Removal of ecotoxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol using TAML/peroxide water treatment

17α -ethinylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic oestrogen in oral contraceptives, is one of many pharmaceuticals found in inland waterways worldwide as a result of human consumption and excretion into wastewater treatment systems. At low parts per trillion (ppt), EE2 induces feminisation of male fish, diminishing reproductive success and causing fish population collapse. Intended water quality standards for EE2 set a much needed global precedent. Ozone and activated carbon provide effective wastewater treatments, but their energy intensities and capital/operating costs are formidable barriers to adoption. Here we describe the technical and environmental performance of a fast- developing contender for mitigation of EE2 contamination of wastewater based upon smallmolecule, full-functional peroxidase enzyme replicas called “TAML activators”. From neutral to basic pH, TAML activators with H2O2 efficiently degrade EE2 in pure lab water, municipal effluents and EE2-spiked synthetic urine. TAML/H2O2 treatment curtails estrogenicity in vitro and substantially diminishes fish feminization in vivo. Our results provide a starting point for a future process in which tens of thousands of tonnes of wastewater could be treated per kilogram of catalyst. We suggest TAML/H2O2 is a worthy candidate for exploration as an environmentally compatible, versatile, method for removing EE2 and other pharmaceuticals from municipal wastewaters.Heinz Endowments, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Steinbrenner Institute for a Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship. NMR instrumentation at CMU was partially supported by NSF (CHE-0130903 and CHE-1039870)

A new hammer to crack an old nut : interspecific competitive resource capture by plants is regulated by nutrient supply, not climate

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Effect of Arsenic Mitigation Interventions on Disease Burden in Bangladesh

Many interventions have been advocated to mitigate the impact of arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh. However, there are few data on the true magnitude of arsenic-related disease in Bangladesh nationally. There has also been little consideration given to possible adverse effects of such interventions, in particular, diarrheal disease. The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the likely impacts of arsenic mitigation interventions on both arsenic-related disease and water-borne infectious disease. We found that arsenic-related disease currently results in 9,136 deaths per year and 174,174 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; undiscounted) lost per year in those exposed to arsenic concentrations > 50 μg/L. This constitutes 0.3% of the total disease burden in Bangladesh in terms of undiscounted DALYs. We found intervention to be of overall benefit in reducing disease burden in most scenarios examined, but the concomitant increase in water-related infectious disease significantly reduced the potential benefits gained from intervention. A minimum reduction in arsenic-related DALYs of 77% was necessary before intervention achieved any reduction in net disease burden. This is assuming that interventions were provided to those exposed to > 50 μg/L and would concomitantly result in a 20% increase in water-related infectious disease in those without access to adequate sanitation. Intervention appears to be justified for those populations exposed to high levels of arsenic, but it must be based on exposure levels and on the effectiveness of interventions not only in reducing arsenic but in minimizing risk of water-related infections

Elevated Paracellular Glucose Flux across Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Monolayers Is an Important Factor for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Growth.

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) who develop related diabetes (CFRD) have accelerated pulmonary decline, increased infection with antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and increased pulmonary exacerbations. We have previously shown that glucose concentrations are elevated in airway surface liquid (ASL) of people with CF, particularly in those with CFRD. We therefore explored the hypotheses that glucose homeostasis is altered in CF airway epithelia and that elevation of glucose flux into ASL drives increased bacterial growth, with an effect over and above other cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related ASL abnormalities. The aim of this study was to compare the mechanisms governing airway glucose homeostasis in CF and non-CF primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) monolayers, under normal conditions and in the presence of Ps. aeruginosa filtrate. HBE-bacterial co-cultures were performed in the presence of 5 mM or 15 mM basolateral glucose to investigate how changes in blood glucose, such as those seen in CFRD, affects luminal Ps. aeruginosa growth. Calu-3 cell monolayers were used to evaluate the potential importance of glucose on Ps. aeruginosa growth, in comparison to other hallmarks of the CF ASL, namely mucus hyperviscosity and impaired CFTR-dependent fluid secretions. We show that elevation of basolateral glucose promotes the apical growth of Ps. aeruginosa on CF airway epithelial monolayers more than non-CF monolayers. Ps. aeruginosa secretions elicited more glucose flux across CF airway epithelial monolayers compared to non-CF monolayers which we propose increases glucose availability in ASL for bacterial growth. In addition, elevating basolateral glucose increased Ps. aeruginosa growth over and above any CFTR-dependent effects and the presence or absence of mucus in Calu-3 airway epithelia-bacteria co-cultures. Together these studies highlight the importance of glucose as an additional factor in promoting Ps. aeruginosa growth and respiratory infection in CF disease

Belowground DNA-based techniques: untangling the network of plant root interactions

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Seasonal variation of water uptake of a Quercus suber tree in Central Portugal

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) is the phenomenon where plant roots transfer water between soil horizons of different water potential. When dry soil is a stronger sink for water loss from the plant than transpiration, water absorbed by roots in wetter soil horizons is transferred toward, and exuded into dry soil via flow reversals through the roots. Reverse flow is a good marker of HR and can serve as a useful tool to study it over the long-term. Seasonal variation of water uptake of a Quercus suber tree was studied from late winter through autumn 2003 at Rio Frio near Lisbon, Portugal. Sap flow was measured in five small shallow roots (diameter of 3–4 cm), 1 to 2 m from the tree trunk and in four azimuths and at different xylem depths at the trunk base, using the heat field deformation method (HFD). The pattern of sap flow differed among lateral roots as soil dried with constant positive flow in three roots and reverse flow in two other roots during the night when transpiration ceased. Rain modified the pattern of flow in these two roots by eliminating reverse flow and substantially increasing water uptake for transpiration during the day. The increase in water uptake in three other roots following rain was not so substantial. In addition, the flux in individual roots was correlated to different degrees with the flux at different radial depths and azimuthal directions in trunk xylem. The flow in outer trunk xylem seemed to be mostly consistent with water movement from surface soil horizons, whereas deep roots seemed to supply water to the whole cross-section of sapwood. When water flow substantially decreased in shallow lateral roots and the outer stem xylem during drought, water flow in the inner sapwood was maintained, presumably due to its direct connection to deep roots. Results also suggest the importance of the sap flow sensor placement, in relation to sinker roots, as to whether lateral roots might be found to exhibit reverse flow during drought. This study is consistent with the dimorphic rooting habit of Quercus suber trees in which deep roots access groundwater to supply superficial roots and the whole tree, when shallow soil layers were dry