Routine method for the analysis of microplastics in natural and drinking water by pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water intended for human consumption represents a growing concern due to their ubiquity in the aquatic environments and the potential adverse effects on human health. In this context, validated and standardized analytical methods are required to minimize uncertainties associated with the determination of MPs in water, especially during the drinking water treatment process. In this study, a simple water sampling and extraction procedure and analysis using pyrolysis with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) was developed to determine 7 types of polymers in water.

Ceramic passive samplers for determining pharmaceuticals and drugs of abuse in river and drinking water.

An important challenge today is to efficiently monitor the presence of polar pharmaceuticals and drugs in surface and drinking waters to ensure its safeness. Most studies rely on grab sampling techniques, which enable the determination of contaminants at a given point and given time. In this study, we propose the use of ceramic passive samplers (CPSs) to increase the representativeness and efficiency of organic contaminant monitoring in waters.

Indirect potable water reuse to face drought events in Barcelona city. Setting a monitoring procedure to protect aquatic ecosystems and to ensure a safe drinking water supply.

The climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures are expected to limit the availability of water resources. Hence, active measures must be planned in vulnerable regions to ensure a sustainable water supply and minimize environmental impacts. A pilot test was carried out in the Llobregat River (NE Spain) aiming to provide a useful procedure to cope with severe droughts through indirect water reuse.

Tempo and drivers of plant diversification in the European mountain system.

There is still limited consensus on the evolutionary history of species-rich temperate alpine floras due to a lack of comparable and high-quality phylogenetic data covering multiple plant lineages. Here we reconstructed when and how European alpine plant lineages diversified, i.e.

Discovery of cryptic plant diversity on the rooftops of the Alps.

High elevation temperate mountains have long been considered species poor owing to high extinction or low speciation rates during the Pleistocene. We performed a phylogenetic and population genomic investigation of an emblematic high-elevation plant clade (Androsace sect. Aretia, 31 currently recognized species), based on plant surveys conducted during alpinism expeditions.

What's in the water? - Target and suspect screening of contaminants of emerging concern in raw water and drinking water from Europe and Asia.

There is growing worry that drinking water can be affected by contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), potentially threatening human health. In this study, a wide range of CECs (n = 177), including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and other compounds, were analysed in raw water and in drinking water collected from drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in Europe and Asia (n = 13). The impact of human activities was reflected in large numbers of compounds detected (n = 115) and high variation in concentrations in the raw water (range 15-7995 ng L for ∑CECs).

Microplastics from headwaters to tap water: occurrence and removal in a drinking water treatment plant in Barcelona Metropolitan area (Catalonia, NE Spain).

Nowadays, the presence of microplastics in drinking water is of concern worldwide due to potential impacts on human health. This paper has examined the presence of microplastics along the Llobregat river basin (Catalonia, Spain) and studied their behaviour and elimination along the drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). Due to different water composition, different sampling and sample preparation protocols were used to determine microplastics from river water and in the DWTP.

Investigative monitoring of pesticide and nitrogen pollution sources in a complex multi-stressed catchment: The lower Llobregat River basin case study (Barcelona, Spain).

The management of the anthropogenic water cycle must ensure the preservation of the quality and quantity of water resources and their careful allocation to the different uses. Protection of water resources requires the control of pollution sources that may deteriorate them. This is a challenging task in multi-stressed catchments.

The Treasure Vault Can be Opened: Large-Scale Genome Skimming Works Well Using Herbarium and Silica Gel Dried Material.

Genome skimming has the potential for generating large data sets for DNA barcoding and wider biodiversity genomic studies, particularly via the assembly and annotation of full chloroplast (cpDNA) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences. We compare the success of genome skims of 2051 herbarium specimens from Norway/Polar regions with 4604 freshly collected, silica gel dried specimens mainly from the European Alps and the Carpathians. Overall, we were able to assemble the full chloroplast genome for 67% of the samples and the full nrDNA cluster for 86%.

Monitoring the complex occurrence of pesticides in the Llobregat basin, natural and drinking waters in Barcelona metropolitan area (Catalonia, NE Spain) by a validated multi-residue online analytical method.

The European Directive 98/83/CE legislates the presence of pesticides in drinking water, but apart from a few compounds, nothing is said about which pesticides should be monitored. Nevertheless, water companies need to go beyond the accomplishment of the legislation and find out pesticide contamination in all sources of water in order to manage the hazard assessment, and to guarantee safe drinking water to all the population. The aim of this work was to develop an analytical multi-residue method for circa 100 compounds.

Formation of new disinfection by-products of priority substances (Directive 2013/39/UE and Watch List) in drinking water treatment.

The degradation of priority substances (Directive 2013/39/UE and Watch List) by chlorine dioxide (ClO) and the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) located near Barcelona (NE Spain) were investigated. For the first time, the reactivity with ClO of several compounds frequently found at the entrance of the DWTP such as erythromycin, clarithromycin, chlorpyrifos, and imidacloprid was evaluated in both simulated and real conditions. To identify potential DBPs, experiments were performed at laboratory scale by simulating the operational disinfection conditions in the DWTP.

Simultaneous analysis of 11 haloacetic acids by direct injection-liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry: occurrence and evolution in chlorine-treated water.

A fast, simple, selective, and sensitive method for the analysis of 11 haloacetic acids (HAAs) in chlorine-treated water has been developed. The method is based on liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-QqQ-MS/MS) with direct injection of the aqueous sample. The main novelty of this method over the previously published procedures based on different techniques of mass spectrometry with direct injection is the combination of the simultaneous analysis of three types of HAAs (chlorinated, brominated, and iodinated) with its simplicity and low LODs (0.

Identification of 3-(trifluoromethyl)phenol as the malodorous compound in a pollution incident in the water supply in Catalonia (N.E. Spain).

A study of organic compounds that caused a serious taste and odor episode of water supply in two residential areas in Catalonia (N.E. Spain) was carried out.

Dioxanes and dioxolanes in source waters: Occurrence, odor thresholds and behavior through upgraded conventional and advanced processes in a drinking water treatment plant.

Over the last years, the human probable carcinogen 1,4-dioxane and alkyl-1,3-dioxanes and dioxolanes have been detected and identified as the cause of several pollution episodes in the Llobregat River (Catalonia, NE Spain) and its aquifer. It is an issue of major concern to study these compounds which are released to the environment by resin manufacturing plants' spills and wastewater discharges spread along rivers and reach drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) in order to protect the environment and public health. In this study four seasonal sampling campaigns were carried out over a year to determine the removal efficiency of the dioxanes and dioxolanes at each step of a DWTP including ozonation, granular activated carbon filters, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis step's treatments.

Techno-economic evaluation and comparison of PAC-MBR and ozonation-UV revamping for organic micro-pollutants removal from urban reclaimed wastewater.

The presence of sewage-borne Organic Micro-Pollutants (OMP) in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) effluents represents an increasing concern when water is reclaimed for irrigation or even indirect potable reuse. During eighteen months, an innovative hybrid water reclamation scheme based on a Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR) enhanced with Powder Activated Carbon (PAC) was operated at pilot-scale (70 m/d) in order to compare it with state-of-the art Wastewater Reclamation System (WWRS) also revamped with a final step of ozonation-UV. Removal of persistent OMP, water quality and treatment costs were evaluated and compared for the different treatment schemes.

Multiresidue analysis of 24 Water Framework Directive priority substances by on-line solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in environmental waters.

This paper reports the development of a fully multiresidue and automated on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) - liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 24 priority substances (PS) belonging to different classes (pesticides, hormones or pharmaceuticals) included in the Directive 2013/39/UE and the recent Watch List (Decision 2015/495) in water samples (drinking water, surface water, and effluent wastewaters). LC-MS/MS conditions and on-line SPE parameters such as sorbent type, sample and wash volumes were optimized. The developed method is highly sensitive (limits of detection between 0.

Fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis as a dissolved organic monitoring tool to assess treatment performance in drinking water trains.

Fluorescence excitation emission matrix (FEEM) spectroscopy was used to evaluate its applicability as a tool to track dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) that incorporates a conventional line (consisting in ozonation and GAC filtration) and a membrane-based line (consisting in ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and mineralization) working in parallel. Seven sampling points within the different process stages were characterized monthly during 2014. A global Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to pull out underlying organic fractions from the fluorescence spectra.

Simultaneous determination of the potential carcinogen 1,4-dioxane and malodorous alkyl-1,3-dioxanes and alkyl-1,3-dioxolanes in environmental waters by solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

1,4-dioxane is a synthetic industrial solvent used in various industrial processes, and it is a probable human carcinogen whose presence in the aquatic environment is frequently reported. Alkyl-1,3-dioxanes and alkyl-1,3-dioxolanes are compounds that have been identified as causing several odor episodes in waters over the last years, with the result of downtime of drinking water treatment plants. According to published studies, some of these episodes may be caused either by resins synthesis processes, or by industrial residues added to dehydrated sludge in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in order to increase biogas production efficiency.

Understanding the evolution of holoparasitic plants: the complete plastid genome of the holoparasite Cytinus hypocistis (Cytinaceae).

Background and Aims Plant plastid genomes are highly conserved in size, gene content and structure; however, parasitic plants are a noticeable exception to this evolutionary stability. Although the evolution of parasites could help to better understand plastome evolution in general, complete plastomes of parasites have been sequenced only for some lineages so far. Here we contribute to filling this gap by providing and analysing the complete plastome sequence of Cytinus hypocistis, the first parasite sequenced for Malvales and a species suspected to have an extremely small genome.

Is There Any Evidence for Rapid, Genetically-Based, Climatic Niche Expansion in the Invasive Common Ragweed?

Climatic niche shifts have been documented in a number of invasive species by comparing the native and adventive climatic ranges in which they occur. However, these shifts likely represent changes in the realized climatic niches of invasive species, and may not necessarily be driven by genetic changes in climatic affinities. Until now the role of rapid niche evolution in the spread of invasive species remains a challenging issue with conflicting results.

Odor Events in Surface and Treated Water: The Case of 1,3-Dioxane Related Compounds.

A study has been carried out to identify the origin of the odorous compounds at trace levels detected in surface waters and in Barcelona's tap water (NE Spain) which caused consumer complaints. The malodorous compounds were 2,5,5-trimethyl-1,3-dioxane (TMD) and 2-ethyl-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane (2EDD) which impart a distinctive sickening or olive-oil odor to drinking water at low ng/L levels. Flavor profile analysis (FPA) or threshold odor number (TON) were used for organoleptic purposes.

Do cytostatic drugs reach drinking water? The case of mycophenolic acid.

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) has been identified as a new river contaminant according to its wide use and high predicted concentration. The aim of this study was to monitor the impact of MPA in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) that collects water downstream Llobregat River (NE Spain) in a highly densified urban area. During a one week survey MPA was recurrently detected in the DWTP intake (17-56.

Analysis of 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) and its brominated analogues in chlorine-treated water by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS).

A simple, selective and sensitive method for the analysis of the strong mutagen 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX) and its brominated analogues (BMXs) in chlorine-treated water has been developed. The method is based on gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS), previous liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) of a smaller sample volume compared to other methods and on-line derivatization with a silylation reactive. GC-QqQ-MS/MS has been raised as an alternative easier to perform than gas chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) for the analysis of MX and BMXs, and it allows to achieve low LODs (0.

Depletion of yeast PDK1 orthologs triggers a stress-like transcriptional response.

Background: Pkh proteins are the PDK1 orthologs in S. cerevisiae. They have redundant and essential activity and are responsible for the phosphorylation of several members of the AGC family of protein kinases.