| 1. |
- Bose, Aneesh, et al.
(författare)
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Uptake, depuration, and behavioural effects of oxazepam on activity and foraging in a tropical snail (Melanoides tuberculata)
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental advances. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7657. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pharmaceuticals are increasingly being detected in surface waters around the globe, giving rise to concerns that they may alter the physiology and behaviour of aquatic organisms exposed in the wild. Invertebrates represent important components of many ecosystems and bear a high potential for transmitting pharmaceutical contaminants to higher trophic levels. Here, we present a laboratory study in which we exposed a freshwater tropical snail, Melanoides tuberculata, to a serial dilution of the benzodiazepine oxazepam ranging from 50 ng/L to 5 mg/L. We tested for subsequent behavioural effects, including locomotor activity and foraging propensity, at two diurnal time points (day and night), and across three days. We found that the snails displayed a high level of behavioural tolerance to all treatments of oxazepam except at the highest exposure, where locomotor and foraging activity declined. We also detected a weak non-monotonic response curve suggestive of behavioural disinhibition at moderate exposure levels. Regardless of treatment, the snails were also less active after three days of exposure and more active during nighttime observations. We measured the uptake of oxazepam in tissues across treatments, showing that it bioconcentrated at up to 29 times the water exposure level (BCF range: 7 - 29). Finally, we characterized the uptake/depuration pharmacokinetics of oxazepam in snail tissues across time, which revealed that the snails reach a steady state equilibrium in < 8 hours of exposure and depurate at a similar rate. Overall, our study suggests that snails such as M. tuberculata, due to their behavioural resilience and high bioconcentration potential, could act as vectors for pharmaceutical transfer throughout the food web in pharmaceutical-polluted habitats (e.g., wastewater outfalls).
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| 2. |
- Dalecka, Brigita, et al.
(författare)
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Removal of pharmaceutical compounds from municipal wastewater by bioaugmentation with fungi : An emerging strategy using fluidized bed pelleted bioreactor
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7657. ; 5, s. 100086-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fungi have been shown to be good candidates to remove pharmaceuticals. However, the pilot-scale application mainly deals with the strict growth conditions and competition between microbial communities from wastewater. Thus, the bioaugmentation for removing the pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater by Trametes versicolor and Aspergillus luchuensis using fluidized bed pelleted bioreactor was studied. To find the optimal performance of bioaugmentation by both fungi periodical biomass volume, 10 and 50 g per 1.25 L bioreactor, were tested. The removal of nutrients, pharmaceutical substances, and changes in the pH value, laccase activity, and total cell number of microorganisms were analyzed. The results showed that bioaugmentation has an effect in removing NH4-N and lower accumulation of NO3-N, whereas PO4−3-P and TOC did not show a significant effect on the reduction of nutrient load compared to the control without fungal addition. The results of removal efficiency for diclofenac, carbamazepine, and sulfamethoxazole showed that there was no significant effect on the removal while the highest removal efficiency (> 90 %) for ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and metoprolol was achieved by both fungi with periodical addition with 50 g of biomass after an incubation time of 3 hours. Finally, the data analysis with AI-based experimental design indicated that A. luchuensis can be a useful fungus for pharmaceutical removal and implies a perspective approach for optimization of fluidized bed pelleted bioreactor. Overall, the obtained results and the use of an AI-based platform is a promising approach for the optimization and operation of fluidized bed pelleted bioreactors.
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| 3. |
- Håkonsen, Helle, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Preferences for medicines with different environmental impact – a Swedish population-based study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7657. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Despite increased insight into the harmful effects medicines have on the environment, research is scarce on how this awareness affect consumer behaviour and how people would react to environmental policies that could influence individual treatment options. Objectives: To investigate if information about environmental harm would affect people’s medicine choices and the support of policies to reduce pharmaceutical pollution. Methods: A web survey was completed by a representative sample of the Swedish adult population (n=1,583). The survey included a choice task with three disease scenarios (common cold, rheumatoid arthritis, and stroke) and fictitious medicines with different therapeutic effect and environmental harm. There were also items asking for support of possible policies (eco-labelling of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, higher prices for environmentally harmful medicines, and green prescribing requirements). Results: The most environmentally friendly and least effective options were preferred by 68% of the participants in the common cold scenario, 36% in the rheumatoid arthritis scenario, and 23% in the stroke scenario. These were rated highest in satisfaction with treatment option for the common cold (large effect) and rheumatoid arthritis (small effect) scenarios. Regarding stroke, the most effective and least environmentally friendly options were most preferred. Reported support of policies were consistently high. The highest was the support of ecolabelling of OTC medicines, followed by higher prices for environmentally harmful medicines, and green prescribing requirements (in that order). Female sex, age ≥ 60 years, higher education and having no children were associated with being positively inclined towards the most intrusive regulation (green prescribing requirements). Conclusion: There is a willingness among people in Sweden to take environmental considerations into account for minor ailments, which gradually disappears when faced with more serious diseases. Swedes support policies that could lead to more environmentally friendly medicine use, including those that affect individual treatment options.
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| 4. |
- Mattisson, Kristoffer, et al.
(författare)
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Neighborhood green spaces and use of social services in an older urban population
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - 2666-7657. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With an aging population, an increased burden is put on national and regional healthcare and social systems. In Sweden, municipalities are required to provide inhabitants with the social services needed to enable them to live an independent life in their own home for as long as possible. Urban green spaces (UGS) may increase physical activity and social interaction, as well as improve wellbeing and health. For older people, UGS close to the residency could thus be a protective factor, improving their possibility to live an independent life without any need of social services. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential association of neighborhood UGS and use of social services in an older population. All inhabitants 65 years or older living in the urban areas of the two Swedish cities Malmö or Kristianstad in 2015 (n = 42707 were included in this register-based repeated cross-sectional study. The possible associations between UGS (total, publicly available and quiet; exposure) with 300 m from the residency, determined using Geographical information systems (GIS), and use of social services (outcome) were investigated adjusting for individual and area sociodemographic factors. Although the positive effect of UGS on health is well established, no consistent associations between UGS and use of social services were found, nor did stratified analyses reveal any clear differences in the effect of urban green on social service use between sociodemographic groups.
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| 5. |
- Milić, Vlatko, 1992-, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the effects of a warmer climate on power and energy demand in multi-family buildings in a Nordic climate
- 2024
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2666-7657. ; 15, s. 100502-100502
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The need to understand how a warmer climate affects the power and energy demand in cold countries is important for urban planners and policymakers. By using data from utility bills that are commonly available today, together with outdoor temperatures, it is possible to analyze historical and future power and energy demand. The scientific value of this research includes the development of a methodology to explore effects on future heat demand in the Nordic region based on a combination of historical data, building properties, and predictions of future climate. This is achieved by using an energy signature model and regression analysis. Seventy multi-family buildings in Linköping, Sweden, are investigated from 1980 to 2050. The results show that the effects from historical variations in internal heat gains (average annual increase of 1 %) on the specific energy use for space heating (SPH) is minor for the district, i.e., less than 2 % when comparing 2020 and 1980. The opposite is found for variations in outdoor temperatures, where the average specific energy use is predicted to decrease by about 25 % in 2050 compared to 1980, with the used forecast of future climate. This corresponds to a decrease from 127 kWh/(m2·year) to 93–96 kWh/(m2·year). Additionally, the maximum heating power demand of the district is predicted to decrease by about 30 %, from 4,855 kW in 1980 to 3,468 kW in 2050. In conclusion, our results demonstrate a strong effect of decreased SPH and heating power demand in residential districts due to a warmer climate.
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| 6. |
- Safdar, Ayesha, et al.
(författare)
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Biodegradation of synthetic plastics by the extracellular lipase of Aspergillus niger
- 2024
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - 2666-7657. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A rapid increase in plastic pollution is a major threat to the environment. One intriguing group of enzymes that can act as biocatalysts for the breakdown of polymers is lipase. This study reports the production of lipase from Aspergillus niger MG654699.1 utilizing agro-industrial residue (wheat bran) through solid-state fermentation. The produced lipase showed 176.55 U/mL of activity, 7.18 mg/mL of protein content, and 24.60 U/mg of specific activity under the optimal conditions of 37°C and pH 7.0. The biocatalytic activity of 30 KDa lipase resulted in 3.8%, 3.6%, and 5% weight loss of PE (polyethylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and PS (polystyrene), respectively. Application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the lipase-mediated deterioration of treated polymer samples. The alterations in functional groups and surface structures of the samples showed the chemical and physical impact of the applied enzyme. The findings of this study showed that lipase can be employed as an eco-friendly and green biocatalyst for effective depolymerization and deterioration of environmental plastic waste.
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| 7. |
- Sandhi, Arifin, et al.
(författare)
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Growing Salix spp. on heavy metal contaminated sediment (Oskarshamn, Sweden) as a joint phytoremediation and circular economy approach
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2666-7657. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sediments of rivers or harbours have always been considered sinks for numerous heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals and contaminants of anthropogenic origin. The eco-friendly management of contaminated sediment have received attention due to their large-scale presence in harbour areas. Application of bioenergy crop species, such as Salix spp., have shown a strong potential for reducing heavy metals from the contaminated sediment. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of Salix spp. on contaminated dredged sediment and heavy metal accumulation and translocation patterns in different parts of plants. Two Salix cultivars (Wilhelm and Ester; commercially available in Sweden) were cultivated in contaminated sediment for 5 weeks in a field setting. Heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) content in different plant parts (root, cutting, shoot and leaves) were analysed by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The result indicated that the root biomass production was negatively affected for both cultivars due to the contaminated sediment medium, even though no morphological symptoms were present. Both Cd and Cu net accumulation were found to be significantly higher in Ester cultivars. The low translocation of heavy metals in Salix spp. hints that accumulated heavy metals are stored in the root parts. Low translocation of heavy metals from contaminated sediments gives a strong potential for using a growth medium to utilize phosphorus (P) in the sediment from a circular economy and bioeconomy perspective.
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| 8. |
- Sedvall, Emelie, et al.
(författare)
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Pharmaceuticals are identified in insects in River Fyris : a study with both tandem quadrupole and quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2666-7657. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The internal concentrations of active pharmaceutical compounds in insects/macroinvertebrates in River Fyris, Uppsala, Sweden, have for the first time been investigated. Specimen of backswimmer, caddisfly larva, damselfly larva, mayfly larva and water louse were caught in the river downstream a waste-water treatment plant. After homogenization and extraction, analysis was carried out with Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Electrospray – Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) using both a tandem quadrupole (QqQ) and a quadrupole-time-of-flight (qToF) mass spectrometer. A combined qualitative/quantitative screening method for 89 pharmaceutical compounds in the selective reaction monitoring mode was applied to the samples using the QqQ instrument. Thirty-three different drugs were detected and quantified in the macroinvertebrate samples, covering a wide range of pharmacological classes, the most common being antidepressants, psycholeptics and antihistamines. Drug concentrations up to 260 ng/g (for tetracycline) were determined. A subset of thirteen compounds were selected for a complementary qualitative UHPLC-qToF-MS/MS analysis. This way, the confidence in the substance identifications was significantly strengthened by the availability of full scan high-resolution spectra and accurate mass measurements. This is the first study demonstrating the uptake of pharmaceuticals in water-living macroinvertebrates in Sweden. Since these organisms are in the lower part of the food chain, pharmaceuticals might accumulate in predators leading to ecotoxicological effect at higher trophic levels. Macroinvertebrates might be promising indicator organisms for pharmaceutical pollution.
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| 9. |
- Shahabi-Ghahfarokhi, Sina, et al.
(författare)
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Removal and potential recovery of dissolved metals from acid sulfate soil drainage by spent coffee-grounds and dissolved organic carbon
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2666-7657. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores the reuse of spent coffee-grounds (SCGs) and the use of dissolved humic acid (DHA) to remediate acid sulfate (AS) soil drainage using adsorption and precipitation experiments, with changing pH,weight/volume, and concentrations (mg/L of dissolved organic carbon). In addition, this study aims to extend the usability of the SCGs, after being reacted with AS soil drainage, by identifying the potential recovery of incinerated SCGs from the ash of the SCGs produced incineration. As compared to DHA, the SCGs had greater efficiency in removing metals, such as Al (98%), Ca (96%), Co (94%), Fe (88%), Mn (100%), Ni (93%), and Zn (96%). However, the removal of Fe was significantly reduced when higher weight/volume of SCGs were introduced. In addition, SCGs could not bind sulfur, while DHA had removed up to 25% of S from the solution.This suggests the simultaneous use of SCGs and DHA could restrict the formation of problematic Fe(III) secondary compounds (e.g., schwertmannite/akaganeite) which are problematic in some AS soil settings. The results show that Co (69%), Ni (58%), Mn (60%), Fe (59%), Zn (55%), and Al (34%) had the highest recovery percentage by sequential chemical extraction, respectively. The recovery of metals, as well as the removal of dissolved metals from the drainage water, illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach for SCGs reuse.
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| 10. |
- Villén, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Estimating environmental exposure to analgesic drugs : A cross-sectional study of drug utilization patterns in the area surrounding Sweden's largest drinking water source
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Advances. - : Elsevier. - 2666-7657. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Use of pharmaceuticals is continuously increasing globally and their residues are recognized as a risk for theenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate drug utilization patterns of analgesics in relation toenvironmental hazard in the region surrounding Sweden’s largest drinking water source, Lake Mälaren. This wasexamined using sales data on pharmaceuticals from the Swedish E-health Agency. The total sales of analgesics(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol, other non-opioid analgesics, and opioids) for both humanand veterinary use in the region were analyzed for the years 2016 to 2020, in relation to the inherent environmental hazard for each active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). We found that a total of 454 tons of analgesicswere sold in the region during these 5 years. Classifications of environmental hazard were available for 16 out ofthe 45 studied APIs, accounting for 98.8% of the total mass in kilograms. Paracetamol, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid, which are all classified as low-hazard compounds, were the most commonly sold APIs. Diclofenac, the only pharmaceutical classified as high-hazard, was the fifth most commonly sold API, with a total soldmass of 2321 kg. The majority of the total sold mass of analgesics originated from dispensed prescriptions forhuman use in urban areas. Visualization of drug sales for humans and animals in different settings can be used toidentify the environmental burden of pharmaceuticals. Based on our study, we suggest that additional measuresto reduce the impacts of pharmaceuticals on the environment should primarily be directed to prescribing physicians in urban areas and campaigns targeted at the high over-the-counter sales of diclofenac. Moreover, it isimportant to address the fact that many pharmaceuticals currently have limited data on environmental hazard.
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