The disinfection of drinking water generates hundreds of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), including haloaromatic DBPs. These haloaromatic DBPs are suspected to be more toxic than haloaliphatic ones, and they are currently not regulated. This work investigates their toxicity and ability to interfere with estrogen synthesis in human placental JEG-3 cells, and their genotoxic potential in human alveolar A549 cells. Among the haloaromatic DBPs studied, halobenzoquinones (2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ) and 2,6-dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone (DBBQ)) showed the highest cytotoxicity (EC50: 18-26 μg/mL). They induced the generation of very high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and up-regulated the expression of genes involved in estrogen synthesis (cyp19a1, hsd17b1). Increased ROS was linked to significant depletion of polyunsaturated lipid species from inner cell membranes. The other DBPs tested showed low or no significant cytotoxicity (EC50 ≥ 100 μg/mL), while 2,4,6-trichloro-phenol (TCP), 2,4,6-tribromo-phenol (TBP) and 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (DCHB) induced the formation of micronuclei at concentrations much higher than those typically found in water (100 μg/mL). This study reveals the different modes of action of haloaromatic DBPs, and highlights the toxic potential of halobenzoquinones, which had a significant impact on the expression of placenta steroid metabolism related genes and induce oxidative stress, implying potential adverse health effects.
Keywords: Halobenzoquinones; Micronuclei; Oxidative stress; Reprotoxicity; Water disinfection.
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