Abstract This work aimed at evaluating the inhibitory effect of ten natural bioactive compounds (1–10) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2-3CL main protease (PDB ID: 6LU7) and SARS-CoV main proteases (PDB IDs: 2GTB and 3TNT) by molecular docking analysis. The inhibitory effect of all studied compounds was studied with compared to some proposed antiviral drugs which currently used in COVID-19 treatment

Abstract This study investigates the stability of a pure oxygen aeration-activated sludge system for petrochemical wastewater treatment under high organic concentration and non-steady food-to-microorganism (F/M) ratio conditions. Sludge settling characteristics maintained relatively stable conditions with an F/M ratio variation from 0.15 ± 0.04 to 0.33 ± 0.07 kg COD/kg MLSS⋅d, while the excess F/M

Abstract Perfluoroisobutyronitrile (C4F7N) is a new eco-friendly gas insulation medium that has potential to replace the most greenhouse gas sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) used in power industry. In order to ensure the engineering application safety, an in-depth assessment of the acute inhalation toxicity of C4F7N gas mixture is required. This article revealed gender differences in male and female mice

Abstract For human risk assessment of toxic chemicals, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan, has called for the interconversion of inhalation-dose and oral-dose data, two common exposure routes. To address this issue, the present study investigated the time-course changes of ethylbenzene (EB) concentrations in the blood of rats during and

Abstract In this study, we investigated the interaction of submicron-sized bioplastics with environmentally and clinically important bacteria under seawater and sediment conditions. To examine the relationship between submicron-sized bioplastics and bacteria in seawater and sediment, we focused on the bacterial activation and their biochemical key events toward the protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and

Abstract Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder caused by the destruction of insulin-secreting β-cells.T1D is on the rise around the world. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) including 2-aminoanthracene (2AA) is considered a contributor to TID increase. The contribution of the ingestion of 2AA toward T1D vulnerability is examined. 2AA is found in a variety of household products

Abstract The influence of the UV–Vis radiation on the toxicity of agomelatine, loxapine, clozapine and tiapride was studied. The phototransformation procedure was conducted with the use of simulated solar radiation. In the case of each compound irradiation time necessary to decompose half of the initial concentration was chosen. The embryotoxicity and acute toxicity were evaluated using zebrafish (Danio

Abstract Aminoglycoside antibiotics have been used for treating serious but also routine infections in veterinary and human medicine for many years. The basic aim of this work is to evaluate the cytotoxicity of dihydrostreptomycin and neomycin in vitro on three cell cultures - BHK-21 (Syrian golden hamster kidney fibroblast), VERO (African green monkey kidney fibroblast) and FEA (feline embryonic fibroblast)

Abstract Among all emerging contaminants, pharmaceutical compounds as tetracycline (TC) can cause potential environmental impact in water quality. In this work, the removal of TC drug on activated carbon from aqueous solution was studied and the best operating parameters were obtained. In addition, a real aqueous matrix was enriched with TC and the optimized conditions were applied to study the adsorption

Abstract This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in the Szreniawa river with detailed aims of: (i) assessment of differences in the number of microbiological indicators of water quality in a diurnal cycle in a vicinity of the sewage treatment plant (STP); (ii) determination of prevalence of antimicrobial resistant E. coli isolated from three sites located

Abstract The present study investigated the application of functinalized adsorbents in the removal of tetracycline in water by adsorption. Activated carbon was impregnated with iron chloride, copper sulfate and hydrogen peroxide, in order to improve its adsorption properties. The solids were characterized by adsorption/desorption isotherms N2, XRD, FTIR and SEM. The influence of pH, adsorbent concentration

Abstract Given the toxicity and widespread occurrence of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in aquatic environments, we investigated the feasibility of a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) biofilm reactor for the enrichment of microbial communities capable of Cr(VI) removal. In the present study, a laboratory-scale DHS reactor fed with a molasses-based medium containing Cr(VI) was operated for 112 days for the

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the endocrine-disrupting effects of phthalate esters (PAEs) on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling. Potential (anti)glucocorticoid activities of six typical PAEs including di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were

Abstract Microbes that can be cultured and degrade petroleum are of particular interest for biotechnology such as bioremediation. This study aims to isolate and identify culturable petroleum-degrading bacteria and fungi from Brunei Darussalam, which has not previously been explored. A total of eight bacterial and nine fungal isolates that could degrade petroleum were obtained from petroleum-contaminated

Abstract This study investigates the effectiveness of SBBR with low-cost textile fibers-based bio-carrier namely polypropylene fibers for the treatment of real sewage. The influent loading rates of COD, TN, and TP were averaged at 0.2780, 0.0170, and 0.0077 kg/m3.d, respectively. The removal efficiencies of BOD, COD, TN, and TP recorded in SBBR were 98%, 93%, 82%, and 44%, respectively at an aeration

Abstract Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in house dust have raised significant concern around the world. However, few studies have reported the correlation between BFR concentrations in house dust and children’s hair samples. In this study, BFR concentrations in house dust and children’s hair were measured. Chemical analysis showed that the total concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers

A new nitrous oxide (N2O)-reducing bacterium was isolated from a consortium that was enriched using advanced wastewater treatment sludge as an inoculum and N2O as the sole nitrogen source. The isolated facultative anaerobe was identified as Azospira sp. HJ23. Azospira sp. HJ23 exhibited optimum N2O-reducing activity with a C/N ratio of 62 at pH 6 in the temperature range of 37 °C to 40 °C. The optimum

There is great interest in producing nanoparticles for various applications. The objective of this work was to develop a procedure for reproducibly creating stable lead (Pb) phosphate nanoparticle aqueous suspensions. A stable 5 mg/L Pb-phosphate nanoparticle “stock” suspension was synthesized via chemical precipitation of Pb and orthophosphate in water at pH 7.5 with 4.4 mg soluble PO4/L and 7 mg

Seven surfactants were selected as candidate agents for in situ soil column flushing. Column flushing lacks the interaction between surfactants and contaminants, so efficiency is not easy to improve. Microbubbles generated in situ may adhere to the contaminant diesel. Thereafter, the bubbles were mobilized to lift the multi-system oil to the top layer. This process must be attributed to the increased

The particulate size distributions of aerosol pollutants (particulates and Hg(p)) at a mixed site were measured and their seasonal variations identified. Atmospheric particulates and the Hg(p) mass median diameter (m.m.d.) were obtained. Hg(p) concentrations increased by approximately 20% during the peak demand period for all particle sizes (18, 10, 2.5, 1 and 0.3 μm). The mean percentage concentration

The present study represents an original approach to data interpretation of clinical data for patients with diagnosis diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) using fuzzy clustering as a tool for intelligent data analysis. Fuzzy clustering is often used in classification and interpretation of medical data (including in medical diagnosis studies) but in this study it is applied with a different goal: to separate

This study evaluates the process performance of a real-scale anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) coupled with swim bed tank (SBT) as an aerobic post-treatment process in treating fishmeal wastewater discharged from an actual fishmeal processing factory in Bali, Indonesia. The industrial wastewater released from the aforementioned factory contains high concentrations of organic COD (more than 10 g COD·L−1)

Over the past decades, air pollution has become one of the critical environmental health issues in China. The present study aimed to evaluate links between ambient air pollution and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). A multilevel linear and logistic regression was used to assess these associations among 7,770 participants aged ≥50 years

The transferability of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and other plasticizers, from model polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets to the skin of 11 subjects was assessed by measuring the amount of substance transferred using PVC sheets containing PAEs and alternative plasticizers of different types and contents. For all subjects, the transferred amount, from sheets containing 28 wt% PAE or from mixed sheets containing

The purpose of this study was to identify the long-term effect of chemical exposure on the liver. Laboratory tests included alanine aminotransferase (ALT) dosage and oxidative stress tests, such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in plasma and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase analysis in erythrocytes. The cross-sectional study comprised 70 workers, 30 of them exposed

Recently, Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have become widely applied nanomaterial in human contacting areas such as cosmetics, food and medicine due to their antibacterial property. On the other hand, surfactants are essential ingredient of several industrial and consumer formulations. Based on these important applications, the current research was aimed to carry out the synthesis and characterization

The effect of the presence of minerals in natural soil polluted with lead (II) was investigated to verify the efficiency of the electrokinetic remediation method. Natural soil “Sebkha of Oran” containing high calcite minerals and characterized by high salinity was used in experimental studies. This study investigates the effects of alkaline soil pH conditions on the transport and removal of lead by

Each year, large amounts of plastic waste are generated and must be appropriately disposed. In this work, we studied the feasibility of using plastics as wetland substrates as an alternative plastic waste disposal method and the ability of the constructed wetland to remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from contaminated water. Wetland microcosms were constructed using polycarbonate

The Extended Bootstrap (EB) assessment approach was developed for the examination of relationships of Type I error, power, sample size (n), and effect size (ES) for statistical tests of ecological data. The EB approach was applied to univariate and multivariate statistical analyses of a large data set collected from an ongoing, multiple stressor bioassessment study of watersheds in the Central Valley

The acid mine drainage (AMD) can causes negative impacts to the environment. Physico-chemical methods to treat AMD can have high operational costs. Through passive biological methods, such as anaerobic reactors, sulfate reduction, and recovery of metals are promoted. This study evaluated the performance of a horizontal anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor for the treatment of synthetic AMD

This work aimed at offering an effective and environmentally friendly approach to the real wastewater of an industrial agrochemicals production plant containing high amounts of many hazardous compounds that threaten human health. The removal of total organic carbon (TOC) (59.45%) and colour (97.92%) of the wastewater was achieved using subcritical water oxidation method. The fate of the detected compounds

The aim of this study was to modify a discontinued, toxic antiseptic agent 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (TCP) by reacting it with epichlorohydrin (ECH) to obtain a nontoxic novel compound with similar antimicrobial effectiveness. A novel compound named {[1,3-bis(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) propan-2-yl] oxy}-3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) hexan-2-ol (TPTH) was synthesized from this reaction. Chemical and physical

Abstract Glauconite is one of natural clay minerals that are low-cost and readily available. Its specific characters, including potassium cations activity, layered structure and absorption capacity, explain the comprehensive interest to this mineral. It is especially prospective in regard of water treatment. Glauconite composition depends on the formation conditions, which lead to different sorption

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical properties of drinking water sources at Ihiala, Nigeria, and to assess the water quality using the heavy metal pollution index, heavy metal evaluation index and contamination index models. Physicochemical parameters like pH, total hardness, total dissolved solids, nitrate, cyanide, residual chlorine and six metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb

Abstract In this work, we analyzed the advantages of using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized with natural extracts in ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) protective cream. The photodegradation properties of the new UV-Vis protective milk show an increase in its absorption band compared to AgNP-free cream. Previous to the study of the AgNPs mixed within the body milk, we studied the optical

Pathogenic enteric viruses and bacteria tend to occur in higher concentrations and survive longer in aquatic sediments than suspended in the water column. Re-suspension of these organisms can result in a significant degradation of overlying water quality. Additionally, the re-suspension of microbial pathogens in artificial irrigation canals could endanger the consumption of fresh and ready-to-eat produce

In this study, a comparison of two advanced oxidation treatments (UV/H2O2 and UV/S2O8 2−) for the degradation of Sulfamethazine (SMT) is presented. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to assess the effect of different oxidation process variables on degradation efficiency and degradation rate, such as: process temperature, oxidizing agent concentration and pH. Surface response methodology was

Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a cationic surfactant commonly used as a disinfectant, and is discharged into the aquatic environment by various water sources such as wastewater. BAC may also interact with potentially toxic substances such as persistent organic chemicals. Although studies of BAC contamination toxicity and bioaccumulation have been widely reported, the biochemical responses to BAC toxicity

Abstract The toxic effects of various substances on Daphnia magna (D. magna) observed through traditional waterborne uptake may involve alterations to the nutritional quality of the contaminated algae and culture media. It is essential to find an alternative delivery method that will not affect the nutritional quality of D. magna’s diet in order to elucidate the mechanisms of dietary metal toxicity

Abstract Plant models may be useful as test organisms for initial screening of potential toxicity of personal care products. The objective of the present study was to assess the efficacy of the Allium cepa (common onion) test system as a bioanalytical tool for screening potential cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of herbal-based hair dye formulations. Exposure of black hair dye formulations for 48 hours

Abstract The aim of this study was to interpret the development of Anammox activity by a mathematical model in an UASB reactor -originally inoculated with methanogenic granules- at which Anammox progress has been also experimentally observed while treating chicken manure digestate. Since ammonium is derived from anaerobic degradation of nitrogenous compounds in chicken manure similar to any other nitrogen-rich

Abstract Alkaline proteases having activity and stability at alkaline pH possess a large variety of applications in many industries. Growing renewed interest urges the need to find a single alkaline protease with promising properties to be used in different industrial processes. Herein, alkaline proteases produced through fermentation of cheap and easily available organic municipal solid wastes by

The mining sector in South Africa is expected to be the fifth largest in the world. Both mining and transport are the most common reasons for an increased risk of human exposure to heavy metal contamination in South Africa. Due to increasing amounts of metals in the environment, this study identified three metals cadmium, chromium and mercury based on the risk of exposure in South Africa. The aim of

Ionizing radiation in environment comes from various natural and anthropogenic sources. The effect of radioactivity released after the CNPP (Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant) on plant systems remains of great interest. Even now, more than three decades after the nuclear accident, the long-lived radionuclides represent a strong stress factor. Herein, the emphasis has been placed on analysis of genetic

This study aimed to evaluate the exposure to environmental lead (Pb) of children from a traditional community of African descent in Brazil and the effects on hematological parameters. Children (n = 75) aged 5.5–13 years from the exposed areas classified as low (LEx) and moderately (MEx) exposed were compared with children (n = 75) of a control group (CG). Dust Pb loading rates (RtPbs) at children’s

The large number of vehicles plying in roads is the main cause of traffic jam and air pollution in Hanoi. In this study, the vehicle density and shares of different vehicle types, the traffic flow velocity and roadside air pollutants concentrations were monitored in Chua Boc street, a typical arterial road in the city. The shares of the motorcycle, car and bus fleets in the total on-road traffic in

The ability of white-rot fungus, Trametes hirsuta AK04, to utilize phenolics as single and mixed substrates was determined in mineral medium and palm oil mill effluent (POME). The strain AK04 was able to rapidly metabolize all ten phenolics as single and mixed substrates at all test concentrations. With single substrates, between 78 and 98% removal was achieved within seven days. The biomass yield

Herein, we report a novel composite material of Nb2O5@MIL–125 that exhibited enhanced photoreduction of hexavalent chromium. The composite material was fabricated through an impregnation approach, which comprised of a two-step hydrothermal synthesis. As-prepared Nb2O5 nanospheres exhibited very poor charge separation; MIL–125 (Ti) which is a Ti-based metal-organic framework was introduced into the

The effect of tetracyclines used for swine food-production (tetracycline and oxytetracycline) on enriched nitrifying bacteria cultures over time was investigated in this study. Short-term exposure assays were performed in different concentrations of each antibiotic, using ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) culture and nitrifying bacteria. The results pointed out a higher inhibitory effect of tetracycline

In this study, a newly developed liquid-phase plasma discharge (LPPD) process was evaluated for removing methylene blue (MB) in water. Three independent variables, i.e., liquid flow rate (LF), air flow rate (AF), and MB concentration in water, were all tested at five levels (37, 68, 81, 94, and 103 mL/min for LF; 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 L/min for AF; and 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 mg/L for MB) using Central

Abstract Standard ready biodegradability tests are conducted at unrealistically high test concentration and therefore cannot properly evaluate toxic substances to microorganisms. The present study evaluated the effects of four adsorbent carriers in modified ready biodegradability tests of four quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) demonstrating microbial toxicity according to the Organization for Economic

Abstract The 17 alpha methyltestosterone (MT) hormone is fed to Oreochromis niloticus larvae in fish farms with the purpose of inducing sex reversal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity and sub-lethality of MT (99.9% purity) and cMT (a commercial MT with 90% purity) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) adults, where the animals were exposed to concentrations of 0, 4, 23, 139, 833 and 5000 µg/L

Abstract An understanding of microbial communities present in anaerobic bioreactors can strongly facilitate the development of approaches to control undesirable microorganisms, such as sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), in the system. In this study, overall microbial communities present in anaerobic bioreactors from seven industrial wastewater treatment plants (including food, pulp and paper industries)

Each year, large amounts of plastic waste are generated and must be appropriately disposed. In this work, we studied the feasibility of using plastics as wetland substrates as an alternative plastic waste disposal method and the ability of the constructed wetland to remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from contaminated water. Wetland microcosms were constructed using polycarbonate

Abstract Sugarcane cultivation requires correct fertilizer rates. However, when nutrients are not available, or there is over-fertilization, the yields are significantly reduced and the environmental burden increase. In this study, it is proposed a decision support system (DSS) for the correct NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertilization. The DSS consists of two fuzzy models; the edaphic

Static magnetic field (SMF) is widely used in industry, in consumer devices and diagnostic medical equipment, hence the widespread exposure to SMF in the natural environment and in people occupationally exposed to it. In environment and in some workplaces, there is a risk of exposure also to various chemicals. Environmental factors can affect the cellular processes which can be the cause of the development

Surface and groundwater resources in the Seridó Region (Brazilian semiarid) were investigated to evaluate their current quality conditions and suitability for domestic use. The water was characterized in terms of physical, chemical, and radiological parameters; including those required by the Brazilian Drinking Water Quality Standard (DWQS). Information about major and trace elements and radiological

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic environmental lead (Pb) exposure in blood lead level (BLL), δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, hemoglobin (Hb) amount and hematocrit (Hct) value in primary schoolchildren and adults. Blood was obtained for BLL, ALAD, Hb and Hct measurements in 23 primary schoolchildren (girls and boys) and 117 adult residents (women

Retene (1-methyl-7-isopropyl-phenanthrene, RET) is an alkyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with environmental risk to aquatic animals. Takifugu obscurus is a migratory fish species with high economic and ecological value. To assess the toxic effects of RET on molecular metabolism, juvenile T. obscurus in this study were acutely exposed to 44.30 µg/L of RET for four days. The transcriptome profiles

This study proposed a method for analysis of 10 phthalate esters compounds from wastewater treatment plant sludges. The analytical efficiency of GC-MS for of target compounds was verified by a standard mixture of phthalate esters. The response factors related to the respective internal standards from a five-point calibration curve quantified the phthalate esters in individual compounds. Based on the