ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3586-3995
Current Organisations
The University of Auckland
,
Cawthron Institute
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1080/13547500500343381
Abstract: A method to quantify induction of vitellogenin (Vtg) mRNA in adult male mosquitofish was developed. Male mosquitofish were exposed to 0, 1, 20 and 250 ng l(-1) 17beta-oestradiol (E(2)) for 4 and 8 days in static exposures, and liver Vtg mRNA and 18S rRNA expression were quantified in duplex RT-PCR. Liver 18S rRNA expression was very consistent among in iduals, and there was a highly significant increase in Vtg mRNA expression after exposure of mosquitofish for just 4 days at 250 ng l(-1) E(2). Lower doses did not induce Vtg mRNA expression even at 4 or 8 days. This method could be used as a rapid test to detect exposure of mosquitofish to oestrogenic chemicals. Further work is needed to determine if increased Vtg mRNA levels in male mosquitofish induce Vtg synthesis, and to determine the usefulness of the method in field s ling.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.03.209
Abstract: Stormwater contaminants are a major source of often neglected environmental stressors because of the emphasis placed on the management of municipal and industrial wastewaters. Stormwater-derived pollutants in sediments from two New Zealand estuaries was characterised by analytical chemistry and bioassays. Contaminants were extracted from sediment using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), recovered and concentrated by solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), selected metals, and musk fragrances. The concentrations of PAHs were below the ANZECC Interim Sediment Quality Guideline values while those of lead and zinc exceeded them in some s les. The sediment extracts containing organic contaminants exhibited acute toxicity in the zebrafish fish embryo toxicity (FET) and teratogenicity, induction of biotransformation (EROD activity), and genotoxicity (comet assay) in zebrafish. The potential of the extracts to interact with endocrine signalling processes was assessed by GeneBLAzer reporter gene bioassays and they exhibited estrogenic, androgenic, and anti-progestagenic activities.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2009
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2009.02.015
Abstract: The site of the 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney Olympic Park (SOP), Sydney, Australia) was contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) prior to remediation in the 1990s. This study investigates the bioactivity of POPs in the sediment and water of wetlands across SOP by in vitro 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalence (TCDDeq) measurement (H4IIE cell line bioassay). Further, it examines whether disturbance of these sediments is likely to mobilise ligands for this receptor into the water column. Exposure to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands was measured in vivo using hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction (EROD) in the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Aqueous TCDDeq ranged from 0.013 to 0.057 pM in SOP wetlands which was significantly (p or=0.05) different to that measured in urban reference sites. Simulated disturbance of small quantities of sediment in water s les significantly (p<0.05) increased the levels of TCDDeq measured in the water. Sediment TCDDeq was correlated to sediment SigmaPAH concentration in 2006 and sediment SigmaPCB, SigmaDDT concentrations and fine sediment grain size in 2005. While fish at one SOP wetland had hepatic EROD activity elevated above the estimated basal level for this species, these were at the lower end of the range measured in urban impacted, non-remediated wetlands. EROD activity was positively correlated with both the sediment SigmaPCB load and aqueous TCDDeq. Increased catchment size was correlated with increased EROD activity suggesting an even spread of POPs throughout the residential areas of the Sydney metropolitan area. The concentration of bioactive POPs in the wetlands of SOP is therefore low relative to urban reference sites demonstrating the ongoing success of the remediation program.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-03-2023
Abstract: Coastal areas provide important ecological services to populations accessing, for ex le, tourism services, fisheries, minerals and petroleum. Coastal zones worldwide are exposed to multiple stressors that threaten the sustainability of receiving environments. Assessing the health of these valuable ecosystems remains a top priority for environmental managers to ensure the key stressor sources are identified and their impacts minimized. The objective of this review was to provide an overview of current coastal environmental monitoring frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region. This large geographical area includes many countries with a range of climate types, population densities and land uses. Traditionally, environmental monitoring frameworks have been based on chemical criteria set against guideline threshold levels. However, regulatory organizations are increasingly promoting the incorporation of biological effects-based data in their decision-making processes. Using a range of ex les drawn from across the region, we provide a synthesis of the major approaches currently being applied to examine coastal health in China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, we discuss some of the challenges and investigate potential solutions for improving traditional lines of evidence, including the coordination of regional monitoring programs, the implementation of ecosystem-based management and the inclusion of indigenous knowledge and participatory processes in decision-making.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-01-2006
DOI: 10.1007/S00244-005-1040-5
Abstract: Feral mosquitofish living in undiluted treated municipal sewage in Queensland, Australia, were examined for morphologic abnormalities indicative of reproductive dysfunction. Male and female mosquitofish were captured at two sites receiving undiluted treated sewage and compared with those captured at a reference site. Several morphologic end points were examined, including length of the fourth and sixth anal fin rays and gonadal histology. Both male and female mosquitofish at one site exhibited minor elongation of the fourth anal fin ray consistent with exposure to androgenic stimulation, although the spatial extent of the effect was limited and not significant at other sites further downstream. No incidences of intersex were found. These findings suggest that the level of treatment of domestic sewage at the two sewage treatment plants assessed is adequate to prevent reproductive abnormalities in exposed mosquitofish populations.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-09-2019
DOI: 10.1002/IEAM.4180
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.10.148
Abstract: There are over 40,000 chemical compounds registered for use in Australia, and only a handful are monitored in the aquatic receiving environments. Their effects on fish species in Australia are largely unknown. Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were s led from six river sites in Southeast Queensland identified as at risk from a range of pollutants. The sites selected were downstream of a wastewater treatment plant discharge, a landfill, two agricultural areas, and two sites in undeveloped reaches within or downstream of protected lands (national parks). Vitellogenin analysis, histopathology of liver, kidney and gonads, morphology of the gonopodium, and chemical body burden were measured to characterize fish health. Concentrations of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in water were analyzed by in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis. Estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, anti-androgenic, progestagenic and anti-progestagenic activities and TrOCs were detected in multiple water s les. Several active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), industrial compounds, pesticides and other endocrine active compounds were detected in fish carcasses at all sites, ranging from <4-4700ng/g wet weight, including the two undeveloped sites. While vitellogenin protein was slightly increased in fish from two of the six sites, the presence of micropollutants did not cause overt sexual endocrine disruption in mosquitofish (i.e., no abnormal gonads or gonopodia). A correlation between lipid accumulation in the liver with total body burden warrants further investigation to determine if exposure to low concentrations of TrOCs can affect fish health and increase stress on organs such as the liver and kidneys via other mechanisms, including disruption of non-sexual endocrine axes involved in lipid regulation and metabolism.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.CBPC.2005.12.010
Abstract: Chemicals released into the environment by anthropogenic activities have been linked to estrogenic or androgenic effects in exposed wildlife, and there is a need to develop and validate rapid and cost-effective methods to quantify the total estrogenic and androgenic activity of environmental water s les. In this study, estrogen receptors (ER) were isolated from sheep (Ovis aries) uteri and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) livers and androgen receptors (AR) were isolated from rainbow trout brains. The isolated receptors were used in competitive receptor binding assays to test the affinity of known estrogenic and androgenic chemicals for the receptor binding site, and results were compared with literature values for the rat uterine ER binding assay and the E-Screen. The relative binding affinities of the tested compounds to ER from different species were similar, and binding to the ER was a more responsive endpoint than the cellular effect measured in the E-Screen. Using the sheep ER binding assay in combination with solid-phase extraction, the estrogenic activity in a raw sewage s le from a municipal treatment plant in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) was measured at 51-73 ng/L estradiol equivalents (EEq).
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2007.02.057
Abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a fugacity-based analysis of the fate of selected industrial compounds (alkylphenols and phthalates) with endocrine disrupting properties in a conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant (WWTP A) in South East Queensland, Australia. Using mass balance principles, a fugacity model was developed for correlating and predicting the steady-state-phase concentrations, the process stream fluxes, and the fate of four phthalates and four alkylphenols in WWTP A. Input data are the compound's physicochemical properties, measured concentrations and the plant's operating design and parameters. The relative amounts of chemicals that are likely to be volatilized, sorbed to sludge, biotransformed, and discharge in the effluent water was determined. Since it was difficult to predict biotransformation, measured concentrations were used to calibrate the model in terms of biotransformation rate constant. Results obtained by applying the model for the eight compounds showed <40% differences between most of the estimated and measured data from WWTP A. All eight compounds that were modelled in this study had high removal efficacy from WWTP A. Apart from benzyl butyl phthalate and bisphenol A, the majority is removed via biotransformation followed by a lesser proportion removed with the primary sludge. Fugacity analysis provides useful insight into compound fate in a WWTP and with further calibration and validation the model should be useful for correlative and predictive purposes.
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 21-06-2005
DOI: 10.1021/ES0484303
Abstract: The estrogenicity profile of domestic sewage during treatment at a medium-sized (3800 EP) advanced biological nutrient removal plant in Queensland, Australia, was characterized using a sheep estrogen receptor binding assay (ERBA) and the MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation assay (E-Screen). The raw influent was highly estrogenic (20-54 ng/L EEq), and primary treatment resulted in a slight increase in estrogenicity that was detected in one of the assays (6-80 ng/L). Concurrent chemical analysis suggested that most of the estrogenicity in the influent was due to natural hormones (>48%). Secondary activated sludge treatment followed by nitrification/denitrification effectively removed > 95% of the estrogenic activity (to <0.75-2.6 ng/L), and estrogenicity of the final tertiary-treated effluent was below the detection limit of both assays (<0.75 ng/L).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1897/09-027.1
Abstract: The present study assessed contamination and toxicity of sediments from seven remediated and remnant wetland sites within Sydney Olympic Park, Australia, and four unremediated sites adjacent to its boundary using chemical analysis and a luminescent bacterial biosensor assay (Escherichia coli). Concentrations of metals (Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, and As) and persistent organic chemicals (DDT and its metabolites, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans) in sediments and their pore-water s les were determined. Zinc concentrations were the highest of the metals in the sediments (84-618 mg/kg), and at eight sites, metal concentrations in sediments exceeded the Australian ecological trigger values for Pb, Zn, and Ni. Concentrations of organic contaminants in the sediments exceeded the trigger values at all 11 sites for DDTs, at 6 sites for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 5 sites for polychlorinated biphenyls. Sediment s les from the four unremediated sites outside the Sydney Olympic Park had dioxin concentrations greater than 200 pg (toxic equivalency per gram). The same four sites were identified as contaminated in pore-water toxicity tests with the luminescent biosensor, generally consistent with the bioavailable fractions of the contaminants (pore-water and Tenax extraction data), as well as dioxin levels, in the sediments. Preliminary toxicity identification and evaluation tests of the pore water from the four sites outside the park demonstrated that organic contaminants were the main cause of toxicity to E. coli, with no evidence that metals contributed to the toxicity of the pore water.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.AQUATOX.2017.02.008
Abstract: In Australia, trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) and endocrine active compounds (EACs) have been detected in rivers impacted by sewage effluent, urban stormwater, agricultural and industrial inputs. It is unclear whether these chemicals are at concentrations that can elicit endocrine disruption in Australian fish species. In this study, native rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) and introduced invasive (but prevalent) mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were exposed to the in idual compounds atrazine, estrone, bisphenol A, propylparaben and pyrimethanil, and mixtures of compounds including hormones and personal care products, industrial compounds, and pesticides at environmentally relevant concentrations. Vitellogenin (Vtg) protein and liver Vtg mRNA induction were used to assess the estrogenic potential of these compounds. Vtg expression was significantly affected in both species exposed to estrone at concentrations that leave little margin for safety (p<0.001). Propylparaben caused a small but statistically significant 3× increase in Vtg protein levels (p=0.035) in rainbowfish but at a concentration 40× higher than that measured in the environment, therefore propylparaben poses a low risk of inducing endocrine disruption in fish. Mixtures of pesticides and a mixture of hormones, pharmaceuticals, industrial compounds and pesticides induced a small but statistically significant increase in plasma Vtg in rainbowfish, but did not affect mosquitofish Vtg protein or mRNA expression. These results suggest that estrogenic activity represents a low risk to fish in most Australian rivers monitored to-date except for some species of fish at the most polluted sites.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.ECOENV.2005.07.020
Abstract: Raw sewage and sewage at various stages of treatment were s led from 15 municipal sewage treatment plants in south Queensland (Australia) and Canterbury (New Zealand). Estrogenic and androgenic activities were determined with sheep estrogen receptor and rainbow trout androgen receptor binding assays, respectively. Selected estrogenic chemicals were also analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The raw sewage influents contained significant levels of both estrogenic (<4-185 ng/L estradiol equivalents) and androgenic (1920-9330 ng/L testosterone equivalents) activity. Subsequent treatment of raw sewage successfully removed most of the activity so that the estrogenicity and androgenicity associated with the final effluents were very low (<1-4.2 ng/L estradiol equivalents and 99% of the estrogenic activity and 82% to >99% of the androgenic activity in sewage.
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 15-05-2010
DOI: 10.1021/ES903899D
Abstract: Bioassays are well established in the pharmaceutical industry and single compound analysis, but there is still uncertainty about their usefulness in environmental monitoring. We compared the responses of five bioassays designed to measure estrogenic activity (the yeast estrogen screen, ER-CALUX, MELN, T47D-KBluc, and E-SCREEN assays) and chemical analysis on extracts from four different water sources (groundwater, raw sewage, treated sewage, and river water). All five bioassays displayed similar trends and there was good agreement with analytical chemistry results. The data from the ER-CALUX and E-SCREEN bioassays were robust and predictable, and well-correlated with predictions from chemical analysis. The T47D-KBluc appeared likewise promising, but with a more limited s le size it was less compelling. The YES assay was less sensitive than the other assays by an order of magnitude, which resulted in a larger number of nondetects. The MELN assay was less predictable, although the possibility that this was due to laboratory-specific difficulties cannot be discounted. With standardized bioassay data analysis and consistency of operating protocols, bioanalytical tools are a promising advance in the development of a tiered approach to environmental water quality monitoring.
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1039/B910524G
Abstract: Organic and inorganic contamination was assessed for sediments from wetlands and water bodies within the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP, remediated sites) and its surroundings (unremediated sites) and urban reference sites in the Sydney Basin. Among the seven elements analysed (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn), Zn concentrations were the highest, followed by Pb, Cu and Cr in the sediments of SOP. Significantly higher concentrations (p 0.05) in concentrations were found for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as DDTs between sediments from SOP and the urban reference sites. Source indicators suggest that PAHs in the sediments originated from combustion processes. Two distinct groups of dioxin profiles were observed within SOP and its surroundings. Levels of dioxins were more than 100 pg WHO-TEQ/g dry weight of sediment at five sites adjacent to the SOP boundaries. Based on the findings of the chemical profiles of the contaminants, the remediated sites in SOP can be regarded as similar to the urban reference sites within the Sydney Basin, while the adjacent unremediated sites have higher concentrations, especially of dioxins, that could still affect organisms in the aquatic environment.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 15-02-2006
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2005.02.027
Abstract: We report the results of a recent survey of the concentration of natural estrogens (17beta-estradiol, 17alpha-estradiol, estrone, estriol) and the synthetic estrogen, 17alpha-ethynylestradiol in representative animal wastes and sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Dairy farm effluent s les showed high levels of estradiol (19-1360 ng/L) and its breakdown product estrone (41-3123 ng/L) compared with piggery or goat farm effluents. The combined load for these estrogens (excluding beta epimer) varied from 60 to >4000 ng/L. The piggery effluent provided the lowest total estrogen load (46 ng/L), with estrone accounting for nearly 60% of the measured estrogens in this s le. The synthetic analogue, 17alpha-ethynylestradiol was detected only in one wastewater treatment plant s le, albeit at trace level. An estrogen receptor competitive binding assay was used to test the biological activity of the s les and confirmed that most agricultural waste s les contain high levels of estrogenic compounds. The potential of these wastes to cause endocrine disruption in the receiving ecosystem is unknown at present.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-07-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-014-3235-7
Abstract: Studies on endocrine disruption in Australia have mainly focused on wastewater effluents. Limited knowledge exists regarding the relative contribution of different potential sources of endocrine active compounds (EACs) to the aquatic environment (e.g., pesticide run-off, animal farming operations, urban stormwater, industrial inputs). In this study, 73 river sites across mainland Australia were s led quarterly for 1 year. Concentrations of 14 known EACs including natural and synthetic hormones and industrial compounds were quantified by chemical analysis. EACs were detected in 88 % of s les (250 of 285) with limits of quantification (LOQ) ranging from 0.05 to 20 ng/l. Bisphenol A (BPA LOQ = 20 ng/l) was the most frequently detected EAC (66 %) and its predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) was exceeded 24 times. The most common hormone was estrone, detected in 28 % of s les (LOQ = 1 ng/l), and the PNEC was also exceeded 24 times. 17α-Ethinylestradiol (LOQ = 0.05 ng/l) was detected in 10 % of s les at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.17 ng/l. It was detected in many s les with no wastewater influence, and the PNEC was exceeded 13 times. In parallel to the chemical analysis, endocrine activity was assessed using a battery of CALUX bioassays. Estrogenic activity was detected in 19 % (53 of 285) of s les (LOQ = 0.1 ng/l 17β-estradiol equivalent EEQ). Seven s les exhibited estrogenic activity (1-6.5 ng/l EEQ) greater than the PNEC for 17β-estradiol. Anti-progestagenic activity was detected in 16 % of s les (LOQ = 8 ng/l mifepristone equivalents MifEQ), but the causative compounds are unknown. With several compounds and endocrine activity exceeding PNEC values, there is potential risk to the Australian freshwater ecosystems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.ENVINT.2007.01.008
Abstract: Chemical (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-MS) and biological (E-Screen assay) analyses were used to determine the concentrations of 15 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and estrogen equivalent (EEq) in grab and passive s les from five municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in South East Queensland, Australia. EEq concentrations derived by E-Screen assays for the grab s les were between 108-356 ng/L for the influents and 99%. The efficiency of the WWTPs in removing estrogenic activity was > 95%. The EEqs of the E-Screen and those calculated from the results of extensive chemical analyses using the estradiol equivalency factors were comparable for most of the WWTPs s les.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2014
Abstract: Trace organic contaminant (TrOC) studies in Australia have, to date, focused on wastewater effluents, leaving a knowledge gap of their occurrence and risk in freshwater environments. This study measured 42 TrOCs including industrial compounds, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals and personal care products by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry at 73 river sites across Australia quarterly for 1 yr. Trace organic contaminants were found in 92% of s les, with a median of three compounds detected per s le (maximum 18). The five most commonly detected TrOCs were the pharmaceuticals salicylic acid (82%, maximum = 1530 ng/L), paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen 45%, maximum = 7150 ng/L), and carbamazepine (27%, maximum = 682 ng/L), caffeine (65%, maximum = 3770 ng/L), and the flame retardant (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (44%, maximum = 184 ng/L). Pesticides were detected in 28% of the s les. To determine the risk posed by the detected TrOCs to the aquatic environment, hazard quotients were calculated by iding the maximum concentration detected for each compound by the predicted no-effect concentrations. Three of the 42 compounds monitored (the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole and the herbicide simazine) had a hazard quotient >1, suggesting that they may be causing adverse effects at the most polluted sites. A further 10 compounds had hazard quotients >0.1, indicating a potential risk these included four pharmaceuticals, three personal care products, and three pesticides. Most compounds had hazard quotients significantly <0.1. The number of TrOCs measured in this study was limited and further investigations are required to fully assess the risk posed by complex mixtures of TrOCs on exposed biota.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-09-2010
DOI: 10.1007/S10646-010-0544-6
Abstract: To investigate potential high organisational level impacts of persistent organic pollution in the wetlands in the Sydney Olympic Park (SOP) remediated site, the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of seven wetlands within SOP and two off-site reference wetlands were examined. Sediment cores were collected, stained and preserved from each study site and the macroinvertebrates identified to the appropriate taxonomic level (Class, Order, Family, Subfamily). Data were analysed for taxon richness and macroinvertebrate abundance and multivariate techniques were used to identify chemical hysical characteristics of the sediment, which were important influences on the differences in the assemblage between study sites. Macroinvertebrate abundance was highly variable between study sites and taxon richness was low across all sites. Oligochaetes, nematodes, ostracods and chironomids were the most common taxa found and were the most important in influencing differences between the macroinvertebrate assemblages among the study sites. Sediment grain size and chemical characteristics of the sediments (ΣPAH, ΣPCB, TCDDeq and heavy metal concentrations) were important in separating the study sites based on taxon richness and abundance. Canonical correspondence analysis separated the macroinvertebrate assemblages at newly two created wetlands from those at other study sites including the urban reference sites. Increased sediment POP contamination (particularly as measured TCDDeq and ΣDDT concentrations) is a likely contributor in excluding pollution sensitive taxa and, therefore, alterations to benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Further, the influence of TOC suggests the significance of catchment inputs in contributing to changes in macroinvertebrate assemblage. The SOP remediation led to the establishment of wetlands with benthic communities representative of those expected in urban wetlands.
Start Date: 2018
End Date: 2021
Funder: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
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