scholarly journals Comprehensive Characterization of 76 Pharmaceuticals and Metabolites in Wastewater by LC-MS/MS

Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Cristian Gómez-Canela ◽  
Sílvia Edo ◽  
Natalia Rodríguez ◽  
Gemma Gotor ◽  
Sílvia Lacorte

Wastewaters are considered one of the main sources of pollution in the aquatic environment as release a large number of contaminants every day. Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals have special interest due to the high levels of consumption by the global population, their bioactive properties and because actual directives do not include the monitoring of pharmaceuticals. Moreover, it is well-known that pharmaceuticals can be degraded to metabolites or transformation products (TPs), which could be more toxic than the parental compound. In this study, we have developed an analytical method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine 76 highly consumed pharmaceuticals, including metabolites and TPs in wastewater effluents. In the 10 wastewaters analysed, the mean concentrations were in the µg L−1 levels, being mycophenolic acid, levodopa, ibuprofen, 4-aminoantypirine, losartan, amylmetacresol, amoxicillin, fluticasone, tramadol, budesonide, chlorpheniramine and diclofenac the pharmaceuticals with the highest concentrations. This study provides a comprehensive optimization on the MS conditions to determine pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites and provides a spectral characterization to be used for the identification of these compounds in water.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4076
Author(s):  
Sylvie Tagliati ◽  
Simona Barni ◽  
Mattia Giovannini ◽  
Giulia Liccioli ◽  
Lucrezia Sarti ◽  
...  

Background: Nut allergies are an increasingly frequent health issue in the pediatric population. Tree nuts (TN) and peanuts are the second cause of food anaphylaxis in Italy. Unfortunately, knowledge of the clinical characteristics of a TN allergy in Italian children is limited. Our study aimed to identify the clinical and allergological characteristics of Italian children with a nut allergy (TN and peanut). Methods: A retrospective observational analysis was performed on the clinical charts of children with a history of nut reaction referred to the allergy unit of the hospital from 2015 to 2019. The studied population was represented by children with a confirmed nut allergy based on positive prick by prick and/or serum-specific IgE to nut plus a positive nut oral food challenge. Demographic, clinical, and allergological features were studied and compared among different nuts. Results: In total, 318 clinical charts were reviewed. Nut allergy was confirmed in 113 patients. Most patients (85/113, 75%) had a familial history of allergy and/or a concomitant allergic disorder (77/113, 68%). Hazelnut and walnut were the more common culprit nuts observed in allergic children. Anaphylaxis was the first clinical manifestation of nut allergy in a high percentage of children (54/113, 48%). The mean age of the first nut reaction was statistically higher with pine nuts. Over 75% of children reported a single nut reaction. During the OFCs, the signs and symptoms involved mainly the gastrointestinal system (82/113, 73%) and resolved spontaneously in most cases. Severe reactions were not frequent (22/113, 19%). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first Italian study that provided a comprehensive characterization of children with a nut allergy. These results are important for clinicians treating children with a nut allergy.


Author(s):  
Charles D. Humphrey ◽  
E. H. Cook ◽  
Karen A. McCaustland ◽  
Daniel W. Bradley

Enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis (ET-NANBH) is a type of hepatitis which is increasingly becoming a significant world health concern. As with hepatitis A virus (HAV), spread is by the fecal-oral mode of transmission. Until recently, the etiologic agent had not been isolated and identified. We have succeeded in the isolation and preliminary characterization of this virus and demonstrating that this agent can cause hepatic disease and seroconversion in experimental primates. Our characterization of this virus was facilitated by immune (IEM) and solid phase immune electron microscopic (SPIEM) methodologies.Many immune electron microscopy methodologies have been used for morphological identification and characterization of viruses. We have previously reported a highly effective solid phase immune electron microscopy procedure which facilitated identification of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in crude cell culture extracts. More recently we have reported utilization of the method for identification of an etiologic agent responsible for (ET-NANBH).


Author(s):  
N. David Theodore ◽  
Leslie H. Allen ◽  
C. Barry Carter ◽  
James W. Mayer

Metal/polysilicon investigations contribute to an understanding of issues relevant to the stability of electrical contacts in semiconductor devices. These investigations also contribute to an understanding of Si lateral solid-phase epitactic growth. Metals such as Au, Al and Ag form eutectics with Si. reactions in these metal/polysilicon systems lead to the formation of large-grain silicon. Of these systems, the Al/polysilicon system has been most extensively studied. In this study, the behavior upon thermal annealing of Au/polysilicon bilayers is investigated using cross-section transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). The unique feature of this system is that silicon grain-growth occurs at particularly low temperatures ∽300°C).Gold/polysilicon bilayers were fabricated on thermally oxidized single-crystal silicon substrates. Lowpressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) at 620°C was used to obtain 100 to 400 nm polysilicon films. The surface of the polysilicon was cleaned with a buffered hydrofluoric acid solution. Gold was then thermally evaporated onto the samples.


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