Investigating the Transformation Products of Selected Antibiotics and 17 α-Ethinylestradiol under Three In Vitro Biotransformation Models for Anticipating Their Relevance in Bioaugmented Constructed Wetlands.

The degradation of three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin) and one synthetic hormone (17 α-ethinylestradiol) was investigated in three in-vitro biotransformation models (i.e., pure enzymes, hairy root, and cultures) for anticipating the relevance of the formation of transformation products (TPs) in constructed wetlands (CWs) bioaugmented with fungus.

Use of Passive and Grab Sampling and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry for Non-Targeted Analysis of Emerging Contaminants and Their Semi-Quantification in Water.

Different groups of organic micropollutants including pharmaceuticals and pesticides have emerged in the environment in the last years, resulting in a rise in environmental and human health risks. In order to face up and evaluate these risks, there is an increasing need to assess their occurrence in the environment. Therefore, many studies in the past couple of decades were focused on the improvements in organic micropollutants' extraction efficiency from the different environmental matrices, as well as their mass spectrometry detection parameters and acquisition modes.

Comparison of sunlight-AOPs for levofloxacin removal: kinetics, transformation products, and toxicity assay on Escherichia coli and Micrococcus flavus.

Levofloxacin (LFX) is a widely used antibiotic medication. Persistent traces of LFX in water and wastewater may induce bacterial resistance. Photon-driven advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) can assist in attaining complete abatement of LFX for environmental protection.

Untargeted Metabolomics Studies on Drug-Incubated Profiles.

Plants produce a huge number of functionally and chemically different natural products that play an important role in linking the plant with the adjacent environment. Plants can also absorb and transform external organic compounds (xenobiotics). Currently there are only a few studies concerning the effects of xenobiotics and their transformation products on plant metabolites using a mass spectrometric untargeted screening strategy.

Nitric oxide reactivity accounts for N-nitroso-ciprofloxacin formation under nitrate-reducing conditions.

The formation of N-nitroso-ciprofloxacin (CIP) was investigated both in wastewater treatment plants including nitrification/denitrification stages and in sludge slurry experiments under denitrifying conditions. The analysis of biological wastewater treatment plant effluents by Kendrick mass defect analysis and liquid chromatography - high resolution - mass spectrometry (LCHRMS) revealed the occurrence of N-nitroso-CIP and N-nitroso-hydrochlorothiazide at concentration levels of 34 ± 3 ng/L and 71 ± 6 ng/L, respectively. In laboratory experiments and dark conditions, produced N-nitroso-CIP concentrations reached a plateau during the course of biodegradation experiments.

Lemna minor studies under various storage periods using extended-polarity extraction and metabolite non-target screening analysis.

Plant metabolomic studies cover a broad band of compounds, including various functional groups with different polarities and other physiochemical properties. For this reason, specific optimized methods are needed in order to enable efficient and non-destructive extraction of molecules over a large range of LogD values. This study presents a simple and efficient extraction procedure for Lemna minor samples demonstrating polarity extension of the molecular range.

Enrichment of endophytic Actinobacteria in roots and rhizomes of Miscanthus × giganteus plants exposed to diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole.

This study investigates how wastewater containing 2 mg l of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and 2 mg l of diclofenac (DCF) affects the composition of bacterial communities present in the roots and rhizomes of Miscanthus × giganteus plants grown in laboratory-scale constructed wetlands. Bacterial communities in plant roots and rhizomes were identified in treated and control samples by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Moreover, bacterial endophytes were isolated in R2A and 1/10 869 media and screened for their ability to metabolize SMX and DCF in liquid medium by HPLC.

Discussion paper: Sustainable increase of crop production through improved technical strategies, breeding and adapted management - A European perspective.

During the next decade it will be necessary to develop novel combinations of management strategies to sustainably increase crop production and soil resilience. Improving agricultural productivity, while conserving and enhancing biotic and abiotic resources, is an essential requirement to increase global food production on a sustainable basis. The role of farmers in increasing agricultural productivity growth sustainably will be crucial.

Metabolism of carbamazepine in plant roots and endophytic rhizobacteria isolated from Phragmites australis.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a pharmaceutical frequently categorized as a recalcitrant pollutant in the aquatic environment. Endophytic bacteria previously isolated from reed plants have shown the ability to promote growth of their host and to contribute to CBZ metabolism. In this work, a horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) hairy root (HR) culture has been used as a plant model to study the interactions between roots and endophytic bacteria in response to CBZ exposure.

Uptake of carbamazepine by rhizomes and endophytic bacteria of Phragmites australis.

Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic and mood-stabilizing drug which is used widely in Europe and North America. In the environment, it is found as a persistent and recalcitrant contaminant, being one of the most prominent hazardous pharmaceuticals and personal care products in effluents of wastewater treatment plants. Phragmites australis is one of the species with both, the highest potential of detoxification and phytoremediation.