Genotoxic effect of ciprofloxacin during photolytic decomposition monitored by the in vitro micronucleus test (MNvit) in HepG2 cells

Purpose

Ciprofloxacin (CIP), a broad-spectrum, second-generation fluoroquinolone, has frequently been found in hospital wastewaters and effluents of sewage treatment plants. CIP is scarcely biodegradable, has toxic effects on microorganisms and is photosensitive. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of CIP in human HepG2 liver cells during photolysis.

Methods

Photolysis of CIP was performed in aqueous solution by irradiation with an Hg lamp, and transformation products were monitored by HPLC-MS/MS and by the determination of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of CIP and of the irradiated samples were determined after 24?h of exposure using the WST-1 assay and the in vitro micronucleus (MN) test in HepG2 cells.

Results

The concentration of CIP decreased during photolysis, whereas the content of DOC remained unchanged. CIP and its transformation products were not cytotoxic towards HepG2 cells. A concentration-dependent increase of MN frequencies was observed for the parent compound CIP (lowest observed effect level, 1.2???mol?L^?1). Furthermore, CIP and the irradiated samples were found to be genotoxic with a significant increase relative to the parent compound after 32?min (P?P?Conclusions Photolytic decomposition of aqueous CIP leads to genotoxic transformation products. This proves that irradiated samples of CIP are able to exert heritable genotoxic effects on human liver cells in vitro. Therefore, photolysis as a technique for wastewater treatment needs to be evaluated in detail in further studies, not only for CIP but in general.     

Spatio-temporal assessment of land use dynamics and urbanization: linking with environmental aspects and DPSIR framework approach

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Urbanization is the main force of the global environmental as well as land use land cover changes (LULC). Urbanization is caused by prompt increase in...     

The occurrence of lithium in the environment of the Jordan Valley and its transfer into the food chain

Lithium is found in trace amounts in all soils. It is also found in plants and in nearly all the organs of the human body. Low Li intake can cause behavioral defects. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the concentration and distribution of water-soluble Li in soils of the Jordan Valley and its concentration in citrus trees and some important food crops in view of the significant implications of Li for human health. The concentration of soluble Li was measured in 180 soil samples collected at two depths (0–20 and 20–40 cm) whereas its content was determined in fully expanded leaves collected from citrus and different vegetable crops. Concentrations of soluble Li in soils vary from 0.95 to 1.04 mg l⁻¹ in topsoil and from 1.06 to 2.68 mg l⁻¹ in subsoil, while Li concentration in leaves ranged from 2 to 27 mg kg⁻¹ DM. Lithium concentrations in leaves of crops of the same family or different families vary with location in the valley; i.e., they decreased from north to south. It is concluded that soluble Li in soils and the plant family did not solely affect Li transfer in the food chain. In addition, soil EC, Ca, Mg, and Cl, which increased from north to south, might adversely affect plant Li uptake. The current study also showed that consuming 250–300 g FW of spinach day⁻¹ per person is recommended to provide consumers with their daily Li requirement necessary for significant health and societal benefits.     

Effects of source zone heterogeneity on surfactant-enhanced NAPL dissolution and resulting remediation end-points

The effectiveness of removal of nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) from the entrapment source zone of the subsurface has been limited by soil heterogeneity and the inability to locate all entrapped sources. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the uncertainty of degree of source removal associated with aquifer heterogeneity. In this demonstration, source zone NAPL removal using surfactant-enhanced dissolution was considered. Model components that simulate the processes of natural dissolution in aqueous phase and surfactant-enhanced dissolution were incorporated into an existing code of contaminant transport. The dissolution modules of the simulator used previously developed Gilland-Sherwood type phenomenological models of NAPL dissolution to estimate mass transfer coefficients that are upscaleable to multidimensional flow conditions found at field sites. The model was used to simulate the mass removal from 10 NAPL entrapment zone configurations based on previously conducted two-dimensional tank experiments. These entrapment zones represent the NAPL distribution in spatially correlated random fields of aquifer hydraulic conductivity. The numerical simulations representing two-dimensional conditions show that effectiveness of mass removal depends on the aquifer heterogeneity that controls the NAPL entrapment and delivery of the surfactant to the locations of entrapped NAPLs. Flow bypassing resulting from heterogeneity and the reduction of relative permeability due to NAPL entrapment reduces the delivery efficiency of the surfactant, thus prolonging the remediation time to achieve desired end-point NAPL saturations and downstream dissolved concentrations. In some extreme cases, the injected surfactant completely bypassed the NAPL source zones. It was also found that mass depletion rates for different NAPL source configurations vary significantly. The study shows that heterogeneity result in uncertainties in the mass removal and achievable end-points that are directly related to dissolved contaminant plume development downstream of the NAPL entrapment zone.     

Measuring direct and indirect treatment effects using safety performance intervention functions

Recent traffic safety research has advocated the use of the Full Bayes (FB) approach to conduct controlled before-after safety evaluations. The FB approach was shown to offer both methodological and data advantages. However, there is still a lack of complete understanding of the role that the model parameters play in the formulation of treatment effectiveness. This paper offers a novel approach to compute components related to direct and indirect treatment effects under a linear intervention model for the Safety Performance Function (SPF). The isolation of a component corresponding to the direct treatment effects enables the analyst to assess the effectiveness of the countermeasures apart from local (site-related) environmental factors. Two case studies are used to demonstrate the approach. The first case study is based on the results published from a previous safety evaluation in Iowa and the second uses a new data set from British Columbia based on the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia Road Improvement Program. The various direct and indirect components have yielded valuable insight into the effects of the model parameters on treatment impacts. Moreover, the calculation of the treatment effectiveness indices have been simplified by providing straightforward equations in terms of model parameters for the computation of their components without resorting to additional algorithms. More importantly, the results can have a significant impact on the economic evaluation of safety programs and countermeasures by allowing the calculation of collision modification factors (CMFs) that vary with time.     

Thermal and Flame Retardancy Behavior of Oil Palm Based Epoxy Nanocomposites

The aim of present study was to investigate the thermal properties and flame retardancy behavior of flame retardant (FR) epoxy nanocomposites from chemically treated (bromine water and tin chloride) oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) nano filler at different filler loading (1, 3, 5%). Thermal properties were evaluated through thermogravimetry analyzer, derivative thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. FR properties of nanocomposites are evaluated through UL-94 vertical burning test and limiting oxygen index (LOI). The functional group analysis of all composites was made by FTIR spectroscopy. Thermal analysis shows that degradation temperature of epoxy composites shifts from 370 to 410 °C and char yield also increases for 3% loading. Furthermore LOI value of 29% and UL-94 rating of V-0 with no flame dripping and cotton ignition, revealed that 3% oil palm nano filler filled epoxy nanocomposites display satisfactory flame retardancy. The superior flame retardancy of epoxy nanocomposites are attributed to the chemical reactions occurred in the gaseous phases and the profound synergistic flame retardation effect of tin with bromine in the treated nano OPEFB filler. All the epoxy nanocomposites displayed almost similar FTIR spectra with the characteristics metal-halogen bond supporting the synergism. Homogeneous dispersion of 3% oil palm nano filler act as highly effective combustion chain terminating agent compared with 1 and 5% nano OPEFB/epoxy nanocomposites.     

Effect of dietary phytogenics (herbal mixture) supplementation on growth performance,nutrient utilization,antioxidative properties,and immune response in broilers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This experiment was conducted to study that effect of a phytogenics (herbal mixture) supplementation as alternative to antibiotics on the growth...     

(<Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>)-9-tricosene identified in rectal gland extracts of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bactrocera oleae</Emphasis> males: first evidence of a male-produced female attractant in olive fruit fly

It is well-known that Bactrocera oleae (olive fruit fly) females attract conspecific males by using 1,7-dioxaspiro[5,5]undecane (1) as the main component of their sex pheromone, and that 1 is produced in the female rectal gland. Although some authors have claimed that B. oleae males also attract females, to date no male-produced female attractants have been found in this species. In this paper, we report the first identification of a substance unique to males and able to attract females. The findings of the study include the following: (1) females responded in a bioassay to hexane extracts obtained from rectal glands of 15-day-old B. oleae males, (2) the presence of (Z)-9-tricosene (2) was consistently and unambiguously identified in these extracts using gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry methods, (3) in preliminary bioactivity tests, low doses (equivalent to a few males) of chemically and stereoisomerically pure synthetic (Z)-9-tricosene (2) attracted olive fruit fly females. Interestingly, compound 2, commonly called muscalure, is also a well-known component of the house fly (Musca domestica) sex pheromone.     

Inward foreign direct investment,outward foreign direct investment,and carbon dioxide emission intensity-threshold regression analysis based on interprovincial panel data

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Based on the panel data of 30 provinces (except for Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) in China from 2005 to 2016, a nonlinear threshold regression...     

In vitro fermentation and production of methane and carbon dioxide from rations containing Moringa oleifera leave silage as a replacement of soybean meal: in vitro assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Plant leaf meal of some forage trees such as Moringa oleifera has attracted an increasing interest as a good and cheap source of protein. The present...