Phenol electrooxidation on Fe-Co3O4 thin film electrodes in alkaline medium

Fe-Co₃O₄ thin film with different amounts of Fe have been used for the electro-oxidation of phenol in alkaline medium at room temperature. The electrodes were prepared by coating stainless steel supports with successive layers of the oxides, obtained by thermal decomposition at 673 K. The electrolysis was carried out at constant potential and the phenol disappearance, during the electrolysis, was monitored by UV-Vis absorbance measurements between 250 and 500 nm. After 3 h of electrolysis, the intermediates were identified by comparing the HPLC data and UV-Vis spectra to those from pure standards. The results indicate that the same oxidation products are formed on the different prepared electrodes, namely the decomposition products of phenol such as benzoquinone, hydroquinone and cathecol in basic medium. Simulated results show clearly the decrease of the amount of phenolic species with the electrolysis time. An enhancement of the phenol removal is observed with the presence of iron in the oxide. Under the operating conditions, around 30% of the initial phenol has been removed at ca. 3 h and the complete degradation is obtained after 54 h of electrolysis, when Fe-Co₃O₄ thin film with 10% of Fe is used as anode.     

Diphenyl diselenide attenuates hepatic and hematologic toxicity induced by chlorpyrifos acute exposure in rats

Purpose

In this study, we investigated the effect of diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)₂] on chlorpyrifos (CPF)-induced hepatic and hematologic toxicity in rats.

Methods

Rats were pre-treated with (PhSe)₂ (5?mg/kg) via the oral route (oral gavage) once a day for 7?days. On the eighth and ninth days, rats were treated with (PhSe)₂ (5?mg/kg) 30?min prior to CPF (50?mg/kg, by subcutaneous route). The aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were determined in plasma of rats. Lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl, and non-protein thiol levels as well as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and gluthatione S-transferase activities were determined in livers of rats. Hematological parameters were also determined.

Results

The results showed that CPF caused hepatic oxidative damage, as demonstrated by an increase in lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl levels which was associated with a decrease in antioxidant defenses. CPF exposure caused a reduction in the leukocyte, indicating hematologic toxicity. (PhSe)₂ was effective in attenuating these toxic effects caused by CPF exposure in rats.

Conclusions

The results indicated that (PhSe)₂ was effective in protecting the hepatic and hematologic toxicity induced by acute CPF exposure in rats.     

Biochemical responses in armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi) after short-term exposure to diesel oil,pure biodiesel and biodiesel blends

Biodiesel fuel is gradually replacing petroleum-based diesel oil use. Despite the biodiesel being considered friendlier to the environment, little is known about its effects in aquatic organisms. In this work we evaluated whether biodiesel exposure can affect oxidative stress parameters and biotransformation enzymes in armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi, Loricariidae), a South American endemic species. Thus, fish were exposed for 2 and 7 d to 0.01 mL L⁻¹ and 0.1 mL L⁻¹ of pure diesel, pure biodiesel (B100) and blends of diesel with 5% (B5) and 20% (B20) biodiesel. Lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) levels and the activities of the enzymes glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in liver and gills. Also, DNA damage (8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine) levels in gills and 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity in liver were assessed. Pure diesel, B5 and B20 blends changed most of the enzymes tested and in some cases, B5 and B20 induced a higher enzyme activity than pure diesel. Antioxidant system activation in P. anisitsi was effective to counteract reactive oxygen species effects, since DNA damage and lipid peroxidation levels were maintained at basal levels after all treatments. However, fish gills exposed to B20 and B100 presented increased lipid peroxidation. Despite biodiesel being more biodegradable fuel that emits less greenhouse gases, the increased lipid peroxidation showed that biofuel and its blends also represent hazards to aquatic biota.     

Mercury in sediments and vegetation in a moderately contaminated salt marsh (Tagus Estuary, Portugal)

Depth variations of total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were studied in cores from non-colonized sediments, sediments colonized by Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia fruticosa and Spartina maritima and belowground biomass, in a moderately contaminated salt marsh (Tagus Estuary, Portugal). Concentrations in belowground biomass exceeded up to 3 (Hg) and 15 (MeHg) times the levels in sediments, and up to 198 (Hg) and 308 (MeHg) times those found in aboveground parts. Methylmercury in colonized sediments reached 3% of the total Hg, 50 times above the maximum values found in non-colonized sediments. The absence of correlations between total Hg concentrations in sediments and the corresponding MeHg levels suggested that methylation was only dependent on the environmental and microbiological factors. The analysis of belowground biomass at high-depth resolution (2 cm) provided evidence that Hg and MeHg were actively absorbed from sediments, with higher enrichment factors at layers where higher microbial activity was probably occurring. The results obtained in this study indicated that the biotransformation of Hg to the toxic MeHg could increase the toxicity of plant-colonized sediments.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii</Emphasis> exudate–Cu complexes: impact on copper dynamics and bioavailability in an aquatic food chain

INTRODUCTION: The increasing contamination of aquatic environments motivates studies on the interactions among natural dissolved organic matter, metals, and the biota. This investigation focused on the organic exudates of the toxic cyanobacteria Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii as a Cu carrier through a three-level aquatic trophic chain (bacteria, protozoa, and copepod). DISCUSSION: The effects of bacteria activity and growth on the metal-organic complexes were evaluated through changes in free Cu(2+) ions, total dissolved, and total particulate Cu. To be sure that the added copper would be complexed to the exudates, its complexing properties were previously determined. The cyanobacteria exudate-Cu complexes were furnished to bacteria that were further used as a food source to the protozoan Paramercium caudatum. This was then furnished as food to the copepod Mesocyclops sp. The results showed that, in general, the cyanobacterial exudates decreased Cu bioavailability and toxicity to the first trophic level (bacteria), but because the heterotrophic bacteria accumulated Cu, they were responsible for the transference for the otherwise low availability metal form. Both the bacteria and protozoan organisms accumulated Cu, but no metal accumulation was detected in the copepods.     

Chemical and physical characterization of electrode materials of spent sealed Ni-Cd batteries

The present work aimed at the chemical and physical characterization of spent sealed MONO-type Ni-Cd batteries, contributing to a better definition of the recycling process of these spent products. The electrode material containing essentially nickel, cadmium and some cobalt corresponds to approximately 49% of the weight of the batteries. The remaining components are the steel parts from the external case and the supporting grids (40%) containing Fe and Ni, the electrolyte (9%) and the plastic components (2%). Elemental quantitative analysis showed that the electrodes are highly concentrated in metals. The phase identification achieved by X-ray powder diffraction combined with chemical analysis and leaching tests allowed the authors to proceed with the composition of the electrode materials as following: cathode: 28.7% metallic Ni, 53.3% Ni(OH)2, 6.8% Cd(OH)2 and 2.8% Co(OH)2; anode: 39.4% metallic Ni and 57.0% Cd(OH)2. The morphology of the electrodes was studied by microscopic techniques and two phases were observed in the electrodes: (1) a bright metallic phase constituted of small nickel grains that acts as conductor, and (2) the main hydroxide phase of the active electrodes into which the nickel grains are dispersed. The disaggregation of the electrode particles from the supporting plates was easily obtained during the dismantling procedures, indicating that a substantial percentage of the electrodes can be efficiently separated by wet sieving after shredding the spent batteries.     

Impact of chemical exposure on the fish Pomatoschistus microps Krøyer (1838) in estuaries of the Portuguese Northwest coast

Juveniles of the estuarine fish Pomatoschistus microps were collected from autumn 2001 to summer 2002 in five stations along the Portuguese Northwest coast with different types and/or levels of environmental contamination: two reference sites with low levels of contamination (R1 and R2) and three differently impacted areas with higher levels of contamination. UI is located in an estuary under the influence of urban and industrial effluents, AA in a channel that receives intensive agriculture run-off and IE in a highly impacted industrial area. The activity of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) and glutathione S-transferases (GST) were used as environmental biomarkers on P. microps. A significant seasonality effect on all the enzymatic activities was found, lower levels being registered in winter and spring on AChE, in autumn on LDH, and in winter on GST and EROD. The battery of biomarkers used was capable of discriminating sites with different types and/or levels of contamination, R1 and UI being the highest discriminated (91.7% and 66.7%, respectively). At R1 significantly lower levels of AChE and LDH were found, and EROD was significantly inducted at UI. Furthermore, IE presented higher levels of GST, and R2 and AA an inhibition of AChE in winter and spring. The results indicated that the battery of biomarkers used in this study seems to be a useful tool to distinguish between different types of environmental contamination in estuarine systems, and that P. microps is a suitable species to be used as bioindicator.