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Community/industrial wastewater is the prime source of anthropogenic chemicals, its treatment is often a daunting task and unaffordable for many countries. Emerging Contaminants (ECs) have been drained into wastewater after continuous use/misuse and Conventional treatments in STPs do not remove them completely. ECs including antimicrobial agents, synthetic musks, Benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs), plasticizers, and preservatives are frequently reported in environment, and cause health effects to non-target organisms. Monitoring of ECs is important to understand their status in aquatic environment. Hence, it was aimed to monitor ECs (n = 21) from 11 STPs in Tamil Nadu, India. The detection frequency of most of these analytes was90%. Antimicrobials ranged from 247 to 22,714 ng/L and 11-14,369 ng/L in influents and effluents, respectively. The synthetic musks were in the order of Tonalide Galaxolide Musk Ketone. BUVSs ranged from 4 to 1632 ng/L (influents) andLOD to 29,853 ng/L (effluents). Concentration of phthalates in influents and effluents wereLOD - 11,311 ng/L andLOD - 17,618 ng/L, respectively. Parabens were found in the order of Prophyl Methyl Ethyl Butyl in influents and Methyl Prophyl Butyl Ethyl in effluents. Mass loads of ECs through STPs were found as antimicrobials plasticizers fragrances BUVSsPreservatives. This study reveals increasing usage of ECs and inadequate treatment processes at STPs in India. Also helps to adopt suitable treatment processes to remove ECs from wastewater and to reuse the wastewater.

Phthalate esters (PEs) one of the widely used plasticizers, and are known for their environmental contamination and endocrine disruption. Hence, it is important to study their distribution in a riverine environment. This study was aimed to determine the Spatio-temporal trends of 16 PEs in surface water, sediment and fish from rivers in southern India, and to assess their environmental health risks. Phthalates were quantified in all matrices with the mean concentrations (∑

Phthalates are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals used indiscriminately as constituents in consumer products including food processing, and packaging, cosmetics, personal care and household items. Although, few studies have assessed the risk of breast cancer on exposure to phthalates, their association with breast cancer risk in Indian women have not yet been evaluated.We conducted a case-control study involving 171 participants. Urinary concentrations of six phthalate dieters; DMP (Dimethyl phthalate), DEP (Diethyl phthalate), DBP (Dibutyl phthalate), BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate), DEHP (Di-2-ethyl-hexyl phthalate), DINOP (Di-n-octyl phthalate) were estimated by GC-MS and geometric means were calculated. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess breast cancer risk on exposure to phthalates. Genes responsive to phthalates were identified through literature search and matched with NGS data, and gene-enrichment analysis was performed.Significant associations were observed between urinary phthalate concentrations and increased risk of breast cancer for di-butyl phthalate (OR=1.5, 95% CI; 1.06, 2.11, p = 0.002) and di-2-ethyl-hexyl phthalate (median vs ≤ median; OR=2.97, 95% CI; 1.18, 7.47, p = 0.005) in multivariable analyses. We also found several phthalate-responsive gene mutations in paired breast tumor tissues, which include PTPRD (76.19%), AR (42.86%), CYP1A1 (42.86%), CYP19A1 (23.81%), AHRR (19.05%), PIK3CA (19.05%), CYP1B1 (9.52%), RB1 (9.52%) and MMP9 (9.52%). Gene-enrichment analysis revealed that these genes form a major part of ER/PR, PPAR and HIF-1α-TGF-β signaling cascades involved in breast cancer CONCLUSION: Although the sample size is small, in this first case-control study from India, DBP and DEHP were found to be associated with increased risk of invasive breast cancer and tumor tissues revealed mutations in several phthalate-responsive genes. It is, therefore suggested that human biomonitoring in India and larger studies evaluating the early life genetic and epigenetic alterations on phthalates exposure are required to establish their role in breast carcinogenesis.

Synthetic musks (SMs), a class of organic compounds added to various personal care products (PCPs) to enhance aroma, are increasingly released into the environment and become one emerging contaminants of concern in India. Some SMs like Galaxolide, Tonalide and Musk Ketone (MK) are lipophilic and found ubiquitously in the environment, posing health and ecological risks, especially affecting aquatic organisms. Hence, monitoring the synthetic musks contamination in these rivers become environmentally inevitable. Consequently, three major rivers, the Kaveri (Cauvery), Vellar and Thamirabarani Rivers in Tamil Nadu, India, were investigated to understand the occurrence and fate of SMs. The concentration of Galaxolide, Tonalide and MK in surface water ranged as not detected (ND)-198, ND-77 and ND-62 ng/L, respectively. The levels of SMs in the Kaveri River were comparable with Vellar and Thamirabarani Rivers; however, the detection frequency was low in Thamirabarani river. Fish samples from the Kaveri river had higher concentrations of SMs (galaxolide 36–350 ng/g > MK 2–33 ng/g > Tonalide 1–9 ng/g ww (wet weight)) than in the Vellar River. Based on Hazard Quotient, SMs pose no risks to freshwater systems and the resident organisms in this study. In India, the dry season starts from March to July (35–42 °C) and wet season starts from November to February (25–35 °C). Bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for Galaxolide were found higher during the wet season and lower during the dry season, whereas it is reverse for Tonalide. Among fish Gebilion catla may be a good indicator species for SMs, despite the seasons, it accumulates more. This is the first study of SMs in surface water and fish from the rivers in India.

Increasing of resistance pathogenic microorganisms to majority of antibiotics, there is an urgent need for exploring plant based drugs and bioactive compounds with least side effects. The study was aimed to determine the level of phytochemicals, antioxidant, antibacterial properties of the edible red seaweeds, Gracilaria corticata and G. edulis. The extraction with methanol yielded 7.10 ± 0.16 and 6.39 ± 0.16% extracts from G. corticata and G. edulis respectively. The G. corticata possess higher total phenol content (4.00 ± 0.35 mg GAE/g) compare to G. edulis (3.4 ± 0.21 mg GAE/g). G. corticata and G. edulis extracts significantly varied in total flavonoid content i.e 3.33 ± 0.12 and 2.6 ± 0.08 mg CE/g DW respectively. In this investigation, G. edulis presented the highest 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (23.95%) when compare to G. corticata (20.32%). G. edulis showed significantly higher 2, 2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity (40.24%) compare to G. corticata (32.65%). In addition, G. corticata exhibited higher nitric oxide (NO*) radical scavenging activity (36.78%) than G. edulis 35.25%. Antimicrobial properties of 70% methanol and DMSO extracts were found effective against Bacillus subtilis. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of phytochemical compounds including sulfurous acid, 2-ethylhexyl isohexyl ester, pentatriacontane, eugenol and phthalic acid played a vital role in antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

This study report the impact of heavy metals on cytopathology and DNA damage in the gills and hepatopancreas of Perna viridis collected from Ennore estuary and the Kovalam coastal waters. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed significant differences among all variables at the scale of plots. The ultrastructural alterations such as lack of microvilli, distorted mitochondria, electron dense particles and the presence of large mucous droplets were common in the gill and hepatopancreatic cells of mussels from Ennore estuary. However, the gill and hepatopancreatic cells of P. viridis from Kovalam revealed normal compartmentalization of cells. The percentage of tail DNA in the mussels from Ennore estuary was recorded as 12.44 and 10.14% in the gills and hepatopancreas respectively. Overall, it has been demonstrated that the Comet and cytopathological assays are useful biomarkers to assess the level of pollution and it provide reliable information on ecotoxicology and genotoxicology of coastal waters.

Six phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in human urine sampled randomly from three districts (Erode, Thanjavur, and Perambalur) in Tamil Nadu State and a Union Territory (Pondicherry) in India were quantified. We determined gender-wise, age-wise and location-wise distribution of PAEs and measured estrogenic activity of urine by molecular docking. Bis(2‑ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was the predominant phthalic acid ester found and had a recovery of 104.5% (ultrasonic extraction at 15 min). Gender-wise (pregnant women: 185 ng/mL, children: 156 ng/mL, female: 151 ng/mL, and male: 138 ng/mL), age-wise (1–20 y: 157 ng/mL, 21–40 y: 156 ng/mL, and >40 y: 146 ng/mL), location-wise (urban: 154 ng/mL, and rural: 151 ng/mL), and region-wise (Erode district: 185 ng/mL, Thanjavur district: 155 ng/mL, Perambalur district: 117 ng/mL, and Pondicherry: 135 ng/mL) differences with total mean of Σ6 PAEs were found. The molecular docking study showed a high negative binding energy of PAEs with microbial receptors. Based on the results we conclude that urine could be used as an ideal biomarker to understand PAEs exposure in humans.

Triclocarban and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are listed as high production volume synthetic chemicals, used extensively in personal care products. Many of these chemicals persist in the aquatic environment as micropollutants. Knowledge on their fate in freshwater ecosystems is still lacking, especially in the Indian Rivers. Our intention is to study the seasonal distribution, hazard quotient, risk assessment, and bioaccumulation of triclocarban and BUVSs (UV-9, UV-P, UV-326, UV-327, UV-328, and UV-329) during wet and dry seasons in water, sediment and fish from the Kaveri, Vellar, and Thamiraparani rivers in Tamil Nadu State, India. Triclocarban and BUVSs were identified in all matrices analysed. Triclocarban was found in water, sediment, and fish up to 1119ng/L, 26.3ng/g (dry wt.), and 692ng/g (wet wt.), respectively. Among BUVSs, UV-329 was found up to 31.3ng/L (water samples), UV-327 up to 7.3ng/g (sediment samples), and UV-9 up to 79.4ng/g (fish samples). The hazard quotient (HQenv.) for triclocarban in surface water was found to be at risk level (HQenv. >1) in the Kaveri, and Thamiraparani rivers during dry season. Bioaccumulation factors indicate that target compounds (triclocarban and BUVSs) could bio-accumulate in organisms.

The concentrations of heavy metals and their associated structural deformities in the gills, muscles and hepatopancreas of Scylla serrata from Pulicat Lake were determined and compared with crabs live along Kovalam coast. The concentrations of metals were high in the hepatopancreas and gills of crab from Pulicat Lake, whereas, low in crab from the Kovalam coast. Data were visualized using a principal component analysis (PCA). Significant differences were found for all variables at the plot scale; however, the overall variation was relatively low for muscle tissues in both stations. The structural deformities observed in the gills, hepatopancreas and muscle was due to metal toxicity, and the degree of damage was correlated with the elevated metal concentration. The results showed significant metal accumulation and histo-cytological lesions in the crabs from Pulicat Lake. The results suggest that these biomarkers are useful for assessing the impact of metal pollution in the coastal environments.

Preputial gland is one of the best known and most odour-producing organs in many non-primate mammals. It is generally believed that the development of this gland and functions are regulated by testosterone. To substantiate this point, the present study was aimed to evaluate the testosterone-dependent volatile compounds and proteins in the preputial gland of rat adopting castration and testosterone supplementation. The results revealed that four compounds, geranyl linalool isomer, oxirane, farnesol and lanosterol, are testosterone-dependent. Similarly, a low molecular mass protein with molecular weight 18kDa, supposed to be a pheromone carrier, also is shown to be testosterone-dependent. This study leads to the conclusion that testosterone-dependent compounds and sex-associated protein are present in the preputial gland of rat which may act as a sex pheromone and pheromone carrier, respectively.

The drift in sensitivity due to carbon deposition on the sampling cone, skimmer cone and ion lenses has been a serious problem in gas chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC/ICP-MS). To overcome this problem, a high-speed switching method between a mixed-gas plasma and a pure-argon plasma (named plasma gas-switching method) using an oxygen permeation tube and a switching valve was developed. This enabled both the cleaning of deposited carbon and an enhancement of the sensitivity; as a consequence, both the repeatability and the sensitivity of polybrominated diphenylether (PBDE) were improved by more than 3 and 4 times, respectively. The drifts of sensitivity over a period of 8 h were less than 5% in most cases. Concerning the analytical performance of thermally labile congeners from octa- to deca-BDE, the detection limits, dynamic ranges of the calibration graphs and unequivalent sensitivities were remarkably improved by using a metal capillary separation column coated with a very thin (0.05 micromm) film of immobilized-polydimethylsiloxane. The detection limits ranged from 0.014 pg (BDE-154) to 0.093 pg (BDE-209), which were equal or superior to the lowest values reported hitherto by GC/MS (high resolution). A remarkable loss of sensitivity for highly-brominated congeners, such as nona- and deca-BDE, was observed in an analysis of PBDE technical mixtures when the solvent was methanol. The loss of sensitivity turned out to be due to an activation of the retention gap used for on-column injection; this problem was solved by changing methanol to isooctane in the sample-preparation step before analysis.

ガスクロマトグラフィー/誘導結合プラズマ質量分析法（GC/ICP-MS）では，試料中の有機溶媒がサンプリングコーンやイオンレンズ上に炭素として付着し，感度が経時的に変動することが大きな問題であった．これを解決するため，酸素透過チューブと切替バルブを用いて任意の時間帯に酸素を導入し，混合ガスプラズマ状態とアルゴンプラズマ状態を高速で切り替える方法（プラズマガススイッチング法と名付ける）を開発した．本法は，酸素による炭素除去とアルゴンプラズマによる高感度分析の両方を可能とし，ポリ臭素化ジフェニルエーテル（PBDE）の定量に応用した場合，本法を使用しない場合と比較して，繰り返し再現性を3倍以上，感度を4倍以上向上させることができた．また，8時間の連続分析での感度ドリフトを5% 以内に抑えることができた．一方，熱に不安定な異性体（octa～deca BDE）に関しては，検出限界，検量線，異性体別感度などに問題点があったが，液相の厚さが薄いキャピラリーカラムを用いることにより，大幅に改善できることを示した．その結果，本法の検出限界は0.014 pg（BDE-154）～0.093 pg（BDE-209）と，これまで最も低い値が得られていたGC/MS（高分解能）と同等ないしは優れた値を得ることができた．また，工業用難燃剤の分析において，メタノールを含む溶液をオンカラム注入法で分析すると高臭素化体のピークが消失する現象を見いだし，その原因がリテンションギャップ用キャピラリーカラムの活性化にあることを明らかにした．また，これを解決するためには溶媒をイソオクタンに転溶する手法が有効であることを示した．

ガスクロマトグラフィー/誘導結合プラズマ質量分析法（GC/ICP-MS）によるポリ臭素化ジフェニルエーテル（PBDE）の分析方法を開発し，その分析性能を評価した．検出限界は0.086 pg（BDE-85）∼19 pg（BDE-209）と，電子衝撃イオン化法を用いるガスクロマトグラフ低分解能質量分析法や電子捕獲検出器を用いるガスクロマトグラフ法に比べ，1∼2けたほど優れた値が得られた．熱的に安定な9種類の異性体（tri∼hepta BDE）に対しては，同一の感度が得られ，1種類の検量線ですべての異性体が定量可能であった．一方，熱的に不安定な異性体（octa∼deca BDE）に対しては，検出限界，検量線の直線性，異性体別感度などに問題点があったが，これらはICP-MSに起因するものではなく，主にGC注入口とカラム内での分解に起因するものと推定された．on -column注入方式により，従来分析が困難であったBDE-209も含めて，ポリスチレン樹脂中のPBDEを精確に定量する方法を確立した．本法は共存物のスペクトル干渉がほとんどなく，試料前処理時のクリーンアップも必要ないため，従来法に比べてrobustnessと迅速性に優れている．

A simple and reliable extraction method was developed for quantitative determination of both butyl- and phenyltin compounds in sediments by capillary gas chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Both types of organotin compounds were extracted quantitatively from sediment by mechanical shaking into tropolone-toluene and HCl-methanol. After phase separation and pH adjustment, these organotins were ethylated with sodium tetraethylborate. The method was evaluated by analyzing PACS-2 and NIES No. 12 sediment certified reference materials. The dibutyltin (DBT; 1.14 +/- 0.02 micrograms g-1) and tributyltin (TBT; 1.01 +/- 0.04 micrograms g-1) values observed in PACS-2 sediment closely matched the certified values (DBT, 1.09 +/- 0.15; TBT, 0.98 +/- 0.13 microgram g-1 as tin). The monobutyltin (MBT) value was higher (0.62 +/- 0.02 microgram g-1) by more than two fold over the reference value (0.3 microgram g-1 as tin). The concentrations of TBT (0.18 +/- 0.04 microgram g-1) and triphenyltin (TPhT; 0.0099 +/- 0.002 microgram g-1) in the NIES No. 12 sediment were also in good agreement with the certified and reference values of TBT (0.19 +/- 0.03 microgram g-1 as compound) and TPhT (0.008 microgram g-1 as compound), respectively. Recoveries of TBT, tripentyltin (TPeT) and TPhT from spiked sediments were satisfactory (TBT, 102 +/- 3.4%; TPrT, 96 +/- 3.4%; TPhT, 99 +/- 8.5%). The detection limits as tin were in the range 0.23-0.48 ng g-1 for a 0.5 g sample size. It is also noteworthy that clean-up of the extract is not necessary because of the superior selectivity of ICP-MS detection. The present method was successfully applied to marine sediment samples.

大阪～別府間のフェリーを利用して採取した海水中の有機スズ化合物をNaBEt4によりエチル化後, ガスクロマトグラフィー―誘導結合プラズマ質量法により測定した。9種類の有機スズ化合物の瀬戸内海における分布を, 1ng Sn/l以下の濃度レベルで初めて明らかにした。トリブチルスズ (TBT) 及びトリフェニルスズ (TPhT) の濃度は各々, 0.21～1.02ng Sn/l, 0.021～0.Og6ng Sn/lであった。3種類の未同定化学種が各々モノー, ジー, トリーオクチルスズ化合物であると同定し, プラスチック安定剤起源の汚染が進行していることを明らかにした。ブチルスズ化合物及びTPhT以外のフェニルスズ化合物は溶存態として, ジー, トリーオクチルスズ化合物は懸濁態として存在することを明らかにした。更に, 化学種の濃度データを主成分分析することにより, 各海域を汚染形態 (船底塗料起源の汚染又はプラスチック安定剤起源の汚染) により分類できることを示した。