Products Of Daily Use Research Articles

The innovative application of phase change materials in heat storage products: warmer pads

As the issue of energy shortage becomes increasingly severe, energy storage technology has gradually attracted global attention, with the application of phase change materials (PCMs) being particularly widespread. This paper focuses on a common daily product: the warmer pad, and investigates the selection and ratio of suitable PCMs to achieve a recyclable heat storage solution. The study first outlines the research background, significance, and methods, then summarizes the basic principles of phase change and the role of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the study of phase change heat storage. Finally, the properties of PCMs with different proportions were tested, and the DSC curves were analyzed. The results showed that the phase change material mixture with a ratio of paraffin: OBC: expanded graphite = 77:20:3 exhibits excellent performance in heat storage, with a thermal conductivity of 0.547 W/mK, a phase change latent heat of 150 J/g, and a phase change temperature of 41.9C. The warmer pad achieved a surface temperature close to 40C and a heat release duration of nearly one hour. This study aims to promote the industry's transformation towards sustainable development and provide a reference for research in the field of daily-use products with phase change heat storage.

A spectroscopy-based proof-of-concept (POC) for developing loading of pathogen analyzer (LOPA) for dairy products

Detection of bacterial contamination in dairy products of daily use is a challenge worldwide. We have utilized Methylene Blue Reduction Test (MBRT) for quantification of the microbial count in dairy products (milk) and developed a proof-of-concept (POC) based on this for in-filed applications. In this study, we have used pasteurized milk contaminated with model bacteria Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus for the calibration and validation of the developed POC. The conversion of MB to Leuco-MB i.e., the colorimetric change due to the reduction of MB to Leuco-MB in presence of microbes has been utilized as the tool to detect presence of microbes in milk. The absorbance peak for methylene blue (MB) at 664 nm decreases significantly in presence of microbes and the blue color becomes faded. In our study, we have employed methylene blue (MB) discolouration phenomenon to estimate the microbial count in milk samples using our developed spectroscopy based POC. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the POC were found to be 0.32 CFU/mL and 0.97 CFU/mL. The end users of the developed POC are primarily those involved in the production, processing, testing, regulation, and research of dairy products to ensure they meet safety standards and protect public health. These include retailers, dairy farmers, dairy processors, quality control laboratories, regulatory agencies and research institutions. In our experiment, we have observed a significant change in MB absorption in the milk contaminated with microbes. The indigenously developed sensor strips designed for the working of the POC turn to colorless Leuco-MB compared to milk without the microbes. The analysis of the strips has been measured in the developed device.

Comparative Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Welding and Conventional Sewing Methods in Knitted Fabrics

Abstract When transforming two-dimensional fabric pieces into three-dimensional clothing with different sewing methods, choosing the proper technique is one of the primary factors affecting the quality of the product. Within the scope of the study, five different types of knitted fabric alternatives, which are frequently used in products for daily use, are discussed. The conventional joining methods (lock stitch and overedge stitching) and ultrasonic welding were evaluated in terms of joint performance. All the evaluations made in terms of seam strength and seam efficiency showed that the overedge stitch is more performant in sewing knitted fabrics. One of the critical advantages of ultrasonic welding, the absence of the need for needle and thread and the absence of these costs, necessitated the evaluation of one more feature of the joining methods in the study. In this context, the energy consumption values of all the methods were evaluated. As a result, the energy consumption value of ultrasonic welding is approximately 1.3 times higher than overedge stitching and approximately 10.7 times higher than lockstitching.

Safety and Effects of Intravaginal Administration of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL1332 Immobilized on Nanofibers in a Murine Experimental Model

The design of probiotic hygiene products for daily use is considered an adequate alternative for the restoration of the vaginal microbiome, maintaining health, and/or preventing infections of the female urogenital tract. Most of these probiotic products are available on the world market, but their efficacy and safety are not sufficiently documented. One of the requirements to transfer novel probiotic formulas/products to the productive sector is to demonstrate their innocuity and the absence of adverse or collateral effects on the host, mainly assayed in experimental models. The inclusion of beneficial lactobacilli in nanofibers by electrospinning technique has shown promising application possibilities, and the immobilization of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL1332 in nanofibers with and without bioprotective substances and their characterization were previously performed by our research group. In this work, the safety of the intravaginal (i.va.) administration of these functional nanofibers in a murine experimental model was evaluated. L. rhamnosus CRL1332 immobilized in different nanofibers was intravaginally inoculated into mice (seven daily doses). Vaginal washes were taken for microbiological (cultivable lactobacilli) and cytological techniques, and the vagina was used for histological and morphological-ultrastructural evaluation. Our results demonstrated that the intravaginal administration of L. rhamnosus CRL1332 immobilized in nanofibers is safe in murine models, given the absence of an inflammatory response at the cytological and histological levels, with minor modifications at the ultrastructural level, and also related to the normal cultivable vaginal microbiota. On the other hand, the number of cultivable lactobacilli increased in the vagina of mice receiving L. rhamnosus CRL1332 nanofibers. The results indicate the safety of lactobacilli-functional nanofibers and support their inclusion in the design of vaginal probiotic products to prevent/treat urogenital infections and reconstitute the women’s vaginal microbiota.

Product-based approach to sustainable plastic management focusing on consumers’ necessity of 50 daily-use products in Japan

In the plastic product lifecycle, consumers are the main stakeholders who purchase, consume, and dispose of plastic products. To be able to take optimal measures to induce changes in consumer behavior to achieve sustainable plastic management, daily-use plastic products should be classified by consumers' necessity. However, consumers' evaluations of the necessity of individual plastic products remain to be examined. Here, we selected 50 plastic products from the Japanese households that are used and disposed of by consumers on a daily basis, and then conducted a large-scale questionnaire survey of 10,000 residents of Japan in which we asked respondents to evaluate the subjective necessity and substitutability of each of the targeted 50 products. To discuss future measures tailored to individual products or groups of similar products, we conducted hierarchical clustering analysis based on the respondents' evaluation of each of the products. The classified seven clusters could be divided into two groups, which were characterized by a low and high necessity for consumers. In the four clusters characterized by a low necessity, most of the products were single-use plastic products and the rate of the options indicating a lack of necessity was more than 44% for each product. In contrast, the other three clusters included plastic containers and packaging, durable products, and products made from synthetic fibers, but few single-use plastic products, and showed a higher response rate of more than 55% for the options indicating necessity. Then we also investigated domestic consumption of each product and obtained the Japanese total consumption of the 50 targeted products as 3.619–4.007 million t per year. As a result of our estimation, if the consumers can stop their use of the unnecessary products or have access to suitable substitutes, millions of tons of products could be eliminated as a maximum reduction potential. Overall, our survey highlighted the importance of classification of plastic products based on the consumers’ necessity and proposed possible targets of policy intervention on future sustainable management in terms of individual plastic products.

LCA Case Study of Ceramic Tableware: Ecodesign Aspects of Ceramics Production from Ancient Technology to Present Factory

Ceramic tableware, as one of the products of daily use, can be produced in multiple ways. However, they all consume primary raw materials for manufacturing and energy for firing and generate emissions and waste. To assess how different types of production cause an environmental impact, five scenarios were compared using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In the first step, the energy and material flows from the following scenarios were analysed: factory (FAC), slip casting (PSC), pottery wheel (PW), high energy rate formation technique (HERF) and experimental reconstruction of the ancient technique (ANC). The results related to 1 kg of ceramics were interpreted using the perspective of ecodesign to discuss key parameters that affect environmental impacts. Considering the results in the Climate Change category, the FAC production of 1 kg of ceramics reached 3.64 kg CO2 eq. but the highest impact in this category was caused by low energy efficiency in the specific case of the PSC scenario (8.93 kg CO2 eq.). On the one hand, this paper contributes to the discussion of environmentally friendly tableware, but also serves as a case study that describes the implementation of ecodesign in the ceramic tableware industry as an important field of industrial production in the specific context of the Czech Republic, as a state, which has significant deposits of kaolin.

Bisphenol S: A potential toxicant in daily use (Review)

Plastics are being increasingly used in the preparation of products for daily use and have been reported to produce various harmful effects. Therefore, these effects are a matter for concern. These effects have been often attributed to the presence of Bisphenol A (BPA), which has been a key important component in the manufacturing of plastic wares. In view of the increasing concerns, currently, the chemical is being replaced by its analogues, which are considered to be safer, leading to the production of new‑generation BPA‑free products. However, the analogues of BPA are also reported to exert toxic effects. BPA is being replaced by Bisphenol S (BPS) in plastic products and is considered to be safer due to its extremely decreased ability to leach out from plastic wares. However, various <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> studies have demonstrated that BPS exerts toxic effects on physiological processes; however, due to the limited number of available studies on the toxicity of BPS, a number of undesired effects of this compound remain unexplored. In the present short review, the toxic effects of BPS are described.

Quantifying plastic waste generation in Aizawl city, India: waste management and its impact on human and environmental health.

Plastic wastes in recent years have become a menace owing to population pressure and high demand of various plastic products in daily use. A study was conducted in Aizawl city of northeast India for a period of 3years to quantify various types of plastic wastes. Our study found that a present plastic consumption of 13.06g/capita/day although low when compared to developed countries continues; the generation will be doubled after a decade as the population is projected to double specially due to migration from rural areas. The plastic waste was contributed more by the high-income group of the population with a correlation factor of r = 0.97. Among the total plastic waste, packaging plastics contributed maximum with an average of 52.56% and carry bags among the packaging contribute maximum with 32.55% in the three sectors, namely, residential, commercial, and dumping sites. The result leads to a maximum contribution by the LDPE polymer with 27.46% among seven categories of polymers.

Toward a Better Understanding of the Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plants to Microplastic Pollution in Receiving Waterways.

Microplastics (1 µm-5 mm), are ubiquitous in daily-use products and regularly end up in the wastewater. The main part of the wastewater is treated in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which allow for at least partial removal of microplastics. The present study aimed to understand the contribution of domestic wastewater to microplastic pollution in Flanders (Belgium) via two main discharge routes of microplastics: (1) the effluent, and (2) removed fractions. Furthermore the effect of effluent discharge on the microplastic contamination in the waterway was studied in both surface water and sediment samples of upstream and downstream locations of the discharge from three WWTPs. On average, 12.64 ± 20.20 microplastic/L entered a WWTP (10 µm-5 mm). The effluent contained on average 0.41 ± 0.91 microplastic/L, resulting in an average removal efficiency of 97.46% ± 2.33%, which is comparable with various (non-)European countries. Removal efficiencies are both polymer- and size-specific, and data suggest that smaller particles are less efficiently removed from the wastewater, which also causes an increased input of smaller particles to the environment. The sludge is the most efficient treatment process to remove microplastics. Despite the high removal efficiencies, still 1.11 × 107 ± 3.07 × 107 microplastics end up in the nearby waterway daily. Nonetheless, based on the results gathered in the present study, this does not seem to impact the microplastic concentration in the waterway significantly. In summary, the present study offers a holistic approach in the research on the impact of wastewater on microplastic pollution in the ecosystem, integrating different discharge routes and measuring the impact on environmental microplastic pollution. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:642-654. © 2022 SETAC.

RELATION BETWEEN CONSUMPTION AND FEAR OF COVID-19: A BRAZILIAN POST-VACCINE PERSPECTIVE

Seventeen months after the decree of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a different panorama about the influence of the new Coronavirus and its influence on social and consumption behavior. Thus, this study aims to verify changes in the feeling of fear of COVID-19 and in consumer relations, comparing the results of this research with those of others carried out at the beginning of the pandemic. For this research, a self-administered electronic questionnaire was answered by 246 online shoppers. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and a correlation matrix. The results showed an increase in purchases in virtual stores and local markets, but they have not proven to stock food and products for daily use, contrary to the literature. The survey also found behavioral differences between respondents up to 38 years old (among whom there was a strong perception of fear and intense nervousness with news related to COVID-19) and participants over this age (among whom there was annoyance with the pandemic, but a low sense of fear. Since we conducted this study 17 months after the declaration of the pandemic, our results reflect not only how the fear of COVID-19 changed consumer behavior but also how it varied amidst a more optimistic scenario resembling pre-pandemic scenarios. As suggestions for future studies, we highlight the analysis of the role of moderators such as gender and age.

Microplastics as carriers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environment: interactions and ecotoxicological effects

MPs act as carriers of organic pollutants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in aquatic environments and exhibit harmful effects on organisms. Although there has been extensive research on the abundance and distribution MPs and PFASs individually, their co-occurrence and combined ecotoxicological effects have been poorly understood. In this context, the present review aims to present an up-to-date understanding of PFAS sorption onto MPs and their bioaccumulation in different organisms. The combined sources and prevalence of MPs and PFASs are summarized, with some daily-use products identified as important sources of both pollutants. MPs occurrence indicates considerable diversity in their levels, with concentrations ranging from 0-7 particles/m3 (air), 1-4712 particles/kg (soil), 1-26 particles/L (aquatic matrices), and 0-199 particles/organism (species) worldwide. Further, the literature survey provides evidence of PFAS concentrations ranging from &lt; 0.0011 to 95.378 ng/m3 in the air, 6.90 to 294000 ng/kg in soil, 4 to 268 ng/L in aquatic environments, and 0.0014 to 796 ng/g in species. Additionally, the review investigates MPs-PFAS interaction in the aquatic system, thereby highlighting the factors that influence PFAS sorption onto MPs. Various mechanisms of PFAS sorption onto MPs have been examined and compared. Moreover, the review covers the ecological consequences of ingesting PFAS-contaminated MPs and their synergistic effects on aquatic biota. Conclusively, more research is needed to evaluate the combined exposure to MPs and PFAS, particularly under environmentally relevant concentrations to understand the significance of MPs as a vector for emerging contaminants in the environment.

Determination of formaldehyde in the daily living environment using membrane-enhanced water plug coupled extraction following peptide-based greener reaction derivatization

Sample preparation methods based on membrane devices represent alternative strategies for analyte extraction from complex samples. Membrane-based microextraction is useful for concentrating and purifying compounds from matrices that are not clean. Formaldehyde pollution has several toxic effects on humans, including genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and carcinogenesis. Herein, an ultrafiltration device equipped with a water plug coupled membrane to trap formaldehyde and quantify free formaldehyde in daily products (such as tableware and craft materials) was used. Formaldehyde was derivatized using a peptide-based green reaction before detection by mass spectrometry. The linear range for formaldehyde detection was 1–100 μg/mL and the detection limit was 0.25 μg/mL. The recovery was 93–104 % and the relative standard deviation and relative error were below 13.9 % for intra-day and inter-day analyses. Formaldehyde was extracted and concentrated in the water plug from sticky samples, such as adhesive, glue, bond, student’s acrylic paint, and cosmetic products. The proposed method was shown to be suitable for free formaldehyde determination in daily-use products. To avoid formaldehyde overexposure, research must focus on materials frequently used in the home environment.

Marine-Derived Actinomycetes: Biodegradation of Plastics and Formation of PHA Bioplastics-A Circular Bioeconomy Approach.

Plastics are present in the majority of daily-use products worldwide. Due to society's production and consumption patterns, plastics are accumulating in the environment, causing global pollution issues and intergenerational impacts. Our work aims to contribute to the development of solutions and sustainable methods to mitigate this pressing problem, focusing on the ability of marine-derived actinomycetes to accelerate plastics biodegradation and produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which are biodegradable bioplastics. The thin plastic films' biodegradation was monitored by weight loss, changes in the surface chemical structure (Infra-Red spectroscopy FTIR-ATR), and by mechanical properties (tensile strength tests). Thirty-six marine-derived actinomycete strains were screened for their plastic biodegradability potential. Among these, Streptomyces gougerotti, Micromonospora matsumotoense, and Nocardiopsis prasina revealed ability to degrade plastic films-low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS) and polylactic acid (PLA) in varying conditions, namely upon the addition of yeast extract to the culture media and the use of UV pre-treated thin plastic films. Enhanced biodegradation by these bacteria was observed in both cases. S. gougerotti degraded 0.56% of LDPE films treated with UV radiation and 0.67% of PS films when inoculated with yeast extract. Additionally, N. prasina degraded 1.27% of PLA films when these were treated with UV radiation, and yeast extract was added to the culture medium. The main and most frequent differences observed in FTIR-ATR spectra during biodegradation occurred at 1740 cm-1, indicating the formation of carbonyl groups and an increase in the intensity of the bands, which indicates oxidation. Young Modulus decreased by 30% on average. In addition, S. gougerotti and M. matsumotoense, besides biodegrading conventional plastics (LDPE and PS), were also able to use these as a carbon source to produce degradable PHA bioplastics in a circular economy concept.

Parabens and Menopause-Related Health Outcomes in Midlife Women: A Pilot Study.

Background: Parabens are antimicrobial agents prevalently found in daily-use products that can interfere with the endocrine and reproductive systems. In this study, we examined the cross-sectional associations of parabens with hot flashes, hormone concentrations, and ovarian volume in a subsample of 101 nonsmoking, non-Hispanic 45- to 54-year-old women from the Midlife Women's Health Study. Materials and Methods: Women self-reported their hot flash history and underwent a transvaginal ultrasound to measure ovarian volume. Participants provided blood for quantification of serum hormones (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or radioimmunoassay) and urine samples for measurements of urinary paraben biomarker levels (by high-performance liquid chromatography negative-ion electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry). Linear or logistic regression models evaluated associations of specific gravity-adjusted paraben biomarker concentrations with hot flashes, hormone concentrations, and ovarian volume. Results: We observed marginal associations of propylparaben, methylparaben, and ∑parabens biomarkers (molar sum of four parabens) with hot flashes and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations, and of these paraben biomarkers and ethylparaben with ovarian volume. For example, women tended to have 32% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.9 to 1.81), 40% (95% CI: 1.0 to 1.95), and 40% (95% CI: 0.98 to 2.01) higher odds of having recent, monthly, and mild hot flashes, respectively, for every two-fold increase in ∑parabens. Similarly, women tended to have 14.54% (95% CI: -0.10 to 31.32) higher FSH concentrations, but 5.67% (95% CI: -12.54 to 1.75) reduced ovarian volume for every two-fold increase in ∑parabens Conclusions: Overall, our preliminary findings suggest that urinary paraben biomarkers may be associated with menopause-related outcomes in midlife women. Additional studies in larger and diverse populations are needed to expand on these findings.

Masterplan Raw Materials 2030-ARaw Materials Strategy for Austria

Die ausreichende und verantwortungsvolle Versorgung mit mineralischen Rohstoffen zu fairen Marktbedingungen ist eine wesentliche Grundlage für die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung Österreichs. Obwohl die geologische Verfügbarkeit von Rohstoffen relativ hoch ist, können Störungen durch geopolitische, wirtschaftliche oder Umstände wie Pandemien oder Naturkatastrophen zu einer Verknappung von mineralischen Ressourcen führen. Die anhaltende Coronavirus-Pandemie zeigt die Verwundbarkeit in einer globalisierten Welt mit komplexen Abhängigkeiten und weit verzweigten Wertschöpfungsketten auf. Sie offenbart Fragen nach der Versorgungssicherheit für Produkte des täglichen Bedarfs, aber auch für Grundstoffe, die für die weiterverarbeitende Industrie dringend benötigt werden. Die Transformation der Energiesysteme, der Mobilität und die Dekarbonisierung der Industrie ist eng mit der Verfügbarkeit von mineralischen Rohstoffen verbunden. Der Masterplan Rohstoffe 2030 liefert Lösungsvorschläge, um auf die Herausforderungen dieser Dekade entsprechend reagieren und die sichere Versorgung Österreichs mit primären und sekundären mineralischen Rohstoffen aus dem In- und Ausland gewährleisten zu können. Mit einem umfangreichen Maßnahmenpaket legt der Masterplan den Grundstein für eine resiliente Entwicklung Österreichs.

Detection and analysis of the volatile components in the essential oils of &lt;i&gt;Chrysanthemum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Opisthopappus&lt;/i&gt; species and their hybrid progeny

<italic>Chrysanthemum</italic> and <italic>Opisthopappus</italic> are genera that include perennial herbaceous floral species, including excellent varieties with strong fragrances resulting from long-term artificial selection. Thus, they are ornamentally and economically important flower resources. In this study, a water distillation method was used to extract essential oils from the inflorescences of <italic>Chrysanthemum</italic> and <italic>Opisthopappus</italic> wild resources and hybrid progeny with high essential oil contents (<italic>Chrysanthemum</italic> <italic>morifolium</italic> 'xiangjin', <italic>C. morifolium</italic> 'xiangyun', <italic>C. morifolium</italic> 'xinjiboju', <italic>Opisthopappus taihangensis</italic>, <italic>Opisthopappus longilobus</italic>, <italic>Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium</italic>, and <italic>C. morifolium</italic> 'minghuangju'). The essential oil extraction rates were as follows: 1.17‰, 2‰, 1.67‰, 2.17‰, 0.43‰, 1‰, and 1.17‰. On the basis of HS-SPME-GC-MS (Headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), 225 volatile compounds were detected in the seven analyzed essential oil samples. Each essential oil had a relative volatile component content exceeding 0.3. The three most abundant compounds were olefins (46 types), alcohols (34 types), and esters (18 types). The volatile components with relatively high contents included thymol, D-camphor, pinene, eucalyptol, 2-terpineol, terpineol, trans-caryophyllene, and <italic>β</italic>-elemene. These volatile compounds have strong biological activities and are useful components of medicines and daily-use products. An evaluation of their antibacterial effects demonstrated that the essential oils of <italic>C.</italic> 'xiangjin', <italic>C.</italic> 'xiangyun', <italic>C.</italic> 'xinjiboju', <italic>O. taihangensis</italic>, <italic>O. longilobus</italic>, and <italic>C.</italic> 'minghuangju' inhibited the growth of <italic>Escherichia coli</italic>. The <italic>C. lavandulifolium</italic> essential oil inhibited the growth of <italic>Pectobacterium carotovorum</italic>. The results of this study will provide researchers with an important theoretical basis for the development and application of <italic>Chrysanthemum</italic> and <italic>Opisthopappus</italic> essential oils.

Behavioral response of captive marsh deer to an economic and easy-to-install repellent: a potential mitigation solution for conflict?

Deer species can cause serious damages to trees through browsing and antler rubbing, and these impacts can generate significant economic losses. As a tool to minimize damages to trees by deer, repellents based on odor, visual and/or taste stimulus have been developed and tested. Repellents vary greatly in terms of costs, forms of use, duration, and/or the local context. Thus, selection of the most-effective repellent to each situation should consider the local environmental and socioeconomic contexts. Pyrazine analogs have been recognized to induce avoidance and fear-related behaviors in deer. These compounds are also found in ordinary and daily-use products, such as coffee, which can be easily obtained. The marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) is the largest native deer of South America. The southernmost population of this species is found in the lower Delta of the Paraná River in Argentina, a large wetland highly modified due to commercial afforestation of Salicaceae. Local forestry producers usually report damage to plantations attributed to marsh deer, with a minor fraction of these producers perceiving high levels of damage and economic losses. We tested an easy-to-install repellent system based on coffee grounds by conducting trials focused on four captive marsh deer. The trials consisted in offering pellets of grain and fiber to deer, dividing the overall ration into two identical factions separated by 15 meters within the enclosure. In the “repellent site”, a subset of the regular food was placed on the ground and treated with the repellent, whereas the other subset, also located in the ground but not treated, was used as the “control site”. Whereas deer individuals presented alert behavior (50-100% of the times) after approaching the repellent site, this behavior was never observed at the control site. Significant differences were found among individuals probably due to a dominance interaction inside the group. The weight of food remains in the repellent site was significantly higher than in the control site at the end of the study. A repellency system based on coffee grounds could be an economic solution to be used by forestry producers of the Paraná River delta or by anyone interested in diminish damages to particular resources. In addition, it is a biodegradable option with insignificant environmental impact and could be especially useful to be applied at small spatial scales, since it requires domestic materials and a relatively limited installation cost in terms of time spent to set up the system. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09670874.2021.2024619.

New method for the determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

There are numerous types of contaminants that pose a health risk to aquatic organisms and consequently also to humans through consumption. Endocrine disrupting compounds are found in daily-use products and have the potential to mimic natural hormones. The main objective of this work is to optimize and validate a method for the determination of bisphenols, parabens and triclocarban in natural samples of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The procedure involves ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and a subsequent clean-up of the extracts using dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) with C18 adsorbent, and analysis by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Sensitivity, accuracy (trueness and precision), linearity and selectivity of the method were studied. The limits of detection ranged from 0.2 ng g−1 to 1.5 ng g−1 dry weight. The trueness of the method (estimation of recovery) was between 90 % for TCC (triclocarban) and 109.6 % for BPP (bisphenol P), with an estimated precision lower than 12.6 % for all the investigated analytes. The application of the method was to specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis collected along the Mediterranean coast of Granada (South Spain), where the species is abundant. The study conducted in different sample sites revealed EDCs presence in this aquatic species.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and their detection in an IVF laboratory

Abstract The endocrine disruptors are chemicals with the capacity to influence physiological processes in the organism, most often through hormonal control. They are present in the environment and in the products of daily use. They are often found in food, released from plastic bottles for water, present in cosmetics or fertilizers. Latest research suggests that they can be released from plastics used in the IVF laboratories and can be even present in the manipulation and cultivation media used for isolation and fertilization of gametes and subsequent cultivation of embryos. Permanent and long-term utilization of these substances has adverse effects in human reproductive health, mainly by the means of interfering with synthesis and action mechanisms of reproductive hormones. Moreover, some endocrine disruptors show a range of adverse effects directly on the gametes or embryos cultured in the in vitro conditions. The article provides an overview on bisphenols detected in plastics and media commonly used in the IVF laboratory and considers their possible impact on effectiveness of the IVF methods in a human laboratory.

Bisphenol-A exposure and risk of breast and prostate cancer in the Spanish European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study

BackgroundBisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that it is present in numerous products of daily use. The aim of this study was to assess the potential association of serum BPA concentrations and the risk of incident breast and prostate cancer in a sub-cohort of the Spanish European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).MethodsWe designed a case-cohort study within the EPIC-Spain cohort. Study population consisted on 4812 participants from 4 EPIC-Spain centers (547 breast cancer cases, 575 prostate cancer cases and 3690 sub-cohort participants). BPA exposure was assessed by means of chemical analyses of serum samples collected at recruitment. Borgan II weighted Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios.ResultsMedian follow-up time in our study was 16.9 years. BPA geometric mean serum values of cases and sub-cohort were 1.12 ng/ml vs 1.10 ng/ml respectively for breast cancer and 1.33 ng/ml vs 1.29 ng/ml respectively for prostate cancer. When categorizing BPA into tertiles, a 40% increase in risk of prostate cancer for tertile 1 (p = 0.022), 37% increase for tertile 2 (p = 0.034) and 31% increase for tertile 3 (p = 0.072) was observed with respect to values bellow the limit of detection. No significant association was observed between BPA levels and breast cancer risk.ConclusionsWe found a similar percentage of detection of BPA among cases and sub-cohort from our population, and no association with breast cancer risk was observed. However, we found a higher risk of prostate cancer for the increase in serum BPA levels. Further investigation is needed to understand the influence of BPA in prostate cancer risk.