ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN RED BEETS (BETA VULGARIS L.) IN HOUSEHOLDS FROM THE COPȘA MICĂ AREA

This study shows the accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu) from the soil in the roots of beetroot (Beta Vulgaris L.) from individual gardens in the polluted area CopșaMică.The estimation of heavy metal accumulation in beetroot grown in the area affected by historical pollution was carried out based on a data set collected from 18 individual households. The content of heavy metals in the soil ranged for Cd between 0.52 mg/kg-1 and 19.52 mg/kg-1, Pb had values from 19 mg/kg-1 to 530 mg/kg-1, Zn ranged between 28 mg/kg-1 and 112 mg/kg-1 and Cu had values from 150 mg/kg-1 to 1136 mg/kg-1. The concentration of cadmium (Cd) in the root of red beet varied between 0.015 mg/kg-1 and 0.568 mg/kg-1. The content of lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) registered values between 0.019 mg/kg-1 and 0.198 mg/kg-1, respectively from 0.49 mg/kg-1and 2.01 mg/kg-1.Zinc content values was between 3.5 mg/kg-1 and 10.4 mg/kg-1. It is noted that for cadmium (r=0,839***), lead (r=0,667**) and zinc (r=0,624**) the values of the linear correlation coefficient differ significantly from zero indicating a close dependence between the considered variables. In the case of copper (r=0,213ns), the value of the linear correlation coefficient does not significantly differ from zero, which requires the use of another stochastic model to describe the accumulation of this metal in beetroot

HEAVY METALS ACCUMULATION IN SOIL AND CELERY ROOT (APIUM GRAVEOLENS L.) HARVESTED FROM THE POLLUTED AREAS IN SIBIU COUNTY, CENTRAL ROMANIA

Heavy metals are harmful environmental contaminants that are mostly the result of human activities. Vegetable roots may easily absorb heavy metals, which can then accumulate up to high levels in the edible sections. The celery root is a vegetable that is frequently cultivated in individual gardens and its production in polluted soil might provide a risk to the consumer's health, not necessarily due to the amount ingested but rather due to the cumulative effect of long-term usage. The present study is aimed to estimate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc) from the soil in the celery root, harvested from 26 households located in the polluted areas (Axente Sever, Agârbiciu, Bazna, CopșaMică, Micăsasa, Șoala, and Târnava). Total soil (0-20 cm)  and celery root heavy metals contents varied as follows: for Cd (soil = 0.10 mg/kg – 14.80 mg/kg; celery root = 0.058 mg/kg – 1.254 mg/kg); for Pb (soil = 28 mg/kg – 326 mg/kg; celery root = 0.022 mg/kg – 0.620 mg/kg); for Cu (soil = 25 mg/kg – 163  mg/kg; celery root = 0.60 mg/kg – 2.51 mg/kg); for Zn (soil = 117 mg/kg – 1076 mg/kg; celery root = 3.1 mg/kg – 11.7 mg/kg). The highest values of correlation coefficients were obtained for the regression curves established for the estimation of Cd, Pb, and Zn accumulation in celery root (r = 0.788 for Cd, r = 0.796 for Pb, and r = 0.656 for Zn). In the case of copper, the linear correlation coefficient is relatively low (r = 0.092)

Research on the heavy metal content in onion bulbs correlated with soil from private households located in the Copşa Mică area, Central Romania

Food safety and the high demand for food have represented worrisome problems worldwide in recent decades. It is well known that plants can accumulate metals from contaminated soil and through deposits from pollutant emissions released by contaminated sources. Cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead are poisonous elements. The accumulation of heavy metals in plants grown in polluted areas represents a major risk to human and animal health. Soil pollution with heavy metals is a global problem that has an unfavourable impact on the environment. For this study, data collected from 65 individual households located in the Copşa Mică area were used to estimate the bioaccumulation of four different heavy metals [cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu)] in onion bulbs in different scenarios, in correlation with the total metal content from the soil. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained for the regression curves established for the estimation of Cd (r = 0.648***), Zn (r = 0.592***), and Pb (r = 0.525***) in onion bulbs. In the case of copper (Cu), the linear correlation coefficient was insignificant (r = 0.088ns). The mean cadmium and lead values determined in the onion samples from the study area did not exceed the maximum stable levels for these contaminants in vegetables

BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN GARLIC BULBS (ALLIUM SATIVUM L.) IN CORRELATION WITH SOIL FROM PRIVATE GARDENS IN THE COPȘA MICĂ AREA, ROMANIA

Heavy metal contamination of soil and plants is a worldwide concern. Copșa Mică in Romania is one of the areas in the country known to have a high level of pollution. Even if metallurgical activities have been reduced or stopped the soil is still polluted. This study aimed to estimate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu) in soil from garlic bulbs (Allium sativum L.) from individual gardens in the Copșa Mică polluted area, Romania. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs was estimated based on a data set collected from 44 individual gardens. The value of the linear correlation coefficient between the total cadmium content in the soil and that in the plant was significantly different from zero, indicating a close correlation between the two variables (r = 0.775***). In addition, for zinc (r = 0.649***) and lead (r = 0.423**), simple power-type regressions were found to be best for estimating the bioaccumulation of these elements in garlic bulbs. Only for copper, the value of the linear correlation coefficient was not significantly different from zero (r = 0.274ns), indicating that the estimation of copper accumulation in garlic cannot be described by simple power-type regressions. The results of this study are important for estimating the accumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs (head), which are often consumed by the population

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs (Allium sativum L.) in correlation with soil from private gardens in the Copșa Mică area, Romania

Heavy metal contamination of soil and plants is a worldwide concern. Copșa Mică in Romania is one of the areas in the country known to have a high level of pollution. Even if metallurgical activities have been reduced or stopped the soil is still polluted. This study aimed to estimate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu) in soil from garlic bulbs (Allium sativum L.) from individual gardens in the Copșa Mică polluted area, Romania. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs was estimated based on a data set collected from 44 individual gardens. The value of the linear correlation coefficient between the total cadmium content in the soil and that in the plant was significantly different from zero, indicating a close correlation between the two variables (r = 0.775***). In addition, for zinc (r = 0.649***) and lead (r = 0.423**), simple power-type regressions were found to be best for estimating the bioaccumulation of these elements in garlic bulbs. Only for copper, the value of the linear correlation coefficient was not significantly different from zero (r = 0.274ns), indicating that the estimation of copper accumulation in garlic cannot be described by simple power-type regressions. The results of this study are important for estimating the accumulation of heavy metals in garlic bulbs (head), which are often consumed by the population

Microwave-Assisted Sol–Gel Preparation of the Nanostructured Magnetic System for Solid-Phase Synthesis

This work describes a new synthesis method for core–shell magnetite nanoparticles with a secondary silica shell, functionalized with a linker system (Fe3O4-PABA-SiO2-linker) using a microwave-assisted heating technique. The functionalized solid nanomaterial was used for the nanophase synthesis of peptides (Fmoc route) as a solid support. The co-precipitation method was selected to obtain magnetite nanoparticles and sol–gel technique for silica coating using a microwave-assisted (MW) procedure. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticle core offer the advantage of a quick and easy alternative for the magnetic separation of the product from the reaction mixture, facilitating all the intermediary washing and separation operations. The intermediate and final materials were analyzed by advanced characterization methods. The effectiveness of the nanophase peptide synthesis using this nanostructured material as solid support was demonstrated for a short peptide sequence

Electrospun Fibrous Silica for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

The production of highly porous and three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with biomimicking abilities has gained extensive attention in recent years for tissue engineering (TE) applications. Considering the attractive and versatile biomedical functionality of silica (SiO2) nanomaterials, we propose herein the development and validation of SiO2-based 3D scaffolds for TE. This is the first report on the development of fibrous silica architectures, using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) during the self-assembly electrospinning (ES) processing (a layer of flat fibers must first be created in self-assembly electrospinning before fiber stacks can develop on the fiber mat). The compositional and microstructural characteristics of obtained fibrous materials were evaluated by complementary techniques, in both the pre-ES aging period and post-ES calcination. Then, in vivo evaluation confirmed their possible use as bioactive scaffolds in bone TE

A Comparative Loading and Release Study of Vancomycin from a Green Mesoporous Silica

Since its first use as a drug delivery system, mesoporous silica has proven to be a surprisingly efficient vehicle due to its porous structure. Unfortunately, most synthesis methods are based on using large amounts of surfactants, which are then removed by solvent extraction or heat treatment, leading to an undesired environmental impact because of the generated by-products. Hence, in the present study, we followed the synthesis of a silica material with a wormhole-like pore arrangement, using two FDA-approved substances as templates, namely Tween-20 and starch. As far as we know, it is the first study using the Tween-20/starch combo as a template for mesoporous silica synthesis. Furthermore, we investigated whether the obtained material using this novel synthesis had any potential in using it as a DDS. The material was further analyzed by XRD, TEM, FT-IR, N2 adsorption/desorption, and DLS to investigate its physicochemical features. Vancomycin was selected as the active molecule based on the extensive research engaged towards improving its bioavailability for oral delivery. The drug was loaded onto the material by using three different approaches, assuming its full retention in the final system. Thermal analysis confirmed the successful loading of vancomycin by all means, and pore volume significantly decreased upon loading, especially in the case of the vacuum-assisted method. All methods showed a slower release rate compared to the same amount of the pure drug. Loadings by physical mixing and solvent evaporation released the whole amount of the drug in 140 min, and the material loaded by the vacuum-assisted method released only 68.2% over the same period of time, leading us to conclude that vancomycin was adsorbed deeper inside the pores. The kinetic release of the three systems followed the Higuchi model for the samples loaded by physical mixing and vacuum-assisted procedures, while the solvent evaporation loading method was in compliance with the first-order model

High-Entropy Lead-Free Perovskite Bi_0.2K_0.2Ba_0.2Sr_0.2Ca_0.2TiO₃ Powders and Related Ceramics: Synthesis, Processing, and Electrical Properties

A novel high-entropy perovskite powder with the composition Bi0.2K0.2Ba0.2Sr0.2Ca0.2TiO3 was successfully synthesized using a modified Pechini method. The precursor powder underwent characterization through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The resultant Bi0.2K0.2Ba0.2Sr0.2Ca0.2TiO3 powder, obtained post-calcination at 900 °C, was further examined using a variety of techniques including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Ceramic samples were fabricated by conventional sintering at various temperatures (900, 950, and 1000 °C). The structure, microstructure, and dielectric properties of these ceramics were subsequently analyzed and discussed. The ceramics exhibited a two-phase composition comprising cubic and tetragonal perovskites. The grain size was observed to increase from 35 to 50 nm, contingent on the sintering temperature. All ceramic samples demonstrated relaxor behavior with a dielectric maximum that became more flattened and shifted towards lower temperatures as the grain size decreased

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Water Purification

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized through a simple co-precipitation method starting from zinc acetate dihydrate and sodium hydroxide as reactants. The as-obtained ZnO nanoparticles were morphologically and structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photocatalytic activity, and by determining the antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The XRD pattern of the zinc oxide nanoparticles showed the wurtzite hexagonal structure, and its purity highlighted that the crystallinity correlated with the presence of a single product, zinc oxide. The ZnO nanoparticles have an average crystallite size of 19 ± 11 nm, which is in accordance with the microscopic data. ZnO nanoparticles were tested against methyl orange, used as a model pollutant, and it was found that they exhibit strong photocatalytic activity against this dye. The antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was tested against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans). The strongest activity was found against Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus)