http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/ The University of Queensland en Fez http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:291314 X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (XANES) was applied to give arsenic chemical form directly in the solid phase of creek sediment and mine waste samples from the Woodcutters Mine site. The XANES fitting data can be compared with existing bioaccessibility and bioavailability (rat animal uptake) data to explain the observed compositions of the mine wastes. The XANES results support that when soil intake was adjusted for bioaccessibility the potential risk estimate to local residents from the mine waste is less significant. 2013-02-12T17:35:54Z Diacomanolis, V. og Ng, J. C. og Harris, H. H. og Aitken, J. og Noller, B. N. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:98048 2007-08-24T00:00:00Z Shraim, A. og Hirano, S. og Yamauchi, H. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:230197 Augmentation of potable water sources by planned indirect potable reuse of wastewater is being widely considered to address growing water shortages. Environmental buffers such as lakes and dams may act as one of a series of barriers to potable water contamination stemming from micropollutants in wastewater. In South-East Queensland, Australia, current government policy is to begin indirect potable reuse of water from reverse osmosis equipped advanced water treatment plants (AWTPs) when the combined capacity of its major storages is at 40% capacity. A total of 15 organic contaminants including NDMA and bisphenol A have been publically reported as detected in recycled water from one of South-East Queensland's AWTPs, while another 98 chemicals were analysed for, but found to be below their detection limit. To assess the natural attenuation in Lake Wivenhoe, a Level III fugacity based evaluative fate model was constructed using the maximum concentrations of these contaminants detected as input data. A parallel aquivalence based model was constructed for those contaminants, such as dichloroacetic acid, dalapon and triclopyr, which are ionised in the environment of Lake Wivenhoe. A total of 247 organic chemicals of interest, including disinfection by-products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, xenoestrogens and industrial chemicals, were evaluated with the model to assess their potential for natural attenuation. Out of the 15 detected chemicals, trihalomethanes are expected to volatilise with concentrations in the outflow from the dam approximately 400 times lower than influent from the AWTPs. Transformation processes in water are likely to be more significant for NDMA and pharmaceuticals such as salicylic acid and paracetamol as well as for caffeine and the herbicides dalapon and triclopyr. For hydrophobic contaminants such as cholesterol and phenolic xenoestrogens such as 4-nonylphenol, 4-t-octylphenol and bisphenol A, equilibrium between water and sediments will not be attained and hence fate processes such as removal in outflow are predicted to become relatively important. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. 2011-02-25T00:00:00Z Hawker, Darryl W. og Cumming, Janet L. og Neale, Peta A. og Bartkow, Michael E. og Escher, Beate I. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:59484 We have utilised the combination of sensitivity and specificity afforded by coupling high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to a tandem mass spectrometer (MS-MS) to produce an assay which is suitable for assaying glutathione (GSH) concentrations in liver tissue. The sensitivity suggests it may also be suitable for extrahepatic tissues, The method has been validated for GSH using mouse liver samples and also allows the assay of GSSG. The stability of GSH under conditions relevant to the assay has been determined. A 20-mul amount of a diluted methanol extract of tissue is injected with detection limits of 0.2 pmol for GSH and 2 pmol for GSSG. The HPLC uses an Altima C-18 (150X4.6 mm, 5 mum) column at 35 degreesC. Chromatography utilises a linear gradient from 0 to 10% methanol in 0.1% formic acid over 5 min, with a final isocratic stage holding at 10% methanol for 5 min. Total flow rate is 0.8 ml/min. The transition from the M+H ion (308.1 m/z for GSH, and 613.3 m/z for GSSG) to the 162.0 m/z (GSH) and 355.3 m/z (GSSG) fragments are monitored. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Norris, RL og Eaglesham, GK og Shaw, GR og Smith, MJ og Chiswell, RK og Seawright, AA og Moore, MR http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:188568 2009-11-30T00:00:00Z Yoshioka, Hidefumi og Lang, Matti og Wong, Garry og Negishi, Masahiko http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:203729 2010-04-20T00:00:00Z Gaus, Caroline og Grant, Sharon og Symons, R http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:162412 An as yet unidentified origin of elevated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) in soil and sediment has repeatedly been described from different locations around the world, including Australia. Natural sources have been hypothesized to account for such contamination, which is characterized by a distinctive dioxin profile, in particular, elevated levels of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (OCDD) as well as relatively low contributions of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The present study investigated whether OCDD formation via anthropogenically derived precursors represents a possible source in such samples. Soil and sediment from Australia and Hawaii were screened for known pesticide derived dioxin precursors. Two pesticide formulations containing pentachlorophenol (PCP), which are well-known to contain predominantly OCDD impurities, were also analyzed. Polychlorinated phenoxyphenols (PCPPs), common byproducts of pesticide production, were detected at parts-per-billion (ppb) levels in two PCP formulations and in five environmental samples. Of particular interest was the presence of the PCPP isomer 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-2-(2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorophenoxy)phenol (nonaC2PP), often also termed predioxin, in these samples. This compound readily undergoes ring closure to form OCDD under a range of conditions and environments. In addition, the pesticide PCP itself, which also represents a potent precursor to OCDD formation and is known to contain OCDD impurities, was detected in some environmental samples. The evidence from this study indicates that pesticides and their impurities play an important role in the dioxin contamination of Australian soils and sediments, as well as other locations with similar PCDD/F patterns. The results further suggest that formation of OCDD from pesticide derived precursors may be a possible past, present, and future pathway for contamination of environmental samples. 2009-01-30T00:00:00Z Holt, E. og Von Der Recke, R. og Vetter, W. og Hawker, D. og Alberts, V. og Kuch, B. og Weber, R. og Gaus, C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:296937 Increased levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) can occur particularly in dust and soil surrounding facilities that recycle products containing PBDEs. This may be the source of increased exposure for nearby workers and residents. To investigate, we measured PBDE levels in soil, office dust and blood of workers at the closest workplace (i.e. within 100 m) to a large automotive shredding and metal recycling facility in Brisbane, Australia. The workplace investigated in this study was independent of the automotive shredding facility and was one of approximately 50 businesses of varying types within a relatively large commercial/industrial area surrounding the recycling facility. Concentrations of PBDEs in soils were at least an order of magnitude greater than background levels in the area. Congener profiles were dominated by larger molecular weight congeners; in particular BDE-209. This reflected the profile in outdoor air samples previously collected at this site. Biomonitoring data from blood serum indicated no differential exposure for workers near the recycling facility compared to a reference group of office workers, also in Brisbane. Unlike air, indoor dust and soil sample profiles, serum samples from both worker groups were dominated by congeners BDE-47, BDE-153, BDE-99, BDE-100 and BDE-183 and was similar to the profile previously reported in the general Australian population. Estimated exposures for workers near the industrial point source suggested indoor workers had significantly higher exposure than outdoor workers due to their exposure to indoor dust rather than soil. However, no relationship was observed between blood PBDE levels and different roles and activity patterns of workers on-site. These comparisons of PBDE levels in serum provide additional insight into the inter-individual variability within Australia. Results also indicate congener patterns in the workplace environment did not match blood profiles of workers. This was attributed to the relatively high background exposures for the general Australian population via dietary intake and the home environment. 2013-04-11T15:11:01Z Hearn, Laurence K. og Hawker, Darryl W. og Toms, Leisa-Maree L. og Mueller, Jochen F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:65832 Forest fires are suggested as a potential and significant source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), even though no studies to date provide sufficient evidence to confirm forest fires as a source of PCDD/Fs. Recent investigations in Gueensland, Australia have identified a widespread contamination of PCDDs (in particular OND) in soils and sediments in the coastal region from an unknown source of PCDD/Fs. Queensland is predominately rural; it has few known anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs, whereas forest fires are a frequent occurrence. This study was conducted to assess forest fires as a potential source of the unknown PCDD/F contamination in Queensland. A combustion experiment was designed to assess the overall mass of PCDD/Fs before and after a simulated forest fire. The results from this study did not identify an increase in Sigma-PCDD/Fs or OCDD after the combustion process. However, specific non-2,3,7,8 substituted lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs were elevated after the combustion process, suggesting formation from a precursor. The results from this study indicate that forest fires are unlikely to be the source of the unknown PCDD contamination in Gueensland, rather they are a key mechanism for the redistribution of PCDD/Fs from existing sources and precursors. 2007-08-15T00:00:00Z Prange, J. A. og Gaus, C. og Weber, R. og Papke, O. og Mueller, J. F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:184287 Passive air sampling was undertaken using polyurethane foam passive air samplers at three types of locations, including indoors (six offices) at buildings in the central business district (CBD) and at a private suburban home (indoor and outdoor) located 9 km from the CBD in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Estrogenic (E-SCREEN—MCF7-BOS) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) (CAFLUX—H4G1.1c2) activity were assessed for samples collected from each of these locations. The samples were tested either as crude extracts (“untreated”) or were subjected to H2SO4 silica gel (“treated”) for each location in order to determine whether chemicals, which are not resistant to this treatment like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, potentially account for the observed activity. In most cases, H2SO4 treatment resulted in a statistically significant reduction of potency for both endpoints, suggesting that chemicals less resistant to treatment may be responsible for much of the detected biological activity in these locations. Estrogenic potency measurements (<0.22–185 pg m−3) were highest in the indoor offices, followed by the indoor suburban home and finally the outdoor suburban home (which was not estrogenic). Total AhR activity for crude extracts (1.3–10 pg m−3) however was highest for the outdoor suburban home site. Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were monitored indoors and outdoors at the suburban home. At that location, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon air concentrations were on average approximately two times higher outdoor than indoor, while AhR potency was five times higher outdoor than indoor. No significant correlation was found between the estrogenic and AhR activity (P = 0.88) for the sites in this study. 2009-09-28T00:00:00Z Kennedy, K. og Macova, Mirsolva og Leusch, Frederick og Bartkow, Michael E. og Hawker, Darryl W. og Zhao, Bin og Denison, Michael S. og Mueller, Jochen F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:200539 Chlorinated pesticide production, use and disposal, has contributed significantly to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contamination in the environment. Global pesticide application has been and continues to be extensive, including those which are known to contain or potentially contain PCDD/Fs. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of pesticides as historical and current sources of PCDD/Fs to the Australian environment by determining their levels in a range of different formulations. PCDD/Fs were detected in all pesticide formulations analysed in this study at concentrations ranging from 0.0081 to 1,000 ng PCDD/F g-1 formulation (0.037 to 2,100 ng PCDD/F g-1 active ingredient), with the highest levels detected in current use pesticides containing pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB). For most pesticides, data on volume of use are not available in Australia. However, using estimates based on market value and use volume trend data, label information and respective application area in Australia, pesticides have the potential to contribute significantly to the current PCDD/F emissions in Australia. 2010-03-24T00:00:00Z Holt, Eva og Vetter, Walter og Symons, Robert og Weber, Roland og Gaus, Caroline http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:271095 2012-03-22T00:00:00Z Escher, Beate I. og Lawrence, Michael og Macova, Miroslava og Mueller, Jochen F. og Poussade, Yvan og Robillot, Cedric og Roux, Annalie og Gernjak, Wolfgang http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:102716 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Muller, R. og Tang, J. og Thier, R. og Mueller, J. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:271071 Herbicide residues have been measured in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon at concentrations which have the potential to harm marine plant communities. Monitoring on the Great Barrier Reef lagoon following wet season discharge show that 80% of the time when herbicides are detected, more than one are present. These herbicides have been shown to act in an additive manner with regards to photosystem-II inhibition. In this study, the area of the Great Barrier Reef considered to be at risk from herbicides is compared when exposures are considered for each herbicide individually and also for herbicide mixtures. Two normalisation indices for herbicide mixtures were calculated based on current guidelines and PSII inhibition thresholds. The results show that the area of risk for most regions is greatly increased under the proposed additive PSII inhibition threshold and that the resilience of this important ecosystem could be reduced by exposure to these herbicides. 2012-03-22T00:00:00Z Lewis, Stephen E. og Schaffelke, Britta og Shaw, Melanie og Bainbridge, Zoë T. og Rohde, Ken W. og Kennedy, Karen og Davis, Aaron M. og Masters, Bronwyn L. og Devlin, Michelle J. og Mueller, Jochen F. og Brodie, Jon E. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:105024 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Watkinson, A J http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:68257 Effluent from a land based shrimp farm was detected in a receiving creek as changes in physical, chemical and biological parameters. The extent and severity of these changes depended on farm operations. This assessment was conducted at three different stages of shrimp-pond maturity, including (1) when the ponds were empty, (2) full and (3) being harvested. Methods for assessing farm effluent in receiving waters included physical/chemical analyses of the water column, phytoplankton bioassays and nitrogen isotope signatures of marine flora. Comparisons were made with an adjacent creek that served as the farms intake creek and did not directly receive effluent. Physical/chemical parameters identified distinct changes in the receiving creek with respect to farm operations. Elevated water column NH4+ (18.5+/-8.0 muM) and chlorophyll a concentrations (5.5+/-1.9 mug/l) were measured when the farm was in operation, in contrast to when the farm was inactive (1.3+/-0.3 muM and 1.2+/-0.6 mug/l, respectively). At all times, physically chemical parameters at the mouth of the effluent creek, were equivalent to control values, indicating effluent was contained within the effluent-receiving creek. However, elevated delta(15)N signatures of mangroves (up to similar to8parts per thousand) and macroalgae (up to similar to5parts per thousand) indicated a broader influence of shrimp farm effluent, extending to the lower regions of the farms intake creek. Bioassays at upstream sites close to the location of farm effluent discharge indicated that phytoplankton at these sites did not respond to further nutrient additions, however downstream sites showed large growth responses. This suggested that further nutrient loading from the shrimp farm, resulting in greater nutrient dispersal, will increase the extent of phytoplankton blooms downstream from the site of effluent discharge. When shrimp ponds were empty water quality in the effluent and intake creeks was comparable. This indicated that observed elevated nutrient and phytoplankton concentrations were directly attributable to farm operations. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 2007-08-15T00:00:00Z Costanzo, SD og ODonohue, MJ og Dennison, WC http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:99235 2007-08-24T00:00:00Z Huston, R. og Noller, B. N. og Sadler, R. og Ng, J. C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:137891 Hazardous air pollutants are present in ambient air as components of complex mixtures a large proportion of which remains uncharacterised in terms of exposure or effect. Current regulatory approaches however focus on relatively few individual components of this mixture, which are sufficiently characterised, for monitoring and potential regulation. Bio-analytical assessments may be undertaken for complex mixtures for specific mechanisms of toxicity. These assessments would provide a screening tool for overall toxic potency. A framework is outlined for the application of a mode of action test battery for these assessments. Passive air samplers which may be deployed over wide spatial scales simultaneously are particularly suited as a screening tool for assessing exposure. A preliminary field study was conducted at five sites in Queensland using semipermeable membrane devices, a type of passive air sampler. These samples were then assessed for overall toxic potency using the umuC assay (genotoxicity) and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Both toxicity units and maximum induction ratios were determined as overall potency estimates. The sum of benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (ΣBaP Eq) was determined for co-deployed samplers. Significant differences were found between some sites using overall potency estimates. A significant correlation was found between toxicity units and the ΣBaP Eq. However, this parameter does not appear to identify the most potent site as assessed bio-analytically suggesting that other non-quantified components may be responsible for observed effect in certain cases. 2008-05-08T00:00:00Z Kennedy, K. og Tang, J. M. og Bartkow, M. E. og Hawker, D. og Macova, M. og Thier, R. og Mueller, J. F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:138384 The National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) guidelines for soil contamination in Australia identify a need to undertake further assessment of the site if the Health Investigation Levels (HIL) are exceeded (NEPC 1999). It was identified (Ng et al., 2003) that the current NEPM’s do not provide accurate close out criteria for mined land. Labile metal species are considered to be more biologically active than non-labile fractions. There are a number of tests for availability of toxic materials from single components and from mixtures (Tessier et al., 1979) and arsenic species in mining wastes (Noller et al., 1997), which are generally based on the assumptions that greater solubility enhances bioavailability. Although the chemical speciation obtained by sequential extractions is often believed to relate to bioavailability, in the absence of bioavailability data it must be assumed that metals and arsenic are 100% bioavailable. In many cases it has been demonstrated that bioavailability of contaminated soil is usually a fraction of 100% (Ng et al., 2003). Absolute bioavailability is measured via animal uptake but is expensive and time consuming. A more practical approach is to use in-vitro PBET (physiologically based extraction test) to determine the bio-accessibility of individual soils. The PBET method has demonstrated good linear correlation with both Sprague-Dawley rats (lead) and with rabbits and monkeys (arsenic) (Ruby et al., 1996). This study uses a combination of bioaccessibility and bioavailability measurements to provide a site-specific human health risk assessment. It focuses on arsenic and lead soil concentrations, at a mine site in Australia after decommissioning and rehabilitation and takes into account an assessment of the reliability of using the PBET approach. 2008-05-14T00:00:00Z Diacomanolis, V. og Noller, B. N. og Ng, J. C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:200841 2010-03-26T00:00:00Z Diacomanolis, Violet og Noller, Barry N. og Sadler, R. og Ng, Jack C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:196570 2010-02-24T00:00:00Z Abu-Bakar, A. og Arthur, D. og Ng, J. og Moore, M. R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:242569 2011-06-22T00:00:00Z Diacomanolis, V. og Ng, J. C. og Sadler, R. og Masaharu, N. og Harris, H. og Noller, B. N. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84654 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Toms, L. L. og Mueller, J. og Mortimer, M. og Symons, R. og Stevenson, G. og Gaus, C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84652 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Toms, L L og Mueller, J og Bartkow, M E og Symons, http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84655 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Toms, L L og Harden, F. A. og Hobson, og Papke, O. og Ryan, Jake og Mueller, J http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:228407 The copper and zinc concentrations in the blood of stabled thoroughbred horses and in Australian Stock Horses mares at pasture, either late pregnant or lactating were determined by an atomic absorption spectroscopic method. The plasma concentration of the trace elements in these apparently normal horses were generally below the "normal" range. The plasma copper, caeruloplasmin copper, whole blood copper and plasma zinc concentrations in the stabled thoroughbreds were 0.76 +/- 0.19 micrograms/ml (n = 82), 0.56 +/- 0.14 micrograms/ml (n = 83), 0.75 +/- 0.18 micrograms/ml (n = 82) and 0.47 +/- 0.09 micrograms/ml (n = 83) respectively. The plasma copper and zinc concentrations of all the brood mares at pasture (pregnant and lactating) were 0.56 +/- 0.20 micrograms/ml and 0.47 +/- 0.11 micrograms/ml (n = 30). The plasma copper concentration of the pregnant group of mares (0.64 +/- 0.18 micrograms/ml; (n = 14) was greater than that of the lactating mares (0.49 +/- 0.21; (n = 16). Variation in the plasma copper concentration was also identified between stabled and farm horses, between horses of different stables and between horses of different ages. The proportion of plasma copper bound to caeruloplasmin was 73 +/- 11.8%. These low concentrations of copper and zinc in the plasma of apparently normal horses are of clinical significance since recent evidence has indicated that copper deficiency appears to promote the development of skeletal abnormalities in foals. An alternative to the use of a single plasma sample to identify the copper or zinc deficient horse was discussed. 2011-02-09T00:00:00Z Auer, D. E. og Ng, J. C. og Seawright, A. A. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:228406 2011-02-09T00:00:00Z Auer, D. E. og Ng, J. C. og Reilly, J. S. og Seawright, A. A. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:297706 Standard protocols are given for assessing metabolic stability in rainbow trout using the liver S9 fraction. These protocols describe the isolation of S9 fractions from trout livers, evaluation of metabolic stability using a substrate depletion approach, and expression of the result as in vivo intrinsic clearance. Additional guidance is provided on the care and handling of test animals, design and interpretation of preliminary studies, and development of analytical methods. Although initially developed to predict metabolism impacts on chemical accumulation by fish, these procedures can be used to support a broad range of scientific and risk assessment activities including evaluation of emerging chemical contaminants and improved interpretation of toxicity testing results. These protocols have been designed for rainbow trout and can be adapted to other species as long as species-specific considerations are modified accordingly (e.g., fish maintenance and incubation mixture temperature). Rainbow trout is a cold-water species. Protocols for other species (e.g., carp, a warm-water species) can be developed based on these procedures as long as the specific considerations are taken into account. 2013-04-15T15:09:38Z Johanning, Karla og Hancock, Gregg og Escher, Beate og Adekola, Adebayo og Bernhard, Mary Jo og Cowan-Ellsberry, Christina og Domoradzki, Jeanne og Dyer, Scott og Eickhoff, Curtis og Embry, Michelle og Erhardt, Susan og Fitzsimmons, Patrick og Halder, Marlies og Hill, James og Holden, Dustin og Johnson, Rebecca og Rutishauser, Sibylle og Segner, Helmut og Schultz, Irvin og Nichols, John http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:138475 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are incorporated into a variety of manufactured products to reduce flammability. Aquatic sediments provide a final sink for persistent organic pollutants such as PBDEs. This is concerning since PBDEs have the potential to bioaccumulate and biomagnify and food intake has been suggested as one of the major routes of human exposure (Wijesekera et al., 2002) with ingestion of aquatic organisms such as fish and shellfish resulting in the highest intake of PBDEs compared to other food groups (Darnerud et al., 2006, Kiviranta et al., 2004). Prior to the current study, no data were available on PBDE contamination in the Australian aquatic environment. However, after finding unexpectedly elevated PBDE concentrations in human milk and blood sera from Australia with concentrations higher than found in Europe but lower than found in North America (Harden et al., 2004, Harden et al., 2005) it was decided to investigate PBDEs in the Australian environment. This study aimed to obtain background data on PBDE concentrations and congener profiles in sediment from samples representing various Australian locations. The sampling plan was designed to allow assessment of PBDE concentrations by salinity and land-use type. 2008-05-15T00:00:00Z Toms, L-M. L. og Mortimer, M. og Symons, R. K. og Paepke, O. og Mueller, J. F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:178595 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are compounds that are used as flame retardants. Human exposure is suggested to be via food, dust and air. An assessment of PBDE exposure via indoor environments using samples of air, dust and surface wipes from eight sites in South East Queensland, Australia was conducted. For indoor air, ΣPBDEs ranged from 0.5–179 pg/m3 for homes and 15–487 pg/m3 for offices. In dust, ΣPBDEs ranged from 87–733 ng/g dust and 583–3070 ng/g dust in homes and offices, respectively. PBDEs were detected on 9 out of 10 surfaces sampled and ranged from non-detectable to 5985 pg/cm2. Overall, the congener profiles for air and dust were dominated by BDE-209. This study demonstrated that PBDEs are ubiquitous in the indoor environments of selected buildings in South East Queensland and suggest the need for detailed assessment of PBDE concentrations using more sites to further investigate the factors influencing PBDE exposure in Australia. 2009-06-17T00:00:00Z Toms, Leisa-Maree L. og Bartkow, Michael. E. og Symons, Robert og Paepke, Olaf og Mueller, Jochen F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:236634 2011-03-15T00:00:00Z Matanitobua, V. og Ng, J. og Noller, B. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:83367 Arsenic is a carcinogen. In Bangladesh, there are over 10 million tube-wells of which about 50% have arsenic concentrations exceeding the WHO recommended guideline value of 10 μg/L for drinking water. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two relatively inexpensive mitigation interventions, three-pitcher filters and dug-wells. A randomised controlled field trial was conducted in Natore. Six Hundred and forty participants, 60 clusters of 47 villages were included in the trial. Two hundred and six participants were selected for the control group, 218 participants for the dug-wells, and 216 participants for the three-pitcher filters. The average arsenic in the drinking water was 128 μg/L in the three-pitcher trial. Twelve months post intervention, about 30% of the filtered water samples were >50 μg/L whereas dug-well water was <10 μg/L. Urinary arsenic speciation by HPLC-ICP-MS was utilised to assess the internal dose of arsenic prior to and during the interventions. One month after the trial, urinary arsenic did not significantly differ between the three-pitcher group and the control group, but the dug-well group was slightly lower compared to the control group. By 12 months there were no significant differences between the treatment groups and the control group. Compliance in the dug-well group was about 20%, and dropped from an initial 84% to 20% in the three-pitcher group. Low compliance was thought to be a major confounder. Our results raise a question about the social acceptability of these intervention technologies and their ultimate health benefit. Large scale watershed management program by utilizing the vast surface water that exists in Bangladesh is a future priority to deliver a better public health outcome. 2007-08-15T10:58:51Z Ng, Jack Chakmeng og Hasnat Milton, Abul og Smith, Wayne og Dear, Keith og Caldwell, Bruce og Sim, Malcolm og Ranmuthugala, Geetha og Lokuge, Kamalini M. og Shraim, Amjad og Huang, Shu-Huei og Moore, Michael R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:167638 We studied villagers with and without diabetes from arsenic-endemic areas and a nearby control site in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, PR China. Water and urinary arsenic were assayed for exposure measurement. Urinary NAG (N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase), a kidney function test, blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, high density lipid and low density lipid were measured. Villagers from endemic areas were found to have higher urinary arsenic concentrations. The NAG results also suggest that chronic arsenic exposure presents a significant adverse impact on the kidney function of villagers in the endemic areas. However, blood glucose levels of diabetes individuals were lower than those from the control site. These observations were validated in rats which were chronically exposed to arsenic in drinking water. The distinct relationship between chronic arsenic exposure and diabetes mellitus requires further investigation. A rodent model is a useful tool for study of this type. 2009-03-14T00:00:00Z Wang, J. P. og Wang, S. L. og Lin, Q. og Zhang, L. og Huang, D. og Ng, J. C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:188488 Synergy between exposure to chemical carcinogens (nitrosamines) and infestation with the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini has been demonstrated in a hamster model of hepatocarcinogenesis (Flavell et al., Carcinogenesis 4:927–930, 1983; Thamavit et al., Carcinogenesis 8:1351–1353, 1987). to elucidate the mechanisms of this interaction we tested the hypothesis that liver parasitism might influence the expression and activity of carcinogen metabolizing enzymes. We found that one, and perhaps more, hamster liver cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes immunorelated to mouse CYP2A5 contributed up to 50 or 60% of the hepatic aflatoxin B1(AFB) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) metabolism, respectively. As inferred from average enzyme activities and from western blot, immunoinhibition, and substrate (coumarin) inhibition analyses, O. viverrini infestation increased the expression of enzymes detectable by anti-CYP2A5 antibody as well as NDEA metabolism in male but not in female hamsters. Immunohistochemical analysis of CYP2A expression by anti-mouse CYP2A5 antibody demonstrated that the O. viverrini-associated increase was not uniformly distributed throughout the lever but occurred in hepatocytes immediately adjacent to areas of inflammation. Immunohistochemical analysis of AFB-DNA adducts in the livers of O. viverrini-infested hamsters treated with AFB showed that the highest levels of adducts were found in the regions of liver where hepatocellular expression of enzymes detectable by anti-CYP2A5 antibody is induced. These results suggest that a high local expression of CYP isozymes in O. viverrini-infested livers could be a contributing risk factor in the development of liver cancers associated with paraitic hepatitis. 2009-11-30T00:00:00Z Kirby, Gordon M. og Pelkonen, Paivi og Vatanasapt, Vanchai og Camus, Anne-Marie og Wild, Christopher P. og Lang, Matti A. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:79589 2007-08-15T00:00:00Z Satarug, S. og Moore, M. R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:63462 This present study was undertaken to assess potential effects of cadmium on CYP4A11 apoprotein in human liver and kidney as detected by Western blotting using a highly specific anti-peptide antibody. Liver and kidney cortex samples were autopsy specimens of 37 individuals (26 mates and I I females) whose ages ranged from 3 to 89 years. All were Caucasians who had not been exposed to cadmium in the workplace. Reduced CYP4A11 apoprotein levels were found in chronic hepatitis samples and in liver samples showing fatty changes. In contrast, increased CYP4A11 apoprotein levels were found in liver samples having higher cadmium content compared to the lower cadmium content samples. Increased CYP4A11 levels were also found in liver samples from female donors, compared to male donors; the difference being attributable to higher female liver cadmium burden. In distinction to liver, lowered CYP4A11 levels were seen in the kidney cortex samples which have high cadmium content, It is proposed here that the difference between the absolute cadmium burden of the liver and kidney samples may be responsible for the different patterns of expression of CYP4A11 in these two tissues. Further, since cadmium exposure may be associated with derangement in blood pressure control, it is interesting to note the possible relationship between altered CYP4A11-dependent production of arachidonic acid hydroxy and epoxy metabolites in kidney cortex and altered control of blood pressure. Our findings provide a possible link between these observations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Baker, JR og Satarug, S og Urbenjapol, S og Edwards, RJ og Williams, DJ og Moore, MR og Reilly, PEB http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:236641 2011-03-15T00:00:00Z Matanitobua, Vitukawalu og Ng, Jack og Chiswell, Barry og Aalbersberg, William og Noller, Barry http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:95936 2007-08-24T00:00:00Z Halford, K. og Noller, B. N. og Sadler, R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84565 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Noller, B. N. og Eaglesham, G. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84567 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Noller, B. N. og Eaglesham, G. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84108 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Bruce, S. L. og Noller, B. N. og Ng, J. C. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:84129 2007-08-14T00:00:00Z Bruce, S. L. og Noller, B. N. og Ng, J. C. og Grigg, A. og Mullen, B.F. og Mulligan, D.R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:105032 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Zalucki, M P og Stewart, A D og Truss, R W og Rajendran, S og Noller, B N http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:102890 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Hasthorpe, A. L. og Noller, B. N. og Sadler, R. og Connell, D. og Woods, N. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:138480 2008-05-15T00:00:00Z Diacomanolis, V. og Noller, B. N. og Ng, J. C. og Sadler, R. og Nomura, M. og Harris, H. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:102889 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Matanitobua, V. P. og Noller, B. N. og Chiswell, B. og Huang, D.S. og Ng, J. C. og Bruce, S. L. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:102878 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Tinggi, U. og Cooper, K. og Noller, B. N. og Sadler, R. og Connell, D. og Golding, G. M. og Ng, J. C. og Seawright, A. A. og Yu, J. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:197083 2010-02-28T00:00:00Z Schmidt, Susanne og Mackintosh, Katrina og Gillett, Rob og Pudmenzky, Alex og Allen, Diane E. og Rennenberg, Heinz og Mueller, Jochen F. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:98960 2007-08-24T00:00:00Z Bartkow, M. E. og Burniston, D og Mueller, J. og Symons, R. http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:101214 2007-08-23T00:00:00Z Gras, J.L. og Mueller, J. og Symons, R. og Burniston, D.