Nature Environment and Pollution Technology

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Toxicological Analysis of Phthalates from Dust Samples Collected in Selected Philippine Light Rail Transit Stations


Affiliations
1 Department of Biology, CAS, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St., 1000 Manila, Philippines
2 Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis, Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., 1015 Manila, Philippines
3 Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1102, Philippines
 

Phthalates are the most common form of plasticizers. Due to the ease with which phthalates diffuse from their plastics and the sheer volume of plastics that have been introduced to the environment, they represent one of the most ubiquitous and persistent chemicals known. Phthalates are known to have several toxic effects. The study was carried out to identify the phthalates found in the urban dusts that have accumulated from underneath the LRT1 stations at Monumento, R. Papa, and EDSA in Metro Manila, and to determine their embryotoxic potential. The urban dust samples were subjected to solid phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Six phthalates were identified, and the extract was then used in the zebrafish embryo toxicity (ZFET) test. Lethal and sublethal end points were observed in the zebrafish embryos. Low dilutions were found to be highly embryo toxic and a dose-response relationship was seen in dilutions ranging from 1:4 to 1:40. The LC50 of the phthalate mixture was also obtained and found to be 9.188 μg/mL. This study elucidated some of the toxic effects of the phthalates, but further studies must be performed to evaluate the toxicity of the individual phthalates, some of whose effects are relatively unknown.


Keywords

Phthalates, Teratogenicity, Zebrafish, Embryotoxicity.
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Barlow, J., Brown, K., Johnson, J.A.P. and Scofield, L. 2007. Early life exposure to phthalates and breast cancer risk in later years. BCERC COTC Fact Sheet.

  • Bergh, C. 2011. Organophosphates and phthalates in air and dust from indoor environments. Stockholm: Universitetsservice USAB.

  • Chen, J., Liu, H., Qiu, Z. and Shu, W. 2008. Analysis of di-n-butyl phthalate and other organic pollutants in Chongqing women undergoing parturition. Environmental Pollution, 156: 849-85.

  • Chen, X., Xu, S., Tan, T., Lee, S. T., Cheng, S. H., Lee, F. W. W., Xu S.J.J. and Ho, K.C. 2014. Toxicity and endocrine-disrupting activity of phthalates and their mixtures. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(3): 3156-3168.

  • Crinnion, W. J. 2010.Toxic effects of the easily avoidable phthalates and parabens. Environmental Medicine, 15(3): 190-196.

  • European Commission 2014. EURL ECVAM Recommendation on the Zebrafish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test Method (ZFET) for Acute Aquatic Toxicity Testing. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

  • Fang, L. and Miller, Y.I. 2012. Emerging applications of zebrafish as a model organism to study oxidative mechanisms and their role in inflammation and vascular accumulation of oxidized lipids. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 53: 1411-1420.

  • Hallare, A.V., Carino, J.C.E.D and Ruiz, P.L.S. 2014. Assessment of Jatropha curcas L. biodiesel seed cake toxicity using the zebrafish (Daniorerio) embryo toxicity (ZFET) test. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 21: 6044-6056.

  • Hill, A. J., Teraoka, H., Heidemann, W. and Peterson, R.E. 2005. Zebrafish as a model organism for investigating chemical toxicity. Toxicological Sciences, 86(1): 6-19.

  • Kais, B., Schneider, K., Keiter, S., Henn, K., Ackermann, C. and Braunbeck, T. 2013. DMSO modifies the permeability of the zebrafish (Daniorerio) chorion-Implications for the fish embryo test (FET). Aquatic Toxicology, 140-141: 229-238.

  • Li, C., Chen, X., Zhang, P., Lu, Y. and Zhang, R. 2014. Di-(2ethylhexyl) phthalate mediates glycolysis and the TCA cycle in clam Venerupis philippinarum. Invertebrate Survival Journal, 11: 174-181.

  • Liang, D.W., Zhang, T., Fang, H.H. and He, J. 2008. Phthalates biodegradation in the environment. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 80: 183-198.

  • Mankidy, R., Wiseman, S., Ma, Hong. and Giesy, J.P. 2013. Biological impact of phthalates. Toxicology Letters, 217 (1): 5-58.

  • Mayer, F.L. and Sanders, H.O. 1973. Toxicology of phthalic acid esters in aquatic organisms. Environmental Health Perspectives 3: 153-157.

  • Meeker, J.D., Sathyaranayana, S. and Swan, S.H. 2009. Phthalates and other additives in plastics: Human exposure and associated health outcomes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 364: 2097-2113.

  • Net, S., Delmont, A., Sempéré, R., Paluselli, A. and Ouddane, B. 2015. Reliable quantification of phthalates in environmental matrices (air, water, sludge, sediment and soil): A review. Science of the Total Environment, 515-516: 162-180.

  • Peijnenburg, W. and Struijs, J. 2006. Occurrence of phthalate esters in the environment of the Netherlands. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 63(2): 204-215.

  • Rubin, R.J. and Jaeger, R.J. 1973. Some pharmacologic and toxicologic effects of di-2-ethyhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and other plasticizers. Environmental Health Perspectives, 3: 53-59.

  • Selderslaghs, O., van Rompaya, A., de Coen, W. and Witters, H. 2009. Development of a screening assay to identify teratogenic and embryotoxic chemicals using the zebrafish embryo. Reproductive Toxicology, 28: 308-320.

  • Spitsbergen, J.M. and Kent, M.L. 2003. The state of the art of the zebrafish model for toxicology and toxicologic pathology researchAdvantages and current limitations. Toxicological Pathology, 31: 62-87.

  • Sule, M.F. 2013. Indoor and Outdoor Dust in Damaturu Nigeria: Composition, Exposure And Risk to Human Health. Cranfield University.

  • Wang, W., Wu, F.Y., Huang, M.J., Kang, Y., Cheung, K.C. and Wong, M.H. 2013. Size fraction effect on phthalate esters accumulation, bioaccessibility and in vitro cytotoxicity of indoor/outdoor dust, and risk assessment of human exposure. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 261: 753-762.

  • Zhai, W., Huang, Z., Chen, L., Feng, C., Li, B. and Li, T. 2014. Thyroid endocrine disruption in zebrafish larvae after exposure to mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP). PLOS One 9(3): 1-6.

  • Zhou, J., Cai, Z.H. and Xing, K.Z. 2011. Potential mechanisms of phthalate ester embryotoxicity in the abalone Haliotis diversicolorsupertexta. Environmental Pollution, 159: 1114-1122.


Abstract Views: 254

PDF Views: 0




  • Toxicological Analysis of Phthalates from Dust Samples Collected in Selected Philippine Light Rail Transit Stations

Abstract Views: 254  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Arnold V. Hallare
Department of Biology, CAS, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St., 1000 Manila, Philippines
Jan Luis Anton C. Chan
Department of Biology, CAS, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St., 1000 Manila, Philippines
Bea Maria Sarah P. Tan
Department of Biology, CAS, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St., 1000 Manila, Philippines
Peter Yuosef M. Rubio
Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis, Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., 1015 Manila, Philippines
Else G. Dapat
Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1102, Philippines
Allan Patrick G. Macabeo
Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis, Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., 1015 Manila, Philippines

Abstract


Phthalates are the most common form of plasticizers. Due to the ease with which phthalates diffuse from their plastics and the sheer volume of plastics that have been introduced to the environment, they represent one of the most ubiquitous and persistent chemicals known. Phthalates are known to have several toxic effects. The study was carried out to identify the phthalates found in the urban dusts that have accumulated from underneath the LRT1 stations at Monumento, R. Papa, and EDSA in Metro Manila, and to determine their embryotoxic potential. The urban dust samples were subjected to solid phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Six phthalates were identified, and the extract was then used in the zebrafish embryo toxicity (ZFET) test. Lethal and sublethal end points were observed in the zebrafish embryos. Low dilutions were found to be highly embryo toxic and a dose-response relationship was seen in dilutions ranging from 1:4 to 1:40. The LC50 of the phthalate mixture was also obtained and found to be 9.188 μg/mL. This study elucidated some of the toxic effects of the phthalates, but further studies must be performed to evaluate the toxicity of the individual phthalates, some of whose effects are relatively unknown.


Keywords


Phthalates, Teratogenicity, Zebrafish, Embryotoxicity.

References