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Biosensors: A Biotechnological Tool for Monitoring Environmental Pollution
Published in Rouf Ahmad Bhat, Moonisa Aslam Dervash, Khalid Rehman Hakeem, Khalid Zaffar Masoodi, Environmental Biotechnology, 2022
Irteza Qayoom, Zulaykha Khurshid Dijoo, Mehvish Hameed
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants present in the environment even though their production was banned several years ago. PCBs have several deleterious health effects including being carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunotoxic (Chiu et al., 1995; Encarnaçâo et al., 2019). Different biosensor configurations have been designed to determine the presence of PCBs in the environment quantitatively (Figure 12.1). Few of them are DNA biosensor with chronopotentiometric detection (Marrazza et al., 1999), immunosensors with electrochemical (Del Carlo et al., 1997), SPR (Shimomura et al., 2001) and fluorescence (Zhao et al., 1995; Endo et al., 2005) detection principles.
Sea: Pollution
Published in Brian D. Fath, Sven E. Jørgensen, Megan Cole, Managing Water Resources and Hydrological Systems, 2020
Pollution is the release of harmful environmental contaminants, or the substances so released. Generally, the process needs to result from human activity to be regarded as pollution. Even relatively benign products of human activity are liable to be regarded as pollution, if they precipitate negative effects later on. The different forms of pollution are as follows: air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, noise pollution, light pollution, and thermal pollution. Chemical pollutants can be natural substances (organic and mineral matter), or synthetic degradable or non-degradable substances (plastics, pesticides). They can be toxic or not with varying endurance. For example, in humans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) play a part in causing breast, lung, liver, and colon cancers. It can cause retardations in neurological development and growth. Persistent organic pollutants, drugs and their metabolites, and brominated organic compounds are concentrated in soft tissue of marine organisms and other filters, and they can develop typhoid, hepatitis, and other illnesses if they are ingested.[1–3]
Environmental Health
Published in Lorris G. Cockerham, Barbara S. Shane, Basic Environmental Toxicology, 2019
Camille J. George, William J. George
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of compounds that for over 60 years, have been used as insulating fluids, hydraulic and lubricating fluids, heat exchange fluids, and additives in adhesive inks and paints. The very properties that made PCBs attractive to industry, such as resistance to fire and persistence in the environment, are the same properties that have resulted in their toxicological problems. Mixtures of these persistent compounds which are contaminated with other agents have been shown to produce adverse organ and system effects on a variety of animal models. Since the mid 1970s production and use of PCBs have been curtailed due to their chronic toxicity and concern about their environmental persistence. Due to the lipophilic and hydrophobic nature of these compounds, they tend to bioaccumulate in living tissues and the food chain (George et al., 1988).
Understanding the effect of oil on phytoremediation of PCB co-contamination in transformer oil using Chromolaena odorata
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2021
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of anthropogenic organic compounds that is persistent in the environment causing its bio-accumulative phenomenon that enables the contaminant to be found in every part of the environment. PCB is commercially produced by direct chlorination of biphenyls (Ficko et al.2011). A good commercial form of PCB is Aroclor 1254 and 1260, although other brand names exist (Cogliano 1998; Larsson et al.2000). Various negative health effects in humans, as well as the animals, are linked to PCB compounds, this calls for urgent action on how the compound can be removed from the environment (Zeeb et al.2006). The physicochemical properties of PCB compounds is dependent on the nature of the congeners, howver the compound is unreactive to acids, bases, and to various reaction that be initiated by man. PCBs are thermally stable, excellent electrical insulators, sparingly soluble in water and have low flammability (Andersson 2000; Anyasi and Atagana 2011). These characteristics enable the compound to be used in various industrial applications, which include liquid components of transformers, capacitors, heat exchangers, and vacuum pumps. The mixtures of PCB have also been used in open systems, such as plasticizers, drinking solvents, waterproofing agents, sealing liquids, fire retardants, and pesticides (De Voogt and Brinkman, 1989; Safe 1994; Geisy and Kinnan 1998; Van Den Berg et al.1998).
Bentonite addition to a PCB-contaminated sandy soil improved the growth and phytoremediation efficiency of Zea mays L. and Alternanthera sessilis L.
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2020
Maryam Salimizadeh, Mehran Shirvani, Hossein Shariatmadari, Mohammad Seddiq Mortazavi
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons used in a variety of industries because of their excellent dielectric properties and resistance to heat and chemical degradation (Erickson and Kaley 2011). Despite the ban on the production and application of PCBs in many countries since the early 1970s, the total global production of PCBs has already exceeded 1.3 million tons (Breivik et al. 2002). A significant amount of PCBs has been released into the environment worldwide due to spills and improper transport, storage, and disposal of PCB-containing products or wastes (Nogales et al. 1999). For example, it has been estimated that one-third of the total USA production of PCBs (∼1.4 × 109 lb) has been released into the environment (Hutzinger and Veerkamp 1981). PCBs are also currently released into the environment from poorly maintained landfills containing PCB waste materials and products, municipal and industrial incineration of refuse and wastes, improper dumping of PCB materials into open areas, and leaks from electrical transformers (USEPA 2014). PCBs are extremely persistent in the environment and potentially toxic to humans and other organisms (Carpenter 2006). Exposure to PCBs can contribute to the induction of a variety of adverse health effects in animals and humans, including neurological disorders, immunotoxic effects, reproductive anomalies, and auditory deficits (Powers et al. 2009).
Effects of PCB-77 in adult zebrafish after exposure during early life stages
Published in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 2019
Carla Quintaneiro, Amadeu M. V. M. Soares, Diana Costa, Marta S. Monteiro
The main evidence suggesting that exposure to environmental chemicals can lead to disruption of endocrine function comes from changes seen in a number of wildlife species. Persistent organic pollutants, such as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are of major concern for human and ecosystem health because of their high degree of persistence and bioaccumulation in food webs.[1,2] Despite their ban in the 1970s, PCBs are common pollutants of the aquatic environment and are still being detected in wildlife worldwide[3–5] representing a global health risk to aquatic biota.[3,6,7] These environmental contaminants are known to cause endocrine alterations in wildlife species, namely by impairing fish thyroid, steroid hormone systems and gonadal histopathology.[5,8] Besides the effects on reproduction observed in laboratorial studies,[9] PCBs are also responsible for a number of adverse health effects including teratogenesis, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenesis and behavior alterations.[6,10,11]