Gadolinium (Gd) is among the rare earth elements extensively utilized in both industrial and medical applications. The latter application appears to contribute to the rise in Gd levels in aquatic ecosystems, as it is excreted via urine from patients undergoing MRI scans and often not captured by wastewater treatment systems. The potential environmental and biological hazards posed by gadolinium exposure are still under investigation. This study aimed to assess the teratogenic risk posed by a gadolinium chelate on the freshwater cnidarian . The experimental design evaluated the impact of pure Gadodiamide (25 μg/l, 50 μg/l, 100 μg/l, 500 μg/l) and its commercial counterpart compound (Omniscan®; 100 μg/l, 500 μg/l, 782.7 mg/l) at varying concentrations using the Teratogenic Risk Index (TRI). Here we showed a moderate risk (Class III of TRI) following exposure to both tested formulations at concentrations ≥ 100 μg/l. Given the potential for similar concentrations in aquatic environments, particularly near wastewater discharge points, a teratogenic risk assessment using the regeneration assay was conducted on environmental samples collected from three rivers (Tiber, Almone, and Sacco) in Central Italy. Additionally, chemical analysis of field samples was performed using ICP-MS. Analysis of freshwater samples revealed low Gd concentrations (≤ 0.1 μg/l), despite localized increases near domestic and/or industrial wastewater discharge sites. Although teratogenic risk in environmental samples ranged from high (Class IV of TRI) to negligible (Class I of TRI), the low Gd concentrations, particularly when compared to higher levels of other contaminants like arsenic and heavy metals, preclude establishing a direct cause-effect relationship between Gd and observed teratogenic risks in environmental samples. Nevertheless, the teratogenic risks observed in laboratory tests warrant further investigation.

中文翻译：

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评估淡水环境中钆的致畸风险：对环境健康的影响


钆 (Gd) 是广泛用于工业和医疗应用的稀土元素之一。后一种应用似乎会导致水生生态系统中 Gd 水平的上升，因为它是通过接受 MRI 扫描的患者的尿液排出的，并且通常不会被废水处理系统捕获。钆暴露造成的潜在环境和生物危害仍在调查中。本研究旨在评估钆螯合物对淡水刺胞动物造成的致畸风险。实验设计评估了纯钆双酰胺（25μg/l、50μg/l、100μg/l、500μg/l）及其商业对应化合物（Omniscan®；100μg/l、500μg/l、782.7）的影响。 mg/l）在不同浓度下使用致畸风险指数（TRI）。在这里，我们在暴露于浓度 ≥100μg/l 的两种测试制剂后显示出中等风险（TRI 等级 III）。鉴于水生环境中可能存在类似浓度，特别是在废水排放点附近，因此对从意大利中部的三条河流（台伯河、阿尔莫内河和萨科河）收集的环境样本进行了再生测定的致畸风险评估。此外，还使用 ​​ICP-MS 对现场样品进行了化学分析。淡水样品分析显示，尽管生活和/或工业废水排放点附近的 Gd 浓度有局部增加，但 Gd 浓度较低（≤0.1μg/l）。 尽管环境样品中的致畸风险从高（TRI 的 IV 类）到可忽略不计（TRI 的 I 类）不等，但低 Gd 浓度，特别是与较高水平的其他污染物（如砷和重金属）相比，排除了确定直接原因的可能性。 Gd 与环境样品中观察到的致畸风险之间的效应关系。然而，实验室测试中观察到的致畸风险值得进一步研究。