Nano-Al₂O₃ has been widely used in various industries; unfortunately, it can be released into the aquatic environment. Although nano-Al₂O₃ is believed to be of low toxicity, it can interact with other pollutants in water, such as heavy metals. However, the interactions between nano-Al₂O₃ and heavy metals as well as the effect of nano-Al₂O₃ on the toxicity of the metals have been rarely investig...

effects of ambient copper was investigated on serum stress markers, sodium and enzyme levels in common carp ( cyprinus carpio l.) over a 14-d exposure period. fish were exposed to 0, 25 and 100 μg l -1 copper (as copper sulfate) and blood was sampled at 0, 3, 7 and 14 d after exposure. serum profile was significantly affected by copper concentration, sampling time and their interaction. increas...

The influence of dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) source on copper toxicity was investigated with larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) in reconstituted moderately hard water. Ninety-six-hour static renewal toxicity tests were conducted to investigate an assumption of the biotic ligand model (BLM) that NOM source does not need to be considered to adequately predict copper toxicity....

Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by dominant polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion within the N terminus of huntingtin (Htt) protein. Abnormal metal accumulation in the striatum of HD patients has been reported for many years, but a causative relationship has not yet been established. Furthermore, if metal is indeed involved in HD, the underlying mechanism ne...

Copper plays a dual role as a nutrient and a toxin during bacterial infections. While uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains can use the copper-binding metallophore yersiniabactin (Ybt) to resist copper toxicity, Ybt also converts bioavailable copper to Cu(II)-Ybt in low-copper conditions. Although E. coli have long been considered to lack a copper import pathway, we observed Ybt-mediate...

The essential micronutrient copper is tightly regulated in organisms, as environmental exposure or homeostasis defects can cause toxicity and neurodegenerative disease. The principal target(s) of copper toxicity have not been pinpointed, but one key effect is impaired supply of iron-sulfur (FeS) clusters to the essential protein Rli1 (ABCE1). Here, to find upstream FeS biosynthesis/delivery pro...

Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are affected by platinum-induced neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative processes associated with disturbed copper homeostasis and transport. This study aimed to understand the role of copper transporter 1 (Ctr1) in the uptake and toxicity of copper and platinum drugs in cultured rat DRG neurons, and the functional activities of rat Ctr1 (rCtr1) as a membrane tra...

Metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to be toxic to plants. Because metals and PAHs often are cocontaminants in the environment, plants can be subjected to damage caused by their combined effects. We recently found that copper and an oxygenated PAH (1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone [1,2-dhATQ]) synergistically are toxic to plants. This synergistic toxicity was linked indirectl...

Copper toxicity to the freshwater algae Selenastrum capricornutum and Chlorella sp. and the marine algae Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Dunaliella tertiolecta was investigated using different parameters measured by flow cytometry: cell division rate inhibition, chlorophyll a fluorescence, cell size (i.e., light-scattering), and enzyme activity. These parameters were assessed regarding their usef...

Scientists participating in the USGS Abandoned Minelands Initiative have quantified metal concentrations and loadings from mining-related and natural background sources in the upper Animas River of southwestern Colorado, with the goal of guiding remediation decisions by federal landmanagement agencies. We have compared site-specific toxicity thresholds with frequencies of dissolved metal concen...