Papers by Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 1999
... Correspondence: Gerard J. Stroomberg,, Vrije ... Compared to PAH metabolism studies on benzo[... more ... Correspondence: Gerard J. Stroomberg,, Vrije ... Compared to PAH metabolism studies on benzo[a]pyrene in other invertebrates, such as sea star (Asterias rubens) [17] or shore crab ... 5Van der Oost R, Van Schooten FJ, Ariese F, Heida H, Satumalay K, Vermeulen NPE: 1994. ...
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 1980
A method is described to determine the amount of protein of bacteria grown in agar. Amino acid co... more A method is described to determine the amount of protein of bacteria grown in agar. Amino acid contents of hydrolysates of agar cultures are compared with the amino acids in hydrolysates of the same bacteria grown in a liquid medium. In the latter medium also the amount of bacterial protein is determined. From these data the protein content of bacteria grown in agar can be calculated.
2007) Effects of spatial and temporal variation in metal availability on earthworms in floodplain... more 2007) Effects of spatial and temporal variation in metal availability on earthworms in floodplain soils of the river Dommel, The Netherlands. Environ. Pollut. 148: 824-832. PDF file • S.T.J. Droge, M. León Paumen, E.A.J. Bleeker, M.H.S. Kraak and C.A.M. van Gestel (2006) Chronic toxicity of polycyclic aromatic compounds to the springtail Folsomia candida and the enchytraeid Enchytraeus crypticus. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 25(9): 2423-2431. PDF file • E.A.J. Bleeker, S. Wiegman, S.T.J. Droge, M.H.S. Kraak and C.A.M. Van Gestel (2003) Towards an improvement of the risk assessment of polycyclic (hetero)aromatic hydrocarbons.
Ecotoxicology, 2000
On request of the Dutch government a committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands Ž has rev... more On request of the Dutch government a committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands Ž has reviewed the role that results of field research in its broadest sense i.e., including multi-species . toxicity tests in the laboratory, research on model ecosystems et cetera can play in ecotoxicological risk assessment for the authorisation of pesticides. The Committee believes that field research can provide valuable additional data about the exposure of non-target organisms and the resultant effects at population, community and ecosystem level. However, it frequently is unclear how these data might be used in reaching a decision about authorisation. To solve this problem, it is necessary to specify what is understood by ''unacceptable damage''. Both more clearly formulated protection goals of the government and a better understanding of the ecological significance of effects are needed to clarify this. Furthermore, the Committee points out that the statistical power of field trials must be sufficient to allow for the detection of changes that might be regarded as ecologically relevant. Finally, it recommends keeping a finger on the pulse in relation to authorised pesticides by monitoring their presence in environmental compartments and by investigating their role in suddenly occurring mortality among conspicuous animal species, such as birds, fish and honeybees. This kind of research forms a safety net for substances that have been wrongly authorised.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 1989
This article describes a standardized test method for determining the effect of chemical substanc... more This article describes a standardized test method for determining the effect of chemical substances on the reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia fetida andrei. It is based on the existing guidelines for acute toxicity testing with earthworms, and for reasons of standardization the same artificial soil substrate and earthworm species were chosen as prescribed by these guidelines. After being preconditioned for
Chemistry and Ecology, 2006
The Science of the total environment, Jan 15, 2010
Mechanistic understanding of bioaccumulation in different organisms and environments should take ... more Mechanistic understanding of bioaccumulation in different organisms and environments should take into account the influence of organism and chemical depending factors on the uptake and elimination kinetics of chemicals. Lipophilicity, metabolism, sorption (bioavailability) and biodegradation of chemicals are among the important factors that may significantly affect the bioaccumulation process in soil organisms. This study attempts to model elimination kinetics of organic chemicals in earthworms by accounting for the effects of both chemical and biological properties, including metabolism. The modeling approach that has been developed is based on the concept for simulating metabolism used in the BCF base-line model developed for predicting bioaccumulation in fish. Metabolism was explicitly accounted for by making use of the TIMES engine for simulation of metabolism and a set of principal transformations. Kinetic characteristics of transformations were estimated on the basis of observ...
Ecotoxicology (London, England), 2001
We studied the presence of zinc tolerance in enchytraeid worm (Cognettia sphagnetorum, Oligochaet... more We studied the presence of zinc tolerance in enchytraeid worm (Cognettia sphagnetorum, Oligochaeta) from a metal-polluted forest soil in The Netherlands. In a dose response experiment, we compared Zn sensitivity, measured as body growth and reproduction, of these enchytraeids with that of animals taken from three unpolluted sites. Because C. sphagnetorum is a keystone species, regulating microbial processes in coniferous forest soil, we performed a microcosm experiment to study the interaction of enchytraeids from several sites with soil microbes. The idea was to study whether there is a link between metal stress response of individuals (tolerance level, life history alteration) and changes observed at higher organization levels of the biological system (trophic interaction and decomposition processes). We did not find evidence for increased metal tolerance of C. sphagnetorum. Worms from the polluted site actually had reduced body growth, indicating negative fitness effects caused b...
Ecotoxicology (London, England), 2001
In lowland areas of the Netherlands, any peat sediments will gradually become enriched with anthr... more In lowland areas of the Netherlands, any peat sediments will gradually become enriched with anthropogenically derived Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Due to Dutch policy standards these (anaerobic) sediments are not allowed to be dredged and placed onto land. Under aerobic conditions, however, biodegradation of PAH is greatly enhanced. This degradation is further stimulated by colonisation of the sediments by earthworms. Laboratory experiments show that although earthworms do not avoid PAH-contaminated sediment, their burrowing-activity is reduced. Furthermore, these sediments have no significant ecotoxicological impacts on earthworms. Experimental introduction of earthworms into PAH-contaminated OECD-soil will result in a decrease in overall PAH content. In field surveys no significant differences in earthworm numbers between locations with fresh and old sediment could be found. It is concluded that dredging of PAH-contaminated sediment poses a very limited environmental threat, ...
The Science of the total environment, Jan 27, 1998
In this study, the availability of physico-chemical and ecotoxicological information on 78 transf... more In this study, the availability of physico-chemical and ecotoxicological information on 78 transformation products for 20 regularly used pesticides in the open literature is evaluated. Based on this information, it is attempted to predict the relative risk for the aquatic environment of each transformation product in comparison to its parent pesticide. It is concluded that for the 78 transformation products selected, the data set on physico-chemical and ecotoxicological behaviour is not very large. Measured log Kow values and other physico-chemical properties are known for only 30-40% of the selected transformation products. The overall reliability of the collected physico-chemical values is considered to be moderate to slight, while for the ecotoxicological data set, reliability is considered to be sufficient. In many cases, there is a need for more information especially on the persistency and no-observed-effect concentrations of the pesticide's transformation products. In gen...
Environmental Pollution, 2014
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2005
Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide in grassland soils and microorganisms control its degrada... more Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide in grassland soils and microorganisms control its degradation. We introduce the concept of using the degradation rate as an indicator for ecosystem health. Testing this concept, we used soils with a long history of heavy metal pollution (Cu, Pb, and Zn). We hypothesized lower degradation rates in metal-polluted compared to less polluted soils. The degradation rates were measured by repeated measurements of the parent compound in spiked soil-water slurries incubated at 20 8C over 21 days. Average rates showed no differences comparing among soils. We observed a positive correlation between glyphosate degradation rates and soil metal pollution. Therefore, we concluded that the expected impact of the metals on the bacteria responsible for the herbicide degradation was not established. We discuss the potential influence on biological degradation rates of soil pH and adsorption and implications using the concept of the soil health indicator. q
Science of The Total Environment, 2009
The definition of ambient background concentrations (ABCs) is used in this study to assess the po... more The definition of ambient background concentrations (ABCs) is used in this study to assess the potential environmental risk of trace elements in soils and parent materials from Granada, Spain. Two different layers of soil (0-20 and 20-40 cm) and parent material samples were collected at 93 sites. From cumulative frequency distribution curves, ABCs for As, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn were estimated at 3.5-20, 7-23, 13-25.6, 29-66, 7-20, 15-36, and 5.5-76 mg kg(-1), respectively. Tukey box-plots were used to discriminate different concentration classes and identify potentially contaminated sites. Weakly-weathered soils (Entisols) over carbonate materials showed the lowest background contents, the most developed soils (Alfisols) over metamorphic rocks the highest ones. Outliers were mainly found near a former iron mine where arsenic concentrations were by far exceeding the corresponding regional ABC. These soils were however, not toxic to Escherichia coli and Vibrio fischeri. The prediction of site-specific ABCs together with bioavailability and toxicity assessment is a valuable tool for giving further insight into the risk of trace elements in soils.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2001
Levels of toxic substances released into the environment are often highly variable and fluctuate ... more Levels of toxic substances released into the environment are often highly variable and fluctuate over time. The present study deals with a simple type of time-variable exposure, diluted pulse. We determined toxicokinetic parameters of zinc in guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) and evaluated the applicability of a toxicokinetics-based survival model developed earlier. In the toxicokinetics experiment, zinc was rapidly taken up and released again; the half-life in fish was only 1.5 d. In the toxicity experiments with diluted-pulse exposure, survival leveled off to a baseline level, which in accordance with the model is explained by the dilution of zinc. The model fitted reasonably well for the lower initial concentrations but tended to overestimate survival rates at the higher concentrations. Toxicokinetic parameters estimated from changes in survival were close to values estimated from measured zinc concentrations in water. Elimination rates during pulse exposure varied from 0.434 to 0.488 d Ϫ1 and corresponded very well to the elimination rate during constant exposure (0.463 d Ϫ1 ). Ultimate LC50 values were estimated as 6.40 and 9.10 mg/L. These results suggest that toxicity experiments with a simple, time-varying exposure can be used as an alternative to conventional, constantexposure experiments. Toxicokinetic parameters and toxicological endpoints can still be estimated in static bioassays with decreasing exposure if the concentration in the medium is measured. At the same time, diluted-pulse experiments may simulate exposure from discharges in the field better than constant-exposure experiments.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2001
Little is known about the capacity of terrestrial invertebrates to transform organic soil polluta... more Little is known about the capacity of terrestrial invertebrates to transform organic soil pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Studies were designed to characterize microsomal mixed function oxygenase and accompanying conjugation enzymes from the hepatopancreas of the terrestrial isopods Porcellio scaber and Oniscus asellus using pyrene and 1hydroxypyrene as model substrates. The hydroxylation of pyrene and the formation of pyreneglucoside and pyrenesulfate appeared to be sensitive measures for the activity of cytochrome P450 aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), uridinediphosphateglucosyltransferase (UDPGT), and aryl sulfotransferase (ST), respectively. Treatment with the antibiotic riphampicine demonstrated that the enzyme activities originate from the animals themselves and not from symbiotic microflora present in the hepatopancreas and the gut. In both species, ST has a very high affinity for 1-hydroxypyrene with K m values two orders of magnitude lower than that of UDPGT. The V max values of UDPGT, however, are 10-to 20-fold higher than that of ST. Taking the P450 activities into consideration, both species are expected to transform PAHs in an equally effective way. When the isopods were fed with food containing benzo[a]pyrene and 3-methyl-cholanthrene, none of the enzyme activities appeared to be inducible except for a small enhancement of UDPGT in O. asellus. Our findings indicate that terrestrial isopods have a high, noninducible capacity for biotransformation of PAHs and that the sulfate conjugation pathway is as important as the carbohydrate conjugation pathway. This conclusion is consistent with the low body residues of parent PAHs found in the field.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2001
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2001
To compare the effectiveness of acute and chronic bioassays for the ecological risk assessment of... more To compare the effectiveness of acute and chronic bioassays for the ecological risk assessment of polluted soils, soil samples from a site with an historical mineral oil contamination (Ͻ50-3,300 mg oil/kg dry soil) at the Petroleum Harbour in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, were screened for ecological effects using acute and chronic bioassays. A two-step 0.001 M Ca(NO 3 ) 2 extraction at a final solution-to-soil ratio of 1:1 was used to prepare extracts for the acute bioassays. Acute bioassays (Յ5 d) applied to the 0.001 M Ca(NO 3 ) 2 extracts from the polluted and reference soils included growth tests with bacteria (Bacillus sp.), algae (Raphidocelis subcapitata), and plants (Lactuca sativa), immobility tests with nematodes (Plectus acuminatus), springtails (Folsomia candida), and cladocerans (Daphnia magna), and the Microtox test (Vibrio fischeri). Chronic bioassays (four weeks) performed on the same soil samples included tests with L. sativa, F. candida, and earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and the bait-lamina test (substrate consumption). The acute bioassays on Microtox showed a response that corresponded with the level of oil pollution. All other acute bioassays did not show such a consistent response, probably because pollutant levels were too low to cause acute effects. All chronic bioassays showed sublethal responses according to the contaminant levels (oil and in some soils also metals). This shows that chronic bioassays on soil samples are more sensitive in assessing the toxicity of mineral oil contamination in soil than acute bioassays on soil extracts. A pilot scale bioremediation study on soils taken from the two most polluted sites and a control site showed a rapid decline of oil concentrations to reach a stable level within eight weeks. Acute bioassays applied to the soils, using Microtox, algae, and D. magna, and chronic bioassays, using plants, Collembola, earthworms, and bait-lamina consumption, in all cases showed a rapid reduction of toxicity, which could be attributed to the degradation of light oil fractions.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 1993
The toxicity of 76 priority pollutants to lettuce (Luctuca sutiva) was determined in soil and in ... more The toxicity of 76 priority pollutants to lettuce (Luctuca sutiva) was determined in soil and in nutrient solution. In the first case a static and in the latter a semistatic exposure was established. Volatile and easily degradable compounds had high EC50 values in soil (>1,000 kg/g). In nutrient solution, however, several of these compounds were rather toxic. Quantitative structureactivity relationships (QSARs) relating EC50 values to log KO, could be described for the toxicity in nutrient solution. Generally, the toxicity of the compounds increased with increasing lipophilicity. Deviations were (partly) caused by reactivity (N-containing compounds, double bonds in compounds), low lipophilicity (log KO, values < l), and EC50 values close to solubility. To relate toxicity in soil and nutrient solution, soil EC50 values were recalculated to values in the soil pore water using calculated adsorption coefficients. Estimated pore-water EC50 values showed a good correlation with values determined in nutrient solution but were not equal to these values. The differences can be attributed to differences in exposure (static vs. semistatic).
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Papers by Cornelis A.M. van Gestel