Academic expertise in assisting private companies in the fields of environment and environmental toxicology: the role of individual expertise

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The scientific knowledge produced by academic research can be valued in all sectors of human activity, including private sector. The ROVALTAIN...     

Dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis: a cause of prenatal ascites

Dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHS) is a rare congenital hemolytic anemia. We observed that some patients had presented with different prenatal or perinatal forms of edema in some kindreds. Within weeks or months after birth, these exhibited a spontaneous, complete and definitive resorption. We assumed that some DHS patients, who were born without edema before ultrasound was available, might nonetheless have exhibited this during the prenatal period. The present report follows up the first pregnancy in a woman with overt DHS, but not herself having a known history of perinatal effusions. Ultrasound revealed that the fetus displayed ascites that disappeared prior to birth. The neonate had DHS. Prenatal edema must therefore be more frequent in DHS than known until now. DHS is another cause of prenatal edema to be considered in the differential diagnosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of surfactants, dispersion and temperature on solubility and biodegradation of phenanthrene in aqueous media

In the present study surfactant addition with the help of either a mechanical dispersion or a thermal treatment was applied in order to increase the solubility and the bioavailability of phenanthrene in aqueous media, and therefore to promote its biodegradation. Among four tested surfactants (Tween 80, Brij 30, sodium dodecyl sulphate and rhamnolipids), Brij 30 (0.5 gL(-1)) showed the best results allowing us to attain about 20 mgL(-1) of soluble phenanthrene. An additional thermal treatment at 60°C for 24h, 200 rpm permitted to increase the solubility of phenanthrene in the presence of Brij 30 (0.5 gL(-1)) to about 30 mgL(-1). Higher dispersions of phenanthrene particles as well as the reduction of their size were obtained using Ultra-Turrax and French press. The biodegradation of phenanthrene by Pseudomonas putida was then investigated. The reduction of size of phenanthrene particles by mechanical dispersion did not influence its biodegradation, suggesting that P. putida consumed only soluble phenanthrene. The addition of Brij 30 (0.5 gL(-1)) permitted to obtain more phenanthrene metabolized. The use of Brij 30 coupled with a transitory heating of phenanthrene-containing medium at 60°C led to an even more complete biodegradation. This might be a promising way to enhance biodegradation of PAHs.     

Sub-lethal hydrops as a manifestation of dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis in two consecutive pregnancies

Dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHS) is a rare congenital hemolytic anemia mapping to 16q23–q24. We showed recently that it is part of a pleiotropic syndrome likely to display pseudohyperkalemia and/or different forms of fetal and placental fluid collections. Here, we report a woman with DHS. She had two consecutive pregnancies associated with severe fetal hydrops. Hydrops would probably have been lethal in the absence of appropriate removal of ascites and excess amniotic fluid. In utero exchange transfusion, performed once, was useless, because anemia was not pronounced enough to be the cause of the hydrops. In both newborns, ascites resolved within a week following birth and never recurred. The association of hydrops and hemolytic anemia suggests the possibility of DHS. Symptomatic treatment of the hydrops assists survival until spontaneous resorption occurs. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.