Assessment of toxicity and endocrine-disrupting activity of bisphenol analogues during ozone and UV treatments in zebrafish eleutheroembryos.

In recent decades, increased regulations on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) have prompted a surge in the use of BPA alternatives. Consequently, a widespread occurrence of BPA substitutes in aquatic environments is currently being detected. While some evidence exists about the degradation of these compounds through various water treatment technologies, the evolution of the resulting toxicity and endocrine-disrupting activity during these processes remains scarcely evaluated.

Efficient removal of antibiotic resistance genes and of enteric bacteria from reclaimed wastewater by enhanced Soil Aquifer Treatments.

Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) is a robust technology to increase groundwater recharge and to improve reclaimed water quality. SAT reduces dissolved organic carbon, contaminants of emerging concern, nutrients, and colloidal matter, including pathogen indicators, but little is known about its ability to reduce loads of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from reclaimed waters. Here we test six pilot SAT systems to eliminate various biological hazards from the secondary effluents of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), equipped with reactive barriers (RBs) including different sorptive materials.

Efficient removal of toxicity associated to wastewater treatment plant effluents by enhanced Soil Aquifer Treatment.

The regeneration of wastewater has been recognized as an effective strategy to counter water scarcity. Nonetheless, Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) effluents still contain a wide range of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) even after water depuration. Filtration through Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) systems has proven efficient for CECs removal although the attenuation of their associated biological effects still remains poorly understood.

Evolution of microbiome composition, antibiotic resistance gene loads, and nitrification during the on-farm composting of the solid fraction of pig slurry using two bulking agents.

Composting is a nature-based method used to stabilize organic matter and to transform nitrogen from animal farm manure or solid fraction of slurry (SFS). The use of composted material as source of nutrients for agriculture is limited by its potential to facilitate the propagation of biological hazards like pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their associated antibiotic-resistance genes (ARG). We show here an experimental on-farm composting (one single batch) of pig SFS, performed under realistic conditions (under dry continental Mediterranean climate) for 280 days, and using two different bulking agents (maize straw and tree pruning residues) for the initial mixtures.

Impact of organic soil amendments in antibiotic levels, antibiotic resistance gene loads, and microbiome composition in corn fields and crops.

The potential spreading of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) into agricultural fields and crops represent a fundamental limitation on the use of organic fertilization in food production systems. We present here a study of the effect of spreading four types of organic soil amendments (raw pig slurry, liquid and solid fractions, and a digested derivative) on demonstrative plots in two consecutive productive cycles of corn harvest (Zea mays), using a mineral fertilizer as a control, following the application of organic amendments at 32-62 T per ha (150 kg total N/ha) and allowing 5-8 months between fertilization and harvest. A combination of qPCR and high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing methods showed a small, but significant impact of the fertilizers in both ARG loads and microbiomes in soil samples, particularly after the second harvesting cycle.

Antibiotic and antibiotic-resistant gene loads in swine slurries and their digestates: Implications for their use as fertilizers in agriculture.

The spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a matter of global concern, and the identification of possible sources of the associated genetic elements (antibiotic resistance genes -ARGs-, components of the horizontal gene transfer mechanism), is becoming an urgent need. While the transmission of ARGs in medical settings have been adequately characterized, ARG propagation in agroecosystems remains insufficiently studied. Particularly crucial is the determination of potential risks associated to the use of swine slurries and related products as component of organic fertilizers, an increasingly used farming practice.

Widening of posterior glottis through rotation of the arytenoid on its axis: Report of nine cases.

Introduction: Bilateral vocal folds' immobility is a challenge in laryngology. Multiple procedures have been proposed to improve breathing by statically enlarging the glottal airway, what also results in loss of voice and aspiration. We proposed a technique to enlarge the posterior glottis by rotating the arytenoids on its axis, imitating the function of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, with the objective of evaluating the results regarding decannulation, voice quality, and bronchoaspiration.