Occurrence of organic microcontaminants in the wastewater treatment process. A mini review

A wastewater treatment plant may receive various types of wastewater namely, urban, industrial, agricultural, washout from the streets, wet or/and dry atmospheric deposition. As such, scientists have detected in wastewaters all major categories of pollutants like persistent organic pollutants (POPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides, but also substances that are widely used as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, classified as "PPCPs" (pharmaceuticals and personal care products). Finally, the latest categories of compounds to be looked upon in these types of matrices are illicit drugs (drugs of abuse, like cocaine, etc.) and doping substances. This review article summarises major categories of organic microcontaminants that have been detected in wastewaters and studies their fate during the wastewater treatment process. Occurrence of these compounds in the influents and effluents are reported, as well as percents of removal, mass balances and phase distributions

Occurrence of linear and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes in indoor air samples (UK and Italy) and their isotopic characterization

The occurrence of linear- and cyclic-volatile methyl siloxanes (lVMSs and cVMSs, respectively) in various indoor environments, occupational and domestic, in Italy and in the United Kingdom was studied. The results show that the cVMSs are the most abundant, detected in average concentrations that in some cases were as high as 170 μg m−3. Our study highlights the differences that can be observed between various indoor environments (e.g. domestic like bathrooms, bedrooms, or occupational) and between two countries. In most cases, the concentrations found in the UK are higher than in the respective indoor environments in Italy. The assessment of exposure to these two countries for adults and children revealed significant differences both not only in the levels of exposure, but also in the patterns. In Italy, the biggest part of the exposure to VMSs takes place domestically, whereas in the UK, it is observed for occupational environments.Additionally, the compound specific isotopic analysis was employed as a source identification technique. The results are promising mainly for D5 that occurs in higher concentrations, but not for the less abundant lVMSs and cVMSs. Keywords: Indoor air, Siloxanes, D4, D5, Exposure assessment, CSI

<i>ABCB1</i> (MDR1) induction defines a common resistance mechanism in paclitaxel- and olaparib-resistant ovarian cancer cells

BACKGROUND: Clinical response to chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is frequently compromised by the development of drug-resistant disease. The underlying molecular mechanisms and implications for prescription of routinely prescribed chemotherapy drugs are poorly understood. METHODS: We created novel A2780-derived ovarian cancer cell lines resistant to paclitaxel and olaparib following continuous incremental drug selection. MTT assays were used to assess chemosensitivity to paclitaxel and olaparib in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells±the ABCB1 inhibitors verapamil and elacridar and cross-resistance to cisplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, rucaparib, veliparib and AZD2461. ABCB1 expression was assessed by qRT-PCR, copy number, western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis and ABCB1 activity assessed by the Vybrant and P-glycoprotein-Glo assays. RESULTS: Paclitaxel-resistant cells were cross-resistant to olaparib, doxorubicin and rucaparib but not to veliparib or AZD2461. Resistance correlated with increased ABCB1 expression and was reversible following treatment with the ABCB1 inhibitors verapamil and elacridar. Active efflux of paclitaxel, olaparib, doxorubicin and rucaparib was confirmed in drug-resistant cells and in ABCB1-expressing bacterial membranes. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a common ABCB1-mediated mechanism of paclitaxel and olaparib resistance in ovarian cancer cells. Optimal choice of PARP inhibitor may therefore limit the progression of drug-resistant disease, while routine prescription of first-line paclitaxel may significantly limit subsequent chemotherapy options in ovarian cancer patients

Atmospheric Occurrence and Gas-Particle Partitioning of PBDEs in an Industrialised and Urban Area of Florence, Italy

Air samples were collected both at an urban and an industrial area of Florence (Italy) in order to evaluate the occurrence, profiles, seasonal variation and gas/particle partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The mean total (gas + particle phase) PBDE concentrations were 42.8 ± 7.8 and 89.0 ± 21.1 pg/m3 in the urban and industrial sites, respectively. In all samples, BDE-209 was the most abundant congener, followed by BDE-47 and BDE-153 in the industrial site, and by BDE-99 in the urban site. The Σ6PBDE (sum of BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, 153, -154) concentrations in the urban (12.1–27.9 pg/m3) and industrialised (21.4–44.3 pg/m3) sites were comparable to, or slightly lower than measured at other sites. The partition coefficient of PBDEs between the gas and particle phases (Kp) was well correlated with the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P°L) for all samples. The measured particulate sorption of PBDEs was compared to the predictions from Junge-Pankow (J/P) model and KOA absorption model. While the Junge-Pankow model tends to overestimate the particulate sorption, the KOA based model seemed to fit the PBDE data

Atmospheric occurrence and gas-particle partitioning of PBDEs in an industrialised and urban area of Florence, Italy

Air samples were collected both at an urban and an industrial area of Florence (Italy) in order to evaluate the occurrence, profiles, seasonal variation and gas/particle partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The mean total (gas + particle phase) PBDE concentrations were 42.8 ± 7.8 and 89.0 ± 21.1 pg/m3 in the urban and industrial sites, respectively. In all samples, BDE-209 was the most abundant congener, followed by BDE-47 and BDE-153 in the industrial site, and by BDE-99 in the urban site. The Σ6PBDE (sum of BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, 153, -154) concentrations in the urban (12.1–27.9 pg/m3) and industrialised (21.4–44.3 pg/m3) sites were comparable to, or slightly lower than measured at other sites. The partition coefficient of PBDEs between the gas and particle phases (Kp) was well correlated with the subcooled liquid vapor pressure (P°L) for all samples. The measured particulate sorption of PBDEs was compared to the predictions from Junge-Pankow (J/P) model and KOA absorption model. While the Junge-Pankow model tends to overestimate the particulate sorption, the KOA based model seemed to fit the PBDE data.publishedVersio