Polluting Agents Research Articles

In situ construction of pyrite-marcasite-magnetite composite via FeS2 phase transformation and oxidation for the synergistic degradation of methyl orange and Cr(VI)

In this study, the magnetic composite particles composed of marcasite, pyrite, and magnetite were prepared with the hydrothermal process and oxidation. The coexistence of marcasite and pyrite was achieved by controlling the sulfur content in the hydrothermal process, and surface magnetite was realized by controllable oxidation. The typical composite particles presented the regular spherical size of 5 to 7 μm and could degrade 41.2 % MO as well as reduce 98 % Cr(VI). In the mixed solution of MO/Cr(VI), the synergistic degradation rate of MO increased from 41.2 % to 70.5 % and the reduction rate of Cr(VI) could still reach 98 %. Multiphase recombination could increase Fe adsorbed on the material surface and construct the p-n junction. In addition, surface magnetite endowed the material with magnetic recyclability. In situ multiphase recombination turned cheap FeS2 into a valuable treatment agent for mixed pollutants.

Removal of Mercury (II) by Adsorption in Aqueous Solutions with Pomegranate Husks

This article shows the analysis of the efficiency of the pomegranate husks like an adsorbent agent in aqueous solutions contaminate with mercury (II). The contaminated with mercury (II). The variables of this experiment were: the initial concentration of mercury (II) in water, quantity of adsorbent material 50 ml of contaminate solution with Hg (2 and 4 grams), size of the particle of pomegranate husk and contact time between adsorbate and adsorbent (60 minutes). In this process the pomegranate husks were dehydrated at temperature between 30 °C and 50 °C. The results obtained at the end of the investigation show that the pomegranate husks have the capacity to decontaminate mercury (II) from contaminated water at a level of 1 ppm quantity accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003). This is an alternative method, environmentally friendly and sustainable to eliminate pollutant agents from water such as mercury (II).

Analysis of the activities of non-staff units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the liquidation of the medical and sanitary consequences of emergencies and ways to improve it

AIM: Analysis of activities and ways to improve the functioning of emergency units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in eliminating the medical consequences of emergency situations.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The materials of the study were various historical documents and available literary sources characterizing the activities of the medical service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (USSR) during the elimination of the medical consequences of emergencies of various peacetime. A content analysis of an array of historical documents was carried out with subsequent meaningful interpretation to identify problematic factors in the practical activities of non-staff units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The identified problematic questions (n = 10) were formulated, grouped and presented in the form of a corresponding questionnaire with a subsequent survey of military medical specialists (n = 440). The findings were compiled into a common research matrix to determine their specific contribution to the activities of healthcare professionals engaged in different teams and were factorally analyzed, allowing the resulting ranked (ordinal) expert responses to be processed for subsequent interpretation. The consistency of respondents opinions was estimated using a rank correlation coefficient the Kendell concordance coefficient (W).
 RESULTS: As a result of the study, the most significant problem issue was the poor equipment of medical workers with medical products, medicines and sanitary equipment necessary for work in the emergency zone, and the least significant was the possibility of conducting a safe assessment of environmental objects for indication of the causative agent of infectious nature, chemical contamination and radiation pollution. Based on the fact that the total number of problematic questions was 10, all of them were narrowed to 3 fundamental internal (hidden) generalizing factors as a result of factor analysis: comprehensive provision of emergency units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (the factors contribution to the general dispersion is 30.3%), professional activity of emergency units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (12.3%), level of readiness of emergency units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (10.1%).
 CONCLUSION: As a result of the analysis of problematic issues of the professional activities of medical workers from non-staff units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the most significant generalizing factors were identified: comprehensive provision of non-staff units of the Disaster Medicine Service (the factors contribution to the general dispersion is 30.3%), professional activity of non-staff units of the Disaster Medicine Service (12.3%). The obtained results allow making timely decisions by the medical support management bodies of various levels on the organization of the elimination of the medical consequences of emergency situations with the involvement of emergency formations in the form of detachments, brigades, and groups. The main ways to improve the functioning of emergency units of the Disaster Medicine Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the elimination of the medical consequences of emergency situations should be considered to be the optimization of their organizational and staff structure, improving the quality of equipment with medical and material and technical resources, as well as increasing the level of readiness of military medical specialists for action on purpose.

Daphnia as a Sentinel Species for Environmental Health Protection: A Perspective on Biomonitoring and Bioremediation of Chemical Pollution.

Despite available technology and the knowledge that chemical pollution damages human and ecosystem health, chemical pollution remains rampant, ineffectively monitored, rarely prevented, and only occasionally mitigated. We present a framework that helps address current major challenges in the monitoring and assessment of chemical pollution by broadening the use of the sentinel species Daphnia as a diagnostic agent of water pollution. And where prevention has failed, we propose the application of Daphnia as a bioremediation agent to help reduce hazards from chemical mixtures in the environment. By applying “omics” technologies to Daphnia exposed to real-world ambient chemical mixtures, we show improvements at detecting bioactive components of chemical mixtures, determining the potential effects of untested chemicals within mixtures, and identifying targets of toxicity. We also show that using Daphnia strains that naturally adapted to chemical pollution as removal agents of ambient chemical mixtures can sustainably improve environmental health protection. Expanding the use of Daphnia beyond its current applications in regulatory toxicology has the potential to improve both the assessment and the remediation of environmental pollution.

P045 The association of performance of air pollutants on Candida drug resistance

Poster session 1, September 21, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM ObjectiveTherapeutic methods are very important in the prevalence of opportunistic fungal infections, which are among the main causes of human diseases. In this study, air pollution agents that are in direct contact with microorganisms and as a carbon source using CO2 and MTBE and their effects on aspects such as growth and particularly the evaluation of changes in the expression of interfering genes in susceptibility and drug resistance in these fungi were investigated.Materials and MethodsCollecting samples and isolating Candida glabrata (C. glabrata) and Candida albicans (C. albicans) with phenotypic methods were accomplished. In this way, evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with M27A4 protocol of CLSI was done. Adjusting to sensitive strains from the MIC test, which included 20 C. albicans and 10 C. glabrata which were sensitive to fluconazole and itraconazole drugs with 5% CO2 and 5 mg/ml MTBE interfering agents that are considered as air pollutants and also re-evaluating MIC testing to separate strains resistant to azole drug were accomplished.ResultsUp-regulation of some genes on two mentioned yeast had led to drug resistance in them, which were previously sensitive to both drugs. Correspondingly, 41% of C. glabrata samples in sputum showed sensitivity to these drugs. Up-regulation of ERG11(71%) and EPA1 (90%) were observed in resistant strains. Up regulation of genes associated with aspartate proteins and down regulation of SAP3 genes were recognized in C. glabrata in sputum and a 15% down-regulation of BAL isolate and 50% up-regulation of SAP1 gene in C. albicans sensitive samples were observed and compared with fluconazole and itraconazole with oral and joint source. Remarkably, decreased SAP2 expression in oral sources and 60% increase in resistant strains in C. albicans was observed. The down-regulation of SAP3 expression showed in the joint samples. An increase in HWP1expression (30%) was noted in isolated and drug-sensitive samples at the sputum and BAL source. CDR1 expression was increased in MTBE-affected species however, it decreased in the vicinity of CT.ConclusionAir pollutants such as CO2 and MTBE eventually caused drug resistance in Candida, which can be one of the causes of drug resistance in candidiasis infections.

Simultaneous removal of organic inorganic composite contaminants by in situ double modified biochar: Performance and mechanisms

BackgroundIn this study, double modified biochar was prepared to remove organic matter and heavy metals at the same time. It has high removal efficiency for organic matter even in actual irrigation water. MethodsTobacco stem was used as carbon-based carrier, modified with polyacrylic acid (PAA) rich in oxygen functional groups (OFGs) and transition metals (iron and cobalt) with excellent catalytic activity. After mixing them evenly, the in-situ double modified biochar (BCPAA@CFO) of OFGs and CoFe2O4 (CFO) was obtained by one-step hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). Significant findingsBCPAA@CFO in QNC-Pb2+composite system, CFO can quickly activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS), and the degradation efficiency of quinclorac (QNC) is as high as 80.7%. Free radical quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis indicated that SO4·−, ·OH, ·O2− and 1O2 were the main active species involved in the degradation of QNC. At the same time, the rich OFGs make the adsorption efficiency of Pb2+reach 73.2% within 4 h. FT-IR results further confirmed that the dominant role of adsorption should be OFGs. In general, this in-situ double modified BCPAA@CFO obtained by one pot HTC is a promising purifying agent for mixed pollutants.

Toxic Effect of Metal Doping on Diatoms as Probed by Broadband Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy.

The global marine environment is increasingly affected by human activities causing climate change, eutrophication, and pollution. These factors influence the metabolic mechanisms of phytoplankton species, such as diatoms. Among other pollutant agents, heavy metals can have dramatic effects on diatom viability. Detailed knowledge of the interaction of diatoms with metals is essential from both a fundamental and applicative point of view. To this aim, we assess terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a tool for sensing the diatoms in aqueous systems which mimic their natural environment. Despite the strong absorption of terahertz radiation in water, we show that diatoms can be sensed by probing the water absorption enhancement in the terahertz range caused by the water–diatom interaction. We reveal that the addition of metal dopants affects this absorption enhancement, thus enabling the monitoring of the toxic effects of metals on diatoms using terahertz spectroscopy. We demonstrate that this technique can detect the detrimental effects of heavy metals earlier than conventional methods such as microscopy, enzymatic assays, and molecular analyses aimed at assessing the overexpression of genes involved in the heavy metal-stress response.

Environmental Decay of Single Use Surgical Face Masks as an Agent of Plastic Micro-Fiber Pollution

Large numbers of Single Use Surgical-type Face Masks, used by the public as personal protective equipment during the 2020–2022 COVID-19 pandemic, have been lost or intentionally discarded and have entered the environment rather than the waste management stream. These masks, made from non-woven polypropylene fibers, will undergo environmental decay which will release fiber fragments as microplastics into the environment. While the photochemical process of the decay of polypropylene polymers (photo-oxidation) is well understood, and while there are numerous studies that investigate mask decay and micro-fiber shedding in laboratory settings, there are no observational data that describe the progress and speed of decay on polypropylene face masks in real-life environmental settings. This paper examines the breakdown of single use surgical-type face masks under natural conditions. Masks from three manufacturers were exposed to natural sunlight over a ten-week period and their state of decay was photographically recorded in situ at weekly intervals. Visible decay accelerated after three weeks, with masks made from thinner spunbond fabric decaying more rapidly. Among same-weight fabric, photo-oxidation affected fabric dyed light blue more than undyed fabric, leading to a total breakdown after six weeks. The results are novel as they demonstrate a differential decay between the spunbonded and the melt-blown fabric, which cracks and breaks down much faster due to thinner fibers of shorter length and the lack of thermal bonding points. The resultant extensive micro-fiber generation was accelerated by external physical forces such as wind. This experiment highlights the fact that municipal agencies have only a narrow window of time to remove stray face masks from the urban environment if micro-fiber pollution is to be prevented.

Photocatalytic activity of white cement-based mortars with polysiloxane silicone and different doses of titanium dioxide nanoparticles

White cement-based mortars in urban areas are usually discolored and altered their esthetic properties due to air pollutants. The addition of nanoparticles in these mortars can provide photocatalytic properties that can decompose pollution agents. Likewise, other hydrophobic agents have been individually studied to improve outdoor building constructions. Therefore, this study presented the photocatalytic and hydrophobic effect of adding nano-TiO2 and silicone hydrophobic powder (DOWSILTM) in a white cement matrix. The nano-TiO2 were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD); afterwards, the mortar was mixed with additions of nano-TiO2 (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0%) and DOWSILTM (0.0, 0.5%). The mortar's photocatalytic performance was evaluated using a modification of the standard Italian test Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione 11259:2016 based on Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation on the sample exposed to UV irradiation. Therefore, mortar samples were subjected to UV irradiation to degrade the organic dye rhodamine B, monitoring their color variation using a CIEL*a*b* spectrophotometer. Moreover, the water permeability and the contact angle were evaluated. This research demonstrates that the white cement-based mortar samples added with nano-TiO2/DOWSILTM possess photocatalytic activity. The samples with the addition of 1.0%/0.5% and 3.0%/0.5% nano-TiO2/DOWSILTM showed a higher RhB degradation for R4 and R26. Therefore, these two materials can be employed in these proportions to improve the quality of the white cement-based mortars in urban constructions.

Data Fusion Approach to Simultaneously Evaluate the Degradation Process Caused by Ozone and Humidity on Modern Paint Materials.

The knowledge of the atmospheric degradation reactions affecting the stability of modern materials is still of current interest. In fact, environmental parameters, such as relative humidity (RH), temperature, and pollutant agents, often fluctuate due to natural or anthropogenic climatic changes. This study focuses on evaluating analytical and statistical strategies to investigate the degradation processes of acrylic and styrene-acrylic paints after exposure to ozone (O3) and RH. A first comparison of FTIR and Py-GC/MS results allowed to obtain qualitative information on the degradation products and the influence of the pigments on the paints’ stability. The combination of these results represents a significant potential for the use of data fusion methods. Specifically, the datasets obtained by FTIR and Py-GC/MS were combined using a low-level data fusion approach and subsequently processed by principal component analysis (PCA). It allowed to evaluate the different chemical impact of the variables for the characterization of unaged and aged samples, understanding which paint is more prone to ozone degradation, and which aging variables most compromise their stability. The advantage of this method consists in simultaneously evaluating all the FTIR and Py-GC/MS variables and describing common degradation patterns. From these combined results, specific information was obtained for further suitable conservation practices for modern and contemporary painted films.

Computational analysis of microbial community using amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene

The microbial community has various essential applications in multiple sections such as pharmaceuticals, enzyme production, food industry and waste management. Microbes produce metabolites (crucial products for the industrial process) and utilize substrate which plays a vital role in solid waste degradation. The computational metagenomic approach is considered as a solution for these problems. Microbial species are widely used for the bioremediation of solid waste materials. In this study, the solid waste contains wheat straw and human faeces occupied in a semi-continuous bio-converter condition for 105 days. The metagenomic data of six samples of solid waste were retrieved in FASTQ format from the ENA database. The sequence reads are analyzed using the QIIME (Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology) pipeline. This study includes demultiplexing, quality checking, OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) clustering, taxonomic assignment, phylogenetic analysis, biodiversity analysis and visualizations of solid waste samples. Results showed that solid waste metagenome is characterized by phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and genera Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Pseudomonas and Bacillus are abundant in all samples. These microbial communities have potential application in the degradation of lignocellulosic waste. Hence, these microorganisms may be used to treat several solid waste materials and are considered an effective bioremediating agent for several pollutants.

Demystifying use of septic tanks for waste water treatment in developing countries

The narrative that septic tanks are agents of ground water pollution, has contributed to the false negative responses that are experienced any time an installation of these tanks is undertaken. To demystify this narrative, it was imperative to explore different perspectives from social-cultural environment to technological one. The study used qualitative multiple case study approach, to review available published literature, surveys and experimental studies on septic tanks. To resolve the challenge of low sanitation coverage that may risk achievement of SDG 6.2, focus should shift from conventional centralised systems to onsite in this case septic tanks. Within the context of septic tanks, dome shaped digesters should be preferred because of structural integrity when tested for deformations, bending moments and shear forces under different combinations of loads. The social perspectives of pollution, caused by septic tanks, should not stand if baseline data on variables such as space, soil formation and strength of material are conducted. To avoid environmental contamination, areas designated for septic tanks should be delineated as such. An inventory of all septic tanks should be kept. Consultants and developers involved in selection of waste water treatment options, should avoid false negative response and focus on empirical results, after delineation. The research findings have indicated that dome shaped digesters as opposed to traditional rectangular septic tanks, should be adopted if developing countries are to improve sanitation coverage.

Water Remediation from Pollutant Agents by the Use of an Environmentally Friendly Supramolecular Hydrogel

AbstractThe removal of Diclofenac sodium from waste waters has a high relevance since it belongs to the therapeutic group most commonly found in wastes. An aromatic‐free and low‐impact technology that efficiently entraps aqueous pollutants is highly desirable. We synthesised two Boc‐protected and aromatic‐free tripeptides (Boc‐L‐Ala‐Aib‐L‐Val‐OH and Boc‐L‐Val‐Aib‐L‐Val‐OH) and studied their ability to form gels with mixtures of water and alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol and 2‐propanol. Boc‐L‐Ala‐Aib‐L‐Val‐OH forms a strong hydrogel in 2‐propanol/water mixtures able to trap up to 97.8% of Eosin Y model molecule and up to 92.0% of Diclofenac sodium from aqueous solutions. The hydrogel is also thixotropic, thermoreversible and biocompatible. This outcome is very encouraging and paves the way to a new approach for developing new materials using aromatic‐free hydrogels, useful for water remediation.

Potentially Toxic Metals in the High-Biomass Non-Hyperaccumulating Plant Amaranthus viridis: Human Health Risks and Phytoremediation Potentials.

Simple SummaryThe goal of this study was to measure the concentrations of four potentially toxic metals in green amaranth (leaves, stems, and roots) collected from 11 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia. The danger of the metal concentrations to human health was assessed. The metal levels were highest in the root parts, followed by stems and leafy parts. The positive relationships of metals between plant parts and the habitat topsoils suggested that the green amaranth could be used as a useful biomonitoring agent of Cd, Fe, and Ni pollution. In addition, the green amaranth was also a very promising phytoextraction agent of Ni and Zn and a very promising phytostabiliser of Cd and Fe. This indicates that green amaranth can be used in the phytoremediation of the polluted soils by Cd, Fe, Ni, and Zn. The human health risk assessment for the potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the leaves of green amaranth indicated that the four metals posed no non-carcinogenic dangers to consumers. However, it is of utmost importance to monitor PTMs in Amaranthus fields periodically.Human health risk and phytoremediation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the edible vegetables have been widely discussed recently. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of four PTMs, namely Cd, Fe, Ni, and Zn) in Amaranthus viridis (leaves, stems, and roots) collected from 11 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia and to assess their human health risk (HHR). In general, the metal levels followed the order: roots > stems > leaves. The metal concentrations (µg/g) in the leaves of A. viridis ranged from 0.45 to 2.18 dry weight (dw) (0.05–0.26 wet weight (ww)), 74.8 to 535 dw (8.97–64.2 ww), 2.02 to 7.45 dw (0.24–0.89 ww), and 65.2 to 521 dw (7.83–62.6 ww), for Cd, Fe, Ni, and Zn, respectively. The positive relationships between the metals, the plant parts, and the geochemical factions of their habitat topsoils indicated the potential of A. viridis as a good biomonitor of Cd, Fe, and Ni pollution. With most of the values of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) > 1.0 and the transfer factor (TF) > 1.0, A. viridis was a very promising phytoextraction agent of Ni and Zn. Additionally, with most of the values of BCF > 1.0 and TF < 1.0, A. viridis was a very promising phytostabiliser of Cd and Fe. With respect to HHR, the target hazard quotients (THQ) for Cd, Fe, Pb, and Zn in the leaves of A. viridis were all below 1.00, indicating there were no non-carcinogenic risks of the four metals to consumers, including children and adults. Nevertheless, routine monitoring of PTMs in Amaranthus farms is much needed.

Synthesis, Structure, and Antimicrobial Performance of NixZn1−xFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0) Magnetic Powders toward E. coli, B. cereus, S. citreus, and C. tropicalis

The active development of water purification functional materials based on multicomponent spinel ferrites makes it necessary to search for new efficient methods of obtaining initial nanostructured powders. In this study, a two-stage method for the synthesis of perspective pollutant absorption agents based on NixZn1−xFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.0) spinel ferrites are proposed and implemented. The approach is based on the synthesis of the initial powder using the solution combustion method and its subsequent thermal treatment in the air. It was found that synthesized samples are single-phase Ni-Zn ferrites with an average crystallite size of 41.4 to 35.7 nm and a degree of crystallinity of ~95–96%. The analysis of antimicrobial activity against four diverse test-cultures: Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 (non-spore-forming gram-negative), Bacillus cereus ATCC 10702 (spore-forming gram-positive), Staphylococcus citreus NCTC 9379 (non-spore-forming gram-positive), and Candida tropicalis ATCC 750 (yeast) showed that almost all of the synthesized powders exhibit an advanced ability to inhibit the growth of the microorganisms mentioned above. The compositions obtained can be a perspective basis for both natural and wastewater purificators with magnetic separation ability and can find biotechnological and biomedical applications as promising antimicrobial materials.

Disposable cerium oxide/graphene nanosheets based sensor for monitoring acebutolol in environmental samples and bio-fluids

The production and utilization of medicines strives to be an essential factor in the modern world in treatment, diagnosis and prevention. On the other hand, the medical discharge and the unmetabolized drugs all turns out into environmental polluting agents. The demand for detecting and solving these issues are essential. Herein, we report an electrochemical sensor for quantifying β-adrenoreceptor blocker acebutolol (ACT) in environmental and biological samples. Cerium oxide (CeO2) was implied with graphene nanosheets (GNS) as highly conducting material for electrochemically detecting ACT. The structural and morphological studies were studied and electrochemical analysis were also performed to efficiently study oxidation mechanism of ACT at CeO2/GNS interface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) proved the higher conducting behavior of CeO2/GNS. Moreover, CeO2/GNS/SPCE holds higher surface area with more edge sites facilitating the electro-oxidation of ACT. The linear range of detecting ACT was in the range of 0.039 μM to 486.6 μM. The limit of detection was found to be 0.007 μM with the sensitivity about 27.3 μAμM−1cm−2. The real samples like river water and urine samples were utilized for real time detection of ACT. Thus, the fabricated electrode with more efficiency and higher conducting property will enhance the real time sensing of ACT in environmental and biological samples.

Study the Ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Remove Methyl Green Dye from Water as a Pollutant Agent

Study the Ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Remove Methyl Green Dye from Water as a Pollutant Agent

The association of air pollutants (CO2, MTBE) on Candida albicans and Candida glabrata drug resistance

Abstract Introduction Therapeutic methods are very important in the prevalence of opportunistic fungal infections, which are an important cause of human diseases. In this study, air pollution agents that are in direct contact with microorganisms, and the effects of carbon sources using CO2 and MTBE on growth of fungi, and particularly the evaluation of changes in the expression of interfering genes in susceptibility and drug resistance in these fungi, were investigated. Materials and Methods Collecting samples and isolating Candida glabrata and Candida albicans with phenotypic methods were accomplished. We then evaluated the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) with the M27A4 protocol of CLSI. We adjusted 20 strains of C. albicans and 10 strains of C. glabrata whose sensitivity was evaluated in the MIC test with 5% CO2 and 5mg/ml methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) considered as air pollutants, and followed by re-evaluating MIC testing to separate azole-resistant strains. Interfering agents were also considered. Results Upregulation of some genes on the two mentioned yeasts had led to drug resistance in them; they were previously sensitive to both drugs. Correspondingly, 41% of C. glabrata samples in sputum showed sensitivity to these drugs. Upregulation of ERG11 (71%) and EPA1 (90%) were observed in resistant strains. Upregulation of genes associated with aspartate proteins and downregulation of SAP3 genes were recognized in C. glabrata in sputum and a 15% downregulation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) isolate and 50% upregulation of SAP1 gene in C. albicans sensitive samples were observed and compared to fluconazole and itraconazole with the oral and joint sources. Remarkably, decreased SAP2 expression in oral sources and a 60% increase in resistant strains in C. albicans were observed. The downregulation of SAP3 expression showed in the joint samples. An increase in HWP1 expression (30%) was noted in isolated and drug-sensitive samples at the sputum and BAL source. CDR1 expression was increased in MTBE-affected species; however, it decreased in the vicinity of CT. Conclusions Air pollutants such as CO2 and MTBE eventually caused drug resistance in Candida, which can be one of the causes of drug resistance in candidiasis infections.

Research on Some Freshwater Fish Catalase Activity - As a Potential Biomarker for Environmental Pollution

In the last decade studies show that water pollution is a very serious problem, especially since the degree of water pollution plays a key role in the growth and fish multiplication. As a biomarker of environmental pollution, antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) play an essential role in preventing the harmful effects of heavy metals in the tissues of fish. These researches were carried out to investigate the effect of various environment conditions and some pollutant agents on oxidative stress in some aquatic organisms. The enzymatic assay of CAT (in fish organs, e.g., liver, kidney, gill, intestine and brain, as well as in mixture of these organs) was carried out according to standard enzyme assay protocol.&#x0D; The results showed decrease of CAT activity: the enzymatic activity was 35.89 ± 1.02 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein to pH 7 and 6.59 ± 0.47 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein to pH 12. More, the enzymatic activity was 38.1 ± 0.3 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein to pH 3. Also, the catalase activity increased with 23 enzymatic units to a less dissolved oxygen concentration (6.2877 mg/L).&#x0D; Furthermore, this study indicated that heavy metals, such as Cr, Cu and Zn can inhibit biochemical reactions in various organs of fish. During exposure duration of the fish to a mixture of metal ions the catalase activity decreases from 35.89 ± 1.02 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein to 23.51 ± 2.85 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein. On the other hand, as a result of the response of the enzyme system, the catalase activity increases to 36.25 ± 3.22 µmol H2O2/min/mg protein.&#x0D;

Lead (Pb) exposure from outdoor air pollution: a potential risk factor for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia related to HPV genotypes

Human papillomavirus genotypes (HPVs) have been confirmed to be the major cause of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) that remains to be one of the most common women cancers around the world. It seems other risk factors have synergistic effects on cervical cancer occurrence including smoking, dietary pattern, sexual behavior, ethnicity, epigenetics, and environmental hazardous materials. Our study characterized the potential cancerous role of lead (Pb) as a common toxic environmental pollutant agent on CIN outcomes. Lead concentration was quantified using an atomic absorption spectrometer in liquid-based cytology specimens of 40 CIN-HPV positive subjects, 50 HPV infected non-cancerous cases, and 43 non-HPV infected/non-cancerous women. Pb concentration was 5.5 (4.7–6.4) μg/dL, 4.7 (4.2–8.7) μg/dL, and 4.7 (4.5–5.4) μg/dL in the CIN-HPV positive group, HPV infected non-cancerous cases, and non-HPV infected/non-cancerous group, respectively. The results showed higher Pb concentration is associated with higher risk for cervical malignancy in comparison with non-HPV infected/non-cancerous subjects, after controlling for age effect (aOR = 4.55, 95% CI: 1.55–15.07, P < 0.01). Our finding suggested a direct significant association between Pb accumulation and CIN existence. The consequences need to be further validated by including more relevant risk factors and controlling the confounders for better understating of Pb impact from outdoor air pollution on cervical cancer progression.