Revista de química analítica ambiental

Long time exposure to particular matter has been linked to myocardial infarction, stroke and blood pressure, but its association with atherosclerosis is not clear. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether particular matter has an effect on subclinical atherosclerosis measured by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT).

The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of arboviruses that could potentially cause outbreaks and epidemics and negatively affect publichealth in free-living non-human primates (NHP). The study was conducted in the municipality of Mundo Novo, on the border between Brazil and Paraguay, Bodoquena, Jardim and Coxim, both in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Samples (n=47) of asymptomatic NHP were analyzed using the Hemagglutination Inhibition Test (HIT) and molecular biology techniques. All samples from Mundo Novo were positive for viruses belonging to the genus Flavivirus in the serology and negative in the molecular and virological tests. From the samples of the Jardim municipality (n=14), one was positive for viruses belonging to the genus Flavivirus, one was positive for viruses belonging to the genus Alphavirus and two were positive for Mayaro virus. From the samples of the Coxim municipality (n=8), four were positive for viruses belonging to the genus Flavivirus and two were positive for Mayaro virus in the serology. The positive results in the serology demonstrated that the animals were infected by Flavivirus and Mayaro viruses at some point in their lives. Conversely, the negative results found by the molecular techniques indicated that the animals were not infected at the time of sample collection.

The main purpose of this work the removal efficiency of the pesticide imidacloprid and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from aqueous solution using the electrocoagulation process. The effect of several parameters such as initial pH, initial imidacloprid concentration, current density, type of electrolyte, salt concentration, and temperature on the pesticide and COD removal efficiency was investigated on EC performance. The obtained results showed that imidacloprid and COD removal were 95% and 89.5% by using Fe electrodes at 60 min and were 80.8% and 73.1% by using Al electrodes at 90 min. Pesticide removal kinetic followed pseudo second and first order kinetics using Fe and Al electrodes respectively. It can be concluded that electrocoagulation process by Fe electrode is very efficient and clean process for imidacloprid removal and COD from wastewater.

This paper present a case study of the comprehensive physico-chemical studies of industrial wastewater of Hawassa Textile Factory of Ethiopia using chemical analytical methods which represents a heavy source of environmental pollution that entering a water reservoir. The physico-chemical parameters such as color, odor, temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), total suspended solid (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD in effluent and adjacent water samples were assessed. Wastewater sample in triplicates mode from Hawassa textile and receiving water bodies were analyzed for the above parameters separately using standard methods. The results were compared with standard values for wastewater set by authorized bodies. The results showed that textile effluents were blue black colored and have pungent odor. The range of temperature was 17.80-25.75áµÂ’C and pH was 8.080-11.21. The experimental analytical values of EC, TDS, TSS, BOD, and COD, of textile effluent were found 31.01-46.30, 277.0-900.4, 90.50-147.0, 93.00-188.0, and 189.6-264.0mg/L respectively. Except for temperature the analyzed values of all samples exceeded the prescribed guideline limit. The COD values of all the samples were very high indicating high degree of pollution. Thus Hawassa textile effluents are one of the sources of pollution for receiving water which will affect the flora and fauna existing in the surrounding environments. This case study strongly underlines the need for treatment of textile effluent before they are discharged into the surrounding water reservoir.

Indole compounds are important class of therapeutic molecules, which have excellent pharmaceutical applications. The objective of present research was to investigate the influence of biofield treatment on physical and thermal properties of indole. The study was performed in two groups (control and treated). The control group remained as untreated, and biofield treatment was given to treated group. The control and treated samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. XRD study demonstrated the increase in crystalline nature of treated indole as compared to control. Additionally, the treated indole showed increase in crystallite size by 2.53% as compared to control. DSC analysis of treated indole (54.45ºC) showed no significant change in melting temperature (Tm) in comparison with control sample (54.76ºC). A significant increase in latent heat of fusion (ΔH) by 30.86% was observed in treated indole with respect to control. Derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) of treated indole showed elevation in maximum thermal decomposition temperature (Tmax) 166.49ºC as compared to control (163.37ºC). This was due to increase in thermal stability of indole after biofield treatment. FT-IR analysis of treated indole showed increase in frequency of N-H stretching vibrational peak by 6 cm-1 as compared to control sample. UV spectroscopy analysis showed no alteration in absorption wavelength (λmax) of treated indole with respect to control. The present study showed that biofield has substantially affected the physical and thermal nature of indole.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) can degrade various components of the extracellular matrix and its functional genetic polymorphisms may be associated with cancer metastasis. However, this relationship remains inconclusive in breast cancer. To better understand the roles of MMP polymorphisms in breast cancer metastasis, we conducted this comprehensive meta-analysis encompassing 1,165 cases and 3,418 controls. Four polymorphisms including MMP1 (-1607 1G/ 2G), MMP2 (-1575 G.A), MMP3 (1612 5A/6A), and MMP9 (-1562 C.T) were studied in this meta-analysis. Crude odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the strength of association. We found significant association between MMP1 (-1607 1G/2G) and breast cancer metastasis (for the recessive model 2G/2G vs. 1G/2G+1G/1G: OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.32–2.48; for the dominant model 2G/2G+1G/2G vs. 1G/1G: OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.02– 2.50). For the MMP3, significant association between MMP3 (-1171 5A/6A) and breast cancer metastasis was also detected under the dominant model (6A/6A+5A/6A vs. 5A/5A: OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.37-0.80). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that MMP1 may contribute the risk of breast cancer metastasis, while MMP3 played a protective role in breast cancer metastasis. Further studies are needed to evaluate these associations with breast cancer metastasis.

The presence of drugstore products in water streams has become a major concern in environmental remediation. Preliminary studies have reported that caffeine has negative impacts in animals and ecology in general. Bioremediation emphasizes on the elimination of heavy metals and toxic organic pollutants, but little attention has been paid to the so-called pollutants of emerging concern (i.e. caffeine). This research evaluates the role of pH, adsorbent dose, salinity and time on the elimination of caffeine from aqueous solutions by using chitosan and alginate hydrogel beads. Experimental data indicates a strong pH effect on the adsorption, showing its highest values around neutral conditions. On the other hand, salinity has a negative effect on the adsorption, due to competition for the adsorption sites of both hydrogels. Finally, time dependence experiments demonstrate that less than 20 minutes are needed to reach adsorption equilibrium. These results suggest that biodegradable and cost-effective materials are good candidates for the removal of pollutants of emerging concern from contaminated waters.

Saxitoxin and its structural analog neosaxitoxin were identified and quantified in mussels and sea stars that were collected from the Puget Sound region during harmful algal blooms. The analysis was based on high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and pre-column oxidation. Quantitative analytical results revealed that saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin were present in some of the Puget Sound samples well above toxic levels (up to 265 μg saxitoxin/100 g tissue and 111 μg neosaxitoxin/100 g tissue). For all of the samples of interest, paralytic shellfish toxins other than saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin were semi-quantified and a total toxicity value was estimated for each sample. The samples ranged from nontoxic to very toxic (up to 3687 μg saxitoxin-equivalents/100 g tissue).

The Radioactivity is invisible, tasteless and not mentioned on food labels, therefore it must be measured the Radionuclides levels in all samples food, we selected the important food that it is widely used in world Instant Noodles. Natural Radioactivity and Some Radiological Parameters of 13 instant noodles samples that available in Iraq supermarkets was determined using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy method. The results showed the range of specific activity for Ra-226 from (2.382 ± 1.128) Bq/kg to (31.918 ± 3.374) Bq/ kg with an average (14.98231) Bq/kg, for Th-232 from (1.509 ± 0.297) Bq/kg to (9.269 ± 0.716) Bq/kg with an average (3.4421538) Bq/kg and K-40 from (113.069 ± 6.854) Bq/ kg to (392.453 ± 8.482) Bq/kg with an average (234.9235) Bq/kg, while the average results of Radium equivalent activity and Internal hazard indices were (37.99370015 Bq/kg and 0.143116) respectively. All specific activity (Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40) investigated in the noodle samples occurred within the threshold limit of UNSECR, (2000) standard (35, 30 and 400) Bq/kg, also Radium equivalent activity and Internal hazard indices were lower than the worldwide average (370 Bq/kg and 1) respectively. All the samples of fast noodles (Indomie) that are available in the Iraqi market are edible for all people, but caution should be taken for accumulation over the time of this natural radioactivity especially in samples where they appeared near the threshold limit amount.

Seven water samples collected from five surface waters and three deep wells in Ondo South were analyzed for the presence of heavy metals, anions and colifom bacteria. Five of the water samples gave MPN values ranging from 3 to 180 colony forming units (CFU)/per 100 mL, with presence of Escherichia coli and other coliforms. The mean of the results which was expressed in mg/l ranged from: Mg; 0.02-0.52; As, 0.01-0.02; Pb, 0.00-0.02; Cd, 0.00-0.05; Cu, 0.02-1.05; Fe, 0.01-0.48; Cr, 0.00-0.01; Zn, 0.01-0.3; Ni, 0.00- 0.04; Mn, 0.00 0.08; Phosphate, 0.74; 2.97; Sulphate, 2.46-24.22; Chloride, 118.33-324.97; Nitrate, 0.5-2.23. Mg, As, Cu, Cr and Ni showed significant positive relationship with PO4 3- and SO4 2- at 0.01 level while Pb, Cd and Zn at 0.05 level. Heavy metal concentration showed weak positive relationship with Cl- except Mn at 0.05 level. The trace metals had no relationship with NO3 - except Mg, As, and Cr which showed positive weak correlation. Manganese, Chromium and Iron were used to as reference elements for the computation of enrichment factor. The enrichment factor values using iron as reference element in all the locations had a decreasing trend of; Cd>Cu>Zn>As>Cr>Pb>Mn>Ni>Mg. Two major components were obtained from the principal component analysis.

Ethyl-1-14C-prothiofos and some of its degradation products have been prepared for the present investigation. Cotton plants were treated with 14C-prohiofos alone and in presence of deltamethrin and dimilin pesticides under conditions simulating local agricultural practice. 14C-residues in seeds were determined at harvest time about 75% of 14C-activity was associated with oil. The ethanol soluble 14C-residues accounted for 6% of the total seed residues after further seeds extraction, while the cake contained about 18.5% of the total residues in case of prothiofos only. The bound residues increased in presence of deltamethrin and dimilin pesticides and amounted to 30% and 34% of the total residues, respectively. About 89% of the 14C-activity in the crude oil could be eliminated by simulated commercial processes locally used for oil refining. Chromatographic analysis of cotton oil extracts (acetonitrile layer) revealed the presence prothiofos oxon, O-ethyl phosphorothioate, O-ethyl S-propyl phosphorothioate, des-propylthio prothiofos, O-ethyl phosphoric acid as the main degradation products, besides to one unknown compound in addition to the parent compound, in case of prothiofos alone. The same degradation products are found in case of prothiofos and deltamethrin and prohiofos and dimilin except compounds O-ethyl S-propyl phosphorothioate and des-propylthio prothiofos. Chromatographic analysis of ethanol extract revealed the presence of O-ethyl phosphorothioate, despropylthio prothiofos and O-ethyl phosphoric acid as free metabolites. The conjugated metabolite was liberated by acid hydrolysis and identified as 2,4-dichlorophenole which was detected by color. When rats were fed the extracted cake for 72 hours, the bound residues were found to be bioavailable. The main excretion route was via the expired air (49%), while the 14C-residues excreted in urine and feces were (34% and 9.7%), respectively. The radioactivity detected among various organs accounted to 6.1%. Chromatographic analysis of urine was determined.

Evaluation of environmental effects due to exposure to nanoparticles is a still partially unexplored frontier of research, although increasing use of these substances leads to the presumption of a notable increase in their emission in the near future. Current knowledge of possible impacts of nanoparticle emission on aquatic ecosystems (e.g. lagoons, estuaries, marine coasts) is not yet exhaustive in terms of the responses of aquatic species from different trophic levels to exposure to various nanoparticles types (different substances and particle sizes). This paper aims to collect and discuss recent data on ecotoxicological effects observed in aquatic species and to analyse, on a multivariate statistical basis, meta-data collected to evaluate relationships between nanoparticle size and ecotoxicological responses observed in several aquatic species with regard to the most commonly used substances (TiO2, ZnO).