Waterborne Cryptosporidium species and Giardia duodenalis in resources of MENA: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This review explores our understanding of Cryptosporidium species and Giardia duodenalis distribution in Middle East and North African (MENA) water resources. Results emphasize that Cryptosporidium species (sp.) and G. duodenalis (oo)cysts are present in distinct categories of water in ten MENA countries. Cryptosporidium sp. proportional prevalence in the MENA region was 24.5% (95% CI 16.3-33.8), while G. duodenalis prevalence was 37.7% (95% CI 21.9-55.1). Raw wastewater and surface water were the water categories most significantly impacted. Both parasites were reported in the various types of MENA drinking waters. The most frequent species/genotypes reported were C. hominis, C. parvum, and G. duodenalis assemblage A. Despite the high prevalence of (oo)cysts reported, we should consider the absence of waterborne outbreaks. This indicates significant underestimation and underreporting of both parasites in MENA. Stakeholders should apply water contamination legislation to eradicate Cryptosporidium sp. and G. duodenalis (oo)cysts from water resources/categories.

Pollution, spatial distribution, and health risks assessment of nutrient concentration in surface water resources of Maroon-Jarahi Basin in southwestern Iran.

Nowadays, the introduction of nutrients caused by human activities is considered an environmental issue and a significant problem in river basins and coastal ecosystems. In this study, the concentration of nutrients ( NO 3 - and PO 4 3 - ) in the surface water sources of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed in the southwest of Iran was determined, and the pollution status and health risk assessment were done. The average concentration of nitrate and phosphate in Ludab, Maroon, Zard, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland were obtained at 2.25-0.59, 4.59-1.84, 4.07-2.02, 5.40-2.81, 11.51-4.67, 21.63 and 6.20 (mg/l), respectively. A comparison of the results with the World Health Organization (WHO) limit showed that nitrate was lower than in all stations, but phosphate was higher than the limit in some stations of the Maroon, Allah, Jarahi rivers, and Shadegan wetland. Calculation of linear regression analysis showed significant positive relationships between nitrate and phosphate in all surface water sources (except Ludab) and based on the N/P ratio, nitrogen was estimated as the limiting factor in phytoplankton growth (N/P < 16). The evaluation of the status of the Nutrient pollution index (NPI) was observed as: Shadegan > Jarahi > Allah > Maroon > Zard > Ludab that the Jarahi River and Shadegan wetland were in the medium pollution class (1 < NPI ≤ 3) and other waterbodies were in the non-polluted to low pollution state (NPI < 1). Calculation of the chronic daily intake (CDI) showed that water body nutrients cause more non-carcinogenic health risks through the oral route than dermal exposure, and according to HI, children's health is more at risk than adults. Findings showed that surface water resources especially downstream of the Maroon-Jarahi watershed are at eutrophication risk, and to control the nearby human activities and as a result increase the nutrients in these water resources, measures should be taken.

Occurrence and sources of hormones in water resources-environmental and health impact.

Within recent years, hormones have become emergent contaminants in the water environment. They easily accumulate in living organisms which in effect leads to numerous health problems (endocrine-disrupting mechanism is one of the most known toxic effects). Microbial resistance to antibiotics also became one of the emergent issues related to hormone presence. It was shown that the most common in the environment occur estrogens (E1, E2, E3, and EE2). It has been proven that large amounts of hormones are released from aquaculture as well as from wastewater treatment plants (due to the relatively low separation efficiency of conventional wastewater treatment processes). Within the article's scope, the literature review was performed. The analysis was regarding the characterization of the hormone substances present in the environment, their influence on living organisms and the environment, as well as its potential sources classification.

Human health risk assessment framework for new water resource recovery-based bio-composite materials.

A new type of bio-composite material is being produced from water-recovered resources such as cellulose fibres from wastewater, calcite from the drinking water softening process, and grass and reed from waterboard sites. These raw materials may be contaminated with pathogens and chemicals such as Escherichia coli, heavy metals, and resin compounds. A novel risk assessment framework is proposed here, addressing human health risks during the production of new bio-composite materials. The developed framework consists of a combination of existing risk assessment methods and is based on three main steps: hazard identification, qualitative risk mapping, and quantitative risk assessment. The HAZOP and Event Tree Analysis methodologies were used for hazard identification and risk mapping stages. Then, human health risks were quantitatively assessed using quantitative chemical risk assessment, evaluating cancer and non-cancer risk, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. The deterministic and the stochastic approaches were performed for this purpose. The contamination of raw materials may pose human health concerns, resulting in cancer risk above the threshold. Microbial risk is also above the safety threshold. Additional analysis would be significant as future research to better assess the microbial risk in biocomposite production. The framework has been effectively used for chemical and microbial risk assessment.

New approach into human health risk assessment associated with heavy metals in surface water and groundwater using Monte Carlo Method.

This study assessed the environmental and health risks associated with heavy metals in the water resources of Egypt's northwestern desert. The current approaches included the Spearman correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis to identify pollution sources and quality-controlling factors. Various indices (HPI, MI, HQ, HI, and CR) were applied to evaluate environmental and human health risks. Additionally, the Monte Carlo method was employed for probabilistic carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment via oral and dermal exposure routes in adults and children. Notably, all water resources exhibited high pollution risks with HPI and MI values exceeding permissible limits (HPI > 100 and MI > 6), respectively. Furthermore, HI oral values indicated significant non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children, while dermal contact posed a high risk to 19.4% of samples for adults and 77.6% of samples for children (HI > 1). Most water samples exhibited CR values exceeding 1 × 10-4 for Cd, Cr, and Pb, suggesting vulnerability to carcinogenic effects in both age groups. Monte Carlo simulations reinforced these findings, indicating a significant carcinogenic impact on children and adults. Consequently, comprehensive water treatment measures are urgently needed to mitigate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks in Siwa Oasis.

Steroid hormones in surface water resources in China: systematic review and meta-analysis and probabilistic ecological risk assessment.

A Search was conducted in international databases including Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from 10 January 2005 to 15 January 2023. The risk quotient (RQ) of Estrone (E1), 17ß-E2 (E2), and Estriol (E3) on the surface water resources of China was calculated by Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) technique. The rank order of steroid hormones based on pooled (weighted average) concentration in surface water was E3 (2.15 ng/l) > E2 (2.01 ng/l) > E1 (1.385 ng/l). The concentration of E1 in Dianchi lake (236.50.00 ng/l), 17ß-E2 in Licun river (78.50 ng/l), and E3 in Dianchi lake (103.1 ng/l) were higher than in other surface water resources in China. RQ related to E1, 17ß-E2 and E3 in 68.00%, 88.89% and 3.92% of surface water resources were high ecological risk, respectively. Therefore, carrying out source control plans for steroid hormones in surface water sources should be conducted continuously.

Impacto dos cenários climáticos (2020-2050) na qualidade e disponibilidade de água para abastecimento público na bacia Sorocaba e Médio Tietê / Impact of climatic scenarios (2020-2050) on the quality and availability of water for public supply in the Sorocaba and Middle Tietê basin

Introdução: As mudanças climáticas podem afetar a qualidade e a disponibilidade dos recursos hídricos. Objetivo: Avaliar a tendência das séries temporais de precipitação e vazão e o impacto dos cenários climáticos projetados para o período de 2020-2050 na bacia hidrográfica Sorocaba- Médio Tietê-BHSMT e suas repercussões no abastecimento público de água. Método: Estudo de revisão narrativa sobre os impactos das mudanças climáticas na disponibilidade e qualidade da água. Um estudo de tendência dos dados históricos de precipitação e vazão do período de 1980 a 2020 de quatro estações localizadas na BHSMT, utilizado os métodos de Man-Kendall e de Pettitt. Aplicação do modelo SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) para avaliar o impacto dos cenários climáticos RCP4.5 e RCP8.5 para o período de 2020 a 2050, no ciclo hidrológico da bacia e na disponibilidade de água para abastecimento público. Resultados: Existem muitas lacunas para compreender os impactos dos cenários climáticos nos recursos hídricos e suas repercussões na saúde da população. A análise de tendência dos dados de vazão e precipitação mostrou estacionariedade. A análise dos impactos dos cenários climáticos mostrou importante redução na precipitação e vazão, para ambos os cenários, em especial para o período de 2020-2030 e 2030-2040, oferecendo riscos ao abastecimento de público e segurança hídrica na região. Conclusão: Estratégias envolvendo ampla gama de áreas temáticas e perspectivas para garantir segurança hídrica e ampliar a resiliência das bacias frente aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas são necessárias.

Introduction: Climate change can affect the quality and availability of water resources. Objective: To evaluate the trend of precipitation and flow time series and the impact of climate scenarios projected for the period 2020-2050 in the Sorocaba- Médio Tietê-BHSMT river basin and its repercussions on public water supply. Method: Narrative review study on the impacts of climate change on water availability and quality. A trend study of historical precipitation and flow data from 1980 to 2020 from four stations located in the BHSMT, using the Man-Kendall and Pettitt methods. Application of the SWAT model (Soil Water Assessment Tool) to evaluate the impact of the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios for the period from 2020 to 2050, on the basin's hydrological cycle and on the availability of water for public supply. Results: There are many gaps in understanding the impacts of climate scenarios on water resources and their repercussions on the population's health. Trend analysis of flow and precipitation data showed stationarity. The analysis of the impacts of the climate scenarios showed an important reduction in precipitation and flow, for both scenarios, especially for the period 2020-2030 and 2030-2040, posing risks to public supply and water security in the region. Conclusion: Strategies involving a wide range of thematic areas and perspectives to ensure water security and increase the resilience of basins to the effects of climate change are necessary.

Modeling, quality assessment, and Sobol sensitivity of water resources and distribution system in Shiraz: A probabilistic human health risk assessment.

Given water's vital role in supporting life and ecosystems, global climate change and human activities have significantly diminished its availability and quality. This study explores the health risks of drinking water consumption in the shiraz county water resources and distribution system. The result showed that the water was slightly alkaline. However, the average pH values during the study were within the permissible range. The area's abundance of total hardness and calcium was due to the high concentration of minerals in rocks and soils. The nitrate and fluoride concentrations in drinking groundwater varied from 0.02 to 116.70 mg/L and 0.10-1.85 mg/L, respectively. Although the water quality index indicated that 52.63, 45.03, and 20.3 percent of samples were of excellent, good, and poor quality in 2020, those percentages obtained 46.05, 52.09, and 14.0 percent in 2021. The regression values of training, testing, validation, and the proposed artificial neural network model were 0.93, 0.92, 0.85, and 0.92. The maximum levels of hazard quotient of nitrate and fluoride (except for adults) were higher than 1 in all age groups, indicating a high non-carcinogenic risk by exposure to nitrate. Furthermore, according to the Monte Carlo simulation, the 95th percentile hazard index in all groups was more than 1. Children and infants were more inclined towards risk than teens and adults based on the intake of nitrate and fluoride from drinking water. The Sobol sensitivity reflected that the nitrate concentration and ingestion rate are vital parameters that influence the outcome of the oral exposure model for all age groups. The interaction of ingestion rate with a concentration of nitrate and fluoride is an important parameter affecting the health risk assessment. In conclusion, these findings suggest that precise measures can reduce health risks and guarantee safe drinking water for residents of Shiraz County.

Diagnosing and characterizing the mechanisms of biological phosphorus removal at the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) water resource recovery facility (WRRF).

Previous research has demonstrated that biological phosphorus removal (bio-P) occurs in the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) water resource recovery facility (WRRF) high purity oxygen activated sludge (HPO-AS) process, suggesting that sludge fermentation in the secondary clarifier sludge blanket is key to bio-P occurrence. This study, combining batch reactor testing, the development of a process model for the HPO-AS process using Sumo21 (Dynamita), and the analysis of eight and a half years of plant operating data, showed that bio-P consistently occurs at the GLWA WRRF. This occurrence is attributed to the unique configuration of the HPO-AS process, which has a relatively large secondary clarifier compared to the bioreactor, and the characteristics of the influent wastewater, primarily particulate matter with limited concentrations of dissolved biodegradable organic matter. The volatile fatty acids (VFAs) needed for polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) growth are produced in the secondary clarifier sludge blanket, which provides more than four times the anaerobic biomass inventory compared to the anaerobic zones in the bioreactor, thus facilitating bio-P in the current system. Opportunities exist to further optimize the phosphorus removal performance of the HPO-AS process and reduce the amount of ferric chloride used. These findings may be of interest to researchers investigating biological phosphorus removal in similar systems. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Fermentation in the clarifier sludge blanket an essential component of bio-P process at this facility. Results suggest simple adjustments to the system could lead to further improvements in bio-P. It is possible to decrease the use of chemical phosphorus removal methods (i.e., ferric chloride) while simultaneously increasing bio-P. Determining the phosphorus mass balance from sludge streams provides insight into evaluating the effectiveness of the phosphorus recovery system.

Offshore freshened groundwater in the Pearl River estuary and shelf as a significant water resource.

Large-river deltaic estuaries and adjacent continental shelves have experienced multiple phases of transgressions and regressions to form interlayered aquifer-aquitard systems and are expected to host vast paleo-terrestrial groundwater hundreds of kilometres offshore. Here, we used offshore hydrogeology, marine geophysical reflections, porewater geochemistry, and paleo-hydrogeological models, and identified a previously unknown offshore freshened groundwater body with a static volume up to 575.6 ± 44.9 km3 in the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent continental shelf, with the freshwater extending as far as 55 km offshore. An integrated analysis of stable isotopic compositions and water quality indices reveals the meteoric origins of such freshened groundwater and its significance as potential potable water or raw water source for desalination. Hotspots of offshore freshened groundwater in large-river deltaic estuaries and adjacent continental shelves, likely a global phenomenon, have a great potential for exploitable water resources in highly urbanized coastal areas suffering from freshwater shortage.

Integrated LIBS-Raman spectroscopy: A comprehensive approach to monitor microplastics and heavy metal contamination in water resources.

The increased use of plastic products and global industrial conditions have contaminated natural resources, especially water, with pollutants such as microplastics and trace elements, including heavy metals. Hence, continuous monitoring of water samples is an urgent requirement. However, the existing microplastic-heavy metal monitoring methodologies require discrete and sophisticated sampling approaches. The article proposes a multi-modal LIBS-Raman spectroscopy system for detecting microplastics and heavy metals from water resources with unified sampling and pre-processing approaches. The accomplishment of the detection process is using a single instrument by exploiting the trace element affinity of microplastics, which operates in an integrated methodology to monitor water samples for microplastic-heavy metal contamination. The polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic types dominate the identified microplastics from different sampling spots: in an estuary formed by the Swarna River near Kalmadi (Malpe) in Udupi district, and from River Netravathi in Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India. The detected trace elements from microplastic surfaces include heavy metals such as Al, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, and Cr and other elements counting Na, Mg, Ca, and Li. The system could record concentrations of trace elements down to 10 ppm, and comparing results with the conventional technique of Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) confirms the ability of the system to detect trace elements from microplastic surfaces. In addition, comparing results with direct LIBS analysis of water from the sampling site shows better results in microplastic-based trace element detection.

Análise dos critérios de priorização dos investimentos do FEHIDRO no período de 1995 a 2019 / Analysis of FEHIDRO's investment prioritization criteria from 1995 to 2019, 2023

Em 1989 foi instituído no estado de São Paulo o sistema integrado de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos, de forma a reunir órgãos municipais, estaduais e sociedade civil e assegurar os meios financeiros e institucionais para finalidades específicas, como a utilização racional dos recursos hídricos, superficiais e subterrâneos, assegurando o uso prioritário para o abastecimento das populações. A lei foi elaborada de forma garantir a gestão descentralizada, participativa e integrada dos recursos hídricos em relação às particularidades de cada Bacia Hidrográfica. O FEHIDRO - Fundo Estadual de Recursos Hídricos tem como objetivo dar suporte a política de recursos hídricos promulgada por meio do financiamento de programas e ações na área, de modo a promover a melhoria e a proteção de corpos d´água e de suas Bacias Hidrográficas. O fundo investiu no período de 1995 a 2019 R$ 916.955.735,79 em 5.886 empreendimentos concluídos (SInFEHIDRO). O aumento da captação do fundo associado ao papel da água como recurso natural essencial à vida, ao desenvolvimento econômico e ao bem-estar social reforça a criticidade e a importância da melhoria contínua da gestão dos recursos hídricos. O objetivo desse trabalho é analisar os investimentos realizados e apresentar um diagnóstico com proposta de indicadores e subsídios para priorização de projetos a serem contemplados pelo fundo, visando atender a indicadores tidos como prioritários para a universalização da água potável e melhor índice de qualidade dos mananciais. Essa análise será fundamentada com o método de revisão bibliográfica e levantamento de dados dos empreendimentos disponibilizados pelo Sistema Integrado de Recursos Hídricos (SIGRH).

In 1989, the state of São Paulo established an integrated water resources management system, in order to gather municipal, state and civil society bodies and to ensure financial and institutional means for specific purposes, such as the rational use of water resources, surface and underground, ensuring priority use to supply the population. The law was designed to ensure decentralized, participatory and integrated management of water resources in relation to the particularities of each Hydrographic Basin. FEHIDRO - State Water Resources Fund aims to support the water resources policy enacted by financing programs and actions in the area, in order to promote the improvement and protection of water bodies and their hydrographic basins. From 1995 to 2019, the fund invested R$ 916.955.735,79 in 5,886 completed projects (SInFEHIDRO). The increase in funding from the fund associated with the role of water as a natural resource essential to life, economic development and social well-being reinforces the criticality and importance of continuous improvement in the management of water resources. The objective of this work is to analyze the investments made and present a diagnosis with a proposal of indicators and subsidies for prioritizing projects to be contemplated by the fund, aiming to meet the indicators considered as priorities for the universalization of drinking water and a better index of quality of springs. This analysis will be based on the method of bibliographic review and survey of data from the projects made available by the Integrated Water Resources System (SIGRH).

Nitrate contamination in water resources, human health risks and its remediation through adsorption: a focused review.

The level of nitrate in water has been increasing considerably all around the world due to vast application of inorganic nitrogen fertiliser and animal manure. Because of nitrate's high solubility in water, human beings are getting exposed to it mainly through various routes including water, food etc. Various regulations have been set for nitrate (45-50 mgNO3-/L) in drinking water to protect health of the infants from the methemoglobinemia, birth defects, thyroid disease, risk of specific cancers, i.e. colorectal, breast and bladder cancer caused due to nitrate poisoning. Different methods like ion exchange, adsorption, biological denitrification etc. have the ability to eliminate the nitrate from the aqueous medium. However, adsorption process got preference over the other approaches because of its simple design and satisfactory results especially with surface modified adsorbents or with mineral-based adsorbents. Different types of adsorbents have been used for this purpose; however, adsorbents derived from the biomass wastes have great adsorption capacities for nitrate such as tea waste-based adsorbents (136.43 mg/g), carbon nanotube (142.86 mg/g), chitosan beads (104 mg/g) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified rice husk (278 mg/g). Therefore, a thorough literature survey has been carried out to formulate this review paper to understand various sources of nitrate pollution, route of exposure to the human beings, ill effects along with discussing the key developments as well as the new advancements reported in procuring low-cost efficient adsorbents for water purification.

Robust strategies to eliminate endocrine disruptive estrogens in water resources.

The widespread occurrence and ubiquitous distribution of estrogens, i.e., estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) in our water matrices, is an issue of global concern. Public and regulatory authorities are concerned and placing joint efforts to eliminate estrogens and related environmentally hazardous compounds, due to their toxic influences on the environmental matrices, ecology, and human health, even at low concentrations. However, most of the available literature is focused on the occurrence of estrogens in different water environments with limited treatment options. Thus, a detailed review to fully cover the several treatment processes is needed. This review comprehensively and comparatively discusses many physical, chemical, and biological-based treatments to eliminate natural estrogens, i.e., estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) and related synthetic estrogens, e.g., 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and other related hazardous compounds. The covered techniques include adsorption, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, ultrasonication, photocatalysis of estrogenic compounds, Fenton, Fenton-like and photo-Fenton degradation of estrogenic compounds, electro-Fenton degradation of estrogenic compounds, ozonation, and biological methods for the removal of estrogenic compounds are thoroughly discussed with suitable examples. The studies revealed that treatment plants based on chemical and biological approaches are cost-friendly for removing estrogenic pollutants. Further, there is a need to properly monitor and disposal of the usage of estrogenic drugs in humans and animals. Additional studies are required to explore a robust and more advanced oxidation treatment strategy that can contribute effectively to industrial-scale applications. This review may assist future investigations, monitoring, and removing estrogenic compounds from various environmental matrices. In concluding remarks, a way forward and future perspectives focusing on bridging knowledge gaps in estrogenic compounds removal are also proposed.

Bioextractive aquaculture as an alternative nutrient management strategy for water resource recovery facilities.

Advanced nutrient removal in water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) can reduce coastal eutrophication, but can increase economic costs and indirect environmental impacts associated with energy and materials usage for WRRF construction and operation. A strategy of interest to reduce coastal eutrophication is the cultivation of seaweeds in proximity to WRRF discharge plumes to bioextract nutrients from coastal waters. We report economic and environmental trade-offs of this proposed strategy for a 1,170 m3·d-1 (0.31 mgd) WRRF in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, targeting a Water Environment Research Federation (WERF) level 2 effluent nitrogen goal of 3 mg-N·L-1. The scenarios investigated include WRRF upgrade and year-round nutrient bioextractive aquaculture (Saccharina latissima and Gracilaria tikvahiae cultivation) with end uses of bioenergy feedstock, fertilizer, or food. Based on biomass production characteristics and tissue nitrogen contents in Boothbay Harbor, an aquaculture site of 5.4 hectares would bioextract equivalent nitrogen mass as WRRF upgrade to meet level 2 nitrogen effluent goals. Using a techno-economic analysis, the cost of a WRRF upgrade was estimated to be $0.31 m-3 wastewater treated. The cost of bioextractive seaweed aquaculture depended on beneficial use of seaweed. If dried and sold as sea vegetables (for human consumption), a net revenue of $0.72 m-3 wastewater treated could be generated. If dried and sold as commercial fertilizer, the net cost of nutrient removal would be $0.26 m-3 wastewater treated, less than the WRRF upgrade. However, if anaerobically digested to produce biogas, the net cost of treatment was estimated to be $0.499 m-3 wastewater treated. WRRF upgrade and bioextractive aquaculture significantly reduced marine eutrophication. Bioextractive aquaculture with use as biofuel feedstock had the best performance on human carcinogenic toxicity, global warming, and fossil resource scarcity, marine ecotoxicity, and freshwater ecotoxicity. Use of seaweed product as sea vegetables was favorable considering human non-carcinogenic toxicity, marine eutrophication, freshwater eutrophication, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. The study results imply that nutrient bioextraction by seaweed aquaculture may be attractive as an alternative to advanced nutrient removal technologies in small coastal WRRFs, providing potential economic and environmental benefits for nutrient management.

Biomass and essential oil production of basil at recirculation intervals of nutrient solutions prepared with treated domestic effluents

Considering the growing water crisis, using wastewater helps reduce the pressure on good-quality water consumption. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the growth, production, and essential oil content of Alfavaca Basilicão and Grecco a Palla basil genotypes with a DFT (deep flow technique) hydroponic system adapted to PVC tubes at different recirculation intervals of nutrient solutions prepared with treated domestic effluents. The experiment was performed in a greenhouse with Alfavaca Basilicão and Grecco a Palla basil genotypes analyzed individually. It was a completely randomized design with four replicates in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme: two types of water (public-supply water and wastewater) and three recirculation intervals of nutrient solutions (2, 4, and 6 hours). At 35 days after transplanting, the study evaluated plant height, stem diameter, shoot fresh mass, shoot dry mass, water consumption, water use efficiency, and essential oil content and yield. The types of water did not significantly influence the variables of growth, production, and essential oil content of the basil genotypes. Basil cultivation with the DFT system in tubes is technically feasible with nutrient solutions prepared with treated domestic effluents and recirculation every 2 and 6 hours for Grecco a Palla and Alfavaca Basilicão genotypes, respectively. The means of essential oil content were 1.6 and 1.7% (v/m) for Alfavaca Basilicão and Grecco a Palla genotypes, respectively.

Survey and first report of Acanthamoeba T4 genotype in natural spring water resources in the Black Sea, Turkey.

Infection with Acanthamoeba spp. may result in granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis. Water is an important habitat where Acanthamoeba species thrive. Therefore, studying the occurrence of this free-living amoeba in water sources will help understand the infection dynamics. The aim of the study was to survey and report on the presence of Acanthamoeba spp. in water resources from the Ordu and Giresun provinces in Black Sea. Acanthamoeba spp. was found in 1/17 natural spring water samples from Ordu and in 2/18 from Giresun. Acanthamoeba species were not detected in any of the investigated tap water samples. Sequencing of the (SSU) rDNA gene resulted in the identification of haplotype I (Acanthamoeba genotype: KJ094684). T4 (8.6%) was the only isolated genotype in both Ordu and Giresun provinces. This is the first report of Acanthamoeba T4 genotype in natural spring water resources in the Black Sea. The occurrence of Acanthamoeba species in natural spring water sources should be considered as a potential risk for human infection, especially to high-risk populations.

Towards regulation of Endocrine Disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in water resources using bioassays - A guide to developing a testing strategy.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in every environmental medium and are chemically diverse. Their presence in water resources can negatively impact the health of both human and wildlife. Currently, there are no mandatory screening mandates or regulations for EDC levels in complex water samples globally. Bioassays, which allow quantifying in vivo or in vitro biological effects of chemicals are used commonly to assess acute toxicity in water. The existing OECD framework to identify single-compound EDCs offers a set of bioassays that are validated for the Estrogen-, Androgen-, and Thyroid hormones, and for Steroidogenesis pathways (EATS). In this review, we discussed bioassays that could be potentially used to screen EDCs in water resources, including in vivo and in vitro bioassays using invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and/or mammalians species. Strengths and weaknesses of samples preparation for complex water samples are discussed. We also review how to calculate the Effect-Based Trigger values, which could serve as thresholds to determine if a given water sample poses a risk based on existing quality standards. This work aims to assist governments and regulatory agencies in developing a testing strategy towards regulation of EDCs in water resources worldwide. The main recommendations include 1) opting for internationally validated cell reporter in vitro bioassays to reduce animal use & cost; 2) testing for cell viability (a critical parameter) when using in vitro bioassays; and 3) evaluating the recovery of the water sample preparation method selected. This review also highlights future research avenues for the EDC screening revolution (e.g., 3D tissue culture, transgenic animals, OMICs, and Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs)).

A global systematic review on the concentration of organophosphate esters in water resources: Meta-analysis, and probabilistic risk assessment.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are used as additives in various industries. They do not chemically bond with the polymeric structure of materials, so they can stay for a long time and have a very adverse effect on the environment. To analyze the development of the prevalence and concentration of OPEs such as TCEP, TCPP, TDCP, TnBP, TPHP, TBOEP, TEHP, TMP, TCIPP, TDCIPP, TMPP, and TDBPP in water resources, a search between January 01, 2000, to April 08, 2021, was followed by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Among of the 888 articles scanned in the identity step, 58 articles containing 2676 samples, 10 countries, and 4 water types were included in the meta-analysis study. Among all studied OPEs, the concentration of TcrP, TCPP, TDCPP, and TnBP were at the top in water resources, with values >715 µg L-1 and lowest average concentrations were obtained for TDBPP and TpeP with values <0.0004 µg L-1. The most polluted area in terms of the concentration of OPEs in water resources was China. Besides, data analysis showed that there only was carcinogenic risk for China. A Monte-Carlo simulation indicated that although these obtained averages are in the same order of magnitude as the acceptable limit, for both adults and children, 95% of the population is at risk.

Distributing and assessing fluoride health risk in urban drinking water resources in Fars Province, Iran, using the geographical information system.

Excessive fluoride intake has been reported in many studies, which can lead to diseases such as autism, mental retardation, low birth weight, reproductive disorder, as well as dental and bone fluorosis. The potential risk assessment of fluoride intake for the health of people living in Fars Province, Iran, is investigated. Hence, 1700 drinking water samples were taken from April 2018 to March 2020 in four seasons in 29 cities of Fars Province and were analyzed. Non-carcinogenic health risks of exposure to fluoride through drinking water were evaluated. Moreover, the spatial distribution maps of fluoride and hazard quotient (HQ) risk index were prepared using GIS software. The results showed that the concentration of fluoride in the drinking water of the studied area was in the range of 0.086 to 2.61 mg/L. Accordingly, in 48.27% of the cities, fluoride was in the range below the national and international standards, 34.48% of the cities were in the permissible range of 0.5 to 1.5 mg/L, and 17.24% of the urban areas of the province had fluoride contents above the permissible range. Hazard quotient index had the health risk of HQ > 1 in 27.58% of children, 17.24% of teenagers, and 10.34% of adults in the urban areas of Fars Province. In the cities with HQ > 1, there was risk of diseases associated with excessive fluoride intake. Therefore, it is necessary to replace water supply sources in these cities.