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An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Tamara Grummt passed away on January 26, 2020 in Oelsnitz/Vogtland, Germany. Tamara was one of the scientific pioneers in the field of environmental toxicology, namely genotoxicity and hygiene of drinking and bathing waters. Her passing is not only a great loss to environmental research and to the global environmental toxicology community—we have lost an outstanding personality with the heart in the right place, who has become, for many of us, a wonderful friend.

International audience; The reclamation and disinfection of waters impacted by human activities (e.g., wastewater effluent discharges) are of growing interest for various applications but has been associated with the formation of toxic nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs). Monochloramine used as an alternative disinfectant to chlorine can be an additional source of nitrogen in the formation of N-DBPs. Individual toxicity assays have been performed on many DBPs, but few studies have been conducted with complex mixtures such as wastewater effluents. In this work, we compared the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM) before and after chloramination. The toxicity of chloraminated EfOM was significantly higher than the toxicity of raw EfOM, and the more hydrophobic fraction (HPO) isolated on XAD-8 resin was more toxic than the fraction isolated on XAD-4 resin. More DBPs were also isolated on the XAD-8 resin. N-DBPs (i.e., haloacetonitriles or haloacetamides) were responsible for the majority of the cytotoxicity estimated from DBP concentrations measured in the XAD-8 and XAD-4 fractions (99.4% and 78.5%, respectively). Measured DBPs accounted for minor proportions of total brominated and chlorinated products, which means that many unknown halogenated compounds were formed and can be responsible for a significant part of the toxicity. Other non-halogenated byproducts (e.g., nitrosamines) may contribute to the toxicity of chloraminated effluents as well.

Chronic exposure to drinking water disinfection byproducts has been linked to adverse health risks. The monohaloacetic acids (monoHAAs) are generated as byproducts during the disinfection of drinking water and are cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. Iodoacetic acid toxicity was mitigated by antioxidants, suggesting the involvement of oxidative stress. Other monoHAAs may share a similar mode of action. Each monoHAA generated a significant concentration-response increase in the expression of a β-lactamase reporter under the control of the antioxidant response element (ARE). The monoHAAs generated oxidative stress with a rank order of iodoacetic acid (IAA)bromoacetic acid (BAA) ≫ chloroacetic acid (CAA); this rank order was observed with other toxicological end points. Toxicogenomic analysis was conducted with a nontransformed human intestinal epithelial cell line (FHs 74 Int). Exposure to the monoHAAs altered the transcription levels of multiple oxidative stress responsive genes, indicating that each exposure generated oxidative stress. The transcriptome profiles showed an increase in thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) and sulfiredoxin (SRXN1), suggesting peroxiredoxin proteins had been oxidized during monoHAA exposures. Three possible sources of reactive oxygen species were identified, the hypohalous acid generating peroxidase enzymes lactoperoxidase (LPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent oxidase 5 (NOX5), and PTGS2 (COX-2) mediated arachidonic acid metabolism. Each monoHAA exposure caused an increase in COX-2 mRNA levels. These data provide a functional association between monoHAA exposure and adverse health outcomes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and cancer.

For mixtures of many chemicals, a ray design based on a relevant, fixed mixing ratio is useful for detecting departure from additivity. Methods for detecting departure involve modeling the response as a function of total dose along the ray. For mixtures with many components, the interaction may be dose dependent. Therefore, we have developed the use of a three-segment model containing both a dose threshold and an interaction threshold. Prior to the dose threshold, the response is that of background; between the dose threshold and the interaction threshold, an additive relationship exists; the model allows for departure from additivity beyond the interaction threshold. With such a model, we can conduct a hypothesis test of additivity, as well as a test for a region of additivity. The methods are illustrated with cytotoxicity data that arise when Chinese hamster ovary cells are exposed to a mixture of nine haloacetic acids.

We have used three inbreds of Zea mays in our in situ and laboratory studies in environmental mutagenesis. Inbred W22 plants homozygous for wx-C were used in a study to detect the possible mutagenic properties of 32 pesticides or combination of pesticides under modern agricultural conditions. The large numbers of pollen grains analyzed and the ease in detecting mutant pollen grains enabled us to treat the experimental plants with field recommended rates of pesticides. In a current study we are evaluating the possible mutagenicity of Chicago municipal sewage sludge. We are measuring the frequency of mutant pollen grains in inbred M14 at both the wx-C and wx-90 heteroalleles. These plants were exposed to various concentrations of municipal sewage sludge under field conditions. We have inbred Early-Early Synthetic for five generations and tested this inbred with known mutagens. Early-Early Synthetic is a rapidly maturing inbred growing from kernel to anthesis in approximately 4 weeks and attaining a height of approximately 50 cm. Plants of this inbred have been chronically treated with ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) or maleic hydrazide (MH) under laboratory conditions and forward mutation at the wx locus was measured in the pollen grains. EMS and MH were mutagenic at concentrations of 1 microM and 10 nM, respectively. The concentrations of EMS and MH were calibrated in Early-Early Synthetic to a linear increase in the frequency of forward mutant pollen grains. The construction of a maize monitor for environmental mutagens is currently in progress. This assay will measure forward or reverse mutation at the wx locus in pollen grains, point mutation in somatic cells and will incorporate a cytogenetic endpoint in root-tip cells. Images FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3. FIGURE 5.