Chemical profiling of paper recycling grades using GC-MS and LC-MS: An exploration of contaminants and their possible sources.

Paper packaging made with recycled paperboard is used to pack various consumer goods that can include amongst others, electronics, toys, food, cosmetics, and stationery. Chemical profiling of the various paper recycling grades used in the manufacture of recycled paperboard was undertaken to investigate possible sources of contaminants and their propagation in the paper recycling chain. Pre-consumer, retail and post-consumer paper-based materials were collected at papermills, corrugators, grocery stores, household waste, solid waste disposal sites and recycling facilities.

Suspect screening of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in paper by selective and non-selective extraction with UHPLC-Q orbitrap MS.

Non-targeted analysis and suspect screening of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various matrices have gained traction with advancements in accurate mass analytical instruments. This study employed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry for PFAS suspect screening of paper grades used in the paper recycling chain. The samples were prepared using two extraction techniques; selective accelerated solvent extraction with weak anionic exchange solid-phase extraction and non-selective ultrasonic-assisted extraction.

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.

Occurrence of Selected Pharmaceuticals in the East London Coastline Encompassing Major Rivers, Estuaries, and Seawater in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

This study investigated the occurrence of ibuprofen, naproxen, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and efavirenz in water resources (river, estuarine, and sea waters) of the East London coastline, South Africa. These pharmaceuticals were previously reported to be dominant in wastewater and inland rivers of South Africa. Hence, it is important to monitor their occurrence in the coastal and marine environment.

Nutraceutical and Medicinal Importance of Marine Molluscs.

Marine molluscs are of enormous scientific interest due to their astonishing diversity in terms of their size, shape, habitat, behaviour, and ecological roles. The phylum Mollusca is the second most common animal phylum, with 100,000 to 200,000 species, and marine molluscs are among the most notable class of marine organisms. This work aimed to show the importance of marine molluscs as a potential source of nutraceuticals as well as natural medicinal drugs.

Emerging contaminants as unintentional substances in paper and board: A case of unexpected pharmaceuticals detection in the paper recycling chain.

The contamination of paper products by various chemicals has been reported on a global level, but to date, no published research has investigated pharmaceutical contamination of paper-based products. In this study, pharmaceutical analysis was conducted on 42 samples collected from various points of the recycled paper value chain in Cape Town, South Africa, which included the various grades that may be included in the manufacturing of recycled paperboard. The analysis was achieved by ultrasonic-assisted extraction of paper samples before detection by UHPLC-Q Orbitrap.

Determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in paper recycling grades using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Globally, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-related research on paper products has focused on food packaging with less consideration on the presence of PFAS at different stages of the paper recycling chain. This study analysed the prevalence of PFAS in paper grades used for the manufacture of recycled paperboard. The presence of PFAS was attributed to the use of PFAS-containing additives, consumer usage, exposure to packed goods as well as contamination during mingling, sorting, collection, and recovery of paper recycling material.

Determination of antibiotics during treatment of hospital wastewater using automated solid-phase extraction followed by UHPLC-MS: occurrence, removal and environmental risks.

The extent of removal of pharmaceuticals by African-based wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is relatively unknown with various studies observing high concentrations in effluents. This is mainly due to WWTPs still utilising the traditional treatment methods which are known to be less effective. In this study, 15 selected antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, metronidazole, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, penicillin, sulfamethoxazole, sulfapyridine, tetracycline and trimethoprim) were monitored in wastewater as it goes through sedimentation (primary and secondary), aeration and chlorination stages of a WWTP.

Trends in removal of pharmaceuticals in contaminated water using waste coffee and tea-based materials with their derivatives.

The introduction of large amounts of pharmaceuticals into the environmental waters is well-documented in literature with their occurrence reported in all different water matrices accessible to humans and animals. At the same time, the increasing consumption of coffee and tea-based beverages results in the generation of solid waste, which is mostly disposed-off in the environment. To minimize environmental pollution, coffee and tea-based materials have been proposed as suitable options to remove pharmaceuticals in environmental waters.

Trace Metals, Crude Protein, and TGA-FTIR Analysis of Evolved Gas Products in the Thermal Decomposition of Roasted Worms, Sweet Corn, and Peanuts.

The thermal behavior of worms (), roasted peanuts ( L.), and sweet corn ( L. saccharata) was investigated under inert conditions using the TGA-FTIR analytical technique heated from 64 to 844°C at a heating rate of 20°C/min.

Development and application of a membrane assisted solvent extraction-molecularly imprinted polymer based passive sampler for monitoring of selected pharmaceuticals in surface water.

In this work, we demonstrate the development, evaluation and pre-liminary application of a novel passive sampler for monitoring of selected pharmaceuticals in environmental waters. The samplers were calibrated in laboratory-based experiments to obtain sampling rates (Rs) for carbamazepine, methocarbamol, etilefrine, venlafaxine and nevirapine. Passive sampling was based on the diffusion of the target pharmaceuticals from surface water through a membrane bag which housed an ionic liquid as a green receiving solvent and a molecularly imprinted polymer.

Utility of an alternative method (to USEPA Method 1613) for analysis of priority persistent organic pollutants in soil from mixed industrial-suburban areas of Durban, South Africa.

This study evaluates the adequacy of a USEPA Method 1613 alternative analytical method for analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soil from the immediate vicinity of industrialized areas in the eThekwini municipal area in South Africa. The objective of this study is in line with the Stockholm Convention Article 11 on research, development, and monitoring. Furthermore, it became imperative to find an alternative analytical procedure to USEPA Method 1613 that could cater to studies conducted in Africa where recent reviews have indicated that most African countries lack the technical and instrumental capacity for performing analysis of dioxin-like compounds according to USEPA Method 1613, which entails the use of high-resolution chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry instrumentation.

Health effects and risks associated with the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in marine organisms and seafood.

Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are continuously invading the marine environment due to their input from the land such as their disposal into the drains and sewers which is mostly followed by their transfer into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Their incomplete removal in WWTPs introduces pharmaceuticals into oceans and surface water. To date, various pharmaceuticals and their metabolites have been detected in marine environment.

Trends in Innovations and Recent Advances in Membrane Protected Extraction Techniques for Organics in Complex Samples.

Membrane protected extraction is an ongoing innovation for isolation and pre-concentration of analytes from complex samples. The extraction process, clean-up and pre-concentration of analytes occur in a single step. The inclusion of solid sorbents such as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) after membrane extraction ensures that selective double extraction occurs in a single step.

Target and Suspect Screening of Pharmaceuticals and their Transformation Products in the Klip River, South Africa, using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

In spite of recent reports about the presence of pharmaceuticals in African water bodies, their prevalence has still not been sufficiently quantified. The few available studies have mostly focused on a limited number of pharmaceuticals. In the present study, a suspect screening of 92 compounds (mainly pharmaceuticals and their transformation products) along the Klip River, South Africa was conducted, followed by target monitoring of 21 of the detected pharmaceuticals.

Synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers for extraction of fluoroquinolones in environmental, food and biological samples.

In recent years, fluoroquinolones have been found present in important water resources and food sources which compromises the food quality and availability, thereby, causing risks to the consumer. Despite the recent advancement in the development of analytical instrumentation for routine monitoring of fluoroquinolones in water, food, and biological samples, sample pre-treatment is still a major bottleneck of the analytical methods. Therefore, fast, selective, sensitive, and cost-effective sample preparation methods prior to instrumental analysis for fluoroquinolones residues in environmental, food and biological samples are increasingly important.

Determination of furanic compounds in Mopane worms, corn, and peanuts using headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector.

A headspace-solid phase microextraction - gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (HS-SPME-GC/FID) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of furan, 2-methylfuran and 2-furaldehyde in thermally processed Mopane worms, corn, and peanuts. The optimal HS-SPME conditions with polydimethylsiloxane/carboxen/divinylbenzene (PDMS/CAR/DVB) fiber were 30 °C, 40 min and 600 rpm stirring speed. The recoveries, detection and quantification limits for the analytes in food samples were 67-106%, 0.

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.

Removal of organic pollutants in water using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).

Globally, water hyacinth is recognized as an invasive species that threatens the survival of aquatic organisms. Its removal from water is performed manually or physically to avoid the secondary water pollution that results through the usage of chemically synthesised herbicides for its control, thus generating solid waste. Among other things, scientists have proposed the conversion of this waste into adsorbents that can be utilized for the remediation of water resources.

Occurrence and ecotoxicological risk assessment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in South African aquatic environment: What is known and the missing information?

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications used individually or as mixtures with other pharmaceuticals for the treatment of various illnesses. Their easy accessibility and high human consumption have resulted to their detection at high concentrations in South African water resources. In the present work, an extensive review of the occurrence and ecotoxicological risk assessment of NSAIDs in South African aquatic environment is provided.

Application of Hollow Fibre-Liquid Phase Microextraction Technique for Isolation and Pre-Concentration of Pharmaceuticals in Water.

In this article, a comprehensive review of applications of the hollow fibre-liquid phase microextraction (HF-LPME) for the isolation and pre-concentration of pharmaceuticals in water samples is presented. HF-LPME is simple, affordable, selective, and sensitive with high enrichment factors of up to 27,000-fold reported for pharmaceutical analysis. Both configurations (two- and three-phase extraction systems) of HF-LPME have been applied in the extraction of pharmaceuticals from water, with the three-phase system being more prominent.

Optimization and application of hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction and microwave-assisted extraction for the analysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in aqueous and plant samples.

Human consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is increasing, which poses a great risk of pollution by these pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment. Therefore, this study reports the optimization of microwave-assisted extraction using water as a green solvent and hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) methods followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of NSAIDs in wastewater and aquatic plant, Eichhornia crassipes. The optimized MAE resulted in efficient transfer of selected NSAIDs from plant samples into the aqueous phase yielding the recoveries ranging from 91 to115%.

Physicochemical characterization of the pelotherapeutic and balneotherapeutic clayey soils and natural spring water at Isinuka traditional healing spa in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Isinuka Springs at Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is a traditional spa sacred to the AmaMpondo tribe of the Xhosa speaking people. The bathing pond is considered to have healing powers both spiritually and therapeutically. Hundreds of people flock into the spiritual pond every weekend for both recreational and its spiritual healing power.

Analysis, occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals in African water resources: A current status.

Pharmaceuticals are organic compounds used in medicines for alleviation of pain. Since 2017, there has been a steady increase on the availability of information on contamination of water resources caused by pharmaceuticals in some African countries. Thus far, most environmental monitoring studies of pharmaceuticals are conducted in South Africa while there is still no available data in majority of the African countries.