Abiotic degradation and accelerated ageing of microplastics from biodegradable and recycled materials in artificial seawater.

Microplastics (MPs) are considered one of the most widespread pollutants in all ecosystems worldwide. In the environment, MPs can undergo hydrolysis and/or oxidation, resulting in the release of low-molecular weight degradation products, along with additives, and adsorbed organic pollutants. In this study, the morphological, chemical, and thermal changes of microplastics obtained from two biodegradable plastics, polylactic acid and Mater-Bi®, and a recycled plastic, recycled-polyethylene terephthalate, were examined after accelerated ageing under photo-oxidative conditions in synthetic seawater in a Solarbox system, and after thermal treatment in the dark.

Wood Distillate Interactions with Urea in Soil: A First Step to Developing a Slow-Release Next-Generation Fertilizer.

We tested the ability of wood distillate (WD) to interact with urea in agricultural soil. WD is a sustainable material that has been addressed as a promising alternative to synthetic soil corroborants. However, there is little information about the effect of WD on the nitrogen cycle.

Py-GC-MS analysis for microplastics: Unlocking matrix challenges and sample recovery when analyzing wastewater for polypropylene and polystyrene.

Matrix interference and recovery when using pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC-MS) to analyze wastewater for polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics (MP) was studied. Raw wastewater underwent a sample preparation train commonly applied for such matrix. The train consisted of six discrete steps to reduce the organic matter content without affecting MP in the sample.

Pinaceae Pine Resins (Black Pine, Shore Pine, Rosin, and Baltic Amber) as Natural Dielectrics for Low Operating Voltage, Hysteresis-Free, Organic Field Effect Transistors.

Four pinaceae pine resins analyzed in this study: black pine, shore pine, Baltic amber, and rosin demonstrate excellent dielectric properties, outstanding film forming, and ease of processability from ethyl alcohol solutions. Their trap-free nature allows fabrication of virtually hysteresis-free organic field effect transistors operating in a low voltage window with excellent stability under bias stress. Such green constituents represent an excellent choice of materials for applications targeting biocompatibility and biodegradability of electronics and sensors, within the overall effort of sustainable electronics development and environmental friendliness.

Seeping plastics: Potentially harmful molecular fragments leaching out from microplastics during accelerated ageing in seawater.

Microplastics are the particulate plastic debris found almost everywhere as environmental contaminants. They are not chemically stable persistent pollutants, but reactive materials. In fact, synthetic polymers exposed to the environment undergo chemical and physical degradation processes which lead not only to mechanical but also molecular fragmentation, releasing compounds that are potentially harmful for the environment and human health.

Co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic: Synergistic effects and estimation of elemental composition of pyrolysis oil by analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

This paper presents a study on the pyrolytic behavior of mixtures of lignocellulosic biomass with hydrocarbon plastics using analytical pyrolysis-GC/MS. Semi-quantitative analysis using chromatographic peak areas was used to investigate the composition of the pyrolysis oils and to highlight the occurrence of synergistic effects. A new method is also proposed to estimate the elemental composition of the pyrolysis oil based on the peak areas and brute formulas of the pyrolysis products.

A Systematic Study on the Degradation Products Generated from Artificially Aged Microplastics.

Most of the analytical studies focused on microplastics (MPs) are based on the detection and identification of the polymers constituting the particles. On the other hand, plastic debris in the environment undergoes chemical and physical degradation processes leading not only to mechanical but also to molecular fragmentation quickly resulting in the formation of leachable, soluble and/or volatile degradation products that are released in the environment. We performed the analysis of reference MPs-polymer micropowders obtained by grinding a set of five polymer types down to final size in the 857-509 μm range, namely high- and low-density polyethylene, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

A genome sequence from a modern human skull over 45,000 years old from Zlatý kůň in Czechia.

Modern humans expanded into Eurasia more than 40,000 years ago following their dispersal out of Africa. These Eurasians carried ~2-3% Neanderthal ancestry in their genomes, originating from admixture with Neanderthals that took place sometime between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago, probably in the Middle East. In Europe, the modern human expansion preceded the disappearance of Neanderthals from the fossil record by 3,000-5,000 years.

Microwave-assisted solvent extraction and double-shot analytical pyrolysis for the quali-quantitation of plasticizers and microplastics in beach sand samples.

Pollution from microplastics (MPs) needs to be evaluated by deploying reliable analytical techniques that provide qualitative and quantitative data on the extent of contamination in the various environmental matrices. Solvent extraction of MPs followed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) provides data that not only regard the soluble plastics, but also the organic additives contained in MPs and the low-molecular weight degradation products of insoluble plastics. In this study, the potential of microwave-assisted solvent extraction and double-shot Py-GC-MS was investigated in order to obtain quali-quantitative information on polystyrene and on phthalate plasticizers in environmental samples.

Molecular profiling of Peru Balsam reveals active ingredients responsible for its pharmaceutical properties.

Peru Balsam, a resinous substance derived from var. , has historically been used as a topical ointment for various skin conditions such as scabies, poorly healing wounds, eczema, and haemorrhoids. The ingredients responsible for these properties are not fully elucidated.

A Mass Spectrometric Study on Tannin Degradation within Dyed Woolen Yarns.

Natural tannins from various plants have been used throughout human history in textile dyeing, often as mordant dyes. The ageing behavior of these dyes is a challenge in conservation science, requiring a thorough knowledge of the textile-mordant-dye system. In this work, we analyzed reference wool yarns dyed with natural tannins from oak gallnuts, walnut (), and catechu (), after artificial ageing.

Olive mill wastewaters: quantitation of the phenolic content and profiling of elenolic acid derivatives using HPLC-DAD and HPLC/MS with an embedded polar group stationary phase.

Olive mill wastewaters (OMWs) are important by-products of olive oil production. The wide availability and the forbidding economic costs of OMWs disposal have generated interest in their possible exploitation as a sustainable source of polyphenols. The development and optimisation of improved analytical methods for the detailed characterisation of polyphenol molecular profiles after production and during storage conditions are thus required.

Effect of ball-milling on crystallinity index, degree of polymerization and thermal stability of cellulose.

A combined study of crystallinity index (CI), degree of polymerisation (DP) and thermal stability of cellulose was carried out for monitoring the effect of ball-milling. DP and CI are two fundamental quantities that describe the physico-chemical behaviour of cellulose. Milling is a common strategy to reduce cellulose crystallinity.

A comparison of fast and reactive pyrolysis with insitu derivatisation of fructose, inulin and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus).

Reactive pyrolysis is a technique that provides mechanistic information by performing pyrolysis of the substrate in a sealed glass capsule at elevated temperature and pressure for relatively long time. This technique has already shown great potential for the analysis of biomass, favouring the formation of only the most thermostable compounds. In this work, both fast and reactive pyrolysis with on-line gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (Py-GC/MS) are used to study fructose, inulin and Jerusalem artichoke tubers (Heliantus tuberosus).

Antihyperlipidemic effect of a Rhamnus alaternus leaf extract in Triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats and human HepG2 cells.

The Mediterranean buckthorn, Rhamnus alaternus L., is a plant used in traditional medicine in Mediterranean countries. We aimed at characterizing its phenolic compounds and explore potential antihyperlipidemic activity of this plant.

Timing in Analytical Pyrolysis: Py(HMDS)-GC/MS of Glucose and Cellulose Using Online Micro Reaction Sampler.

A novel analytical approach based on pyrolysis-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry of carbohydrates with in situ silylation using hexamethyldisilazane is presented in this work for the first time. A micro reaction sampler was used to simultaneously achieve the pyrolyis reaction and facilitate the derivatization of pyrolysis products, by enabling the materials to react with the derivatizing agent in a sealed capsule at high temperature and pressure for long periods of time. This drastically increased the complete silylation of the pyrolysis products and the chromatographic resolution, resulting in less complex pyrograms and increased sensitivity toward the most stable compounds.