Occurrence and potential hazard posed by pharmaceutically active compounds in coastal waters in Cape Town, South Africa.

The occurrence of 58 pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in surface water at 28 coastal and five river sites, and in two stormwater flows in Cape Town, South Africa, was investigated in winter and summer. After accounting for quality assurance and control data, 33 PhACs were considered in detail. In winter, 25 PhACs were found at one or more sites and 27 in summer.

Nanoparticle-Enhanced PVDF Flat-Sheet Membranes for Seawater Desalination in Direct Contact Membrane Distillation.

In this study, hydrophobic functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) and silica nanoparticles (fSiONPs) were incorporated into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat-sheet membranes to improve their performance in membrane distillation (MD). The performance of the as-synthesized membranes was evaluated against commercial reference polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) flat-sheet membranes. The water contact angle (WCA) and liquid entry pressure (LEP) of the PVDF membrane were compromised after incorporation of hydrophilic pore forming polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as effective crystalline supports for aspergillus-based laccase immobilization for the biocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine.

In this study, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF) were employed as effective porous supports for laccase enzyme attachment and further explored synergistic adsorption and biocatalytic degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) in aqueous solutions. Characterization results from FTIR and NMR analysis confirmed successful incorporation of the laccase enzyme onto ZIF particles. Further analyses from SEM and TEM revealed rhombic dodecahedral morphologies of ZIF crystals with crusts of the enzyme observed on the particles' surface.

First biomonitoring of microplastic pollution in the Vaal river using Carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) "as a bio-indicator".

Fish inhabiting freshwater environments are susceptible to the ingestion of microplastics (MPs). Knowledge regarding MPs in freshwater fish in South Africa is very limited. In this study, the uptake of MPs by common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the Vaal River in South Africa was assessed.

Fouling, performance and cost analysis of membrane-based water desalination technologies: A critical review.

While water is a key resource required to sustain life, freshwater sources and aquifers are being depleted at an alarming rate. As a mitigation strategy, saline water desalination is commonly used to supplement the available water resources beyond direct water supply. This is achieved through effective advanced water purification processes enabled to handle complex matrix of saline wastewater.

Technical design and optimisation of polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) for sample pre-treatment and passive sampling - A review.

This review reports on the increasing interest in technical designs, calibration, and application of PIM-based devices in sample pre-treatment and passive sampling in environmental water monitoring from 2010 to 2021. With regards to passive sampling, devices are calibrated in a laboratory setup using either a dip-in or flow-through approach before environmental application. In sample preparation, the device set-ups can be offline, online or in a continuous flow separation device connected to a flow injection analysis system.

Multivariate optimization of a two-way technique for extraction of pharmaceuticals in surface water using a combination of membrane assisted solvent extraction and a molecularly imprinted polymer.

This work demonstrates development and evaluation of a two-way technique based on the combination of membrane assisted solvent extraction and a molecularly imprinted polymer (MASE-MIP) for selective and efficient extraction of five selected pharmaceuticals belonging to five different therapeutic classes. The pharmaceuticals were extracted from surface water samples followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-qTOF/MS) determination. A central composite design was applied to optimize the influence of the sample salt content, the stirring rate, the stirring time and the amount of MIP on the extraction of an anticonvulsant (carbamazepine), a cardiac stimulant (etilefrine), a muscle relaxant (methocarbamol), an antiretroviral (nevirapine) and an antidepressant (venlafaxine) from surface water.

Evaluating the role for renal biopsy in T1 and T2 renal masses: A single-centre study.

Introduction: Once used primarily in the identification of renal metastasis and lymphomas, various urological bodies are now adopting an expanded role for the renal biopsy. We sought to evaluate the role of the renal biopsy in a Canadian context, focusing on associated adverse events, radiographic burden, and diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: This retrospective review incorporated all patients undergoing ultrasound (US)/computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsies for T1 and T2 renal masses.

Synthesis and characterization of a molecularly imprinted polymer for the isolation of the 16 US-EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in solution.

A smart sorbent consisting of benzo[k]fluoranthene-imprinted and indeno[1 2 3-cd]pyrene-imprinted polymers mixed at 1:1 (w/w) was successfully screened from several cavity-tuning experiments and used in the isolation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from spiked solution. The polymer mixture showed high cross selectivity and affinity towards all the 16 US-EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The average extraction efficiency from a cyclohexane solution was 65 ± 13.

Predicting dissemination of a disaster mental health "Train-the-Trainer" program.

Objective:   Disaster mental health (DMH) is vital to comprehensive disaster preparedness for communities. A train-the-trainer (TTT) model is frequently used in public health to disseminate knowledge and skills to communities, although few studies have examined its success. We report on the development and implementation of a DMH TTT program and examine variables that predict dissemination.