Biogenic secondary organic aerosol formation in an urban area of eastern central India: Seasonal variation, size distribution and source characterization.

Samples of ambient aerosols were collected at an urban site of eastern central India from monsoon to summer 2016-17 for the characterization of biogenic secondary organic aerosols (BSOA). The BSOA tracers derived from isoprene, α/ß-pinene and ß-caryophyllene in size-distributed aerosols were studied. Concentrations of total SOAI (Isoprene secondary organic aerosols) were found more abundant than α/ß-pinene in summer, while contradictory trends were found in the winter season, where SOAM (monoterpene derived SOA) and SOAS (sesquiterpenes derived SOA) were dominated. Size-distribution study revealed that most of the BSOA were formed in the aerosol phase and dominated in fine mode, except cis-pinonic acid. They were formed in the gaseous phase and partitioned onto the aerosol phase. The alkaline nature of mineral dust particles that triggered the adsorption of gaseous species onto pre-existing particles could be the reason for bimodal size distribution with major coarse mode peak and miner fine mode peak. Temporal variations suggest that the BSOA must be derived from terrestrial vegetation and biomass burning. The isoprene SOC (secondary organic carbon) contributed 0.91%, 1.38%, 0.88% and 1.04% to OC during winter, summer, post-monsoon and monsoon season, respectively. The isoprene SOC in fine mode was found to be higher than the coarse mode.

Smartphone coupled with paper-based chemical sensor for on-site determination of iron(III) in environmental and biological samples.

We report a smartphone-paper-based sensor impregnated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified silver nanoparticles (AgNPs/CTAB) for determination of Fe3+ in water and blood plasma samples. The methodology for determination of Fe3+ is based on the change in signal intensity of AgNPs/CTAB fabricated on a paper substrate after the deposition of analyte, using a smartphone followed by processing with ImageJ software. The mechanism of sensing for detection and determination of Fe3+ is based on the discoloration of AgNPs which impregnated the paper substrate. The discoloration is attributed to the electron transfer reaction taking place on the surface of NPs in the presence of CTAB. Fe3+ was determined when the paper was impregnated with 1 mM AgNPs for 5 min of reaction time and the substrate was kept under acidic conditions. The linear range for determination of total iron in terms of Fe3+ was 50-900 µg L-1 with a limit of determination (LOD) of 20 µg L-1 and coefficient of variation (CV) of 3.2%. The good relative recovery of 91.3-95.0% and interference studies showed the selectivity of the method for determination of total iron in water and blood plasma samples. Smartphone-paper-based sensors have advantages of simplicity, rapidity, user-friendliness, low cost, and miniaturization of the method for on-site determination of total iron compared to methods that require sophisticated analytical instruments. Graphical abstract Smartphone-paper-based sensor with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide modified silver nanoparticles for determination of Fe3+ in water and blood plasma samples.

Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles as a sensing probe for determination of cetyltrimethylammonium surfactant using FTIR spectroscopy and colorimetry.

A novel, facile, and low-cost method was developed for determination of cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+) cationic surfactant in water samples using diffuse reflectance Fourier transform IR (FTIR) spectroscopy and colorimetry. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was chosen as a model compound to demonstrate the optimization of the method for determination of CTA+ in water samples. The absorption peak at 3015.96 cm-1 (for CTA+) was enhanced when gold nanoparticles were used as a chemical sensor in diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, and this absorption peak was used for determination of CTA+. Alternatively, the color change from wine red (525 nm) to blue (740 nm) and the redshift of the localized surface plasmon resonance band in the visible region were used as a sensing probe for determination of CTA+. A linear calibration curve for determination in water samples was obtained in the range from 10 to 100 ng mL-1 with a limit of detection of 3 ng mL-1 by diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy and in the range from 20 to 400 ng mL-1 with a limit of detection of 7 ng mL-1 by colorimetry. The advantageous features of the methods are their simplicity, rapidity, and sensitivity for the determination of CTA+ in water samples. Graphical abstract.

PM2.5 pollution from household solid fuel burning practices in Central India: 2. Application of receptor models for source apportionment.

USEPA's UNMIX, positive matrix factorization (PMF) and effective variance-chemical mass balance (EV-CMB) receptor models were applied to chemically speciated profiles of 125 indoor PM2.5 measurements, sampled longitudinally during 2012-2013 in low-income group households of Central India which uses solid fuels for cooking practices. Three step source apportionment studies were carried out to generate more confident source characterization. Firstly, UNMIX6.0 extracted initial number of source factors, which were used to execute PMF5.0 to extract source-factor profiles in second step. Finally, factor analog locally derived source profiles were supplemented to EV-CMB8.2 with indoor receptor PM2.5 chemical profile to evaluate source contribution estimates (SCEs). The results of combined use of three receptor models clearly describe that UNMIX and PMF are useful tool to extract types of source categories within small receptor dataset and EV-CMB can pick those locally derived source profiles for source apportionment which are analog to PMF-extracted source categories. The source apportionment results have also shown three fold higher relative contribution of solid fuel burning emissions to indoor PM2.5 compared to those measurements reported for normal households with LPG stoves. The previously reported influential source marker species were found to be comparatively similar to those extracted from PMF fingerprint plots. The comparison between PMF and CMB SCEs results were also found to be qualitatively similar. The performance fit measures of all three receptor models were cross-verified and validated and support each other to gain confidence in source apportionment results.

PM2.5 pollution from household solid fuel burning practices in central India: 1. Impact on indoor air quality and associated health risks.

PM2.5 concentrations were measured in residential indoor environment in slums of central India during 2012-2013. In addition, a suite of chemical components including metals (Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Mo, Se, Sb, Na, Mg, K and Hg), ions (Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, F-, Cl-, NH4+, NO3- and SO42-) and carbon (OC and EC) were analyzed for all samples. Indoor PM2.5 concentrations were found to be several folds higher than the 24-h national ambient air quality standard (60 µg/m3) for PM2.5 in India, and the concentrations were found to vary from season to season. Mass closure was attempted for PM2.5 data, and close to 100 % mass was accounted for by organic matter, crustal material, secondary organic and inorganic aerosols and elemental carbon. Additionally, carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with exposure to indoor PM2.5 (inhalation, dermal and ingestion) were estimated and while exposures associated with dermal contact and ingestion were found to be within the acceptable limits, risk associated with inhalation exposure was found to be high for children and adults. Elements including Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, As and Pb were present in high concentrations and contributed to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for residents' health. Results from this study highlight the need for efforts to reduce air pollution exposure in slum areas.

Resin bound gold nanocomposites assisted SE/ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for detection of pymetrozine insecticide in vegetable samples.

The goal of this work was to assess the competence of organic hydrophobic resin bound gold nanocomposites (OH/R-AuNCs) for detection of pymetrozine insecticide from vegetable samples employing surface-enhanced/attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (SE/ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The adsorption isotherm models, including the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin, are tested to reveal the interactive behaviour between the OH/R-AuNCs and pesticide. The adsorption occurs principally by London-Van der Waals dispersion interactions and hydrogen bonding interactions between the surface of OH/R-AuNCs materials and the hydrophobic part of pesticide molecule. The characteristic absorption band obtained at 3019.94 cm-1 was utilized for the quantitative analysis of pymetrozine insecticide in vegetable samples. The method was found to be accurate and precise, with mean recovery values in the range of 94.5-110 %, correlation coefficient of 0.992 %, and detection limit of 2.65 µg mL-1. The adsorption efficiency of the designed OH/R-AuNCs significantly influences the SE/ATR-FTIR response of the pymetrozine around 90 %. The optimized and validated method was applied to determine the residual concentrations of the pymetrozine that had been applied to vegetable samples.

Inner-filter effect of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots-MnO2 nanotubes for smartphone-integrated dual-mode sensing of glutathione and captopril.

Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) exhibit unique fluorescence properties and are considered one of the best candidates for the development of fluorescence-based sensors for the detection of many analytes. In this work, a smartphone-assisted fluorescent sensor has been developed using N-CQDs and MnO2 nanotubes (MnO2 NTs) for the detection of glutathione (GSH) and captopril (CAP). N-CQDs were facilely synthesized via the solvothermal method, where o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) and urea were used as nitrogen precursors. Likewise, MnO2 NTs were synthesized using the hydrothermal method. Relying on the excellent fluorescence quenching ability of MnO2 NTs, a nanocomposite of N-CQDs and MnO2 NTs is prepared, wherein the fluorescence intensity of N-CQDs was effectively quenched in the presence of MnO2 NTs via the inner-filter effect (IFE). The addition of thiolated compounds (GSH and CAP) helped in the recovery of the fluorescence of N-CQDs by triggering the redox reaction and decomposing the MnO2 NTs. An investigation of fluorescence along with smartphone-based studies by evaluating the gray measurement using Image J software showed a great response towards GSH and CAP providing LODs of 4.70 µM and 5.22 µM (fluorometrically) and 5.76 µM and 2.81 µM (smartphone-based), respectively. The practical applicability of the sensing system has been verified using human blood plasma samples.

Recognition of malathion pesticides in agricultural samples by using α-CD functionalized gold nanoparticles as a colorimetric sensor.

Herein, a rapid, precise alpha-cyclodextrin (α-CD) based gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for selective detection of malathion pesticides has been reported. These are organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), that can cause a neurological disease by inhibiting the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). It is important to exploit a quick and sensitive approach for monitoring OPPs. Hence in the present work, a colorimetric assay for the detection of malathion has been developed as a model of OPPs from the environmental sample matrices. The physical and chemical properties of synthesized alpha-cyclodextrin stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/α-CD) were studied with various characterization techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy, TEM, DLS and FTIR. The designed sensing system displayed linearity in the broad range of malathion concentrations, 10-600 ng mL-1 with a limit of detection and the limit of quantification values 4.03 ng mL-1 and 12.96 ng mL-1, respectively. The application of the designed chemical sensor was extended to the malathion pesticide determination in real samples such as vegetables, which resulted in almost 100% recovery rates in all the spiked samples. Thus, due to these advantages, the present study established a selective, facile and sensitive colorimetric platform for the direct detection of malathion within a very short time (5 min) with a low detection limit. The practicality of the constructed platform was further executed by the detection of the pesticide in vegetable samples.

Chemical fractionation of particulate-bound metal(loid)s to evaluate their bioavailability, sources and associated cancer risk in India.

Eleven potentially toxic metal(loid)s (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn), proven source markers of mineral based coal-fired industrial emissions and vehicular exhausts, were analysed using the four steps sequential extraction method to evaluate metal(loid)s concentration, in total and fractions of bioavailable and non-bioavailable for fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10-2.5) particulate modes. A total of 26-day-wise samples with three replications (total number of samples = 78) were collected in January-December 2019 for each PM10 and PM2.5 at an urban-residential site in India. In both the coarse and fine particulate modes, Pb and Cr have respectively shown the highest and lowest total concentrations of the measured metal(loid)s, indicating the presence of coal-fired power plants and heavy vehicular activities near to study area. In addition, Mn has shown highest bioavailable fraction for both coarse and fine particulate modes. More than 50 % of metal(loid)s concentration, in total to a bioavailable fraction (BAF) were observed in case of As, Cd, Cr, Co, Mn, Ni, and Pb of PM2.5. Mn and Zn have shown similar behaviour in the case of coarse particulate mode. Source apportionment of metal(loid)s bioavailable fractions using positive matrix factorization (PMF 5.0) has found three significant sources: crustal and natural dust (30.04 and 39 %), road traffic (49.57 and 20 %), and industrial emission (20.39 and 41 %) for coarse and fine particulate mode, respectively. Cancer risk through the inhalation pathway was high in total concentration but lower in BAF concentration in both age groups (children and adults).

Smartphone-integrated printed-paper sensor designed for on-site determination of dimethoate pesticide in food samples.

Herein, a user-friendly and portable smartphone-integrated printed-paper sensor was designed with Cu@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) for on-site monitoring of dimethoate pesticide in food samples, and the results obtained are compared with those obtained by UV-vis spectrophotometry. The working principle for identification of dimethoate pesticide is the change of yellow color NPs to reddish-yellow with associated bathochromic shift of absorption peak when pesticide introduced onto the fabricated paper or glass vial containing the NPs. A smartphone-color detector App and colorimetry were used for quantitative analysis of dimethoate in food samples. Linearity range for analysis of dimethoate using paper sensor and colorimetry were 100-2000 µgL-1 and 50-2500 µgL-1 with detection limit of 30 and 16 µgL-1, respectively. The advantages of using smartphone-integrated paper devices are rapid, instrument-free detection and economic in terms of consumption of lower amounts of NPs solution compared to other NPs-based colorimetric methods.

Citrate functionalized gold nanoparticles assisted micro extraction of L-cysteine in milk and water samples using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

This paper describes the sensing application of citrate functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) employing for the determination of L-cysteine in food and water samples. It is established with diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared (DRS-FTIR) spectroscopic analysis. The disappearance of the thiol (-SH) band in the FTIR spectra and the shift in the peaks of the amino group (NH3+) and carboxylate group (-COO-) indicated the Au-S interaction and the aggregation of the NPs. The signal intensity of L-cysteine was enhanced due to hot-spots formed by the aggregation of AuNPs producing the effective absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the IR region for molecular vibration. The relationship between AuNPs and L-cysteine was theoretically investigated by the Density Function Theory (DFT) based on LANL2DZ with the aid of the Gaussian 09 (C.01) software. Interaction between AuNPs and L-cysteine molecules resulted to a shift to higher wavelengths in the plasmon bands, further verified by transmission electron microscopes (TEM), which have indicated random aggregated particles. Further dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed a relatively high degree of polydispersity confirming the aggregation of the particles. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curve showed a good linearity range from 20 to 150 µg mL-1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) 0.990. The limit of detection and quantification were 1.04 and 3.44 µg mL-1, respectively by DRS-FTIR. This modified AuNPs sample was used successfully in milk and water samples with adequate results to determine L-cysteine.

Au-Ag core-shell composite nanoparticles as a selective and sensitive plasmonic chemical probe for l-cysteine detection in Lens culinaris (lentils).

The present work reported is a simple and selective method for the colorimetrical detection of l-cysteine in Lens culinaris (or lentils) using Au-Ag core-shell (Au core Ag shell) composite nanoparticles as a chemical probe. The phenomenon is based on the color change of composite nanoparticles from yellowish brown to light blue, followed by a shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption band in the UV-visible region (i.e., 200-800 nm) with the addition of l-cysteine into the solution of bimetallic nanoparticles. The mechanism for the detection of l-cysteine is based on the electrostatic interaction of the metal ion with the thiol group of the amino acid, which causes the red shift of the LSPR band at 685 nm. The size distribution, morphology, composition and optical properties of the Au-Ag core-shell composite nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX), UV-visible spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. An excellent linearity range for the present method was observed in the range of 20-140 µg mL-1 with a limit of detection at 1.95 µg mL-1 and correlation coefficient (R 2) of 0.986. A good% recovery of 4.0% showed the selectivity of the method for l-cysteine determination from sample matrices. The advantageous features of the present method are being simple, rapid, low cost and selectivity towards the determination of l-cysteine in lentils.

Biogenic secondary organic aerosols: A review on formation mechanism, analytical challenges and environmental impacts.

The review initiates with current state of information on the atmospheric reaction mechanism of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and its fate in the atmosphere. The plants release BVOCs, i.e., isoprene, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes, which form secondary organic aerosols (SOA) upon oxidation. These oxidation reactions are primarily influenced by solar radiations along with other meteorological parameters viz.; temperature and relative humidity, therefore, the chemistry behind SOA formation is different during day than the night time. The review throws light upon the day and nighttime formation mechanism of SOA, recent advancements in the analytical techniques available for the measurements, and its impact on the environment. Studies have revealed that day time SOA formation is dominated by OH and O3, however, NOx initiated SOA production is dominated during night. The formation mechanism addresses that the gaseous products of VOCs are firstly formed and then partitioned over the pre-existing particles. New particle formation and biomass-derived aerosols are found to be responsible for enhanced SOA formation. 2-Dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (2D-GC/MS) is observed to be best for the analysis of organic aerosols. Radiative forcing (RF) SOA is observed to be a useful parameter to evaluate the environmental impacts of SOA and reviewed studies have shown mean RF in the ranges of -0.27 to +0.20 W m-2.

Resin immobilized gold nanocomposites assisted surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy for improved surface assimilation of methylene blue from aqueous solution.

In the present work, we report the adsorption of the methylene blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution employing resin immobilized gold nanocomposites (R-AuNCs) assisted surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. The appropriate adsorption isotherm models, including the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin are tested to reveal the interactive behavior between the adsorbent (R-AuNCs) and adsorbed (MB). Interestingly, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in combination with R-AuNC materials could be another approach through which the analysis of adsorption-desorption of MB on the surface of nanocomposite adsorbents is possible in a more precise way with high sensitivity and adsorptivity. In addition, a 10-fold enhancement of the signal intensity of MB dye was obtained due to the electrostatic interaction and H-bonding interaction between COO- groups of adsorbent and the positively charged active sites of the dye molecules. The value of % removal efficiency and % adsorption obtained in the present method was 77.64% and 186.61%, respectively. Desorption of MB from adsorbent surface was also carried out using 0.1 M cetylpyridinium chloride as cationic surfactant; resulting process shows for 'n' number of cyclic process. The maximum desorption capacity for MB found in the present investigation was 44.38 mg/g, The advantages of current method are its simplicity, sensitivity, rapidity, ease to fabrication and excellent adsorption efficiencies to remove MB dye from aqueous solution.

A simple and cost-effective paper-based and colorimetric dual-mode detection of arsenic(iii) and lead(ii) based on glucose-functionalized gold nanoparticles.

We report a simple and cost-effective paper-based and colorimetric dual-mode detection of As(iii) and Pb(ii) based on glucose-functionalized gold nanoparticles under optimized conditions. The paper-based detection of As(iii) and Pb(ii) is based on the change in the signal intensity of AuNPs/Glu fabricated on a paper substrate after the deposition of the analyte using a smartphone, followed by processing with the ImageJ software. The colorimetric method is based on the change in the color and the red shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption band of AuNPs/Glu in the region of 200-800 nm. The red shift (Δλ) of the LSPR band observed was from 525 nm to 660 nm for As(iii) and from 525 nm to 670 nm for Pb(ii). The mechanism of dual-mode detection is due to the non-covalent interactions of As(iii) and Pb(ii) ions with glucose molecule present on the surface AuNPs, resulting in the aggregation of novel metal nanoparticles. The calibration curve gave a good linearity range of 20-500 µg L-1 and 20-1000 µg L-1 for the determination of As(iii) and Pb(ii) with the limit of detection of 5.6 µg L-1 and 7.7 µg L-1 for both metal ions, respectively. The possible effects of different metal ions and anions were also investigated but did not cause any significant interference. The employment of AuNPs/Glu is successfully demonstrated for the determination of As(iii) and Pb(ii) using paper-based and colorimetric sensors in environmental water samples.

Inkjet-printed paper-based colorimetric sensor coupled with smartphone for determination of mercury (Hg2+).

We report an inkjet-printed paper based colorimetric sensor with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using smartphone and color detector App for on-site determination of mercuric ion (Hg2+) from environmental water samples. The AgNPs printed on Whatman filter paper (No. 1) is employed for detection of Hg2+ which is reliant on the color change of NPs from yellow to discoloration depending on the concentration of target analyte in sample solution. The quantitative determination was performed by calculating the signal intensity of AgNPs on printed paper substrate after the introduction of Hg2+ using smartphone and RGB color detector. The mechanism for detection of Hg2+ on paper substrate is verified using UV-Vis spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and basic chemical assays. The linear range acquired for paper based colorimetric detection in the range of 40-1200 µgL-1 with limit of detection of 10 µgL-1. The results obtained using an inkjet-printed paper-based chemical sensor combined with a smartphone is validated with data of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) measurement. The advantages of paper based detection are simple, rapid, economic and can be applied at the sample sources for determination of Hg2+.

Influence of fireworks emission on aerosol aging process at lower troposphere and associated health risks in an urban region of eastern central India.

To study the influence of fireworks in atmospheric aerosols and their effect on health during the extreme firework days, fireworks tracer metals and carbonaceous species in size-distributed aerosols in the lower troposphere at Raipur in eastern central India were investigated during the 2018 Deepawali festival. Aerosol samples were collected, before Deepawali period (BDP, n = 5), during Deepawali period (DDP, n = 5) and after Deepawali period (ADP, n = 5). Bimodal size-distribution with intense fine mode peak was found for Na during DDP. Bimodal distribution with fine mode intense peak was found for K during DDP. The bimodal size distribution of K was found common for other events because of biomass burning emissions, whereas high intense peak during DDP indicated mixed sources from biomass burning and fireworks. During DDP, K and Ca were well correlated (r2 = 0.93) together. Strong metal-metal correlations were found between the following pairs, Zn-Fe, Cu-Fe and Cu-Ca, which indicated the similar firecrackers burning source. The atmospheric aging of aerosols was also found significantly high during fireworks days. Aging of aerosols were higher because of heterogeneous reactions of SO2 and NOx on aerosols directly emitted from fireworks. The observed high values of inhalation dose of elemental carbon during DDP period imposed higher risk of respiratory diseases. This study has provided carbonaceous fractions composition data as a tool to detect the aging processes of fireworks in ultra-fine, fine and coarse mode particles during the extreme firework days. Inhalation doses were calculated to establish potential influence on human health.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2): a global pandemic and treatment strategies.

The emergence and rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a potentially fatal disease, is swiftly leading to public health crises worldwide. The origin of SARS-CoV-2 infection was first reported in people exposed to a seafood market in Wuhan City, China in December 2019. It has been suggested that the infection is likely to be of zoonotic origin and transmitted to humans through a not-yet-known intermediary. As of 22 May 2020, the World Health Organization reported that there were approximately 4,995,996 confirmed cases and 327,821 deaths. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via inhalation or direct contact with droplets from infected people. It has an incubation period ranging from 2 to ≥14 days. The rate of spread of SARS-CoV-2 is greater than that for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory coronavirus. The symptoms are similar to influenza (i.e. breathlessness, sore throat and fatigue) and infected cases are isolated and treated. Infection is mild in most cases, but in elderly (>50 years) patients and those with cardiac and respiratory disorders, it may progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ failure. People with strong immunity or those who have developed herd immunity are asymptomatic. The fatality rate ranges from 3% to 4%. Recommended methods for diagnosis of COVID-19 are molecular tests (e.g. polymerase chain reaction) on respiratory secretions, chest scan and common laboratory diagnosis. Currently, treatment is essentially supportive, and the role of antiviral agents is yet to be established as a vaccine is not yet available. This review will focus on epidemiology, symptoms, transmission, pathogenesis, ongoing available treatments and future perspectives of SARS-CoV-2.

A KBr-impregnated paper substrate as a sample probe for the enhanced ATR-FTIR signal strength of anionic and non-ionic surfactants in an aqueous medium.

Herein, we report a KBr-impregnated paper substrate as a sample probe to enhance the attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) signal strength of anionic surfactants (AS) and non-ionic surfactants (NS) in an aqueous solution. The mechanism for the sensing of AS and NS is based on the strong interaction of surfactants with the silicate groups (SiO4 4-) of the KBr-impregnated paper substrate. The role of SiO4 4- on the surface of the paper is to enhance the adsorption of AS and NS, resulting in improved IR signal intensities for the target analytes. The improved signal intensity at 1253 cm-1 (SO4 2-, symmetric stretching) for AS and 1114 cm-1 (C-O-C, stretching vibration) for NS were selected for quantification. SEM-EDX was employed to determine the elemental compositions of pre- and post-adsorbed AS and NS on glass fibre filter paper (GFF). The linear range for the determination of AS and NS was 10-100 µg L-1 with a method detection limit (MDL) of 4 µg L-1 and method quantification limit (MQL) of 12 µg L-1. The good relative recovery of 71.4-109.7% and the interference studies showed the selectivity of the method for the determination of AS and NS in environmental water and commodity samples. The advantages of this method include its cost-effectiveness, enhanced sensitivity, disposability and accessibility of the paper substrate.

L-cysteine modified silver nanoparticles for selective and sensitive colorimetric detection of vitamin B1 in food and water samples.

The use of L-cysteine modified silver nanoparticles (Cys-capped AgNPs) as a colorimetric probe for determination of vitamin B1 (thiamine) is described in the present work. This method is based on the measurement of red shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band of Cys-capped AgNPs in the region of 200-800 nm. The color of Cys-capped AgNPs was changed from yellow to colorless by the addition of vitamin B1. The mechanism for detection of vitamin B1 is based on the electrostatic interaction between positively charged vitamin B1, which causes the red shift of LSPR band from 390 nm to 580 nm. The interaction between Cys-capped AgNPs and vitamin B1 was theoretically explored by density function theory (DFT) using LANL2DZ basis sets with help of Gaussian 09 (C.01) program. The morphology, size distribution and optical properties of Cys-capped AgNPs were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The method is linear in the range of 25-500 µg mL-1 with correlation coefficient (R2) 0.992 and limit of detection of 7.0 µg mL-1. The advantages of using Cys-capped AgNPs as a chemical sensor in colorimetry assay are being simple, low cost and selective for detection of vitamin B1 from food (peas, grapes and tomato) and environmental (river, sewage and pond) water samples.