Article
Environmental Sciences
Fang Chang, Malan Yi, Huiting Li, Jiangnan Wang, Xuefeng Zhao, Xiaoyue Hu, Qianju Qi
Summary: Antibiotics in aqueous environments can have adverse effects on non-targeted organisms. This study focuses on the toxicological evaluation of individual and binary mixture toxicity, using the model organism Raphidocelis subcapitata. The study finds that binary mixtures have higher adverse effects than individual antibiotics and proposes suitable models for toxicity prediction and risk assessment. The study highlights the potential ecological risks of antibiotics and their mixtures to water ecosystems, providing scientific information for environmental quality regulation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jessica I. Nieto-Juarez, Ricardo A. Torres-Palma, A. M. Botero-Coy, Felix Hernandez
Summary: The study revealed that the wastewater treatment processes in major Peruvian cities such as Lima are not efficient in removing pharmaceutical substances, posing severe environmental risks. Additional treatment methods are needed to ensure more effective elimination of these compounds.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nagihan E. Korkmaz, Basak Savun-Hekimoglu, Abdullah Aksu, Selmin Burak, Nuray Balkis Caglar
Summary: The occurrence and spatial distribution of selected pharmaceuticals in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey, were investigated. All target pharmaceutical compounds were detected at least once in the study area, with gemfibrozil being the most frequently detected compound at high concentrations. The presence of these compounds in April was higher than in October. Risk assessment results showed that some of these pharmaceuticals pose a high risk to aquatic organisms in the Sea of Marmara.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arzu Ulvi, Senar Aydin, Mehmet Emin Aydin
Summary: This study examined the concentrations and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the influent and effluent of a municipal wastewater treatment plant and hospital effluents. It found that beta-blockers and psychiatric drugs were detected in high concentrations in the wastewater samples, with hospitals contributing 2-4% of total pharmaceuticals in the plant. The removal of pharmaceuticals in the treatment plant ranged from 23% to 54%.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Sileshi Belew, Sultan Suleman, Evelien Wynendaele, Luc Duchateau, Bart De Spiegeleer
Summary: This study conducted an environmental risk assessment of the anthelmintic medicine albendazole in the eastern African region, revealing potential environmental risks of albendazole in surface water and soil in that region, calling for actions to mitigate these risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minashree Kumari, Arun Kumar
Summary: This study assessed the ecological and human health risks exposure of COVID-19 pharmaceuticals in environmental waters, identifying algae as the most sensitive species to pharmaceutical drugs, with ritonavir posing a major risk. The maximum allowable concentration level for the mixture of pharmaceuticals was found to be 0.53 mg/L.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dongsheng Di, Tiaeki Tooki, Haolong Zhou, Zhangbo Cui, Ruyi Zhang, Jian-li Zhang, Tingting Yuan, Qian Liu, Tingting Zhou, Xiao Luo, Danyang Ling, Qi Wang
Summary: The pathophysiology of osteoporosis is affected by exposure to harmful metals and inadequate intake of necessary metals. Investigating plasma metals and metabolites in older adults can provide insight into the mechanisms of metal toxicity on bone mass. The study found that exposure to metal mixtures was associated with decreased OP risk and bone mineral density. Certain metabolites mediated the relationship between metal mixtures, OP risk, and bone effects. These findings contribute to our understanding of the connection between metal exposure and osteoporosis.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Konstantin Pikula, Mariya Tretyakova, Alexander Zakharenko, Seyed Ali Johari, Sergey Ugay, Valery Chernyshev, Vladimir Chaika, Tatiana Kalenik, Kirill Golokhvast
Summary: Vehicle emission particles (VEPs) pose a significant threat to marine aquatic organisms, with high concentrations causing harmful effects on microalgae and crustaceans. The combination of high submicron particle numbers and high PAH concentrations had the highest toxic effect on all tested species.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ma Jesus Garcia-Galan, Victor Matamoros, Enrica Uggetti, Ruben Diez-Montero, Joan Garcia
Summary: The study evaluated the efficiency of a new type of reactor in treating different types of pollutants, and indicated through risk assessment that it has minimal impact on the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Dixita Phukan, Vipin Kumar
Summary: Pharmaceuticals have become a major concern due to their persistence and accumulation in the environment, with limited studies on their toxicity and effects on flora and fauna. Current wastewater and water treatment processes are inefficient, lacking guidelines. Sustainable methods for pharmaceutical removal and remediation are in demand, as they are cost-effective and produce fewer toxic by-products. This paper highlights the concerns of pharmaceutical contaminants in water, commonly found drugs in rivers, their effects on aquatic flora and fauna, and emphasizes sustainable processes for their removal.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yibo Zhang, Ming Li, Fang Chang, Malan Yi, Hongmei Ge, Jie Fu, Chenyuan Dang
Summary: This study investigates the differences in responses between cyanobacteria and green algae, which are the recommended test organisms for toxicity assessments, to the same chemical. The results show that these two species have different resistance mechanisms and can alleviate the toxicity of sulfamethoxazole through different pathways. Inconsistent assessment results for antibiotics using cyanobacteria and green algae are likely due to their different resistance mechanisms. Improved indicators or comprehensive assessment methods should be considered for environmental toxicity assessments.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Amin Mojiri, John L. Zhou, Harsha Ratnaweera, Shahabaldin Rezania, Mansoureh Nazari
Summary: This study focuses on the occurrence of PPCPs in natural water bodies globally and examines the impact of various factors on the fluxes of pollutants into receiving waterways. High concentrations of PPCPs in water bodies have harmful effects on aquatic organisms, while algae-based systems are found to be effective in removing certain PPCPs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melanie Egli, Helena Rapp-Wright, Olukemi Oloyede, William Francis, Rhys Preston-Allen, Stav Friedman, Guy Woodward, Frederic B. Piel, Leon P. Barron
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had significant impacts on urban river ecosystems in Greater London, leading to changes in occurrence and risks of emerging contaminants. The study used advanced methods to analyze a large number of samples and identified pharmaceutical contaminants in the waterways. The findings provide valuable insights into the effects of the pandemic on urban river ecosystems and highlight the importance of monitoring and addressing contamination risks.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Apurav Krishna Koyande, Kit Wayne Chew, Sivakumar Manickam, Jo-Shu Chang, Pau-Loke Show
Summary: In the 21st century, algae have been heavily researched as an important resource for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical production, due to their rich functional components that benefit human health. By combining with nanotechnology, algae products can have increased yield and quality, bringing more innovation to the pharmaceutical and food industries.
TRENDS IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicolas Lachaux, Carole Cossu-Leguille, Laurence Poirier, Elisabeth Maria Gross, Laure Giamberini
Summary: Rare Earth elements (REE) are essential in strategic sectors such as high- and green-technologies. Their increasing use leads to anthropogenic REE releases, transforming them into emerging contaminants. This study assessed the toxicity of three representative REE and found that the risk of REE in freshwater is currently limited to wastewater treatment plants, industrial, and mining activities. However, the risks are expected to be more widespread in the future due to the increasing anthropogenic REE releases.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Anke Schneeweiss, Noel P. D. Juvigny-Khenafou, Stephen Osakpolor, Andreas Scharmueller, Sebastian Scheu, Verena C. Schreiner, Roman Ashauer, Beate Escher, Florian Leese, Ralf B. Schaefer
Summary: The increasing production, use and emission of synthetic chemicals into the environment is a major driver of global change. Recent advances in biomolecular and computational methods show promise for improving our capacity to predict the effects of these chemicals. However, the complexity of the chemicals, limited knowledge on exposure patterns and effects, and the lack of data covering different levels of biological organization pose challenges to prediction.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Management
Alice H. Aubert, Judit Lienert, Bettina von Helversen
Summary: This paper presents an experiment that assessed a gamified interface aimed at informing and assisting laypeople in wastewater management decisions. The results showed that participants learned about the objectives and constructed preferences using the gamified interface. However, weights were not sufficiently adjusted in either treatment. Both treatments were considered neutral to positive, with the gamified treatment being more entertaining.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Benjamin Hofmann, Karin Ingold, Christian Stamm, Priska Ammann, Rik I. L. Eggen, Robert Finger, Samuel Fuhrimann, Judit Lienert, Jennifer Mark, Chloe McCallum, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Ueli Reber, Lucius Tamm, Milena Wiget, Mirko S. Winkler, Lucca Zachmann, Sabine Hoffmann
Summary: The article criticizes the calls for more and better research to support sustainability, arguing that these calls are based on an incomplete understanding of scientific evidence use. The authors identify a variety of barriers to the transformative impact of evidence, which arise from diverse actor motivations at different stages of evidence use. They focus on the sustainability challenge of reducing environmental and human health risks of agricultural pesticides, and propose context-specific measures to increase evidence use for sustainable transformation.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peta A. Neale, Beate I. Escher, Milo L. De Baat, Jerome Enault, Frederic D. L. Leusch
Summary: Effect-based methods (EBMs) using in vitro bioassays and well plate-based in vivo assays are recommended for water quality monitoring. Effect-based trigger values (EBTs) have been introduced to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable chemical water quality. These EBTs have been derived for both drinking water and surface water to protect human and ecological health.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jerome Enault, Jean-Francois Loret, Peta Neale, Milo De Baat, Beate Escher, Faten Belhadj, Stephan Kools, Geertje Pronk, Frederic Leusch
Summary: In the past decade, effect-based methods (EBMs) have gained increasing attention as a water quality monitoring tool. However, their practical use has been limited to research projects despite being recommended in guideline documents. This study reviews bioanalytical data on wastewater, drinking water, and reuse to identify knowledge gaps and priorities for action. The results highlight the need for more data on various biological effects and emphasize the importance of improving wastewater treatment to protect the environment.
JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Toxicology
Beate I. Escher, Rolf Altenburger, Matthias Blueher, John K. Colbourne, Ralf Ebinghaus, Peter Fantke, Michaela Hein, Wolfgang Koeck, Klaus Kuemmerer, Sina Leipold, Xiaojing Li, Martin Scheringer, Stefan Scholz, Michael Schloter, Pia-Johanna Schweizer, Tamara Tal, Igor Tetko, Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Lukas Y. Wick, Kathrin Fenner
Summary: The assessment of persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity is crucial for ensuring chemical safety and is a cornerstone of the EU's chemicals regulation. Existing methods for PBT assessment are complex, inaccurate, and rely on animal testing. New-approach methodologies propose innovative hazard indicators, CTE and PTE, which can be measured using high throughput in vitro bioassays.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beate Escher, Jordi Blanco, Josep Caixach, Dora Cserbik, Maria J. Farre, Cintia Flores, Maria Koenig, Jungeun Lee, Jo Nyffeler, Carles Planas, Paula E. Redondo-Hasselerharm, Joaquim Rovira, Josep Sanchis, Marta Schuhmacher, Cristina M. Villanueva
Summary: This study evaluated the neurotoxicity, oxidative stress response, and cytotoxicity of tap water samples in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. It compared the measured effects of the detected chemicals with the predicted mixture effects. The results showed that non-regulated non-volatile disinfection byproducts were the main drivers of the mixture effects.
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Fei Cheng, Jiehui Huang, Huizhen Li, Beate I. I. Escher, Yujun Tong, Maria Konig, Dali Wang, Fan Wu, Zhiqiang Yu, Bryan W. W. Brooks, Jing You
Summary: In order to improve the accuracy of mixture risk assessment, researchers propose a data-driven suspect screening and risk assessment method informed by mining big data. By collecting bioactivity concentrations from high-throughput screening platforms and exposure metadata from literature, they generated a regional distribution map of aquatic hazards. This study presents a novel big data approach for objectively selecting analytes during suspect screening to advance sustainable environmental quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Julia Huchthausen, Beate I. Escher, Nico Grasse, Maria Koenig, Stephan Beil, Luise Henneberger
Summary: Acrylamides are industrial chemicals that have adverse effects on humans and animals, such as carcinogenicity or neurotoxicity. These chemicals mainly cause toxicity by reacting with biological nucleophiles such as DNA bases or proteins. Acrylamides react with the soft nucleophile glutathione, while methacrylamides do not react. The reactivity of acrylamides explains the oxidative stress response and cytotoxicity in cells.
CHEMICAL RESEARCH IN TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liza-Marie Beckers, Rolf Altenburger, Werner Brack, Beate I. Escher, Jorg Hackermueller, Enken Hassold, Gianina Illing, Martin Krauss, Janet Krueger, Paul Michaelis, Andreas Schuettler, Sarah Stevens, Wibke Busch
Summary: Aquatic environments are polluted with a wide range of organic micropollutants, posing challenges for risk assessment due to the complexity and diversity of pollutant mixtures. This study suggests that investigating source-specific background pollution in aquatic environments could be a way to approach mixture risk assessment. By preparing a representative mixture of organic micropollutants and comparing it with predicted mixture effects, the study demonstrates that this approach can help identify substances that should be considered in future monitoring efforts and provide measures to estimate wastewater background concentrations and assess mixture risks. The study highlights data gaps that should be addressed for prioritization of effect testing, and offers the approach and mixture for further investigations by authorities and scientists.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juerg Oliver Straub, Julien Le Roux, Damien Tedoldi
Summary: Many active organic pharmaceutical substances (AOPSs) are halogenated for pharmacological reasons, as it helps optimize steric fitting and enhance permeation. However, halogenation inhibits biodegradability, as confirmed by a study on 230 AOPSs, where all halogenated ones showed low biodegradability. In contrast, hydrophilic substitutions were positively correlated with biodegradability. Solutions to this contradiction are discussed.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kia Barrow, Beate I. Escher, Keegan A. Hicks, Maria Koenig, Rita Schlichting, Maricor J. Arlos
Summary: The Alberta oil sands, a major oil reserve, produce acutely toxic oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) stored in tailings ponds. The potential impact of releasing OSPW into the Lower Athabasca River (LAR) on aquatic environments is not fully understood. This study evaluated the (eco)toxicological effects of organic mixtures extracted from LAR surface water samples using in vitro bioassays. The results showed low bioactivity in LAR samples, indicating a low risk to the aquatic environment. The study suggests that in vitro bioassays can be used to assess the effectiveness of OSPW treatment technologies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Beate I. Escher, Matthew J. Binnington, Maria Koenig, Ying D. Lei, Frank Wania
Summary: In this study, the effects of nutrient and environmental contaminant levels in Arctic beluga whale traditional foods were evaluated using in vitro bioassays. Different mixtures were extracted from raw blubber and traditional food preparations using silicone as a sampler. The extracts were tested using reporter gene assays and various cell lines. The results showed that while cytotoxicity was consistent across all cell lines, some samples activated the androgen receptor. The study also revealed that roasting over an open fire or food preparation near a smokehouse increased PAH levels and oxidative stress response.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Eva B. Reiter, Beate I. Escher, Elisa Rojo-Nieto, Hannah Nolte, Ursula Siebert, Annika Jahnke
Summary: The present study used chemical profiling to complement work on mixture effects measured with in vitro bioassays. Different distributions of contaminants in blubber, liver, kidney and brain tissues were observed, and chemical analysis explained a portion of the biological effects, especially for animals with high chemical burden. This study highlights the importance of chemical analysis and bioassays in comprehensively characterizing the mixture exposome of marine mammals.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Georg Braun, Martin Krauss, Beate I. Escher
Summary: Human biomonitoring studies are crucial for understanding the health effects of chemical exposure. This study compared three extraction methods and found that PES + SPE showed the most promising results for sample preparation, as it effectively removed impurities and had the potential for high throughput.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)