Search results for "Environmental chemistry"

The Comparison of Cellulolytic Activity of the Modified Soil Treated with Roundup

2016

Abstract The activity of soil microorganisms affects soil fertility and structure, what leads to satisfactory crop yields, thanks to changes in the decay of organic matter. Their activity may be impaired as a result of application by farmers both fertilizers and pesticides. The degradation of cellulosic biomass represents an important part of the carbon cycle within the biosphere. Cellulolitic microorganisms are responsible for this decomposition, as they produced the enzymes of the cellulase complex. The aim of the study was to compare the cellulolytic activity of soil with Roundup and modified using urea phosphate and / or manure. The pot experiment was conducted under laboratory conditio…

Corrigendum to “Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric investigation of the chemical composition of beebread” [Food Chem. 115 (2009) 1056–1063]

2016

Spectrophotometric study of DNA interactions with ftorafur and its elementoorganic derivatives

2017

ABSTRACTFtorafur is an antimetabolite antitumour drug successfully used for treatment of various tumours. It is generally accepted that ftorafur is converted to 5-fluoruracil. However, some data indicate direct interactions of the compound with DNA. To test this hypothesis we have performed spectrophotometric study of DNA interactions of ftorafur and some of its elementoorganic derivatives with DNA. UV-VIS spectra of the tested compounds were recorded in absence and presence of increasing amounts of DNA. DNA caused a hypochromic effect in spectra of ftorafur, similar, but weaker effect was observed in 5-fluoruracil spectra. Trimethylgermyl derivative of ftorafur manifested a higher DNA-bind…

Reconstruction of Past Dynamics of Methane-Oxidizing Bacteria in Lake Sediments Using a Quantitative PCR Method: Connecting Past Environmental Change…

2019

AbstractIn this study, a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method was applied to amplify ancient DNA (aDNA) of different methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) types in lake sediments and to reconstruct microbial community dynamics over the last 1200 years. We also used reconstructions of in-lake nutrients concentrations, air temperature fluctuations, and sedimentary organic matter dynamics to study impacts of past environmental and climatic changes on MOB community composition. DNA preservation in lake sediments is sufficient, and qPCR amplification was successfully applied to the analysis of MOB aDNA. Temporal changes in MOB community showed different patterns between lakes, and drivers of past MOB dynam…

Eawag-Soil in enviPath: a new resource for exploring regulatory pesticide soil biodegradation pathways and half-life data.

2017

Developing models for the prediction of microbial biotransformation pathways and half-lives of trace organic contaminants in different environments requires as training data easily accessible and sufficiently large collections of respective biotransformation data that are annotated with metadata on study conditions. Here, we present the Eawag-Soil package, a public database that has been developed to contain all freely accessible regulatory data on pesticide degradation in laboratory soil simulation studies for pesticides registered in the EU (282 degradation pathways, 1535 reactions, 1619 compounds and 4716 biotransformation half-life values with corresponding metadata on study conditions)…

Successful aerobic bioremediation of groundwater contaminated with higher chlorinated phenols by indigenous degrader bacteria

2018

The xenobiotic priority pollutant pentachlorophenol has been used as a timber preservative in a polychlorophenol bulk synthesis product containing also tetrachlorophenol and trichlorophenol. Highly soluble chlorophenol salts have leaked into groundwater, causing severe contamination of large aquifers. Natural attenuation of higher-chlorinated phenols (HCPs: pentachlorophenol + tetrachlorophenol) at historically polluted sites has been inefficient, but a 4-year full scale in situ biostimulation of a chlorophenol-contaminated aquifer by circulation and re-infiltration of aerated groundwater was remarkably successful: pentachlorophenol decreased from 400 μg L−1 to <1 μg L−1 and tetrachlorophen…

Mineral Profile of Children’s Fast Food Menu Samples

2017

Abstract Children’s fast food menus, including hamburgers served with french fries, dessert, and a soft drink, were analyzed to obtain the mineral profile of trace elements. The developed analytical methodology involved sample digestion under pressure inside a microwave oven with a mixture of HNO3 and H2O2 and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The method was validated by carrying out the analysis of certified reference materials (NIST 1570a spinach leaves, NCS ZC73016 chicken, and NIST 1568a rice flour) and using recovery experiments. Repeatability was verified by analyzing replicate samples. Twenty-six elements were studied, 12 of which—aluminum, barium, calcium, co…

2017

Air pollution and climate change are potential drivers for the increasing burden of allergic diseases. The molecular mechanisms by which air pollutants and climate parameters may influence allergic diseases, however, are complex and elusive. This article provides an overview of physical, chemical and biological interactions between air pollution, climate change, allergens, adjuvants and the immune system, addressing how these interactions may promote the development of allergies. We reviewed and synthesized key findings from atmospheric, climate, and biomedical research. The current state of knowledge, open questions, and future research perspectives are outlined and discussed. The Anthropo…

In vitro effects of Origanum vulgare leaf extracts on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) leucocytes, cytotoxic, bactericidal and antioxidant activi…

2018

Abstract Origanum vulgare is a well-known medicinal plant that has been used since ancient times as an additive in foods and cosmetic preparations. The possible application of O. vulgare extracts in fish was assessed by using gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) as a marine fish model due to its importance in aquaculture. The in vitro effects of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of O. vulgare were tested in order to observe any immunostimulant, cytotoxic, bactericidal or antioxidant properties. The results showed that medium or high concentration of aqueous extracts and low concentrations of ethanolic extract, increased head kidney leucocyte activities as well as the number of SAF-1 cells. H…

Effect of Jasonia glutinosa on immune and oxidative status of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.).

2020

Jasonia glutinosa (rock-tea, RT) has numerous biological activities. In the present work, the beneficial effects of dietary RT on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) were studied. Fish fed experimental diets containing 0 (control), 10 or 30% of RT for 15 and 30 days. Samples from skin mucus, blood, head kidney, liver and gut were obtained at 15 and 30 days. The antioxidant properties from RT were analysed such as the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content. The heat shock protein 70 level (HSP70) and the total oxidized proteins were evaluated on skin mucus as stress markers. Immune parameters, both humoral (peroxidase activity, immunoglobulin M levels and complement activity) and cellula…