PCB exposures performed more poorly on the Bayley Scales. Evidence from this and other studies suggests that prenatal dioxin-like PCB exposure, including mono-ortho congeners, may interfere with brain development in utero. Non-dioxin-like di-ortho-substituted PCBs require further investigation.
- Rodríguez-Trigo, G. et al. 2 years after clean-up of the Prestige oil spill. Annals of Internal Medicine 153(8): 489-498, 2010.
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Background: In 2002, the oil tanker Prestige spilled more than 67000 tons of bunker oil, heavily contaminating the coast of northwestern Spain. Objective: To assess respiratory effects and chromosomal damage in clean-up workers of the oil spill 2 years after the exposure. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Fishermen cooperatives in coastal villages. Participants: Local fishermen who were highly exposed (n = 501) or not exposed (n = 177) to oil 2 years after the spill. Measurements: Respiratory symptoms; forced spirometry; methacholine challenge; markers of oxidative stress (8-isoprostane), airway inflammation (interleukins, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ), and growth factor activity in exhaled breath condensate; and chromosomal lesions and structural alterations in circulating lymphocytes. Results: Compared with nonexposed participants, persons exposed to oil were at increased risk for lower respiratory tract symptoms (risk difference, 8.0 [95% CI, 1.1 to 14.8]). Lung function did not significantly differ between the groups. Among nonsmoking participants, exposed individuals had higher exhaled 8-isoprostane levels than nonexposed individuals (geometric mean ratio, 2.5 [CI, 1.7 to 3.7]), and exposed individuals with lower respiratory tract symptoms had higher 8-isoprostane levels than exposed individuals without symptoms. Exposed nonsmoking participants also had higher levels of exhaled vascular endothelial growth factor (risk difference, 44.8 [CI, 27.9 to 61.6]) and basic fibroblast growth factor (risk difference, 16.0 [CI, 3.5 to 28.6]). A higher proportion of exposed participants had structural chromosomal alterations (risk difference, 27.4 [CI, 10.0 to 44.8]), predominantly unbalanced alterations. The risk for elevated levels of exhaled 8-isoprostane, vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and structural chromosomal alterations seemed to increase with intensity of exposure to clean-up work. Limitations: The clinical significance of exhaled biomarkers and chromosomal findings are uncertain. The association between oil exposure and the observed changes may not be causal. The findings may not apply to spills involving other types of oil or to different populations of oil spill workers. Conclusion: Participation in clean-up of a major oil spill was associated with persistent respiratory symptoms, elevated markers of airway injury in breath condensate, and chromosomal damage.
- Lowenstein, J.H., Burger, J., Jeitner, C.W., Amato, G., Kolokotronis, S.O., and Gochfeld, M. DNA barcodes reveal species-specific mercury levels in tuna sushi that pose a health risk to consumers. Biology Letters 6(5): 692-695, 2010.
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Excessive ingestion of mercury – a health hazard associated with consuming predatory fishes – damages neurological, sensory-motor and cardiovascular functioning. The mercury levels found in bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and bluefin tuna species (Thunnus maccoyii, Thunnus orientalis, and Thunnus thynnus), exceed or approach levels permissible by Canada, the European Union, Japan, the US, and the World Health Organization. We used DNA barcodes to identify tuna sushi samples analysed for mercury and demonstrate that the ability to identify cryptic samples in the market place allows regulatory agencies to more accurately measure the risk faced by fish consumers and enact policies that better safeguard their health.
- Yu, H.Y., Guo, Y., and Zeng, E.Y. Dietary intake of persistent organic pollutants and potential health risks via consumption of global aquatic products. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 29(10): 2135-2142, 2010.
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The concentration levels of typical persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) including dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) and non dioxin-like PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in global aquatic products from major producing countries were summarized. Daily intakes of these compounds via consumption of various aquatic products for global consumers were also estimated based on available literature data. Risk assessment based upon existing criteria for OCPs and PBDEs shows that there is minimal risk to global consumers from consumption of aquatic products, with the exception of products from specific regions located around known heavy-point sources. Exposure to dioxins through consumption of aquatic products, excluding marine fish, is also in the range of the acceptable level, lower than 4 pg World Health Organization toxic equivalent (WHO-TEQ)/kg bw/d; however, dioxin intake via marine fish may cause hazards to human health, especially for Europeans. Regarding PCBs, there is cancer risk for global consumers via consumption of aquatic products, especially marine fish, based on cancer and noncancer hazard ratio assessment. Generally, European consumers have higher exposure levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs, while Americans and Asians have relatively higher exposure levels of OCPs and PCBs. In contrast, all global populations are found to have lower exposure levels of PBDEs, which may be attributed to its relatively shorter history of use compared with PCBs and OCPs. Finally, the estimated total amounts of PCBs, OCPs, and PBDEs stored in global aquatic products constitute only a small portion of the total amount that has been used, and the majority obviously occurs in other environmental media or even remains in commercial products.
- Storelli, M.M., Barone, G., Cuttone, G., Giungato, D., and Garofalo, R. Occurrence of toxic metals (Hg, Cd and Pb) in fresh and canned tuna: Public health implications. Food and Chemical Toxicology 48(11): 3167-3170, 2010.
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Hg, Pb and Cd levels in fresh and canned tuna were determined and assessed by comparing element levels in these samples with maximum permissible limits set by European legislation. The estimated weekly intakes by human consuming both fresh and canned tuna were also evaluated for possible consumer health risks. Among tested metals, Hg had the highest concentrations, followed by Pb and Cd either in fresh tuna or canned tuna. None of the tested samples surpassed the European regulatory limits fixed for Cd and Pb, whereas 8.9% of the tuna cans and 20% of fresh tuna samples exceeded standard for Hg. The size of tuna was a determining factor of Hg burden. A high intake of Hg surpassing the toxicological reference value established by WHO, was associated with consumption of larger size tuna specimens. Also canned tuna consumption with Hg concentrations higher than 1 µg kg-1, strongly increased the consumer exposure. In contrast, Cd and Pb weekly intakes through consumption either of fresh tuna or canned tuna did not exceed the toxicological reference values established by WHO, and consequently there was no human health risk. A continuous surveillance system of Hg content in these fishery products is crucial for consumer protection.
- Ciminiello, P., Dell-Aversano, C., Fattorusso, E., and Forino, M. Palytoxins: A still haunting Hawaiian curse. Phytochemistry Reviews 9(4): 491-500, 2010.
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Palytoxins are a class of extremely potent non-proteic marine biotoxins, whose main biological target is the Na+/K+-ATPase. Since its isolation in 1971 from samples of Hawaiian Palythoa spp., palytoxin has drawn scientists' attention from across the world because of its high toxicity, intriguing chemical structural architecture, and involvement in fascinating ancient Hawaiian folklore. Palytoxins have recently spread also to more temperate areas, such as the Mediterranean Sea causing severe human intoxications. Over the past years our scientific work has brought to light the occurrence of new palytoxin analogs by extensive NMR investigation and a new liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method set up following the Mediterranean toxic outbreaks.
- Vale, P. New saxitoxin analogues in the marine environment: developments in toxin chemistry, detection and biotransformation during the 2000s. Phytochemistry Reviews 9(4): 525-535, 2010.
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Scientific study of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins (PSTs) started in the early XXth century. In the 1920s it was understood the link between the toxicity observed in mussels with certain microalgae species. The poison was eventually purified from the clam Saxidomus giganteus, taking its name from it: saxitoxin (STX). Along the 1970s and 1980s it was understood that other STX analogues existed, both in dinoflagellates and bivalves. These were grouped into three major occurring families: the carbamate, N-sulfocarbamoyl and decarbamoyl, depending on the variation of the side chain of the tetrahydropurine core. The deoxydecarbamoyl family was additionally recognised in the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum. Chemical research into these STX analogues was conducted worldwide during the 1990s mainly by HPLC with pre- or post-column oxidation and fluorescence detection. Implementation of fluorescence detection with spectral capabilities and mass spectrometry detection during the 2000s led to the recognition of new analogues. Metabolites originated by single or double hydroxylation at C11 position were found in mussels, and later suspected in other bivalves. Designated M1-M4, these present very low fluorescence, and can only be studied resorting to HILIC-MS. Three hydroxybenzoate analogues were characterised as an important toxin fraction of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum, and named GC1-GC3. Later, many more analogues were suspected: the corresponding N1-hydroxyl variants of GC1-GC3 (GC4-GC6), di-hydroxybenzoate variants (GC1a-GC6a), and sulphate-benzoate variants (GC1b-GC6b). In bivalves, carbamoylase activity renders these analogues into decarbamoyl analogues. Other compounds with PST-like characteristics have been detected in bivalves from Angola, Argentina and Vietnam. Today, the range of naturally occurring STX derivatives, both in marine and freshwater environments, accounts to more than fifty structural variants. This poses a problem for carrying out food safety analysis based solely in chemical methods. Fortunately, most modifications to the side chain of the tetrahydropurine core result in diminished toxicity.
- Brand, L.E., Pablo, J., Compton, A., Hammerschlag, N., and Mash, D.C. Cyanobacterial blooms and the occurrence of the neurotoxin, beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), in South Florida aquatic food webs. Harmful Algae 9(6): 620-635, 2010.
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Recent studies demonstrate that most cyanobacteria produce the neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and that it can biomagnify in at least one terrestrial food chain. BMAA has been implicated as a significant environmental risk in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).We examined several blooms of cyanobacteria in South Florida, and the BMAA content of resident animals, including species used as human food. A wide range of BMAA concentrations were found, ranging from below assay detection limits to approximately 7000 mg/g, a concentration associated with a potential long-term human health hazard.
- Ansede-Bermejo, J., Gavilan, R.G., Trinanes, J., Espejo, R.T., and Martinez-Urtaza, J. Origins and colonization history of pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in South America. Molecular Ecology 19(18): 3924-3937, 2010.
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The dynamics of dissemination of the environmental human pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus are uncertain. The O3:K6 clone was restricted to Asia until its detection along the Peruvian coasts and in northern Chile in 1997 in phase with the arrival of El Niño waters. A subsequent emergence of O3:K6 strains was detected in austral Chile in 2004. The origin of these 1997 and 2004 population radiations has not yet been conclusively determined. Multiple loci VNTR analysis using seven polymorphic loci was carried out with a number of representative strains from Asia, Peru and Chile to determine their genetic characteristics and population structure. Asian and Chilean subpopulations were the most genetically distant groups with an intermediate subpopulation in Peru. Population structure inferred from a minimum-spanning tree and Bayesian analysis divided the populations into two genetically distinct groups, consistent with the epidemic dynamics of the O3:K6 clone in South America. One group comprised strains from the original Asiatic population and strains arriving in Peru and Chile in 1997. The second group included the remaining Peruvian strains and Chilean strains obtained from Puerto Montt in 2004. The analysis of the arrival of the O3:K6 clone at the Pacific coasts of South America has provided novel insights linking the origin of the invasion in 1997 to Asian populations and describing the successful establishment of the O3:K6 populations, first in Peru and subsequently in the South of Chile owing to a possible radiation of Peruvian populations.
- Igbinosa, E.O. and Okoh, A.I. Vibrio fluvialis: An unusual enteric pathogen of increasing public health concern. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 7(10): 3628-3643, 2010.
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In developing countries, the fraction of treated wastewater effluents being discharged into watersheds have increased over the period of time, which have led to the deteriorations of the qualities of major rivers in developing nations. Consequently, high densities of disease causing bacteria in the watersheds are regularly reported including incidences of emerging Vibrio fluvialis. Vibrio fluvialis infection remains among those infectious diseases posing a potentially serious threat to public health. This paper addresses the epidemiology of this pathogen; pathogenesis of its disease; and its clinical manifestations in humans.
- Keesing, F. et al. Impacts of biodiversity on the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. Nature 468(7324): 647-652, 2010.
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Current unprecedented declines in biodiversity reduce the ability of ecological communities to provide many fundamental ecosystem services. Here we evaluate evidence that reduced biodiversity affects the transmission of infectious diseases of humans, other animals and plants. In principle, loss of biodiversity could either increase or decrease disease transmission. However, mounting evidence indicates that biodiversity loss frequently increases disease transmission. In contrast, areas of naturally high biodiversity may serve as a source pool for new pathogens. Overall, despite many remaining questions, current evidence indicates that preserving intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity should generally reduce the prevalence of infectious diseases.
- Martinez-Urtaza, J., Bowers, J.C., Trinanes, J., and DePaola, A. Climate anomalies and the increasing risk of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus illnesses. Food Research International 43(7): 1780-1790, 2010.
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We examined the potential influence of climate anomalies in expanding the geographical and seasonal range of seafood-borne illnesses from Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus. Archived climate data from areas of implicated seafood production were obtained from various sources, including in situ monitoring devices and satellite imagery. The geographical expansion of V. parahaemolyticus outbreaks into Peru and Alaska corresponded closely with climate anomalies such as El Niño, which brought large masses of abnormally warm water into these regions. Seasonal expansion of V. vulnificus illnesses associated with oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico in April and November correspond with warmer water temperatures (> 20 ºC) recorded during these months since 1998. This retrospective review indicates that climate anomalies have already greatly expanded the risk area and season for vibrio illnesses and suggest that these events can be forecasted. Certainly, when similar circumstances occur in the future, adjustments in industry practices and regulatory policy should be considered, especially for seafood that is consumed raw, such as bivalve mollusks.
- Félix, J.L., Fernandez, Y.C., Velarde-Félix, J.S., Torres, B.V., and Cháidez, C. Detection and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis A virus and norovirus in marine recreational waters of Mexico. Journal of Water and Health 8(2): 269-278, 2010.
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An investigation was conducted to determine hepatitis A virus (HAV) and norovirus (NV) presence in marine recreational waters (MRWs) from two Mexican tourists beaches (Altata and Mazatlan), located at the northwestern state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Also, Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) analyses were conducted between physicochemical parameters (temperature, turbidity and salinity) and viral organisms (HAV and NV). A total of 32 MRWs samples were collected from April to July of 2006. Samples were processed according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adsorption-elution method. Overall, 18 MRWs samples (56.3%) were positive for HAV and NV; 4 (22.2%) were obtained from Altata and 14 (77.8%) from Mazatlan. HAV was detected in 3 MRWs samples (9.4%) and NV in 15 samples (46.8%). Phylogenetic analysis showed the presence of genotype I sub genotype B for HAV and NV genogroup II. BLR analysis showed significant correlations between NV and physicochemical parameters (temperature, turbidity and salinity) (p = 0.017, p = 0.08, p = 0.048, respectively). No significant correlation between physicochemical parameters and HAV was observed. The results indicated that MRW quality of Sinaloa beaches is affected by human faecal pollution. Viral surveillance programs should be implemented to minimize health risks to bathers.
- Wade, T.J. et al. Rapidly measured indicators of recreational water quality and swimming-associated illness at marine beaches: a prospective cohort study. Environmental Health 9: art. 66, 2010.
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Introduction: In the United States and elsewhere, recreational water quality is monitored for fecal indicator bacteria to help prevent swimming-associated illnesses. Standard methods to measure these bacteria take at least 24 hours to obtain results. Molecular approaches such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can estimate these bacteria faster, in under 3 hours. Previously, we demonstrated that measurements of the fecal indicator bacteria Enterococcus using qPCR were associated with gastrointestinal (GI) illness among swimmers at freshwater beaches. In this paper, we report on results from three marine beach sites. Methods: We interviewed beach-goers and collected water samples at marine beaches affected by treated sewage discharges in Mississippi in 2005, and Rhode Island and Alabama in 2007. Ten to twelve days later, we obtained information about gastrointestinal, respiratory, eye, ear and skin symptoms by telephone. We tested water samples for fecal indicator organisms using qPCR and other methods. Results: We enrolled 6,350 beach-goers. The occurrence of GI illness among swimmers was associated with a log10-increase in exposure to qPCR-determined estimates of fecal indicator organisms in the genus Enterococcus (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3-5.1) and order Bacteroidales (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.9). Estimates of organisms related to Clostridium perfringens and a subgroup of organisms in the genus Bacteroides were also determined by qPCR in 2007, as was F+ coliphage, but relationships between these indicators and illness were not statistically significant. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of a relationship between gastrointestinal illness and estimates of fecal indicator organisms determined by qPCR at marine beaches.
- 4, N.J., Schoen, M.E., Soller, J.A., and Rose, D.J. Predicting pathogen risks to aid beach management: The real value of quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA). Water Research 44(16): 4692-4703, 2010.
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There has been an ongoing dilemma for agencies that set criteria for safe recreational waters in how to provide for a seasonal assessment of a beach site versus guidance for day-to-day management. Typically an overall 'safe' criterion level is derived from epidemiologic studies of sewage-impacted beaches. The decision criterion is based on a percentile value for a single sample or a moving median of a limited number (e.g. five per month) of routine samples, which are reported at least the day after recreator exposure has occurred. The focus of this paper is how to better undertake day-to-day recreational site monitoring and management. Internationally, good examples exist where predictive empirical regression models (based on rainfall, wind speed/direction, etc.) may provide an estimate of the target faecal indicator density for the day of exposure. However, at recreational swimming sites largely impacted by non-sewage sources of faecal indicators, there is concern that the indicator-illness associations derived from studies at sewage-impacted beaches may be inappropriate. Furthermore, some recent epidemiologic evidence supports the relationship to gastrointestinal (GI) illness with qPCR-derived measures of Bacteroidales/Bacteroides spp. as well as more traditional faecal indicators, but we understand less about the environmental fate of these molecular targets and their relationship to bather risk. Modelling pathogens and indicators within a quantitative microbial risk assessment framework is suggested as a way to explore the large diversity of scenarios for faecal contamination and hydrologic events, such as from waterfowl, agricultural animals, resuspended sediments and from the bathers themselves. Examples are provided that suggest that more site-specific targets derived by QMRA could provide insight, directly translatable to management actions.
- Blanchemanche, S., Marette, S., Roosen, J., and Verger, P. 'Do not eat fish more than twice a week'. Rational choice regulation and risk communication: Uncertainty transfer from risk assessment to public. Health, Risk and Society 12(3): 271-292, 2010.
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Regulators try to change consumers' behaviour by issuing advice. This regulatory approach is built on a particular, normative theory of social action that assumes that individuals are unable to make rational decisions when they have imperfect knowledge about risk, and that this deficiency can be overcome by advice that offers them proper information. This paper examines the question, can a regulatory tool based on rational choice theory be efficient in reducing risky behaviours? After considering the debate within the risk-communication community about the use of this kind of a regulatory tool, we analyse (using the example of fish consumption advice) the risk assessment that the advice is derived from. Then we analyse the public response to the advice through the implementation of a five-month experiment among 200 French households. We show that individuals did not change their consumption to comply with the advice. We conclude that the advice transfers the initial uncertainty onto consumers turning it into ambiguity and complexity.
- Fitzpatrick-Lewis, D., Yost, J., Ciliska, D., and Krishnaratne, S. Communication about environmental health risks: A systematic review. Environmental Health 9: art. 67, 2010.
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Background: Using the most effective methods and techniques for communicating risk to the public is critical. Understanding the impact that different types of risk communication have played in real and perceived public health risks can provide information about how messages, policies and programs can and should be communicated in order to be most effective. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify the effectiveness of communication strategies and factors that impact communication uptake related to environmental health risks. Methods: A systematic review of English articles using multiple databases with appropriate search terms. Data sources also included grey literature. Key organization websites and key journals were hand searched for relevant articles. Consultation with experts took place to locate any additional references. Articles had to meet relevance criteria for study design [randomized controlled trials, clinical controlled trials, cohort analytic, cohort, any pre-post, interrupted time series, mixed methods or any qualitative studies), participants (those in community-living, non-clinical populations), interventions (including, but not limited to, any community-based methods or tools such as Internet, telephone, media-based interventions or any combination thereof), and outcomes (reported measurable outcomes such as awareness, knowledge or attitudinal or behavioural change). Articles were assessed for quality and data was extracted using standardized tools by two independent reviewers. Articles were given an overall assessment of strong, moderate or weak quality. Results: There were no strong or moderate studies. Meta-analysis was not appropriate to the data. Data for 24 articles were analyzed and reported in a narrative format. The findings suggest that a multi-media approach is more effective than any single media approach. Similarly, printed material that offers a combination of information types (i.e., text and diagrams) is a more effective than just a single type, such as all text. Findings also suggest that factors influencing response to risk communications are impacted by personal risk perception, previous personal experience with risk, sources of information and trust in those sources. Conclusions: No single method of message delivery is best. Risk communication strategies that incorporate the needs of the target audience(s) with a multi-faceted delivery method are most effective at reaching the audience.
- McKelvey, W., Chang, M., Arnason, J., Jeffery, N., Kricheff, J., and Kass, D. Mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls in Asian market fish: A response to results from mercury biomonitoring in New York City. Environmental Research 110(7): 650-657, 2010.
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In 2004, the New York City (NYC) Health and Nutrition Examination Survey measured the highest blood mercury levels in Asian and foreign-born Chinese demographic groups. Fish consumption was the strongest predictor of exposure. The survey did not inquire about consumption of individual species, and subsequent visits to fish markets serving the Asian community suggested that many popular species lack contaminant data. Our objective was to supplement existing information on contaminants in commercial fish by collecting data on species present in markets serving the Asian community. We measured total mercury and the sum of 101 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in 282 individual specimens of 19 species or products from retail fish markets in Chinese neighborhoods in NYC. Species were selected based on their volume in the market, and an absence or insufficiency of national data on mercury levels. PCBs were measured because they are also contaminants of concern. All measurements were made on a wet weight basis on whole fillets (with skin) or products (drained of liquid). Mean mercury levels ranged from below the limit of detection (0.004 µg/g) in tilapia to 0.229 µg/g in tilefish. The highest mercury level (1.150 µg/g) was measured in a tilefish specimen, and mercury levels in tilefish increased with the specimen size. Mean PCB levels ranged from 1 ng/g in red snapper to 98 ng/g in buffalo carp. The highest PCB levels were measured in a buffalo carp (469 ng/g) and a yellow croaker (495 ng/g). Species-specific differences in PCB levels accounted for only 6.3% of total variability, in contrast with 39.2% for mercury. Although we did not measure high mean mercury levels in the species we sampled, frequent consumption of fish with low to moderate levels can also elevate blood mercury. The data we collected can be used to guide fish consumption in Asian communities. However, risk-benefit trade-offs also need to be considered.
- Loring, P.A., Duffy, L.K., and Murray, M.S. A risk-benefit analysis of wild fish consumption for various species in Alaska reveals shortcomings in data and monitoring needs. The Science of the Total Environment 408(20): 4532-4541, 2010.
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Northern peoples face a difficult decision of whether or not to consume wild fish, which may contain dangerous levels of contaminants such as methylmercury (MeHg), but which also offer a number of positive health benefits, and play an important role in rural household economies. Here, new methods for developing consumption advice are applied to an existing data-set for methylmercury (MeHg) levels in Alaskan fish. We apply a quantitative risk-benefit analysis for eight freshwater, saltwater and anadromous fish species, using dose-response relationships to weigh the risks of MeHg bioaccumulation against the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) toward cardiovascular and neurodevelopmental health endpoints. Findings suggests that consumption of many of the fish species reviewed here, including northern pike, Pacific halibut, and arctic grayling, may lead to increased risk of coronary heart disease and declines in infant visual recognition memory. However, we also identify significant variation among regions, among studies within the same region, and also within studies, which make it difficult to craft consistent consumption advice. Whereas salmon consistently shows a net-benefit, for instance, data for arctic grayling, pike, sablefish, and some halibut are all too imprecise to provide consistent recommendations. We argue for more detailed local-scale monitoring, and identification of possible thresholds for increased risk in the future. We caution that MeHg and omega-3 FA are just two variables in a complicated calculus for weighing the risks and benefits of locally-available and culturally-significant foods, and argue for future work that takes both a place-based and plate-based approach to diet and contamination.
- Smith, K.L. and Guentzel, J.L. Mercury concentrations and omega-3 fatty acids in fish and shrimp: Preferential consumption for maximum health benefits. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(9): 1615-1618, 2010.
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The consumption of fish and shrimp containing omega-3 fatty acids can result in protective health effects including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. These protective effects may be decreased by the presence of mercury in the muscle tissue of fish and shellfish. Mercury can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems and impede neurological development. The objective of this project was to determine appropriate consumption amounts of selected fish species and shrimp based on mercury levels and recommended intake levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Species that are high in omega-3s and low in mercury include salmon, trout, and shrimp. Species with both high levels of mercury and omega-3 fatty acids include tuna, shark, and halibut, swordfish, and sea bass.
- Bourdon, J.A., Bazinet, T.M., Arnason, T.T., Kimpe, L.E., Blais, J.M., and White, P.A. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist activity of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements: Implications for daily intake of dioxins and PCBs. Food and Chemical Toxicology 48(11): 3093-3097, 2010.
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Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) rich oils derived primarily from fish are frequently consumed as supplements. Due to the tendency of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to accumulate in exposed organisms, n-3 PUFA supplements can contain sufficient POPs to present a risk to consumers. Here we investigated PCB concentrations and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist activity in 17 n-3 PUFA supplements available in Canada. PCBs ranged from <0.8 to 793 ng g-1 oil, with salmon- and seal-derived products yielding the highest values. AhR agonist activity from a reporter gene assay ranged from 1.3 to 72.2 pg TEQ g-1 oil, with salmon and tuna yielding the highest values. When consumed at the recommended doses and as a supplement to the average Canadian diet, seal-derived oil can contribute to exceedance of the tolerable daily intake of 20 ng PCBs kg-BW-1 day-1, and salmon-, tuna-, and sea herring-derived oils can contribute to exceedance of the tolerable daily intake limit of 2.3 pg TEQ kg-BW-1 day-1. The beneficial properties of fish and n-3 PUFA supplements, and the results of this study suggest that it is prudent to consume supplements derived from small, cold-water fatty fish. Further research will be necessary to draw firm conclusions.
- Donaldson, S.G. et al. Environmental contaminants and human health in the Canadian Arctic. The Science of the Total Environment 48(22): 5165-5234, 2010.
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The third Canadian Arctic Human Health Assessment conducted under the Canadian Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), in association with the circumpolar Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), addresses concerns about possible adverse health effects in individuals exposed to environmental contaminants through a diet containing country foods. The objectives here are to: 1) provide data on changes in human contaminant concentrations and exposure among Canadian Arctic peoples; 2) identify new contaminants of concern; 3) discuss possible health effects: 4) outline risk communication about contaminants in country food; and 5) identify knowledge gaps for future contaminant research and monitoring. The nutritional and cultural benefits of country foods are substantial; however, some dietary studies suggest declines in the amount of country foods being consumed. Significant declines were found for most contaminants in maternal blood over the last 10 years within all three Arctic regions studied. Inuit continue to have the highest levels of almost all persistent organic pollutants (POPS) and metals among the ethnic groups studied. A greater proportion of people in the East exceed Health Canada's guidelines for PCBs and mercury, although the proportion of mothers exceeding these guidelines has decreased since the previous assessment. Further monitoring and research are required to assess trends and health effects of emerging contaminants. Infant development studies have shown possible subtle effects of prenatal exposure to heavy metals and some POPs on immune system function and neurodevelopment. New data suggest important beneficial effects on brain development for Inuit infants from some country food nutrients. The most successful risk communication processes balance the risks and benefits of a diet of country food through input from a variety of regional experts and the community, to incorporate the many socio-cultural and economic factors to arrive at a risk management decision that will be the most beneficial in Arctic communities.
- Greiner, A., Smith, K.C., and Guallar, E. Something fishy? News media presentation of complex health issues related to fish consumption guidelines. Public Health Nutrition 13(11): 1786-1794, 2010.
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Objective: The news media are an important source of dietary information. Understanding news content, particularly the portrayal of risks and benefits of certain foods, is relevant for effective public health communication. Fish consumption may reduce risk for CVD and aid neonatal development, but recent work shows public confusion about the benefits of fish, challenged by the evidence of mercury and other contaminants in fish. We present an analysis of the messages about fish in US news media over 15 years, identifying trends in coverage and highlighting implications of current messaging. Design: We conducted a descriptive text analysis and coded for manifest content: locality of focus, story frame, reference to studies, inclusion of government guidelines and portrayal of uncertainty. We identified chronological patterns and analysed the data for statistically significant relationships between media source and content. Setting: News stories were selected from five daily newspapers and five television networks (1993-2007). Subjects: We analysed 310 health-related news stories on fish. Results: Risk messages outweighed benefit messages four to one, and health benefits only became prominent after 2002. No difference existed in coverage topic by news source. Fish consumption has increasingly become a national issue. Conclusions: With the bulk of messages about fish consumption focused on risk, the benefits may be lost to consumers. This gap creates a need for public health to work with news media to more effectively communicate benefits and risks around fish consumption and health and to consider options for communicating tailored information where it can be more readily utilised.
- Adkins, Y. and Kelley, D.S. Mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 21(9): 781-792, 2010.
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Typical omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in the form of fish oils and a linolenic acid from flaxseed oil. Epidemiological studies suggested the benefits of n-3 PUFA on cardiovascular health. Intervention studies confirmed that the consumption of n-3 PUFA provided benefits for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Evidence from cellular and molecular research studies indicates that the cardioprotective effects of n-3 PUFA result from a synergism between multiple, intricate mechanisms that involve antiinflammation, proresolving lipid mediators, modulation of cardiac ion channels, reduction of triglycerides, influence on membrane microdomains and downstream cell signaling pathways and antithrombotic and antiarrhythmic effects n-3 PUFAs inhibit inflammatory signaling pathways (nuclear factor-kappa B activity) and down-regulate fatty acid (FA) synthesis gene expression (sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c) and up-regulate gene expression involved in FA oxidation (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α) This review examines the various mechanisms by which n-3 PUFA exert beneficial effects against CVD.
- Lavialle, M., Denis, I., Guesnet, P., and Vancassel, S. Involvement of omega-3 fatty acids in emotional responses and hyperactive symptoms. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 21(10): 899-905, 2010.
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Biochemical evidence suggests a role for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) in the regulation of behavioral disturbances. A number of studies have revealed an association between reduced n-3 PUFA levels and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or depression. Here, we summarize the main findings regarding the association between n-3 PUFA and hyperactive and emotional disorders, and discuss potential mechanisms of action. Because the basal ganglia are involved in the control of locomotion and emotion, we examined published data regarding the role of n-3 PUFA in dopamine (DA) regulation in the basal ganglia. These results are discussed in the light of recent data from our laboratory suggesting an association between the drop in melatonin in the pineal gland and the increase in DA in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of n-3 PUFA-deprived rodents.
- Bockisch, M. Fish oil – from the bad and the ugly to the precious and good. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology 112(9): 948-960, 2010.
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Fish oil has since long been one of the basic nutrients for many people in the far northern hemisphere. When ships began to travel the open oceans independent from weather conditions, fish oil became a cheap replacement for vegetable oils in many products. Native fish oil was mainly consumed for its vitamin content, as its sensory quality could not match any consumer expectation. The development in medical and nutritional science made the close relationship between health and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids more apparent. First findings evolved half a decade ago from observations with Greenland Inuit. These findings were mainly used to make a link between fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases. Recent research widened the scope and marine omega-3 fatty acids are given a big potential to improve individual and public health.
- Tan, L.T. Filamentous tropical marine cyanobacteria: a rich source of natural products for anticancer drug discovery. Journal of Applied Phycology 22(5): 659-676, 2010.
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A plethora of structurally novel bioactive secondary metabolites have been reported from the prokaryotic filamentous marine cyanobacteria in the past few decades. In addition to the production of harmful toxins, these marine blue-green algae are emerging as an important source of anticancer drugs. The majority of these potent biomolecules, including the dolastatins, curacin A, hectochlorin, the apratoxins, and the lyngbyabellins, belongs to the mixed polyketide-polypeptide structural class. Furthermore, a high proportion of these natural products target eukaryotic cytoskeleton, such as tubulin and actin microfilaments, making them an attractive source of potential anticancer drugs. In recent years, a number of potent marine cyanobacteria have also been reported to modulate cell death and apoptosis in cancer cells as well as target enzymes such as histone deacetylase. A number of marine cyanobacterial compounds have also served as structural templates for the generation of new drug leads, further attesting to the importance of these marine microbes as an important source of new pharmaceuticals. This review serves to highlight the chemistry and biology of selected anticancer marine cyanobacterial natural products exhibiting significant biological activities in the nanomolar or submicromolar range, and their discussion will be based on the different modes of action.
- Fattorusso, E. and Taglialatela-Scafati, O. Marine endoperoxides as antimalarial lead compounds. Phytochemistry Reviews 9(4): 515-524, 2010.
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Malaria, a pathology caused by protozoa belonging to the genus Plasmodium, is one of the major threats to global health, with about 300-500 million new clinical cases occurring every year and 1-3 million annual deaths. The recrudescence in the number of fatal cases registered in recent years can be attributed to the diffusion of multi-drug resistant strains of Plasmodium, which make less effective the limited armamentarium of available drugs. Living organisms are a recognized source of potentially bioactive molecules and, among them, marine natural products are emerging as one of the most interesting sources to be exploited for the discovery of new antimalarial compounds. In this article we will report results obtained for a single class of marine metabolites, namely endoperoxide-containing derivatives. Many of these molecules possess a simple six-membered 1,2-dioxygenated ring bearing two or three alkyl/aryl groups of different complexity. They can be divided according to the group linked at one of the two endoperoxide-oxygen bearing carbons: peroxyketal derivatives (methoxy group) or non-peroxyketal derivatives (methyl/ethyl groups). Molecules belonging to these classes show in vitro antimalarial activity in the nanomolar range on chloroquine-resistant strains. A number of investigations gave insights into the mechanism of action of these molecules, suggesting structural changes to optimize their antimalarial activity.
- Folmer, F., Jaspars, M., Dicato, M., and Diederich, M. Photosynthetic marine organisms as a source of anticancer compounds. Phytochemistry Reviews 9(4): 557-579, 2010.
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Since early human history, plants have served as the most important source of medicinal natural products, and even in the ''synthetic age'' the majority of lead compounds for pharmaceutical development remain of plant origin. In the marine realm, algae and seagrasses were amongst the first organisms investigated by marine natural products scientists on their quest for novel pharmaceutical compounds. Forty years after the pioneering work in the field of marine drug discovery began, the biodiversity of marine organisms investigated as potential sources of anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic compounds has increased tremendously. Nonetheless, marine plants are still an important source of novel secondary metabolites with interesting biomedical properties. The present review focuses on the antitumour properties of compounds isolated from marine algae, phytoplankton, mangroves, seagrasses, or cordgrasses. Compounds produced by marine epi- or endophytic fungi are also discussed.
- Taboada, S., Fernandez, L.F.G., Bueno, S., Vazquez, J., Cuevas, C., and Avila, C. Antitumoural activity in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic benthic organisms. Antarctic Science 22(5): 494-507, 2010.
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A prospecting search for antitumoural activity in polar benthic invertebrates was conducted on Antarctic and sub-Antarctic benthos in three different areas: Bouvet Island (sub-Antarctic), eastern Weddell Sea (Antarctica) and the South Shetland Islands (Antarctica). A total of 770 benthic invertebrate samples (corresponding to at least 290 different species) from 12 different phyla were assayed to establish their pharmacological potential against three human tumour cell lines (colorectal adenocarcinoma, lung carcinoma and breast adenocarcinoma). Bioassays resulted in 15 different species showing anticancer activity corresponding to five different phyla: Tunicata (5), Porifera (4), Cnidaria (3), Echinodermata (2) and Annelida (1). This appears to be the largest pharmacological study ever carried out in Antarctica and it shows very promising antitumoural activities in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic benthos.
- Lloret, J. Human health benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(10): 1640-1646, 2010.
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This paper summarizes the overall benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity to human health and highlights the anthropogenic and environmental causes that are threatening these benefits. First, the Mediterranean Sea is a valuable source of seafood, which is an important component of the so-called ''Mediterranean diet''. This type of diet has several health benefits, including cardio and cancer protective effects, which are attributed to the high intake of seafood-derived n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids. Second, the Mediterranean marine organisms, particularly the benthic ones, have furnished a large variety of bioactive metabolites, some of which are being developed into new drugs to treat major human diseases such as cancer. Third, the Mediterranean coastal areas provide environments for practising maritime leisure activities that provide physical and psychological benefits to users. Despite all this, fishing, tourism, contamination and sea warming are deteriorating this rich marine ecosystem, which needs to be protected to assure human welfare.
- Benkendorff, K. Molluscan biological and chemical diversity: secondary metabolites and medicinal resources produced by marine molluscs. Biological Reviews 85(4): 757-775, 2010.
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The phylum Mollusca represents an enormous diversity of species with eight distinct classes. This review provides a taxonomic breakdown of the published research on marine molluscan natural products and the medicinal products currently derived from molluscs, in order to identify priority targets and strategies for future research. Some marine gastropods and bivalves have been of great interest to natural products chemists, yielding a diversity of chemical classes and several drug leads currently in clinical trials. Molluscs also feature prominently in a broad range of traditional natural medicines, although the active ingredients in the taxa involved are typically unknown. Overall secondary metabolites have only been investigated from a tiny proportion (<1%) of molluscan species. At the class level, the number of species subject to chemical studies mirrors species richness and our relative knowledge of the biology of different taxa. The majority of molluscan natural products research is focused within one of the major groups of gastropods, the opisthobranchs (a subgroup of Heterobranchia), which are primarily comprised of soft-bodied marine molluscs. Conversely, most molluscan medicines are derived from shelled gastropods and bivalves. The complete disregard for several minor classes of molluscs is unjustified based on their evolutionary history and unique life styles, which may have led to novel pathways for secondary metabolism. The Polyplacophora, in particular, have been identified as worthy of future investigation given their use in traditional South African medicines and their abundance in littoral ecosystems. As bioactive compounds are not always constitutively expressed in molluscs, future research should be targeted towards biosynthetic organs and inducible defence reactions for specific medicinal applications. Given the lack of an acquired immune system, the use of bioactive secondary metabolites is likely to be ubiquitous throughout the Mollusca and broadening the search field may uncover interesting novel chemistry.
- Ferraro, V., Cruz, I.B., Jorge, R.F., Malcata, F.X., Pintado, M.E., and Castro, P.M.L. Valorisation of natural extracts from marine source focused on marine by-products: A review. Food Research International 43(9): 2221-2233, 2010.
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The wide chemical and biological diversity observed in the marine environment makes the ocean an extraordinary source of high added value compounds (HAVC) which can be employed in many applications. Minerals, lipids, amino acids, polysaccharides and proteins from marine sources have unique features and, surprisingly, their highest concentration is often found in parts of marine organisms that are commonly discarded. Fish heads, viscera, skin, tails, offal and blood, as well as seafood shells possess several HAVC suitable for human health applications, yet most end up as residues throughout the raw material processing. This review updates information on this issue and conveys critical analysis of the chief methodologies to carry out extraction, purification and eventual transformation, with a focus on their actual and potential applications.
- Tierney, M.S., Croft, A.K., and Hayes, M. A review of antihypertensive and antioxidant activities in macroalgae. Botanica Marina 53(5): 387-408, 2010.
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There has been a significant increase in the occurrence of chronic diseases caused by oxidative stress and hypertension in recent decades. Hypertension is a sustained increase in blood pressure and is a controllable risk factor in the development of a number of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and coronary infarction. As a result, the number of investigations aimed at identification of dietary compounds from natural sources that can be effective in preventing such diseases has increased. Macroalgae, also known as seaweeds or sea vegetables, have been traditionally incorporated into Pacific and Asian foods for hundreds of years and have recently become a popular addition to some Western diets. Macroalgae are classified into three higher taxa according to their pigmentation: brown (Class Phaeophyceae), green (Phylum Chlorophyta) and red (Phylum Rhodophyta). Owing to the harsh environments in which many macroalgae exist, they have developed effective defence mechanisms and, as a result, are a rich source of bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, fatty acids and peptides, with different structures and activities from those found in terrestrial plants. This review explores the potential use of macroalgal species as bioactive ingredients that could be incorporated into functional foods for use in the prevention and/or treatment of hypertension and oxidative stress-related diseases.
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