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Purpose: Over the last 60 years, intensification of soil cultivation led to an acceleration of soil erosion and sediment delivery to river systems. In Martinique, this acceleration has led to the remobilization of a toxic insecticide (i.e. chlordecone) used in the 1970s-1990s to control banana weevil. A previous study attributed this accelerated remobilization to the application of glyphosate in plantations from the 1990s onwards. To further unambiguously confirm this link, the identification of soil erosion sources supplied to coastal sediment is essential. Methods: Accordingly, sediment fingerprinting tools were adapted and applied to a coastal sediment core collected in the Galion Bay. Potential source samples (n=37) were collected across the drainage area. Along with the coastal sediment core layers, these samples were analysed for potential tracing properties. The optimal suite of tracers was then selected and introduced into an un-mixing model to quantify their contributions to coastal sediment. Results: Results showed that subsoil (i.e. soil layer < 30 cm depth) and banana plantation soil surface supply the major sources of sediment (49-78% and 12-36%, respectively) to the Galion Bay and that their contributions increased since 2000, in line with chlordecone and glyphosate fluxes. Conclusion: This evolution may be attributed to the higher sensitivity of banana plantations to erosion that may have been enhanced by the glyphosate application leaving the soil uncovered with vegetation and to the contamination of both topsoil and deep soil layers ( < 30 cm) layers with chlordecone due to its vertical transfer along the soil profile and its redistribution across hillslopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background and Aims Chlordecone is a persistent organochlorinated insecticide, extensively used in the French West Indies and has been contaminating the population for more than thirty years. Its potentiation effect on hepatotoxic agents has been demonstrated in animal models. We investigated the relationship between environmental exposure to chlordecone and the progression of liver fibrosis. Methods This study included 182 consecutive patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis whose liver fibrosis was assessed using non-invasive methods. Measured plasma chlordecone concentrations at inclusion were used as surrogate of long-term exposure under steady-state conditions. As the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone is largely determined by the liver, we used a human physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to predict plausible changes in the steady-state blood chlordecone concentrations induced by liver fibrosis. Results With a median follow-up of 27.1 years after the onset of alcohol consumption, we found a significant decrease in the risk of advanced liver fibrosis with increasing plasma chlordecone concentration (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.95 for the highest vs. lowest tertile, p = 0.04). Changes induced by liver fibrosis influenced the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone, resulting in substantial modifications in its steady-state blood concentrations. Conclusion According to this human model of coexposure to alcohol, reverse causality is the most plausible explanation of this inverse association between plasma chlordecone concentrations and progression of liver fibrosis. This study underlines the importance of considering the pharmacokinetic of environmental contaminants in epidemiological studies when biomarkers of exposure are used to investigate their own impact on the liver. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03373396.

Background and Aims: Chlordecone is a persistent organochlorinated insecticide, extensively used in the French West Indies and has been contaminating the population for more than thirty years. Its potentiation effect on hepatotoxic agents has been demonstrated in animal models. We investigated the relationship between environmental exposure to chlordecone and the progression of liver fibrosis. Methods: This study included 182 consecutive patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis whose liver fibrosis was assessed using non-invasive methods. Measured plasma chlordecone concentrations at inclusion were used as surrogate of long-term exposure under steady-state conditions. As the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone is largely determined by the liver, we used a human physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to predict plausible changes in the steady-state blood chlordecone concentrations induced by liver fibrosis. Results: With a median follow-up of 27.1 years after the onset of alcohol consumption, we found a significant decrease in the risk of advanced liver fibrosis with increasing plasma chlordecone concentration (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.95 for the highest vs. lowest tertile, p = 0.04). Changes induced by liver fibrosis influenced the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone, resulting in substantial modifications in its steady-state blood concentrations. Conclusion: According to this human model of coexposure to alcohol, reverse causality is the most plausible explanation of this inverse association between plasma chlordecone concentrations and progression of liver fibrosis. This study underlines the importance of considering the pharmacokinetic of environmental contaminants in epidemiological studies when biomarkers of exposure are used to investigate their own impact on the liver. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03373396. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistent organic pollutant chlordecone massively contaminates water resources of the French West Indies. Hemicryptophanes are cages capable of complexing chlordecone in organic solvents. Here we demonstrate that a hemicryptophane cage is not only able to recognize this pollutant in chloroform but is also efficient for the removal of chlordecone from water. This evidences that, beyond our previously reported proof of concept, this receptor could be apply as a direct and efficient depolluting agent, making it a promising system for applied supramolecular chemistry. A simple pH switch (basic washing) enables the release of chlordecone from the host, under its deprotonated form, allowing the empty supramolecular cage to be recycled and reused. This method for recycling the receptor, is to the best of our knowledge unprecedented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Chlordecone is a highly persistent organochlorine insecticide that was intensively used in banana fields in the French West Indies, resulting in a widespread contamination. Neurotoxicity of acute exposures in adults is well recognized, and empirical data suggests that prenatal exposure affects visual and fine motor developments during infancy and childhood, with greater susceptibility in boys. Objective To assess the associations between pre- and postnatal exposures to chlordecone and cognitive and behavioral functions in school-aged children from Guadeloupe. Methods We examined 576 children from the TIMOUN mother–child cohort in Guadeloupe at 7 years of age. Concentrations of chlordecone and other environmental contaminants were measured in cord- and children’s blood at age 7 years. Cognitive abilities of children were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV), and externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors documented with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by the child’s mother. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between cord- and 7-years chlordecone concentrations and child outcomes using structural equations modeling, and tested effect modification by sex. Results Geometric means of blood chlordecone concentrations were 0.13 µg/L in cord blood and 0.06 µg/L in children’s blood at age 7 years. A twofold increase in cord blood concentrations was associated with 0.05 standard deviation (SD) (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.0, 0.10) higher internalizing problem scores, whereas 7-years chlordecone concentrations were associated with lower Full-Scale IQ scores (FSIQ) and greater externalized behavioral problem scores. A twofold increase in 7-year chlordecone concentrations was associated with a decrease of 0.67 point (95% CI: -1.13, -0.22) on FSIQ and an increase of 0.04 SD (95% CI: 0.0, 0.07) on externalizing problems. These associations with Cognitive abilities were driven by decreases in perceptive reasoning, working memory and verbal comprehension. Associations between 7-year exposure and perceptive reasoning, working memory, and the FSIQ were stronger in boys, whereas cord blood and child blood associations with internalizing problems were stronger in girls. Conclusions These results suggests that cognitive abilities and externalizing behavior problems at school age are impaired by childhood, but not in utero, exposure to chlordecone, and that prenatal exposure is related to greater internalizing behavioral problems.

According to the author, the events surrounding Kepone contributed to the enactment of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and, two years later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibited the use of Kepone in the United States. Wilson examines the underlying factors that led to the establishment of the Kepone factory and the subsequent impact of the poison on both the workers and the natural environment beyond 1975. This book is a detailed documentation of the Kepone Disaster written by Gregory S. Wilson, a professor of history at the University of Akron. [Extracted from the article]

Context: Chlordecone (CLD) and β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) are chlorinated pesticides that coexist as persistent organic pollutants in the groundwater of several countries in the Caribbean, being an environmental issue. This work evaluates theoretically the competitive formation of host–guest complexes pesticides@cyclodextrines (CDs) as an alternative for water purification and selective separation of pesticides. Methods: Quantum mechanical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to achieve information on geometries, energies, structure, and dynamics of guest–host complexes in the gas phase, implicit solvent medium, and in aqueous solutions. Results: DFT studies showed that interactions of both pesticides with CDs are mediated by steric factors and guided by maximization of the hydrophobic interactions either with the other pesticide or with the CD cavity's inner atoms. MD results corroborate the formation of stable complexes of both pesticides with the studied CDs. α-CD exhibited a preference for the smaller β-HCH molecule over the CLD that could not perturb the formed complex. Conclusions: The simulation of competitive formation with γ-CD illustrated that this molecule could accommodate both pesticides inside its cavity. These results suggest that CDs with smaller cavity sizes such as α-CD could be used for selective separation of β-HCH from CLD in water bodies, while γ-CD could be used for methods that aim to remove both pesticides at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlordecone (CLD), a Persistent Organic Pollutant, is still present in water and food chain of the French West Indies (FWI), leading to dramatical public health problems. One of the major issues is the lack of an easy, non‐expensive, sensitive and robust method for the detection of chlordecone to ensure chlordecone‐free water and foods for the residents of the FWI. This study reports on the development of a fluorescent molecular cage that allows a simple and convenient detection of chlordecone in water at environmental concentration. The specific structural features of chlordecone prompted the choice of hemicryptophanes as receptor. First, the size, shape of the cavity, as well as the recognition units, were optimized to identify the most efficient non fluorescent host for CLD complexation. Then, this selected compound was equipped with fluorophores at different positions in order to find the most efficient system for CLD detection by fluorescence. Among the two most promising fluorescent cages, the newly synthesized hemicryptophane with biphenyl moieties allowed the development of a fast, easy, reproducible and cheap procedure to detect CLD in water. Based on its sensitivity and scalability, with modulation of hemicryptophane, concentration, CLD concentrations were estimated over five orders of magnitude (10−2–103 μg/L) including the environmental levels of contamination and the permissible limit for drinking water in the FWI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlordecone (CLD) is an organochlorine pesticide (OCP) that is currently banned but still contaminates ecosystems in the French Caribbean. Because OCPs are known to increase the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), we tested whether chronic low-level intoxication with CLD could reproduce certain key characteristics of Parkinsonism-like neurodegeneration. For that, we used culture systems of mouse midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and glial cells, together with the nematode C. elegans as an in vivo model organism. We established that CLD kills cultured DA neurons in a concentration- and time-dependent manner while exerting no direct proinflammatory effects on glial cells. DA cell loss was not impacted by the degree of maturation of the culture. The use of fluorogenic probes revealed that CLD neurotoxicity was the consequence of oxidative stress-mediated insults and mitochondrial disturbances. In C. elegans worms, CLD exposure caused a progressive loss of DA neurons associated with locomotor deficits secondary to alterations in food perception. L-DOPA, a molecule used for PD treatment, corrected these deficits. Cholinergic and serotoninergic neuronal cells were also affected by CLD in C. elegans, although to a lesser extent than DA neurons. Noticeably, CLD also promoted the phosphorylation of the aggregation-prone protein tau (but not of α-synuclein) both in midbrain cell cultures and in a transgenic C. elegans strain expressing a human form of tau in neurons. In summary, our data suggest that CLD is more likely to promote atypical forms of Parkinsonism characterized by tau pathology than classical synucleinopathy-associated PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Chlordecone is a persistent organochlorinated insecticide, extensively used in the French West Indies and has been contaminating the population for more than thirty years. Its potentiation effect on hepatotoxic agents has been demonstrated in animal models. We investigated the relationship between environmental exposure to chlordecone and the progression of liver fibrosis. Methods: This study included 182 consecutive patients with chronic alcoholic hepatitis whose liver fibrosis was assessed using non-invasive methods. Measured plasma chlordecone concentrations at inclusion were used as surrogate of long-term exposure under steady-state conditions. As the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone is largely determined by the liver, we used a human physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to predict plausible changes in the steady-state blood chlordecone concentrations induced by liver fibrosis. Results: With a median follow-up of 27.1 years after the onset of alcohol consumption, we found a significant decrease in the risk of advanced liver fibrosis with increasing plasma chlordecone concentration (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.34–0.95 for the highest vs. lowest tertile, p = 0.04). Changes induced by liver fibrosis influenced the pharmacokinetic processing of chlordecone, resulting in substantial modifications in its steady-state blood concentrations. Conclusion: According to this human model of coexposure to alcohol, reverse causality is the most plausible explanation of this inverse association between plasma chlordecone concentrations and progression of liver fibrosis. This study underlines the importance of considering the pharmacokinetic of environmental contaminants in epidemiological studies when biomarkers of exposure are used to investigate their own impact on the liver. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03373396. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlordecone is a highly persistent organochlorine insecticide that was intensively used in banana fields in the French West Indies, resulting in a widespread contamination. Neurotoxicity of acute exposures in adults is well recognized, and empirical data suggests that prenatal exposure affects visual and fine motor developments during infancy and childhood, with greater susceptibility in boys. Objective: To assess the associations between pre- and postnatal exposures to chlordecone and cognitive and behavioral functions in school-aged children from Guadeloupe. Methods: We examined 576 children from the TIMOUN mother–child cohort in Guadeloupe at 7 years of age. Concentrations of chlordecone and other environmental contaminants were measured in cord- and children's blood at age 7 years. Cognitive abilities of children were assessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV), and externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors documented with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by the child's mother. We estimated covariate-adjusted associations between cord- and 7-years chlordecone concentrations and child outcomes using structural equations modeling, and tested effect modification by sex. Results: Geometric means of blood chlordecone concentrations were 0.13 µg/L in cord blood and 0.06 µg/L in children's blood at age 7 years. A twofold increase in cord blood concentrations was associated with 0.05 standard deviation (SD) (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.0, 0.10) higher internalizing problem scores, whereas 7-years chlordecone concentrations were associated with lower Full-Scale IQ scores (FSIQ) and greater externalized behavioral problem scores. A twofold increase in 7-year chlordecone concentrations was associated with a decrease of 0.67 point (95% CI: -1.13, -0.22) on FSIQ and an increase of 0.04 SD (95% CI: 0.0, 0.07) on externalizing problems. These associations with Cognitive abilities were driven by decreases in perceptive reasoning, working memory and verbal comprehension. Associations between 7-year exposure and perceptive reasoning, working memory, and the FSIQ were stronger in boys, whereas cord blood and child blood associations with internalizing problems were stronger in girls. Conclusions: These results suggests that cognitive abilities and externalizing behavior problems at school age are impaired by childhood, but not in utero, exposure to chlordecone, and that prenatal exposure is related to greater internalizing behavioral problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biochars (BCs) and activated carbons as a way of sequestering soil-bound pollutants such as chlordecone (CLD) is increasingly being studied. This study aims at assessing the impact of Sargassum BC/AC particle size and Sargassum BC amendment rate on CLD adsorption in Nitisol and in Andosol. Four different types of carbonaceous matrices were tested: Sargasso carbon activated by phosphoric acid (SargH3PO4), Sargasso carbon activated by steam (SargH2O), biochar of Sargasso (Ch Sarg700), and a commercial activated carbon (ORBO™). In a first experiment, CLD contaminated Andosol and Nitisol were amended with 2% of each carbonaceous matrix divided into four particles size classes (< 50 µm, 50–150 µm, 150–200 µm, and > 200 µm). In a second experiment, the contaminated soils were amended with the biochar of Sargasso at five application rates (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2% (w/w)). After a 4-month aging, environmental availability tests were carried out on the soils of both experiments. The results of the first experiment showed that the best reductions of CLD environmental availability were obtained in both soils with the biochar of Sargasso and the ORBO™. More specifically, in nitisol, particle size under 50 µm of biochar of Sargasso and AC ORBO™ showed a CLD environmental availability reduction up to 72 ± 2.6% and 79 ± 2.6%. In Andosol, there was no significant difference between the three particle sizes (< 50 µm, 50–150 µm, and 150–200 µm) of the biochar of Sargasso on the reduction of environmental availability (average reduction of 43 ± 2.5%). The results of the second experiment showed that an amendment rate increase improves the immobilization of CLD. When the amendment rate was increased from 0.25 to 2%, the environmental availability was reduced by 43% in Nitisol and 50% in Andosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study, conducted in the Galion Bay in Martinique, aims to highlight the temporal and seasonal variations of chlordecone contamination (an organochlorine pollutant) in the ambient environment (seawater) and also in the marine organisms in three main coastal marine habitats (mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs). To this end, two methodologies were used to measure and compare the chemical contamination of seawater during 13 months (spot samplings and POCIS technique). In parallel, concentrations of chlordecone and isotopic ratios (C and N) were carried out on marine organisms, collected during two contrasting climatic periods (dry and rainy), to evidence seasonal variations. The results showed that the contamination of seawater displayed significant variations over time and depended on environmental factors such as water flows, which imply dilution and dispersion phenomena. Concerning the marine organisms, the level of contamination varied considerably between the two seasons in seagrass beds with higher levels of contamination during the rainy season. Reef organisms were more moderately affected by this pollution, while mangrove organisms showed a high level of chlordecone whatever the season. Finally, isotope analyses highlighted that bioamplification along marine food webs occurs at each season and each station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Exposure to persistent environmental organic pollutants may contribute to the development of obesity among children. Chlordecone is a persistent organochlorine insecticide with estrogenic properties that was used in the French West Indies (1973–1993) and is still present in the soil and the water and food consumed by the local population. We studied the association between prenatal and childhood exposure to chlordecone and the adiposity of prepubertal children. Methods Within the Timoun Mother–Child Cohort Study in Guadeloupe (French West Indies), 575 children had a medical examination at seven years of age, including adiposity measurements. A Structural Equation Modeling approach was used to create a global adiposity score from four adiposity indicators: the BMI z-score, percentage of fat mass, sum of the tricipital and subscapular skinfold thickness, and waist-to-height ratio. Chlordecone concentrations were measured in cord blood at birth and in the children’s blood at seven years of age. Models were adjusted for prenatal and postnatal covariates. Sensitivity analyses accounted for co-exposure to PCB-153 and pp’-DDE. Mediation analyses, including intermediate birth outcomes, were conducted. Results Prenatal chlordecone exposure tended to be associated with increased adiposity at seven years of age, particularly in boys. However, statistical significance was only reached in the third quartile of exposure and neither linear nor non-linear trends could be formally identified. Consideration of preterm birth or birth weight in mediation analyses did not modify the results, as adjustment for PCB-153 and pp’-DDE co-exposures. Conclusion Globally, we found little evidence of an association between chlordecone exposure during the critical in utero or childhood periods of development and altered body-weight homeostasis in childhood. Nevertheless, some associations we observed at seven years of age, although non-significant, were consistent with those observed at earlier ages and would be worth investing during further follow-ups of children of the Timoun Mother–Child Cohort Study when they reach puberty.

Chlordecone (CLD) is a carcinogenic organochlorine pesticide. CLD was shown to disturb the activity of cardiac Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase. Conditions affecting these transmembrane pumps are often associated with cardiac arrhythmias (CA). However, little is known about the role of CLD on atrial fibrillation (AF) incidence, the most common type of CA. 1) Daily ingestion of CLD induces arrhythmogenic cardiac remodeling. 2) A phase of CLD withdrawal can reduce CLD-induced AF susceptibility. Adult male Wistar rats (250 g-275 g) ingested daily-doses of CLD (0 μg/L, 0.1 μg/L, or 1 μg/L) diluted in their quotidian water for 4 weeks. From day (D)29 to D56, all rats received CLD-free water. Vulnerability to AF and cardiac function were evaluated at D28 and D56 by electrophysiological study, echocardiography, and optical-mapping. Levels of genes and proteins related to inflammation, fibrosis, and senescence were quantified by qPCR and immunoassays. Twenty-eight days of CLD exposure were associated with significantly increased AF vulnerability compared to CLD-free rats. Contamination with 1 μg/L CLD significantly reduced atrial conduction velocity (ERP, APD). CLD-weaning normalized food consumption and weight intake. However, after the CLD-withdrawal period of 28 days, AF inducibility, atrial inflammation (IL6, IL1β), and atrial fibrosis (Masson's trichrome staining) remained significantly higher in rats exposed to 1 μg/L CLD compared to 0 μg/L. Prolonged CLD ingestion provokes atrial conduction slowing and increased risk of AF. Although CLD-weaning, some persistent damages occurred in the atrium like atrial fibrosis and atrial senescence signals, which are accompanied by atrial inflammation and arrhythmogenicity. [Display omitted] • CLD poisoning provokes atrial inflammation (IL1β and IL6). • CLD-induced atrial inflammation is accompanied by atrial fibrosis. • CLD-associated atrial fibrosis leads to conduction slowing and AF susceptibility. • CLD weaning might not be sufficient to reverse CLD-induced arrhythmogenic damages. • AF management might involve CLD-weaning combined with anti-inflammation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) show differences in their chemical structure, mechanism of toxicity, and target organisms. However, OCPs also have some common characteristics such as high persistence in the environment, bioaccumulation, and toxicity which lead to health issues. Nowadays, the toxicity of OCPs is well known, but we still do not know all the specific molecular mechanisms leading to their toxicity in mammalians. Therefore, this review aims to collect data about the mode of action of various classes of OCPs, highlighting their differences and common behavioural reactions in the human and animal body. To discuss the OCPs molecular pathways and fate in different systems of the body, three organochlorine insecticides were selected (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, Hexachlorocyclohexane and Chlordecone), regarding to their widespread use, with consequent effects on the ecosystem and human health. Their common biological responses at the molecular scale and their different interactions in human and animal bodies were highlighted and presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Sargassum beachings occurred since 2011 on Caribbean shores. Sargassum inundation events currently involve two species, namely S. fluitans and S. natans circulating and blooming along the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and in the entire Caribbean region up to the Gulf of Mexico. Like other brown seaweeds, Sargassum have been shown to bioaccumulate a large number of heavy metals, alongside with some organic compounds including the contamination by historical chlordecone pollution in French West Indies (FWI), an insecticide used against the banana's weevil Cosmopolites sordidus. The present study reports, during two successive years, the concentration levels of heavy metals including arsenic in Martinique and Guadeloupe (FWI). We found that Sargassum can also accumulate a high concentration of chlordecone. Sargassum contamination by chlordecone is observed in areas close to contaminated river mouth but can be partly due to chlordecone desorption when secondary drifted on chlordecone-free shore. Our results further demonstrate that algae bleaching raises a number of questions about inorganic and organic pollutant (i) bioaccumulation, at sea for arsenic and close to river plumes for chlordecone, (ii) transport, and (iii) dissemination, depending the shoreline and the speciation for arsenic and/or metabolization for both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Tropiques Toxiques (2020), Jessica Oublié et al. use the graphic novel as a medium to convey the stories of people in the departments of France, in particular Guadeloupe and Martinique, whose lives have been affected by chlordecone, a toxic pesticide used in banana plantations between the years 1972 and 1993. The intimate dive into people's lived experiences in the French Caribbean is paired with the elaboration of attentive scientific knowledge around the contamination caused by chlordecone and its continued effects. While the substance was already under scrutiny for its toxic effects on human and wildlife in the 1970s in the US, successive governments in France allowed the use of chlordecone to sustain and intensify the production of bananas against international competitors, until it was officially banned in 1993. As a point of departure, this article argues that such human-made ecological disaster forefronts the intersection of socio-racial inequality and environmental degradation, while questioning the practice of nonknowledge on the issue of chlordecone poisoning. How, then, does the graphic novel break the cycle of ignorance and call attention to socio-racial disparities not just in accessible knowledge, but also in protection of French citizens? And finally, what can chlordecone contamination say about our modes of inhabiting the world and the importance of imagining alternatives? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of French West Indies (FWI) soils by the organochlorine pesticide chlordecone poses environmental and societal concerns due to its long-term persistence. Assessing chlordecone degradation remains challenging due to analytical constraints to identify transformation products. Here, multielement compound-specific isotope analysis (ME-CSIA) was used to identify changes in stable isotope signatures of chlordecone produced during abiotic transformation reactions under reducing and oxidative conditions. Effective chlordecone transformation was shown in reactions with zerovalent iron (ZVI), vitamin B 12 and sodium sulfide (VSS), alkaline ascorbic acid (AA), and sodium persulfate activated by microwave irradiation (MWPS). Significant enrichment of 13 C and 37 Cl was observed in all abiotic reactions, with ε C,bulk and ε Cl,bulk values ranging from -4.3 ± 0.4‰ to -2.3 ± 0.2‰ and from -2.6 ± 0.4‰ to -1.3 ± 0.3‰, respectively. Distinct mechanisms were evidenced in dual isotope plots, resulting in Λ values of 1.17 ± 0.28 for ZVI, 1.26 ± 0.50 for VSS, 2.06 ± 0.30 for AA, and 2.90 ± 0.50 for MWPS. Two major products were formed, 10-monohydrochlordecone and 8-monohydrochlordecone. Cl-CSIA data suggested that the first Cl substitution at the C 10 -position likely produced secondary Cl isotope effects (via nucleophilic substitution). Overall, results suggest that ME-CSIA can help quantify in situ chlordecone degradation, distinguishing between different ongoing degradation mechanisms and fingerprinting pollutant sources from chlordecone formulations (Curlone).

Chlordecone (CLD) is an organochlorine pesticide (OCP) that is currently banned but still contaminates ecosystems in the French Caribbean. Because OCPs are known to increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD), we tested whether chronic low-level intoxication with CLD could reproduce certain key characteristics of Parkinsonism-like neurodegeneration. For that, we used culture systems of mouse midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons and glial cells, together with the nematode C. elegans as an in vivo model organism. We established that CLD kills cultured DA neurons in a concentration- and time-dependent manner while exerting no direct proinflammatory effects on glial cells. DA cell loss was not impacted by the degree of maturation of the culture. The use of fluorogenic probes revealed that CLD neurotoxicity was the consequence of oxidative stress-mediated insults and mitochondrial disturbances. In C. elegans worms, CLD exposure caused a progressive loss of DA neurons associated with locomotor deficits secondary to alterations in food perception. L-DOPA, a molecule used for PD treatment, corrected these deficits. Cholinergic and serotoninergic neuronal cells were also affected by CLD in C. elegans, although to a lesser extent than DA neurons. Noticeably, CLD also promoted the phosphorylation of the aggregation-prone protein tau (but not of α-synuclein) both in midbrain cell cultures and in a transgenic C. elegans strain expressing a human form of tau in neurons. In summary, our data suggest that CLD is more likely to promote atypical forms of Parkinsonism characterized by tau pathology than classical synucleinopathy-associated PD.

Chlordecone (Kepone) (CLD) is a highly persistent pesticide formerly used in the French West Indies. High levels of this pesticide may be found in soils and constitute a subsequent source of contamination for outdoor-reared animals due to involuntary ingestion of consistent amounts of soil. In that context, carbonaceous materials may be used to amend soil to efficiently decrease the bioavailability of such organic pollutants. The present study aims to assess the efficiency of diverse amendments of a contaminated Guadeloupe nitisol using two physiologically based approaches. A set of 5 carbonaceous materials (ORBO, DARCO, Coco CO2, Oak P1.5, Sargasso biochar) was tested and used to amend Nitisol at 2% (mass basis). Bioaccessibility assessment was performed using the Ti-PBET assay (n = 4). The relative bioavailability part involved 24 piglets randomly distributed into 6 experimental groups (n = 4). All groups were exposed during 10 days to a contaminated soil, amended or not with carbon-based matrices. A significant decrease in relative bioaccessibility and CLD concentrations in liver were observed for all amended groups in comparison to the control group, with the exception of the biochar amended soil in the bioaccessibility assay (p < 0.05). Extent of this reduction varied from 22 to more than 82% depending on the carbonaceous matrix. This decrease was particularly important for the ORBO™ activated carbon for which bioaccessibility and relative bioavailability were found lower than 10% for both methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated cyclodiene pesticides (CP) are persistent organic pollutants causing widespread soil contamination. CPs-contaminated soils could be purified by mycoremediation, i.e. the introduction of CP-degrading fungal strains into the soils. However, not all mycoremediation attempts are effective, and the microbial cells introduced into the soil die. CP molecules are highly hydrophobic, therefore, their toxicity may largely result from membrane activity, i.e. from the incorporation of CP molecules into membranes disturbing their functions. To test this hypothesis and shed light on the interactions of CPs with plasma membranes, we used lipid Langmuir monolayers and unilamellar liposomes as models of fungal membranes. In our research, we included the four most common CPs polluting soils: aldrin, endrin, endosulfan, and chlordecone. Our studies have shown that CPs can be incorporated into the membranes up to the molar ratio of approximately 0.15. In the case of Langmuir monolayers, greater effects were observed for the model composed of saturated lipids. For this model, however, X-ray diffraction studies have shown that CPs are incorporated into the ergosterol-enriched amorphous phase without disturbing the formation of crystalline phospholipid nanodomains. Langmuir monolayer studies showed that chlordecone disturbs the physical properties of the model membrane to the greatest extent. However, liposome studies have shown that the effect of all CPs is similar – their presence increases the fluidity of the bilayer. Our studies confirmed CPs' membrane activity, however, also showed that the presence of CP molecules in lipid membranes does not cause drastic changes in their physical properties. [Display omitted] • Cyclodiene pesticides are incorporated into model fungal membranes • Cyclodiene pesticides do not disturb the formation of phospholipid crystalline nanodomains • Chlordecone has the greatest impact on the physical properties of Langmuir monolayers • All studied cyclodiene pesticides fluidize the lipid bilayer in liposomes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch and saturated soil column experiments were conducted to investigate sorption and mobility of two 14C-labeled contaminants, the hydrophobic chlordecone (CLD) and the sulfadiazine (SDZ), in the absence or presence of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The transport behaviors of CLD, SDZ, and MWCNTs were studied at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1-10 mg L-1) and they were applied in the column studies at different times. The breakthrough curves and retention profiles were simulated using a numerical model that accounted for the advective-dispersive transport of all compounds, attachment/detachment of MWCNTs, equilibrium and kinetic sorption of contaminants, and co-transport of contaminants with MWCNTs. The experimental results indicated that the presence of mobile MWCNTs facilitated remobilization of previously deposited CLD and its co-transport into deeper soil layers, while retained MWCNTs enhanced SDZ deposition in the topsoil layers due to the increased adsorption capacity of the soil. The modeling results then demonstrated that the mobility of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment and the high affinity and entrapment of contaminants to ENPs were the main reasons for ENP-facilitated contaminant transport. On the other hand, immobile MWCNTs had a less significant impact on the contaminant transport, even though they were still able to enhance the adsorption capacity of the soil.

The use of Sargassum spp., a brown invasive algae, for the production of biochars (BCs) or activated carbons (ACs) and their efficiency to sequestrate chlordecone (CLD) in soil has been recently suggested. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of microwave prepared Sargasso biochar (BCS) amendment in Andosol on the bioavailability of chlordecone in laying hens and piglets, when exposed to this matrix. The efficiency of BCS was compared to a commercial activated carbon, DARCO® (ACD), used as a positive control and to an unamended soil. Samples of CLD-contaminated Andosol were amended with 2% of each carbonaceous matrix and let maturing for 3 months. Thereafter, adequate doses of soil were administered into the laying hens and piglets diets every day during the exposure phase, to simulate involuntary soil ingestion which may happen in practical conditions when animals are reared outside. Finally, bioavailability tests were carried out on target tissue (liver, muscle, adipose tissues and egg yolk). The results showed that the highest reduction of CLD bioavailability was obtained with ACD in both animal species. For laying hens, ACD showed reductions of around 60% (liver: 59%, muscle: 57% and egg yolk: 56%) whereas the BCS showed reduction of around 30% (liver: 31%, muscle: 26% and egg yolk: 30%) compared to the unamended soil. For piglets, only the liver showed interpretable results with reduction of 65% with ACD and 41% with BCS. Overall, BCS is efficient reducing CLD availability but in a lower extend than ACD. This discrepancy may be explained by the variations of physico-chemical characteristics that exist between the two matrices, resulting, from the additional activation phase for DARCO®. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of BCS it would be interesting to move towards DARCO® characteristics by determining out the optimal microwave pyrolysis parameters. [Display omitted] • Sargassum biochar reduces chlordecone bioavailability in piglets and laying hens. • Activated Carbon DARCO® is a highly effective sequestration matrix for chlordecone. • Eggs represent the most contaminated biological matrices in chlordecone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of 11 organochlorine pesticides on human and rat 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (17β-HSD1) in human placental and rat ovarian microsome and on estradiol production in BeWo cells. The results showed that the IC 50 values for endosulfan, fenhexamid, chlordecone, and rhothane on human 17β-HSD1 were 21.37, 73.25, 92.80, and 117.69 μM. Kinetic analysis revealed that endosulfan acts as a competitive inhibitor, fenhexamid as a mixed/competitive inhibitor, chlordecone and rhothane as a mixed/uncompetitive inhibitor. In BeWo cells, all insecticides except endosulfan significantly decreased estradiol production at 100 μM. For rats, the IC 50 values for dimethomorph, fenhexamid, and chlordecone were 11.98, 36.92, and 109.14 μM. Dimethomorph acts as a mixed inhibitor, while fenhexamid acts as a mixed/competitive inhibitor. Docking analysis revealed that endosulfan and fenhexamid bind to the steroid-binding site of human 17β-HSD1. On the other hand, chlordecone and rhothane binds to a different site other than the steroid and NADPH-binding site. Dimethomorph binds to the steroid/NADPH binding site, and fenhexamid binds to the steroid binding site of rat 17β-HSD1. Bivariate correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between IC 50 values and LogP for human 17β-HSD1, while a slight negative correlation was observed between IC 50 values and the number of HBA. ADMET analysis provided insights into the toxicokinetics and toxicity of organochlorine pesticides. In conclusion, this study identified the inhibitory effects of 3–4 organochlorine pesticides and binding mechanisms on human and rat 17β-HSD1, as well as their impact on hormone production. [Display omitted] • Endosulfan inhibits human 17β-HSD1. • Endosulfan binds to steroid-bind site of human 17β-HSD1. • Endosulfan is a competitive inhibitor of human 17β-HSD1. • Species-dependent inhibition of organochlorines on human and rat 17β-HSD1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Strong CLD vaporisation through TGA/GC–MS using common cooking temperatures. • CLD QuEChERS extraction protocol optimisation for vegetal cooking oil. • CLD decrease via heating kinetic in cooking oil at 195 °C similar to TGA tendencies. • CLDOH formation over time during the heating kinetic at 195 °C in cooking oil. • Greater CLD content reduction using cooking oil in animal matrices during cooking. This study focuses on the fate of chlordecone (CLD) during cooking processes. Neat CLD was subjected to thermogravimetric analysis, which revealed that the vast majority of the compound (79 %) was vaporised at temperatures between 55 and 245 °C. In order to monitor the behaviour of CLD during cooking processes, a QuEChERS extraction protocol was optimised for vegetable cooking oil and a heating kinetics experiment was conducted at 195 °C on CLD-spiked cooking oil. The results showed a strong decrease in CLD over time and, for the first time to our knowledge, transformation of CLD into chlordecol. Finally, a comparison was conducted between the cooking of uncured pork with and without vegetable oil. The use of vegetable oil led to a significant decrease in CLD content, but revealed that a fraction of the CLD transferred into the cooking oil. This study provides data that shed light on the fate of CLD during cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlordecone (CD; Kepone™) is a carcinogenic organochlorine insecticide with neurological, reproductive, and developmental toxicity that was widely used in the French West Indies (FWI) from 1973 to 1993 to fight banana weevils. Although CD has not been used there for more than 25 years, it still persists in the environment and has polluted the waterways and soil of current and older banana fields. Today, human exposure to CD in the FWI mainly arises from consuming contaminated foodstuffs. The aims of this study were to develop a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model in the rat and extrapolate it to humans based on available pharmacokinetic data in the literature. A comparison of simulations using the rat model with published experimental datasets showed reasonable predictability for single and repetitive doses, and, thus, it was extrapolated to humans. The human PBPK model, which has seven compartments, is able to simulate the blood concentrations of CD in human populations and estimate the corresponding external dose using the reverse dosimetry approach. The human PBPK model will make it possible to improve quantitative health risk assessments for CD contamination and reassess the current chronic toxicological reference values to protect the FWI population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé: L'exposition aux pesticides a été associée aux effets néfastes sur le neurodéveloppement des enfants de populations travaillant ou vivant dans des zones agricoles. Dans les études longitudinales récentes menées en zones rurale et urbaine, l'évaluation de l'exposition par la mesure de biomarqueurs urinaires et sanguins chez les enfants et les mères pendant la grossesse permet d'associer les effets à une famille chimique ou un pesticide particulier. L'exposition aux insecticides persistants organochlorés comme le dichlorodiphényltrichloroéthane (DDT) et le dichlorodiphényldichloroéthylène (DDE) pendant la période prénatale est associée à des retards développementaux et possiblement à une augmentation du risque de troubles du spectre autistique (TSA) en zone agricole. En Guadeloupe, des altérations de la motricité fine chez de jeunes enfants, en particulier les garçons, ont été associées aux concentrations maternelles pendant la grossesse de chlordécone (insecticide organochloré persistant utilisé autrefois dans les bananeraies). Dans des cohortes d'enfants de plusieurs pays, des études décrivent diverses atteintes du neurodéveloppement associées aux concentrations les plus élevées de métabolites d'insecticides organophosphorés et de chlorpyrifos chez la mère pendant la grossesse. Il s'agit de perturbations du développement psychomoteur, d'altérations des fonctions visuelles, de déficits cognitifs et de l'attention, de comportements évocateurs de troubles autistiques. L'exposition prénatale et postnatale aux pyréthrinoïdes, insecticides plus récents, est associée à des altérations du développement social et émotionnel, à des déficits cognitifs, du langage, de la motricité et à une possible augmentation de risque de TSA. Un éventuel effet d'herbicides comme le glyphosate sur le neurodéveloppement de l'enfant reste encore à établir. Des études expérimentales chez les rongeurs et les poissons exposés aux insecticides décrivent des effets sur le comportement, la locomotion, les fonctions cognitives, compatibles avec les associations mentionnées dans les études épidémiologiques et les modifications observées dans différentes zones cérébrales. Les modes d'action tels que le stress oxydant, les altérations des systèmes de neurotransmission, la neuro-inflammation, les modifications de l'expression de gènes et la diversité des cibles moléculaires peuvent rendre compte de la variété des effets décrits. Reports in populations working or living in agricultural areas have associated pesticide exposure with adverse neurodevelopmental effects. More recent longitudinal studies in rural and urban areas have assessed exposure by measuring urine and blood biomarkers in children and mothers during pregnancy, thus allowing effects to be associated with a particular chemical family or pesticide. Prenatal exposure to persistent organochlorine insecticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) is associated with developmental delays and possibly an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in agricultural areas. In Guadeloupe, impairments of fine motor skills in young children, particularly boys, have been associated with maternal concentrations during pregnancy of chlordecone (a persistent organochlorine insecticide formerly used on banana plantations). Studies of cohorts of children from several countries describe various neurodevelopmental impairments associated with the highest maternal concentrations of organophosphates and chlorpyrifos insecticide metabolites measured during pregnancy. These include disturbances in psychomotor development, impaired visual function, cognitive and attention deficits, and behaviors related to ASD. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to newer pyrethroid insecticides is associated with alterations in social and emotional development, cognitive, language and motor deficits, and a possible increased risk of ASD. A possible effect of herbicides such as glyphosate on child neurodevelopment remains to be established. Experimental studies in rodents and fish exposed to insecticide pesticides describe effects on behavior, locomotion and cognitive functions, consistent with the associations reported in epidemiological studies and changes observed in different brain areas. Modes of action such as oxidative stress, alterations in neurotransmission systems, neuroinflammation, changes in gene expression and the diversity of molecular targets may account for the variety of effects reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive Sargassum sp. beachings have been occurring on Caribbean shores since 2011. The sargassum involved in such events are S. fluitans and S. natans, two drifting species whose proliferation has been observed in the southern North Atlantic Ocean. Both for reasons of environmental and sanitary assessment and repurposing, Sargassum sp. that is ashore piled up on beaches and decaying must be studied. Studies are required because of the concerning content of pelagic arsenic reported in the literature. They are also needed owing to Sargassum sp. contamination subsequent to historical pollution in the French West Indies by chlordecone, an insecticide used against the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus. The present study aims to describe the contamination and decontamination toxicokinetics of arsenic and chlordecone for Sargassum sp. stranding on shores and shallows in the Caribbean, in order to support the decision-making of the authorities involved. In situ and in mesocosm experiments performed in the present study show that Sargassum sp. contamination by chlordecone is mainly done after 2 h of exposition and reaches equilibrium after a day of exposure in polluted water, but BCF study suggests that the phenomenon is not actively supported (passive soption only). Arsenic transudation is intense in the case of immerged algae both. Half of the arsenic content is transudated after 13 h at sea and will transudate until vestigial arsenic concentration. Sargassum sp. contamination by arsenic, due to phytoaccumulation offshore, is broadly homogeneous before decay, and then leaks lead rapidly to a decrease in concentration in Sargassum sp. necromass, questioning the subsequent contamination of the coastal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organochlorine pollution by chlordecone, an insecticide spread in the past in banana plantations, is now recognized as a major ecological, economic, and social crisis in Guadeloupe and Martinique Islands. Due to its physical and chemical properties, this molecule is particularly persistent in the natural environment. Volcanic soil of Guadeloupe and Martinique contain allophanes (amorphous clays), which favor chlordecone trapping due to their structure and physical properties. Thus, with this trapping ability, allophanes serve as a vector allowing chlordecone to contaminate runoff waters and, finally, the sea. In the present publication, several studies recently conducted in the Lesser Antilles have been compiled in order to evaluate the desorption of chlordecone from allophanes when arriving in the estuarine environment and to determine the transfer of chlordecone along marine trophic food webs. The experiments showed that 20% of the initial quantity of chlordecone was released from allophanes in estuarine conditions and 10% in the marine environment. These results could explain the high level of contamination found in the suspended organic matter and zooplankton in the coastal areas located downstream of the contaminated watersheds. The contamination of the marine food webs of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs is dominated by a contamination "by bath" in littoral waters containing chlordecone and by bioamplification seawards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of chlordecone (CLD), an organochlorine pesticide, until the 1990s to protect banana crops in the French West Indies led to significant pollution of water and soil and, subsequently, of bovine intended for human consumption. Carcasses are submitted to official controls based on perirenal fat CLD determination. In order to allow for pre-slaughter controls, a selective analytical method based on a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) associated to the LC/MS-MS method was developed to determine the level of CLD in bovine serum that can be collected before slaughter. Different synthesis conditions were therefore assayed by varying the nature of the monomer and of the porogen, and the most promising MIP in terms of selective retention for CLD (extraction recovery close to 100%) was completely characterized by solid-phase extraction (repeatability of the extraction procedure, of the synthesis, and of the cartridge filling) in pure medium. The capacity of the MIP was determined at 0.13 µmol g−1 of MIP. After application of a spiked bovine serum sample on the MIP, the selective retention was maintained (87 and 21%, respectively, on the MIP and on the corresponding non-imprinted polymer). Moreover, extraction on the MIP led to a cleaner extract compared to those issued from a conventional C18 sorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlordecone is an endocrine-disrupting chemical with well recognized estrogenic and progestagenic properties. This organochlorine insecticide was extensively used in the French West Indies from 1973 to 1993 to control the banana root borer. Due to its poor degradation in the environment, permanently polluted soil is responsible for the current contamination of the food chain and human beings. We aimed to examine the relationship of in utero exposure to chlordecone and thyroid (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], free tri-iodothyronine [FT3], free thyroxine [FT4]), metabolic (insulin growth-factor 1, leptin, adiponectin), and sex-steroid (dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], total testosterone [TT], dihydrotestosterone [DHT], estradiol [E2]) hormone levels in children at the age of seven years who participated in TIMOUN, an ongoing birth cohort in Guadeloupe. Methods: Chlordecone concentrations were measured in cord-blood at delivery. Thyroid, metabolic, and sex-steroid hormone levels were determined in the blood of children at seven years of age. Associations between in utero chlordecone exposure and hormone levels at seven years of age were assessed by multiple linear or logistic regression, controlling for confounding factors. Results: Among the study population (210 boys and 228 girls), chlordecone and hormone measurements were available for 124 boys and 161 girls. We found the third quartile of in utero chlordecone exposure relative to the lowest quartile to be associated with elevated TSH levels in girls and elevated DHEA, TT, and DHT levels in both sexes. Complementary non-linear analysis (spline regression) confirmed a significant non-linear trend for TSH in girls and DHEA and DHT in boys. Conclusion: In utero chlordecone exposure was associated with elevated levels of selected thyroid (TSH) and sex-steroid (DHEA, TT, and DHT) hormones at seven years in a non-monotonic dose response (inverted U) relationship. The implications for future health and reproductive function in puberty and adulthood should be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlordecone (CLD) is a very persistent synthetic organochlorine pesticide found in the French West Indies. Recently published work has demonstrated the potential of zero-valent iron to dechlorinate CLD by in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) in soils under water-saturated conditions, forming mono- to penta-dechlorinated CLD transformation products. These transformation products are more mobile than CLD and less toxic; however, nothing is known about their further degradation, although increasing evidence of CLD biodegradation by bacteria is being found. The present study began with the enrichment from wastewater sludge of a CLD-transforming community which was then inoculated into fresh media in the presence of either CLD or two of the main ISCR transformation products, 10-monohydroCLD (-1Cl-CLD) and tri-hydroCLD (-3Cl-CLD). Carried out in triplicate batches and incubated at 38°C under anoxic conditions and in the dark, the cultures were sampled regularly during 3 months and analyzed for CLD, -1Cl-CLD, -3Cl-CLD, and possible transformation products by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. All batches showed a decrease in the amended substrates (CLD or hydroCLD). CLD degradation occurred with concomitant formation of a nine-carbon compound (pentachloroindene) and two sulfur-containing transformation products (chlordecthiol, CLD-SH; methyl chlordecsulfide, CLD-SCH3), demonstrating competing transformation pathways. In contrast, -1Cl-CLD and -3Cl-CLD only underwent a sequential reductive sulfidation/S-methylation process resulting in -1Cl-CLD-SH and -1Cl-CLD-SCH3 on the one hand, and -3Cl-CLD-SH, -3Cl-CLD-SCH3 on the other hand. Some sulfur-containing transformation products have been reported previously with single bacterial strains, but never in the presence of a complex microbial community. At the end of the experiment, bacterial and archaeal populations were investigated by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The observed diversity was mostly similar in the CLD and -1Cl-CLD conditions to the inoculum with a dominant archaea genus, Methanobacterium , and four OTU affiliated to bacteria, identified at the family (Spirochaetaceae) or genus level (Desulfovibrio , Aminobacterium , and Soehngenia). On the other hand, in the -3Cl-CLD condition, although the same OTU were found, Clostridium sensu stricto 7, Candidatus Cloacimonas , and Proteiniphilum were also present at > 2% sequences. Presence of methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria could contribute to sulfidation and S-methylation biotransformations. Overall, these results contribute to increasing our knowledge on the biodegradability of CLD and its transformation products, helping to progress toward effective remediation solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundChlordecone is an endocrine-disrupting chemical with well recognized estrogenic and progestagenic properties. This organochlorine insecticide was extensively used in the French West Indies from 1973 to 1993 to control the banana root borer. Due to its poor degradation in the environment, permanently polluted soil is responsible for the current contamination of the food chain and human beings. We aimed to examine the relationship of in utero exposure to chlordecone and thyroid (thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], free tri-iodothyronine [FT3], free thyroxine [FT4]), metabolic (insulin growth-factor 1, leptin, adiponectin), and sex-steroid (dehydroepiandrosterone [DHEA], total testosterone [TT], dihydrotestosterone [DHT], estradiol [E2]) hormone levels in children at the age of seven years who participated in TIMOUN, an ongoing birth cohort in Guadeloupe.MethodsChlordecone concentrations were measured in cord-blood at delivery. Thyroid, metabolic, and sex-steroid hormone levels were determined in the blood of children at seven years of age. Associations between in utero chlordecone exposure and hormone levels at seven years of age were assessed by multiple linear or logistic regression, controlling for confounding factors.ResultsAmong the study population (210 boys and 228 girls), chlordecone and hormone measurements were available for 124 boys and 161 girls. We found the third quartile of in utero chlordecone exposure relative to the lowest quartile to be associated with elevated TSH levels in girls and elevated DHEA, TT, and DHT levels in both sexes. Complementary non-linear analysis (spline regression) confirmed a significant non-linear trend for TSH in girls and DHEA and DHT in boys.ConclusionIn utero chlordecone exposure was associated with elevated levels of selected thyroid (TSH) and sex-steroid (DHEA, TT, and DHT) hormones at seven years in a non-monotonic dose response (inverted U) relationship. The implications for future health and reproductive function in puberty and adulthood should be determined.

Background: Chlordecone (CD), also known as Kepone, is an organochlorine insecticide that has been used in banana crops in the French West Indies. Due to long-term contamination of soils and water, the population is still exposed to CD. Exposure to CD in adulthood is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer (PCa). Objectives: We examined the transgenerational effects of CD on murine prostate tissue. Methods: We exposed pregnant Swiss mice to CD. The prostates from directly exposed (F1) and non-exposed (F3) male progeny were analyzed. We used immunofluorescence, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq techniques for the comprehensive analyses of chromatin states in prostate. Results: We observed an increased prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia phenotype (PIN) in both F1 and F3 generations. Transcriptomic analysis in CD-derived F1 and F3 prostate using RNA-seq revealed that 970 genes in F1 and 218 in F3 genes were differentially expressed. The differentially expressed genes in both datasets could be clustered accordingly to common biological processes, “cell differentiation”, “developmental process”, “regulating of signaling”, suggesting that in both generations similar processes were perturbed. We detected that in both datasets several Hox genes were upregulated; in F1, the expression was detected mainly in Hoxb and Hoxd, and in F3, in Hoxa family genes. Using a larger number of biological replicates and RT-qPCR we showed that genes implicated in testosterone synthesis (Akr1b3, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, Srd5a1) were dramatically upregulated in PIN samples; Cyp19a1, converting testosterone to estradiol was elevated as well. We found a dramatic increase in Esr2 expression both in F1 and F3 prostates containing PIN. The PIN-containing samples have a strong increase in expression of self-renewal-related genes (Nanog, Tbx3, Sox2, Sox3, Rb1). We observed changes in liver, F1 CD-exposed males have an increased expression of genes related to DNA repair, matrix collagen and inflammation related pathways in F1 but not in F3 adult CD-derived liver.The changes in RNA transcription were associated with epigenetic changes. Specifically, we found a global increase in H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and a decrease in H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in prostate of F1 mice. ChIP-seq analysis showed that 129 regions in F1 and 240 in F3 acquired altered H3K4me3 occupancy in CD-derived prostate, including highest increase at several promoters of Hoxa family genes in both datasets. The alteration in H3K4me3 in both generations overlap 73 genes including genes involved in proliferation regulation, Tbx2, Stat3, Stat5a, Pou2f3 and homeobox genes Hoxa13, Hoxa9. Conclusions: Our data suggest that developmental exposure to CD leads to epigenetic changes in prostate tissue. The PIN containing samples showed evidence of implication in hormonal pathway and self-renewal gene expression that have the capacity to promote neoplasia in CD-exposed mice.

Guadeloupe and Martinique, two French overseas territories located in the Caribbean, are today facing serious public health crises; particularly, the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world. These crises resulted from the French colonial policy of primitive accumulation, which authorized two decades of the use of a carcinogenic pesticide, chlordecone (a.k.a. Kepone), by French settler farmers to control banana weevil pests. This was despite evidence of its lethal toxicity. Deploying the theoretical arguments of Market Criminology, this paper discusses the current health crises in both islands and the political economy of predation which created them as criminal. This is in sync with a growing body of literature which contextualizes preventable market-generated harms as criminal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlordecone is an organochlorine pesticide used from 1972 to 1993 in the French West Indies. Its extensive use and high persistence in soils induced massive contamination of the environment and of the food chain, especially in cattle through contaminated soil ingestion. To ensure suitability for consumption of bovine meat, monitoring plans are set up based on perirenal fat concentrations after slaughtering. In the present study, we have investigated an in-vivo monitoring approach by measuring chlordecone levels in serum samples. For this purpose, a sensitive high-performance liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method following a QuEChERS extraction method was successfully optimized and validated, reaching a limit of quantification of 0.05 ng g−1 fresh weight. This method was applied to 121 serum samples collected from bovines originating from contaminated areas of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Chlordecone was detected in 88% of the samples, and quantified in 77% of the samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 22 ng g−1. Perirenal fat, liver, and muscle were also sampled on the same animals and the measured concentrations of chlordecone were statistically correlated to the levels determined in serum. Mean concentration ratios of 6.5 for fat/serum, 27.5 for liver/serum, and 3.3 for muscle/serum were calculated, meaning that chlordecone was not only distribute in fat (as expected), muscle and liver, but also in serum. Good correlations were found to allow prediction of chlordecone concentrations in muscle based on concentrations measured in serum. This study opens the door to possible pre-control of bovines before slaughter. In cases of probable non-compliance with maximum residue levels (MRLs), farm management could proceed to allow for depuration under controlled conditions. This would have a strong impact on both economic and food safety management measures. [Display omitted] • A QuEChERS protocol was optimized and validated for analyzing chlordecone in bovine serum. • The method was applied to 121 bovine serum samples from the French West Indies. • Serum chlordecone levels were correlated with levels found in fat, muscle and liver. • The ratios allow an in-vivo monitoring and pre-control of bovines before slaughter. • This approach is relevant to assess the contamination level of living farm animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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