Exposure and tissue distribution analyses of brominated flame retardants in Neophocaena phocaenoides through physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) modeling

IF 4.1 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 MARINE & FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

Aquatic Toxicology Pub Date : 2025-04-02 DOI:10.1016/j.aquatox.2025.107353

Kendric Aaron Tee , Meng-Yi Xie , Linjie Jin , Brian C.W. Kot , Martin T.K. Tsui , Kenneth M.Y. Leung , Paul K.S. Lam , Yuefei Ruan

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Abstract

The Pearl River Delta region in southern China, as a major urban and manufacturing center, receives an elevated burden of brominated flame retardant (BFR) pollution, with its estuary acting as an important sink. Resident cetacean species like Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) can serve as a bioindicator for the spatiotemporal dynamics of BFRs in the Pearl River Estuary because of their susceptibility to bioaccumulation, but prohibitions on sample collection from living individuals necessitates the development of non-invasive exposure assessment methods. In this study, physiologically based toxicokinetic (PBTK) modeling was used as a non-intrusive tool for assessing the exposure of N. phocaenoides to legacy and novel BFRs. Model-generated data were compared to concentrations detected in various tissue samples collected from stranded individuals (during 2013−2022) for further validation. Temporal trends in prey species concentrations were approximated through modeling-based approaches and observed data from blubber samples. The models were able to approximate the relative tissue distribution patterns of both legacy and novel BFRs, with the highest concentrations found in adipose tissue. Sensitivity analysis indicates that parameters relating to adipose tissue are most likely to affect model outcomes due to its function as the main reservoir of BFRs in vivo. Our PBTK modeling further supports the use of N. phocaenoides as a bioindicator for temporal trends of BFR releases from the Pearl River Delta region. Overall, the developed PBTK modeling can be used to assess the exposure and tissue distribution of legacy and novel BFRs for N. phocaenoides in the Indo-Pacific region.

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基于生理毒物动力学（PBTK）模型分析溴化阻燃剂在新竹中的暴露和组织分布

中国南方珠江三角洲地区作为中国重要的城市和制造业中心，其河口是其溴化阻燃剂污染的重要集散地。由于印度洋-太平洋江豚（Neophocaena phocaenoides）等常住鲸类物种对生物积累的敏感性，可以作为珠江口生物frs时空动态的生物指标，但禁止活体采集样本需要开发非侵入性暴露评估方法。在这项研究中，基于生理的毒物动力学（PBTK）模型被用作一种非侵入性的工具来评估N. phocaenoides对遗留的和新的BFRs的暴露。将模型生成的数据与从搁浅个体（2013 - 2022年）收集的各种组织样本中检测到的浓度进行比较，以进一步验证。通过基于模型的方法和从鲸脂样本中观察到的数据，近似地估计了猎物物种浓度的时间趋势。该模型能够近似于传统和新型BFRs的相对组织分布模式，在脂肪组织中发现最高浓度。敏感性分析表明，与脂肪组织相关的参数最有可能影响模型结果，因为脂肪组织是体内BFRs的主要储存库。我们的PBTK模型进一步支持将N. phocaenoides作为珠江三角洲地区BFR释放的时间趋势的生物指标。总体而言，开发的PBTK模型可用于评估印度-太平洋地区遗留和新型phocaenoides的BFRs暴露和组织分布。

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来源期刊

Aquatic Toxicology 环境科学-毒理学

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

4.40%

发文量

250

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： Aquatic Toxicology publishes significant contributions that increase the understanding of the impact of harmful substances (including natural and synthetic chemicals) on aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Aquatic Toxicology considers both laboratory and field studies with a focus on marine/ freshwater environments. We strive to attract high quality original scientific papers, critical reviews and expert opinion papers in the following areas: Effects of harmful substances on molecular, cellular, sub-organismal, organismal, population, community, and ecosystem level; Toxic Mechanisms; Genetic disturbances, transgenerational effects, behavioral and adaptive responses; Impacts of harmful substances on structure, function of and services provided by aquatic ecosystems; Mixture toxicity assessment; Statistical approaches to predict exposure to and hazards of contaminants The journal also considers manuscripts in other areas, such as the development of innovative concepts, approaches, and methodologies, which promote the wider application of toxicological datasets to the protection of aquatic environments and inform ecological risk assessments and decision making by relevant authorities.