Estimation of ochratoxin A in portuguese population: New data on the occurrence in human urine by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

With increasing knowledge of the persistence of OTA in the food chain, exposure to this mycotoxin is a potential human health hazard to humans, and evaluating its presence in populations has become highly important.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T6P-4JXR90G-4/1/ae320edca66d234021aec8fcdd0203f

Determination of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in hospital and municipal wastewaters in Coimbra by liquid chromatography with a monolithic column and fluorescence detection

Abstract The main goal of this work was determination of residues of the antibiotics ofloxacin (OFLO), norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIPRO), and enrofloxacin (ENRO) in wastewater samples. The samples, after acidification to pH 4.5 and addition of EDTA, were extracted on an anion-exchange cartridge in tandem with an Oasis HLB cartridge. The LC–FD method, developed in previous studies, was based on application of a monolithic C18 column. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was 250 ng L-1 for OFLO, 25 ng L-1 for NOR and CIPRO, and 50 ng L-1 for ENRO. Mean recovery ranged between 75 and 121% for OFLO, NOR, CIPRO, and ENRO. A total of 14 wastewater samples were analyzed; these were collected from four hospitals and from influent and effluent from a wastewater-treatment plant in Coimbra, Portugal, during spring and autumn. CIPRO was present in all the samples, NOR was detected second most often, followed by OFLO. ENRO was found at concentrations under the LOQ in five hospital samples, and the highest level was found in influent from the WWTP

Ecotoxicological effects of ciprofloxacin on freshwater species: data integration and derivation of toxicity thresholds for risk assessment

Although antibiotics have been increasingly used and detected in natural samples, their ecotoxicological effects on aquatic wildlife are not yet extensively studied. Considering the environmental threat posed by the biological activity of antibiotics it is quite relevant to assess the resulting impact, especially on sub-lethal endpoints. As such, this study evaluated the effects of ciprofloxacin on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Lemna minor growth, on the survival and reproduction of Daphnia magna and on Gambusia holbrooki survival. The risks associated with ciprofloxacin effects on non-target organisms were quantified through the calculation of the PEC/PNEC ratio. Overall, the toxicity values obtained (at the mg L(-1) level) were higher than the environmental concentrations. P. subcapitata and L. minor were more sensitive under short-term exposures than D. magna and G. holbrooki. No acute toxicity was observed for fish. The chronic assay with D. magna evidenced that long term exposures to lower concentrations of this antibiotic induced impairments on its life-history parameters. Such outcome may pre-empt potential damages on the long-term maintenance of natural populations continuously exposed to the input of antibiotics. Indeed, the PEC/PNEC ratios showed that ciprofloxacin represents a risk for the most sensitive aquatic organisms, since the defined threshold of an acceptable risk was considerably surpassed.publishe