Analysis of the Effect of Photo and Hydrodegradation on the Surface Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Composites Based on PLA and PHI Modified with Natural Particles.

Biodegradable polymer materials are increasingly used in the packaging industry due to their good properties and low environmental impact. Therefore, the work was performed on the injection molding of the bio-based composites of polylactide (PLA) and polyhydroxyalcanates (PHI) modified with two phases: reinforcing (walnut shell flour and cellulose) and coloring (beta carotene and anthocyanin). The produced materials were subjected to wide mechanical characteristics-tensile, flexural, and fatigue tests.

Mixture toxicity of six pharmaceuticals towards Aliivibrio fischeri, Daphnia magna, and Lemna minor.

As the knowledge on the joint effects of pharmaceuticals towards different non-target organisms is still limited, the aim of our study was to evaluate the toxicity of mixtures of pharmaceuticals, as well as their baseline toxicity towards three selected organisms, namely the bioluminescent bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri, the crustacean Daphnia magna, and the duckweed Lemna minor. Different mixtures composed of three up to five pharmaceuticals having the same or different mechanisms of action in terms of their therapeutic activity (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioid analgesic, antibacterial and anti-epileptic drugs) were investigated. The observed ECs were compared with those predicted using the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) models.

Sorption of pharmaceuticals on the surface of microplastics.

The presence of both pollutants: microplastics and pharmaceutical residues in various environmental compartments is an issue of increasing concern. Available literature data indicates that microplastics can affect the environmental distribution and transport of e.g.

Anti-inflammatory drugs in the Vistula River following the failure of the Warsaw sewage collection system in 2019.

At the end of August 2019, in Warsaw, the sewage collection system of the Wastewater Treatment Plant malfunctioned. During the subsequent 12 days, over 3.6 million m of untreated sewage was introduced from the damaged collector directly into the Vistula River.

Ecotoxicity screening evaluation of selected pharmaceuticals and their transformation products towards various organisms.

The intensive development of medical science has led to an increase in the availability and use of pharmaceutical products. However, nowadays, most of scientific attention has been paid to the native forms of pharmaceuticals, while the transformation products (TPs) of these substances, understood herein as metabolites, degradation products, and selected enantiomers, remain largely unexplored in terms of their characterization, presence, fate and effects within the natural environment. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of seven native compounds belonging to different therapeutic groups (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioid analgesics, beta-blockers, antibacterial and anti-epileptic drugs), along with the toxicity of their 13 most important TPs.

Mixture toxicity of flubendazole and fenbendazole to Daphnia magna.

Nowadays, residual amounts of many pharmaceuticals can be found in various environmental compartments including surface and ground waters, soils and sediments as well as biota. Even though they undergo degradability, their environmental discharge is relatively continuous, thus they may be regarded as quasi-persistent contaminants, and are also frequently regarded as emerging organic pollutants. Benzimidazoles, especially flubendazole (FLU) and fenbendazole (FEN), represent two anthelmintic drugs belonging to this group.

Bioaccumulation and analytics of pharmaceutical residues in the environment: A review.

The presence of pharmaceutical residues in various environmental compartments is an issue of increasing concern. The widespread occurrence of these compounds in water and soil samples has been demonstrated in a number of analytical studies. However, the data about their concentrations in biota samples is scarce.

Toxicity of anthelmintic drugs (fenbendazole and flubendazole) to aquatic organisms.

Flubendazole (FLU) and fenbendazole (FEN) belong to benzimidazoles-pharmaceuticals widely used in veterinary and human medicine for the treatment of intestinal parasites as well as for the treatment of systemic worm infections. In recent years, usage of these drugs increased, which resulted in a larger contamination of the environment and possible negative effects on biota. Hence, in our research, we investigated an aquatic ecotoxicity of these pharmaceuticals towards: marine bacteria (Vibrio fischeri), green algae (Scenedesmus vacuolatus), duckweed (Lemna minor) and crustacean (Daphnia magna).

Development of sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of three fluoroquinolones in water and fish tissue samples and preliminary environmental risk assessment of their presence in two rivers in northern Poland.

Antibiotic consumption (e.g. fluoroquinolones (FQs)) and, as a consequence, their presence in the environment, have received a lot of attention in the last several years due to increasing numbers of diseases and infections that are becoming resistant to traditional treatments for both humans and animals.

Beta-blockers in the environment: part I. Mobility and hydrolysis study.

Beta-blockers (BB) are one of the most widely used pharmaceuticals whose presence in different environmental compartments has already been proven in concentrations of even up to a few μg L(-1). However, our knowledge of their fate in the environment is still scarce. To obtain a better understanding on the environmental behavior of three selected BB comprehensive laboratory experiments assessing their mobility and hydrolytic stability has been conducted.

Beta-blockers in the environment: part II. Ecotoxicity study.

The increasing consumption of beta-blockers (BB) has caused their presence in the environment to become more noticeable. Even though BB are safe for human and veterinary usage, ecosystems may be exposed to these substances. In this study, three selected BB: propranolol, metoprolol and nadolol were subjected to ecotoxicity study.

The use of chromatographic techniques for the separation and the identification of insect lipids.

The paper presents the state of knowledge on the chromatographic techniques used in the analysis of insect lipids. Lipids are one of the forms of protection against entomopathogenic fungi. Their composition may include a number of different compounds, such as long chain hydrocarbons, waxes, alcohols, aldehydes and free fatty acids.