Over-the-Counter Monocyclic Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Environment—Sources, Risks, Biodegradation

Recently, the increased use of monocyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has resulted in their presence in the environment. This may have potential negative effects on living organisms. The biotransformation mechanisms of monocyclic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the human body and in other mammals occur by hydroxylation and conjugation with glycine or glucuronic acid. Biotransformation/biodegradation of monocyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the environment may be caused by fungal or bacterial microorganisms. Salicylic acid derivatives are degraded by catechol or gentisate as intermediates which are cleaved by dioxygenases. The key intermediate of the paracetamol degradation pathways is hydroquinone. Sometimes, after hydrolysis of this drug, 4- aminophenol is formed, which is a dead-end metabolite. Ibuprofen is metabolized by hydroxylation or activation with CoA, resulting in the formation of isobutylocatechol. The aim of this work is to attempt to summarize the knowledge about environmental risk connected with the presence of over-the-counter antiinflammatory drugs, their sources and the biotransformation and/or biodegradation pathways of these drugs

Changes in Soil Ergosterol Content, Glomalin-Related Soil Protein, and Phospholipid Fatty Acid Profile as Affected by Long-Term Organic and Chemical Fertilization Practices in Mediterranean Turkey

The present study examines the effects of different fertilization treatments (chemical fertilization, farmyard manure, plant compost, and mycorrhiza-inoculated compost) on the soil fungi under a crop rotation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) in a long-term field experiment established in Mediterranean Turkey in 1996. Soil samples were collected in May, August, and October 2009. Soil pH, organic carbon, plant-available nitrogen and phosphorus, mycorrhizal colonization, and a series of biochemical markers (phospholipid and neutral lipid fatty acid [PLFA and NLFA] profiles, soil ergosterol content, and glomalin related soil protein [GRSP] as indicators of abundance of bacteria, saprotrophic, and arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM] fungi) were assessed. No significant difference was observed in soil organic C and plant available N in relation to long-term fertilization treatments, but plant available P in soil changed significantly in relation to the fertilization treatment used and the sampling season (between 11.5–33.8 mg · kg-1in spring, 10.4–28.6 mg · kg-1in summer, and 10.5–33.2 mg · kg-1in autumn). Mycorrhizal colonization patterns were similar for both plants. However, mycorrhiza-inoculated compost treatment exhibited higher root colonization (77.3%) over control (16.3%), chemical fertilization (10.0%), farmyard manure (19.3%), and plant compost (20.0%). No statistically significant change was observed in ergosterol content. The effect of long-term organic treatments on soil PLFA structure was statistically prominent; whereas seasonality only affected bacterial PLFAs. Organic fertilization increased GRSP (mean annual ranging from 0.91 to 2.46 mg · g-1total GRSP) but long-term annual mycorrhizal inoculation had no significant effect on the soil GRSP pool. © 2015, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Nature-based units as building blocks for resource recovery systems in cities

Cities are producers of high quantities of secondary liquid and solid streams that are still poorly utilized within urban systems. In order to tackle this issue, there has been an ever-growing push for more efficient resource management and waste prevention in urban areas, following the concept of a circular economy. This review paper provides a characterization of urban solid and liquid resource flows (including water, nutrients, metals, potential energy, and organics), which pass through selected nature-based solutions (NBS) and supporting units (SU), expanding on that characterization through the study of existing cases. In particular, this paper presents the currently implemented NBS units for resource recovery, the applicable solid and liquid urban waste streams and the SU dedicated to increasing the quality and minimizing hazards of specific streams at the source level (e.g., concentrated fertilizers, disinfected recovered products). The recovery efficiency of systems, where NBS and SU are combined, operated at a micro-or meso-scale and applied at technology readiness levels higher than 5, is reviewed. The importance of collection and transport infrastructure, treatment and recovery technology, and (urban) agricultural or urban green reuse on the quantity and quality of input and output materials are discussed, also regarding the current main circularity and application challenges

Pilot-scale drinking water distribution system to study water quality changes during transport

Abstract Drinking water (DW) quality can change during distribution, leading to taste and odor events and microbial regrowth. Pilot plants mimicking distribution networks are crucial for understanding these changes. We present a new pilot plant design, including piping material, sensors, and instrumentation. The three independent loops (100 m each) of the pilot exhibit identical behavior, allowing simultaneous testing of three conditions. Monitoring includes taste and odor compound formation, microorganism regrowth, and dissolved organic carbon changes. Real-time measurements enable continuous monitoring, and inner pipe biofilm sampling is feasible. The pilot’s modularity facilitates studying climate change effects, different piping materials, and source waters on DW quality in the distribution network