First inter-laboratory comparison exercise for the determination of anticancer drugs in aqueous samples

The results of an inter-laboratory comparison exercise to determine cytostatic anticancer drug residues in surface water, hospital wastewater and wastewater treatment plant effluent are reported. To obtain a critical number of participants, an invitation was sent out to potential laboratories identified to have the necessary knowledge and instrumentation. Nine laboratories worldwide confirmed their participation in the exercise. The compounds selected (based on the extent of use and laboratories capabilities) included cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, etoposide, methotrexate and cisplatinum. Samples of spiked waste (hospital and wastewater treatment plant effluent) and surface water, and additional non-spiked hospital wastewater, were prepared by the organising laboratory (Jo?ef Stefan Institute) and sent out to each participant partner for analysis. All analytical methods included solid phase extraction (SPE) and the use of surrogate/internal standards for quantification. Chemical analysis was performed using either liquid or gas chromatography mass (MS) or tandem mass (MS/MS) spectrometry. Cisplatinum was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A required minimum contribution of five laboratories meant that only cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, methotrexate and etoposide could be included in the statistical evaluation. z-score and Q test revealed 3 and 4 outliers using classical and robust approach, respectively. The smallest absolute differences between the spiked values and the measured values were observed in the surface water matrix. The highest within-laboratory repeatability was observed for methotrexate in all three matrices (CV?≤?12 %). Overall, inter-laboratory reproducibility was poor for all compounds and matrices (CV 27–143 %) with the only exception being methotrexate measured in the spiked hospital wastewater (CV?=?8 %). Random and total errors were identified by means of Youden plots.     

Metal contents of marine turtle eggs (Chelonia mydas; Lepidochelys olivacea) from the tropical eastern pacific and the implications for human health

Concentrations of eight elements were measured in Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys olivacea eggs collected along the Pacific coast of Panama. Manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) concentrations were similar to previous reports of these species from around the world, while lead (Pb) was lower than previous reports. Cd posed the highest health risk to people who regularly eat the eggs, with average consumption rates leading to target hazard quotients (THQ) of up to 0.35 ± 0.15. Our conclusions indicate that current turtle egg consumption in isolated, coastal Pacific communities may pose a health concern for young children, and that youth and young adults should limit their consumption of turtle eggs to reduce their total intake of nonessential metals.     

Heavy metal contamination in sediments of an artificial reservoir impacted by long-term mining activity in the Almadén mercury district (Spain)

Sediments from the Castilseras reservoir, located downstream on the Valdeazogues River in the Almadén mercury district, were collected to assess the potential contamination status related to metals(oids) associated with river sediment inputs from several decommissioned mines. Metals(oids) concentrations in the reservoir sediments were investigated using different physical and chemical techniques. The results were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) to explain the correlations between the sets of variables. The degree of contamination was evaluated using the enrichment factor (EF) and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo). PCA revealed that the silty fraction is the main metals(oids) carrier in the sediments. Among the potentially harmful elements, there is a group (Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn) that cannot be strictly correlated to the mining activity since their concentrations depend on the lithological and edaphological characteristics of the materials. In contrast, As, Co, Hg, Pb, and S showed significant enrichment and contamination, thus suggesting relevant contributions from the decommissioned mines through fluvial sediment inputs. As far as Hg and S are concerned, the high enrichment levels pose a question concerning the potential environmental risk of transfer of the organic forms of Hg (mainly methylmercury) from the bottom sediments to the aquatic food chain.     

Biodegradability of the anticancer drug etoposide and identification of the transformation products

Etoposide susceptibility to microbiological breakdown was studied in a batch biotransformation system, in the presence or absence of artificial wastewater containing nutrients, salts and activated sludge at two concentration levels. The primary focus of the present study was to study etoposide transformation products by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Data-dependent experiments combining full-scan MS data with product ion spectra were acquired to identify the molecular ions of etoposide transformation products, to propose the molecular formulae and to elucidate their chemical structures. Due to the complexity of the matrix, visual inspection of the chromatograms showed no clear differences between the controls and the treated samples. Therefore, the software package MZmine was used to facilitate the identification of the transformation products and speed up the data analysis. In total, we propose five transformation products; among them, four are described as etoposide transformation products for the first time. Even though the chemical structures of these new compounds cannot be confirmed due to the lack of standards, their molecular formulae can be used to target them in monitoring studies.     

Comparison of real-time instruments and gravimetric method when measuring particulate matter in a residential building

This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM_2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the Northeastern US and compared performance of those instruments. PM_2.5 24-hr average concentrations were determined using a Personal Modular Impactor (PMI) with 2.5 µm cut (SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA) and a direct reading pDR-1500 (Thermo Scientific, Franklin, MA) as well as its filter. 1-hr average PM_2.5 concentrations were measured in the same apartments with an Aerotrak Optical Particle Counter (OPC) (model 8220, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN) and a DustTrak DRX mass monitor (model 8534, TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN). OPC and DRX measurements were compared with concurrent 1-hr mass concentration from the pDR-1500. The pDR-1500 direct reading showed approximately 40% higher particle mass concentration compared to its own filter (n = 41), and 25% higher PM_2.5 mass concentration compared to the PMI_2.5 filter. The pDR-1500 direct reading and PMI_2.5 in non-smoking homes (self-reported) were not significantly different (n = 10, R² = 0.937), while the difference between measurements for smoking homes was 44% (n = 31, R² = 0.773). Both OPC and DRX data had substantial and significant systematic and proportional biases compared with pDR-1500 readings. However, these methods were highly correlated: R² = 0.936 for OPC versus pDR-1500 reading and R² = 0.863 for DRX versus pDR-1500 reading. The data suggest that accuracy of aerosol mass concentrations from direct-reading instruments in indoor environments depends on the instrument, and that correction factors can be used to reduce biases of these real-time monitors in residential green buildings with similar aerosol properties.

Implications: This study used several real-time and filter-based aerosol instruments to measure PM_2.5 levels in a high-rise residential green building in the northeastern United States and compared performance of those instruments. The data show that while the use of real-time monitors is convenient for measurement of airborne PM at short time scales, the accuracy of those monitors depends on a particular instrument. Bias correction factors identified in this paper could provide guidance for other studies using direct-reading instruments to measure PM concentrations.     

Source apportionment of PM2.5 for supporting control strategies in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area,Mexico

The Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) in Northeast Mexico has shown high PM_2.5 concentrations since 2003. The data shows that the annual average concentration exceeds from 2 to 3 times the Mexican PM_2.5 annual air quality standard of 12 µg/m³. In a previous work we studied the chemical characterization of PM_2.5 in two sites of the MMA during the winter season. Among the most important components we found ammonium sulfate and nitrate, elemental and organic carbon, and crustal matter. In this work we present the results of a second chemical characterization study performed during the summer time and the application of the chemical mass balance (CMB) model to determine the source apportionment of air pollutants in the region. The chemical analysis results show that the chemical composition of PM_2.5 is similar in both sites and periods of the year. The results of the chemical analysis and the CMB model show that industrial, traffic, and combustion activities in the area are the major sources of primary PM_2.5 and precursor gases of secondary inorganic and organic aerosol (SO₂, NOx, NH₃, and volatile organic compounds [VOCs]). We also found that black carbon and organic carbon are important components of PM_2.5 in the MMA. These results are consistent with the MMA emission inventory that reports as major sources of particles and SO₂ a refinery and fuel combustion, as well as nitrogen oxides and ammonium from transportation and industrial activities in the MMA and ammonium form agricultural activities in the state. The results of this work are important to identify and support effective actions to reduce direct emissions of PM_2.5 and its precursor gases to improve air quality in the MMA. Implications: The Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) has been classified as the most air-polluted area in Mexico by the World Health Organization (WHO). Effective actions need to be taken to control primary sources of PM_2.5 and its precursors, reducing health risks on the population exposed and their associated costs. The results of this study identify the main sources and their estimated contribution to PM_2.5 mass concentration, providing valuable information to the local environmental authorities to take decisions on PM_2.5 control strategies in the MMA.     

Climate change,multiple stressors and human vulnerability: a systematic review

We systematically reviewed current climate change literature in order to examine how multiple processes that affect human vulnerability have been studied. Of the 125 reviewed articles, 79 % were published after 2009. There are numerous concepts that point out to stressors other than climate change that were used in reviewed studies. These different concepts were used interchangeably, and they illustrate processes that act on different scales. Most widely used concepts included non-climatic (40 % of the articles), multiple stressors (38 %) and other factors (37 %). About 75 % of the studies either acknowledged or carefully analyzed the social and environmental context in which vulnerability is experienced. One-third of the studies recognized climate change-related stressors as the most important, one-third argued that stressors other than climate are more important, and the rest of the studies did not analyze the relative importance of the different processes. Interactions between different stressors were mentioned in 76 % and analyzed explicitly in 28 % of the articles. Our review shows that there are studies that analyze the social context of vulnerability within climate change-related literature and this literature is rapidly expanding. Reviewed studies point out that there are multiple interacting stressors, whose interlinkages need to be carefully analyzed and targeted by policies, which integrate adaptation to climate change and other stressors. In conclusion, we suggest that future studies should include analytical frameworks that reflect dissimilarities between different types of stressors, methodological triangulation to identify key stressors and analysis of interactions between multiple stressors across different scales.     

Energy policy evaluation in practice: the case of production subsidies and DEN-B in the Netherlands

This paper describes how energy policy can be evaluated in practice. The goal is to make policy makers aware of how an evaluation can be based on scientific principles and to help economists appreciate how an evaluation can be performed if strong empirical evidence is lacking. We have built a basic evaluation framework and have applied this to a selection of Dutch energy policy instruments, namely production subsidies and their complementary non-financial instrument, DEN-B. Our evaluation criterion was effectiveness, defined as the extent to which policy instruments contribute to achieving policy goals. The evaluation was based on existing ex post evaluations complemented by interviews and other available data. We conclude that production subsidies and DEN-B were (partly) effective. Furthermore, the Dutch government increased effectiveness by reconsidering the design of production subsidies. We also formulate lessons for future policy evaluations and energy markets policies.     

Utilizing international networks for accelerating research and learning in transformational sustainability science

A promising approach for addressing sustainability problems is to recognize the unique conditions of a particular place, such as problem features and solution capabilities, and adopt and adapt solutions developed at other places around the world. Therefore, research and teaching in international networks becomes critical, as it allows for accelerating learning by sharing problem understandings, successful solutions, and important contextual considerations. This article identifies eight distinct types of research and teaching collaborations in international networks that can support such accelerated learning. The four research types are, with increasing intensity of collaboration: (1) solution adoption; (2) solution consultation; (3) joint research on different problems; and (4) joint research on similar problems. The four teaching types are, with increasing intensity of collaboration: (1) adopted course; (2) course with visiting faculty; (3) joint course with traveling faculty; and (4) joint course with traveling students. The typology is illustrated by extending existing research and teaching projects on urban sustainability in the International Network of Programs in Sustainability, with partner universities from Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. The article concludes with challenges and strategies for extending individual projects into collaborations in international networks.     

Conservation of animals traded for medicinal purposes in Brazil: Can products derived from plants or domestic animals replace products of wild animals?

Regional Environmental Change - The use and trade of animals in traditional medicine involves many different species, some of which are threatened with extinction. Thus, evaluating biological and...