Simultaneous determination of multiclass emerging contaminants in aquatic plants by ultrasound assisted matrix solid phase dispersion and GC-MS

A multiresidue method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 31 emerging contaminants (pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, personal care products, biocides and flame retardants) in aquatic plants. Analytes were extracted by ultrasound assisted-matrix solid phase dispersion (UA-MSPD) and determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry after sylilation. The method was validated for different aquatic plants (Typha angustifolia, Arundo donax and Lemna minor) and a semiaquatic cultivated plant (Oryza sativa) with good recoveries at concentrations of 100 and 25 ng g-1 wet weight, ranging from 70 to 120 %, and low method detection limits (0.3 to 2.2 ng g-1 wet weight). A significant difference of the chromatographic response was observed for some compounds in neat solvent versus matrix extracts and therefore quantification was carried out using matrix-matched standards in order to overcome this matrix effect. Aquatic plants taken from rivers located at three Spanish regions were analyzed and the compounds detected were parabens, bisphenol A, benzophenone-3, cyfluthrin and cypermethrin. The levels found ranged from 6 to 25 ng g-1 wet weight except for cypermethrin that was detected at 235 ng g-1 wet weight in Oryza sativa samples.

Spatio-temporal distribution of pyrethroids in soil in Mediterranean paddy fields

Purpose The demand of rice by the increase in population in many countries has intensified the application of pesticides and the use of poor quality water to irrigate fields. The terrestrial environment is one compartment affected by these situations, where soil is working as a reservoir, retaining organic pollutants. Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods to determine insecticides in soil and monitor susceptible areas to be contaminated, applying adequate techniques to remediate them. Materials and methods This study investigates the occurrence of ten pyrethroid insecticides (PYs) and its spatio-temporal variance in soil at two different depths collected in two periods (before plow and during rice production), in a paddy field area located in the Mediterranean coast. Pyrethroids were quantified using gas chromatography?mass spectrometry (GC?MS) after ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethyl acetate. The results obtained were assessed statistically using non-parametric methods, and significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) in pyrethroids content with soil depth and proximity to wastewater treatment plants were evaluated. Moreover, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to monitor the occurrence of PYs in paddy fields and detect risk areas. Results and discussion Pyrethroids were detected at concentrations ?57.0 ng g?1 before plow and ?62.3 ng g?1 during rice production, being resmethrin and cyfluthrin the compounds found at higher concentrations in soil. Pyrethroids were detected mainly at the top soil, and a GIS program was used to depict the obtained results, showing that effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were the main sources of soil contamination. No toxic effects were expected to soil organisms, but it is of concern that PYs may affect aquatic organisms, which represents the worst case scenario. Conclusions A methodology to determine pyrethroids in soil was developed to monitor a paddy field area. The use of water fromWWTPs to irrigate rice fields is one of the main pollution sources of pyrethroids. It is a matter of concern that PYs may present toxic effects on aquatic organisms, as they can be desorbed from soil. Phytoremediation may play an important role in this area, reducing the possible risk associated to PYs levels in soil.

Occurrence and analysis of selected pharmaceutical compounds in soil from Spanish agricultural fields

This work describes the analysis of 15 pharmaceutical compounds, belonging to different therapeutic classes (anti-inflammatory/analgesics, lipid regulators, antiepileptics, ?-blockers and antidepressants) and with diverse physical?chemical properties, in Spanish soils with different farmland uses. The studied compounds were extracted from soil by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and determined, after derivatization, by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC?MS). The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.14 ng g?1 (naproxen) to 0.65 ng g?1 (amitriptyline). At least two compounds where detected in all samples, being ibuprofen, salicylic acid, and paracetamol, the most frequently detected compounds. The highest levels found in soil were 47 ng g?1 for allopurinol and 37 ng g?1 for salicylic acid. The influence of the type of crop and the sampling area on the levels of pharmaceuticals in soil, as well as their relationship with soil physical?chemical properties, was studied. The frequent and widespread detection of some of these compounds in agricultural soils show a diffuse contamination, although the low levels found do not pose a risk to the environment or the human health.

Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Improves the Functional Properties of Cardiac Mesoangioblasts

Cell-based therapy is a promising approach for many diseases, including ischemic heart disease. Cardiac mesoangioblasts are committed vessel-associated progenitors that can restore to a significant, although partial, extent, heart structure and function in a murine model of myocardial infarction. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a noninvasive form of mechanical energy that can be delivered into biological tissues as acoustic pressure waves, and is widely used for clinical applications including bone fracture healing. We hypothesized that the positive effects of LIPUS on bone and soft tissue, such as increased cell differentiation and cytoskeleton reorganization, could be applied to increase the therapeutic potential of mesoangioblasts for heart repair. In this work, we show that LIPUS stimulation of cardiac mesoangioblasts isolated from mouse and human heart results in significant cellular modifications that provide beneficial effects to the cells, including increased malleability and improved motility. Additionally, LIPUS stimulation increased the number of binucleated cells and induced cardiac differentiation to an extent comparable with 5´-azacytidine treatment. Mechanistically, LIPUS stimulation activated the BMP-Smad signalling pathway and increased the expression of myosin light chain-2 together with upregulation of β1 integrin and RhoA, highlighting a potentially important role for cytoskeleton reorganization. Taken together, these results provide functional evidence that LIPUS might be a useful tool to explore in the field of heart cell therapy