Environmental Sample Stability for Pharmaceutical Compound Analysis: Handling and Preservation Recommendations.

Efficient and resilient techniques for handling samples are essential for detecting pharmaceutical compounds in the environment. This study explores a method for preserving water samples during transport before quantitative analysis. The study investigates the stability of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), acetaminophen (ACM), oxytetracycline (OTC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and trimethoprim (TMP) after preconcentration within solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges. Through various experiments involving different holding times and storage temperatures, it was determined that four pharmaceutical compounds remained stable when stored for a month at 4°C and for six months when stored at -18°C in darkness. Storing these compounds in SPE cartridges at -18°C seemed effective in preserving them for extended periods. In addition, ACM, TMP, OTC, EE2, and SMX remained stable for three days at room temperature. These findings establish guidelines for appropriate storage and handling practices of pharmaceutical compounds preconcentrated from aqueous environmental samples using SPE.

Emerging contaminants detected in aquaculture sites in Java, Indonesia.

Pharmaceuticals of emerging concern (acetaminophen (ACM), trimethoprim (TMP), oxytetracycline (OTC), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX)) were detected in water samples from aquaculture environments and nonaquaculture sites in four regions located on the northern coast of Central Java. ACM was the most prevalent pharmaceutical, with a mean concentration ranging from not detected (n.d.) to 5.5 ± 1.9 ngL-1 (Brebes). Among the target antibiotics (TMP, OTC, SMX), OTC was the most ubiquitous, with a mean concentration varying from n.d. to 8.0 ± 3.3 ngL-1. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between TMP and SMX concentrations. Based on ecological risk assessment evaluation, the use of OTC requires serious consideration, as it presented high health risks to algae, while ACM, TMP, and SMX posed an insignificant to moderate risk to algae, invertebrates, and fish. The findings obtained from this study highlight OTC as an emerging contaminant of prominent concern. More attention needs to be given to managing and planning for the sustainable management of shrimp farms, particularly in the northern part of Central Java.

Ecological risk assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in surface sediments from aquaculture system.

Organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the surface sediments from shrimp ponds in four regions of the northern part of the Central Java coast (namely Brebes, Tegal, Pemalang, and Pekalongan) were investigated. The highest concentration of ∑ OCPs was found in Brebes Regency, ranging from 68.1 ± 3.4 to 168.1 ± 9.8 µg kg-1 dw. As indicated by the DDT ratio and chlordane ratio, the value suggested that those compounds may mainly originate from historical inputs rather than a recent application. The concentrations of Æ© 7 indicator PCBs were determined, with the concentration ranged from 1.2 ± 0.7 µg kg-1 dw (Pekalongan) to 2.2 ± 0.4 µg kg-1 dw (Tegal). The most toxic PCB congener, PCB 118, was detected in all studied regions, with the highest proportion found in Tegal. Source analysis indicated that PCBs in the sediments mainly originated from Aroclor 1254 and Aroclor 1248. Compared to sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), some OCPs were found with concentrations which potentially posed an adverse effect. Our findings suggested that more attention should be paid to ensure sustainable shrimp culture facing such a risk of the OCPs and PCBs.

Assessment of the ecological and human health risks from metals in shrimp aquaculture environments in Central Java, Indonesia.

The occurrence and contamination level of seven important toxic metals (Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Zn) and three additional metals (Al, Fe, and Mn) in the water, sediment, and shrimp muscle in aquaculture areas located in Central Java, Indonesia, were investigated. The results suggest that the majority of metals have higher concentrations in the inlet followed by the outlet and ponds. Cd dissolved in the waters exhibited the highest level in Pekalongan (3.15 ± 0.33 µg L-1). Although Pb was not detected in the water, it was detected in the sediment, and the concentration ranged from 7.6 to 15.40 mg kg-1 dw. In general, the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments were found to decrease in the sequence Al > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Co > Pb. Concentrations below the effects range low level based on the Canadian sediment quality guidelines were found for Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, whereas moderate sediment pollution (25-75 mg kg-1 dw) was observed for Cr (all regions), Cu (except in the Pekalongan region), and Zn (Brebes and Tegal regions) according to the US EPA standard. The status of the waters was evaluated by calculating a pollution index derived mostly from Mn and Zn. The ecological risk (geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (ERI)) determined in the sediments indicated that all studied areas had low to moderate contamination. The concentrations of all metals in shrimp were generally below the maximum limits for seafood, except for Zn (in all stations), Pb, and Cr (Tegal and Pekalongan). The hazard index values for metals indicated that consuming shrimp would not have adverse effects on human health.

Bleaching and necrosis of staghorn coral (Acropora formosa) in laboratory assays: Immediate impact of LDPE microplastics.

The impact of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics (<100 µm; P100-A P100-B, P100-C, 100-200 µm; P200, 200-500 µm; P500) on Acropora formosa was investigated. This study investigated the bleaching and necrosis extent of A. formosa caused by LDPE contamination via laboratory assay. The staghorn coral ingested the microplastics, resulting in bleaching and necrosis that concomitantly occurred with the release of zooxanthellae. P100-A experimentation was the worst case, showing bleaching by day 2 (10.8 ±â€¯2.2%) and continued bleaching to 93.6% ±â€¯2.0 by day 14 followed by 5.9 ±â€¯2.5% necrosis. The overall results confirmed that the LDPE concentration impacts coral health. We highlighted that microplastics have been ingested and partially egested. Their presence showed either a direct or indirect impact on coral polyps via direct interaction or through photosynthesis perturbation due to microplastics that cover the coral surface.

Culturable hydrocarbonoclastic marine bacterial isolates from Indonesian seawater in the Lombok Strait and Indian Ocean.

PURPOSE: The study aims to isolate the culturable marine bacteria and to assess their potential as the bioremediation agent for petroleum hydrocarbons contamination in marine environment. METHODS: Bacteria isolates were obtained by repetitive streaks to obtain purified bacteria on Zobell marine agar plates before further analysis and culture through direct visualization on agar plates. Identification were conducted using 16S rDNA sequence which are compared using NCBI BLAST and, combined with phenotypic and phylogenetic data. The potential use of the selected bacteria was tested by culturing them with two carbon sources i.e., glucose and crude oil. RESULT: Fifty-one culturable marine hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria were isolated from the Lombok Strait (LS-3, LS-13, LS-14, LS-15, LS-16 and LS-20) and Indian Ocean (IO-1, IO-6, IO-8, IO-19, IO-24 and IO-25). Twelve isolates were found to degrade crude oil efficiently at a >2% concentration and to grow with crude oil as their sole carbon and energy source. These 12 strains belong to the genus Bacillus, which is well known to produce surface active agents, and the oil displacement assay indicated the production of these agents by these strains. Within the genera Bacillus, five species (Bacillus flexus, B. methylotrophicus, B. aquimaris, B. horikoshii, and B. thioparans) were represented by the 12 identified strains. CONCLUSION: Selected strains from the Lombok Strait and Indian Ocean were capable of degrading crude oil (2% v/v) by 43.9-71.9% over 14 days. These results are important for marine bioremediation in Indonesia, which often faces risks of oil spill contamination and disaster.

Simultaneous grading of microplastic size sampling in the Small Islands of Bintan water, Indonesia.

Despite Indonesia being considered as second highest source of marine plastic debris in the world, few studies have been conducted on plastic debris in Indonesia, particularly microplastics. By using a simple device to simultaneously grade floating microplastics, we investigated microplastic contamination in the ecosystem of small islands in Bintan Regency, Riau Island Province, Indonesia. The average number of floating microplastics from 11 beach stations around Bintan Island was 122.8 ±â€¯67.8 pieces per station, which corresponds to 0.45 pieces per m3 and represents a low-medium microplastic pollution level compared to the levels of other marine environments worldwide. Polymer identification using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy successfully identified Polyethylene (PE) (17.3 ±â€¯8.3%), Low Density PE (17.6 ±â€¯5.5%), Oxidized LDPE (<0.1%), Polypropylene (PP) (54 ±â€¯13%), PP Atactic (<0.4%), PP isotactic (<0.2%) and Polystyrene (PS) (10.4 ±â€¯9.1%) from different forms and shapes of microplastics i.e., fragments (50.9 ±â€¯4.9%), fibers (26.2 ±â€¯3%), granule (13.1 ±â€¯3.8%) and films (9.8 ±â€¯5.1%). We suggest that the generation of these microplastics was likely due to physicochemical processes, including biological degradation in this tropical ecosystem. Environmental implication of microplastics in this area increases the problems associated with ingestion, bioaccumulation and biomagnification across trophic levels and co-pollutants absorbed onto microplastics.

Beach macro-litter monitoring and floating microplastic in a coastal area of Indonesia.

Qualitative analysis of the structures of the polymers composing floating plastic debris was performed using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and the aging of the debris was assessed by measuring carbonyl group formation on the particle surfaces. Plastic material made up >75% of the 2313 items collected during a three-year survey. The size, shape and color of the microplastic were correlated with the polymer structure. The most abundant plastic materials were polypropylene (68%) and low-density polyethylene (11%), and the predominant colors of the plastics were white, blue and green. Cilacap Bay, Indonesia, was contaminated with microplastic at a concentration of 2.5mg·m3. The carbonyl index demonstrated that most of the floating microplastic was only slightly degraded. This study highlights the need to raise environmental awareness through citizen science education and adopting good environmental practices.

Source apportionment of sedimentary hydrocarbons in the Segara Anakan Nature Reserve, Indonesia.

The study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of the Segara Anakan nature reserve and their potential origins using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total alkane concentrations ranged from 3755 to 129,027 µg kg(-1), and the concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 375 to 29,517 µg kg(-1). The ratios of specific n-alkanes (e.g., CPI(24-34), WaxC(n), and Paq), including a new proposed index, terrestrial-marine discriminant (TMD), as well as the ratios of selected PAHs (e.g., Ant/∑178, Fl/∑202, BaAnt/∑228, and IPyr/∑276), showed that the sources of hydrocarbons in the sediments were generally biogenic, including both terrigenous and marine, with an anthropogenic pyrolytic contribution (petrogenic and biogenic combustion). For the environmental risk assessment, a sediment quality guideline (SQGs) comparison indicated that the station risk levels ranged from low to medium-low, except for R6, which has a greater impact on the ecological risk for marine organisms.