Hydrocarbon biodegradation and dynamic laser speckle for detecting chemotactic responses at low bacterial concentration

We report on the biodegradation of pure hydrocarbons and chemotaxis towards these compounds by an isolated chlorophenol degrader,Pseudomonas strain H.The biochemical and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence identified Pseudomonas strain H as having 99.56% similarity with P.aeruginosa PA01.This strain was able to degrade n-hexadecane,1-undecene,1-nonene,1-decene,1-dodecene and kerosene.It grew in the presence of 1-octene,while this hydrocarbons is toxic to other hydrocarbons degraders.Pseudomonas strain H was also chemotactic towards n-hexadecane,kerosene,1-undecene and 1-dodecene.These results show that this Pseudomonas strain H is an attractive candidate for hydrocarbon-containing wastewater bioremediation in controlled environments.Since the classical standard techniques for detecting chemotaxis are not efficient at low bacterial concentrations,we demonstrate the use of the dynamic speckle laser method,which is simple and inexpensive,to confirm bacterial chemotaxis at low cell concentrations (less than 105 colony-forming unit per millilitre (CFU/mL)) when hydrocarbons are the attractants.     

Toxic and genotoxic impact of fibrates and their photoproducts on non-target organisms

Lipid regulators have been detected in effluents from sewage treatment plants and surface waters from humans via excretion. This study was designed to assess the ecotoxicity of fibrates, lipid regulating agents. The following compounds were investigated: Bezafibrate, Fenofibrate and Gemfibrozil and their derivatives obtained by solar simulator irradiation. Bioassays were performed on bacteria, algae, rotifers and microcrustaceans to assess acute and chronic toxicity, while SOS Chromotest and Ames test were utilized to detect the genotoxic potential of the investigated compounds. The photoproducts were identified by their physical features and for the first risk evaluation, the environmental impact of parental compounds was calculated by Measured Environmental Concentrations (MEC) using the available data from the literature regarding drug occurrence in the aquatic environment and the Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNEC) based on our toxicity data. The results showed that acute toxicity was in the order of dozens of mg/L for all the trophic levels utilized in bioassays (bacteria, rotifers, crustaceans). Chronic exposure to these compounds caused inhibition of growth population on rotifers and crustaceans while the algae seemed to be slightly affected by this class of pharmaceuticals. Genotoxic and mutagenic effects were especially found for the Gemfibrozil photoproduct suggesting that also byproducts have to be considered in the environmental risk of drugs.     

Application of ICP-QMS for the determination of plutonium in environmental samples for safeguards purposes

Aiming to determine the plutonium amount as well as its isotopic composition, in particular, in swipe samples for safeguards purposes, an analytical method was developed with a plutonium separation step based on extraction chromatography using 2 cm TEVA columns and detection with quadrupole ICP-MS applying an ultra-sonic nebulizer coupled with membrane desolvation system. The method was successfully applied to New Brunswick plutonium certified reference materials as well as to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory round robin samples, based on the round robin samples provided by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Belgium), as part of the Regular European Interlaboratory Measurement Evaluation Programme (REIMEP), campaign 16 (isotopic abundances of plutonium in plutonium nitrate samples), with a total plutonium amount between 1 and 0.25 ng per sample. After the introduction of an additional separation step, it was also possible to carry out precise and accurate total plutonium, (240)Pu/(239)Pu, (241)Pu/(239)Pu and (242)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios determination in sediment sample showing its applicability to environmental samples in general, reaching a detection limit equivalent to 5 mBq(239)Pu kg(-1).     

Antimicrobial activity of thin metallic silver flakes, waste products of a manufacturing process

The aim of the research was to develop new products and processes from a manufacturing waste from an Italian metallurgic company. The company produced thin silver metallic films and the production scraps were silver flakes. The possibility to use the silver flakes in water disinfection processes was studied. The antimicrobial activity of the flakes was investigated in batch using Escherichia coli as Gram-negative microorganism model. The flakes did not show any antimicrobial activity, so they were activated with two different processes: thermal activation in reducing atmosphere and chemical activation, obtaining, respectively, reduced flakes (RF) and chemical flakes (CF). The flakes, activated with either treatment, showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli. The kill rate was dependent on the type of activated flakes. The chemical flakes were more efficient than reduced flakes. The kill rate determined for 1 g of CF, 1.0 ± 0.2 min⁻¹, was greater than the kill rate determined for 1 g of RF, 0.069 ± 0.004 min⁻¹. This was confirmed also by the minimum inhibitory concentration values. It was demonstrated that the antimicrobial capability was dependent on flakes amount and on the type of aqueous medium. Furthermore, the flakes maintained their properties also when used a second time. Finally, the antimicrobial activities of flakes were tested in an effluent of a wastewater treatment plant where a variety of heterotrophic bacteria were present.     

A new Dasypodini armadillo (Xenarthra: Cingulata) from San Gregorio Formation,Pliocene of Venezuela: affinities and biogeographic interpretations

We describe Pliodasypus vergelianus gen. et sp. nov., a Dasypodini armadillo from the middle Pliocene of Venezuela (Vergel Member, San Gregorio Formation). Although scarce, the remains are remarkable because of their geochronologic proximity to the main phase of Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). The cladistic analysis conducted reveals that Pliodasypus groups with Dasypus and both are sister taxa of Propraopus, whereas Anadasypus is at a basal position. With respect to the records of tribe Dasypodini, after its oldest representative (Anadasypus, middle and late Miocene), the chronologically subsequent form is Pl. vergelianus (middle Pliocene), followed by Dasypus bellus in higher northern latitudes (late Pliocene), and then by widespread occurrences in the Pleistocene of North America (D. bellus) and South America (Propraopus, Dasypus punctatus, and Dasypus novemcinctus). Thus, we infer that Dasypus differentiated in the late Pliocene at low latitudes in the northern South America. It leads to two alternative hypotheses of dispersal: (a) some early Dasypus remained cryptically in South America until the Pleistocene, whereas others dispersed to North America between 2.2 and 2.7 Ma, or (b) they dispersed to North America subsequently to the emersion of the Panamanian isthmus and D. bellus differentiated there; later, during the Pleistocene, D. bellus entered South America and experienced speciation. The same process of re-ingression has been proposed to other xenarthrans, breaking with the traditional assumption that the GABI was unidirectional.     

Identification of perfluoroalkyl acid sources in Swiss surface waters with the help of the artificial sweetener acesulfame

Anthropogenic perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), especially the perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are ubiquitously found in surface waters around the globe. Emissions from households, industries and also atmospheric transport/deposition are discussed as the possible sources. In this study, these sources are evaluated using Switzerland as the study area. Forty-four surface water locations in different rivers and an Alpine lake were investigated for 14 PFAAs, four precursors and acesulfame, an artificial sweetener used as a population marker. Concentrations of individual PFAAs were generally low, between 0.02 and 10 ng/L. Correlation analysis showed that some PFAAs concentrations correlated well with population and less with catchment area, indicating that emissions from population, i.e., from consumer products, is the most important source to surface waters in Switzerland. The correlation with the population marker acesulfame confirmed this observation but highlighted also a few elevated PFAA levels, some of which could be attributed to industrial emissions.     

Estrogenic activity of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment

In the last years pharmaceuticals have aroused great interest as environmental pollutants for their toxic effects towards non target organisms. This study wants to draw attention to a further adverse effect of drugs, the endocrine interference. The most representative drugs of the widespread classes in environment were investigated. The YES-test and the E-screen assay were performed to detect the capability of these substances to bind the human estrogenic receptor α (hERα) in comparison with 17β-estradiol. Out of 14 tested pharmaceuticals, 9 were positive to YES-assay and 11 were positive to E-screen assay; in particular, Furosemide and the fibrates (Bezafibrate, Fenofibrate and Gemfibrozil) gave the maximal estrogenic response. Tamoxifen showed its dual activity as agonist and antagonist of hERα.     

Effect of a reservoir in the water quality of the Reconquista River, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The lower portion of the Reconquista River is highly polluted. However, little is known about the state of the high and middle basins. The aims of this work were to assess the water quality on the high and middle Reconquista River basins and to determinate if the presence of a reservoir in the river has a positive effect on the water quality. We conducted a seasonal study between August 2009 and November 2010 at the mouth of La Choza, Durazno, and La Horqueta streams at the Roggero reservoir—which receives the water from the former streams—at the origin of the Reconquista River and 17 km downstream from the reservoir. We measured 25 physical and chemical parameters, including six heavy metal concentrations, and performed a multivariate statistical analysis to summarize the information and allow the interpretation of the whole data set. We found that the Durazno and La Horqueta streams had better water quality than La Choza, and the presence of the reservoir contributed to the improvement of the water quality, allowing oxygenation of the water body and processing of organic matter and ammonia. The water quality of the Reconquista River at its origin is good and similar to the reservoir, but a few kilometers downstream, the water quality declines as a consequence of the presence of industries and human settlements. Therefore, the Roggero reservoir produces a significant improvement of water quality of the river, but the discharge of contaminants downstream quickly reverses this effect.     

Growth,photosynthesis and removal responses of the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. to malathion and malaoxon

Abstract

Malathion is an organophosphorus pesticide widely used in agricultural crops, despite its toxicity. In addition, malaoxon occurs by oxidation of malathion being more toxic. The toxic effects of malathion and malaoxon in humans include hepatoxicity, breast cancer, genetic damage and endocrine disruption. The aim of this study involved assessing the effect of malathion commercial grade on Chroococcus sp., and its potential as an alternative to the removal of this pesticide and its transformation product such as malaoxon. We evaluated the effect of malathion at different concentrations (1, 25, 50, 75 and 100?ppm) on the biomass of the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. grown in medium BG-11; also, we analyse its ability to degrade both malathion and malaoxon into a temperature of 28?±?2?°C and at pH 6. The results showed that 50?ppm of malathion the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. reached the highest removal efficiency of malathion and malaoxon (69 and 65%, respectively); also, the growth rate of Chroococcus sp. increased without inhibiting the production of chlorophyll “a”, this can be explained by the hormesis phenomenon. Therefore, we consider that the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. may be a good candidate for bioremediation of aquatic systems contaminated with organophosphorus pesticides such as malathion and its transformation product such as malaoxon.