Remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil: GLDA-assisted extraction and sequential FeCl3-CaO-based post-stabilization.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of farmland soils is a growing concern because of its highly toxic impact on ecosystems and human health. Chelator-assisted washing and chemical immobilization are effective remediation strategies for Cd-contaminated soils. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has traditionally been used for soil washing, but its persistence in the environment and subsequent toxicity have raised significant ecological concerns. Consequently, biodegradable chelators have gained increasing attention as eco-friendly alternatives to the persistent chelator, EDTA. Therefore, this study evaluated the performance and efficacy of three biodegradable chelators: L-glutamate-N,N'-diacetic acid (GLDA), methylglycine-diacetic acid (MGDA), and 3-hydroxy-2,2'-iminodisuccinic acid (HIDS) in comparison to EDTA for remediating a real Cd-contaminated agricultural soil. The influence of treatment parameters, including chelator variants, washing time, chelator concentration, solution pH, and liquid-to-soil ratio (L/S) on Cd extraction was studied and optimized to attain the maximum removal rate. Following chelator-assisted washing, the efficacy of a stabilization preference combining FeCl3 and CaO in reducing the leaching potential of residual Cd in chelator-washed soil residues was also investigated. GLDA demonstrated comparable Cd extraction efficiency to EDTA, and the Cd extraction efficiency was found to be positively correlated with the soil washing parameters. However, under the optimized conditions (chelator concentration: 10 mmol L-1; washing time: 3 h; solution pH: 3; L/S ratio: 10:1), GLDA exhibited a higher Cd extraction rate than EDTA or the other chelators. Furthermore, a post-treatment process incorporating FeCl3 and CaO substantially diminished the water-leachable Cd content in the resultant soil residues. The proposed remediation strategy, which combines chemically assisted washing and stabilization, could be a practical option for extracting bulk Cd from soil and reducing the leaching potential of residual Cd.

Anti-Malarial Activity of Allyl Isothiocyanate and N-acetyl-S-(N-allylthiocarbamoyl)-l-Cysteine.

SCOPE: Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a main ingredient of traditional spice Wasabia japonica, which is reported to have anti-bacterial and antiparasitic activities. However, there is no information on effects of AITC against malaria. The present study investigates the anti-malarial activity of dietary AITC in vivo and that of AITC metabolites in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS: The ad libitum administration of 35, 175, or 350 µM AITC-containing drinking water to ICR mice significantly inhibit the parasitemia induced after infection with Plasmodium berghei. On the other hand, after single oral administration of AITC (20 mg kg-1 body weight), N-acetyl-S-(N-allylthiocarbamoyl)-l-cysteine (NAC-AITC) as one of the AITC metabolites displays a serum Cmax of 11.4 µM at a Tmax of 0.5 h, but AITC is not detected at any time point. Moreover, NAC-AITC shows anti-malarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro, and its 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) against parasitemia is 12.6 µM. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that orally administered AITC is metabolized to NAC-AITC and exerts anti-malarial activity against malaria parasites in blood, suggesting that the consumption of AITC-containing food stuffs such as cruciferous plants may prevent malaria.