Enzymatic assays for the assessment of toxic effects of halogenated organic contaminants in water and food. A review

Abstract

Halogenated organic compounds are a particular group of contaminants consisting of a large number of substances, and of great concern due to their persistence in the environment, potential for bioaccumulation and toxicity. Some of these compounds have been classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under The Stockholm Convention and many toxicity assessments have been conducted on them previously. In this work we provide an overview of enzymatic assays used in these studies to establish toxic effects and dose-response relationships. Studies in vivo and in vitro have been considered with a particular emphasis on the impact of halogenated compounds on the activity of relevant enzymes to the humans and the environment. Most information available in the literature focuses on chlorinated compounds, but brominated and fluorinated molecules are also the target of increasing numbers of studies. The enzymes identified can be classified as enzymes: i) the activities of which are affected by the presence of halogenated organic compounds, and ii) those involved in their metabolisation/detoxification resulting in increased activities. In both cases the halogen substituent seems to have an important role in the effects observed. Finally, the use of these enzymes in biosensing tools for monitoring of halogenated compounds is described.

Fire-Safe Polymer Composites: Flame-Retardant Effect of Nanofillers

“…Additive flame retardants are physically mixed with polymers during the manufacturing process, in which case the flame retardants do not chemically react with the polymers. In particular, halogenated compounds containing bromine, chlorine, etc., are the most representative additive flame retardants in polymer industry because they are highly cost and performance effective [86][87][88][89][90]. Despite the related environmental and toxicity issues, halogenated compounds are still in widespread use because they are highly cost-and performance-effective.…”

Advances and Classification of Cyclodextrin-Based Polymers for Food-Related Issues

“…Moreover, the packaging itself, if not produced and used properly, can be an important source of contamination for food and beverages [ 140 , 141 , 142 , 143 ]. Halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) are another class of food pollutants of great concern for human health [ 144 ], as are nitroarenes [ 145 ] and pharmaceutical compounds [ 146 ]. Thus, the determination of such analytes is crucial in order to assess food and water safety.…”

Mini Review: Advances in 2-Haloacid Dehalogenases

“…Dehalogenases can also be used to construct biosensors for in situ detection of organic halogenated pollutants in the environment (Artabe et al, 2020;Gul et al, 2020a,b). By immobilizing halohydrin dehalogenase on a glass fiber membrane, detection limits of 0.06 mmol/L 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 0.09 mmol/L 2,3-dibromo-1-propanol have been achieved (Gul et al, 2020b).…”

“…Moreover, these compounds can become concentrated and accumulate in organisms through the food chain, with carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic effects (Fan et al, 2020;Lou Y. Y. et al, 2021;Zhang C. et al, 2021). This poses a serious threat to human health and has become an issue of concern all over the world (Artabe et al, 2020;Lou Y. Y. et al, 2021).…”