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...     

Evaluation of antimicrobial agents for veterinary use in the ecotoxicity test using microalgae

The influence of antimicrobial agents approved as veterinary drugs in Japan on the growth of green algae, Selenastrum capricornutum and Chlorella vulgaris, was studied in accordance with the OECD guidelines for testing chemicals. Among the agents tested, growth inhibitory activity was very varied, i.e. erythromycin showed the strongest activity (EC₅₀, 50% effective concentration, =0.037 mg/l), sulfa drugs had activity to some extent (EC₅₀s of sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, and sulfadimethoxine were 1.5, 2.2, and 2.3 mg/l, respectively), but ampicillin and cefazolin did not inhibit growth (EC₅₀s > 1000 mg/l). We also investigated synergistic effect of combining sulfa drugs with trimethoprim or pyrimethamine, which are commonly used as a combined drug. By adding trimethoprim, the growth inhibitory activity of sulfamethoxazole and sulfadiazine was significantly enhanced. Growth inhibition by sulfa drugs was reduced by the addition of folic acid, indicating that they inhibit folate synthesis in green algae.     

Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对全氟辛烷磺酸盐的吸附

采用共沉淀法合成Fe3O4纳米磁性颗粒,用透射电子显微镜（TEM）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）以及振动样品磁强计（VSM）对Fe3O4纳米磁性颗粒的粒径、形貌和磁性进行表征并研究Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对全氟辛磺酸盐的吸附。结果表明：在PFOS初始浓度4 mg/L,pH为3,反应时间24 h,Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒投加量1.25 g/L,对全氟辛磺酸盐去除率达到90%。Fe3O4纳米磁性微粒对PFOS的吸附符合Freundlich吸附方程。     

超顺磁性纳米Fe3O4的制备及其类Fenton反应性能

以二甘醇/乙二醇醇热法制备了超顺磁性纳米Fe3O4,采用场发射扫描电子显微镜（FE-SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）以及磁滞回线等手段对制备的纳米Fe3O4进行表征,并通过纳米Fe3O4/ H2O2类Fenton反应降解罗丹明B废水考察了纳米Fe3O4/H2O2的性能及其稳定性。研究表明,制备的纳米Fe3O4不仅分散性好、规整球状结构,磁性强且粒径比较均匀,平均粒径约为80 nm;从单因素实验（纳米Fe3O4投加量、H2O2/Fe3O4的摩尔比、pH以及反应时间）与正交实验获得了最佳反应条件：纳米Fe3O4投加量为2 g·L-1,pH=4,H2O2/Fe3O4摩尔比为4：1,反应时间为3 h,此时罗丹明B与TOC去除率分别为100%和35%。重复4次使用纳米Fe3O4,通过表征发现纳米Fe3O4颗粒的晶体结构不变但是发生了团聚,纳米Fe3O4的催化性能有所下降。     

磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒的制备及在水处理中的应用

众所周知,纳米颗粒在去除水中污染物的过程中易团聚,还会造成水体的二次污染。磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒因其能迅速从水中分离的特性而被广泛关注。改性之后的磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒在水中污染物的去除方面有很好的应用。对磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒及其载体或复合物的制备方法进行了概述,重点对水中污染物的去除从3个方面进行了阐述:磁性Fe3O4纳米材料对水中重金属的吸附、有机物的吸附及水中细菌和医疗废物的处理。     

Aquatic ecotoxicity assessment of a new natural formicide

Background, aim and scope

Agrochemicals could reach aquatic ecosystems and damage ecosystem functionality. Natural formicide could be an alternative to use in comparison with the more toxic formicides available on the market. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the ecotoxicity of the new natural formicide Macex? with a battery of classical aquatic ecotoxicity tests.

Material and methods

Bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri), algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), hydra (Hydra attenuata), daphnids (Daphnia magna), and fish (Danio rerio) tests were performed in accordance with international standardized methodologies.

Results

In the range of formicide concentrations tested (0.03 to 2.0?g?L^?1) EC₅₀ values varied from 0.49 to >2.0?g?L^?1, with P. subcapitata being the most sensitive species and H. attenuata and D. rerio the most tolerant species to this product in aqueous solutions.

Conclusions

This new formicide preparation can be classed as a product of low toxicity compared to the aquatic ecotoxicity of the most common commercialized formicides.     

Fe3O4／Ag磁性纳米颗粒去除水中的铅离子

采用水相共沉淀法制备小尺寸磁性Fe3O4纳米颗粒,以没食子酸作为还原剂和表面修饰剂,还原Ag[（NH3）2]’制备出Fe3O4／Ag磁性纳米颗粒。研究该磁性纳米颗粒对水溶液中铅离子的吸附行为,研究结果表明,pH为7．0,吸附温度30℃时可得到最好的处理效果,铅的去除率可达99．7％以上,Fe3O4／Ag颗粒吸附行为符合二级动力学模型（R2〉0．99）。该磁性纳米颗粒经过多次再生处理后,仍具有很好的吸附效果,表明Fe3O4／Ag在水处理方面拥有良好的应用前景。     

纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子的制备及吸附性能研究

采用共沉淀法制备了纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子。应用透射电子显微镜（TEM）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X-射线衍射仪（XRD）和振动样品磁强计（VSM）等对纳米磁性粒子的粒径、结构、形貌、磁性能进行了表征,进行了磁分离沉降性能和腐殖酸吸附去除实验研究。结果表明：在未添加任何分散剂的条件下,制得的纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子主要呈球状,平均粒径约11nm,为典型的反尖晶石结构;饱和磁化强度、矫顽力和剩余磁化强度分别为73．10emu／g、159．2A／m和0．41emu／g;磁分离沉降速度为重力场的50倍;纳米Fe3O4磁性粒子对腐殖酸的吸附符合Langmuir型吸附等温线。     

The improved activity of Co3O4 nanorods using silver in the catalytic oxidation of toluene

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Co3O4 nanorods with diameters of ~0.15 μm and lengths of ~1 μm were prepared using a hydrothermal method via the assembly of microcrystals...     

Radiolysis of aqueous 4-nitrophenol solution with Al2O3 or TiO2 nanoparticles

Aqueous 4-nitrophenol solutions containing TiO₂ or Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were irradiated with electron beam. 4-nitrophenol was decomposed by the ionizing radiation process in the absence of the nanoparticles. The addition of TiO₂ or Al₂O₃ (2 g l⁻¹) before irradiation improved the removal of 4-nitrophenol, total organic carbon (TOC) but also nitrogen (TN). To identify the origin of the loss (catalysis or simply adsorption), TiO₂ or Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were added after irradiation. Experiments show that the effect of the presence of TiO₂ or Al₂O₃ during irradiation is just due to adsorption.     

Acute ecotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment of two wastewater treatment units

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water contamination by discharge of untreated or poorly treated wastewater into water bodies is a current issue that may cause harm to humans. Water...     

CO3O4/介孔分子筛催化剂对苯催化完全氧化的研究

分别以介孔分子筛MCM-41、MCM-48、SBA-15为载体,采用等体积浸渍法制备了氧化钴/介孔分子筛催化剂,利用N2吸附、X射线衍射、程序升温还原等技术对催化剂进行了表征,考察了Co3O4的负载量及载体的孔结构对催化剂完全催化氧化苯的性能的影响.结果表明,Co3O4的负载量为20%时,催化剂的催化活性最好;载体的孔径和催化剂的可还原性能是影响催化活性的主要因素,催化剂活性顺序为Co3O4/SBA-15>Co3O4/MCM-41>Co3O4/MCM-48.     

海藻酸钠与纳米Fe3O4联合固定化菌对三氟羧草醚的降解

采用联合固定化技术,将菌株Pseudomonas citronellolis DK-3与纳米Fe3O4固定于海藻酸钠小球中制成纳米Fe3O4和海藻酸钠联合固定化菌（Fe3O4/SA）,并系统研究了纳米Fe3O4的最佳投加量,Fe3O4/SA联合固定化菌对三氟羧草醚的降解特性以及Fe3O4/SA固定化菌在序批式反应器（SBR）中的降解稳定性。实验结果表明,当纳米Fe3O4的投加量为90 mg·L-1,三氟羧草醚初始浓度为100 mg·L-1时,固定化菌的降解率达到97.9%。扫描电镜结果表明Fe3O4/SA联合固定化小球更适合三氟羧草醚降解菌的附着生长。Fe3O4/SA联合固定化菌降解三氟羧草醚的最佳环境条件为pH：7~8、温度：30 ℃。此外,与SA固定化菌相比,Fe3O4/SA联合固定化菌具有更强的耐环境因素变化能力,抗重金属离子毒性能力。并且,经多次重复使用后,联合固定化菌仍保持较高的降解率（>95%）。最后,实验室规模序批式反应器（SBR）中降解实验表明,Fe3O4/SA联合固定化菌能够稳定运行35 d以上,降解率均高于95%,为三氟羧草醚固定化细菌的工程化应用奠定了理论基础。     

Fast removal of heavy metals from water and soil samples using magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heavy metal discharge from anthropogenic sources on open soil surfaces and in natural water bodies poses serious environmental and health concerns. In...     

Effects of fulvic acid on aggregation,sedimentation, and adsorption of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental behavior, bioavailability, and risks posed by Fe3O4, magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) in surface waters are affected by complex...     

Terrestrial ecotoxicity and effect factors of metals in life cycle assessment (LCA)

Life cycle impact assessment aims to translate the amounts of substance emitted during the life cycle of a product into a potential impact on the environment, which includes terrestrial ecosystems. This work suggests some possible improvements in assessing the toxicity of metals on soil ecosystems in life cycle assessment (LCA). The current available data on soil ecotoxicity allow one to calculate the chronic terrestrial HC50(EC50) (hazardous concentration affecting 50% of the species at their EC50 level, i.e. the level where 50% of the individuals of the species are affected) of nine metals and metalloids (As(III) or (V), Be(II), Cr(III) or (VI), Sb(III) or (V), Pb(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Ni(II)). Contrarily to what is generally advised in LCIA, the terrestrial HC50 of metals shall not be extrapolated from the aquatic HC50, using the Equilibrium Partitioning method since the partition coefficient (K(d)) of metals is highly variable. The experimental ecotoxicology generally uses metallic salts to contaminate artificial soils but the comparison of the EC50 or NOEC obtained for the same metal with different salts reveals that the kind of salt used insignificantly influences these values. In contrast, depending on the metallic fraction of concern, the EC50 may vary, as for cadmium: the EC50 of Folsomia candida, expressed as free Cd in pore water is almost 2.5 orders of magnitude lower than that expressed as total metal. A similar result is obtained with Eisenia fetida, confirming the importance of metals speciation in assessing their impact on soils. By ranking the metals according to the difference between their terrestrial and aquatic HC50 values, two groups are distinguished, which match the hard soft acids and bases (HSAB) concept. This allows to estimate their affinity for soil components and potential toxicity according to their chemical characteristics.     

Biotoxicity of nickel oxide nanoparticles and bio-remediation by microalgae Chlorella vulgaris

Adverse effects of manufactured nickel oxide nanoparticles on the microalgae Chlorellavulgaris were determined by algal growth-inhibition test and morphological observation via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results showed that the NiO nanoparticles had severe impacts on the algae, with 72 h EC(50) values of 32.28 mg NiOL(-1). Under the stress of NiO nanoparticles, C. vulgaris cells showed plasmolysis, cytomembrane breakage and thylakoids disorder. NiO nanoparticles aggregated and deposited in algal culture media. The presence of algal cells accelerated aggregation of nanoparticles. Moreover, about 0.14% ionic Ni was released when NiO NPs were added into seawater. The attachment of aggregates to algal cell surface and the presence of released ionic Ni were likely responsible for the toxic effects. Interestingly, some NiO nanoparticles were reduced to zero valence nickel as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The maximum ratios of nickel reduction was achieved at 72 h of exposure, in accordance with the time-course of changes in soluble protein content of treated C. vulgaris, implying that some proteins of algae are involved in the process. Our results indicate that the toxicity and bioavailability of NiO nanoparticles to marine algae are reduced by aggregation and reduction of NiO. Thus, marine algae have the potential for usage in nano-pollution bio-remediation in aquatic system.     

Toxicity of leather tanning wastewater effluents in sea urchin early development and in marine microalgae

This study was designed to investigate the composition and the toxicity of leather tanning wastewater and conditioned sludge collected at the leather tanning wastewater treatment plant (CODISO) located in Solofra, Avellino (Southern Italy). Samples were analyzed for their conventional parameters (COD, TSS, chromium and ammonia) and for metal content. Effluent samples included raw wastewater, and samples collected following coagulation/flocculation process and biological treatment. A set of toxicity endpoints were tested using sea urchin and marine microalgal bioassays by evaluating acute embryotoxicity, developmental defects, changes in sperm fertilization success and transmissible damage from sperm to the offspring, and changes in algal growth rate. Dose-related toxicity to sea urchin embryogenesis and sperm fertilization success was exerted by effluent or sludge samples according to the following rank: conditioned sludge > coagulated effluent > or = raw influent > effluent from biological treatment. Offspring quality was not affected by sperm exposure to any wastewater or to sludge samples. Algal growth was inhibited by raw or coagulated effluent to a similar extent and, again, the effluent from the biological treatment resulted in a decreased toxicity. The results suggest that coagulated effluent and conditioned sludge result in higher toxicity than raw influent in sea urchin embryos and sperm, whereas the biological wastewater treatment of coagulated effluent, in both sea urchins and algae, cause a substantial improvement of wastewater quality. Hence a final biological wastewater treatment should be operated to minimize any environmental damage from tannery wastewater.     

Molecular docking: A potential tool to aid ecotoxicity testing in environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals

A cocktail of human pharmaceuticals pollute aquatic environments and there is considerable scientific uncertainty about the effects that this may have on aquatic organisms. Human drug target proteins can be highly conserved in non target species suggesting that similar modes of action (MoA) may occur. The aim of this work was to explore whether molecular docking offers a potential tool to predict the effects of pharmaceutical compounds on non target organisms. Three highly prescribed drugs, diclofenac, ibuprofen and levonorgestrel which regularly pollute freshwater environments were used as examples. Their primary drug targets are cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and progesterone receptor (PR). Molecular docking experiments were performed using these drugs and their primary drug target homologues for Danio rerio, Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Xenopus tropicalis, Xenopus laevis and Daphnia pulex. The results show that fish and frog COX2 enzymes are likely to bind diclofenac and ibuprofen in the same way as humans but that D. pulex would not. Binding will probably lead to inhibition of COX function and reduced prostaglandin production. Levonorgestrel was found to bind in the same binding pocket of the progesterone receptor in frogs and fish as the human form. This suggests implications for the fecundity of fish and frogs which are exposed to levonorgestrel. Chronic ecotoxicological effects of these drugs reported in the literature support these findings. Molecular docking may provide a valuable tool for ecotoxicity tests by guiding selection of test species and incorporating the MoA of drugs for relevant chronic test end points in environmental risk assessments.     

Constructing 3D magnetic flower-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Co3O4@BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst for degrading rhodamine B

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, the 3D magnetic flower-like Fe3O4@SiO2@Co3O4@BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared. The combination of BiOCl with...