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

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 properties

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

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 UV-Vis

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

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. Therefore

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 resulted

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

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 Bacillus

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

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 Co-operation

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 for 96 hours

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) were

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

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 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

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 condition

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 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

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

Wild animals like pheasant seem to be a good source of information about human activities. Therefore, the wild pheasants and relative stable appendix microcenosis were selected for antibiotic resistance testing. Penicillin resistance by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry and tetracyclines resistance by genetic methods using specific primers were tested. Differences between tetracycline and penicillin resistance

Diesel oil spills in marine environments pose a severe threat to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Photocatalysis is an environment-friendly method for marine oil remediation; however, its practical usage is limited due to several issues. In this study, we demonstrate the enhanced efficacy of doped CuO/ZrO2 photocatalyst at degrading marine diesel in comparison to undoped ZrO2. The photocatalysts

In the present investigation, physico-chemical characterization of composite material revealed the presence of fluffy surface structure with crystalline look and negatively charged surface functional groups. The study of adsorption flux by using dimensionless numbers φ (2.62), Nk (62.68) and λ (1.17 × 10−5) proved that adsorption of nickel ions on the surface of composite material was mostly film diffusion-limited

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water for millions of people around the world. Over 400 million people in Africa depend solely on it as their main source of water supply. Fluoride is a common contaminant in groundwater. In low concentration (0.5-1.0 mg/L), fluoride is needed by humans for healthy development of bones and teeth, however, a concentration >1.5 mg/L has been linked with several

To understand the effect of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on the conformation changes of bovine serum albumin (BSA), the binding mechanisms of EE2 with BSA were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and molecular

Grilling restaurants are a major contributor to airborne particulate matter (PM) in metropolitan areas. In this study, the removal of PM during the grilling of pork belly using an orifice scrubber, which is a form of gas-induced spray scrubber, was assessed. During grilling, the particle mass concentration was the highest for 1.0 < PM ≤ 2.5 μm (55.5% of total PM emissions), followed by 0.5 < PM ≤ 1

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) production and usage might lead to a large discharge of ZnO NPs into the natural environment, raising concerns of pollution and ecological security. The effects of ZnO NPs on waste activated sludge hydrolytic acidification and microbial communities were studied in semi-continuous fermentation systems. The fermentation performance of eight ZnO NPs concentrations including

The methane production and the microbial community dynamics of thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion (AD) of corn stover, swine manure and effluent were conducted at total solid (TS) content of 5%, 10% and 15%, the carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) of 20, 30 and 40 and the effluent volumetric percentage (EVP) of 20%, 40% and 60%. For batches with 5% TS, the highest methane yield of 238.5–283.1 mL g−1 volatile

Waste-activated sludge (WAS) with trace organic pollutants, e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has become an environmental concern. Anaerobic technology is a feasible option for WAS treatment due to its advantages of low-energy consumption and high-energy recovery compared to aerobic technology, but it still has many shortcomings, such as low biogas production and a low organic pollutant

Given the increasing levels of air pollution, understanding the direct shielding response of the skin to air pollutants as a whole under exclusion of the influence from the inside of body is important. We applied topically the water soluble ambient air pollutants to the mouse skin and observed the histological response using 0.3 mM of H2SO3 as a positive control. Water soluble air pollutants samples

Copper is an environmental risk factor, which has various effects on reproductive endocrinology. In this study human adrenocortical carcinoma (NCI-H295R) cell line was used as an in vitro biological model to study the effect of copper sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) on steroidogenesis and cytotoxicity. The cell cultures were exposed to different concentrations (3.90, 62.50, 250, 500, 1000 µM) of CuSO4.5H2O and

Understanding the physicochemical characteristics of oil-based cuttings (OBCs) is an important foundation for subsequent treatment and management. The macro- and microscopic properties of white oil-based cuttings (WOBCs) and diesel-based cuttings (DBCs) after the different pretreatment steps have been assessed using scanning electron microscopy. The organic and inorganic compositions of OBCs have been

Embryos from the marine medaka fish Oryzias javanicus were treated with eight concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20 μg L--1) after they had been fertilized. Significant mortality and hatching delays were detected in embryos that had been exposed to 10 and 20 μg L-1 BaP for 4 weeks. The mortality rate after hatching was higher in the medaka that had been previously

Degradation studies of phenanthrene and naphthalene as a mixture was carried out using a developed bacterial consortium. The isolates used in consortium were identified as Chryseobacterium sp., Sphingobacterium sp., Stenotrophomonas sp., Agromyces sp. and Pseudomonas sp. Limited work is done on genus Agromyces in degradation studies of PAHs. Catechol production was detected using Arnow’s assay suggested

The study presents responses of D. magna newborns exposed during 96 h to polyethylene microplastics (MP) of size 40-48 μm in the concentrations of 20; 40; 80; 160 and 320 mg/L. The experimental design consisted of two exposure scenarios: the first group was fed at the beginning and after 48 h (3x10−5 cells/mL of Raphidocelis subcaptata and fermented solution) and the second group was not fed as an

This work aimed to produce activated carbon (AC) from brewing industry waste (the malt bagasse) to adsorb Paracetamol. Malt bagasse was characterized by moisture and ash contents and thermogravimetric analysis. Three types of AC were prepared: C400 (400 °C) and C500 (500 °C) under oxidizing atmosphere, and CN550 (550 °C) under nitrogen atmosphere. Some of these ACs were characterized by pH, point of

This investigation was done to decide the concentrations, sources and potential risks of metals in media around Ijero area. A total of 80 samples including topsoils, sediments, tailings and whole plants were gathered from this territory while control samples were taken from zone with less human exercises. Samples were pounded, sieved and chemically analyzed utilizing Agilent High Plasma Liquid Chromatography

This study focuses on the water-soluble ion concentrations in the washing solution of leaves of different roadside tree species at three sites in Iran to estimate the ionic composition of the dry deposition of ambient air particulates. All considered water-soluble ion concentrations were significantly higher next to the roads with high traffic density compared to the reference site with low traffic

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are typical pollutants and may be alkylated and oxygenated to form alkyl-PAHs and oxygenated-PAHs (oxy-PAHs), respectively. Takifugu obscurus is an important anadromous fish species and displays a high risk of being exposed to PAHs-contaminated areas. In the present study, the effects of acute exposure to 44.29 µg L−1 9,10-phenanthrenequione (9,10-PQ), retene

Despite a connection between road traffic and air pollution has been clearly identified, few integrated analyses on air quality and mobility policies are currently available worldwide. Aim of this work is to build a framework for the evaluation of the impact of mobility policies on air quality in 14 major Italian cities, on a long-time scale (2006–2016). Air quality data was collected from all PM10

Chlorophenols are inhibitory compounds that can be biodegraded by aerobic granules in discontinuous processes. Many industrial wastewaters are characterized by transient pH variation over time. These pH changes could affect the overall granule structure and microbial activity during the chlorophenol biodegradation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of transient pH variation

A new and sensitive electrochemical sensor for rutin determination was developed based on cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) functionalized graphene (Gr) and palladium nanoparticles (Pd) (CTAC-Gr-PdNPs) composite. Rutin displayed remarkably increased electrochemical activity on the CTAC-Gr-PdNPs composite modified electrode due to the synergistic effect of the large surface area and electrocatalytic

In this study, a pilot-scale down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor was operated in the community plant of Bangkok for the treatment of domestic wastewater (COD 285 mg/L, BOD 105 mg/L) collected by separate sewer to evaluate the reactor’s feasibility as a decentralized treatment system. The DHS reactor was operated for 600 days at ambient temperatures of 25–30 °C, both with constant flow conditions

This work presents the health-care waste (HCW) management and an approach to assess and identify polymers in a General Surgery Unit - Internment Service (GSU) of a Brazilian university hospital, to estimate the main polymers presenting in medical devices that are consumed during a year, discarded either as infecting (Group A) or as scarifying residue (Group E). Among the waste produced from the medical

Observations made for the analysis of the oil spill dispersant tracer dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) during LC50 toxicity testing, highlighted a stability issue for this tracer compound in seawater. A liquid chromatography high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/QToF) was used to confirm monooctyl sulfosuccinate (MOSS) as the only significant DOSS breakdown product, and not the

Concentrations of 10 potentially toxic trace elements were measured in soil samples collected from 18 sites in urban areas of Belgrade, the capital and the largest city in Serbia. Samples were analysed in order to assess the extent of soil contamination and to distinguish natural and anthropogenic input. The results demonstrated a general Zn, Pb, and Cd enrichment in surface samples, hence, after comparison

Benthic macroinvertebrates are used to evaluate water quality in 8 sampling stations in Lepenci river basin in Kosovo. Sampling was performed in spring, summer and fall 2017. Following biotic indices are used: EPT taxa richness, Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), Stroud Water Research Center index (SWRC), Family biotic index (FBI), as well as diversity indices: