[ RadSafe ] TR: The solution to pollution
Colette Tremblay
Colette.Tremblay at ssp.ulaval.ca
Thu Aug 25 09:31:43 CDT 2011
Sorry, the two tables that I did at the end to summarize the information did not show well in the raw text email. All the information is present in the citations, however.
Colette
-----Message d'origine-----
De : radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] De la part de Colette Tremblay
Envoyé : 25 août 2011 10:15
À : Jerry Cohen; The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Objet : Re: [ RadSafe ] TR: The solution to pollution
Hi Jerry,
The Pubmed web site is from the National U.S. National Library of Medicine. It allows to search medical literature, with appropriate keywords. Of course, the original papers must be consulted afterwards. There is a large university library available where I work, so I could do so easily.
I agree that the dose of a pollutant is very relevant to any effect. The papers that I found reported work done with low concentrations of pollutants, in the same order of magnitude that those found in the environment. For example:
Citation from the first paper: Schultz, et al
"Antidepressant pharmaceuticals have been reported in wastewater effluent at the nanogram to low microgram-per-liter range. (...) adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed for 21 days either to a single concentration of the antidepressants FLX (Fluoxetine or Prozac), SER, VEN, or BUP (other related antidepressants), or to an antidepressant mixture. The data demonstrated that exposure to VEN (305 ng/L and 1104 ng/L) and SER (5.2 ng/L) resulted in mortality. Anatomical alterations were noted within the testes of fish exposed to SER and FLX, both modulators of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Additionally, FLX at 28 ng/L induced vitellogenin in male fish-a common endpoint for estrogenic endocrine disruption. Significant alterations in male secondary sex characteristics were noted with single exposures."
Citation from Mennigen, et al
"Environmental SSRI (a class of antidepressants comprising FLX and others) concentrations are as high as 540 ng/L for FLX (Brooks et al., 2003) and 2.5 ug/L for venlafaxine (Metcalfe et al., 2010) and appear to be relatively stable as indicated by similar concentrations for different timepoints at a particular sampling site (Vasskog et al., 2008). Total concentrations of SSRIs in aquatic systems were measured in the range of 840 ng/L (Vasskog Kolpin et al. (2002) analyzed water samples from 139 streams across 30 US states between 1999 and 2000 and reported FLX concentrations as high as 0.012 ug/L, however, with a low frequency of appearance (1.2%). Additional analyses conducted in rivers and streams across Canada and the US reported concentrations of FLX ranging from 13 to 540 ng/L (Metcalfe et al., 2003; Brooks et al., 2003). et al., 2008) to 3.2 ug/L (Metcalfe et al., 2010). (...) In this study, we investigated the effect of two doses of FLX (Fluoxetine), an environmental concentration of 540 ng/L, and 100-times this concentration (54ug/L), on feeding and key metabolic parameters in goldfish. Significant decreases in food intake and weight gain were recorded in goldfish exposed to 54 ug/L FLX. Furthermore a significant decrease occurred in circulating glucose levels in the group exposed to 540 ng/L FLX."
Citation from FOSTER, et al
Fluoxetine has been found in sewage treatment plant effluents and surface waters at concentrations as high as 0.099 mg/L (...) Tadpoles in a laboratory setting were exposed to a low (0.029 mg/L) and a high (0.29 mg/L) concentration of the common SSRI fluoxetine from stages 21 and 22 through completion of metamorphosis. (...) Exposed tadpoles in the laboratory showed delayed development compared with controls when stage was assessed throughout the experiment. Control tadpoles also gained weight faster than treatment tadpoles, which may be explained by reduced food intake. (...) These results indicate that ecologically relevant levels of fluoxetine may cause developmental delays in amphibians
So to summarize the environmental concentrations of antidepressants reported by the authors:
Reported in
pollutant
Environment
Maximum or range of concentrations reported
Schultz
antidepressants
wastewater effluent
nanogram to low microgram-per-liter
Menningen
SSRI
aquatic systems
840 ng/L
Menningen
VEN
environmental
2.5 ug/L
Menningen
FLX
environmental
540 ng/L
Menningen
FLX
139 streams across 30 US states
0.012 ug/L
Menningen
FLX
rivers and streams across Canada and the US
13 to 540 ng/L
Menningen
FLX
rivers and streams across Canada and the US
3.2 ug/L
Foster
FLX
sewage treatment plant effluents and surface waters
0.099 mg/L
And now to summarize the concentrations which were tested and the effects measured:
Authors
pollutant tested
Concentration s
Subject species
Effects observed
Schultz
VEN
305 ng/L and 1104 ng/L
fathead minnows
mortality increase
Schultz
SER
5.2 ng/L
fathead minnows
Anatomical alterations within the testes
Schultz
FLX
28 ng/L
fathead minnows
vitellogenin in males (estrogenic endocrine disruption)
Menningen
FLX
540 ng/L
goldfish
significant decrease in circulating glucose levels
Menningen
FLX
54ug/L
goldfish
decreases in food intake and weight gain
Foster
FLX
0.029 mg/L
Tadpoles
delayed development
Foster
FLX
0.29 mg/L
delayed development
Have a good day,
Colette
Colette Tremblay
Spécialiste en radioprotection
Service de sécurité et prévention
Pavillon Ernest-Lemieux - Université Laval
2325, Rue de la Vie-Étudiante, local 1533
Québec (Québec) G1V 0B1
Téléphone : (418) 656-2131 poste 2893
Télécopie : (418) 656-5617
-----Message d'origine-----
De : radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] De la part de Jerry Cohen
Envoyé : 24 août 2011 17:37
À : The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Objet : Re: [ RadSafe ] TR: The solution to pollution
Hi,
I am unable to open the referenced site, but I would guess that the
concentration levels of pollutant applied in the "effects" research are far
higher than those likely to actually be found in the environment. Our ability to
detect vanishingly low concentrations has outrun our abilty
to assess the health effects at these very low concentrations levels
------- And thats the problem! I believe Paracelsus was right.
Jerry Cohen
________________________________
From: Colette Tremblay <Colette.Tremblay at ssp.ulaval.ca>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Wed, August 24, 2011 6:27:47 AM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] TR: The solution to pollution
Hi,
I did a quick Pubmed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) search, and I found
these papers:
________________________________
Melissa M. Schultz, et al (2011) Selective uptake and biological consequences
of environmentally relevant antidepressant pharmaceutical exposures on male
fathead minnows. Aquatic Toxicology 104 (2011) 38-47
Jan A. Mennigen, et al (2010) Waterborne fluoxetine disrupts feeding and energy
metabolism in the goldfish Carassius auratus. Aquatic Toxicology 100 (2010)
128-137
HANNAH R. FOSTER, et al (2010) CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO FLUOXETINE (PROZAC) CAUSES
DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS IN RANA PIPIENS LARVAE. Environmental Toxicology and
Chemistry, Vol. 29, No. 12, pp. 2845-2850, 2010
________________________________
In all three, negative effects such as estrogenic endocrine disruption
(alterations in the testes and production of egg-yolk protein in males), or
feeding and energy metabolism were observed in fish, and developmental delay was
observed in frogs, following exposure to environmental concentrations of
antidepressants.
Fish and especially amphibians have very permeable skin; populations of
amphibians are declining worldwide. Environmental pharmaceuticals may play a
role in the decline of these populations, along with other pollutants and
habitat destruction.
The problem with "solution to pollution is dilution" is in the proper assessment
of those "designated standards". Some effects which had never been investigated
when the standards were created can indeed affect some organisms. These
standards must change with advancing knowledge.
Colette Tremblay
Spécialiste en radioprotection
Service de sécurité et prévention
Pavillon Ernest-Lemieux - Université Laval
2325, Rue de la Vie-Étudiante, local 1533
Québec (Québec) G1V 0B1
Téléphone : (418) 656-2131 poste 2893
Télécopie : (418) 656-5617
Avis de
confidentialité<http://www.rec.ulaval.ca/lce/securite/confidentialite.htm>
De : Jerry Cohen [mailto:jjc105 at yahoo.com]
Envoyé : 23 août 2011 11:02
À : Colette Tremblay
Objet : Re: [ RadSafe ] The solution to pollution
Colette,
How are the fish and amphibians "affected"? Is there any scientific evidence
to support this?
Reproductive anomalies are always occuring, with or without pollution. Jerry
________________________________
From: Colette Tremblay <Colette.Tremblay at ssp.ulaval.ca>
To: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen at prodigy.net>; The International Radiation Protection
(Health Physics) Mailing List <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Tue, August 23, 2011 6:44:46 AM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] The solution to pollution
I understand that fish and amphibians are affected by the medications in water,
since they actually live in the water. Reproductive anomalies have been
observed.
Colette
Colette Tremblay
Spécialiste en radioprotection
Service de sécurité et prévention
poste 2893
-----Message d'origine-----
De :
radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu<mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu>
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu<mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu>]
De la part de Jerry Cohen
Envoyé : 22 août 2011 17:05
À : The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Objet : Re: [ RadSafe ] The solution to pollution
Many years ago, when I began to work in the environmental health field,
there existed a guideline to the effect, "The solution to pollution is
dilution". In other words, if it could be assured that disposal of any harmful
agent could not result in environmental concentrations above designated
standards, the disposal method could be considered acceptable. Over time, this
approach had apparently been superceded by the "Any is too much" philosophy
where the detectible presence of anything harmful is not acceptable. The ALARA
principle in radiation safety is a manifestation of this type of thinking.
Now, it seems that we have evolved to the next level. I recently noted a
warning from our state Health Dept. to the effect that any disposal of outdated
medications into the sewage system is forbidden. I've tried to imagine a set of
conditions where this practice might conceivably result in some harmful effect,
but I am stumped. When I inquired about the rational, I learned the reason for
this prohibition is because the practice is illegal. OK, ---I give up! Maybe
someone on radsafe has a reasonable explanation.
Jerry Cohen
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