Guarana improves behavior and inflammatory alterations triggered by methylmercury exposure: an in vivo fruit fly and in vitro neural cells study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Methylmercury (MeHg) is a well-known environmental pollutant associated with neurological and developmental deficits in animals and humans. However,...     

Simultaneous removal of emerging contaminants and disinfection for municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent quality improvement: a systemic analysis of the literature

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work presents a bibliographic review of the literature regarding the simultaneous removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and...     

Lung-deposited dose of particulate matter from residential exposure to smoke from wood burning

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Residential settings are of utmost importance for human exposure, as it is where people spend most of their time. Residential wood combustion is a...     

Sperm-depleted males influence the reproductive behaviour of conspecifics

In many insect species, sperm-depleted males (SDMs, i.e. males that have exhausted their sperm after a given number of matings) remain sexually active and continue to mate females. Here, we investigated the behavioural modifications that occur in both sexes of the parasitoid Asobara tabida Nees (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), after matings by fertile males and sperm-depleted males. We show that (i) virgin females, mated females and females mated to a SDM exhibited different behaviours and that (ii) males responded differently to females depending on whether the females had previously mated with an SDM or not. Our findings demonstrate that SDM influenced the reproductive behaviour of both males and females, especially with regard to male responsiveness and female attractiveness. These findings are discussed in the context of adaptive behaviour and fitness maximization in both males and females.     

Heavy metals in untreated/treated urban effluent and sludge from a biological wastewater treatment plant

Background, Aim and Scope

The presence of heavy metals in wastewater is one of the main causes of water and soil pollution. The aim of the present study was to investigate the removal of Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mn, Cr and Zn in urban effluent by a biological wastewater treatment, as well as to quantify the levels of As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, V and Zn in dewatering sludge from the Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant to Ribeirão Preto (RP-BWTP), Brazil.

Materials and Methods

Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn and Pb in wastewater and those of Ni in sludge were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry with graphite furnace atomization. Mercury concentrations in wastewater were measured by hydride generation atomic spectrophotometry, and Zn levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry using acetylene flame. In sludge, the levels of As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, Sn, Tl, V and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Results

The percentages of removal efficiency (RE) were the following: Hg 61.5%, Cd 60.0%, Zn 44.9%, Cu 44.2%, PB 39.7%, Cr 16,5% and Mn 10.4%. In turn, the mean concentrations (mg/kg) of metals in dewatering sludge followed this increasing order: Tl (<0.03), Hg (0.31), Be (0.43), As (1.14), Cd (1.34), V (59.2), Pb (132.1), Sn (166.1), Cr (195.0), Mn (208.1), Ni (239.4), Cu (391.7), Zn (864.4) and Fe (20537).

Discussion

The relationship between metal levels in untreated wastewater, as well as the removal efficiency are in agreement with previous data from various investigators, It is important to note that metal removal efficiency is not only affected by metal ion species and concentration, but also by other conditions such as operating parameters, physical, chemical, and biological factors.

Conclusions

Metal values recorded for treated wastewater and sludge were within the maximum permitted levels established by the Environmental Sanitation Company (CETESB), São Paulo, Brazil.

Recommendations

There is an urgent need for the authorities who are responsible for legislation on sludge uses in agriculture of establishing safety levels for As, Be, Hg, Sn, Tl and V.

Perspectives

According to the current metal levels, RP-BWTP sludge might be used for agriculture purposes. However, for an environmentally safe use of sewage sludge, further studies including systematic monitoring are recommended. Annual metal concentrations and predicted variations of those elements in the sludge should be monitored.

     

Development of an activated carbon impregnation process with iron oxide nanoparticles by green synthesis for diclofenac adsorption

The objective of this study was to impregnate the surface of palm coconut activated carbon with nanoparticles of iron compounds using Moringa oleifera leaf extracts and pomegranate leaf by a green synthesis method and to evaluate its adsorption capacity for sodium diclofenac. The adsorbent material was characterized by zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption/desorption (BET method), transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) coupled to dispersive energy spectrometry X-ray (EDX) methods. To evaluate the adsorption capacity of sodium diclofenac, the influence of pH, kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic properties were analysed. The impregnated adsorbents showed efficiency in the adsorption of sodium diclofenac. The kinetic model that best fit the experimental data was the pseudo-second-order model, and the equilibrium model was the Langmuir model. As for the thermodynamic study, it was verified that the adsorption reaction for all adsorbents occurs in a spontaneous, favourable way, and it is endothermic by physisorption. Therefore, this process is promising because it is a clean and non-toxic method when compared with chemical methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles.

     

Contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in wild versus cultivated samples of female and male mussels (Mytilus sp.) from the Northwest Coast of Iberian Peninsula—new application for QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) methodology

A newly analytical method based on QuEChERS extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was developed and validated for the quantification of 18 PCBs in wild (from Matosinhos Beach, Portugal) and cultivated (from Ria de Arousa, Spain) mussel samples, pooled by sex. Wild animals showed higher PCB levels than cultivated mussels, with males from both origins, presenting an upper contamination profile comparing with females. This fact seems to be correlated with few biometric parameters, but other interdependencies, not addressed herein, such as distinct lipid contents between sexes, as a consequence of the gametogenic stage, may also explain this data. Overall, data reiterate the importance of investigating the presence of PCBs in marine biological samples, which can act both as bioindicators of environmental contamination, either as food quality controls for human health.     

In Situ Monitoring of the Mutagenic Effects of the Gaseous Emissions of a Solid Waste Incinerator in Metropolitan São Paulo,Brazil, Using the Tradescantia Stamen-Hair Assay

ABSTRACT

The present work was designed to determine the potential genotoxicity at the vicinity of a solid waste incinerator in the metropolitan area of Sâo Paulo, using the Tradescantia stamen-hair bioassay. Experiments were carried out between December 1998 and April 1999 in four regions (40 pots of plants per site) selected on the basis of their pollution levels predicted by theoretical modeling of the dispersion of the incinerator's plume. The exposure sites were defined as follows: highest level (incinerator); a high level (museum) located 1.5 km from the emission point; a moderate level (school, at a distance of 3.5 km from the incinerator); and a control (at Jaguariuna countryside). The difference in genotoxicity among the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The frequency of mutations observed in the countryside was significantly lower [2.25 ± 1.55, mean ± SD (standard deviation)] than that of the sites close to the incinerator. The frequency of mutations measured at the school (3.70 ± 1.36) was significantly lower than that measured at both the museum (4.89 ± 1.12) and the incinerator (5.69 ± 1.34). In conclusion, we found a positive correlation between the spatial distribution of the emissions of the incinerator located in an urban area and the mutagenic events measured by the Tradescantia stamen-hair assay. The in situ approach employed in this study was simple, efficient, and of low cost. No air or chemical extraction of pollutants was necessary for genotoxicity testing as required by other assays.     

Evaluation of the aggressive potential of marine chloride and sulfate salts on mortars applied as renders in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador--Bahia, Brazil

In recent years, growing interest has focused on determining the performance of materials and evaluating the service life of structures exposed to various environmental forces. In this context, the determination of the aggressive potential of marine salts on mortars used as external renders is critical. The present study aimed to evaluate the spatial distribution of marine salts relative to distance from the sea. This was done by monitoring the deposition rate of chlorides and sulfates in wet candle sensors, located at nine stations scattered around the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. The study also determined the effectiveness of water-soluble salts at penetrating three different types of mortars of varying cement content via deposition and diffusion. The methodology employed enabled an evaluation of the efficiency of the monitoring sensors' measurement of the aggressiveness potential of local marine aerosol, and determination of the comparative performance of the three mortars tested, from the standpoint of resistance to salt penetration. The type and amount of salts captured both in solution and in powder samples extracted from the mortars were determined by ion chromatography. The analysis of the various types of mortars tested indicated which types are more resistant to the aggressive potential of the region's marine aerosol and the distance from the shore where local buildings are liable to be most strongly affected.     

Antibacterial behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite-heulandite rich tuff on coliform microorganisms from wastewater in a column system

The water disinfecting behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSAg) as an antibacterial agent against coliform microorganisms from water in a continuous mode was investigated. Silver recovery from the disinfected effluents by the sodium-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSNa) was also considered. Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and total coliform microorganisms, as indicators of microbiological contamination of water, were chosen to achieve the disinfection of synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions were added to the synthetic wastewater as an interfering chemical species on the disinfection processes. The antibacterial activity of the ZSAg as a bactericide was measured by the coliform concentration as evaluated by the APHA method. The amount of silver in the disinfected effluents was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The inactivation of the ZSAg was calculated from the breakthrough curves based on the model reported by Gupta et al. It was found that when the silver concentration in the effluent is less than 0.6 μg/mL, the bacterial survival percentage increased and the volume of disinfected water diminished. The total silver amounts found in the effluent at the end of the disinfection processes varied depending on the water treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater). The presence of NH₄⁺ ions in synthetic wastewater influent notably improved the disinfected water volume (zero NVC/100 mL), in comparison to the disinfection of the same influent without NH₄⁺ ions. A contrary water disinfection behavior was observed in the presence of Cl⁻ ions. The silver recovery does not depend on the mass of the sodium zeolitic bed according with the wastewater to be treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater) and the presence of NH₄⁺ or Cl⁻ ions in the influent also influenced the silver recovery from wastewater. The ZSNa did not have antibacterial activity. Therefore the amount of bactericide agent (silver-modified natural zeolite), coliform microorganisms from water (E. coli or consort of coliform microorganisms) as well as the water quality (synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater) influenced both the disinfection process and the silver recovery in a column system.