Copper (Cu) metabolism is altered in rats fed diets high in molybdenum (Mo) and low in Cu. This 10-week study was carried out to examine the effects of supplemental Mo (7.5–240 μg/g diet) on male Sprague–Dawley rats fed diets adequate in Cu (5 μg/g diet) and to determine the susceptibility of Mo-treated animals to the environmental pollutant 3,3′,4,4′-tetrabromobiphenyl (TBB). After 7 weeks of dietary treatment, half of the rats in each group received a single IP injection of TBB (150 μM/kg bw), while the other half received the corn oil vehicle. Rats sacrificed at 10 weeks showed no effects of Mo on growth, feed efficiency, or selected organ or tissue weights. Dose-dependent effects on plasma Mo (0–5.1 μg/mL), plasma Cu (0.95–0.20 μg/mL), and bone Cu (3.4–10 μg/g) in control through the high dose were found. Cu sequestration in the bone of Mo-treated rats is a new finding. TBB treatment resulted in dramatic weight loss and loss of absolute organ mass. Relative organ weights were increased, except for the thymus. TBB altered the concentrations of certain amino acids. Compared to control rats, this polybrominated biphenyl congener significantly decreased plasma Cu and ceruloplasmin at higher concentrations of dietary Mo and promoted the process of plasma Cu decrease by Mo, suggesting a combined effect.

The coking wastewater generally comprises highly concentrated, recalcitrant, and toxic organic pollutants, so its treatment has been of great importance to prevent living beings and their environment from these hazardous contaminations. The treatment of pretreated coking wastewater by flocculation-coagulation, alkali out, air stripping, and three-dimensional (3-D) electrocatalytic oxidation was performed (gap between the used β-PbO₂/Ti anode and titanium cathode, 12 mm; mass ratio of Cu-Mn/granular activated carbon (GAC) to effluent, 1:4; cell voltage, 7 V). The results showed that the pH adjusting from 3.7 to 6.1 was necessary for coagulants; alkali out played an important role because it brought up precipitation containing higher fatty acids as well as other contaminants to decrease the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluent, and it had also forced the reduction of ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) by incorporating with air stripping; for 3-D electrocatalytic oxidation with a bleaching liquid assisting, the initial pH 8.5 of effluent was suitable for Cu-Mn/GAC; moreover, it was considered that its Cu component was dedicated to the decrease of COD and NH₃-N, while the Mn component specialized in the decay of NH₃-N. The residual COD and NH₃-N values in the final effluent with pH 6.5 were 95.8 and 8.8 mg/L, respectively, demonstrating that the whole processes applied were feasible and low in cost.

The genotoxicological effects in 200 lead acid storage battery recycling and manufacturing industry workers in Hyderabad along with matched 200 controls were studied. The genetic damage was determined by comet, micronucleus (MN), and chromosomal aberration (CA) test in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The MN test was also carried out in buccal epithelial cells (BECs). Pb in ambient air, blood Pb (B-Pb) concentrations, and hematological parameters were measured. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) formed were also studied. The results of the present study showed that there was a statistically significant (P < 0.01) increase in mean percent tail DNA, frequency of CA, and MN in PBL as well as in BEC as compared to controls. Pb in ambient air and B-Pb concentrations were found to be significantly higher (P < 0.01). The hematocrit, hemoglobin, and red blood cell values were significantly lowered in Pb-exposed workers in comparison to controls. SOD, GPx, and CAT levels were significantly decreased while GSH and MDA levels increased in exposed group when compared to control group. The present study suggests that environmental health standards should be enforced to control Pb contamination from battery industries to reduce human health risk.

The main objective of the current study was to estimate the potential environmental risks associated with human consumption of antimicrobials in Greece. Consumption data was collected for the 24 most often used antimicrobials for the years 2008–2010, and their predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) in raw and treated wastewater were calculated using mass balances and literature data on human excretion and elimination efficiency during wastewater treatment. The ecotoxicological risk was estimated by calculating the ratio of PEC to predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) for three categories of aquatic organisms (algae, daphnids, and fish). PNEC values were calculated based on experimental ecotoxicity data and data originated from the Ecological Structure Activity Relationship (ECOSAR). PEC values in raw sewage ranged between 0.02 μg L⁻¹(erythromycin) and 27 μg L⁻¹(amoxicillin), while in treated wastewater, the highest concentration was predicted for cefuroxime axetil (6.6 μg L⁻¹). Based on acute toxicity data for algae, risk quotient (RQ) values higher than 1 were obtained for 7 out of the 24 target antimicrobials in raw and treated wastewater, while no significant risk was estimated for daphnids and fish. Regarding the possible risk due to the chronic toxicity of antimicrobials, RQ values higher than 80 were obtained for amoxicillin and clarithromycin in algae. The use of baseline toxicity data from ECOSAR showed that the environmental risk from exposure to mixtures of antimicrobials was low for all three aquatic species. However, further studies on toxicity of mixtures should be performed as calculation of toxicity ratio (TR) values showed that 90 % of the target antimicrobials seem to exhibit a specific mode of toxic action when present in mixtures rather than baseline toxicity. As a result, an underestimation of toxicity based on the ECOSAR model is possible for the mixture of target antimicrobials. For Greek rivers where low (dilution factor, D < 10) and medium (D = 10–100) dilution of wastewater occurs, moderate to high risk is expected due to the existence of individual antimicrobials such as amoxicillin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, erythromycin, and levofloxacin in discharged treated wastewater.

We investigated the bioaccumulation of selected trace elements in samples of the lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. transplanted across two seasons in the urban area of Genoa (NW Italy), which is heavily affected by traffic and industrial pollution. Total concentration of most elements did not exhibit differences between seasons, exceptions being Al and Na, higher in summer, and As, Cd, and Ti, higher in winter. Differences emerged in the initial concentrations of some elements in control samples, and this was accounted for by the use of exposed-to-control (EC) ratios, which allowed interpretation of changes in element concentrations. The study area resulted highly polluted, likely by particulate matter, as suggested also by the higher concentrations of airborne PM₁₀during winter months. Bioaccumulation of particulate matter seems to be affected by differences in rainfall regimes across seasons, since element solubilization and leaching due to precipitation may vary considerably.

Water is an essential factor for maintaining the vital functions of living beings. Nickel is the 24th most abundant element on Earth; it is a heavy metal that is genotoxic and mutagenic in its chloride form. Due to industrial use, its concentration in surface sediments increased considerably. Fish develop characteristics that make them excellent experimental models for studying aquatic toxicology. They are particularly useful because they can alert of the potential danger of chemical substances or environmental pollution. Due to water quality impairment and because there are few published studies that relate nickel to tissue alteration, this study aimed to examine the consequences of nickel in an aquatic environment. For this analysis, individuals of Oreochromis niloticus were exposed for 96 h to three different concentrations of nickel dissolved in water according to the standard established by Brazilian law and compared them to a control group. After exposure, the gills were analyzed using X-ray microanalysis, ultramorphology, and histological and histochemical analysis. The results demonstrated that all the concentrations used in the experiment altered the histophysiology of the individuals exposed. In conclusion, the nickel presents a toxic potential to fish, even at the lowest concentration tested, which is equivalent to half of the concentration allowed by law. The CONAMA resolution should be revised for this parameter because of the interference of this metal in the histophysiology of the tested organism.

An efficient pretreatment and analytical method was developed to investigate the occurrence and fate of four free estrogens (estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (17β-E2), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2)), four conjugated estrogens (estrone-3-sulfate sodium salt (E1-3S), 17β-estradiol-3-sulfate sodium salt (E2-3S), estrone-3-glucuronide sodium salt (E1-3G), and 17β-estradiol-3-glucuronide sodium salt (E2-3G)), and bisphenol A (BPA) in three livestock farms raising beef cattle, cows, sheep, swine, and chickens in Qi County, which is located in North China. The results demonstrated that one cow and one beef cattle excreted 956.25–1,270.41 and 244.38–319.99 μg/day of total (free and conjugated) estrogen, respectively, primarily through feces (greater than 91 %), while swine excreted 260.09–289.99 μg/day of estrogens, primarily through urine (98–99 %). The total estrogen excreted in sheep and broiler chicken feces was calculated to be 21.64–28.67 and 4.62–5.40 μg/day, respectively. It was determined that conjugated estrogens contributed to 21.1–21.9 % of the total estrogen excreted in cow feces and more than 98 % of the total estrogen excreted in swine urine. After composting, the concentration of total estrogen decreased by 18.7–59.6 %; however, increased levels of BPA were measured. In treated compost samples, estrogens were detected at concentrations up to 74.0 ng/g, which indicates a potential risk of estrogens entering the surrounding environment.

In this work, protein phosphatase inhibition assays (PPIAs) have been used to evaluate the performance of recombinant PP1 and recombinant and wild-type PP2As. The enzymes have been compared using microcystins-LR (MC-LR) as a model cyanotoxin. Whereas PP2ARₑcprovides a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.1 μg/L, PP1Rₑcand PP2AWᵢₗdprovide LODs of 0.6 and 0.5 μg/L, respectively, lower than the guideline value proposed by the World Health Organization (1 μg/L). The inhibitory potencies of seven MC variants (-LR, -RR, -dmLR, -YR, -LY, -LW and -LF) have been evaluated, resulting on 50 % inhibition coefficient (IC₅₀) values ranging from 1.4 to 359.3 μg/L depending on the MC variant and the PP. The PPIAs have been applied to the determination of MC equivalent contents in a natural cyanobacterial bloom and an artificially contaminated sample, with multi-MC profiles. The inhibition equivalency factors (IEFs) have been applied to the individual MC quantifications determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, and the estimated MC-LR equivalent content has been compared to PPIA results. PPIAs have demonstrated to be applicable as MC screening tools for environmental applications and to protect human and animal health.

Organic pollutants present in the soil of a microcosm containing pulp and paper mill black liquor were extracted with hexane/acetone (1:1 v/v) to study the biodegradation and detoxification potential of a Bacillus sp. gas chromatography-mass spectroscopic (GC-MS) analysis performed after biodegradation showed formation of simpler compounds like p-hydroxyhydrocinnamic acid (retention time [RT] 19.3 min), homovanillic acid methyl ester (RT 21.6 min) and 3,5-dimethoxy-p-coumaric alcohol (RT 24.7 min). The methyltetrazolium (MTT) assay for cytotoxicity, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assay for dioxin-like behavior and alkaline comet assay for genotoxicity were carried out in the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HuH-7 before and after bacterial treatment. Bioremediation for 15 days reduced toxicity, as shown by a 139-fold increase in black liquor’s LC₅₀value, a 343-fold reduction in benzo(a)pyrene equivalent value and a 5-fold reduction in olive tail moment. The EROD assay positively correlated with both the MTT and comet assays in post biodegradation toxicity evaluation.

Fast-growing metal-accumulating woody plants are considered potential candidates for phytoextraction of metals. Shuikoushan mining, one of the biggest Pb and Zn production bases in China, presents an important source of the pollution of environment during the last 100 years. Over 150 km²of fertile soil have been contaminated by the dust, slag, and tailings from this mining. The goal of the present work has been to determine the content of Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cu in wild woody plants (18 species) naturally growing in this area. Two hundred five plant and soil samples from 11 contaminated sites were collected and analyzed. In addition, to assess the ability of multi-metal accumulation of these trees, we proposed a predictive comprehensive bio-concentration index (CBCI) based on fuzzy synthetic assessment. Our data suggest some adult trees could also accumulate a large amount of metals. Pb concentrations in leaves of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. (1,179 mg/kg) exceeded the hyperaccumulation threshold (1,000 mg/kg). Elevated Pb concentrations (973.38 mg/kg) were also found in the leaves of Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent., with a Pb bio-concentration factor of up to 0.701. Endemic species, Zenia insignis Chun exhibited huge potential for Zn and Cd phytoextraction, with the highest concentrations of Zn (1,968 mg/kg) and Cd (44.40 mg/kg), characteristic root nodules, and fast growth rates in poor soils. As for multi-metal accumulation ability, native species B. papyrifera was calculated to have the most exceptional ability to accumulate various metals simultaneously (CBCI 2.93), followed by Amorpha fruticosa L. (CBCI 2.72) and Lagerstroemia indica L. (CBCI 2.53). A trend of increasing metal from trunks to leaves (trunks < branches < leaves) and towards fine roots has been shown by metal partitioning between tissues. The proposed CBCI would allow for the selection of suitable trees for phytoremediation in the future.