Yearly Archives: 2019

DNA metabarcoding

Freshwater systems

Taxonomy

WFD 

 

The Water Framework Directive (2000/60 / EC) (WFD) was adopted as a result of a global need to solve environmental issues and to archive environmental sustainability in a holistic approach taking into account the social requirements. The EU Member States have spent considerable resources to develop tools for river basin management plans. The “ecological status” could be better characterized by the biologic communities’ response to pressure factors (such as urban agglomeration, hydrotechnical works, domestic and industrial wastewater discharges etc), rather than the variability of physico-chemical parameters. Even though WFD has been implemented as an important stimulant for the harmonization, classification and monitoring methods across Europe, there are still gaps in this approach. Numerous studies published over the last five years focused on the difference between conventional methods of the biological communities morphological identification and alternative metabarcoding DNA methods, rapid and cost-effective methods for assessing the biodiversity of aquatic systems (Cordier et al 2019; Serrana et al 2019; Ruppert et al 2019; Pawlowski et al 2018; Hering et al 2018; Vasselon et al 2017; Elbrecht et al 2017).

Bioinspiration

Green chemistry methods

Heavy metal contamination

Poly(benzofurane-co-arylacetic acid)

Water treatment 

 

Integrated study of both natural water quality and wastewater provides important information regarding the human impact activities in the environmental landscape. Heavy metal pollution due to rapid industrialization and population growth worldwide is posing a serious threat on the environment and all life forms. The persistent nature of these compounds raises even more significant toxicological concerns for the ecosystems and thereby human health. Thus, worldwide, researchers have been focusing on developing new materials through „green chemistry methods” as efficient means to remove this type of pollutants from the environment. Nature provides a wide range of materials with different functions, which serve as a source of bioinspiration for materials scientists.  

BactControl

Microbiological analyzer

Water treatment 

 

For water producers is important to monitoring the water quality. It is more important to know the surface water quality because from this type of water, drinking water is obtained (by clorination). Romanian legislations ask to monitoring the physicochemical and microbiological parameters. If the physico-chemical results are obtained up to maximum few hours, to obtain the microbiological results lasts couple of days. Because the drinking water process takes place continuously and in real time, physicochemical parameters are monitoring with on line sensors that allow us to ensure safe operation of the system. The study present the analysis made with on line analyzer at different types of water, to obtain microbiological results in the shortest time. The monitoring was performed in 2018, starting in June, finishing in November. The tests was made in collaboration with TehnoInstrument Romania and MicroLan- Netherlands.

Desorption

Microplastics

PET

Phthalates

Pollution 

 

Microplastic pollution has been an environmental issue that extends and worsen with the development of the plastic industry which increased exponentially since the early 1950s. DEHP, one of the microplastic related additives, is included in the list of priority hazardous substances, being an endocrine disrupter, reproductive system, affecting development and mobility for both humans and aquatic animals. According to literature data, DEHP is the most desorbed compound on microplastics, especially from polyethylene terephthalate. The aim of this study was to determine the level of phthalates (dimethyl phthalate – DMF, diethyl phthalate – DEF, dibutyl phthalate – DBF, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate – DEHP, dioctyl phthalate – DOF) desorption from polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in surface water using in vitro laboratory tests. The samples were identified and quantified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS).

Antidiabetics

Waste water

Contamination

 

To high grade antidiabetics consumption worldwide and to increasing number of prescriptions, these contaminants are founded in waste waters, rivers and ground waters. Effluents discharged from WWTP contaminates the rivers and thus, it is necessary to investigate the occurence of antidiabetic compounds in waste waters. The aim of this work was to detect 3 antidiabetic (glyburide, glimepiride and repaglinide) contaminants in waste water treatment plant using SPE-LC/MS/MS method. 

Acidic herbicides

Pyridiyncarboxylic acid

Derivatization

GC-MS/MS

Solid phase extraction 

 

GC-MS/MS method are often used in analytical determination of pesticides due to its high sensitivity, compounds selectivity and good separation. Auxin pyridine herbicides as clopyralid, dicamba, triclopyr and fluroxypyr are polar compounds which require structural modifications in order to be volatilized and then separated on most used capillary columns. Because there are limited applications of in-port derivatizations and GC-MS/MS detections of these herbicides, a new method for these compounds was developed. Silylation reactions, especially with MTBSTFA, are mainly chose as an alternative to alkylation in order to avoid secondary interference products.  The above mentioned compounds are usually found in environmental samples, like surface water, soil and biota.   

Acidic herbicides

Chlorophenoxycarboxylic acid

Derivatization

GCMS/MS

Solid-phase extraction 

 

A sensitive GC-MS/MS method was developed for the determination of five important chlorophenoxycarboxylic herbicides from surface water: 2,4 D (2,4dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), MCPA (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid), 2,4 DB (2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid), MCPB (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxybutyric acid), 4 CPA (4-clorophenoxyacetic acid). The analytical challenge in the determination of the acidic herbicides by GC consists in an additional derivatization step due to the –COOH polar group. GC-MS/MS is used to increase the sensitivity for the quantification of TBDMS (t-buthyldimethylsilyl) derivatives which are often used in MS separations because of the easily fragmentation of molecular ion.

Activated sludge

Linear alkybenzene sulfonates(LAS)

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE)

Surfactants

 

The surfactants are one of the most commonly used class of chemicals (15billions tons per year) in various applications: household cleaning, personal care products and industry. Anionic surfactants represent the major class of surfactants used in detergents, the predominant groups being linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS) and linear alkyl suphates (AS). Non-ionic surfactants are used in large quantities in domestic and commercial products, e.g. cleaning solutions. The most widely used non-ionic surfactants are alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and the most used commercial APEs are octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). Because of the large utilization of surfactants, they can accumulate in the domestic and industrial wastewaters, affecting treatment plants (WWTP) due the inhibition off activated sludge. As a result, surfactants could affect the water bodies quality through discharge of WWTPs’ effluents or soil quality through various modes of sludge disposal. 

Endocrine disruptors

LC-MS/MS

Metabolite

Wastewater 

 

Contamination of wastewater from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and their discharge into the emissaries is one of the main environmental problems nowadays, due to micro pollutants that are present in concentrations in the order of ng/L or μg/L. A significant part of these contaminants end up in the environment either not transformed or as metabolites contributing to environmental pollution, with a negative impact on human health and wildlife. Among this type of micro pollutants, Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor with high estrogenic activity and with increased presence in the environment. Similar to other emerging contaminants, Bisphenol A, well known for its endocrine disruptor properties, may undergo different transformations depending on the environment or the technological treatment processes sometimes producing transformation products or metabolites that can have a different ecotoxicological behaviour and profile. The most common metabolite of BPA is 4-hydroxy-acetophenone. In this study a new LC-MS/MS method was developed and optimized for detection of BPA and BPA metabolite, 4hydroxyacephenone in wastewater samples which, after treatment, are discharged in emissaries.

Ash

Biomass waste

ICP-MS

Valorisation 

 

The recycling and reuse of the biomass wastes as added-value materials, for different productive sectors is essential from an economic and environmental perspective. The advantage of this process consists in reducing costs for biomass power producers and favoring the development of a circular and sustainable economy. The biomass wastes transformed in pellets and briquettes are used as secondary biofuels in combustion plant. The characteristics of biofuels, which will influence the combustion plant, are the moisture, ash content, net calorific value, the proportion of volatile matter, combustible carbon content and also the toxic metals content. The excessive accumulation of toxic metals such as As, Cd, Pb in some biomass waste presents a risk for human health. 

Acetic acid

Aldehyde

Formaldehyde

Formic acid

Indoor air

 

A person is subjected to chemicals from air at home and in the environment in which they work. Thus, indoor air intake can be considered an important factor in human exposure to hazardous pollutants. In addition, children have a higher susceptibility to environmental pollutants than adults because they breathe larger volumes of air in relation to their body weights and their tissues and organs are still growing. Aldehydes, including formaldehyde, are among the most dangerous pollutants found in schools and kindergartens. 

Benthic invertebrates

Hondol River

Mine water 

 

The use of biological models for freshwater quality assessment was one of the main objective of Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), due to their ability for longterm retaining both structurally and functionally, the direct and indirect effects of pressure factors. One of the most appropriate biological models are the benthic invertebrates. They are very heterogeneous taxonomic group that presents a broad spectrum of responses to each form of stress, including chemical pollution and morphological changes of aquatic habitat.  

Disinfection by-products

THMs formation

Water chlorination 

 

In the water treatment process, in order to ensure the microbiological safety of the drinking water, chlorine is a commonly used disinfectant. During disinfection, chlorine may react with natural organic matter in the raw water, resulting in various disinfection by-products (DBP) formation, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, with potential human health risks. DBP formation varies with quality of water source: concentrations and properties of natural organic matter, chlorine dose, contact time water – chlorine, temperature, pH. 

Array sensor

Biosensor

BOD5

Neurotoxicity 

 

Toxic substances menacing to the humans, agriculture, livestock and wildlife may contaminate the aquatic resources and portable water system such as heavy metals, toxins, and environmental pollutants. In the last decades, the liberation of industrial effluents containing new xenobiotic compounds such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, surfactants, and industrial additives to water resources has became a serious concern. The worldwide different regulatory authorities has set the regulatory standards for these contaminants but the permissible limits are in very low concentration i.e. pg/L or ng/kg. In consideration of toxicity and ubiquity of these compounds, the development of fast, sensitive and reliable detection methods are of immense need. Some conventional analytical methods are commonly used for the control of the environment. These methods possess low detection ranges, the disadvantages such as lack of on site performance, high cost and requirement of highly trained professionals limit their applications and are therefore difficult to establish specially in the developing countries. To overcome the above limitation, the traditional and novel screening methods have found a wide application in screening of water quality.

Contaminated sites

Groundwater models

Spatial data

Remote sensing

GIS

 

The rising trend of urbanization in Romania is resulting in higher population densities in the peri-urban areas. However, the fast-paced urbanization process is surpassing the ability of the developing cities to provide adequate infrastructure and facilities to its inhabitants, creating major environmental issues. In many cases, the proposed solutions to these problems are not an integrated part of an environmentally sustainable planning, but rather uncorrelated solutions (independent sanitation solutions, groundwater catchment areas etc). 

Bisphenol A

Derivatization
Trifluoroacetic anhydride

Waste water 

 

Bisphenol A, (BPA), is largely used in the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics as additive and antioxidant. Approximately one million tons of BPA where used only in EU annually. From municipal wastewater and industrial discharge, large quantity of BPA of introduced into the aquatic environment. For determination of bisphenol A in environmental water most frequently used methods are based on liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. As BPA is a phenolic compound, its volatility is relatively low, resulting in poor sensitivity and peak tailing using gas chromatography. To improve analytical performances derivatization is necessary. Stehmann and Schröder previosy studied derivatization of BPA with trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) and characterized formed derivative by massspectra, infrared-spectra and the results of the NMR spectroscopy, but no analytical method for BPA using derivatization with TFAA was developed.