Application of QuEChERS extraction and LC-MS/MS for determination of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludges sampled across the Czech Republic.

The use of pharmaceuticals entails a significant risk of environmental contamination. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be the main contributors to contamination as they ineffectively eliminate these compounds from wastewater. Simultaneously, they produce solid waste, sludge, which often contains a variety of retained pollutants, including pharmaceuticals.

The ongoing range expansion of the invasive oak lace bug across Europe: current occurrence and potential distribution under climate change.

In recent years, the oak lace bug, Corythucha arcuata, has emerged as a significant threat to European oak forests. This species, native to North America, has in the last two decades rapidly extended its range in Europe, raising concerns about its potential impact on the continent's invaluable oak populations. To address this growing concern, we conducted an extensive study to assess the distribution, colonization patterns, and potential ecological niche of the oak lace bug in Europe.

Advanced screening methods for assessing motility and hatching in plant-parasitic nematodes.

Background: Plant-parasitic nematodes are economically important pests responsible for substantial losses in agriculture. Researchers focusing on plant-parasitic nematodes, especially on finding new ways of their control, often need to assess basic parameters such as their motility, viability, and reproduction. Traditionally, these assays involve visually counting juveniles and eggs under a dissecting microscope, making this investigation time-consuming and laborious.

Fate of fluoroquinolones in field soil environment after incorporation of poultry litter from a farm with enrofloxacin administration via drinking water.

The practice of incorporating animal manure into soil is supported within the European Circular economy as a possible substitute for mineral fertilizers and will become crucial for the sustainability of agriculture. However, this practice may indirectly contribute to the dissemination of antibiotics, resistance bacteria, and resistance genes. In this study, medicated drinking water and poultry litter samples were obtained from a broiler-chick farm.

(Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) associated with from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia.

was detected in association with the pine sawyer beetle () during the implementation and testing of cross traps with insect attractants as an efficient tool for detection survey for pine wood nematode () in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia in 2017 and 2018, respectively. This nematode was characterized by morphological, morphometric and molecular features. This is the first report of in association with a in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Georgia.

Alien eating alien - rapid spread of Aceria fraxiniflora, a non-native gall mite of the invasive green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) in Central-Eastern Europe.

The North American gall mite Aceria fraxiniflora was first recorded in Europe in southeast Hungary in 2017. Since then, it has shown a remarkably rapid spread on its host, the also North American green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). By the beginning of 2023 it has been recorded in eight Central-Eastern European countries.

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for estimating the presence of and its mycotoxins in barley grains.

Members within the species complex (FSAMSC) are able to produce mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), zearalenone (ZEN) and enniatins (ENNs) in food products. Consequently, alternative methods for assessing the levels of these mycotoxins are relevant for quick decision-making. In this context, qPCR based on key mycotoxin biosynthetic genes could aid in determining the toxigenic fungal biomass, and could therefore infer mycotoxin content.

First report of grapevine Flavescence dorée phytoplasma in the Czech Republic.

Viticulture is a traditional branch of agriculture in the Czech Republic. Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) are cultivated on more than 18,000 hectares in the wine-growing regions of Bohemia and South Moravia.

Problems associated with vermicomposting of dog excrement in practice using .

One 25-kg dog produces about 500 g of excrement per day. Excrement is a potentially hazardous material, as it may contain pathogenic microorganisms. Our samples were tested for the presence of thermotolerant coliform bacteria, spp.

Redescription of (Truskova & Eroshenko, 1977) Andrássy, 1984 (Rhabditida, Chambersiellidae) from Europe and comments on its phylogenetic position.

Two populations of the species Diastolaimus grossus have been obtained from bark of trees in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Czech Republic. The species is described and characterized in detail using morphological techniques (light and electron scanning microscopy) and morphometrical (Gower General Similarity coefficient of morphological characters) and molecular analyses, including phylogenetic analysis of all related and already sequenced species of the family Chambersiellidae. Morphological and molecular analyses, based on 18S and 28S ribosomal DNA sequences, show that the family Chambersiellidae is polyphyletic, being the subfamily Chambersiellinae related with Cephalobomorpha and Tylenchomorpha, and the subfamily Macrolaiminae is located into Panagrolaimomorpha.

Inter-laboratory validation of an ISO test method for measuring enzyme activities in soil samples using colorimetric substrates.

The evaluation of soil quality requires the use of robust methods to assess biologically based indicators. Among them, enzyme activities are used for several decades, but there is a clear need to update their measurement methods for routine use, in combining feasibility, accuracy, and reliability. To this end, the platform Biochem-Env optimized a miniaturized method to measure enzyme activities in soils using colorimetric substrates in micro-well plates.

Characterization of the Fusarium sambucinum species complex and detection of multiple mycotoxins in Brazilian barley samples.

This study investigated the fungal diversity in Brazilian barley samples, focusing on the Fusarium sambucinum species complex and the presence of multiple mycotoxins: aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 beauvericin (BEA), enniatins (ENNs) A, A1, B, and B1, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisins (FB) B1 and B2, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, nivalenol (NIV) and ochratoxin A (OTA) from two different regions, São Paulo (SP) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS). The majority of the isolates belonged to the Fusarium sambucinum species complex (FSAMSC), with F. graminearum s.

Verifiable soil organic carbon modelling to facilitate regional reporting of cropland carbon change: A test case in the Czech Republic.

Regional monitoring, reporting and verification of soil organic carbon change occurring in managed cropland are indispensable to support carbon-related policies. Rapidly evolving gridded agronomic models can facilitate these efforts throughout Europe. However, their performance in modelling soil carbon dynamics at regional scale is yet unexplored.

Mycotoxins in Two Hulless Oat and Barley Cultivars Used for Food Purposes.

Hulless oats and hulless barley are highly valued for their excellent nutritional attributes and are increasingly being promoted in human nutrition. However, special attention should be paid to the risk of their contamination by mycotoxins, as the rate of mycotoxin reduction during processing could be much lower than that for hulled cereals. In the present study, mycotoxin contamination of two cultivars, each of hulless oats and barley suitable for food purposes were studied in a 3-year field trial established in two contrasting environments.

Spatial and temporal distribution of the currently-used and recently-banned pesticides in arable soils of the Czech Republic.

This study presents monitoring data on the spatial and temporal occurrence of pesticide residues in arable soils of the Czech Republic and relates it to soil properties, pesticide usage and data on application provided by farmers. In total, 34 soils were sampled during 2014-2017, amounting to 136 samples which were analyzed for 60 pesticides and four transformation products. Conazole fungicides were frequently present in soils above the limit of quantification and/or above the 0.

Analysis of phthalic acid esters in agricultural soils.

The aim of the study was monitoring of phthalic acid esters in agricultural soils of the Czech Republic over the period of 6 years, namely dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Monitoring took place in twelve regions of the Czech Republic. Soil samples were taken evenly from the top and bottom soil horizons using a zig-zag pattern.

Can Occurrence of Pesticide Metabolites Detected in Crops Provide the Evidence on Illegal Practices in Organic Farming?

Modern pesticides rapidly degrade after their application due to both physicochemical factors and through biotransformation. Consequently, pesticide residues in samples might be either undetectable or detected at low concentrations (≤10 μg/kg). Under such conditions, a monitoring of pesticide metabolites in samples might be a conceivable solution enabling the documentation of earlier pesticide use.

Epidemics caused by contamination of drinking water supplied by public water supply systems in terms of current legislation.

Objectives: This paper describes and comments on contemporary legislation concerning prevention of epidemics caused by contaminated drinking water from public water supplies in the Czech Republic.

Methods: Suggestions are made for removing existing legislative shortcomings, clarifying diction of existing laws and expanding sanctions and penalties for health injury caused by providers and operators of public drinking water.

Results: The author reflects on improving legislation concerning the compensation of victims of contaminated water with reference to the aftermath of a local epidemic in the Dejvice District of Prague.

Ecological risk assessment of pesticide residues in arable soils of the Czech Republic.

Currently used pesticides (CUPs) represent one of the largest intentional inputs of potentially hazardous compounds into agricultural soils. Subsequently, pesticide residues (PRs) and their transformation products (TPs) persist in agricultural soils, occurring in diverse mixtures of compounds in various concentrations. In this study, measured environmental concentrations (MECs) of CUP residues and TPs, originated from previous growing seasons in agricultural soils of the Czech Republic, were used to characterize the environmental risk for agroecosystems.

Investigation of patulin and citrinin in grape must and wine from grapes naturally contaminated by strains of Penicillium expansum.

Twenty three strains of Penicillium expansum, as a predominant species, were isolated from 23 (92%) out of 25 grape samples of 17 different grape varieties. The results of the identification of P. expansum strains were confirmed by a PCR method.

Ensuring supplies of medicines during pandemics in terms of public procurement.

Objectives: This article describes and comments on contemporary legal regulations concerning the supply of medicines during pandemics in terms of public procurement.

Methods: Suggestions are made for removing existing legislative shortcomings, clarifying the diction of existing laws or rendering precision to legal regulation of public procurement given purchases of medicines during periods of imminent threats of pandemics and duration of pandemics.

Results: The author reflects on improving legislation concerning the lack of clarity and the doubts concerning the contemporary legal order of the Czech Republic, with reference to speeding up and simplifying public procurement procedures for incident-free purchases of necessary medicines in time of pandemic crisis situation and then effectively supporting the struggle against any pandemic infection.

A bacterium-based contact assay for evaluating the quality of solid samples-Results from an international ring-test.

The contact assay measuring the inhibition of Arthrobacter globiformis dehydrogenase activity as an endpoint to evaluate the toxicity of solid samples was tested in an international ring-test to validate its performance for ISO standardization (ISO/CD 18187). This work reports the results of the ring-test involving 9 laboratories from six countries. At least 8 valid data sets were obtained for each sample and more than three quarters of the participants attained the validity criteria defined in the standard.

Redescription of Macrolaimus canadensis Sanwal, 1960 and M. ruehmi Andrássy, 1966 (Nematoda, Rhabditida, Chambersiellidae), and new data on M. crucis Maupas, 1900.

Three species belonging to the genus Macrolaimus, namely M. canadensis, M. crucis and M.

Currently and recently used pesticides in Central European arable soils.

Although large amounts of pesticides are used annually and a majority enters the soil to form short- or long-term residues, extensive soil surveys for currently used pesticides (CUPs) are scarce. To determine the status of CUPs' occurrence in arable land in Central Europe, 51 CUPs and 9 transformation products (TPs) were analysed in 75 arable soils in the Czech Republic (CR) several months after the last pesticide application. Moreover, two banned triazines (simazine and atrazine) and their TPs were analysed because of their frequent detection in CR waters.

Age related changes in laying pattern and egg weight of different laying hen genotypes.

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in laying patterns depending on the age of different genotypes of laying hens. In the experiment, six genotypes were evaluated (brown-egg hens Bovans Brown, Bovans Sperwer and Isa Sussex, white-egg hens Dekalb White, and laying hens with tinted shells Moravia Barred and Moravia BSL) in three periods during the laying cycle (the onset of lay between 20 and 26 weeks of age, the middle from 36 to 42 weeks of age and the end of lay between 64 and 70 weeks of age). A significant interaction between genotype and age was apparent in mean sequence length (P<0.