Toxicity of environmentally important micropollutants on three trophic levels

Micropollution is a serious environmental problem caused by continuous entry of trace quantities of toxic chemical substances into the aquatic environment. In the present study, three trophic levels of the aquatic ecosystems were used to evaluate the acute toxicities of environmentally important micropollutants including heavy metals, pesticides and drugs. There is a scarcity of information on toxicity of the studied substances on marine water algae. Among studied micropollutants, the most toxic chemical to Daphnia magna and Danio rerio was found to be 1-Chloro-2,4 dinitrobenzene with EC50 of 0.002 and 4.2 mg/L, respectively. Although this compound was also toxic to marine algae, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, arsenic showed the highest toxicity to the algae with EC50 of 2.4 mg/L. As compared to other organisms, D. magna was found to have higher sensitivity to all of the tested micropollutants.

Recent Trends in Sustainable Textiles and Apparel Production

Human life is sustainable with food, cloth, and shelter as a basic need. The global textile industry is bound to be huge, as it fulfills the second basic requirement of human. In recent years ecological issues have become more important in the textile and apparel industry, an industry known as a polluting industry despite having a natural and environmentally friendly base. Every textile item releases toxic substances that are harmful to the environment. The traditional textile industry consumes large amounts of natural resources and pollutes the environment by involving a huge amount of toxic chemical substances during the production and wet treatment processes. Sustainability has become an essential attribute of today’s textile industry. The process of transforming the textile industry into a more sustainable one is very sensitive, needs a lot of knowledge, skills, and commitment. This paper reviews the importance, recent trends, and role of governing bodies in sustainable textile production.

KADAR SENYAWA TOKSIK DALAM DARAH IKAN NILA (Oreochromis niloticus) SAAT MUSIM UP-WELLING DI DANAU MANINJAU, SUMATRA BARAT

Maninjau lake is the largest center for the freshwater floating-net-cage fisheries system in West Sumatra. Every year, during the up-welling season, a huge number of fish suffered to death in the lake including nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), a common species cultivated in the floating-net cages. This current study aimed to determine the factors contributing to the death of fish by measuring the concentration of toxic chemical substances in the blood plasm of nile tilapia as well as in the subtrate collected from the bottom of the lake. The samples were collected in the sites with higher number of floating-net cages as well as higher number of mass death of fish (Tanjung Sani, Pakan Raba’a dan Maninjau) during the up-welling season. The result revealed that the levels of phosphate, nitrate, nitrit, and amonium were higher in the blood plasm of the fish. Moreover, the levels of those chemical substances were also higher in the substrate of the lake. The higher concentration of the toxic chemical substances might contribute to the mass death of fish living in the floating-net cages during the up-welling season.

CLIMATE CHANGE: IMPACT ON MYCOTOXINS INCIDENCE AND FOOD SAFETY

Climate change may have an impact on the occurrence of food safety hazards along the entire agri-food chain, from farm to fork. The interactions between environmental factors and food contamination, food safety and foodborne diseases are very complex, dynamic and difficult to predict. Extreme weather conditions such as floods and droughts which have not occurred previously in Serbia, may be supporting factors to contamination of crops by various species of toxigenic fungi and related mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are a group of naturally occurring toxic chemical substances, produced mainly by microscopic filamentous fungal species that commonly grow on a number of crops and that cause adverse health effects when consumed by humans and animals. Recent drought and then flooding confirmed that Serbia is one of the few European countries with very high risk exposure to natural hazards, as well as that mycotoxins are one of the foodborne hazards most susceptible to climate change.

Biosynthesis of Metal Nanoparticles via Microbial Enzymes: A Mechanistic Approach

During the last decade, metal nanoparticles (MtNPs) have gained immense popularity due to their characteristic physicochemical properties, as well as containing antimicrobial, anti-cancer, catalyzing, optical, electronic and magnetic properties. Primarily, these MtNPs have been synthesized through different physical and chemical methods. However, these conventional methods have various drawbacks, such as high energy consumption, high cost and the involvement of toxic chemical substances. Microbial flora has provided an alternative platform for the biological synthesis of MtNPs in an eco-friendly and cost effective way. In this article we have focused on various microorganisms used for the synthesis of different MtNPs. We also have elaborated on the intracellular and extracellular mechanisms of MtNP synthesis in microorganisms, and have highlighted their advantages along with their challenges. Moreover, due to several advantages over chemically synthesized nanoparticles, the microbial MtNPs, with their exclusive and dynamic characteristics, can be used in different sectors like the agriculture, medicine, cosmetics and biotechnology industries in the near future.

Cosmetics and its Health Risks

The use of cosmetic products is increasing around the world and a variety of chemical compounds used in the manufacture of these products grows at the same time. In this way, the risk of intoxication, allergic processes, prolonged chemical exposure, side effects and indiscriminate use are also increased. The present work aims to highlight the biological risks that cosmetics can pose to human health against the toxic substances used in its formulation. This work is an integrative literature review structured according to the methodology described by Whittemore, R. and Knafl, K., 2005. This work relates the main toxic chemical substances present in cosmetic products to the possible health complications reported in the scientific literature. Currently, the cosmetic industries have increased the use of compounds with preservative action, surfactant, fragrances, stains, etc. in the formulation of cosmetic products. Such substances potentiate the quality, property and shelf life of cosmetics, but on the other hand, many of these substances are toxic to the human body, presenting health risks ranging from a simple mild hypersensitivity reaction to an anaphylactic process or even a lethal intoxication. Thus, the indiscriminate use of cosmetics may present itself as an emerging issue of public health. In view of the above, this work seeks to encourage improvements in the search for new methodologies for quality control in the production and consumption of cosmetic products around the world.

METROPOLIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: METHODS OF SOLUTION

The paper examines challenging environmental issues of Russian landscape territories, related to anthropogenic impacts on human’s natural habitat and dangerous Earth biosphere pollution by toxic chemical substances. The research provides a structural classifi cation of city types by population and size of their territory. The authors give recommendations for nature protection (environmental) measures necessary for a large city (being a standard of comfortable human habitat) against degradation and destruction in order to preserve environmental security and sound functioning of an urban habitat complex system of an intelligent person.

Chemometrics in Medicine and Pharmacy

Chemometrics in Medicine and PharmacyThis minireview summarizes the basic ways of application of chemometrics in medicine and pharmacy. It brings a collection of applications of chemometric used for the solution of diverse practical problems, e.g. exploitation of biologically active species, effective use of biomarkers, advancement of clinical diagnosis, monitoring of the patient's state and prediction of its perspectives, drug design or classification of toxic chemical substances. The aim of this contribution is a brief presentation of versatile potentialities of contemporary chemometrical techniques and relevant software. They are exemplified by typical cases from literature as well as by own research results of the Chemometrics group at Department of Chemistry, the University of Ss. Cyril & Methodius in Trnava.