Bioaerosols, pose potential health risks, yet quantitative assessments of non-carcinogenic risks from bioaerosol inhalation are limited. This study introduces a novel approach for assessing non-carcinogenic health risks using bioaerosol exposure data. The method employs the Average Daily Dose and Hazard Quotient (HQ) metrics, adapted from US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, with the Reference Dose (RfD) based on thresholds from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe airborne microbiome significantly influences human health and atmospheric processes within Earth's troposphere and is a crucial focus for scientific research. This study aimed to analyze the composition, diversity, distribution, and spatiotemporal characteristics of airborne microbes in Qatar's ambient air. Air samples were collected using a sampler from ten geographically or functionally distinct locations during a period of one year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo-dimensional (2D) MXenes have gained great interest in water treatment, biomedical, and environmental applications. The antimicrobial activity and cell toxicity of several MXenes including NbCT and NbCT have already been explored. However, potential side effects related to Nb-MXene toxicity, especially on aquatic pneuma, have rarely been studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe escalating issue of air pollution has become a significant concern in urban regions, including Islamabad, Pakistan, due to the rise in air pollutant emissions driven by economic and industrial expansion. To gain a deeper understanding of air pollution, a study was conducted during winter 2022-2023, assessing physical, chemical, and biological factors in Islamabad. The findings revealed that the average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere environmental conditions can have a diverse impact on marine microorganisms, including bacteria. This can have an inevitable impact on the biofouling of membrane-based desalination plants. In this work, we have utilized indicator bacteria such as total coliform, fecal coliform, and , as well as 16S rRNA sequencing, to investigate the impact of environmental conditions and spatial variations on the diversity of bacterial communities in the coastal waters and sediments from selected sites in Qatar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, pose significant challenges to the farming community due to their extensive diversity, the rapidly evolving phenomenon of multi-drug resistance (MDR), and the limited availability of effective control measures. Amid mounting global pressure, particularly from the World Health Organization, to limit the use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock management, there is increasing consideration of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) as promising alternatives for antimicrobial applications. Studies focusing on the application of ENMs in the fight against MDR pathogens are receiving increasing attention, driven by significant losses in agriculture and critical knowledge gaps in this crucial field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile the study of bioaerosols has a long history, it has garnered heightened interest in the past few years, focusing on both culture-dependent and independent sampling and analysis approaches. Observations have been made regarding the seasonal fluctuations in microbial communities and their connection to particular ambient atmospheric factors. The study of airborne microbial communities is important in public health and atmospheric processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe detection and monitoring of aminoglycoside antibiotics (AGAs) have become of utmost importance due to their widespread use in human and animal therapy, as well as the associated risks of exposure, toxicity, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we successfully synthesized casein hydrolysate peptides-functionalized silver nanoparticles (CHPs@AgNPs) and employed them as a novel colorimetric analytical platform to demonstrate remarkable specificity and sensitivity toward AGAs. The colorimetric and spectral response of the CHPs@AgNPs was observed at 405 and 520 nm, showing a linear correlation with the concentration of streptomycin, a representative AGA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigates the size distribution, microbial composition, and antibiotic resistance (ABR) of airborne bioaerosols at a suburban location in Doha, Qatar between October 2021 and January 2022. Samples were collected using an Andersen six-stage viable cascade impactor and a liquid impinger. Findings showed that the mean bacteria concentration (464 CFU/m) was significantly higher than that of fungi (242 CFU/m) during the study period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMAX phases are the parent materials used for the formation of MXenes, and are generally obtained by etching using the highly corrosive acid HF. To develop a more environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of MXenes, in this work, titanium aluminum carbide MAX phase (TiAlC) was fabricated and etched using NaOH. Further, magnetic properties were induced during the etching process in a single-step etching process that led to the formation of a magnetic composite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanotechnology has emerged as an extraordinary and rapidly developing discipline of science. It has remolded the fate of the whole world by providing diverse horizons in different fields. Nanomaterials are appealing because of their incredibly small size and large surface area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 2D transition metal carbides/nitrides (2D MXenes) are a versatile class of 2D materials for photovoltaic (PV) systems. The numerous advantages of MXenes, including their excellent metallic conductivity, high optical transmittance, solution processability, tunable work-function, and hydrophilicity, make them suitable for deployment in PV technology. This comprehensive review focuses on the synthesis methodologies and properties of MXenes and MXene-based materials for PV systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have drawn considerable attention for application in the field of environmental remediation. In this study, we report the simultaneous reductive-adsorption behavior of TiCNT for toxic metal ion Hg ion in the aqueous phase. 2D TiCNT and TiCT MXene nanosheets were synthesized by exfoliation of TiAlCN and TiAlC MAX phases, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater pollution due to the discharge of untreated industrial effluents is a serious environmental and public health issue. The presence of organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) causes worldwide concern because of their mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on aquatic life, human beings, and the environment. PAHs are pervasive atmospheric compounds that cause nervous system damage, mental retardation, cancer, and renal kidney diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRaw municipal wastewater from five wastewater treatment plants representing the vast majority of the Qatar population was sampled between the third week of June 2020 and the end of August 2020, during the period of declining cases after the peak of the first wave of infection in May 2020. The N1 region of the SARS-CoV-2 genome was used to quantify the viral load in the wastewater using RT-qPCR. The trend in Ct values in the wastewater samples mirrored the number of new daily positive cases officially reported for the country, confirmed by RT-qPCR testing of naso-pharyngeal swabs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMarine biofouling is considered to be one of the most challenging issues affecting maritime industries worldwide. In this regard, traditional biocides, being used to combat biofouling, have high toxicity toward aquatic systems. Recently, a new chitosan/zinc oxide nanoparticle (CZNC) composite has been used as a promising "green" biocide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid transmission tendency, severity, and wide geographical spread of newly emerged novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in different environmental matrices, including water, air, and soil, has posed severe health, environmental, energy, and economic challenges worldwide. Despite the severe health effects, unprecedented improvements in air quality in many countries due to emergency measures, and public behavior changes have been reported. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in air and sewage samples in several studies across the globe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) in various biological and environmental applications is attracting great interest. However, potential side effects related to ChNP toxicity remain the major limitation hampering their wide application. For the first time, we investigate the potential organ-specific (cardiac, hepatic, and neuromuscular) toxicity of ChNPs (size 100⁻150 nm) using the zebrafish embryo model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo-dimensional metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have attracted increasing attention for application in water/wastewater treatment. The functionalization of MXenes to increase their stability while demonstrating high pollutant removal can facilitate sustainable water/wastewater treatment processes. In this study, the highly stable magnetic titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene nanocomposite (MGMX nanocomposite) was successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal approach and was tested for aqueous-phase adsorptive removal of mercuric ions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvanced membranes that enable ultrafast water flux while demonstrating anti-biofouling characteristics can facilitate sustainable water/wastewater treatment processes. MXenes, two-dimensional (2D) metal carbides and nitrides, have attracted attention for applications in water/wastewater treatment. In this work, we reported the antibacterial properties of micrometer-thick titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene membranes prepared by filtration on a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) support.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increasing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in commercial products and industrial processes raises issues regarding the toxicity of sludge biomass in biological wastewater treatment plants, due to potential antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the effects of AgNPs on removal of organic pollutants and sulfate in an anaerobic biological sulfate reduction process. At AgNPs concentrations of up to 10 mg/L, no significant inhibition of sulfate and COD removal was observed.
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