Drinking water contaminants: toxicity of halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Food may be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the process of smoking or heating. These contaminants or their derivatives can also be present in drinking water when raw water contacts with discharges of untreated industrial/waste water effluents, forest fires or by solubilisation of organic material from contaminated soils. A few studies have shown that water disinfection can lead to halogenated derivatives of PAHs (HPAHs) as chlorinated and brominated derivatives, and there are evidences that these compounds may have greater mutagenicity than the parent PAHs. In this study the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of chlorinated/brominated derivatives of pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), 1-ClPyr, 1-BrPyr and 7-ClBaA, which can be formed as water disinfection by-products, were studied in HepG2 cells to assess their potential hazard to human health. The formation of 1-ClPyr, 1-BrPyr and 7-ClBaA under aqueous disinfection conditions in waters contaminated with Pyr and BaA, was confirmed with an optimized gas chromatography method. Cells exposed (24h) to several concentrations of BaA and 7-ClBaA (1 to 200μM) displayed a dose-related and significant increase of cytotoxicity (neutral red assay) with IC50 values of 3.37 and 12.63µM respectively. For Pyr, 1-ClPyr and 1-BrPyr (10 to 200μM), a lower but significant dose-related cytotoxicity was observed. At non-cytotoxic concentrations (10 and 15µM), 7-ClBaA was able to induce a significantly higher level of oxidative DNA damage in HepG2 cells than its parent compound, as assessed by the FPG-modified comet assay. Under these conditions neither Pyr nor its derivatives were genotoxic. In conclusion, the disinfection process may give rise to genotoxic HPAHs with potential impact on human health and it should be performed in raw waters with minimal content of total organic carbon. In real conditions, humans may be exposed to a mixture of these organic compounds and thus their combined toxic effects should be further evaluated

Growth of CaF2 buffer on Si using low energy cluster beam deposition technique and study of its properties

International audienc

Environmental and Socioeconomic Factors Influencing the Use of Urban Green Spaces in Coimbra (Portugal)

CC BY 4.0Urban green spaces (UGS) deliver a wide range of regulating, provisioning and cultural ecosystem services (CES), relevant to support the achievement of some United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., Goal 11: sustainable cities and communities, and Goal 3: good health and well-being). However, knowledge of preferences and uses of UGS by urban dwellers is still lacking. This study assesses the CES perceived by different users in five distinct urban parks located in Coimbra, Portugal: Manuel Braga (secular park), Botanical garden, Choupal national forest, Mondego green park (large area placed next to the river), and Vale das Flores (linear park located in a residential area). A questionnaire survey was performed in each park to investigate the activities performed and their relevance for the users, users' motivations to develop the activities on that specific UGS, the perceived benefits regarding physical and emotional well-being and social interactions, and users' perception about disservices. The results showed that walking, meeting people, practicing and doing activities with children are the activities performed by most users and are perceived as beneficial for physical and emotional well-being. Multifunctionality is a characteristic of all parks and highly appreciated by the users. Significant differences in socio-demographic characteristics of the users and motivations are recorded between parks. The tranquillity of space and landscape beauty are the main motivations to use Manuel Braga Park and the Botanical garden. Distance to the park and transportation means are particularly important for Botanical garden and Vale das Flores park users. Age group and average monthly income were associated in both Choupal national forest, Mondego green park and Vale das Flores park, denoting that older and wealthier users are more able to enjoy these parks. Users' problems or ecosystem disservices were not identified, although plagues (e.g., mosquitoes) and dangerous animals recorded average concerns in the Choupal national forest and in the Vale das Flores and Mondego green parks. This work's findings can help decision-makers better understand users' needs and expectations, thus improving UGS design and management to attract more citizen

Formation of emerging disinfection byproducts in water and evaluation of potential genotoxic effects: the case of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Work performed by Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA); Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon; Departamento de Saúde Ambiental, INSADisinfection byproducts (DBPs) are formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants (WTPs) react with natural (or anthropogenic) organic matter present in the source water. Many studies have addressed health risks posed by a life-time exposure to DBPs through chlorinated drinking water or through dermal or inhalation exposure routes. Experimental studies have revealed genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of some DBPs and epidemiological studies evidenced potential associations between chlorinated drinking water and bladder or colorectal cancer. In addition, a possible link between chlorinated drinking water and reproductive/developmental effects has been hypothesized. Many DBPs have been identified in treated water, which justifies the growing concern about the potential health effects of emerging unregulated DBPs, some of which appear to be more genotoxic, in some assays, than the regulated DBPs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most persistent contaminants detected in environmental samples such as river sediments and tap water. Water chlorination can lead to the formation of chlorinated derivatives of PAHs (Cl-PAHs) and the few available toxicological studies have shown that Cl-PAHs possess greater mutagenicity than the corresponding parent PAHs. The present study had two main objectives: 1) identification of the major chlorinated derivatives of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and fluoranthene (Fluo) formed as chlorination by-products and 2) evaluation of their potential hazard to humans, through the characterization of their potential genotoxic effects in a human cell line. To synthesize chlorinated standards of PAHs, a newly two phase (water/n-hexane) method was developed for BaP and Fluo. 6-Cl-BaP was obtained as the major chlorination product of BaP, and 3-Cl-Fluo and 1,3-Cl2-Fluo of Fluo. The formation of these BaP and Fluo chlorinated derivatives was also observed under WTPs chlorination conditions after at 0.5 until 24 h of exposure. The effects of equimolar concentrations of 6-Cl-BaP vs. BaP and of 3-Cl-Fluo/1,3-Cl2-Fluo vs. Fluo on cell viability and DNA integrity were assessed by the neutral red uptake (NR) and the comet assay, respectively. Exposure of HepG2 cells to a dose-range of 6-Cl-BaP and BaP showed that both compounds are cytotoxic above 50 µM and that, at the equimolar doses of 100 and 125 µM, 6-Cl-BaP is able to induce a significantly higher level of DNA damage than BaP. On the other hand, no changes of cell viability were observed after exposure to several concentrations of Fluo and its derivatives. Likewise, none of the compounds was able to significantly induce DNA damage. In conclusion, the present data confirmed that chlorinated derivatives of BaP and Fluo are formed during WTPs chlorination procedures and allowed the identification of their major chlorinated derivatives that should be further analysed in drinking water. On the other hand, the results from the comet assay evidenced a higher DNA damaging effect of Cl-BaP comparatively to its parent compound, suggestive of a more potent genotoxic effect. In spite of the negative results found for Fluo and its chorinated products, further genotoxicity studies are still needed to allow a definite conclusion. Although health risks of DBPs are small compared to health risks of waterborne diseases, the identification of hazardous Cl-PAHs in water emphasizes the need of development of new and safer water disinfection methods

Thunderstorm and Lightning Characteristics Associated With Sprites in Brazil

A study of the thunderstorm and cloud-ground lightning characteristics associated with sprite events observed in Brazil is presented. The study is based on ground and aircraft sprite observations with high sensitivity intensified CCD cameras of six different thunderstorms, GOES satellite infrared images, radar and lightning network data. A total of eighteen transient optical events were recorded at three different days in 2002 and 2003, sixteen of which exhibited vertical structures typically associated with sprites. Four thunderstorms were associated with two different cold fronts, one with a Mesoscale Convective System, and one was a local isolated thunderstorm. The sprites occurred during time periods when the percentage of positive flashes was higher than the average percentage for the storm lifetime. The lightning associated with the sprite events was all positive flashes with a mean peak current higher than the mean value for all flashes in the storms

Peak effect in a superconducting DyBa2Cu3O7-y film at microwave frequencies

We report the observation of a peak in the microwave (9.55 GHz) surface resistance in an epitaxial DyBa2Cu3O7-y superconducting film in magnetic fields (parallel to the c axis) ranging between 0.2 to 0.9 Tesla. Such a peak is absent in the measurements done in zero-field. The temperature and field dependence of the peak suggests that this peak could be associated with the peak effect phenomenon reflecting the order-disorder transformation in the flux-line lattice. A strong dependence of this peak effect at frequencies close to the depinning frequency of the flux line lattice is observed.Comment: 1 text, 4 figures (all postscript) to be published in Phys. Rev.

Formation of emerging disinfection byproducts in water and evaluation of potential genotoxic effects: the case of halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants (WTPs) react with natural (or anthropogenic) organic matter present in the source water. Many studies have addressed health risks posed by a life-time exposure to DBPs through chlorinated drinking water or through dermal or inhalation exposure routes. Experimental studies have revealed genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of some DBPs and epidemiological studies evidenced potential associations between chlorinated drinking water and bladder or colorectal cancer. In addition, a possible link between chlorinated drinking water and reproductive/developmental effects has been hypothesized. Many DBPs have been identified in chlorinated water, which justifies the growing concern about the potential health effects of emerging unregulated DBPs, some of which appear to be more genotoxic, in some assays, than the regulated DBPs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most persistent contaminants detected in environmental samples such as river sediments and tap water. A few studies have already proven that water disinfection can lead to the formation of halogenated derivatives of PAHs, such as chlorinated (Cl-PAHs) and brominated PAHs (Br-PAHs). The available toxicological studies have shown that these compounds possess, in general, greater mutagenicity than the corresponding parent PAHs. Our investigation group have also showed that exposure of HepG2 cells to a dose-range of 6-Cl-benzo[a]pyrene (6-Cl-BaP) and BaP resulted in cytotoxicity above 50 µM and that, at the equimolar doses of 100 and 125 µM, 6-Cl-BaP was able to induce a significantly higher level of DNA damage than BaP. The present study had two main objectives: 1) identification of the major chlorinated and brominated derivatives of benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) and pyrene (Pyr) formed as disinfection by-products and 2) evaluation of their potential hazard to humans, through the characterization of their potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in a human cell line. To synthesize Cl-PAHs and Br-PAHs the method of Mitchell was developed for BaA and Pyr. 1-Cl-Pyr and 1-Br-Pyr were obtained as the major chlorinated and brominated derivatives of Pyr, and 7-Cl-BaA and 7-Br-BaA as the reaction products of BaA. Cell viability and DNA integrity of those derivatives were assessed by the neutral red uptake (NR) and the comet assay, respectively, allowing the comparison of their genotoxic potential. Although health risks of DBPs are small compared to the health risks of waterborne diseases, the formation of hazardous halogenated-PAHs in chlorinated water water emphasizes the need of development of new and safer water disinfection methods.INS

Accuracy Of Sonography And Hysteroscopy In The Diagnosis Of Premalignant And Malignant Polyps In Postmenopausal Women [acurácia Da Ultrassonografia E Da Histeroscopia No Diagnóstico De Pólipos Endometriais Pré-malignos E Malignos Na Pós-menopausa]

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of sonographic endometrial thickness and hysteroscopic characteristics in predicting malignancy in postmenopausal women undergoing surgical resection of endometrial polyps. METHODS: Five hundred twenty-one (521) postmenopausal women undergoing hysteroscopic resection of endometrial polyps between January 1998 and December 2008 were studied. For each value of sonographic endometrial thickness and polyp size on hysteroscopy, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated in relation to the histologic diagnosis of malignancy. The best values of sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignancy were determined by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Histologic diagnosis identified the presence of premalignancy or malignancy in 4.1% of cases. Sonographic measurement revealed a greater endometrial thickness in cases of malignant polyps when compared to benign and premalignant polyps. On surgical hysteroscopy, malignant endometrial polyps were also larger. An endometrial thickness of 13 mm showed a sensitivity of 69.6%, specificity of 68.5%, PPV of 9.3%, and NPV of 98% in predicting malignancy in endometrial polyps. Polyp measurement by hysteroscopy showed that for polyps 30 mm in size, the sensitivity was 47.8%, specificity was 66.1%, PPV was 6.1%, and NPV was 96.5% for predicting cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Sonographic endometrial thickness showed a higher level of accuracy than hysteroscopic measurement in predicting malignancy in endometrial polyps. Despite this, both techniques showed low accuracy for predicting malignancy in endometrial polyps in postmenopausal women. In suspected cases, histologic evaluation is necessary to exclude malignancy.356243248Anastasiadis, P.G., Koutlaki, N.G., Skaphida, P.G., Galazios, G.C., Tsikouras, P.N., Liberis, V.A., Endometrial polyps: Prevalence, detection, and malignant potential in women with abnormal uterine bleeding (2000) Eur J Gynaecol Oncol., 21 (2), pp. 180-183Clevenger-Hoeft, M., Syrop, C.H., Stovall, D.W., van Voorhis, B.J., Sonohysterography in premenopausal women with and without abnormal bleeding (1999) Obstet Gynecol., 94 (4), pp. 516-520Goldstein, S.R., Zeltser, I., Horan, C.K., Snyder, J.R., Schwartz, L.B., Ultrasonography-based triage for perimenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (1997) Am J Obstet Gynecol., 177 (1), pp. 102-108Nagele, F., O'Connor, H., Davies, A., Badawy, A., Mohamed, H., Magos, A., 2500 outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopies (1996) Obstet Gynecol., 88 (1), pp. 87-92van Bogaert, L.J., Clinicopathologic findings in endometrial polyps (1988) Obstet Gynecol., 71 (5), pp. 771-773Dreisler, E., Stampe Sorensen, S., Ibsen, P.H., Lose, G., Prevalence of endometrial polyps and abnormal uterine bleeding in a Danish population aged 20-74 years (2009) Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol., 33 (1), pp. 102-108Lieng, M., Istre, O., Sandvik, L., Qvigstad, E., Prevalence, 1-year regression rate, and clinical significance of asymptomatic endometrial polyps: Cross-sectional study (2009) J Minim Invasive Gynecol., 16 (4), pp. 465-471Schmidt, T., Breidenbach, M., Nawroth, F., Mallmann, P., Beyer, I.M., Fleisch, M.C., Hysteroscopy for asymptomatic postmenopausal women with sonographically thickened endometrium (2009) Maturitas., 62 (2), pp. 176-178Lee, S.C., Kaunitz, A.M., Sanchez-Ramos, L., Rhatigan, R.M., The oncogenic potential of endometrial polyps: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2010) Obstet Gynecol., 116 (5), pp. 1197-1205Martínez, M.A., Jou, P., Nonell, R., Cardona, M., Alonso, I., Vanrell, J.A., Pólipos endometriales: Riesgo de malignización y correlación clínico-anatómica (2004) Prog Obstet Ginecol., 47 (11), pp. 506-510Antunes Jr., A., Costa-Paiva, L., Arthuso, M., Costa, J.V., Pinto-Neto, A.M., Endometrial polyps in pre-and postmenopausal women: Factors associated with malignancy (2007) Maturitas., 57 (4), pp. 415-421Savelli, L., de Iaco, P., Santini, D., Rosati, F., Ghi, T., Pignotti, E., Histopathologic features and risk factors for benignity, hyperplasia, and cancer in endometrial polyps (2003) Am J Obstet Gynecol., 188 (4), pp. 927-931Lieng, M., Istre, O., Qvigstad, E., Treatment of endometrial polyps: A systematic review (2010) Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand., 89 (8), pp. 992-1002Baiocchi, G., Manci, N., Pazzaglia, M., Giannone, L., Burnelli, L., Giannone, E., Malignancy in endometrial polyps: A 12-year experience (2009) Am J Obstet Gynecol., 201 (5), pp. 462. e1-462. e4Rahimi, S., Marani, C., Renzi, C., Natale, M.E., Giovannini, P., Zeloni, R., Endometrial polyps and the risk of atypical hyperplasia on biopsies of unremarkable endometrium: A study on 694 patients with benign endometrial polyps (2009) Int J Gynecol Pathol., 28 (6), pp. 522-528Ben-Arie, A., Goldchmit, C., Laviv, Y., Levy, R., Caspi, B., Huszar, M., The malignant potential of endometrial polyps (2004) Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol., 115 (2), pp. 206-210Ferrazzi, E., Zupi, E., Leone, F.P., Savelli, L., Omodei, U., Moscarini, M., How often are endometrial polyps malignant in asymptomatic postmenopausal women? A multicenter study (2009) Am J Obstet Gynecol., 200 (3), pp. 235. e1-235. e6Whiting, P., Rutjes, A.W., Reitsma, J.B., Bossuyt, P.M., Kleijnen, J., The development of QUADAS: A tool for the quality assessment of studies of diagnostic accuracy included in systematic reviews (2003) BMC Med Res Methodol., 3, p. 25Osmers, R., Völksen, M., Schauer, A., Vaginosonography for early detection of endometrial carcinoma? (1990) Lancet., 335 (8705), pp. 1569-1571Seelbach-Göbel, B., Rempen, A., Kristen, P., Vaginal sonography of the endometrium in postmenopause. Initial results of a prospective study (1991) Gynakol Rundsch., 31 (SUPPL. 2), pp. 253-255. , GermanGrimbizis, G.F., Tsolakidis, D., Mikos, T., Anagnostou, E., Asimakopoulos, E., Stamatopoulos, P., A prospective comparison of transvaginal ultrasound, saline infusion sonohysterography, and diagnostic hysteroscopy in the evaluation of endometrial pathology (2010) Fertil Steril., 94 (7), pp. 2720-2725Weigel, M., Friese, K., Strittmatter, H.J., Melchert, F., Ultrasound assessment of the postmenopausal endometrium (1994) Is measuring thickness adequate?] Ultraschall Med., 15 (3), pp. 117-121. , GermanCepni, I., Ocal, P., Erkan, S., Saricali, F.S., Akbas, H., Demirkiran, F., Comparison of transvaginal sonography, saline infusion sonography and hysteroscopy in the evaluation of uterine cavity pathologies (2005) Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol., 45 (1), pp. 30-35Jacobs, I., Gentry-Maharaj, A., Burnell, M., Manchanda, R., Singh, N., Sharma, A., Sensitivity of transvaginal ultrasound screening for endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women: A case-control study within the UKCTOCS cohort (2011) Lancet Oncol., 12 (1), pp. 38-48Wang, J.H., Zhao, J., Lin, J., Opportunities and risk factors for premalignant and malignant transformation of endometrial polyps: Management strategies (2010) J Minim Invasive Gynecol., 17 (1), pp. 53-58Fernández-Parra, J., Rodríguez Oliver, A., López Criado, S., Parrilla Fernández, F., Montoya Ventoso, F., Hysteroscopic evaluation of endometrial polyps (2006) Int J Gynaecol Obstet., 95 (2), pp. 144-148Shushan, A., Revel, A., Rojansky, N., How often are endometrial polyps malignant? (2004) Gynecol Obstet Invest., 58 (4), pp. 212-215Gregoriou, O., Konidaris, S., Vrachnis, N., Bakalianou, K., Salakos, N., Papadias, K., Clinical parameters linked with malignancy in endometrial polyps (2009) Climacteric., 12 (5), pp. 454-458Krampl, E., Bourne, T., Hurlen-Solbakken, H., Istre, O., Transvaginal ultrasonography sonohysterography and operative hysteroscopy for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding (2001) Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand., 80 (7), pp. 616-622Salim, S., Won, H., Nesbitt-Hawes, E., Campbell, N., Abbott, J., Diagnosis and management of endometrial polyps: A critical review of the literature (2011) J Minim Invasive Gynecol., 18 (5), pp. 569-581AAGL practice report: Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of endometrial polyps (2012) J Minim Invasive Gynecol., 19 (1), pp. 3-10. , American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopist

Synergy between industry and agriculture: techno-economic and life cycle assessments of waste recovery for crop growth in glasshouses

Controlled-environment agriculture in agro-industrial systems, where carbon dioxide, heat, and other wastes are recovered or recycled, has potential to be an environmentally friendly approach with economic feasibility. However, such approaches need careful exploration to ensure that environmental and economic benefits are maximised. Techno-economic, and life cycle assessments were applied to evaluate the synergy of producing crops (tomato and hemp) and recovering industrial wastes (e.g., heat and carbon dioxide) in glasshouses with robust uncertainty and sensitivity analyses. For each crop, two scenarios were compared, linear scenarios evaluated the use of raw materials with no waste recovery whereas circular scenarios captured industry flows and reused or recycled them in the glasshouse- avoiding raw materials consumption. Circular practices had a net benefit on the global warming potential for both crops, capturing up to 50,000 kg/y of CO2 in crops biomass and providing competitive product prices. The analysis showed that circular operational conditions can reduce, by almost half, the break-even product selling prices and sequester up to, approximately, 500 kg CO2eq./m2 of glasshouse if compared to linear systems. Future investments in this outstanding strategy to supply the United Kingdom's market demand of tomatoes could lead to a low-cost product and negative CO2eq. emissions by mitigating the importation of these products. Alongside, other impact categories scores may not be as favourable as the global warming potential, due to high impact of the waste management phase, chemical fertilisers, and pesticides utilisation