Distribution of platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Rh) in environmental and clinical matrices: Composition, analytical techniques and scientific outlook

Trace concentrations of the platinum group elements (PGE; here: Pt, Pd and Rh) play an important role in environmental analysis and assessment. Their importance is based on 1. their increasing use as active compartments in automobile exhaust catalysts, 2. their use as cancer anti-tumor agents in medicine. Due to their allergenic and cytotoxic potential, it is necessary to improve selectivity and sensitivity during analytical investigation of matrices like soil, grass, urine or blood. This paper summarizes the present knowledge of PGE in the fields of analytical chemistry, automobile emission rates, bioavailibility, toxicology and medicine.     

Degradation of benzimidazoles by photoperoxidation: metabolites detection and ecotoxicity assessment using Raphidocelis subcapitata microalgae and Vibrio fischeri

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Benzimidazoles (BZ) are among the most used drugs to treat parasitic diseases in both human and veterinary medicine. In this study, solutions...     

Interspecific competition between Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlamydomonas microsphaera stressed by tetracyclines

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The extensive use of tetracyclines in human and veterinary medicine causes contamination in the environment that could contribute to the spread of...     

Preliminary assessment of antimicrobial activity and acute toxicity of norfloxacin chlorination by-product mixture

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Among drugs and personal care products, antibiotics arouse interest since they are widely used in human and veterinary medicine and can lead to the...     

Degradation of streptomycin in aquatic environment: kinetics,pathway, and antibacterial activity analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Streptomycin used in human and veterinary medicine is released into the environment mainly through excretions. As such, its elimination in water...     

Ecotoxicology,where do you come from and where do you go? (2 pp)

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Does ecotoxicology really contribute to our knowledge about the function of an ecosystem or environment? Is ecotoxicology really a science of its own? The answers to these questions must be NO. The reasons lie in the origin and past of ecotoxicology.Like medicine, ecotoxicology does not have its own scientific theory, but rather borrows from other disciplines: the scientific theory of medicine is biology, and that of ecotoxicology is ecology and pharmacology. Neither medicine nor ecotoxicology see the normal status and routine function of their objects under study. Ecotoxicology regards the environment as being adversely impacted by anthropogenic noxes, mainly chemicals, perhaps based on a paradigm of permanent guilt.

     

工业废水污泥的热解及升温速率对热解的影响

利用热重分析法对印染、中药和废水处理厂3种典型工业废水污泥进行了热解动力学实验研究。结果表明,工业污泥是一种高挥发分、低固定碳和低热值的劣质燃料。经过消化处理的污泥灰分含量较高,挥发分含量变小。热解过程中有3个失重速率较高的阶段,以挥发分的析出为主。升温速率对热解的最终失重率有重要影响。升温速率增加,热解更剧烈,但最终失重率的变化趋势与污泥种类有关;为使热解效果更好,不同种类的污泥应选择不同的升温速率。不同种类的污泥具有不同的热解特性,印染污泥挥发分析出阶段有2次热解。中药污泥活化能最小,印染污泥挥发分第2次热解的活化能比第1次大幅增加。     

Effect of cadmium on growth, ultramorphology of leaf and secondary metabolites of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn

The pollution is increasing in the environment by different kinds of human activities, which results in the accumulation of heavy metals including cadmium in the soil and water and it causes different types of problems to living beings. As the plants are utilized by human being as food and medicine, therefore, it is mandatory to see the effect of metals on plants. In this context, efforts have been made to observe the effect of different concentration of Cadmium (Cd) on Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn., because Cd is the widespread metal and the plants response to low and high level of exposure is a complex phenomenon. P. amarus is mostly grown as weed in agricultural and waste lands. It is a reputed plant used in Indian indigenous systems of medicine with hepatoprotective, diuretic, stomachic properties and is recently being used for the treatment of hepatitis B. The study revealed that Cd causes significant decrease in fresh and dry weight, length of root and shoot, protein, chlorophyll, carotenoids and sugar and increase in starch content. It is interesting to note that the therapeutically active compounds—phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin, enhanced at certain levels of Cd due to abiotic stress. Besides, the ultramorpholical changes were also observed in stomatal opening and wax deposition on both the surfaces of leaves.     

Effects of silver nanoparticles on stress biomarkers of Channa striatus: immuno-protective or toxic?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nanotechnology is a novel arena with promising applications in the field of medicine, industry, and agriculture including fisheries....     

Threat of heavy metal pollution in halophytic and mangrove plants of Tamil Nadu, India

Mangrove and halophytic plants occur along the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, south India and these plants have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Heavy metals are known to pose a potential threat to terrestrial and aquatic biota. However, little is known on the toxic levels of heavy metals found in mangrove and halophytic plants that are used in traditional medicine in India. To understand heavy metal toxicity, we investigated the bioconcentration factors (BCF) of heavy metals in leaves collected from eight mangroves and five halophytes in the protected Pichavaram mangrove forest reserve in Tamil Nadu State, south India. Data presented in this paper describe the impact of essential (Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn) and non-essential/environmentally toxic trace metals (Hg, Pb and Sn) in mangrove and halophytic medicinal plants. The concentrations of Pb among 13 plant species were higher than the normal range of contamination reported for plants. The average concentration of Hg in the halophytic plants (0.43+/-0.37mug/g) was seven times higher than mangrove plants (0.06+/-0.03mug/g) and it indicated pollutants from industrial sources affecting halophytes more than mangroves.     

Biosolid-borne tetracyclines and sulfonamides in plants

Tetracyclines and sulfonamides used in human and animal medicine are released to terrestrial ecosystems from wastewater treatment plants or by direct manure application. The interactions between plants and these antibiotics are numerous and complex, including uptake and accumulation, phytometabolism, toxicity responses, and degradation in the rhizosphere. Uptake and accumulation of antibiotics have been studied in plants such as wheat, maize, potato, vegetables, and ornamentals. Once accumulated in plant tissue, organic contaminants can be metabolized through a sequential process of transformation, conjugation through glycosylation and glutathione pathways, and ultimately sequestration into plant tissue. While studies have yet to fully elucidate the phytometabolism of tetracyclines and sulfonamides, an in-depth review of plant and mammalian studies suggest multiple potential transformation and conjugation pathways for tetracyclines and sulfonamides. The presence of contaminants in the vicinity or within the plants can elicit stress responses and defense mechanisms that can help tolerate the negative effects of contaminants. Antibiotics can change microbial communities and enzyme activity in the rhizosphere, potentially inducing microbial antibiotic resistance. On the other hand, the interaction of microbes and root exudates on pharmaceuticals in the rhizosphere can result in degradation of the parent molecule to less toxic compounds. To fully characterize the environmental impacts of increased antibiotic use in human medicine and animal production, further research is essential to understand the effects of different antibiotics on plant physiology and productivity, uptake, translocation, and phytometabolism of antibiotics, and the role of antibiotics in the rhizosphere.     

新型可见光催化剂BiVO4降解中成药制药废水

以Bi(NO3)3.5H2O和NH4VO3为原料,采用水热法制备了新型可见光BiVO4催化剂,并用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、红外光谱(IR)和紫外-可见光漫反射光谱(UV-vis DRS)对产品进行了结构表征,并将其应用于光催化降解中成药制药废水降解反应中,通过正交实验和单因素分析,考察了催化剂用量、空气流量、溶液pH值和助氧化剂H2O2对制药废水COD去除率、脱色率的影响。实验结果表明,水热产品属于单斜晶系BiVO4,其带隙能为2.41 eV,并具有良好的可见光催化活性。对于经10倍稀释的制药废水,BiVO4添加量为2 g/L,通氧量为120 L/h,助氧化剂H2O2添加量为1 mL,不改变废水pH值,在400 W金属卤化物灯离液面11 cm照射反应180 min的条件下,制药废水的COD去除率为94.3%,脱色率为95.6%,得到了较好的降解。     

Evaluation of genotoxicity and coumarin production in conventional and organic cultivation systems of Mikania glomerata Spreng

Abstract

Mikania glomerata Sprengel, popularly known as “guaco,” is used in Brazilian folk medicine for several inflammatory and allergic conditions. Besides, the popular use “guaco” is indicated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health as a safe and effective herbal medicine. The biological activity of M. glomerata extracts is due to the presence of the coumarins, a large family of phenolic substances found in plants and is made of fused benzene and α-pyrone rings. Considering that there are few data on the biological effects of the extracts of M. glomerata, mainly in genetic level, this work aims to evaluate, in vitro, the genotoxicity and coumarin production in M. glomerata in conventional and organic growing. The data showed that the organic culture system showed double the concentration of coumarin being significantly more productive than the conventional system. Besides, the results of comet assay suggest that extracts of M. glomerata cultivated in a conventional system was genotoxic, increased DNA damage levels while the organic extracts seem to have antigenotoxic effect possibly due to the concentration of coumarins. Additional biochemical investigations are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of action of M. glomerata extracts, which were found to have a role in protection against DNA damage.     

新型可见光催化剂BiVO4降解中成药制药废水

以Bi（NO3）3.5H2O和NH4VO3为原料,采用水热法制备了新型可见光BiVO4催化剂,并用X-射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、红外光谱（IR）和紫外-可见光漫反射光谱（UV-vis DRS）对产品进行了结构表征,并将其应用于光催化降解中成药制药废水降解反应中,通过正交实验和单因素分析,考察了催化剂用量、空气流量、溶液pH值和助氧化剂H2O2对制药废水COD去除率、脱色率的影响。实验结果表明,水热产品属于单斜晶系BiVO4,其带隙能为2.41 eV,并具有良好的可见光催化活性。对于经10倍稀释的制药废水,BiVO4添加量为2 g/L,通氧量为120 L/h,助氧化剂H2O2添加量为1 mL,不改变废水pH值,在400 W金属卤化物灯离液面11 cm照射反应180 min的条件下,制药废水的COD去除率为94.3%,脱色率为95.6%,得到了较好的降解。     

Coptis teeta-based agroforestry system and its conservation potential: a case study from northwest Yunnan

Coptis teeta (Ranunculaceae), is a nontimber forest product (NTFP) that only grows in northwest Yunnan and northeast India. Its tenuous rhizome, known as "Yunnan goldthread" in the traditional Chinese medicine system, has been used as an antibacterial and as an antiinflammatory medicine for a long time. The increasing demand has resulted in commercial harvesting pressure on wild populations that were already dwindling as a result of deforestation, and wild populations are at risk of extinction. Fortunately, there exists at least 2000 hectares of a C. teeta-based agroforestry system initiated by the Lisu people in Nujiang, northwest Yunnan. This cultivation supplies us with a valuable study case for the balance between conservation and sustainable use. This case study investigated the traditional management system and history of C. teeta in Nujiang through ethnobotanical methods and field investigation. We also contrasted initial costs, economic returns, and labor demands for C. teeta cultivation with other major land uses in the region. Compared with swidden agriculture, the major land-use type in the region, C. teeta cultivation offers high economic returns and low labor and initial costs; moreover, C. teeta cultivation does not interfere with subsistence agricultural duties. This agroforestry system reflected that the cultivation of NTFPs is a conservation strategy for maintaining forest diversity, while providing a stable economic return to local forest communities, and indicates how local people manage biodiversity effectively.     

Synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms and their application in enhancing microbiological reaction rates

Nanotechnology has attracted a great interest in recent years due to its expected impact on many areas such as energy, medicine, electronics, and space industries. This review provides the state-of-art knowledge on the synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and yeast, and their effect on microbiological processes. The available microbes and their predicted nanoparticle biosynthesis mechanism, the conditions to control the size/shape and monodispersity of particles, and microbiological reaction rate enhancement using nanoparticles as catalysts are presented. The current limitations and future scope for specific research are also discussed.     

Determination of polar pharmaceuticals in sewage water of Greece by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Sewage influents and effluents of different urban areas of Greece, were analyzed for polar pharmaceutical residues, used in human medicine. Drugs investigated were the anti-inflammatory drugs diclofenac and ibuprofen, the metabolite of the drugs clofibrates used as blood lipid regulators, clofibric acid and the analgesics phenazone and propyphenazone. Analysis was carried out using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. The method used was involved solid phase extraction (C(18)) and derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide. Diclofenac was detected in every sewage effluent sample.     

Long-term study of palladium in road tunnel dust and sewage sludge ash

The present work summarizes data about palladium contents of road tunnel dust from 1994 to 2007 and sewage sludge ash from 1972 to 2006. Since palladium is emitted from automotive catalytic converters as elemental particles, road dust is quiet useful to study traffic-related Pd emissions. Very high Pd values of up to 516 μg Pd kg⁻¹ were found in the road dust samples collected in 2007. Heavy metals of all urban emissions, also dental practice effluent, are enriched in sewage sludge ash and thus this matrix is useful for the documentation of palladium emission caused by the use of Pd alloys in dental medicine. In sewage sludge ash highest Pd contents of maximum 460 μg Pd kg⁻¹ were found in the years 1986-1997. In both matrices correlations of Pd content to Pd demand of industry are discussed.     

Effects of the antimicrobial agent sulfamethazine on metolachlor persistence and sorption in soil

Recent monitoring investigations have shown that antimicrobial agents used in veterinary medicine can cause non-point source contamination of soils through manure spreading. In the present study, the effect of the antimicrobial agent sulfamethazine (sulfadimidine) on degradation and sorption of the herbicide metolachlor in a sandy loam soil was studied. In soil samples treated with sulfamethazine at two concentrations (15 and 150 microg kg(-1) soil), metolachlor persistence was not different than of that observed in untreated samples. These results were supported by the absence of effects of both sulfamethazine concentration levels on the size of the culturable soil bacteria population. Equilibrating soil samples with metolachlor solutions containing equivalent sulfamethazine concentrations did not lead to any significant effects on metolachlor sorption, suggesting that, under the conditions of the present experiment, sulfamethazine did not affect metolachlor bioavailability in soil. This laboratory investigation showed that concentrations of sulfamethazine in the microg kg(-1) range did not cause significant effects on metolachlor degradation and sorption thus not affecting the main processes ruling its environmental fate in soil.     

核-壳型纳米双金属微粒的研究进展

纳米材料以其独特的性质，在光学、化工、环保、陶瓷、生物和医药等诸多方面具有广泛的应用价值。而纳米金属材料的表面包覆和修饰是21世纪纳米材料科学的一个新的研究方向。文中比较系统地综述了核-壳型纳米双金属微粒制备方法的研究进展，包括还原化学镀法、共沉淀法等，简要分析了各类制备方法的基本原理、特点及适用的范围，并在此基础上讨论了核-壳型纳米双金属粉末的未来研究发展方向。