Contaminants Research Articles

Classification of Organic Contaminants in Water Distribution Systems Developed by SPA and Multi-Classification SVM Using UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Classification of Organic Contaminants in Water Distribution Systems Developed by SPA and Multi-Classification SVM Using UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Potencial de contaminação ambiental dos herbicidas utilizados nas culturas do milho, soja e cana de açúcar

O crescimento populacional e consequente demanda por alimentos exerce uma forte pressão sobre o meio ambiente principalmente em áreas agrícolas. No Brasil, segundo maior exportador de alimentos do mundo, destaca-se a cana-de-açúcar, milho e soja, importantes commodities do agronegócio. No entanto, para que essa produção seja mantida, práticas agrícolas como o manejo de plantas daninhas, dos agrotóxicos e práticas proteção ambiental dos recursos naturais são essenciais. O método de controle químico das plantas daninhas com herbicidas é o mais utilizado, colocando o Brasil como maior consumidor mundial, em quantidade. A presença dessas moléculas no ambiente podem afetar vários ecossistemas incluindo os recursos hídricos. Objetivou-se nesta revisão discorrer sobre potencial de contaminação com herbicidas utilizados na cultura da soja, milho e cana-de açúcar no Brasil. Os ingredientes ativos mais comercializados nos últimos anos foram o glyphosate, 2,4-D, atrazine e diuron. Estudos de monitoramento de resíduos de agrotóxicos têm sinalizado que esses agroquímicos estão presentes nos alimentos, atmosfera, águas superficiais e subterrâneas. Parte das formulações dos herbicidas comercializados para as culturas avaliadas apresenta classificação ambiental entre as classes II (Muito Perigoso) e III (Perigoso). Relatos de casos envolvendo a contaminação por herbicidas têm sido descritos no Brasil e no mundo. Atrazine é o herbicida com maior número de relatos como contaminante de água. O controle deve ser adotado dentro do manejo integrado para minimizar danos, além da conscientização dos agricultores sobre o uso consciente e sustentável e fiscalização dos órgãos competentes para o monitoramento nos recursos hídricos.

Estudo quantitativo temporal sobre a contaminação de aves aquáticas por metais

Elementos potencialmente tóxicos podem ser considerados graves contaminantes ambientais, por não se degradarem e terem efeito acumulativo no meio ambiente e no organismo de diversas espécies. Considerando que a contaminação por metais pode estar associada ao declínio de aves aquáticas, o objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma análise quantitativa temporal, por meio de uma abordagem cienciométrica sobre a contaminação e possível declínio de aves aquáticas que habitam áreas potencialmente contaminadas por metais. Foram encontradas, 239 publicações indexadas nas duas bases de dados analisadas, sendo 218 publicações na base de dados da Web of Science, com uma representatividade de (91,21%) e 21 publicações (8,79%) na base de dados Scopus. Os trabalhos analisados estudaram 25 famílias e 66 espécies de aves que tiveram ao menos um órgão/tecido/estrutura (fígado, fezes, bolo estomacal, sangue, pulmão, pena coração encéfalo, ossos, unha, tecido muscular, ovos) contaminado por pelo menos um dos 18metais encontradosnos artigos analisados (Hg,Pb,Zn,Cu,Cd,Fe,Mg,Ca,Mn,Sr,As,Ni,Sc,Al,Ag,Co,Cr)e MeHg que é a forma orgânica do Hg. Os resultados das pesquisas analisadas indicaram que os metais estudados, podem comprometer a sobrevivência, capacidade de forrageamento das aves em seu ambiente natural, prejudicando também o desenvolvimento morfológico, o que poderia diminuir a possibilidade de sucesso reprodutivo, e, portanto, contribuir para o declínio das populações de aves aquáticas ao redor do mundo.

Large scale Production of I-2 thermostable Newcastle Disease Vaccine in Sudan

In the present study, a live attenuated Newcastle Disease (ND) vaccine of I-2strain was produced locally. the master seed I-2 virus was first supplied by the Department of Veterinary Pathology of the University of Queensland, Australia, which then handed over by the Department of Veterinary Virology of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) Sudan. A 11 days old embryonated chicken eggs with a minimal risk of vertical transmission were used for the virus propagation. The ND I-2 Master Seed Lot ( MSL) was prepared in aliquots and stored in a liquid form at -20⁰C. The Working Seed Lot (WSL) was prepared from the MSL and stored in a freeze dried form. The WSL then complied with the main quality tests of identity,safety, immunogenicity, efficacy, microbial contamination, thermostability and the infectivity titer tests.The virulence of the WSL was estimated via intracerepral pathogenicity index test (ICPI), the ICPI was 0.125 and the vaccine was proved to be safe in day old chicks.The immunogenicity measured by mean of ELISA. The GMT titer for the post vaccination serum was statistically significant than the pre vaccinated serum(P=0.001) paired sample t.test.The efficacy against a vvND virus, (ICPI 1.97) was 89% and the WSL was proved to be free from any detectable contaminant microorganisms. The temperature sensitivity for vaccine potency had been determined at different temperature levels and at Fluctuating Room Temperature (FRT). The titer decreased only by 0.2, 4.5 and 4.6 logs at temperatures -20⁰C, 37⁰C and 56⁰C respectively, while in the FRT decreased by 7.53 logs. The virus titer of WSL on the embryonated chickens, eggs was 9.1 EID50/ml.

Improved Superstructural Optimisation of an Industrial Water System with Multiple Water Resources

Most of the previous industrial water network models use freshwater as a vital water supply source without defining the origin of freshwater. However, in practice, the freshwater can be obtained from many water resources (e.g., municipal water, groundwater, surface water, municipally treated water, and seawater), after necessary Pre-treatment. Also, the effluents from the desalted water station, power station, and cooling water station can be used in other water using processes by satisfying the contaminant limits. Nevertheless, the existing water system design model does not apply directly to the design of effective industrial water systems. In order to overcome the above limitation, this paper proposed an innovative property based mathematical superstructure model for the industrial water network, consisting of water pre-treatment, water utility, water-using, and wastewater treatment systems. The proposed mathematical model provides appropriate water resource selection to acquire freshwater for the industrial water network and integrates all possible functional designs for water treatment, reuse, and recycling. The design model comprises the related equations, flow rate, and property constraints between the different water sources and sinks. The proposed model is framed as a nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithm and resolved using commercial software GAMS. The proposed model is validated by a case study of the simplified water system of the Chinese industrial chemical complex. Results show a substantial reduction of 8.39 % and 21.75 % in the total annualised cost and freshwater demand.

Economic Analysis of Syngas Production by Coupling Coal Gasification Wastewater Treatment and Solid Oxide Cell System

Coal is the main energy source in China, and coal chemistry wastewater treatment has always been a research hotspot. For the large amount of concentrated organic wastewater, high cost caused by complex treatment process is the key issue. In this paper, the fixed bed Lurgi gasifier wastewater coupled with solid oxide cells (SOCs) system is employed for its treatment. Based on Aspen Plus software, the purified methane from marsh gas is sent to solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for electricity generation. While carbon dioxide separated from biogas purification and acid gas removal enters solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) to produce syngas by co-electrolysis with steam.The simulation results show that the efficiency of SOFC is 48.5 %. The generated electric energy can be used for auxiliary equipment in wastewater treatment and SOEC to produce syngas, recycling of carbon dioxide. SOEC with wind power of 12.84 MW is enough to treat the waste gas generated by the 1,100 t/h Lurgi gasification wastewater treatment process. Economically, the cost of producing syngas, with high purity and fewer contaminant contents, is about 0.126 $/Nm3. It can be used to produce various chemicals, so as to further improve the economic benefit of wastewater treatment.

The Effect of Deep Breathing Technique and Lo'i Sto Combination on Decreasing the Symptomps of Asthma Patients at the Area of Public Health Center of Penana'e

Asthma is a disease that occurs due to the narrowing of the airway that is reversible in a short time in thick mucus, spasm, and mucosal edema and also desquamation of the bronchial/bronchial epithelium form, due to eosinophilic inflammation with excessive sensitivity. An asthma attack is often triggered by an Upper Respiratory tract Infection (URI), smoking, emotional stress, physical activity, and antigenic/allergens stimulation including; inhalant that entering the body through breathing, ingestan that entering the body through the mouth, the contaminant that entering the body through the skin contact. This study aims to identify the deep breathing technique with lo'i sto for decreasing the symptomps of asthma between the intervention group and the control group. The experimental research design in this study used a quasy experimental design. The research design used was a non-random control group pretest-posttest design. A total of 66 people were sampled using the quota sampling technique following the criteria inclusion in research studies. Deep breathing technique with lo'i sto is carried out for 3 weeks along with the observing asthma symptoms weekly before and after deep breathing technique with lo'i sto to all of the respondents.n n

Treatment of Industrial Oily Effluent Using a Biossurfactant from Pseudomonas Cepacia Cct6659 as an Alternative Collector in a Bench Scale-induced Saturation Tower

The increase in activities related to the oil and electric power sector are mainly responsible for the production of oily waters and their disposal, requiring treatment strategies and separation of these wastes. For the treatment of oily water, flotation technology employing air microbubbles for contaminant saturation can be employed efficiently. Chemical surfactants are applied as collectors for separation of suspended oil particles. Biosurfactants biodegradable and non-toxic, stand out as alternative collectors in the treatment of industrial effluents replacing synthetic and toxic surfactants. The present work aims to present an efficient solution through the of an innovative induced-air microbubble flotation prototype configured in a Stage Induced Saturation Tower (IST), in bench scale. This technology emerges as a more efficient and economical solution for the treatment of industrial wastewater using biosurfactants as collectors because they are biodegradable and have reduced toxicity. In this sense, the potential of the biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas cepacia CCT6659 as an alternative collector in the treatment of an oily effluent from a thermoelectric plant was evaluated. Comparative tests were performed using the proposed biosurfactant, a cationic polymer, a synthetic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a commercial rhamnolipid classified biosurfactant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The tests were performed in the new system after homogenization between surfactant / effluent. The sample was fed at the top of the Tower and successively interacted with upward streams of air microbubbles at different stages. Samples of treated effluent were collected to evaluate the percentage of oil removal by spectrophotometry. The most significant results of the surfactant activities of the biosurfactant produced were: surface tension of 26 mN / m, emulsification capacity of 98.72% and dispersion action of approximately 86.00%. The IST system, with the action of microbubbles alone, achieved a 75.00% oil removal. The high efficiency of water / oil separation by P. cepacia biosurfactant compared to the collectors was proven from the removal of 97.49% of oil contained in the industrial effluent. Therefore, the potential of this surfactant agent as an alternative collector in an induced saturation flotation system proved helps to reduce the environmental impacts caused by industrial plants.

Application of Biosurfactant Obtained from Eichhornia Crassipes in the Removal of Petroderivate in Sand and Water from the Sea

Oil spills and oil products destroy terrestrial and marine ecosystems. One solution to this is the use of biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are able to solubilize oil stains in soil and water. The intense reproduction of Eichhornia crassipes leads to a high density, causing obstructions in the waterway. The use of macrophytes for the production of biosurfactants represents the generation of value-added products. In this sense, roots of the plant were collected and they were submitted to several stages of extraction. The surface tension, the Critical Micellar Concentration (CMC) and the emulsification indexes were obtained for the extract. In addition, stability tests and applications of the vegetal extract were used to evaluate the removal of oil in sand and the dispersion of the oil in sea water. The plant extract was characterized by the presence of saponin, and the molecular structure of the biosurfactant was defined. The results showed a yield of 0.5 % of the vegetal extract, a surface tension of 27.57 mN/m and a high emulsification indexes of 65.4 %. Biosurfactant stability tests were performed at different pH, temperature and increasing concentrations of NaCl and they showed a little variation in the surface tension. The CMC of the vegetable biosurfactant was 1.4 g/L with a surface tension of 25.84 mN/m. The concentration of saponin was 1.29 g/L in the vegetal extract. The motor oil percentages removed from the sand by biosurfactant (CMC, 1/2 CMC and 2 times CMC), in the static test in packaged glass columns, were, respectively, 55.02, 57.41 and 68.04 %. The vegetable extract was also able to disperse 100 % of the motor oil into sea water. The biosurfactant was characterized as an unsaturated fatty acid. The tensoactive properties, the results of the petroderivative removal and dispersion experiments clearly demonstrate the feasibility of applying this new vegetable biosurfactant as a biotechnological additive to the remediation processes in environments affected by petroleum derived contaminants.

Development of response terms for contaminant transport in two-dimensional model for mixing analysis of toxic chemicals in rivers

Development of response terms for contaminant transport in two-dimensional model for mixing analysis of toxic chemicals in rivers

Effect of common storage condition on the release of phthalate contaminants of bottled water in polyethylene terephthalate: A chemical analysis and human health risk assessment

Aims: This survey aimed to investigate the impact of common storage conditions on the migration of phthalate esters (PEs) including di-2-(ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), terephthalic acid (TPA), and phthalic anhydride from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle into the water and to assess the potential human health risk using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Materials and Methods: Three different PET-bottled water brands were stored for 7 and 90 days at three temperatures: 5, 25, and >45°C. PEs were extracted from samples using the solid-phase extraction method with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: The highest concentrations were found for TPA in samples immediately after purchasing. DEHP and DBP were identified at 90 days in all of the samples. Based on the health risk assessment, the hazard quotient of four compounds in the MCS method was

Anti- Salmonella Antibodies: An Immunoepidemiological Study

This research looks at the seroprevalence of anti-Salmonella antibodies in humans and chickens from Jamaica, West Indies. These antibodies were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and showed that 11.3% (6 out 53) human samples and 95.3% (102 out of 107) IgY samples had the presence of anti-Salmonella antibodies. These results suggest the presence of Salmonellosis as a contaminant in humans and endemic state in birds, which not necessarily means active disease.

Screening of fungal contaminants in banana tissue cultures in Jkuat, Kenya

Tissue culture is prone to high costs of production arising from losses incurred from fungal contamination. The aim of the study was to characterise fungal contaminants and elucidate the exhibited mode of resistance to most preferred sterilants. Twenty nine fungal samples were collected at the different stages of tissue culture growth, using purposive sampling technique. Morphology results were confirmed by molecular characterization using fungal 18S rRNA sequences. Biochemical and antibiosis tests, identification of genes for capsulation and ATP binding Cassete (ABC) transporters, were performed to show the relationship between the fungi and sterilants resistance. Amylases and proteases were highly expressed by all isolates while xylanases and lipases were moderately expressed and esterases were lowly expressed. Only fourteen isolates had antagonistic activity for Candida albicans while nine of them had antagonistic activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Three isolates were both antagonistic for Staphylococcus aureus and for Escherichia coli. Cunninghamella bainieri (10R) recorded a unique antibiosis and extra cellular enzymatic activity (p<0.05). All the isolates were positive for mdr1 gene and three isolates had CAP64 capsule genes. Aspergillus sp., Penincillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Cunninghamella sp. and Fusarium sp. were identified to be the major fungal contaminants of tissue culture banana cultures in JKUAT laboratories. Key words: Tissue culture, 18S rRNA, fungal contaminants, banana cultures.

Performance evaluation of organic matter adsorption from actual graywater using GAC: Orbitrap

The complex combination of organic contaminants in the wastewater made water treatment challenging; hence, organic matter in water bodies is usually measured in terms of organic carbon. Since it is important to identify the types of compounds when deciding suitable treatment methods, this study implemented a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the organic matter content in an actual graywater sample from Ulsan, Republic of Korea using mass spectroscopy (MS). The graywater was treated using adsorption to remove the organic contaminants. Using orbitrap MS, the organic matter content between an untreated graywater and the treated effluent were compared which yielded a significant formula count difference for the samples. It was revealed that CHON formula has the highest removal count. Isotherm studies found that the Freundlich equation was the best fit with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9705 indicating a heterogenous GAC surface with a multilayer characteristic. Kinetics experiments fit the pseudo-second order equation with an R2 of 0.9998 implying that chemisorption is the rate-determining step between the organic compounds and GAC at rate constant of 52.53 g/mg•h. At low temperatures, the reaction between GAC and organic compounds were found to be spontaneous and exothermic. The conditions for optimization were set to achieve a maximum DOC and TN removal which yielded removal percentages of 94.59% and 80.75% for the DOC and TN, respectively. The optimum parameter values are the following: pH 6.3, 2.46 g of GAC for every 30 mL of graywater sample, 23.39 hrs contact time and 38.6 Celcius degree.

The Effect of Crystalline Phase on the Simultaneous Degradation of Phenol and Reduction of Chromium (VI) Using UV/TiO 2 Photocatalysis

Chromium (IV) contamination in industrial wastewater has been on the rise due to increased anthropogenic activities. Similarly, typical industrial wastewater contains high levels of phenol as a result of the direct disposal on phenol into industrial effluent or as degradation products from phenolic compounds. Both these contaminants have adverse effects to human health and the environment and it is therefore necessary to develop technologies to remove them in a sustainable manner. Photocatalysis using TiO2 catalyst activated by UV light is one such technology as it can either oxidize and mineralize organic pollutants or reduce heavy metals contaminants into a noble form. Degussa P25 TiO2 is normally used in photocatalysis due its ability to reduce electron-hole recombination. It has been theorized that the addition of organic compounds as hole scavengers during the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) aids in the reduction efficiency. This study investigated the use of anatase-form TiO2 on the reduction of Cr(VI) in the presence of phenol and compared the results to similar work carried out by our group out Degussa P25 as catalyst. The anatase was shown to be an effective catalyst in the reduction of Cr(VI) with as much as 32 % reduction occurring at neutral pH with no phenol present. Adjusting the solution pH to 3 increased the percentage reduction to 40.7 % whilst addition of 100 ppm of phenol at pH 3 resulted in a 52.3 % Cr(VI) reduction. Comparison of the results obtained for anatase and Degussa P25 TiO2 at the same pH revealed approximately the same Cr(VI) reduction efficiencies with the Degussa P25 having a slight edge. This suggests that the nature of the crystal phase of the two TiO2 investigated does not significantly influence the reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) in the presence of phenol.

Fuels by Chemical Recycling of Waste Plastic and Biomass Mixture and Utilization of the Products

Plastics are key tools in many sectors in our everyday life. In 2016, 320 Mt of plastic waste was generated worldwide and the volume is growing rapidly. In Europe, plastic production increases by 3 % - 5 % a year. Plastics appear in mixed form with other constituents of the waste bins. In one hand, many processes are available for the selection of the pieces by type; on the other hand, these steps need additional cost. The amount of annual biomass waste is around 3.5x109 t, which contain a huge amount of paper, cardboard, etc. Waste pyrolysis should be one possible option for high value-added, sustainable waste polymer and biomass recycling. During the pyrolysis valuable hydrocarbons could be obtained from waste streams. However, the long-term utilization of the products is an unsolved problem. This work is dedicated to the pyrolysis of plastic waste and biomass under mild conditions and investigation of the product properties by catalysts. For this purpose, synthetic zeolite catalysts were applied. It was concluded that the gas yields could be increased from 16.4 % to the range of 22.6 % - 32.2 % and to the range of 24.3 % - 29.4 % by using Ni/ZSM-5 and Ni/SAPO-11based catalyst mixture. The quality of oil produced by catalytic pyrolysis had favorable properties (lower C/H ratio, high mono-aromatic ration (13.9 % - 21.2 %); higher energy content, fewer contaminants or even better long-term properties) by the using of catalysts. Contaminants from raw materials move to gaseous and liquid fractions, and their level can decrease by catalysts.

Influence of the Support Modification Methods on the Chlorophenol Utilization by the Peroxidase Immobilized on Titanium Dioxide

In the current work, the synthesis of the effective multicomponent biocatalysts on the base of horseradish peroxidase immobilized on the modified titanium dioxide for the utilization of chlorophenolic water contaminants was performed. The influence of the support modification methods on the biocatalyst activity and stability was studied. The immobilization of horseradish peroxidase on the unmodified titanium dioxide was found to be ineffective due to the high losses in the enzyme amount during the reaction as well as the biocatalyst particles aggregation (the activity reduces more than 95 %). The titanium dioxide surface modification by the sodium alginate and carbodiimide (23.5 % activity in comparison with the native enzyme); hydrochloric acid, chitosan and glutaric dialdehyde (33.7 % activity in comparison with the native enzyme); and hydrochloric acid, chitosan, glutaric dialdehyde and aminopropyltriethoxysilane (42.5 % activity in comparison with the native enzyme) were found to be the most effective methods. Besides, the last two biocatalysts showed high stability in 10 consecutive cycles. The synthesized biocatalyst can be effectively used for the removal of chlorophenols from the wastewater until the concentrations of 10 ppm.

Treatment of recalcitrant wastewater and hydrogen production via microbial electrolysis cells

A large amount of real complex wastewaters are generated every year, which leads to a great environmental burden. Various treatment technologies were deployed to remove the contaminants in the wastewaters. However, these actual wastewaters have not been sufficiently treated due to their complex properties, high-concentration organics, incomplete utilization of hard-biodegradable substrates, the high energy input required, etc. Recently, microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), a great potential technology, has emerged for various wastewater treatment, because not only do they demonstrate satisfactory performance during wastewater treatment, but they also generate renewable H2 as a clean energy carrier. Unlike previous reviews, this review introduced the characteristics of every complicated wastewater, and focused on analyzing and summarizing MEC development for wastewater treatment. The performances of MECs were systematically reviewed in terms of organics removal, H2 production, Columbic efficiency, and energy efficiency. MEC performances for treating actual complex wastewaters and producing H2 can be optimized through operation parameters, electrode materials, catalyst materials, etc. In addition, the challenges and opportunities including complexity of wastewaters, instability of H2 production, robust microorganisms, effect of membrane on two-chamber MEC, and integration of MEC with other treatment processes were deeply discussed. Except for the technical feasibility, both environmental feasibility and economic feasibility also need to meet social requirements. This review can indeed provide a basis for high-efficiency treatment and practical commercial applications of recalcitrant wastewaters via MECs in the future. Keywords: microbial electrolysis cells, complex wastewater, H2 production, renewable energy, energy efficiency DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191205.5061 Citation: Shen R X, Zhao L X, Lu J W, Watson J, Si B C, Chen X, et al. Treatment of recalcitrant wastewater and hydrogen production via microbial electrolysis cells. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(5): 179–189.

Application of a gaussian model to simulate contaminants dispersion in industrial accidents

The increase of the industrial production and the development of new processes led to the necessity of better regulations of activities concerning potential risks for human health and environment. Accomplishing such purposes requires studies on both the chemistry of the involved phenomenon and the dispersion mechanism in the surrounding environment. While the chemistry of reaction can be determined at small scale via laboratory experiments and models, the dispersion in the environment is an extremely complex phenomenon to model, because it is strongly affected by the atmospheric conditions. Several models with the purpose of simulating pollutants dispersion were developed (Gariazzo et al., 2012; Alemayehu et al., 2015; Fang et al., 2018); among those, Gaussian models found many applications in safety engineering, due to both their effectiveness and relatively low computational costs. The US-EPA recommends the use of the Gaussian model AERMOD for the simulation of dispersions within 50 km from the emission source. It is important to underline that most of these models were developed with the aim to simulate the dispersion of continuous emissions such as those from industrial chimneys. Such systems can be assumed to work under steady-state conditions, since they are supposed to work for a long time. Nonetheless, industrial accidents, which can have a severe impact on people and environment, generally occur at a relatively small time scale, thus their dispersion has not yet reached the steady state conditions.In this work, we developed a modified non-steady-state Eulerian Gaussian model able to simulate the dispersion of contaminants produced by an industrial accident, which is hypothesized to be a point source. The model requires as input data time-dependent meteorological conditions and topographic information of the site, concerning: the source, physical properties of the pollutant, emission height and release temperature. The proposed model was applied to the 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCCD) dispersion after the Seveso accident (1976) near the source (radius of about 4 km). Results highlighted a good agreement with available literature experimental data.

Plant-based milks: unexplored source of emerging mycotoxins. A proposal for the control of enniatins and beauvericin using UHPLC-MS/MS

ABSTRACTMycotoxins have become one of the most common contaminants reported worldwide. Current legislation has established maximum levels only for some well-known mycotoxins; however, there are many other “emerging mycotoxins” for which there is no regulation, as enniatins and beauvericin. An analytical method based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry is proposed for determination of enniatin A, A1, B, B1, and beauvericin in different plant-based milks, as a possible source of these contaminants, is proposed. The method showed good precision and trueness (RSD <8% and recoveries between 84-97%) with a moderate matrix effect. From a total of 32 samples of plant-based milks of different compositions (including 8 rice milks, 8 oat milks and 16 soy milks), 3 samples were contaminated with the five mycotoxins, while 5 samples were contaminated with four of them, being oat milk the most susceptible for contamination.