Search
Search results for: environmental toxicity
-
Sensors for Rapid Detection of Environmental Toxicity in Blood of Poisoned People
PublicationRecently, the diagnosis and treatment of poisoned person can be done only in specialized centers. Furthermore, currently used clinical methods of intoxication diagnosis are not sufficient for early detection. Conventional laboratory tests based on urine and blood require professional, high skilled staff, high cost equipment as well as they are arduous and lasting analytical procedures. There is a need to elaborate relatively cheap...
-
Environmental risk, toxicity, and biodegradation of polyethylene: a review
Publication -
Organomercury compounds in environmental samples: emission sources, toxicity, environmental fate and determination.
PublicationIn view of the specific properties of mercury and its capability of forming compounds that can be bioaccumulated and biomagnified at successive levels of the trophic pyramid, it has become necessary to gather detailed information on the sources of emission of this element into the environment and its fate there. Moreover, the increasing awareness of the relationship between the toxicity of mercury and its chemical form has sharpened...
-
Organomercury Compounds in Environmental Samples: Emission Sources, Toxicity, Environmental Fate, and Determination
Publication -
Environmental transformation and nano-toxicity of engineered nano-particles (ENPs) in aquatic and terrestrial organisms
Publication -
The use of bioassays in the analysis of environmental samples
PublicationToxicological tests are increasingly used as effective tool to complement the information obtained during the environmental monitoring. Moreover bioassays provide basic knowledge about the health effects of exposure to harmful factors associated with the environment. Toxicity tests might be a source of information about the content of pollutants in the sample, and the possibility of their interactions. They can be considered as...
-
Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Exposure, Health Effects, and Analysis
PublicationTobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, and 44 compoundshave been classified as human carcinogens. Toxicity can beboth mainstream smoke as well as the constituents of environmentaltobacco smoke. In the light of this evidence, work is intensifyingon assessing exposure on the basis of the results of tests performedto quantify the amounts of suitable environmental tobacco smokeconstituent biomarkers in samples of biological...
-
Toxicity and chemical analyses of airport runoff waters in Poland
PublicationThe aim of this study was to assess the ecotoxicological effects of various compounds in complex airport effluents using a chemical and ecotoxicological integrated strategy. The present work deals with the determination of sum of PCBs, PAHs, pesticides, cations, anions, phenols, anionic, cationic, non-ionic detergents, formaldehyde and metals – as well as TOC and conductivity – in runoff water samples collected from 2009 to 2011...
-
Organotin Compounds: Environmental Fate and Analytics
PublicationFor more than 50 years, organotin compounds have been used in almost all sectors of industry. As a consequence, specific environmental compartments are affected by the emission of these xenobiotics. The emissions of organotin compounds into the environment from paints used in the shipbuilding industry for ship hull coating, and from the plant protection products are particularly significant.In 2001, the IMO introduced a global...
-
Role of the Synergistic Interactions of Environmental Pollutants in the Development of Cancer
PublicationThere is a growing awareness that the large number of environmental pollutants we are exposed to on a daily basis are causing major health problems. Compared to traditional studies that focus on individual pollutants, there are relatively few studies on how pollutants mixtures interact. Several studies have reported a relationship between environmental pollutants and the development of cancer, even when pollutant levels are below...
-
Environmental impacts of food waste management technologies: A critical review of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies
PublicationFood waste is a serious global problem. Therefore, it is essential to reduce food waste and adopt recycling strategies to minimize its environmental impacts. However, conventional waste disposal methods emit harmful gases such as dioxin, CH4, N2O, and NH3, which contaminate the air and water resources. This work reviews the environmental consequences of food waste based on lifecycle assessment (LCA) techniques using methods such...
-
Analytical procedures for the determination of surfactants in environmental samples
PublicationBecause of their specific physical and chemical properties (amphiphilicity, solubility in polar and nonpolar liquids, ability to form micelles, adsorption at phase boundaries, low toxicity) surfactants (surface-active compounds) are widely applied in industry and in the household. As their applications are on a very large scale, it has become necessary to acquire a more detailed understanding of their environmental fate.In the...
-
Environmental risk assessment of Polish wastewater treatment plant activity
PublicationWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play an extremely important role in shaping modern society's environmental wellbeing and awareness, however only well operated and supervised systems can be considered as environmentally sustainable. For this reason, an attempt was undertaken to assess the environmental burden posed by WWTPs in major Polish cities by collecting water samples prior to and just after wastewater release points....
-
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...
-
Impact of inorganic ions and pH variations on toxicity and endocrine potential of selected environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals
PublicationAssessment of the impact of pharmaceutical residues on living organisms is a very complex subject. Apart from taking into account the toxicity of individual compounds, environmental factors should also be taken into account. In this paper, attempts were made to assess the impact of coexisting inorganic ions and changes in pH on the toxicity of ten selected pharmaceuticals. Two bioassays were used to measure the estrogenic and androgenic...
-
Results of pharmaceuticals mixtures toxicity on inhibition of bioluminescence of Vibrio fischeri (Microtox)
Open Research DataThe research was concerned with verifying the impact of mixtures of nine pharmaceuticals against a selected organism, i.e., the bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. A. fisheri is used as a model organism in the monitoring of acute toxicity in environmental and reference samples in Microtox® systems. Tested pharmaceuticals, namely: diclofenac (sodium salt),...
-
Determination of metals in water samples by atomic absorption spectrometry and flame emission spectrometry
PublicationMetal species in environmental waters are relevant to characterize the metal toxicity, the mobility between different environmental compartments, and for remediation purposes in case of contamination. The concentration of many trace metals in natural water samples are generally at µg/l level. The paper describes determination of metals in water samples based on flame atomic emission and flame atomic absorption spectrometry.
-
New methodology for determination cationic surfactants in liquid environmental samples
PublicationBecause of their specific physical and chemical properties (e.g. amphiphilicity, solubility in polar and nonpolar liquids, ability to form micelles, adsorption at phase boundaries, low toxicity) surfactants (surface-active compounds) are widely applied in industry and in the household. As their applications are on a very large scale, it has become necessary to acquire a more detailed understanding of their environmental fate. Mainly,...
-
Modeling and MANOVA studies on toxicity and endocrine potential of packaging materials exposed to different extraction schemes
PublicationThe stability of the linings of packaging that is in contact with the goods stored has been of major concern during decades of the development of packaging materials. In this work, an attempt was undertaken to assess the applicability of using two bioassays (Microtox® and XenoScreen YES/YAS) in estimating the stability of packaging (cans, caps, multilayer material) and the impact of their degradation on the toxicity of some simulated media....
-
Environmental consequences of emulsifying properties of biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas sp.
PublicationBiosurfactants are natural surfactants produced by variety of microorganisms. They are very prospective product due to good biodegradability, low toxicity, good physicochemical properties and high efficiency in many applications. Moreover, they are efficient in wide range of pH, temperatures and salinity. Thus, they have potential to be used in many applications. However, their later presence in municipal and industrial wastewater...
-
sp2-rich dendrite-like carbon nanowalls as effective electrode for environmental monitoring of explosive nitroaromatic
PublicationNitroaromatic compounds are commonly used explosive materials that pose a risk to human health and ecosystems due to their acute toxicity and carcinogenicity. Nitroaromatics have numerous pathways into the environment via discarded munitions (e.g. into the Baltic Sea after World War II), after use in mining operations, and in industrial run-off from factories producing these compounds (which are produced across the world to date)....
-
Chemical pollution and toxicity of water samples from stream receiving leachate from controlled municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill
PublicationThe present study was aimed to determine the impact of municipal waste landfill on the pollution level of surface waters, and to investigate whether the choice and number of physical and chemical parameters monitored are sufficient for determining the actual risk related to bioavailability and mobility of contaminants. In 2007–2012, water samples were collected from the stream flowing through the site at two sampling locations,...
-
Cyanides in the environment—analysis—problems and challenges
PublicationCyanide toxicity and their environmental impact are well known. Nevertheless, they are still used in the mining, galvanic and chemical industries. As a result of industrial activities, cyanides are released in various forms to all elements of the environment. In a natural environment, cyanide exists as cyanogenic glycosides in plants seeds. Too much consumption can cause unpleasant side effects. However, environmental tobacco smoke...
-
DETERMINATION OF SURFACTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES. PART II. ANIONIC COMPOUNDS
PublicationSurfactants (SAA) with negative charge of polar group are named as anionic compounds. They are main constituent of most products containing synthetic surfactants. The linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), alkyl ethoxysulfates (AES) and alkyl sulfates (AS) are typically applied from this class of compounds. Those surfactants are ingredients of household detergents and cleaners, laundry detergents, cosmetic. Moreover they can be...
-
Conversion of waste biomass into activated carbon and evaluation of environmental consequences using life cycle assessment
PublicationIn this article, activated carbon was produced from Lantana camara and olive trees by H3PO4 chemical activation. The prepared activated carbons were analyzed by characterizations such as scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. H3PO4 is used as an activator agent to create an abundant pore...
-
Analytics of Surfactants in the Environment: Problems and Challenges
PublicationSurfactants (surface active agents = SAAs) are a group of compoundswith specific physicochemical properties (amphiphilicity,solubility in polar and nonpolar liquids, ability to form micelles,adsorption at phase boundaries).1,2 Because of their properties,surface-active compounds are widely applied in industry and thehousehold (e.g., in detergents, personal-care products, paints,pesticides, petroleum products). As their applications...
-
Progress in non-isocyanate polyurethanes synthesized from cyclic carbonate intermediates and di- or polyamines in the context of structure–properties relationship and from an environmental point of view
PublicationCommercially, polyurethanes are produced by the reaction of diisocyanates, polyols (polyester or polyether) and low molecular weight chain extender. Toxicity, moisture sensitivity and phosgene-based synthesis of diisocyanates resulted in investigations focused on obtaining the non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs). This work presents the review of synthesis and structure–properties relationship of non-isocyanate polyurethanes obtained...
-
The effect of pH change of oxyteracycline solutions on the on inhibition of bioluminescence of Vibrio fischeri (Microtox)
Open Research DataIn this study attempt was also made to determine whether a pH change of the sample containing oxyteracycline solutions affects the total toxicity of the sample using the Microtox®
-
Green and Sustainable Membranes: A review
PublicationMembranes are ubiquitous tools for modern water treatment technology that critically eliminate hazardous materials such as organic, inorganic, heavy metals, and biomedical pollutants. Nowadays, nano-membranes are of particular interest for myriad applications such as water treatment, desalination, ion exchange, ion concentration control, and several kinds of biomedical applications. However, this state-of-the-art technology suffers...
-
Results of modeling of pharmaceuticals mixtures toxicity with deviation ratio and best-fit functions models using Aliivibrio fischeri bacterium as model organism
Open Research DataThe research was concerned with verifying the impact of mixtures of nine pharmaceuticals against a selected organism, i.e., the bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri. A. fisheri is used as a model organism in the monitoring of acute toxicity in environmental and reference samples in Microtox® systems. Tested pharmaceuticals, namely: diclofenac (sodium salt),...
-
Results of the effect of mixtures of ketoprofen with three cations on the germination of Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) seeds
Open Research DataThe research data includes an attempt to verify whether the addition of cations (sodium, ammonium and potassium) at levels found in the environment would affect the toxicity of pharmaceuticals to Sorghum Bicolor grain. Ion concentrations were selected based on studies of water samples collected in water bodies receiving wastewater from wastewater treatment...
-
Results of the effect of mixtures of ketoprofen with three anions on the germination of Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) seeds
Open Research DataThe research data includes an attempt to verify whether the addition of anions (bromide, chloride and fluoride) at levels found in the environment would affect the toxicity of pharmaceuticals to Sorghum Bicolor grain. Ion concentrations were selected based on studies of water samples collected in water bodies receiving wastewater from wastewater treatment...
-
How green are ionic liquids? – A multicriteria decision analysis approach
PublicationDue to various desirable physicochemical properties, ionic liquids (ILs) are still gaining in popularity. ILs have been recurrently considered green solvents. However, environmental, health and safety assessments of ILs have raised certain doubts about their benignness, and their greenness status is currently unclear. To clarify the situation on their greenness, we perform a comprehensive assessment of more than 300 commercially...
-
Electrochemical oxidation of landfill leachate using boron-doped diamond anodes: pollution degradation rate, energy efficiency and toxicity assessment
PublicationElectrochemical oxidation (EO), due to high efficiency and small carbon footprint, is regarded as an attractive option for on-site treatment of highly contaminated wastewater. This work shows the effectiveness of EO using three boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDDs) in sustainable management of landfill leachate (LL). The effect of the applied current density (25–100 mA cm−2) and boron doping concentration (B/C ratio: 500 ppm, 10,000...
-
The effect of Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd on the surface properties, photocatalytic activity and toxicity of multicomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials
PublicationMulticomponent TiO2-based nanomaterials (MC-NMs) show better physicochemical properties than their individual components or bulk materials. However, the same unique properties that offer innovative applications might also pose unknown risks to human health and the environment. In this context, TiO2- based nanomaterials with a mixture of noble metal precursors (Ag, Au, Pt, and Pd) for large-scale technological applications in air...
-
Novel approach to ecotoxicological risk assessment of sediments cores around the shipwreck by the use of self-organizing maps
PublicationMarine and coastal pollution plays an increasingly important role due to recent severe accidents which drew attention to the consequences of oil spills causing widespread devastation of marine ecosystems. All these problems cannot be solved without conducting environmental studies in the area of possible oil spill and performing chemometric evaluation of the data obtained looking for similar patterns among pollutants and optimize...
-
The effect of pH change of ketoprofen solutions on the germination of Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) seeds
Open Research DataIn these studies, an attempt was also made to determine whether (and, if so, to what extent) the change in pH affects the toxicity of ketoprofen will affect the germination of Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) seeds. As reported by Kudlak B, Wieczerzak M, Yotova G, Tsakovski S, Simeonov V, Namieśnik J (2016) Environmental risk assessment of Polish wastewater...
-
Ranking of Heterogeneous Catalysts Metals by Their Greenness
PublicationCatalysis is very important process in industry and laboratory practice, especially from the point of green chemistry principles. However, eco-friendly character of heterogeneous catalysts, containing transition metal components has not been evaluated, yet. Therefore, we perform a comprehensive assessment of 18 heterogeneous metal catalysts (Pd, Pt, V, Co, Ni, Mo, Ru, Mn, Au, Cu, Cd, Zr, Fe, Rh, Ir, Sn, Zn, Ag) using multicriteria...
-
Assessing ecotoxicity, synergic and antagonistic actions of commonly used components of polymerization mixture in molecularly imprinted polymers preparation process
PublicationIncreasingly, the challenge is the optimal process of developing a suitable MIP-type sorptive material (taking into account its final form and application area), which is mainly related to the efficiency/effectiveness of the polymerization process. The lack of reaction or its low efficiency generates additional waste and puts it into the environmental cycle. The main aim of the performed research was the estimation of ecotoxicity,...
-
Microextraction Techniques Used in the Procedures for Determining Organomercury and Organotin Compounds in Environmental Samples
PublicationDue to human activities, the concentrations of organometallic compounds in all parts of the environment have increased in recent decades. The toxicity and some biochemical properties of mercury and tin present in the environment depend on the concentration and chemical form of these two elements. The ever-increasing demand for determining compounds at very low concentration levels in samples with complex matrices requires...
-
Application of chiral chromatography for enantiomeric separation of currently used pesticides from various chemical groups
PublicationChiral pesticides account for more than 25 % of currently used pesticides and this ratio is still increasing. According to the number of chiral centers in the structure, a pesticide may consist of two or multiple enantiomers or stereoisomers. Studies into the stereoselective behaviour of pesticides started in the early 1990s and most research efforts focused on understanding the environmental fate and effects of these pesticides....
-
A mixture of cellulose production waste with municipal sewage as new material for an ecological management of wastes
PublicationChemical contaminants present in cellulose production waste and municipal sewage sludge condition the necessity to treat these wastes before they are introduced into the environment. Environmental use of the these wastes appears to be justified owing to the content of organic substances as well as the considerable fertilising value. The aim of the study was to assess chemical composition and ecotoxicity of cellulose production...
-
Occurrence of Surface Active Agents in the Environment
PublicationDue to the specific structure of surfactants molecules they are applied in different areas of human activity (industry, household). After using and discharging from wastewater treatment plants as effluent stream, surface active agents (SAAs) are emitted to various elements of the environment (atmosphere, waters, and solid phases), where they can undergo numerous physic-chemical processes (e.g., sorption, degradation) and freely...
-
Hazard assessment of sediments from a wetland system for treatment of landfill leachate using bioassays
PublicationFour bioassays were used in this study for the hazard assessment of sediments from sediment traps and several ponds in a treatment wetland for landfill leachate at Atleverket, Sweden. In the 6-day solid phase microbiotest with the sediment-dwelling crustacean Heterocypris incongruens both acute and chronic effects were observed with a gradual decrease and loss of toxicity with treatment in the wetland system. Some samples showed...
-
Application of multicriteria decision analysis to assess the greenness of molecularly imprinted polymers synthesis components
PublicationThe study applies multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to rank the components of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesis according to their greenness. The components are taken from papers that are describing synthesis of MIPs for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) sorbents. Functional monomers (n = 14), target/surrogate molecules (n = 10), porogens (n = 8), cross-linking agents (n = 8) and initiators (n = 4) are described...
-
Pollutants in Airport Runoff Waters
PublicationRunoff waters from airport areas constitute a serious environmentalproblem. It is essential to monitor levels of pollutants emitted intothe environment and measure their toxicity on a continuous basis.The authors' aim was to critically review data on pollution fromaviation fuel combustion, aviation fuel spillage, the washing andcleaning of aircraft and airport service equipment, and the useof de-/anti-icing agents published in...
-
Trophic Transfer of Mercury in a Temperate Marine Food Web, Southern Baltic Sea
PublicationMercury (Hg) is considered to be one of the most dangerous global environmental pollutants. The toxicity and bioavailabilityof Hg depend on its chemical form, and the greatest hazard is posed by the organomercurial compounds. Hg is introduced into the human body primarily through the consumption of fish and seafood. Despite numerous studies on Hg in marine organisms, there is still a gap in the knowledge on Hg uptake and...
-
Determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables using QuEChERS sample preparation method
PublicationThe intensive development of agriculture means that more and more toxic organic and inorganic compounds are entering the environment. Because of their widespread use, environmental stability, selective toxicity and bioaccumulative capability, pesticides belong to the most hazardous substances contaminating the environment. They are particularly dangerous in fruits and vegetables, because they are one of the reasons why people are...
-
Ultimate biodegradability and ecotoxicity of orally administered antidiabetic drugs
PublicationHypoglycaemic pharmaceuticals are recently more and more frequently detected in the environment. In our previous study, we have shown that even though many of them undergo significant primary degradation some are transformed to stable products or undergo such transformation that a large part of the structure is still preserved. One of the main routes of elimination from wastewaters or surface waters is biodegradation and a lack...
-
Identification of synergistic and antagonistic actions of environmental pollutants: Bisphenols A, S and F in the presence of DEP, DBP, BADGE and BADGE·2HCl in three component mixtures
PublicationEcosystems are facing increased pressure due to the emission of many classes of emerging contaminants. However, very little is known about the interactions of these pollutants, such as bisphenols (BPs), plasticizers or pharmaceuticals. By employing bioluminescent bacteria (Microtox assay), we were able to define interactions between selected emerging pollutants (namely BPA, BPS, BPF, BADGE, BADGE·2HCl, DEP, DBP) in ternary mixtures, at...