Determination of persistent and mobile organic compounds in the river-groundwater interface of the Besòs river delta, Spain, using a wide extraction approach.

Climate change impacts the Mediterranean region, transforming it from region with a semi-arid climate to a region with an arid climate. Under this situation, while groundwater is an essential hydric resource, its existence is in danger due to anthropogenic pressures. Persistent mobile organic compounds (PMOCs) have recently been recognised as an emerging problem; however, PMOCs in groundwater need to be better characterised.

Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in different water samples from the lower part of the Danube River Middle Basin - A review.

This study intends to assess the extent of the occurrence of CECs in different water types based on the literature data reported for the countries from a lower part of the Middle Danube Basin, including those belonging to the Western Balkan (WB) region and two upstream neighboring EU Member States, Croatia and Slovenia. These countries share main freshwater courses important for drinking water supply, agriculture, industry, navigation, tourism, etc, but in some of them there are low rate of wastewater treatment, impacting the chemical status of water resources in the region and probably beyond, if downstream countries are considered. The literature survey revealed 38 investigative studies reporting data on CECs in water matrices sampled in the region in the period 2008-2022.

Granulated rubber in playgrounds and sports fields: A potential source of atmospheric plastic-related contaminants and plastic additives after runoff events.

The use of "crumb rubber" coming from recycling materials in outdoor floors like playgrounds has been a frequent practice during the last years. However, these surfaces are object of abrasion and weathering being a potential source of micro and nanoplastics (MNPLs) to the atmosphere and a potential source of human exposure to them. Our main goal has been to expose different crumb rubber materials to summer weathering effects.

Kinetics and toxicity of nanoplastics in ex vivo exposed human whole blood as a model to understand their impact on human health.

The ubiquitous presence of nanoplastics (NPLs) in the environment is considered of great health concern. Due to their size, NPLs can cross both the intestinal and pulmonary barriers and, consequently, their presence in the blood compartment is expected. Understanding the interactions between NPLs and human blood components is required.

Occurrence and fate of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in an urban aquifer located at the Besòs River Delta (Spain).

Urban aquifers are at risk of contamination from persistent and mobile organic compounds (PMOCs), especially per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are artificial organic substances widely used across various industrial sectors. PFAS are considered toxic, mobile and persistent, and have therefore gained significant attention in environmental chemistry. Moreover, precursors could transform into more recalcitrant products under natural conditions.

Prognosis of impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: a prospective controlled study.

Background: The long-term prognosis of impulsive compulsive disorders (ICD) remains poorly studied in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: Evaluating the natural history of ICD and its impact on PD symptoms including cognition and treatment adjustments.

Materials And Methods: We assessed PD patients at baseline (BL) with (BL-ICD+) or without (BL-ICD-) ICD despite dopamine agonist (DA) exposure of > 300 mg levodopa-equivalent daily dose for > 12 months at baseline and after more than two years of follow-up.

First Report of the Joint Exposure to Glyphosate and Glufosinate of a Male Population in the Province of Córdoba (Argentina).

Despite potential health implications, data on the presence of Glyphosate (GLY) and other non-GLY herbicides in human matrices remain scarce. This study aimed to develop a simple and cost-effective methodology for detecting and quantifying GLY, its primary biodegradation product; aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA); and glufosinate (GLU) in plasma and urine of environmentally and occupationally exposed populations from the province of Córdoba (Argentina). Different alternatives of pre-treatment, derivatization with FMOC-Cl, solid phase extraction, and final sample conditioning steps were evaluated to improve the quantification of the herbicides by a high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled to a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Exposure to micro(nano)plastics polymers in water stored in single-use plastic bottles.

Human exposure to micro (nano)plastics (MNPLs) has become a significant concern as a potential health threat. Exposure routes include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, being food and drinking water the primary sources of oral exposure. Here we present the quantification of polymers of MNPLs particles from 700 nm to 20 μm in bottled water commercialised in Spain, including an estimation of the potential risk for daily consumers.

Micro(nano)plastics in the atmosphere of the Atlantic Ocean.

The occurrence, long-range atmospheric transport and deposition of micro and nano plastics (MNPLs) remains un-quantified for the oceanic atmosphereopen ocean. Here we show the characterisation of MNPLs and the aerosol composition (PM) in a north-south Atlantic transect from Vigo (Spain) to Punta Arenas (Chile). The analytical procedure to assess the composition of MNPLs consisted of a double suspect screening approach of the polymers and additives, the two constituents of plastics.

Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances in Portuguese Rivers: Spatial-Temporal Monitoring.

Eighteen per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated in surface waters of four river basins in Portugal (Ave, Leça, Antuã, and Cértima) during the dry and wet seasons. All sampling sites showed contamination in at least one of the seasons. In the dry season, perfluorooctanoate acid (PFOA) and perfluoro-octane sulfonate (PFOS), were the most frequent PFASs, while during the wet season these were PFOA and perfluobutane-sulfonic acid (PFBS).

Occurrence and distribution of contaminants of legacy and emerging concern in surface waters of two Western Mediterranean coastal areas: Mar Menor Lagoon and Ebro Delta.

The occurrence and distribution of UV filters, plastic additives, synthetic musks, other personal care products (Other PCPs), triazines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other current-use pesticides (Other CUPs) were characterised during summer 2018 and winter 2019 in surface waters of two sensitive areas of the Spanish coast located on the Mediterranean Sea (Mar Menor lagoon and Ebro Delta). Sixty-three organic contaminants out of a total of 100 compounds were detected, thus confirming the presence of all groups of pollutants studied in surface water at concentrations of ng/L. Both areas are affected by agricultural, urban and recreational activities, PCPs (mainly UV filters) being the predominant compounds found in both seasons which showed significant increases in concentrations in summer.

Assessment of Micro- and Nanoplastic Composition (Polymers and Additives) in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Ebro River Fishes.

One of the main routes of fish exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPLs) is their ingestion. MNPLs can act as reservoirs of organic contaminants that are adsorbed onto their surfaces, or that can leach from their complex formulations, with potential impacts on biota and along the aquatic food chain. While MNPLs have been reported in fishes worldwide, complete information on MNPL compositions, polymers and additives continues to be scarce.

Cytotoxicity assessment and suspected screening of PLASTIC ADDITIVES in bioplastics of single-use household items.

Bioplastics made of renewable sources provide an excellent alternative to fossil-based materials. However, similar or greater quantities of plastic additives than fossil-based plastics are used in the formulations of bioplastics to improve their performance and barrier properties. Nowadays, there is an increasing concern about sources of chemical exposure.

Assessment of Genome in Search of Copper-Molecular Machinery With Potential Applications for Bioremediation.

Heavy metals are essential micronutrients at low concentrations, serving as cofactors for relevant microbial enzymes (i.e., respiratory nitrate and nitrite reductases NADH dehydrogenase-2, amine oxidase, etc.

Polymers of micro(nano) plastic in household tap water of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.

Microplastics (MPLs) are emerging persistent pollutants affecting drinking water systems, and different studies have reported their presence in tap water. However, most of the work has a focus on particles in the 100-5 µm range. Here, a workflow to identify and quantify polymers of micro and nanoplastics (MNPLs), with sizes from 0.

Nanoplastics are bioaccumulated in fish liver and muscle and cause DNA damage after a chronic exposure.

The extent of the widespread, planetary contamination by plastic waste is difficult to fully capture. Nanoplastics (NPs) are currently in the center of research concerning plastic litter, both for the analytical challenges they pose and for their potential to provoke hazardous effects in organisms. However, there are still many unanswered questions in this multidisciplinary field, with a crucial missing piece being the quantification of NPs in fish tissues after in vivo exposures.

Current Insights into Potential Effects of Micro-Nanoplastics on Human Health by Tests.

Humans are exposed to micro and nanoplastics (MNPLs) through inhalation, ingestion and, to a lesser extent, dermal contact. In recent years, new insights indicate the potential of MNPLs to cause damages to human health. Particle toxicity can include oxidative stress, inflammatory lesions, and then increased internalization or translocation through tissues.

Improving the detection of infectious diseases in at-risk migrants with an innovative integrated multi-infection screening digital decision support tool (IS-MiHealth) in primary care: a pilot cluster-randomized-controlled trial.

Background: There are major shortfalls in the identification and screening of at-risk migrant groups. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a new digital tool (IS-MiHealth) integrated into the electronic patient record system of primary care centres in detecting prevalent migrant infections. IS-MiHealth provides targeted recommendations to health professionals for screening multiple infections, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C, active tuberculosis (TB), Chagas disease, strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis, based on patient characteristics (including variables of country of origin, age and sex).

Combining an effect-based methodology with chemical analysis for antibiotics determination in wastewater and receiving freshwater and marine environment.

Two different methodologies were combined to evaluate the risks that antibiotics can pose in the environment; i) an effect-based methodology based on microbial growth inhibition and ii) an analytical method based on liquid-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The first approach was adapted and validated for the screening of four antibiotic families, specifically macrolides/β-lactams, quinolones, sulfonamides and tetracyclines. The LC-MS method was applied for the identification and quantification of target antibiotics; then, the obtained results were combined with ecotoxicological data from literature to determine the environmental risk.

Priority and emerging organic microcontaminants in three Mediterranean river basins: Occurrence, spatial distribution, and identification of river basin specific pollutants.

There is a worldwide growing use of chemicals by our developed, industrialized, and technological society. More than 100,000 chemical substances are thus commonly used both by industry and households. Depending on the amount produced, physical-chemical properties, and mode of use, many of them may reach the environment and, notably, the aquatic receiving systems.

Screening of suspected micro(nano)plastics in the Ebro Delta (Mediterranean Sea).

This is the first work reporting the use of a double suspect-screening to assess most common polymers and additives in micro(nano)plastics (NPLs/MPLs) found in environmental waters. The method consisted of water filtration followed by ultrasonic-assisted extraction with toluene and analysis employing size exclusion chromatography using an advanced polymer chromatography column coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry with an atmospheric pressure photoionisation source by negative ionisation conditions (LC(APC)-APPI(-)-HRMS). The identification of NPL/MPLs polymers has been based on increasing confirmation level, including the monomers characterisation by the Kendrick Mass Defect and confirmation and quantification when standards were available.

Adsorption and Desorption Behaviour of Polychlorinated Biphenyls onto Microplastics' Surfaces in Water/Sediment Systems.

The potential of microplastics (MPLs) in marine ecosystems to adsorb and transport other micropollutants to biota, contributing to their entry in the food chain, is a primary cause of concern. However, these interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we have evaluated the adsorption/desorption behaviour of marker polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), onto MPL surfaces of three widely used polymers-polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Antibiotic residues in final effluents of European wastewater treatment plants and their impact on the aquatic environment.

A comprehensive monitoring of a broad set of antibiotics in the final effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of 7 European countries (Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Finland, and Norway) was carried out in two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). This is the first study of this kind performed at an international level. Within the 53 antibiotics monitored 17 were detected at least once in the final effluent of the WWTPs, i.