Biodegradation of Carbamazepine and Diclofenac by Bacterial Strain Labrys portucalensis

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has been a topic of increasing concern. Pharmaceuticals are not completely mineralized in the human body and are released on the sewage systems as the pharmaceutical itself and as their “biologically active” metabolites through excretion, as well as by improper elimination and disposal. Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed to remove these emerging pollutants and they are thus released into the environment. The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory diclofenac (DCF) are two widely used pharmaceuticals, frequently detected in water bodies, including rivers and groundwater, in concentrations ranging from ng L 1 to mg L 1. These two compounds were classified as medium to high-risk pollutants in WWTP effluents and surface waters. Also, CBZ has been suggested as a molecular marker of wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater and the European Union included DCF in the watch list of substances Directive to be monitored. In the present study, biodegradation of CBZ and DCF by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11, a strain able to degrade other pharmaceutical compounds, was assessed; tests were performed with F11 as single carbon and energy source, as well as in presence of 5.9mM of sodium acetate. In assays supplemented with 2.0 and 4.0 µM of CBZ, the compound was no longer detected in the bulk medium after 24hr and 5days, respectively. Complete degradation was achieved in 21 days for 11.0 µM and in 23 days for 21.0 µM. For the highest concentration tested (43.0 µM), 95% of degradation was achieved in 30days. Supplementation with acetate increased the degradation rate of CBZ, for all tested concentrations. In the case of DCF, when supplemented as a single carbon source, approximately 70% of DCF (1.7, 3.3, 8.4, 17.5 and 34.0 µM) was degraded in 30days. Complete degradation was achieved in the presence of acetate for all tested concentrations, at higher degradation rates. The detection of intermediates produced during DCF biodegradation was performed by UPLC-QTOF/MS/MS, which allowed the identification of a range of metabolites. Stoichiometric liberation of chorine occurred and no metabolites were detected at the end of the biodegradation assays suggesting a complete mineralization of DCF. Strain Labrys portucalensis F11 proved to be able to degrade these two top priority environmental contaminants and may be potentially useful for biotechnological applications/environment remediation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodegradation of Carbamazepine by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11 – metabolism and toxicologic studies

Background Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is a topic of concern. Most pharmaceuticals are not completely mineralized and are released on the sewage systems through excretion and by improper elimination and disposal(1). Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not designed to remove them and they are released into the environment(2). They are classified as persistent microcontaminants due to their continuous release even if at low concentrations (3). Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an widely used anticonvulsant and has been suggested as a molecular marker of contamination in surface water and groundwater(4). Method Biodegradation of CBZ by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11 was tested as sole carbon and energy source (0.04 mM) and in the presence of acetate as primary carbon source. Transformation products (TPs) were detected and identified by UPLCQTOF/MS/MS. Ecotoxicologiacl effects of CBZ and the TPs resultant from biodegradation were evaluated at different trophic levels, i) zooplanckton (Dapnhia magna) and ii) plants (Lipidium sativum). The 24–48 h immobilization of D. magna bioassays were performed following the Standard Operational Procedures of Daphtoxkit FTM. The toxicity was measured as the immobilization of D. magna according to the procedures OCED Guideline 202(5). The bioassay with L. sativum evaluated the potential toxicity considering the root elongation according to OECD Guideline 208(6). Results & Conclusions Strain F11 was able to degrade 95% of initial CBZ concentration during 30 days experiment. Supplementation with acetate increased degradation to 100% in 24 days. A group of 12 TPs formed in the microbial process were identified; CBZ degradation by strain F11 proceeds mainly by oxidation, hydroxilation and cleavage of the aromatic ring. The effect of whole biodegradation products on root elongation of L. sativum was practically neglectable; however the same exhibited toxicity to D. magna. Strain Labrys portucalensis F11 proved to be able to degrade CBZ and may be potentially useful for biotechnological applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rhodococcus sp. ED55: a bacterial strain with potential for application in wastewater treatment for effective removal of endocrine disruptors

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Imaging the three-dimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin (2009 L’Aquila earthquake, Central Italy) using ground TDEM and seismic noise surveys: preliminary results

We present preliminary results from a multidisciplinary geophysical approach applied to the imaging of the threedimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin, close to the epicentral area of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake (central Italy). We collected several time domain electromagnetic soundings (TDEM) coupled with seismic noise measurements focusing on the characterization of the bedrock/infill interface. Our preliminary results agree with existing geophysical data collected in the area, and show that the southeastern portion of the basin is characterized by a deepening of the Mesozoic-Tertiary bedrock down to a depth of more than 450 m. We found that a joint use of electromagnetic and seismic methods significantly contributes in obtaining new insights on the 3D geometry of the Middle Aterno basin. Moreover, we believe that our combined approach based on TDEM and noise measurements can be adopted to investigate similar geological settings elsewhere.PublishedPescina (AQ)2T. Tettonica attivaope

Imaging the three-dimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin (2009 L’ Aquila earthquake, Central Italy) using ground TDEM and seismic noise surveys: preliminary results

We present preliminary results from a multidisciplinary geophysical approach ap- plied to the imaging of the three-dimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin, close to the epicentral area of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake (central Italy). We collected several time domain electromagnetic soundings (TDEM) coupled with seismic noise measurements focu- sing on the characterization of the bedrock/in ll interface. Our preliminary results agree with existing geophysical data collected in the area, and show that the southeastern portion of the basin is characterized by a deepening of the Mesozoic-Tertiary bedrock down to a depth of more than 450 m. We found that a joint use of electromagnetic and seismic methods signi - cantly contributes in obtaining new insights on the 3D geometry of the Middle Aterno basin. Moreover, we believe that our combined approach based on TDEM and noise measurements can be adopted to investigate similar geological settings elsewhere.PublishedPescina (AQ), Italy2T. Tettonica attiva3T. Pericolosità sismica e contributo alla definizione del rischio7A. Geofisica di esplorazioneope

Imaging the three-dimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin (2009 L’Aquila earthquake, Central Italy) using ground TDEM and seismic noise surveys: preliminary results

We present preliminary results from a multidisciplinary geophysical approach applied to the imaging of the threedimensional architecture of the Middle Aterno basin, close to the epicentral area of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake (central Italy). We collected several time domain electromagnetic soundings (TDEM) coupled with seismic noise measurements focusing on the characterization of the bedrock/infill interface. Our preliminary results agree with existing geophysical data collected in the area, and show that the southeastern portion of the basin is characterized by a deepening of the Mesozoic-Tertiary bedrock down to a depth of more than 450 m. We found that a joint use of electromagnetic and seismic methods significantly contributes in obtaining new insights on the 3D geometry of the Middle Aterno basin. Moreover, we believe that our combined approach based on TDEM and noise measurements can be adopted to investigate similar geological settings elsewhere

Blast-induced liquefaction in silty sands for full-scale testing of ground improvement methods: Insights from a multidisciplinary study

In the engineering geology field increased attention has been posed in recent years to potential liquefaction mitigation interventions in susceptible sand formations. In silty sands this is a major challenge because, as the fines content increases, vibratory methods for densification become progressively less effective. An alternative mitigation technique can be the installation of Rammed Aggregate Pier\uae (RAP) columns that can increase the resistance of the soil, accounting for its lateral stress increase and for the stiffness increase from soil and RAP composite response. To investigate the influence of these factors on liquefaction resistance, full-scale blast tests were performed at a silty sand site in Bondeno (Ferrara, Italy) where liquefaction was observed after the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake. A multidisciplinary team of forty researchers carried out devoted experimental activities aimed at better understanding the liquefaction process at the field scale and the effectiveness of the treatment using inter-related methods. Both natural and improved areas were investigated by in-situ tests and later subjected to controlled blasting. The blast tests were monitored with geotechnical and geophysical instrumentation, topographical surveying and geological analyses on the sand boils. Results showed the RAP effectiveness due to the improvement of soil properties within the liquefiable layer and a consequent reduction of the blast-induced liquefaction settlements, likely due to soil densification and increased lateral stress. The applied multidisciplinary approach adopted for the study allowed better understanding of the mechanism involved in the liquefaction mitigation intervention and provided a better overall evaluation of mitigation effectiveness

A database of the coseismic effects following the 30 October 2016 Norcia earthquake in Central Italy

We provide a database of the coseismic geological surface effects following the Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake that hit central Italy on 30 October 2016. This was one of the strongest seismic events to occur in Europe in the past thirty years, causing complex surface ruptures over an area of >400 km 2. The database originated from the collaboration of several European teams (Open EMERGEO Working Group; about 130 researchers) coordinated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. The observations were collected by performing detailed field surveys in the epicentral region in order to describe the geometry and kinematics of surface faulting, and subsequently of landslides and other secondary coseismic effects. The resulting database consists of homogeneous georeferenced records identifying 7323 observation points, each of which contains 18 numeric and string fields of relevant information. This database will impact future earthquake studies focused on modelling of the seismic processes in active extensional settings, updating probabilistic estimates of slip distribution, and assessing the hazard of surface faulting