Surface coupling of molecularly imprinted polymers as strategy to improve sulfamethoxazole removal from water by carbons produced from spent brewery grain.

This work aims to assess the surface coupling of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) on carbon adsorbents produced from spent brewery grain, namely biochar (BC) and activated carbon (AC), as a strategy to improve selectivity and the adsorptive removal of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) from water. BC and AC were produced by microwave-assisted pyrolysis, and MIP was obtained by fast bulk polymerization. Two different methodologies were used for the molecular imprinting of BC and AC, the resulting materials being tested for SMX adsorption.

Evaluation of different functionalization methodologies for improving the removal of three target antibiotics from wastewater by a brewery waste activated carbon.

This work aims to increase the efficiency of an activated carbon produced from brewery waste (AC) in the removal of three target antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole (SMX), trimethoprim (TMP), and ciprofloxacin (CIP)) by surface incorporation of oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur groups. AC was produced using spent brewery grains (the most abundant waste from the brewing industry) as raw material, KCO as activating agent and microwave energy for pyrolysis. Then, seven different functionalized AC were prepared, characterized for their physicochemical properties, and tested for adsorption (%) of SMX, TMP and CIP from three different matrices (ultrapure water (pH ~5-6), buffered ultrapure water (pH 8), and effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP effluent (pH 8)), under batch operation.

Toxic effects of a mixture of pharmaceuticals in Mytilus galloprovincialis: The case of 17α-ethinylestradiol and salicylic acid.

The impact of pharmaceuticals on marine invertebrates has been a topic of rising concern, with an increasing number of studies regarding the impacts on bivalves. However, very few investigated the toxicity of mixtures of pharmaceuticals. This knowledge gap was investigated in the present study, where the toxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and salicylic acid (SA) mixture was evaluated.

Ex-situ magnetic activated carbon for the adsorption of three pharmaceuticals with distinct physicochemical properties from real wastewater.

Pharmaceuticals are able to evade conventional wastewater treatments and therefore, are recurrently found in the environment with proven potential to cause harm to human and wildlife. Adsorption onto activated carbon (AC) is a promising complement. However, AC production from non-renewable resources and its difficult after-use recuperation are prohibitive.

Sulfadiazine's photodegradation using a novel magnetic and reusable carbon based photocatalyst: Photocatalytic efficiency and toxic impacts to marine bivalves.

In the present study, waste-based biochar functionalized with titanium dioxide (TiO) and afterwards magnetized by an ex-situ approach, defined as synthetic photosensitizer (SPS), was explored for the photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine (SDZ), an antibiotic widely used in the aquaculture industry, under solar irradiation. The use of the SPS enhanced the photodegradation efficiency, with a half-life time (t) reduction from 12.2 ± 0.

Multivariable optimization of activated carbon production from microwave pyrolysis of brewery wastes - Application in the removal of antibiotics from water.

This study aimed at optimizing the one-step chemical activation and microwave pyrolysis of an agro-industrial waste to obtain a microporous activated carbon (AC) with superior textural and adsorptive properties by a fast, low-reagent and low-energy process. Spent brewery grains were used as precursor, and the antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX), trimethoprim (TMP) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) were considered as target adsorbates. A fractional factorial design was applied to evaluate the effect of the main factors affecting the preparation of AC (activating agent, activating agent:precursor ratio, pyrolysis temperature and residence time) on relevant responses.

Responses of Ruditapes philippinarum to contamination by pharmaceutical drugs under ocean acidification scenario.

In coastal systems, organisms are exposed to a multitude of stressors whose interactions and effects are poorly studied. Pharmaceutical drugs and Climate Change consequences, such as lowered pH, are examples of stressors affecting marine organisms, as bivalves. Although a vast literature is available for the effects of these stressors when acting individually, very limited information exists on the impacts that the combination of both can have on marine bivalves.

Metabolic and oxidative status alterations induced in Ruditapes philippinarum exposed chronically to estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol under a warming scenario.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment is an ongoing concern. However, the information regarding their effects under different climate change scenarios is still scarce. 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is widely present in different aquatic systems showing negative impacts on aquatic organisms even when present at trace concentrations (≈1 ng/L).

Photodegradation of Aquaculture Antibiotics Using Carbon Dots-TiO Nanocomposites.

In this work, carbon dots (CD) were synthesized and coupled to titanium dioxide (TiO) to improve the photodegradation of antibiotics in aquaculture effluents under solar irradiation. Oxolinic acid (OXA) and sulfadiazine (SDZ), which are widely used in aquaculture, were used as target antibiotics. To prepare nanocomposites of CD containing TiO, two modes were used: in-situ (CD@TiO) and ex-situ (CD/TiO).

Salinity-dependent impacts on the effects of antiepileptic and antihistaminic drugs in Ruditapes philippinarum.

In coastal systems, pollutants as pharmaceutical drugs exert changes from the molecular to the organism level in marine bivalves. Besides pollutants, coastal systems are prone to changes in environmental parameters, as the alteration of salinity values because of Climate Change. Together, these stressors (pharmaceutical drugs and salinity changes) can exert different threats than each stressor acting individually; for example, salinity can change the physical-chemical properties of the drugs and/or the sensitivity of the organisms to them.

Biochar-TiO magnetic nanocomposites for photocatalytic solar-driven removal of antibiotics from aquaculture effluents.

Contamination of surrounding waters with antibiotics by aquaculture effluents can be problematic due to the possible increase of bacterial resistance, making it crucial the efficient treatment of those effluents before their release into the environment. In this work, the application of waste-based magnetic biochar/titanium dioxide (BC/TiO) composite materials on the photodegradation of two antibiotics widely used in aquaculture (sulfadiazine (SDZ) and oxolinic acid (OXA)) was assessed. Four materials were synthesized: BCMag (magnetized BC), BCMag_TiO (BCMag functionalized with TiO), BC_TiO_MagIn and BC_TiO_MagEx (BC functionalized with TiO and afterwards magnetized by in-situ and ex-situ approaches, respectively).

Occurrence of the antiepileptic carbamazepine in water and bivalves from marine environments: A review.

A vast literature has already demonstrated that pharmaceutical drugs exert negative impacts on aquatic organisms but data is sparse on the occurrence of these contaminants in marine aquatic environments and their biota, particularly in comparison with freshwater systems. In marine environments, bivalves are known as good bioindicator species for environmental pollution monitoring. This review summarizes the current knowledge on carbamazepine (CBZ) concentrations in the marine environment (seawater and bivalves) and the analytical methods involved in the drug determination.

How temperature can alter the combined effects of carbon nanotubes and caffeine in the clam Ruditapes decussatus?

Nowadays, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are considered to be emerging contaminants and their impact in ecosystem has drawn special research attention, while other contaminants, such as caffeine, have more coverage in literature. Despite this, the effects of a combination of the two has yet to be evaluated, especially considering predicted temperature rise. In the present study a typical bioindicator species for marine environment, the clam Ruditapes decussatus, and classical tools, such as biomarkers and histopathological indices, were used to shed light on the species' response to these contaminants, under actual and predicted warming scenarios.

Producing Magnetic Nanocomposites from Paper Sludge for the Adsorptive Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Water-A Fractional Factorial Design.

In view of a simple after-use separation, the potentiality of producing magnetic activated carbon (MAC) by intercalation of ferromagnetic metal oxide nanoparticles in the framework of a powder activated carbon (PAC) produced from primary paper sludge was explored in this work. The synthesis conditions to produce cost effective and efficient MACs for the adsorptive removal of pharmaceuticals (amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and diclofenac) from aqueous media were evaluated. For this purpose, a fractional factorial design (FFD) was applied to assess the effect of the most significant variables (Fe to Fe salts ratio, PAC to iron salts ratio, temperature, and pH), on the following responses concerning the resulting MACs: Specific surface area (), saturation magnetization (), and adsorption percentage of amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and diclofenac.

Solidified floating organic drop microextraction (SFODME) for the simultaneous analysis of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in aqueous samples by HPLC.

In this work, a liquid-liquid microextraction methodology using solidified floating organic drop (SFODME) was combined with liquid chromatography and UV/Vis detection to determine non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) naproxen (NPX), diclofenac (DCF), and mefenamic acid (MFN) in tap water, surface water, and seawater samples. Parameters that can influence the efficiency of the process were evaluated, such as the type and volume of the extractor and dispersive solvents, effect of pH, agitation type, and ionic strength. The optimized method showed low detection limits (0.

Impact of UASB reactors operation mode on the removal of estrone and 17α-ethinylestradiol from wastewaters.

This work aims to compare the performance of the continuous operation (CO) and intermittent operation (IO) of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors for the removal of estrone (E1) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) from wastewaters. Results suggest that the IO contribute to the improvement of the overall removal of estrogens (above 95% for E1 and EE2) when compared to CO (49% for E1 and 39% for EE2). For both CO and IO, biodegradation was the main removal mechanism for E1, while for EE2, adsorption to sludge was the major removal pathway.

Towards a model for aerosol removal by rain scavenging: The role of physical-chemical characteristics of raindrops.

A one-year study was carried out in León, Spain, in order to characterize physically and chemically the precipitation. With the aim of studying the scavenging process of atmospheric pollutants, scavenging ratio and removal coefficients were calculated through physical parameters of raindrops (obtained by disdrometer data) and through chemical properties of aerosols. Finally, linear models for the prediction of the chemical composition of rainwater and the efficiency of the removal effect were established.

Oxolinic acid in aquaculture waters: Can natural attenuation through photodegradation decrease its concentration?

Quinolones, such as oxolinic acid (OXA), are antimicrobials commonly used in aquaculture. Thus, its presence in the aquatic environment surrounding aquaculture facilities is quite easy to understand. When present in aquatic environment, pharmaceuticals may be subjected to several attenuation processes that can influence their persistence.

Characterization and use of a lignin sample extracted from Eucalyptus grandis sawdust for the removal of methylene blue dye.

A lignin sample was extracted from Eucalyptus grandis sawdust, by the Klason method, and used as adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. By using a set of complementary analytical tools, the lignin appeared to be constituted of oxygenated functional groups and aromatic moieties, while showing a specific surface area of 20 m g and polydisperse particles. Different experimental conditions with various solid to liquid ratio, pH, as well as other external experimental parameters were investigated for the removal of MB by the lignin sample.

Can ocean warming alter sub-lethal effects of antiepileptic and antihistaminic pharmaceuticals in marine bivalves?

The negative effects induced in marine organisms by Climate Change related abiotic factors consequences, namely ocean warming, are well-known. However, few works studied the combined impacts of ocean warming and contaminants, as pharmaceutical drugs. Carbamazepine (CBZ) and cetirizine (CTZ) occur in the marine environment, showing negative effects in marine organisms.

Biochar in soil mitigates dimethoate hazard to soil pore water exposed biota.

Soil contamination is a worldwide problem urging for mitigation. Biochar is a carbonaceous material used as soil amendment that can immobilize chemical compounds, potentially turning them unavailable for soil biota. The aim of our study was to evaluate biochar's capacity to immobilize dimethoate in soil and, therefore, decreasing the toxicity to soil organisms.

ELISA as an effective tool to determine spatial and seasonal occurrence of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment.

During the last two decades, studies related to the occurrence and fate of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment have received great attention from the international scientific community. The monitoring of the presence of these compounds is particularly important since they are known to induce adverse effects in aquatic environments, even at extremely low concentrations. This work aimed to apply a simple and effective methodology, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in the monitoring of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and 17β-estradiol (E2) (a synthetic and a natural hormone, respectively), carbamazepine (CBZ, an antiepileptic), cetirizine (CET, an antihistamine) and caffeine (CAF, a stimulant) in water matrices with differing salinity and organic matter contents.

Effects of Carbamazepine in Bivalves: A Review.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is among the ten most frequent pharmaceuticals that occur in the aquatic systems, with known effects on inhabiting organisms, including bivalves. Bivalves are important species in coastal ecosystems, often exhibiting a dominant biomass within invertebrate communities. These organisms play a major role in the functioning of the ecosystem and particularly in food webs (as suspension-feeders) and represent a significant fraction of the fisheries resource.

Optimizing microwave-assisted production of waste-based activated carbons for the removal of antibiotics from water.

This work aimed at the microwave-assisted production of activated carbon (AC) from primary paper mill sludge (PS) for the adsorption of antibiotics from water. Production conditions, namely pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis time and activating agent (KOH):PS ratio, were optimized as a function of product yield, specific surface area (S), total organic carbon (TOC) content and adsorptive removal percentage of two target antibiotics (amoxicillin (AMX) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)). Under the optimized conditions (pyrolysis at 800 °C during 20 min and a KOH:PS ratio of 1:5), a microporous AC (MW800-20-1:5, with S = 1196 m g, TOC = 56.