In vitro toxicology of complex mixtures from drinking water disinfection and amine-based carbon capture systems

[摘要] In nature, exposure to chemical insults and toxic agents never occurs in isolation. Any number of concurrent exposures can result from environmental factors. The complex network of integrated organ systems and metabolic pathways are altered by the presence of different agents, so it is possible that, in combination, the biological response to a series of agents might not be simply expressed as the sum of individual exposures. A single-compound paradigm, as has been the historical norm in both toxicological research and regulatory policy, might be inadequate to effectively assess the environmental and health hazards associated with chemical, industrial, or engineering processes. A focus on a select few priority compounds may hide the underlying toxicities of a given set of samples if we are unable to effectively identify or measure the important constituents. Toxicological research into complex mixtures may help to elucidate information on the unknowns in a given system and better identify hazards that might not be obvious by a narrower, single-compound focus.In this thesis, the toxicology of two complex mixture sources was investigated. The first are complex mixtures of drinking waters contaminated with a common pharmaceutical, resulting in the generation of iodinated disinfection by-products (DBPs), a set of DBPs that are currently unregulated but have been found to be more toxic than their analogs with other halogens. The second investigates a series of priority nitrogenous materials derived from a carbon capture process and the complex mixtures of by-products. In this comparison, the bulk of toxic effect could not be explained by simply the compliment of priority contaminants investigated, but rather the complex mixtures provided unexpected insight into more environmentally benign alternatives that would not have been realized had the short list of single compounds been the only focus of the research. The research demonstrates that, to effectively assess the risks presented by by-products of any of a number of processes, complex mixture analysis is essential.

[效力级别] complex mixtures

[关键词] toxicology;complex mixtures;drinking water;carbon capture;nitramines;nitrosamines;emerging contaminants;disinfection by-products (DBP);iodinated contaminants;biology;engineering;interdisciplinary research;iopamidol;x-ray contrast agents;pharmaceutical contaminants;drinking water;safe drinking water act