NRL Dutch national programme studies VI/VII (2000) on bacteriological detection of Salmonella and pilot collaborative study I/II on detection of Campylobacter

In 2000, two bacteriological collaborative studies were organized by the Dutch National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Salmonella among 23 laboratories participating in the Dutch national programme for control of Salmonella in the poultry sector. The main objective of these studies was to test the capacity of these laboratories to detect Salmonella in the presence of competitive micro-organisms. Reference capsules containing sublethally injured Salmonella Typhimurium had to be tested for the presence of Salmonella with and without the addition of chicken faeces. The method used in the studies was prescribed by the Product Boards for Livestock, Meat and Eggs. In this method the semi-solid medium MSRV had to be used as the selective enrichment medium. Depending on the results from previous collaborative studies, laboratories had to test 50 or 15 capsules. Only in the first study (study VI) one laboratory tested 50 capsules and this laboratory detected Salmonella from all Salmonella positive capsules. In this study VI 22 (of the 23) and in study VII 18 (of the 21) participating laboratores isolated Salmonella from all 10 Salmonella positive capsules. Additionally two pilot bacteriological collaborative studies on the detection methods of Campylobacter were organized. The main goal of these two pilot studies was that the participating laboratories could get experience with the detection of Campylobacter.In 2000 werden er twee bacteriologische ringonderzoeken voor de detectie van Salmonella in aanwezigheid van stoorflora georganiseerd door het Nationaal Referentie Laboratorium (NRL) voor Salmonella, waaraan werd deelgenomen door 23 laboratoria die betrokken zijn bij het plan van aanpak Salmonella en Campylobacter in de pluimveehouderij. Het belangrijkste doel van deze ringonderzoeken was te testen of de deelnemende laboratoria in staat waren om Salmonella te detecteren in aanwezigheid van stoorflora. Daarvoor werden referentiematerialen met Salmonella Typhimurium gebruikt die dienden te worden onderzocht met en zonder toevoeging van kippenfeces. De gebruikte methode was voorgeschreven door de Productschappen Vee, Vlees en Eieren (PVE). In deze methode moet het semi-solid medium MSRV gebruikt worden als selectief ophopingsmedium. Naar aanleiding van de resultaten die de deelnemende laboratoria in eerdere ringonderzoeken behaalden moesten 50 of 15 capsules onderzocht worden. Alleen in ringonderzoek VI (roz VI) moesten door een laboratorium 50 capsules worden onderzocht en dit laboratorium isoleerde Salmonella uit alle Salmonella positieve monsters. In roz VI isoleerden 22 (van de 23) en in roz VII 18 (van de 21) deelnemende laboratoria Salmonella uit alle 10 Salmonella positieve capsules. Daarnaast werden er voor de eerste keer pilot ringonderzoeken voor de bacteriologische detectie van Campylobacter georganiseerd met als doel laboratoria ervaring te laten opdoen met de detectie van Campylobacter

Retrospective suspect and non-target screening combined with similarity measures to prioritize MDMA and amphetamine synthesis markers in wastewater

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and amphetamine are commonly used psychoactive stimulants. Illegal manufacture of these substances, mainly located in the Netherlands and Belgium, generates large amounts of chemical waste which is disposed in the environment or released in sewer systems. Retrospective analysis of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data was implemented to detect synthesis markers of MDMA and amphetamine production in wastewater samples. Specifically, suspect and non-target screening, combined with a prioritization approach based on similarity measures between detected features and mass loads of MDMA and amphetamine was implemented. Two hundred and thirty-five 24 h-composite wastewater samples collected from a treatment plant in the Netherlands between 2016 and 2018 were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. Samples were initially separated into two groups (i.e., baseline consumption versus dumping) based on daily loads of MDMA and amphetamine. Significance testing and fold-changes were used to find differences between features in the two groups. Then, associations between peak areas of all features and MDMA or amphetamine loads were investigated across the whole time series using various measures (Euclidian distance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, distance correlation and maximum information coefficient). This unsupervised and unbiased approach was used for prioritization of features and allowed the selection of 28 presumed markers of production of MDMA and amphetamine. These markers could potentially be used to detect dumps in sewer systems, help in determining the synthesis route and track down the waste in the environment

Analysis of fullerenes in soils samples collected in The Netherlands

Fullerenes are carbon based nanoparticles that may enter the environment as a consequence of both natural processes and human activities. Although little is known about the presence of these chemicals in the environment, recent studies suggested that soil may act as a sink. The aim of the present work was to investigate the presence of fullerenes in soils collected in The Netherlands. Samples (n = 91) were taken from 6 locations and analyzed using a new developed LC-QTOF-MS method. The locations included highly trafficked and industrialized as well as urban and natural areas. In general, C60 was the most abundant fullerene found in the environment, detected in almost a half of the samples and at concentrations in the range of ng/kg. Other fullerenes such as C70 and an unknown structure containing a C60 cage were detected to a lower extent. The highest concentrations were found in the proximity of combustion sites such as a coal power plant and an incinerator, suggesting that the nanoparticles were unintentionally produced during combustions processes and reached the soil through atmospheric deposition. Consistent with other recent studies, these results show that fullerenes are widely present in the environment and that the main route for their entrance may be due to human activities. These data will be helpful in the understanding of the distribution of fullerenes in the environment and for the study of their behavior and fate in soil.</p