Occurrences of UV filters, endocrine disruptive chemicals, alkyl phenolic compounds, fragrances, and hormones in the wastewater and coastal waters of the Antarctica.

We present a simplified status description of the prevalence and occurrences of organic micropollutants including endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs), therapeutic drugs, hormones, fragrances and ultraviolet (UV) filters in the wastewaters and the adjacent coastal oceans in the Northern and Southern Antarctica. Different treatment technologies adopted in the research stations and their efficacy in removing pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are reviewed. Till date, 56 PPCPs are reported in the wastewaters of Antarctic research stations, and 23 in the adjacent coastal waters and sea ice. The reported concentrations in the wastewaters are at the levels of µg L-1 for UV filters, plasticizer Bisphenol A, metabolites, antibiotics, alkyl phenolic compounds, and stimulants. Concentrations in the coastal waters and sea ice are two orders of magnitude lower than the wastewaters because of dilution and degradation. It is apparent however, that the PPCP-laden effluents discharged from the research stations contaminate them. If left unchecked, pollution of the coastal waters and sea-ice can lead to toxic levels. Through this review, we have established widespread occurrence of PPCPs in the polar coastal oceans; this study will also provide the status quo for the researchers and policymakers to seriously consider the issue and initiate remedial action in the near future. The existing substantial gaps in understanding of the impact of PPCPs on the flora and fauna of Antarctica, and the ineffectiveness of the current treatment technologies adopted by the research stations are highly evident. Future-oriented polar research should focus on protecting the pristine ecosystem by utilizing climate-sensitive, cost-effective treatment technologies.

Structural insight of glitazone for hepato-toxicity: Resolving mystery by PASS.

Troglitazone causes severe hepatic injury in certain individuals and multiple mechanisms related to hepato-toxicity has been reported creating confusion. In the present study, the mechanism for the hepatic injury of glitazones was investigated by PASS. The results suggest that chromane containing glitazones are apoptic agonist (activating p53 by intrinsic pathway leading to the apoptosis) and those which do not contain the chromane are devoid of this. In case of hepato-toxicity by non-chromane glitazone and their metabolite such as M-3, RM-3, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone; PASS suggest that these chemicals are not apoptic agonist but they are the substrate for CYP enzyme (Phase-I Oxidative Enzyme) and Phase-II conjugating enzymes; interfering with bile acid metabolism rendering bile acid more toxic (cholestasis). This unmetabolised bile salt further initiates the process apoptosis via intrinsic and extrinsic pathway leading to the apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis further confirm our hypothesis that troglitazone (chromane containing glitazone), but not rosiglitazone and pioglitazone (non-chromane containing glitazone) increased the levels of p53 in a time-dependent manner. Hence our prediction related to the mechanism of hepato-toxicity by apoptosis and structural insight of glitazone can be helpful in improving the drug profile of this category.

Aggregation behaviour of black carbon in aquatic solution: Effect of ionic strength and coexisting metals.

Black Carbon (BC) is an important constituent of both aquatic and terrestrial environment, but also has several adverse effects on human health, aquatic life, and contributes to the global climate change. Thus, to understand the fate and transport of BC nanoparticles (NPs) in the environment, it's important to understand the colloidal stability or aggregation behaviour and factors affecting it, under various environmental conditions, including both aquatic and atmospheric. This study investigated the individual influence of ionic strengths, valence (Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+), metals (Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+ and Cd2+), and organic substances (PO43- and Humic Acid: HA) on the effective diameter or hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of BC-NPs in aquatic systems. A dynamic light scattering (DLS) principle-based 90 Plus Particle Size Analyzer was used for measurements of BC particle size and zeta potential at varying ionic chemistry. The results showed that strong ionic strength promotes aggregation of BC-NPs till the repulsion forces become dominant due to more negative zeta potential. The Aggregation of BC-NPs was observed to be significantly dependent on the ionic valence, where divalent ions caused more aggregation than monovalent ions. Metal ions at higher concentration (around 1 mM) promoted the aggregation rate of BC-NPs, and Cu+2 dominated among all selected metals. Conversely, organic matter (PO43- and HA) tends to promote stabilisation of BC-NPs instead of aggregation. Though this study investigated individual effect of substances, influence of possible environmental combination of substances will help to get more clear idea.

Critical review on negative emerging contaminant removal efficiency of wastewater treatment systems: Concept, consistency and consequences.

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are not completely removed by wastewater treatment owing to their capabilities of making complexes, toxic derivatives, byproduct formation, and dynamic partitioning. Negative contaminant removal i.e., higher concentrations (up to 5731%) of these ECs in the effluent with respect to the influent sampled on the same occasions, is globally prevalent in almost all types of treatment systems. Conventional WWTPs showed the highest negative removal (NR) for Carbamazepine, and Carbadox. Conjugation-deconjugation, types of WWTPs, transformations, leaching, operational parameters, sampling schemes, and nature of substance governs the NR efficiencies. Among the various categories of micropollutants, pesticides and beta-blockers are reported to exhibit the maximum percentage of NR, posing threat to human and the environment. With > 200% of NR for beta-blockers, low blood-pressure related symptoms may likely to get more prevalent in the near future. Study red-flags this phenomenon of negative removal that needs urgent attention.

Predicted occurrence, ecotoxicological risk and environmentally acquired resistance of antiviral drugs associated with COVID-19 in environmental waters.

Antiviral drugs have been used to treat the ever-growing number of coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Consequently, unprecedented amounts of such drug residues discharging into ambient waters raise concerns on the potential ecotoxicological effects to aquatic lives, as well as development of antiviral drug-resistance in wildlife. Here, we estimated the occurrence, fate and ecotoxicological risk of 11 therapeutic agents suggested as drugs for COVID-19 treatment and their 13 metabolites in wastewater and environmental waters, based on drug consumption, physical-chemical property, and ecotoxicological and pharmacological data for the drugs, with the aid of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modelling. Our results suggest that the removal efficiencies at conventional wastewater treatment plants will remain low (<20%) for half of the substances, and consequently, high drug residues (e.g. 7402 ng/L ribavirin, 4231 ng/L favipiravir, 730 ng/L lopinavir, 319 ng/L remdesivir; each combined for both unchanged forms and metabolites; and when each drug is administered to 100 patients out of 100,000 populations on a day) can be present in secondary effluents and persist in the environmental waters. Ecotoxicological risk in receiving river waters can be high (risk quotient >1) by a use of favipiravir, lopinavir, umifenovir and ritonavir, and medium (risk quotient >0.1) by a use of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and ribavirin, while the risk will remain low (risk quotient <0.1) for dexamethasone and oseltamivir. The potential of wild animals acquiring antiviral drug resistance was estimated to be low. Our prediction suggests a pressing need for proper usage and waste management of antiviral drugs as well as for improving removal efficiencies of drug residues in wastewater.

Antidrug resistance in the Indian ambient waters of Ahmedabad during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic increases the consumption of antimicrobial substances (ABS) due to the unavailability of approved vaccine(s). To assess the effect of imprudent consumption of ABS during the COVID-19 pandemic, we compare the 2020 prevalence of antidrug resistance (ADR) of Escherichia coli (E. coli) with a similar survey carried out in 2018 in Ahmedabad, India using SARS-CoV-2 gene detection as a marker of ABS usage. We found a significant ADR increase in 2020 compared to 2018 in ambient water bodies, harbouring a higher incidence of ADR E.coli towards non-fluoroquinolone drugs. Effective SARS-CoV-2 genome copies were found to be associated with the ADR prevalence. The prevalence of ADR depends on the efficiency of WWTPs (Wastewater Treatment Plants) and the catchment area in its vicinity. In the year 2018 study, prevalence of ADR was discretely distributed, and the maximum ADR prevalence recorded was ~60%; against the current homogenous ADR increase, and up to 85% of maximum ADR among the incubated E.coli isolated from the river (Sabarmati) and lake (Chandola and Kankaria) samples. Furthermore, wastewater treatment plants showed less increase in comparison to the ambient waters, which eventually imply that although SARS-CoV-2 genes and faecal pollution may be diluted in the ambient waters, as indicated by low Ct-value and E.coli count, the danger of related aftermath like ADR increase cannot be nullified. Also, Non-fluoroquinolone drugs exhibited overall more resistance than quinolone drugs. Overall, this is probably the first-ever study that traces the COVID-19 pandemic imprints on the prevalence of antidrug resistance (ADR) through wastewater surveillance and hints at monitoring escalation of other environmental health parameters. This study will make the public and policyholders concerned about the optimum use of antibiotics during any kind of treatment.

A chronicle of SARS-CoV-2: Seasonality, environmental fate, transport, inactivation, and antiviral drug resistance.

In this review, we present the environmental perspectives of the viruses and antiviral drugs related to SARS-CoV-2. The present review paper discusses occurrence, fate, transport, susceptibility, and inactivation mechanisms of viruses in the environment as well as environmental occurrence and fate of antiviral drugs, and prospects (prevalence and occurrence) of antiviral drug resistance (both antiviral drug resistant viruses and antiviral resistance in the human). During winter, the number of viral disease cases and environmental occurrence of antiviral drug surge due to various biotic and abiotic factors such as transmission pathways, human behaviour, susceptibility, and immunity as well as cold climatic conditions. Adsorption and persistence critically determine the fate and transport of viruses in the environment. Inactivation and disinfection of virus include UV, alcohol, and other chemical-base methods but the susceptibility of virus against these methods varies. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are major reserviors of antiviral drugs and their metabolites and transformation products. Ecotoxicity of antiviral drug residues against aquatic organisms have been reported, however more threatening is the development of antiviral resistance, both in humans and in wild animal reservoirs. In particular, emergence of antiviral drug-resistant viruses via exposure of wild animals to high loads of antiviral residues during the current pandemic needs further evaluation.

Tricks and tracks in removal of emerging contaminants from the wastewater through hybrid treatment systems: A review.

In recent years, many biological and physicochemical treatment technologies have been investigated for the removal of the emerging contaminants (ECs) from the wastewater matrix. However, due to the deficiency of these treatments to completely degrade the ECs in wastewater, hybrid systems were explored using the distinguishing removal potential of the different treatment processes. This review gives an insight on such hybrid systems combining several physical, chemical and biological treatments for the fast and eco-efficient removal of ECs from wastewater. Most of the hybrid systems have applied biological treatments first and then physical or chemical treatments. The hybrid system of membrane bioreactor (MBR) followed by membrane filtrations (RO/NF) effectively removed a suite of ECs such as pharmaceuticals, beta blockers, pesticides and EDCs. Some of the hybrid systems of constructed wetlands and waste stabilization ponds showed promising potential for the biosorptive removal of pharmaceuticals and some beta blockers. The hybrid systems combining activated sludge process and physical processes such as ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO) and gamma radiations are considered as the cost effective technologies and had better removal of trace organic pollutants. The hybrid system of MBR coupled with UV oxidation, activated carbon and ultrasound, and ozonation followed by ultrasounds, completely degraded some ECs and many pharmaceuticals. The review also synthesizes the trend followed by the hybrid system processes for the removal of various categories of ECs. The future research directions for the ECs removal utilizing hybrid nanocomposites and green sustainable technology have been suggested.

The most eagerly awaited summer of the Anthropocene: A perspective of SARS-CoV-2 decay and seasonal change.

To date, the world perhaps has never waited for the summer so impatiently in the entire Anthropocene, owing to the debate whether increasing temperature and humidity will decrease the environmental endurance of SARS-CoV-2. We present the perspective on the seasonal change on SARS-CoV-2 decay and COVID-19 spread. Our arguments are based on: i) structural similarity of coronavirus with several enteric viruses, and its vulnerability; ii) reports related to decay of those similar transmissible gastroenteritis viruses (TGEV) like norovirus and iii) improvement in the human immunity during summer compared to winter. We present reasons why we can be optimistic about the slowdown of corona in the upcoming summer.

A chronicle of SARS-CoV-2: Part-I - Epidemiology, diagnosis, prognosis, transmission and treatment.

In order to benefit the public, community workers and scientific community, we hereby present a chronicle of SARS-CoV-2 that leads to the unseen precedent of social distancing and lockdown owing to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Information on this life-threatening pandemic of COVID-19 is sparse and discrete; and the urgency is such that the dissemination of information is increasing with numerous daily publications on the topic. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive review on various aspects of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. We scientifically compiled published research, news, and reports from various sources to comprehend and summarize the information and findings on Coronaviruses. The review explicitly covers the aspects like genome and pedigree of SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology, prognosis, pathogenesis, symptoms and diagnosis of COVID-19 in order to catalog the right information on transmission route, and influence of environmental factors on virus transmissions, for the robust understanding of right strategical steps for proper COVID-19 management. We have explicitly highlighted several useful information and facts like: i) No established relationship between progression of SARS-CoV-2 with temperature, humidity and/or both, ii) The underlying mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 is not fully understood, iii) Respiratory droplet size determines drop and airborne-based transmission, iv) Prognosis of COVID-19 can be done by its effects on various body organs, v) Infection can be stopped by restricting the binding of S protein and AE2, vi) Hydroxychloroquine is believed to be better than chloroquine for COVID-19, vii) Ivermectin with Vero-hSLAM cells is able to reduce infection by ~5000 time within 2 days, and viii) Nafamostat mesylate can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 S protein-initiated membrane fusion. We have also suggested future research perspectives, challenges and scope.