Microfiber emission from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Hungary.

Since the ingestion of both natural and anthropogenic microfibers produces a deleterious effect on aquatic organisms, it is crucial to explore the emission of these pollutants by WWTPs into the receiving water bodies, such as rivers. Cellulose- and petroleum-based microfibers, as well as microplastic particles, were collected from the effluent of a municipal WWTP operating with activated sludge technology in Budapest, Hungary. During two sampling campaigns organized in February and April of 2023 on different working days and at different times of the day, 123-145 L of effluent was sieved and filtered. The organic matter was removed by hydrogen-peroxide treatment. All fibers and particles larger than 10 µm were counted, and using a fluorescence microscope, the fibers were geometrically characterized in terms of length and diameter. Each fiber was individually identified by transflection-FT-IR method. The fiber concentration varied in the range of 1.88-2.84 and 4.25-6.79 items/L during the 7th and the 16th week of 2023, respectively. In February and April, the proportion of microfibers in the solid particles was 78.3 and 94.7%, respectively. In the effluent the cellulose-based microfibers were dominant (53-91%), while among the petroleum-based microfibers, polyester occurred most often. The median length of cellulose-based fibers was considerably higher in April than in February (650 vs. 1250 µm), and simultaneously the median diameter also increased from 21 to 29 µm. This behaviour was also seen, albeit to a lesser extent, in connection to microfibers derived from petroleum. The treated wastewater's daily microfiber transport to the Danube River varied between 0.44 - 0.69 and 0.94-1.53 billion in February and April 2023, respectively.

Arsenic uptake and accumulation in bean and lettuce plants at different developmental stages.

The pattern of arsenic (As) uptake at different developmental stages in plants and its consequent influence on the growth of plants was investigated in bean and lettuce. Further, the human health risk from the consumption of these As-laced vegetables was determined. The irrigation water was contaminated with As at concentrations of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/L. The As concentration in the plant parts (root, stem, leaves, and flower/fruit) was determined in bean at the young, flowering, and fruiting stages and lettuce at the young and mature stages. At the different growth stages, As had an impact on the biomass of bean and lettuce plant parts, but none of the biomass changes were significant (p>0.05). The increase in As concentration of the irrigation water elevated the As concentration of plant parts of both plants at all growth stages, with the exception of the bean fruit. The As concentration in the developmental stages was in the order: lettuce (young>mature) and bean (fruiting>young>flowering). In lettuce, the transfer factor was higher at the young stage (0.09-0.19, in the control and 0.1 mg/L As treatment), while in bean, it was highest at the flowering stage (0.09-0.41, in all treatments). In the edible part, lettuce possessed substantially elevated As concentrations (0.30, 0.61, and 1.21 mg/kg DW) compared to bean (0.008, 0.005, and 0.022 mg/kg DW) at As treatments of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/L, respectively, and posed significant health risks at all applied As concentrations.

Lithium concentration in tap water, bottled mineral water, and Danube River water in Hungary.

Due to increased manufacture and recycling of lithium batteries across the world, we may anticipate a rise in lithium pollution in the aquatic environment and drinking water reservoirs. In order to investigate the current status regarding the lithium content in Hungarian tap waters, samples were collected from the public drinking water supply systems of 19 county seats in Hungary during seasonally selected times. Depending on the water sources, such as bank-filtrated river water, surface water from open reservoirs, and groundwater, the lithium concentrations varied between 0.90-4.23, 2.12-11.7 and 1.11-31.4 µg/L, respectively, while the median values were 3.52, 5.02 and 8.55 µg/L, respectively. The lithium concentration in the bottled Hungarian mineral waters was also determined since the daily intake of lithium can be influenced by the consumption of mineral waters. The concentrations ranged from 4.2 to 209 µg/L, while the median value was only 17.8 µg/L. Additionally, a correlation was only found between lithium and potassium concentrations. The lithium concentration was also assessed at ten sampling locations in the Hungarian segment of the Danube River since the Danube water is also a water source for additional drinking water utilities using bank filtration technology. The mean and median lithium concentrations were 2.78 and 2.64 µg/L, respectively.

Iodine biofortification of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants cultivated in three different soils.

An important challenge for mankind today is to find a plant-based source of iodine, instead of table salt, which would provide the recommended daily dosage of iodine. The aim of this work was to study the accumulation of iodine and the physiochemical changes in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) irrigated with iodine-containing water. Applying iodine at concentration of 0.5 mg L-1 resulted 51, 18, and 35% decrement in biomass of bean fruit, while in pea fruit, a 13% reduction and a 3 and 2% increment were observed when the plants were cultivated in sand, sandy silt, and silt, respectively. The highest iodine concentrations in the bean and pea fruits were detected in plants cultivated in silt soil with concentration of 0.5 mg I- L-1 and amounted to 1.6 and 0.4 mg kg-1, respectively. In presence of iodine at concentration of 0.5 mg L-1, the concentration of magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and iron increased in the bean fruit, while in the case of pea, at iodine concentration above 0.1 mg L-1 the uptake of these nutrients were hampered. Based on these facts, the iodized bean can be recommended as a possible food source to enhance the iodine intake.

Disinfection of therapeutic water - balancing risks against benefits: case study of Hungarian therapeutic baths on the effects of technological steps and disinfection on therapeutic waters.

Thermal therapeutic pools in most countries are operated in a manner similar to swimming pools: with water circulation, filtration and disinfection. However, in some countries, including Hungary, therapeutic pools are traditionally not treated this way, in order to preserve the therapeutic qualities of the water. However, dilution and frequent water replacement applied in these pools are often insufficient to ensure adequate microbial water quality, posing a risk of infection to the bathers. In the present case study, the impact of water treatment (including chemical disinfection by hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide) was investigated on the therapeutic components of the water in seven Hungarian spas of various water composition. Microbial quality was improved by both disinfectants, but hypochlorite reduced the concentration of the therapeutic components sulfide, bromide, and iodide ions by 40-99%, and high levels of disinfection by-products were observed. Hydrogen peroxide only affected sulfide ion (91% reduction). Other technological steps (e.g., transport or cooling by dilution) were found to have significant impact on composition, often outweighing the effect of disinfection. The current case study demonstrated that thermal waters may be treated and disinfected with minimal loss of the therapeutic compounds, if an adequate treatment procedure is selected based on the water composition.

UV and (V)UV irradiation of sitagliptin in ultrapure water and WWTP effluent: Kinetics, transformation products and degradation pathway.

Sitagliptin (SITA) is an antidiabetic drug consumed worldwide in high quantities. Because of the low removal rate of this compound in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), it enters receiving surface waters with the discharged WWTP effluents. SITA can be detected up to µg/L concentration in rivers. In this study, UV (254 nm) and (V)UV (185 nm + 254 nm) irradiation was applied in laboratory scale to degrade SITA. The effect of three parameters was evaluated on the degradation rate, namely i) the efficiency in UV and (V)UV irradiation, ii) the presence or absence of dissolved oxygen, iii) the matrix effect of WWTP effluent. Degradation rate of SITA was largely increased by (V)UV irradiation, and decreased in WWTP effluent as expected. The presence of dissolved oxygen increased the degradation rate only in UV experiments and did not have a considerable effect in (V)UV experiments. In total, 14 transformation products (TPs) were identified (twelve new); their structures were proposed based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses. The most characteristic reaction steps of the degradation of SITA involved nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution whereas hydroxide ions acted as attacking nucleophiles and replaced F atoms of the phenyl moiety by hydroxide groups, in agreement with the increase in photolysis rate with increasing pH. The photochemical degradation pathway of SITA was also interpreted. Kinetic profiles revealed TP 421, TP 208 and TP 192 to be the most recalcitrant TPs.

Effect of Se-Enriched Irrigation Water on the Biomass Production and Elemental Composition of Green Bean, Cabbage, Potato and Tomato.

Additional Selenium (Se) intake may be recommended in areas of Se deficiency to prevent various human diseases. One possibility for this is biofortification. In this experiment, the effect of irrigation water containing 100 and 500 µg L-1 Se, in the form of Na2SeO4, on green bean, cabbage, potato and tomato was investigated in a greenhouse pot experiment with sand, silty sand and silt soils. The chlorophyll content index was usually improved by Se and was significantly higher in potato in sand and silty sand and in tomato in silty sand and silt soils. The Se content of edible plant parts increased 63-fold in the 100 µg L-1 Se treatment and almost 400-fold in the 500 µg L-1 Se treatment, averaged over the four species and the three soils. Irrigation water with a Se content of 100 µg L-1 may be suitable for the production of functional food in the case of green beans, potatoes and tomatoes. However, due to its greater Se accumulation, cabbage should only be irrigated with a lower Se concentration. The use of Se-enriched irrigation water might be a suitable method for Se biofortification without a significant reduction in plant biomass production and without a remarkable modification of other macro- and microelement contents.

Effect of the Boron Concentration in Irrigation Water on the Elemental Composition of Edible Parts of Tomato, Green Bean, Potato, and Cabbage Grown on Soils With Different Textures.

The most important environmental source of boron (B) contamination is irrigation water. The data on the effect of B on the elemental composition in the edible parts of vegetables are scarce. A greenhouse pot experiment investigated the effect of irrigation water containing 0.1 and 0.5 mg/L B on the biomass, elemental (e.g., B, Mg, K, Fe, Cu, and Zn) composition, and photosynthetic parameters of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and cabbage (Brassica oleracea) plants grown on 10 kg of sand, silty sand, or silty soil. The biomass of the edible part was unaffected by B treatment. The soil type determined the effect of B irrigation on the elemental composition of vegetables. The B content increased by 19% in tomatoes grown on silty soil. The 0.1 mg/L B treatment facilitated tomato fruit ripening on all soils, and the 0.5 mg/L B treatment doubled its chlorophyll content index (CCI) on silty soil. The 0.5 mg/L B treatment negatively affected the nutritional value of green beans on all soils, decreasing the Fe and K contents by an average of 83 and 34%, respectively. The elemental composition of potato was unaffected by the treatments, but the CCI of potato leaves increased in the 0.5 mg/L B treatment by 26%. The B content was increased by 39% in cabbages grown on light-textured soils. In conclusion, B concentration of up to 0.5 mg/L in irrigation water had no significant beneficial or adverse effect on the investigated vegetables, but 0.1 mg/L B treatment could shorten tomato fruit maturation time on B-poor soils. The B levels in vegetables remained suitable for human consumption.

Effect of arsenic-contaminated irrigation water on growth and elemental composition of tomato and cabbage cultivated in three different soils, and related health risk assessment.

This study was carried out to determine the effect of arsenic on tomato and cabbage cultivated in sand, sandy silt, and silt soil, and irrigated with water containing arsenic at concentrations 0.05 and 0.2 mg/L. Increasing arsenic in irrigation water did not affect the photosynthetic machinery. The chlorophyll content index increased in case of all soils and was dependent on the soil nitrogen, phosphorous, and plant biomass. Arsenic concentrations of 0.05 and 0.2 mg/L did not display any phytotoxic symptoms other than reduction in biomass in some cases. In cabbage, arsenic treatment of 0.2 mg/L increased the overall plant biomass production, while in tomato there was a decrease in aerial part and fruit biomass. The biomass production of both plants treated with different concentrations of arsenic, in the three soils was in the following order: silt > sand > sandy silt. Increase of arsenic in the irrigation water resulted in increase in arsenic concentration in the root and aerial part of both plants, at the same cultivation parameters. But tomato fruits displayed a decrease in arsenic accumulation with higher arsenic treatment. In both plants, the arsenic concentration in the plant parts changed in the following order: root > aerial part > fruit. Cabbage accumulated approximately twenty-fold more arsenic in the edible part (0.10-0.25 mg/kg DW) as compared to tomato (0.006-0.011 mg/kg DW) and displayed a good correlation with soil extractable arsenic. When cabbage was cultivated in three different soils applying the same irrigation water, it accumulated arsenic in the following order: sand > sandy silt > silt (p < 0.001 at 0.05 mg/L and p < 0.01 at 0.2 mg/L arsenic treatment). In tomato, the difference in arsenic accumulation among different soil types was highly significant (p < 0.001) but the accumulation pattern varied with the arsenic treatment applied. Sandy soil with the lowest total soil arsenic (4.32 mg/kg) resulted in the highest arsenic concentration in both plants. Among all soils and plants, the transfer factors and bioaccumulation factors were higher in sandy soil, and in cabbage. The estimated daily intake and hazard quotient values for arsenic were lower than 1 in all cases, implying no non-cancerous health risks at the arsenic concentrations applied in our study. Among nutrients only P showed a slight decline with increasing arsenic concentration while all other elements (Mg, K, Ca, S, Si, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) did not display any significant changes.

Application of (V)UV/O3 technology for post-treatment of biologically treated wastewater: A pilot-scale study.

For the first time, high energy VUV photons and generation of O3 by (V)UV lamps were applied together for removal of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from biologically treated wastewater (BTWW) in pilot-scale. The core of the pilot container unit was a photoreactor assembly consisting of six photoreactors, each containing a low-pressure Hg lamp (UV dose of 1.2 J/cm2 and 6.6 J/cm2 at 185 nm and 254 nm, respectively). BTWW was irradiated (4.75 min residence time) by (V)UV light in presence of in situ photochemically generated O3 from coolant air of the lamps. Experiments were conducted at the site of two wastewater treatment plants. Out of seven target APIs (namely carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, diclofenac, metoprolol, sitagliptin, and sulfamethoxazole), 80-100% removal was accomplished for five and 40-80% for two compounds. Two degradation products of carbamazepine were detected. Degradation products of other target compounds were not found. The applied O3 dose was 30-45 µg O3/mg dissolved organic carbon. Inactivation of up to log-4.8, log-4.5 and log-3.8 could be achieved for total coliform, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively. SOS Chromotest indicated no genotoxicity nor acute toxicity. Generation of neither NH4+, NO2- nor NO3- was observed during post-treatment. Electric energy per order values were calculated for the first time for (V)UV/O3 treatment in BTWW with a median value of 1.5 kWh/m3. This technology can be proposed for post-treatment of BTWWs of small settlements or livestock farms to degrade micropollutants before water discharge or for production of irrigation water. Further studies are essential in pilot-scale for other applications.

Biofortification of Potato and Carrot With Iodine by Applying Different Soils and Irrigation With Iodine-Containing Water.

Accumulation of iodine by potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and carrot (Daucus carota L. var. sativus) plants cultivated on different soils (sand, sandy silt, and silt) using irrigation water containing iodine at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 mg/L was investigated. In the edible organs of potato and carrot control plants grown on sand, sandy silt, and silt soils, the iodine concentrations were 0.15, 0.17, and 0.20 mg/kg (potato) and 0.012, 0.012, and 0.013 mg/kg (carrot); after the treatment by applying 0.5 mg/L iodine dosage, the iodine concentrations were 0.21, 0.19, 0.27 mg/kg (potato) and 3.5, 3.7, 3.0 mg/kg (carrot), respectively. Although the iodine treatment had no significant effect on the biomass production of these plants, in potato tubers, it resulted in higher Fe and lower Mg and P concentrations, whereas no similar trend was observable in carrot roots. The accumulation of Mn, Cu, Zn, and B in the edible part of both plants was not influenced by the iodine treatment. The soil properties did not have a significant impact on biomass production under the same environmental conditions. The concentration and the distribution of iodine in both plants were slightly modified by the growing medium; however, the photosynthetic efficiency and the chlorophyll content index of potato plants cultivated in silt soil increased significantly. Potato plant was not suitable for biofortification with iodine, while considering the iodine concentration and the moisture content of carrot roots, it can be calculated that consuming 100 g fresh carrot would cover about 38% of the daily iodine intake requirement for an average adult person.

Removal of hazardous micropollutants from treated wastewater using cyclodextrin bead polymer - A pilot demonstration case.

Increasing amount of micropollutants such as drugs, cosmetics and nutritional supplements detected in surface waters represents increasing risk to humans and to the whole environment. These hazardous materials deriving mostly from wastewaters often cannot be effectively removed by conventional water treatment technologies due to their persistence. Some of the innovative technologies use specific sorbents for their removal. Cyclodextrin-based sorbents have already proved to be efficient in laboratory-scale experiments, but no pilot-plant scale demonstration has been performed so far. We are the first who applied this sorption-technology as a tertiary treatment in a pilot-plant scale operating, biomachine-type municipal wastewater treatment plant. As a result of the treatment 7 of 9 typical micropollutants (estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, estriol, diclofenac, ibuprofen, bisphenol A and cholesterol) were removed with >80% efficiency from effluent (reducing their concentration from ∼5 µg/L to <0.001-1 µg/L). GC-MS analysis of water samples showed that many of the micropollutants were removed from the water within a short time, demonstrating the high potential of the applied cyclodextrin-based sorbent in micropollutant removal. The effect-based testing also confirmed the efficiency. There was a correlation between sorption efficacies and binding constants of micropollutant/cyclodextrin inclusion complexes, showing that among others also inclusion complex formation of pollutants with cyclodextrin played important role in sorption mechanism.

Toxicity and uptake of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO in nematodes with different life strategies.

Despite the increasing number and quantity of nanomaterials released in the environment, our knowledge on their bioavailability and possible toxicity to organisms is rather limited. Thus, we know quite little about sensitivity of various nematode feeding types and life strategies to treatments with nano metal oxides. The toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO) (with a particle size of 25 nm) and the bulk counterpart was investigated in two free-living nematode species of different life strategies: Xiphinema vuittenezi, a K-strategist plant-feeder nematode and Panagrellus redivivus, an r-strategist bacterivor nematode. The internal zinc concentration and the concentration of minor and trace elements were determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Concentration-dependent mortality in both nematode species was observed following a 24-h exposure both to nano-ZnO and bulk ZnO. The zinc concentration of the treating suspension had a significant effect on the internal zinc content of the animals in both cases. Particle size did not influence the internal zinc content. Our results show that nano and bulk ZnO have a similar dose-response effect on mortality of the bacterivor P. redivivus. In contrast, the nano-ZnO has stronger toxic effect on the mortality of X. vuittenezi. In general, X. vuittenezi did not react more sensitively to the treatments than P. redivivus, but appeared sensitive to the nano-ZnO treatment compared to bulk ZnO.

Elemental composition in feathers of a migratory passerine for differentiation of sex, age, and molting areas.

The bulk analysis of single feathers of 263 feathers belonging to 238 individuals of a migratory passerine (collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, originating from a breeding population in the Pilis-Visegrád Mountains in Hungary) by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS) for determination of elements after proper dissolution allowed the quantitative determination of 38 elements. Calcium, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn were found to have a quantitative determination frequency larger than 80 % and a concentration greater than 100 µg/g. Among ecotoxicologically relevant elements, Ni, Cd, Hg, and Pb could be determined in more than 55 % of the tail feather samples. The concentration of Hg with a quantification limit of 0.006 µg/g and Pb with that of 0.015 µg/g was higher than 1 and 10 µg/g, respectively, in more than 80 % of the investigated samples, but generally lower than levels that could cause adverse behavioral effects. The principal component analyses of elemental concentration data followed by the application of general linear models revealed that, for male collared flycatchers, the concentration of Sn, Pb, Ni, Sr, Mg, Zn, Ba, and Sc differed significantly in the wing and tail feathers collected from the same individuals. With females, only the Ca and Sc concentration showed a significant difference between wing and tail feathers. Moreover, the concentration of rare earth elements, V, Fe, Sr, Mg, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Ba in tail feathers allowed differentiation between sexes while the concentration of Se, Bi, and Sc between yearling and adult male individuals. At the same time, Sc differentiated age categories in females. Distribution of major elements along the rachis of feathers could be monitored by laser ablation ICP-SF-MS after normalization of the intensities to either 13C or 34S signals.

Determination of particulate phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their nitrated and oxygenated derivatives using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An analytical method has been developed for the quantitative determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitrated and oxygenated derivatives (nitro- and oxy-PAHs respectively) in particulate matter (PM) samples. The sample preparation procedure included only a simple and quick sonication-assisted extraction step, clean-up based on addition of water and centrifugation as well as pre-concentration under N2 stream. The determination of 16 PAHs and 4 oxy-PAHs was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used in the case of the 11 investigated nitro-PAHs. The optimized method was fully evaluated in terms of trueness, precision (repeatability), limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), sensitivity and linearity. The LOQ values ranged at pgm-3 level for the investigated PAHs (42pgm-3), oxy-PAHs (either 42 or 83pgm-3) and nitro-PAHs (either 83 or 167pgm-3) as well. The developed method was applied for the quantitative determination of PAHs, nitro- and oxy-PAHs in urban PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5µm) samples (n=36) collected in Budapest, Hungary. Almost 100% of the PM2.5 samples contained the investigated PAHs and oxy-PAHs in detectable and quantifiable amounts; however, the concentration of the nitro-PAHs was generally lower than the corresponding LOD/LOQ values. According to our results, during the 3-year long sampling campaign the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene never exceeded the limit value (1ngm-3) set by the European Commission.

Oxidative potential and chemical composition of PM2.5 in office buildings across Europe - The OFFICAIR study.

In the frame of the OFFICAIR project, indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples were collected in office buildings across Europe in two sampling campaigns (summer and winter). The ability of the particles to deplete physiologically relevant antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AA), reduced glutathione (GSH)) in a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid, i.e., oxidative potential (OP), was assessed. Furthermore, the link between particulate OP and the concentration of the PM constituents was investigated. The mean indoor PM2.5 mass concentration values were substantially lower than the related outdoor values with a mean indoor/outdoor PM2.5 mass concentration ratio of 0.62 and 0.61 for the summer and winter campaigns respectively. The OP of PM2.5 varied markedly across Europe with the highest outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) (% antioxidant depletion/m(3) air) values obtained for Hungary, while PM2.5 collected in Finland exhibited the lowest values. Seasonal variation could be observed for both indoor and outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) with higher mean values during winter. The indoor/outdoor OP(AA) m(-3) and OP(GSH) m(-3) ratios were less than one with 4 and 17 exceptions out of the 40 cases respectively. These results indicate that indoor air is generally less oxidatively challenging than outdoors. Correlation analysis revealed that trace elements play an important role in determining OP, in particular, the Cu content. Indoor air chemistry might affect OP since weaker correlations were obtained for indoor PM2.5. Our findings also suggest that office workers may be exposed to health relevant PM constituents to a different extent within the same building.

Uptake and toxicity of nano-ZnO in the plant-feeding nematode, Xiphinema vuittenezi: the role of dissolved zinc and nanoparticle-specific effects.

Nanoparticulate ZnO is one of the most commonly applied nanomaterials. As ZnO is more soluble than many other oxide nanoparticles, its toxicity beyond the nanoparticle-specific effects can be attributed to the dissolved ionic zinc. The investigation of uptake and toxicity of nano-ZnO in the plant-feeding nematode, Xiphinema vuittenezi, which was used in previous studies as a biological model organism, was aimed. The establishment of the role of dissolved zinc and nanoparticle-specific effects in the toxicity was also the objective of our study. Zn uptake was found to be significantly higher for bulk and nano-ZnO than for ZnSO4 solution; however, treatments caused loss of potassium in the worms in a dissolved-zinc-dependent manner. The toxicity was the lowest for bulk ZnO, and it was very similar for nano-ZnO and ZnSO4 solution. Accordingly, the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles is a combination of dissolved-zinc-caused toxicity and nanoparticle-specific effects.

Changes in chemical composition and oxidative potential of urban PM(2.5) between 2010 and 2013 in Hungary.

A comprehensive chemical characterization and oxidative potential (OP) assessment of PM2.5 was carried out at an urban site of Budapest between June 2010 and May 2013 to investigate the seasonal variability of particulate phase air pollutants and their oxidative activity. Chemical analyses included the determination of the concentration of trace elements, major water-soluble inorganic ions and carbonaceous fractions (total carbon, water-soluble organic carbon, organic carbon, elemental carbon). The OP of PM2.5 was assessed by antioxidant depletion using a synthetic respiratory tract lining fluid containing ascorbate, reduced glutathione and urate. The mean PM2.5 mass concentration (21.0 µg m(-3)) was just below the 25 µg m(-3) annual mean PM2.5 limit value set by the European Commission and showed a seasonal pattern with higher levels during winter. On average, 84% of the gravimetric mass could be reconstructed by the chemical measurements. Organic matter and secondary inorganic ions were the most dominant PM2.5 constituents contributing 40 and 29% of its mass, respectively. Changes in the yearly concentrations were not identified for the investigated compounds between 2010 and 2013. Temporal differences in both ascorbate and glutathione oxidation could be observed during the 3-year long sampling period; however, no clear seasonal trend was apparent. OP metrics were associated mainly with traffic-related trace elements; however, other PM sources (i.e., long-range transport, secondary aerosol formation) could also contribute to particulate OP in Budapest. The weak correlation between OP metrics and PM2.5 mass concentration suggests the possibility of using OP as an additional metric in epidemiology.

Reprint of "Characterization of cyclodextrin containing nanofilters for removal of pharmaceutical residues".

Due to the increasing amount of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in general and pharmaceutical residues in particular in municipal wastewater, the efficiency of water treatment technologies should be improved. Following the biological treatment of wastewater nanofiltration offers a possible way for the removal of POPs. In this study ß-cyclodextrin containing nanofilters having different chemical composition and thickness (1.5-3.5 mm) were investigated. For their characterization, their adsorption capacity was determined applying ibuprofen containing model solution and total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. It could be established that the regeneration of nanofilters with ethanol and the application of inorganic additives (NaCl, NaHCO3, NH4HCO3) increased the adsorption capacity of nanofilters. The best results were achieved with chemical composition of 30 m/m% ß-cyclodextrin polymer beads and 70 m/m% ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the presence of 1 2mmol ammonium hydrogen carbonate/nanofilter.

Characterization of cyclodextrin containing nanofilters for removal of pharmaceutical residues.

Due to the increasing amount of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in general and pharmaceutical residues in particular in municipal wastewater, the efficiency of water treatment technologies should be improved. Following the biological treatment of wastewater nanofiltration offers a possible way for the removal of POPs. In this study ß-cyclodextrin containing nanofilters having different chemical composition and thickness (1.5-3.5mm) were investigated. For their characterization, their adsorption capacity was determined applying ibuprofen containing model solution and total organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. It could be established that the regeneration of nanofilters with ethanol and the application of inorganic additives (NaCl, NaHCO3, NH4HCO3) increased the adsorption capacity of nanofilters. The best results were achieved with chemical composition of 30m/m% ß-cyclodextrin polymer beads and 70m/m% ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the presence of 12mmol ammonium hydrogen carbonate/nanofilter.