Green Pre-Treatment Strategy Using Ionic Liquid-Based Aqueous Two-Phase Systems for Pesticide Determination in Strawberry Samples.

Pesticides used in agriculture can contaminate foods like fruits and vegetables, posing health risks to consumers and highlighting the need for effective residue monitoring. This study explores aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) comprising phosphonium or ammonium ionic liquids (ILs) combined with ammonium sulfate as an alternative pre-treatment method for extracting and concentrating the pesticides clomazone, pyraclostrobin, and deltamethrin from strawberry samples. Liquid-liquid equilibrium measurements for each ATPS were conducted, followed by extraction experiments to determine the most efficient systems for pesticide extraction.

Uncovering Metal-Decorated TiO Photocatalysts for Ciprofloxacin Degradation-A Combined Experimental and DFT Study.

Optimization of the efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of organic and pharmaceutical pollutants represents a matter of fundamental and practical interest. The present experimental and DFT study deals with evaluation of OH radical binding energy as a simple computational descriptor of the catalytic activity of metal-decorated TiO photocatalysts for the photodegradation of the widely used antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Five metals commonly used in catalytic materials (Zr, Pt, Pd, Fe, and Cu) were deposited on the TiO surface, and the obtained photocatalysts were characterized experimentally (XRPD, ICP-OES, and SEM) and theoretically (DFT).

Photocatalytic Degradation of Carbofuran in Water Using Laser-Treated TiO: Parameters Influence Study, Cyto- and Phytotoxicity Assessment.

This study investigates the impact of changing parameters on the photocatalytic degradation of carbofuran (CBF) using laser-treated TiO nanotube arrays on a Ti mesh under simulated sunlight irradiation and assessing toxicity during photocatalytic degradation. Various parameters, including the stirring effect, light intensity, initial CBF concentration, and variation in the active surface area of laser-treated TiO photocatalysts, were examined to determine their impact on degradation efficiency. The photodegradation kinetics were monitored using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a PDA detector (UPLC-PDA) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry, while mineralization was assessed by a total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Cyanobacteria Cell Removal Using Biowaste-Derived Activated Carbons with Assessment of Potential Human Health Impacts.

Harmful cyanobacteria blooms and the escalating impact of cyanotoxins necessitates the effective removal of cyanobacteria from water ecosystems before they release cyanotoxins. In this study, cyanobacteria removal from water samples taken from the eutrophic Aleksandrovac Lake (southern Serbia) was investigated. For that purpose, novel activated carbons derived from waste biomass-date palm leaf stalk (P_AC), black alder cone-like flowers (A_AC), and commercial activated carbon from coconut shell (C_AC) as a reference were used.

Effects of Trace Elements on the Fatty Acid Composition in Danubian Fish Species.

In this study, the concentrations of metals and trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in the muscle tissue of adult roach and white bream at two different sites in the Belgrade section of the Danube. Twenty-six fatty acids, consisting of nine saturated FA (SFAs), seven monosaturated FA (MUFAs) and ten polysaturated FA (PUFAs), were identified. The analysis of the concentration of metals and trace elements of the roach and white bream showed species-specific differences in their bioaccumulation.

Waste biomass derived highly-porous carbon material for toxic metal removal: Optimisation, mechanisms and environmental implications.

Toxic elements, lead, and copper are often found in wastewater discharged from industries such as mining. The discharge of untreated effluent poses severe environmental challenges and sorption methods using agricultural waste materials are proposed as an efficient and cost-effective solution. For this research, activated sunflower material (ASM) was prepared from abundantly available agricultural sunflower waste residues and utilised to remove Pb and Cu ions from an aqueous medium.

From E-Waste to Hydrogen Evolution: Harnessing Recycled Precious Metals for Catalytic Efficiency in Hydrogen Evolution Reactions.

Against the background of escalating global electronic waste (e-waste) and its rich reservoir of elements, this research addresses the exploitation of precious metals from discarded CPUs for potential applications in hydrogen production. The study systematically explores the influence of varied CPU sample preparation techniques on the formation of an electrode's catalytic layer and the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. Four distinct e-waste samples, each subjected to different preparation protocols, were employed as sources in electrodeposition baths.

In Silico Guided Design of Metal/Semiconductor Photocatalysts: A Case of Cu-Modified TiO for Ciprofloxacin Degradation.

(1) Background: An increasing use of pharmaceutics imposes a need for the permanent development of efficient strategies, including the tailoring of highly specific new materials for their removal from the environment. Photocatalytic degradation has been the subject of increasing interest of the researchers in the field. (2) Methods: This paper is focused on the investigation of the possibility to deposit a thin metal layer on a TiO surface and study its photocatalytic performance for the degradation of ciprofloxacin using a combination of theoretical and experimental methods.

Enhancement of Methylene Blue Photodegradation Rate Using Laser Synthesized Ag-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles.

In this work, Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles are obtained via pulsed laser ablation of the Ag-coated ZnO target in water. The ratio of Ag dopant in ZnO nanoparticles strongly depends on the thickness of the Ag layer at the ZnO target. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, EDS, ICP-OES, and UV-VIS spectrophotometry to obtain their crystal structure, elemental composition, morphology and size distribution, mass concentration, and optical properties, respectively.

Bacterial and fungal diversity in the lorandite (TlAsS2) mine 'Allchar' in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Allchar mineral mine is one of the oldest arsenic-antimony mines in the Republic of North Macedonia. The mine is a well-known reservoir of the worldwide purest source of the thallium-bearing mineral, lorandite (TlAsS2). The current study evaluated the bacterial and fungal diversity of three As- and Tl-contaminated sites in Allchar mineral mine.

toxicity of fungicides with different modes of action to alfalfa anthracnose fungus, .

Sensitivity of 24 isolates of O'Gara, collected from alfalfa plants in Serbia, to eight selected fungicides, was investigated in this study. Molecular identification and pathogenicity test of isolates tested were also performed. Fungicide sensitivity was evaluated , using mycelial growth assay method.

Antipsychotic drug use and risk of stroke and myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effect of antipsychotic (AP) drugs on risk of stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear due to methodological limitations of, and inconsistencies across, existing studies. We aimed to systematically review studies reporting on the associations between AP drug use and stroke or MI risk, and to investigate whether associations differed among different sub-populations.

Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Cochrane Library (from inception to May 28, 2017) for observational studies reporting on AP drug use and MI or stroke occurrence.

Follicular fluid vascular endothelial growth factor is associated with type of infertility and interferon alpha correlates with endometrial thickness in natural cycle in vitro fertilization.

The aim of this study was to analyse the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interferon alpha (IFN-α) in the follicular fluid (FF) and their possible influence, as pro-angiogenic or anti-angiogenic factors, on in vitro fertilization outcome. The concentrations of VEGF and IFN-α were correlated with oocyte and embryo quality, concentrations of hormones in the serum, perifollicular blood flow and endometrial thickness. VEGF was detected in all FF samples (median 706.