Antibiotic Residues and Resistance in Three Wastewater Treatment Plants in Romania.

This study evaluates antibiotic residues and bacterial loads in influent and effluent samples from three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Romania, across four seasons from 2021 to 2022. Analytical methods included solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify antibiotic concentrations, while microbiological assays estimated bacterial loads and assessed antibiotic resistance patterns. Statistical analyses explored the impact of environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall on antibiotic levels.

Antibiotics in the environment: causes and consequences.

Antibiotics represent one of the main discoveries of the last century that changed the treatment of a large array of infections in a significant way. However, increased consumption has led to an exposure of bacterial communities and ecosystems to a large amount of antibiotic residues. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of the primary drivers associated with antibiotic occurrence in the environment.

Phthalate Exposure from Drinking Water in Romanian Adolescents.

Phthalates are plastic softeners that have been linked to several adverse health outcomes. The relative contributions of different sources to phthalate exposure in populations in different regions and at different life stages is unclear. We examined the relationships between water consumption, consumer product use, and phthalate exposure among 40 adolescents (20 males, 20 females) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The ecological risk of heavy metals in sediment from the Danube Delta.

The objectives of this study were to assess the sediment contamination with heavy metals and to investigate accordingly the ecological risk posed in the SE of the Danube Delta. Sediments are important in assessing the contamination as they act as reservoirs, transporters and contamination sources. Sediment samples were collected and analysed for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, revealing levels higher than the background, especially for cadmium and mercury (Pb > As > Cd > Hg).

Urinary cotinine levels and environmental tobacco smoke in mothers and children of Romania, Portugal and Poland within the European human biomonitoring pilot study.

The aim of this study was to explore data from the DEMOCOPHES study population for Romania, Portugal and Poland, in order to assess smoking patterns and the extent of ETS exposure and compare the national study samples with reference to the respective anti-smoking laws. The subset of the DEMOCOPHES study sample consisted of 360 children and their mothers (120 in each of the three countries - Romania (RO), Portugal (PT) and Poland (PL). Smoking was assessed using a detailed questionnaire for the participants, which addresses both active and passive smoking.

Fish consumption patterns and hair mercury levels in children and their mothers in 17 EU countries.

The toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) in humans is well established and the main source of exposure is via the consumption of large marine fish and mammals. Of particular concern are the potential neurodevelopmental effects of early life exposure to low-levels of MeHg. Therefore, it is important that pregnant women, children and women of childbearing age are, as far as possible, protected from MeHg exposure.

Policy recommendations and cost implications for a more sustainable framework for European human biomonitoring surveys.

The potential of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in exposure characterisation and risk assessment is well established in the scientific HBM community and regulatory arena by many publications. The European Environment and Health Strategy as well as the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 of the European Commission recognised the value of HBM and the relevance and importance of coordination of HBM programmes in Europe. Based on existing and planned HBM projects and programmes of work and capabilities in Europe the Seventh Framework Programme (FP 7) funded COPHES (COnsortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale) to advance and improve comparability of HBM data across Europe.

Communication in a Human biomonitoring study: Focus group work, public engagement and lessons learnt in 17 European countries.

A communication strategy was developed by The Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (COPHES), as part of its objectives to develop a framework and protocols to enable the collection of comparable human biomonitoring data throughout Europe. The framework and protocols were tested in the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). The aims of the communication strategy were to raise awareness of human biomonitoring, encourage participation in the study and to communicate the study results and their public health significance.

First steps toward harmonized human biomonitoring in Europe: demonstration project to perform human biomonitoring on a European scale.

Background: For Europe as a whole, data on internal exposure to environmental chemicals do not yet exist. Characterization of the internal individual chemical environment is expected to enhance understanding of the environmental threats to health.

Objectives: We developed and applied a harmonized protocol to collect comparable human biomonitoring data all over Europe.

Exposure determinants of cadmium in European mothers and their children.

The metal cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant with documented adverse effects on the kidneys and bones from long-term environmental exposure, but with insufficiently elucidated public health consequences such as risk of cardiovascular disease, hormone-related cancer in adults and developmental effects in children. This study is the first pan-European human biomonitoring project that succeeded in performing harmonized measurements of Cd in urine in a comparable way in mother-child couples from 16 European countries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall Cd exposure and significant determinants of Cd exposure.

Lessons learnt on recruitment and fieldwork from a pilot European human biomonitoring survey.

Within the European Environment and Health Action Plan an initiative to establish a coherent human biomonitoring approach in Europe was started. The project COPHES (COnsortium to Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale ) developed recommendations for a harmonized conduct of a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey which came into action as the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (DEMOnstration of a study to COordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). Seventeen European countries conducted a survey with harmonized instruments for, inter alia, recruitment, fieldwork and sampling, in autumn/winter 2011/2012.

Detection of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among swine workers in Romania.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a devastating pathogen that is associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Livestock are a well-known reservoir for this pathogen, which poses substantial health risks for livestock workers. Little is known about the epidemiology of livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) among livestock workers in Eastern Europe.

Awareness and practices regarding zoonotic influenza prevention in Romanian swine workers.

Background: Swine workers may play a key role in transmission of zoonotic influenza viruses. At the same time, little is known about the extent and effectiveness of influenza prevention programs for these at-risk workers.

Objectives: To characterize practices and attitudes regarding zoonotic influenza transmission among swine workers in Romania.

A pilot study: the importance of inter-individual differences in inorganic arsenic metabolism for birth weight outcome.

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure is detrimental to birth outcome. We lack information regarding the potential for iAs metabolism to affect fetal growth. Our pilot study evaluated postpartum Romanian women with known birth weight outcome for differences in iAs metabolism.

Economic benefits of methylmercury exposure control in Europe: monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention.

Background: Due to global mercury pollution and the adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an assessment of the economic benefits of prevented developmental neurotoxicity is necessary for any cost-benefit analysis.

Methods: Distributions of hair-Hg concentrations among women of reproductive age were obtained from the DEMOCOPHES project (1,875 subjects in 17 countries) and literature data (6,820 subjects from 8 countries). The exposures were assumed to comply with log-normal distributions.

Blood pressure hyperreactivity: an early cardiovascular risk in normotensive men exposed to low-to-moderate inorganic arsenic in drinking water.

Background: Essential hypertension is associated with chronic exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic in drinking water. However, early signs of risk for developing hypertension remain unclear in people exposed to chronic low-to-moderate inorganic arsenic.

Objective: We evaluated cardiovascular stress reactivity and recovery in healthy, normotensive, middle-aged men living in an arsenic-endemic region of Romania.

Essential metals--case study on iron.

Iron is a vital element in life. Because of the insolubility of iron oxides and sulfides the implication is that dissolved iron was fairly abundant and that oxygen and sulfide were rare in the atmosphere and ocean. Iron and its compounds present as pollutants in the atmosphere can cause deleterious effects to humans, animals, and materials.