Determination of chlorinated solvents in industrial water and wastewater by DAI–GC–ECD

A very simple and quick analytical method, based on direct aqueous injection, for determination of halogenated solvents in refinery water and wastewater, is described. There is a need to determine halogenated solvents in refinery water streams, because they may originate from several processes. There is also a need to develop methods enabling VOX to be determined in samples containing oil fractions. The method described enables simultaneous determination of 26 compounds with low detection limits (sub-μg L−1) and excellent precision, especially for highly halogenated solvents. The matrix effects of four types of sample were evaluated—the method seemed to be relatively insensitive to variations in matrix composition. Deuterated 1,2-dichloroethane was used as internal standard and surrogate compound in quantitative analysis; application of isotopically labelled compounds is rarely reported when non-mass spectrometric detectors are used for analysis. Analysis of real samples showed that the most frequently detected compounds were dichloromethane and 1,2-dichloroethane

Applicability of non-invasively collected matrices for human biomonitoring

With its inclusion under Action 3 in the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004–2010 of the European Commission, human biomonitoring is currently receiving an increasing amount of attention from the scientific community as a tool to better quantify human exposure to, and health effects of, environmental stressors. Despite the policy support, however, there are still several issues that restrict the routine application of human biomonitoring data in environmental health impact assessment. One of the main issues is the obvious need to routinely collect human samples for large-scale surveys. Particularly the collection of invasive samples from susceptible populations may suffer from ethical and practical limitations. Children, pregnant women, elderly, or chronically-ill people are among those that would benefit the most from non-invasive, repeated or routine sampling. Therefore, the use of non-invasively collected matrices for human biomonitoring should be promoted as an ethically appropriate, cost-efficient and toxicologically relevant alternative for many biomarkers that are currently determined in invasively collected matrices. This review illustrates that several non-invasively collected matrices are widely used that can be an valuable addition to, or alternative for, invasively collected matrices such as peripheral blood sampling. Moreover, a well-informed choice of matrix can provide an added value for human biomonitoring, as different non-invasively collected matrices can offer opportunities to study additional aspects of exposure to and effects from environmental contaminants, such as repeated sampling, historical overview of exposure, mother-child transfer of substances, or monitoring of substances with short biological half-lives

Kisspeptin signaling is required for the luteinizing hormone response in anestrous ewes following the introduction of males

The introduction of a novel male stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of female sheep during seasonal anestrus, leading to the resumption of follicle maturation and ovulation. How this pheromone cue activates pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinizing hormone (LH) is unknown. We hypothesised that pheromones activate kisspeptin neurons, the product of which is critical for the stimulation of GnRH neurons and fertility. During the non-breeding season, female sheep were exposed to novel males and blood samples collected for analysis of plasma LH profiles. Females without exposure to males served as controls. In addition, one hour before male exposure, a kisspeptin antagonist (P-271) or vehicle was infused into the lateral ventricle and continued for the entire period of male exposure. Introduction of a male led to elevated mean LH levels, due to increased LH pulse amplitude and pulse frequency in females, when compared to females not exposed to a male. Infusion of P-271 abolished this effect of male exposure. Brains were collected after the male effect stimulus and we observed an increase in the percentage of kisspeptin neurons co-expressing Fos, by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the per-cell expression of Kiss1 mRNA was increased in the rostral and mid (but not the caudal) arcuate nucleus (ARC) after male exposure in both aCSF and P-271 treated ewes, but the per-cell content of neurokinin B mRNA was decreased. There was also a generalized increase in Fos positive cells in the rostral and mid ARC as well as the ventromedial hypothalamus of females exposed to males. We conclude that introduction of male sheep to seasonally anestrous female sheep activates kisspeptin neurons and other cells in the hypothalamus, leading to increased GnRH/LH secretion

Uranium post-mining wastes as a potential reserve source of uranium for nuclear energy plants

Biotechnology is an effective and environmental friendly method of waste utilization and poor refractory ores exploitation, well known since 1949 and successfully developed in many countries: Spain, Bulgaria, USA, and Sweden. Biotechnology opens the possibility to obtain uranium as by-product in rare element recovery process (eg. Co, Au, Re, Rh, Pt) and positively affects the economic efficiency of tech-nology. The research program of biological exploitation of waste and poor ores in Poland is presented. Microbial consortia able to oxidize iron under neutral and acidic conditions (Fe concentration in ore is 1.8–3.4%) are isolated and developed during project realization

New HAp-organic composite as a promising filler of bone defects

Powszechnie znana wada hydroksyapatowego materiału implantacyjnego w postaci granul dotyczy braku poręczności chirurgicznej. Problem ten może być rozwiązany poprzez przygotowanie odpowiedniego materiału kompozytowego. Wytworzono nowy małoplastyczny organiczno/nieorganiczny kompozyt posiadający korzystne właściwości mechaniczne, który okazał się być zdolnym do częściowego dopasowywania do kształtu i wymiarów miejsca implantacyjnego. Kompozyt może być suszony i ponownie nasączany, daje się przechowywać przez co najmniej 2 lata i sterylizować bez utraty swoich właściwości. Jego parametry mechaniczne przypominają te, które wykazuje kość gąbczasta. Po implantacji do przetok ustno-nosowych w modelu psim, okazał się być dobrym materiałem w procesie ich leczenia, zapobiegając zapaleniom nosa i zachłystowemu zapaleniu płuc. Te właściwości czynią opisany kompozyt obiecującym materiałem dla wypełnień ubytków kości.Commonly known disadvantage of granular hydroxyapatite implantation material concerns the lack of its surgical handiness. This problem can be solved by preparing the suitable composite material. A new low ductile organic/inorganic composite possessing profitable mechanical properties has been created and it was found to be able to adapt to some ex-tent to shape and dimensions of implantation site. The composite can be dried and soaked again, may be stored for at least 2 years and sterilized without loss of its properties. Its mechanical parameters resemble those of spongy bone. After implantation into oronasal fistulae dog model, it served as a good material for fistula’s repair, preventing appearance of nasal rhinitis and aspiration pneumonia. These properties make the composite a promising biomaterial for filling of bone defects