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29 pages, 14391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Uncontrolled Post-Industrial Landfill—Source of Metals, Potential Toxic Compounds, Dust, and Pathogens in Environment—A Case Study

by Justyna Szulc, Małgorzata Okrasa, Adriana Nowak, Małgorzata Ryngajłło, Joanna Nizioł, Anna Kuźniar, Tomasz Ruman and Beata Gutarowska

Molecules 2024, 29(7), 1496; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29071496 - 27 Mar 2024

Viewed by 425

Abstract

The aim of this case study was the evaluation of the selected metals’ concentration, potential toxic compound identification, cytotoxicity analysis, estimation of the airborne dust concentration, biodiversity, and number of microorganisms in the environment (leachate, soil, air) of the biggest uncontrolled post-industrial landfills [...] Read more.

The aim of this case study was the evaluation of the selected metals’ concentration, potential toxic compound identification, cytotoxicity analysis, estimation of the airborne dust concentration, biodiversity, and number of microorganisms in the environment (leachate, soil, air) of the biggest uncontrolled post-industrial landfills in Poland. Based on the results obtained, preliminary solutions for the future management of post-industrial objects that have become an uncontrolled landfill were indicated. In the air, the PM₁ fraction dominated, constituting 78.1–98.2% of the particulate matter. Bacterial counts were in the ranges of 9.33 × 10¹–3.21 × 10³ CFU m⁻³ (air), 1.87 × 10⁵–2.30 × 10⁶ CFU mL⁻¹ (leachates), and 8.33 × 10⁴–2.69 × 10⁶ CFU g⁻¹ (soil). In the air, the predominant bacteria were Cellulosimicrobium and Stenotrophomonas. The predominant fungi were Mycosphaerella, Cladosporium, and Chalastospora. The main bacteria in the leachates and soils were Acinetobacter, Mortierella, Proteiniclasticum, Caloramator, and Shewanella. The main fungi in the leachates and soils were Lindtneria. Elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Hg were detected. The soil showed the most pronounced cytotoxic potential, with rates of 36.55%, 63.08%, and 100% for the A-549, Caco-2, and A-549 cell lines. Nine compounds were identified which may be responsible for this cytotoxic effect, including 2,4,8-trimethylquinoline, benzo(f)quinoline, and 1-(m-tolyl)isoquinoline. The microbiome included bacteria and fungi potentially metabolizing toxic compounds and pathogenic species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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15 pages, 1367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Removal of Arsenic and Its Inorganic Forms from Marine Algae—A Base for Inexpensive and Efficient Fertilizers

by Jarosław Ostrowski, Alicja Drozd, Rafał Olchowski, Agnieszka Chałabis-Mazurek, Andrzej Sienkiewicz, Agnieszka Kierys, Kinga Morlo and Ryszard Dobrowolski

Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1348; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061348 - 18 Mar 2024

Viewed by 605

Abstract

Newly synthesized cerium oxide was successfully obtained by the hard templating route. The optimal As(III) and As(V) adsorption onto the studied adsorbent was reached for the initial pH of 4.0 and a contact time of 10 h. The highest static adsorption capacities for [...] Read more.

Newly synthesized cerium oxide was successfully obtained by the hard templating route. The optimal As(III) and As(V) adsorption onto the studied adsorbent was reached for the initial pH of 4.0 and a contact time of 10 h. The highest static adsorption capacities for As(III) and As(V) were 92 mg g⁻¹ and 66 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The pseudo-second-order model was well fitted to the As(III) and As(V) experimental kinetics data. The Langmuir model described the As(III) and As(V) adsorption isotherms on synthesized material. The adsorption mechanism of the studied ions onto the synthesized cerium oxide was complex and should be further investigated. The optimal solid–liquid ratio during the proposed aqueous extraction of inorganic As from the Fucus vesiculosus algae was 1:50. The optimal dosage of the synthesized cerium oxide (0.06 g L⁻¹) was successfully applied for the first time for inorganic As removal from the aqueous algal extract. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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10 pages, 1703 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Convenient Strategy for the Voltammetric Direct Determination of Ce(III) in Environmental Waters Using a Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode

by Malgorzata Grabarczyk, Marzena Fialek and Edyta Wlazlowska

Molecules 2024, 29(6), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061198 - 07 Mar 2024

Viewed by 392

Abstract

A simple and fast stripping voltammetric procedure for trace determination of Ce(III) in environmental water samples has been developed. The procedure of cerium determination in the presence of Alizarin S and acetate buffer was employed as the initial method. The adsorption material, multi-walled [...] Read more.

A simple and fast stripping voltammetric procedure for trace determination of Ce(III) in environmental water samples has been developed. The procedure of cerium determination in the presence of Alizarin S and acetate buffer was employed as the initial method. The adsorption material, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, was used as a screen-printed electrode modifier ensuring efficient accumulation of the Ce(III)-Alizarin S complex. The calibration graph for Ce(III) for an accumulation time of 60 s was linear in the range from 1 × 10⁻⁸ to 7 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ with the linear correlation coefficient r = 0.997. The detection limit was estimated from three times the standard deviation of low Ce(III) concentration and an accumulation time of 60 s was about 3.5 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully applied to Ce(III) determination at trace levels in environmental water samples, such as river, lake and rain water with recoveries ranged from 93% to 98%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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16 pages, 10536 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Docosahexaenoic Acid Promotes Cd Excretion by Restoring the Abundance of Parabacteroides in Cd-Exposed Mice

by Jianzhen Liao, Siyuan Bi, Zhijia Fang, Qi Deng, Yinyan Chen, Lijun Sun, Yongqing Jiang, Linru Huang and Ravi Gooneratne

Molecules 2023, 28(10), 4217; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104217 - 21 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1197

Abstract

As a common harmful pollutant, cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the human body through the food chain, posing a major threat to human health. Gut microbiota play a key role in Cd absorption. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is thought to have a potential role [...] Read more.

As a common harmful pollutant, cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the human body through the food chain, posing a major threat to human health. Gut microbiota play a key role in Cd absorption. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is thought to have a potential role in the treatment of Cd poisoning. This study investigated the therapeutic effect and mechanism of DHA in Cd-exposed mice from the perspective of the gut microbiota. The results showed that DHA significantly increased the Cd content in feces and decreased the Cd accumulation in the organs of mice. The gut microbiota results showed that DHA significantly restored the abundance of Parabacteroides in the gut microbiota of Cd-exposed mice. Parabacteroides distasonis (P. distasonis), a representative strain of the Parabacteroides, also showed Cd- and toxicity-reduction capabilities. P. distasonis significantly restored the gut damage caused by Cd exposure. At the same time, P. distasonis reduced the Cd content in the liver, spleen, lung, kidneys, gut, and blood to varying degrees and significantly increased the Cd content in feces. The succinic acid produced by P. distasonis plays an important role in promoting Cd excretion in Cd-exposed mice. Therefore, these results suggest that P. distasonis may have a potential role in DHA-mediated Cd excretion in Cd-exposed mice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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15 pages, 2851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Threonine Facilitates Cd Excretion by Increasing the Abundance of Gut Escherichia coli in Cd-Exposed Mice

by Yongbin Li, Zhijia Fang, Xuewei Zhou, Jian Gao, Jingwen Wang, Linru Huang, Yinyan Chen, Lijun Sun, Qi Deng and Ravi Gooneratne

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010177 - 25 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1423

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the body through the food chain and threaten health since Cd pollution is prevalent in the environment. Gut microbiota is necessary for the reduction of metal ions. To reduce Cd-induced harmful impacts and Cd accumulation in the body, [...] Read more.

Cadmium (Cd) can easily enter the body through the food chain and threaten health since Cd pollution is prevalent in the environment. Gut microbiota is necessary for the reduction of metal ions. To reduce Cd-induced harmful impacts and Cd accumulation in the body, we investigated the effect of amino acids on gut microbiota and Cd excretion in (fecal Cd) Cd-exposed mice. The screening of 20 amino acids showed that threonine (Thr) effectively increased fecal Cd, and reduced Cd-induced intestinal structural damage. The abundance of Escherichia-Shigella genus and KF843036_g significantly increased after the oral administration of Thr. As the type species of the Escherichia-Shigella genus, Escherichia coli exhibited high similarity to KF843036_g species and significantly decreased Cd-induced gut damage. Cd contents in the liver, kidney, and gut of Cd-exposed mice were also significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after E. coli treatment, while the contents in the feces were increased. The results demonstrated the potential roles that gut E. coli might play in Thr-mediated Cd excretion in Cd-exposed mice. The findings may provide important data for better understanding the molecular biological mechanism of Thr in reducing Cd accumulation in the body. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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16 pages, 1923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methods for Elemental Analysis of Size-Resolved PM Samples Collected on Aluminium Foils: Results of an Intercomparison Exercise

by Eleonora Conca, Mery Malandrino, Aleandro Diana, Ornella Abollino, Agnese Giacomino, Rafael Bartrolí, Teresa Moreno, Xavier Querol and Fulvio Amato

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7442; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27217442 - 02 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1168

Abstract

Aluminium is the most common substrate in studies using impactors for the measurement of the number or the weight of size-segregated atmospheric particulate matter (PM), as its characteristics perfectly fit impactor requirements. However, its use is not recommended by manufacturers when one of [...] Read more.

Aluminium is the most common substrate in studies using impactors for the measurement of the number or the weight of size-segregated atmospheric particulate matter (PM), as its characteristics perfectly fit impactor requirements. However, its use is not recommended by manufacturers when one of the purposes of the study is the determination of the metal content in the sample. The aim of this work was to develop an efficient analytical procedure for the removal and acid digestion of PM samples collected on aluminium foils by a cascade impactor to perform the determination of metals. The possibility of performing the trace metal analysis of PM samples collected using aluminium foils is of great importance, as it allows the determination of an accurate size distribution and the elemental composition of the PM collected on each impactor stage. Two procedures were optimised by using different digestion and analysis techniques. Both procedures were then applied to the two halves of several Dekati low-pressure impactor (DLPI) samples, and the results were critically compared. The two procedures proved to be effective in the determination of extremely low concentrations of a large suite of analytes in different size fractions of PM emitted by a brake system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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12 pages, 1926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of the Potentially Toxic Elements and Essential Microelements in Honey Depending on the Geographic Origin

by Magdalena Ligor, Tomasz Kowalkowski and Bogusław Buszewski

Molecules 2022, 27(17), 5474; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27175474 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1611

Abstract

The profiling and quantification of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in honey from Poland was the main aim of this work. Due to the differences in botanical and geographical origin, 33 honey samples from various parts of Poland have been tested and compared to [...] Read more.

The profiling and quantification of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in honey from Poland was the main aim of this work. Due to the differences in botanical and geographical origin, 33 honey samples from various parts of Poland have been tested and compared to 12 samples taken from other countries, such as Australia, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Romania and Turkey. The studied elements in honey samples were: As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn. In most cases, the analyzed samples of honey were characterized by the moderate values of analyzed PTEs. Only a few samples contained higher concentrations of copper and manganese were noted. The presence of cadmium and lead in the level below the background equivalent concentrations was measured in the tested samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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14 pages, 1869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Concentrations of Essential Trace and Toxic Elements Associated with Production and Manufacturing Processes in Galician Cheese

by Emanuel Felipe de Oliveira Filho, Marta Miranda, Tania Ferreiro, Carlos Herrero-Latorre, Pierre Castro Soares and Marta López-Alonso

Molecules 2022, 27(15), 4938; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27154938 - 03 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1521

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the trace element composition and the toxic metal residues in Galician cow’s milk cheese produced in different systems (artisan, industrial, and organic). Fourteen elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, Mn, Mo, Ni, [...] Read more.

The objective of this study was to determine the trace element composition and the toxic metal residues in Galician cow’s milk cheese produced in different systems (artisan, industrial, and organic). Fourteen elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) were determined in 58 representative samples of Galician cheeses by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The toxic elements were present at low concentrations, similar to those reported for other unpolluted geographical areas. The essential elements were also within the normal range in cheeses. There were no statistically significant differences between smoked and unsmoked cheeses for any of the elements. Chemometric analyses (principal component analysis and cluster analysis) revealed that the industrial cheeses produced in Galicia using the milk from intensive dairy farms were different, in terms of elemental content, from artisan and organic cheeses, in which the elemental contents were similar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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Review

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16 pages, 6214 KiB

Open AccessReview

Cadmium Toxicity and Health Effects—A Brief Summary

by Angelika Edyta Charkiewicz, Wioleta Justyna Omeljaniuk, Karolina Nowak, Marzena Garley and Jacek Nikliński

Molecules 2023, 28(18), 6620; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28186620 - 14 Sep 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3666

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is a ductile metal in the form of a blueish or silvery-white powder. It is naturally found in soil (about 0.2 mg/kg), minerals, and water. Cd belongs to the group of toxic, carcinogenic, and stimulating elements. Its biological half-life in the [...] Read more.

Cadmium (Cd) is a ductile metal in the form of a blueish or silvery-white powder. It is naturally found in soil (about 0.2 mg/kg), minerals, and water. Cd belongs to the group of toxic, carcinogenic, and stimulating elements. Its biological half-life in the human body ranges from 16 to even 30 years on average. Some lung diseases (such as emphysema, asthma, and bronchitis) and high blood pressure are thought to be related to slow poisoning. The symptoms of cadmium poisoning may vary depending on the time of exposure, the type of diet, and the age and health status of the exposed people. For non-smokers and non-occupational exposures, the only source of exposure is diet. The FAO/WHO recommends that the tolerable cadmium intake for an adult is approximately 0.4–0.5 mg/week (60–70 µg per day). Cadmium is primarily absorbed through the respiratory system (about 13–19% of Cd from the air), but it can also enter through the digestive system (about 10–44%), when dust is mixed and swallowed with saliva. The amount of accumulated Cd ranges from 0.14 to 3.2 ppm in muscles, 1.8 ppm in bones, and 0.0052 ppm in the blood. People who are most frequently exposed to heavy metals should be continuously monitored in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as well as to implement effective preventive measures and improve public health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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15 pages, 1859 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biotechnology Advances in Bioremediation of Arsenic: A Review

by Jaganathan Sakthi Yazhini Preetha, Muthukrishnan Arun, Nandakumar Vidya, Kumaresan Kowsalya, Jayachandran Halka and Gabrijel Ondrasek

Molecules 2023, 28(3), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28031474 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3113

Abstract

Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid widespread in the Earth's crust, and its contamination due to different anthropogenic activities (application of agrochemicals, mining, waste management) represents an emerging environmental issue. Therefore, different sustainable and effective remediation methods and approaches are needed to prevent [...] Read more.

Arsenic is a highly toxic metalloid widespread in the Earth's crust, and its contamination due to different anthropogenic activities (application of agrochemicals, mining, waste management) represents an emerging environmental issue. Therefore, different sustainable and effective remediation methods and approaches are needed to prevent and protect humans and other organisms from detrimental arsenic exposure. Among numerous arsenic remediation methods, those supported by using microbes as sorbents (microbial remediation), and/or plants as green factories (phytoremediation) are considered as cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bioremediation. In addition, recent advances in genetic modifications and biotechnology have been used to develop (i) more efficient transgenic microbes and plants that can (hyper)accumulate or detoxify arsenic, and (ii) novel organo-mineral materials for more efficient arsenic remediation. In this review, the most recent insights from arsenic bio-/phytoremediation are presented, and the most relevant physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in arsenic biological routes, which can be useful starting points in the creation of more arsenic-tolerant microbes and plants, as well as their symbiotic associations are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Environmental, Food and Nutrients Samples)

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