Filters
total: 328
Search results for: TOXIC COMPOUNDS
-
Final report on noise and rolling resistance
PublicationWork Package 6 deals with environmental impacts of PERS use, including noise and rolling resistance. This report covers preliminary noise tests performed in the laboratory and at the road test sites. The obtained results indicate that PERS material reduce noise considerably - up to 12 dB in comparison to SMA16 reference surface. Noise reduction properties are especially visible in the case of factory produced PERS slabs supplied...
-
Recent advances in assessing xenobiotics migrating from packaging material – A review
PublicationMigration of potentially toxic xenobiotics and their transformation products from packaging materials needs continuous monitoring efforts. This task requires utilizing both instrumental and biological methods as more and more novel materials reach market every year to serve consumers and reduce production costs. Unfortunately, these materials very often sneak past our legal regulations on their composition and emission of contaminants...
-
Evaluation of the Electronic Nose Used for Monitoring Environmental Pollution
PublicationAir pollution is a one of the major concern of civilized world, which has a significant impact on human health and the environment. Recent studies highlight that the exposure to polluted air can increase the incidence of diseases and deteriorate the quality of life. Hence, it is necessary to develop tools for real-time air quality monitoring. Electronic-nose systems based on sensors are an interesting and promising technology in...
-
Features extraction from the electrocatalytic gas sensor responses
PublicationOne of the types of gas sensors used for detection and identification of toxic-air pollutant is an electrocatalytic gas sensor. The electrocatalytic sensors are working in cyclic voltammetry mode, enable detection of various gases. Their response are in the form of I-V curves which contain information about the type and the concentration of measured volatile compound. However,...
-
The Effect of Sterols on Amphotericin B Self-Aggregation in a Lipid Bilayer as Revealed by Free Energy Simulations
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is an effective but toxic antifungal drug, known to increase the permeability of the cell membrane, presumably by assembling into transmembrane pores in a sterol-dependent manner. The aggregation of AmB molecules in a phospholipid bilayer is, thus, crucial for the drug’s activity. To provide an insight into the molecular nature of this process, here, we report an atomistic molecular dynamics simulation study...
-
Risks related to car fire on innovative Poroelastic Road Surfaces-PERS
PublicationTo reduce tyre/road noise, the concept of poroelastic road surfaces (PERS) was invented. PERS is a road surface material that is porous, and at the same time, it is flexible because of the substantial amount of rubber granulate content (from 20% to 85%). The rubber and stone particles are bound by polyurethane resin instead of bitumen. It was feared that in case of fire, because of the high content of rubber and polyurethane, there...
-
Absorption spectroscopy setup for determination of whole human blood and blood–derived materials spectral characteristics
PublicationA dedicated absorption spectroscopy system was set up using tungsten-halogen broadband source, optical fibers, sample holder, and a commercial spectrometer with CCD array. Analysis of noise present in the setup was carried out. Data processing was applied to the absorption spectra to reduce spectral noise, and improve the quality of the spectra and to remove the baseline level. The absorption spectra were measured for whole blood...
-
Self-Association of Amphotericin B: Spontaneous Formation of Molecular Structures Responsible for the Toxic Side Effects of the Antibiotic
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a lifesaving antibiotic used to treat deep-seated mycotic infections. Both the pharmaceutical activity and highly toxic side effects of the drug rely on its interaction with biomembranes, which is governed by the molecular organization of AmB. In the present work we present detailed analysis of self-assembly of AmB molecules in different environments, interesting from the physiological standpoint, based...
-
Efficient removal of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) from industrial/military wastewater using anodic oxidation on boron-doped diamond electrodes
PublicationWith growing public concern about water quality particular focus should be placed on organic micropollutants, which are harmful to the environment and people. Hence, the objective of this research is to enhance the security and resilience of water resources by developing an efficient system for reclaiming industrial/military wastewater and protecting recipients from the toxic and cancerogenic explosive compound – 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene...
-
Ionic liquids in extraction techniques: Determination of pesticides in food and environmental samples
PublicationThe intensive use of pesticides in agricultural practices has promoted the appearance of environmentaland public health problems. Due to that, scientists face challenges with developing simple, fast, sensitive,selective, and low-cost methods dedicated to determining pesticide residues in food and environmentalsamples. Following thefifth principle of Green Analytical Chemistry, chemists are searching for greeneralternatives for...
-
“Green” nature of the process of derivatization in analytical sample preparation
PublicationNowadays, the idea of Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC) is of high importance what impacts on the rapid growth in the sample preparation area with special emphasis on sample preparation simplification, miniaturization, and automation. Because the derivatization process is often an essential element of the analytical procedure, it should be important to focus on this issue from GAC perspective and conduct a series of experiments...
-
Study of the effect of residues of pharmaceuticals on the environment on the example of bioassay Microtox®
PublicationResidues of pharmaceuticals present in the aqueous environment can be found in a mixture of different substances wherein drugs not remain inert with respect to each other. In such mixtures a phenomenon of synergism or antagonism may occur, which can contribute to increase or decrease the overall toxicity of the mixture of drugs. Pharmaceuticals namely: diclofenac (sodium salt), oxyteracycline hydrochloride, fluoxetine hydrochloride,...
-
Mobility and bioavailability of mercury in sediments of the southern Baltic sea in relation to the chemical fractions of iron: Spatial and temporal patterns
PublicationMarine sediments play a significant role as reservoirs for mercury (Hg), a bioaccumulative toxic pollutant that poses risks to human and ecosystem health. Iron (Fe) has been recognized as an influential factor in the complexation and bioavailability of Hg in sediments. However, limited studies have investigated the interactions between the chemical fractions of these elements in natural settings. This study aims to examine the...
-
Determination of toxic gases based on the responses of a single electrocatalytic sensor and pattern recognition techniques
PublicationA response from an electrocatalytic gas sensor contains fingerprint information about the type of gas and its concentration. As a result, a single gas sensor can be used for the determination of different gases. However, information about the type of gas and its concentration is hidden in the unique shape of the current–voltage response and it is quite difficult to explore. One of the ways to get precise information about the measured...
-
Bacterial consortium an axenic cultures isolated from activated sewage sludge for biodegradation of imidazolium-based ionic liquid
PublicationExtensive research and increasing number of potential industrial applications made ionic liquids (ILs) important materials in design of new, cleaner technologies. Together with the technological applicability, the environmental fate of these chemicals is considered and significant efforts are being made in designing strategies to mitigate their potential negative impacts. Many ILs are proven to be poorly biodegradable and relatively...
-
30 years of treatment wetland application in poland- progress and reserch
PublicationThe experiences with design and operation of constructed wetlands in the Pommerania region during last 30 years followed by carried out investigations of treatment processes lead to the following conclusions:First applications of constructed wetlands for biological sewage treatment were made in 1984-92. The later implementations of multi-stage constructed wetlands in the individual household and local scale enable wastewater treatment...
-
Honey bees and their products - bioindicators of environmental contamination
PublicationHuman activities produce contaminants, the amounts and toxicity of which often exceed the environment’s homeostatic capacity to cleanse itself. Hence, the systematic analysis and monitoring of the environment is increasingly a matter of urgency. Honey bees, thanks to their morphological features, and also bee products are regarded as good indicators of environmental pollution by toxic substances, be these heavy metals, radioactive...
-
Determination of parent and methylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water samples by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction–two dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry
PublicationPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants frequently found in environmental waters. Owing to their toxic effects, it is important to develop analytical methodologies that allow their fast and reliable determination. Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) allows a quick extraction of analytes with little organic solvent consumption. The best results regarding sample preparation are obtained when 40 mL of...
-
Recovery and re-use of photovoltaic solar cells from crystalline silicon
PublicationCrystalline silicon-type PV modules consist, in order of mass, of glass, an aluminium frame, an EVA coating, solar cells, a terminal box, back film and tapping screws. From the economic point of view, pure silicon, recoverable from spent cells, is the most important material owing to its cost and shortage. For crystalline, silicon-based PV cells, the following chemical treatments were performed: removal of the metal coating, followed...
-
Novel “acid tuned” deep eutectic solvents based on protonated L-proline
PublicationThe paper presents new types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on L-proline protonated using three different acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric and phosphoric)and playing the role of a hydrogen bond acceptor(HBA). Glucose and xylitol were used as hydrogen bond donors (HBD). A series of deep eutectic solvents with various mole ratios were obtained for the systems L-proline: glucose and L-proline: xylitol. Density, melting point,...
-
The Chemical and Biological Properties of Nanohydroxyapatite Coatings with Antibacterial Nanometals, Obtained in the Electrophoretic Process on the Ti13Zr13Nb Alloy
PublicationThe risk of an early inflammation after implantation surgery of titanium implants has caused the development of different antimicrobial measures. The present research is aimed at characterizing the effects of nanosilver and nanocopper dispersed in the nanohydroxyapatite coatings, deposited on the Ti13Zr13Nb alloy, and on the chemical and biological properties of the coatings.The one-stage deposition process was performed by the...
-
Dietary intervention with beetroot juice during doxorubicin cancer chemotherapy in vivo reduces markers of oxidative stress
PublicationCancer chemotherapy with doxorubicin, despite high antitumor activity and broad spectrum of this drug, is on decline due to toxic side effects. The clinical efficacy of anthracyclines have continuously prompted the search for new adjuvants to alleviate undesirable side toxicity incurred by this group of cytostatics. The recent approaches involve the application of synthetic or purified natural antioxidants in combination with doxorubicin...
-
Detection and removal of priority substances and emerging pollutants from stormwater: case study of the Kołobrzeska collector, Gdańsk, Poland
PublicationProgressive urban development affects environmental balance and disrupts the hydrologic cycle, in which rainfall plays a significant role. Since rainwater is considered a valuable resource of the environment, many technical solutions are implemented that enable effective rainwater management. On the other hand, stormwater runoff from urban areas contains numerous (also toxic) substances, and therefore should be properly treated....
-
Green Approaches in Rubber Recycling Technologies: Present Status and Future Perspective
PublicationAs a consequence of massive production and consumption of rubbers, rubber blends, and rubber composites for myriad applications, elastomeric products have enormously accumulated and become an environmental threat. The disposal and burning of rubber wastes have been banned because of environmental and economic reasons. By contrast, a great deal of attention has been directed toward strategies enabling recycling and reuse of rubbers....
-
Bioactive and biodegradable cotton fabrics produced via synergic effect of plant extracts and essential oils in chitosan coating system
PublicationFunctional antibacterial textile materials are in great demand in the medical sector. In this paper, we propose a facile, eco-friendly approach to the design of antibacterial biodegradable cotton fabrics. Cotton fiber fabrics were enhanced with a chitosan coating loaded with plant extracts and essential oils. We employed Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Vis spectrophotometry, optical...
-
Capping ligand initiated CuInS2 quantum dots decoration on, ZnIn2S4 microspheres surface under different alkalinity levels resulting in different hydrogen evolution performance
PublicationSurface distribution of quantum dots (QDs) at the semiconductor matrix caused by synthesis condition (e.g. pH of solution during coupling) could lead to different photocatalytic activity. Thus, achieving an optimal covering of semiconductor matrix by QDs has been challenging. Herein, the influence of the alkalinity level of aqueous decoration medium for the coupling of mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) capped CuInS2 quantum dots (CIS)...
-
Investigation of ecological parameters of a gas turbine combustion chamber with steam injection for the floating production, storage, and offloading vessel
PublicationThe article is dedicated to the investigation of the possibility of using the contact type gas turbine cycle with steam injection into the combustion chamber for the floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in order to increase the specific power and efficiency and reduce emissions of toxic components. A new approach is proposed, associated with the use of the two-stage injection of superheated steam into a gas turbine...
-
Comprehensive stabilization of all streams of solid residues formed during sewage sludge thermal treatment – Case study
PublicationModern wastewater treatment plants are currently struggling with the problem of processing and ecological management of sewage sludge. Thermal utilization is a frequently used practice of excess sludge utilization especially in large wastewater treatment plants, which seems to be a quite promising concept. However, during thermal treatment, fractions of ashes and dusts are generated. Such wastes, especially the dust fraction, can...
-
Determination of cyanide in urine and saliva samples by ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection
PublicationCommonly known as a highly toxic chemical, cyanide is also an essential reagent for many industrial processes. It naturally occurs in plant seeds as a cyanogenic glycosides. Another relatively common mode of cyanide exposure is inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke. This study concerns importance to determine cyanide ion in human biological samples. Urine and saliva samples were collected healthy volunteers exposed to tobacco...
-
Determination of cyanide ion in urine samples using ion chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection.
PublicationCyanides are widely applied in industrial activity, including gold and silver mining and the production of organic chemicals. HCN is also formed directly from fossil fuel combustion sources from gasoline and diesel vehicles. In natural environment, in plants seeds for example an apple seed, it exists as a cyanogenic glycosides. The amount of cyanide ions originating from food products is however rather small. Larger concentrations...
-
H2AX phosphorylation, its role in DNA damage response and cancer therapy
PublicationDouble-strand breaks (DSBs) are the most deleterious DNA lesions, which, if left unrepaired, may have severe consequences for cell survival, as they lead to chromosome aberrations, genomic instability, or cell death. Various physical, chemical, and biological factors are involved in DSB induction. Cells respond to DNA damage by activating the so-called DNA damage response (DDR), a complex molecular mechanism developed to detect...
-
Correlations between the wear of car brake friction materials and airborne wear particle emissions
PublicationAirborne wear particles emitted from transport vehicle brakes are one of the main sources of toxic metals in inhalable particulate matter. Prediction of wear particle emissions may become more accurate if the relationship between the wear and particle emission characteristics is known. An experimental study was performed to investigate proportional correlations between the mass wear, 0.01–0.42 μm particle emission measured by a NanoScan...
-
Modifications at the C(5) position of pyrimidine nucleosides
PublicationThis review summarizes the state of knowledge on the chemical methods of C(5)-modifications of uridine and cytidine derivatives and may serve as a useful tool for synthetic chemists to choose an appropriate reaction protocol. The synthesis of 5-substituted uracil derivatives is gaining an increasing interest because of their possible applications in medicine and pharmacy. Modifications at the C(5) position of pyrimidine nucleosides...
-
Initial Field Validation of Poroelastic Pavement Made with Crumb Rubber, Mineral Aggregate and Highly Polymer-Modified Bitumen
PublicationTire/road noise in most driving conditions dominates other sources of traffic noise. One of the most efficient ways of reducing tire/road noise is to use the so-called “low noise pavement”. According to numerous studies, at present, poroelastic road pavement that is composed of rubber and mineral aggregate and polyurethane or bituminous binder gives the best noise reduction up to 12 dB. Unfortunately, there are many problems with...
-
INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A LOWEMISSION GAS TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBER OPERATING ON A MIXTURE OF NATURAL GAS AND HYDROGEN
PublicationT his article is devoted to the investigation of the characteristics of a low-emission gas turbine combustion chamber, which can be used in Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and operates on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. A new approach is proposed for modelling the processes of burning out a mixture of natural gas with hydrogen under preliminary mixing conditions in gaseous fuel with an oxidizer...
-
A review on application of artificial neural network (ANN) for performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with biodiesel-based fuels
PublicationBiodiesel has been emerging as a potential and promising biofuel for the strategy of reducing toxic emissions and improving engine performance. Computational methods aiming to offer numerical solutions were inevitable as a study methodology which was sometimes considered the only practical method. Artificial neural networks (ANN) were data-processing systems, which were used to tackle many issues in engineering and science, especially...
-
Recycling of Waste Rubber by the Manufacturing of Foamed Polyurethane-Based Composites—Current State and Perspectives
PublicationWorn car tires are disruptive waste, and the issue of their management is crucial for the natural environment. In many countries, the primary method of end-of-life tires utilization is energy recovery. However, more effective and beneficial for the environment is material recycling. Using them for the production of polymer-rubber composites seems to be an auspicious direction of research. Incorporation of ground tire rubber into...
-
Methylmercury and total mercury content in soft tissues of two bird species wintering in the Baltic Sea near Gdansk, Poland
PublicationOf the various forms of Hg occurring in nature, (mono) methylmercury (MeHg) is an especially toxic form and practically all forms of Hg can be converted into MeHg as a result of natural processes. Total mercury (THg) and MeHg were determined in tissues of two piscivorous birds: razorbill Alca torda and black-throated loon Gavia arctica to provide baseline data on current mercury concentrations for liver, kidneys and pectoral muscle...
-
CREATING A RANKING OF DIAGNOSTIC PARAMETERS FOR THE DYNAMIC PROCESS OF A MARINE COMBUSTION ENGINE IN THE ASPECT OF MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATIONS
PublicationThe change of some of the engine’s structural parameters affects the change of toxic compound emission in exhaust gases. It mainly applies to the damage sustained by the charge exchange system as well as the fuel system and the engine supercharging system. These changes are definitely higher during dynamic states and the related transient states. As such, it is possible to speak of a diverse sensitivity of the diagnostic parameters...
-
The Thin-Layer Microchromatography (μTLC) and TLC–FID Technique as a New Methodology in the Study of Lubricating Oils
PublicationThis paper concerns the possibility of using TLC coupled with a flame ionization detector (FID) and micro-TLC (μTLC) as precursors for microfluidized devices of analytical techniques to identify and determine the presence and content of the petroleum/vegetable oil base in the lubricating oils applied in cutting devices (chainsaws). This research is related to the problem of ensuring, in compliance with the requirements of environmental...
-
Economic crisis in Croatia
PublicationCroatia is becoming the 28th member of the European Union on July 1st, 2013. Croatia has gone a long way from a socialistic republic to an independent country recognized as one of the economic tigers of the Western Balkans in the first decade of the 21st century. Croatia has been hit by a global crisis which turned out to be a huge external shock for the region of the Western Balkans. Although it does not enter the economy through...
-
Analytical progress on emerging pollutants in the environment: An overview of the topics
PublicationThis overview discusses the ideas behind a collection of articles by invited authors on a diverse range of complex chemical mixtures and analytical methods which represent some of the most relevant and interesting issues on emerging contaminants of environmental health concerns. These chemicals, including those in high volume production, are released on an ongoing basis as a result of various human activities. Moreover, these emerging contaminants...
-
Review of cigars and cigar-type products as potential sources of consumer exposure to heavy metals
PublicationThe popularity of cigars, growing since 1993, has not gone hand in hand with the increased interest of researchers in these products. Although the literature widely describes the harmfulness of tobacco and the content of toxic substances in tobacco products, the topic is often treated selectively as relating primarily to cigarettes and rarely extends to other products of the broadly defined tobacco industry. However, there is no...
-
The effect of PEDOT morphology on hexavalent chromium reduction over 2D TiO2/PEDOT photocatalyst under UV–vis light
PublicationThe present study represents an approach to apply organic-inorganic hybrid materials for photocatalytic removal of heavy metals from the aqueous environment. The photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor modified with the conjugated polymer may depends on the conjugated polymer type, its amount and morphology. Therefore, in the present study the effect of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) morphology on adsorption and photoreduction...
-
Self-assembly, stability and conductance of amphotericin B channels: bridging the gap between structure and function
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB), one of the most powerful but also toxic drugs used to treat systemic mycoses, is believed to selectively permeabilize fungal cell membranes to ions in a sterol-dependent manner. Unfortunately, the structure of the biologically active AmB channels has long eluded researchers, obstructing the design of safer alternatives. Here, we investigate the structural and thermodynamic aspects of channel formation, stability,...
-
β-cyclodextrin-containing polymer based on renewable cellulose resources for effective removal of ionic and non-ionic toxic organic pollutants from water
PublicationA novel, bio-derived cyclodextrin-based trifunctional adsorbent has been successfully synthesized for efficient, rapid and simultaneous removal of a broad-spectrum of toxic ionic (anionic and cationic dyes) and non-ionic organic pollutants from water. The composition, morphology and the presence of functional groups in the obtained sorption material were characterized by elemental analysis, XRD, SEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. The...
-
Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents in microextraction techniques–A review
PublicationOver the past decade, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been widely studied and applied in sample preparation techniques. Until recently, most of the synthesized DES were hydrophilic, which prevented their use in the extraction of aqueous samples. However, after 2015 studies on the synthesis and application of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) has rapidly expanded. Due to unique properties of HDES i.e. density, viscosity,...
-
How do sterols determine the antufungal activitiy of amphotericin B? Free energy of binding between the drug and its membrane targets.
PublicationAmphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known polyene antibiotic used to treat systemic fungal infections. It is commonly accepted that the presence of sterols in the membrane is essential for the AmB biological activity, that is, for the formation of transmembrane ion channels. The selective toxicity of AmB for fungal cells is attributed to the fact that it is more potent against fungal cell membranes containing ergosterol than against...
-
Biological responses to environmental contamination. How can metal pollution impact signal honesty in avian species?
PublicationEnvironmental pollution, for example with metals, can significantly affect the ecosystem balance leading to severe changes. Biologically active pigments are relevant for the appearance and condition of birds. Melanin and carotenoid particles are the most frequently deposited pigments in avian integument. They are responsible for the majority of colors of bird plumage. The phenotypic expression can be affected by metal contamination....
-
Mercury concentration in the sediments as a function of changing climate in coastal zone of Southern Baltic Sea – preliminary results
PublicationMercury, despite of its many uses in industry, is also highly toxic. It is highly neurotoxic, and because of the ability of mercury to penetrate placental barrier, in some countries ban on predatory fish consumption (the main route of mercury into human organism) by pregnant women was introduced. There are very little publications describing the consequences of weather anomalies on contaminants cycles. No research was published...