Search results for " ecotoxicity"
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When the functionalisation comes in useful: ionic liquids with a “sweet” appended moiety demonstrate drastically reduced toxicological effects
2020
The growing number of applications of ionic liquids (ILs) in industry have brought attention to the green credentials of synthesis, as well as their cytotoxicities and ecotoxicities both for their use and accidental leakage into the environment. With the abovementioned properties in mind, we designed a class of ILs with either cations bearing a gluconamide motif and aliphatic side chains or the anion incorporating a gluconic acid (derived from food waste) moiety. An IL with an imidazolium cation with an appended gluconic amide (bearing five hydroxyl groups) moiety was also synthesized for a useful comparison. Different structural features were considered, placing emphasis on the nature and …
Acute toxicity tests using earthworms to estimate ecological quality of compost and digestate
2017
Ecological quality of compost and digestate, used as fertilizers for agricultural use, was assessed through an acute ecotoxicological bioassay testing the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Annelida). The test evaluates the earthworm’s attitude to dig within 15 min into a soil medium constituted by a mixture of a standardized soil and different concentrations of compost/digestate. According to different classes of behavior responses, the sample is classified as good or bad quality (ON/OFF). The validity of this test was confirmed comparing the observations with the results from a standard chronic test developed by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Considering samples fro…
Gluconic acid for eco-friendly Ionic Liquids: chemical and biological investigations
Ionic liquids (ILs) are employed in several fields thanks to their well-known properties. For a long time, ILs were considered the “green” alternative to conventional organic solvents.1 However, the increasing attention on environmental health led to consider different ILs structures and alternative synthetic pathways. Considering the tunability of IL structures, new synthetic approaches with natural sources as starting materials were taken into account.2 Here, new eco-friendly ILs were synthesised using gluconic acid. The structures carry gluconic moiety on the cation or as the anion (Figure 1). Hence, several OH groups decrease toxicity and shape a high coordinative site. These new organi…