Metal(loid)s diffusion pathway triggers distinct microbiota responses in key regions of typical karst non-ferrous smelting assembly.

Non-ferrous metal(loid)s in region with karst characteristic are highly diffusible, especially by runoff or atmospheric deposition. However, microbiota in response to the diffusing metal(loid)s is still to be understood. In this study, we focused on microbiota across metal(loid)s diffusion pathways around a non-ferrous smelting assembly.

Superior elimination of Cr(VI) using polydopamine functionalized attapulgite supported nZVI composite: Behavior and mechanism.

In this study, a polydopamine (PDA) modified attapulgite (ATP) supported nano sized zero-valent iron (nZVI) composite (PDA/ATP-nZVI) was rapidly synthesized under acidic conditions, and employed to alleviate Cr(VI) toxicity from an aqueous solution. Kinetic studies revealed that Cr(VI) adsorption process followed the pseudo-second order model, suggesting chemisorption was the dominant adsorption mechanism. Liu isotherm adsorption model was able to better describe the Cr(VI) adsorption isotherm with the maximum adsorption capacity of 134.

Microbial community profiles in soils adjacent to mining and smelting areas: Contrasting potentially toxic metals and co-occurrence patterns.

Mining and smelting activities have introduced severe potentially toxic metals (PTMs) contamination into surrounding soil settings. Influences of PTMs on microbial diversity have been widely studied. However, variations of microbial communities, network structures and community functions in different levels of PTMs contaminated soils adjacent to mining and smelting aera are still poorly investigated.

Application of (V)UV/O technology for post-treatment of biologically treated wastewater: A pilot-scale study.

For the first time, high energy VUV photons and generation of O by (V)UV lamps were applied together for removal of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from biologically treated wastewater (BTWW) in pilot-scale. The core of the pilot container unit was a photoreactor assembly consisting of six photoreactors, each containing a low-pressure Hg lamp (UV dose of 1.2 J/cm and 6.

Metagenomic exploration of multi-resistance genes linked to microbial attributes in active nonferrous metal(loid) tailings.

Mine tailings sites are considered as a continuous source of discharged metal(loid)s and residual organic flotation reagents. They are extremely toxic environments representing unique ecological niches for microbial communities. Mine tailings as a source of multi-resistance genes have been poorly investigated.

Association of subjective health symptoms with indoor air quality in European office buildings: The OFFICAIR project.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between the building-related occupants' reported health symptoms and the indoor pollutant concentrations in a sample of 148 office rooms, within the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed in 37 office buildings among eight countries, which included (a) 5-day air sampling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes, ozone, and NO (b) collection of information from 1299 participants regarding their personal characteristics and health perception at workplace using online questionnaires. Stepwise and multilevel logistic regressions were applied to investigate associations between health symptoms and pollutant concentrations considering personal characteristics as confounders.

Sb(III)-resistance mechanisms of a novel bacterium from non-ferrous metal tailings.

Understanding the mechanism(s) of microbial resistance to antimony (Sb) is critical in the bioremediation of Sb polluted environments. Here a novel bacterium (Acinetobacter sp. JH7) isolated from mine tailings decreased the Microtox toxicity of a Sb(III)-containing medium.

Indoor gaseous air pollutants determinants in office buildings-The OFFICAIR project.

The aim of this study was to identify determinants of aldehyde and volatile organic compound (VOC) indoor air concentrations in a sample of more than 140 office rooms, in the framework of the European OFFICAIR research project. A large field campaign was performed, which included (a) the air sampling of aldehydes and VOCs in 37 newly built or recently retrofitted office buildings across 8 European countries in summer and winter and (b) the collection of information on building and offices' characteristics using checklists. Linear mixed models for repeated measurements were applied to identify the main factors affecting the measured concentrations of selected indoor air pollutants (IAPs).

Bacterial shifts during in-situ mineralization bio-treatment to non-ferrous metal(loid) tailings.

Nonferrous mine tailings have caused serious problems of co-contamination with metal(loid)s. It is still a global challenge to cost-effectively manage and mitigate the effect of the mining wastes. We conducted an in-situ bio-treatment of non-ferrous metal(loid) tailings using a microbial consortium of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB).

Microbial activity and biodiversity responding to contamination of metal(loid) in heterogeneous nonferrous mining and smelting areas.

The combined contamination of nonferrous metal(loid) mining and smelting areas is a global issue, in need of urgent management. To our knowledge, this is the first report of microbial activities by microcalorimetry in specific nonferrous metal(loid) tailings with oligonutrition and high contents of toxic metal(loid)s. Dynamics of bacterial diversity were also characterized.

Metal transport capabilities of anticancer copper chelators.

In the present study, several Cu chelators [2,2'-biquinoline, 8-hydroxiquinoline (oxine), ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDTC), Dp44mT, dithizone, neocuproine] were used to study Cu uptake, depletion and localization in different cancer cell lines. To better understand the concentration dependent fluctuations in the Cu intracellular metal content and Cu-dependent in vitro antiproliferative data, the conditional stability constants of the Cu complex species of the investigated ligands were calculated. Each investigated chelator increased the intracellular Cu content on HT-29 cells causing Cu accumulation depending on the amount of the free Cu(II).

Assessment of indoor air quality in office buildings across Europe - The OFFICAIR study.

The European project OFFICAIR aimed to broaden the existing knowledge regarding indoor air quality (IAQ) in modern office buildings, i.e., recently built or refurbished buildings.

Elemental composition in feathers of a migratory passerine for differentiation of sex, age, and molting areas.

The bulk analysis of single feathers of 263 feathers belonging to 238 individuals of a migratory passerine (collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, originating from a breeding population in the Pilis-Visegrád Mountains in Hungary) by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS) for determination of elements after proper dissolution allowed the quantitative determination of 38 elements. Calcium, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn were found to have a quantitative determination frequency larger than 80 % and a concentration greater than 100 μg/g. Among ecotoxicologically relevant elements, Ni, Cd, Hg, and Pb could be determined in more than 55 % of the tail feather samples.

Perceived Indoor Environment and Occupants' Comfort in European "Modern" Office Buildings: The OFFICAIR Study.

Indoor environmental conditions (thermal, noise, light, and indoor air quality) may affect workers' comfort, and consequently their health and well-being, as well as their productivity. This study aimed to assess the relations between perceived indoor environment and occupants' comfort, and to examine the modifying effects of both personal and building characteristics. Within the framework of the European project OFFICAIR, a questionnaire survey was administered to 7441 workers in 167 "modern" office buildings in eight European countries (Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain).

Iron overload of human colon adenocarcinoma cells studied by synchrotron-based X-ray techniques.

Fast- and slow-proliferating human adenocarcinoma colorectal cells, HT-29 and HCA-7, respectively, overloaded with transferrin (Tf), Fe(III) citrate, Fe(III) chloride and Fe(II) sulfate were studied by synchrotron radiation total-reflection X-ray spectrometry (TXRF), TXRF-X-ray absorption near edge structure (TXRF-XANES), and micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging to obtain information on the intracellular storage of overloaded iron (Fe). The determined TfR1 mRNA expression for the investigated cells correlated with their proliferation rate. In all cases, the Fe XANES of cells overloaded with inorganic Fe was found to be similar to that of deliquescent Fe(III) sulfate characterized by a distorted octahedral geometry.

Self-reported health and comfort in 'modern' office buildings: first results from the European OFFICAIR study.

In the European research project OFFICAIR, a procedure was developed to determine associations between characteristics of European offices and health and comfort of office workers, through a checklist and a self-administered questionnaire including environmental, physiological, psychological, and social aspects. This procedure was applied in 167 office buildings in eight European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Finland) during the winter of 2011-2012. About 26 735 survey invitation e-mails were sent, and 7441 office workers were included in the survey.

Ozone-initiated terpene reaction products in five European offices: replacement of a floor cleaning agent.

Cleaning agents often emit terpenes that react rapidly with ozone. These ozone-initiated reactions, which occur in the gas-phase and on surfaces, produce a host of gaseous and particulate oxygenated compounds with possible adverse health effects in the eyes and airways. Within the European Union (EU) project OFFICAIR, common ozone-initiated reaction products were measured before and after the replacement of the regular floor cleaning agent with a preselected low emitting floor cleaning agent in four offices located in four EU countries.

Determination of energy metabolites in cancer cells by porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry for the assessment of energy metabolism.

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of fifteen glucose, or acetate derived metabolites isolated from tumor cells. Glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites as well as acidic amino acids were separated on a HPLC porous graphitic carbon (PGC) column and simultaneously determined by means of triple quadrupole MS/MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Target compounds were eluted within 10 min with 8% v/v formic acid as an electronic modifier added to a 4:1 v/v methanol water mobile phase.

Monitoring of four dipyrone metabolites in communal wastewater by solid phase extraction liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS), equipped with electrospray ionization (ESI), was developed for the determination of the main metabolites of dipyrone - 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AA), 4-acetylaminoantipyrine (4-AAA), 4-formylaminoantipyrine (4-FAA) and 4-methylaminoantipyrine (4-MAA) in communal wastewater after reversed-phase solid phase extraction (SPE) in the low to several μg/l concentration range. Samples originated from conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) using activated sewage sludge as well as from a pilot-scale WWTP operating in mixed mode (activated sewage sludge and cascade biofilms reactors with biofilms growing on fix beds and roots of greenhouse plants). Results of the present study confirmed the outcomes of our previous report according to which, 4-FAA was the most persistent metabolite, while 4-AAA and 4-MAA could be determined in the highest and lowest concentration, respectively.

Complex forming competition and in-vitro toxicity studies on the applicability of di-2-pyridylketone-4,4,-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT) as a metal chelator.

Di-2-pyridylketone-4,4,-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT) is a potential candidate in chelation therapy as an iron chelator. This study showed that a combined treatment with 2μM easily available Fe(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) each and 5μM Dp44mT on eight different cancer cell lines resulted in a 10-40-fold increase in the intracellular Cu content compared to control samples. The uptake of Cu and Cu-dependent cytotoxicity strictly depend on the Cu concentration of the culture medium.

Relationship between arsenic content of food and water applied for food processing.

As part of a survey conducted by the Central Agricultural Office of Hungary, 67 food samples including beverages were taken from 57 food industrial and catering companies, 75% of them being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, 40% of the SMEs were micro entities. Water used for food processing was simultaneously sampled.

Determination of ethyl carbamate in wine by high performance liquid chromatography.

Kinetics of pre-column derivatization with 9-xanthydrol for the determination of ethyl carbamate (EC) in wine by a previous high performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection was studied and further developed. The life-time of the derivatized product and its excitation/absorption spectra were systematically investigated. Using low acidity (pH=2.

Study on the leaching of phthalates from polyethylene terephthalate bottles into mineral water.

Carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water samples bottled in 0.5-L, 1.5-L and 2.

Impact of two iron(III) chelators on the iron, cadmium, lead and nickel accumulation in poplar grown under heavy metal stress in hydroponics.

Poplar (Populus jacquemontiana var. glauca cv. Kopeczkii) was grown in hydroponics containing 10 μM Cd(II), Ni(II) or Pb(II), and Fe as Fe(III) EDTA or Fe(III) citrate in identical concentrations.

Microanalytical method development for Fe, Cu and Zn determination in colorectal cancer cells.

Microanalytical methods suitable for the determination of Fe, Cu in HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma) cells treated with different iron compounds (Fe(II) sulfate, Fe(III) chloride, Fe(III) citrate and Fe(III) transferrin) and cultured in medium supplemented or not with 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum (FCS) by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) and simultaneous graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) were developed. The developed TXRF method was also suitable for Zn determination in the samples. The main advantage of the proposed methods is the execution of all sample preparation steps following incubation and prior to the elemental analysis in the same Eppendorf tubes.