Radioactive iodine treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism: incidence of Graves orbitopathy.

PURPOSE: There are limited recent data on the effect of radioactive iodine (RAI) for Graves' disease on Graves' orbitopathy (GO) development or reactivation. This audit investigates the GO incidence in patients with Graves' disease after RAI treatment, and explores risk factors present, and steroid prophylaxis use. METHODS: A retrospective audit of Graves' disease patients treated with RAI over a 5-year period. Data collected: smoking status, thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) status, GO history, Graves' disease duration, eye features pre- and post-treatment, prophylactic corticosteroids, RAI dose given, post-RAI thyroid status, duration until hypothyroid. RESULTS: One hundred one patients were included, with a median Graves' disease duration 36 months. 34/101 (33.7%) were active/ex-smokers, 86/101 (85.1%) were TRAb-positive, 11/101 (10.9%) had a GO history; 32 (31.7%) had eye features present. Median RAI dose given was 596MBq. 8/101 (7.9%) patients received prophylactic corticosteroid; 89/101 (88.1%) achieved hypothyroid state in the year after RAI. GO developed in 5/101 (5.0%), of which 4/5 (80%) were de novo in high-risk individuals who did not receive steroids. One was a GO reactivation despite steroids. Two required intravenous steroids with/without orbital radiotherapy, one completed oral steroid taper; the remainder were treated conservatively. CONCLUSION: Our cohort had a lower GO incidence in patients with Graves' disease receiving RAI, with majority arising de novo . It is essential that all patients are assessed for Graves orbitopathy risk factors and counselled adequately prior to RAI. The decision to initiate steroids should be undertaken in a multi-disciplinary setting involving endocrinologists and ophthalmologists.

The In Vitro, Ex Vivo, and In Vivo Effect of Edible Oils: A Review on Cell Interactions.

Consumption of edible oils is a significant part of the dietary pattern in the developed and developing world. Marine and vegetable oils are assumed to be part of a healthy food pattern, especially if one takes into account their potential role in protecting against inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids and minor bioactive compounds. Exploring the potential effect of edible fats and oils on health and chronic diseases is an emerging field worldwide. This study reviews the current knowledge of the in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo effect of edible oils in contact with various cell types and aims to demonstrate which nutritional and bioactive components of a variety of edible oils present biocompatibility, antimicrobial properties, antitumor activity, anti-angiogenic activity, and antioxidant activity. Through this review, a wide variety of cell interactions with edible oils and their potential to counteract oxidative stress in pathological conditions are presented as well. Moreover, the gaps in current knowledge are also highlighted, and future perspectives on edible oils and their health benefits and potential to counteract a wide variety of diseases through possible molecular mechanisms are also discussed.

REVIVE: A feasibility assessment tool for freshwater fish conservation translocations in Mediterranean rivers.

Conservation translocation is a management action applied for population recovery of threatened freshwater fishes, often however with partially successful outcome, mainly due to inadequate feasibility assessment prior to the translocation. Up to date, feasibility assessments have been mainly focused on economically important species (e.g., salmonids) inhabiting perennial rivers, while little attention has been given to fish translocations in rivers in Mediterranean climate areas. In this study, we developed a robust feasibility assessment tool for freshwater fish translocations in Mediterranean-type riverine ecosystems within an interdisciplinary, multispecies approach. The REVIVE tool integrates quantitative and semi-quantitative data, incorporates uncertainty and consists of two main components. The first component is the evaluation of the potential release water bodies (R-WBs) for their suitability for the planned translocation, incorporating a number of essential criteria for Mediterranean rivers, with emphasis on flow regime and habitat quantity. Additional criteria include the current and historical presence of the target species, water and biological quality, habitat suitability in terms of the ecological requirements of the target species, alien invasive species' pressure, and hydromorphological pressures, including their mitigation potential. The second component is the evaluation of the potential source water bodies (S-WBs) in terms of genetic compatibility and provision of a sufficient number of propagules. A trial application in a Mediterranean basin (Vassilopotamos River, Southern Greece) for the potential translocation of two threatened cyprinids in five R-WBs indicated the robustness of the tool. This integrative, flexible tool combines several elements identified as essential in reintroduction biology and can have wider applications, for a multitude of freshwater fish taxa and riverine systems, maximizing the success of planned translocation actions by natural resources' managers. Modifications to enable its transferability to other river types or fish taxa are also discussed.

Oil from Mullet Roe Byproducts: Effect of Oil Extraction Method on Human Erythrocytes and Platelets.

Background: The valorization of byproducts to obtain high nutritional value foods is of utmost importance for our planet where the population is booming. Among these products are oils rich in ω-3 fatty acids produced from fishery byproducts. Recently, mullet roe oil from roe byproducts was produced that was rich in the ω-3 fatty acids eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Oils are customarily characterized for their composition and degree of oxidation but little is known of their biological effects, especially the effect of the extraction method. Methods: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of freshly extracted mullet roe oil from mullet roe byproducts and the effect of the extraction method on human red blood cells (hRBCs) and platelets. To this end, the hemocompatibility (cytotoxicity), oxidative effects, and erythrocyte membrane changes were examined after 1 and 24 h of incubation. Antiplatelet effects were also assessed in vitro. Results: The expeller press oil extraction method and alcalase-assisted extraction produced the most biocompatible oils, as shown by hemocompatibility measurements and the absence of erythrocyte membrane alterations. Solvent extracts and protease-assisted extraction oils resulted in the rupture of red blood cells at different examined dilutions, creating hemolysis. Conclusions: It seems that the proper functioning of oil-erythrocyte interactions cannot be explained solely by ROS. Further investigations combining chemical analysis with oil-cell interactions could be used as an input to design high nutritional value oils using green extraction technologies. All samples exhibited promising antiplatelet and antiblood clotting effects in vitro.

Fabrication of hollow microneedles using liquid crystal display (LCD) vat polymerization 3D printing technology for transdermal macromolecular delivery.

The present study aimed to fabricate a hollow microneedle device consisting of an array and a reservoir by means of 3D printing technology for transdermal peptide delivery. Hollow microneedles (HMNs) were fabricated using a biocompatible resin material, while PLA filament was used for the reservoirs. The fabricated microdevice was characterized by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements and leakage inspection studies to ensure the passageway of liquid formulations. Mechanical failure and penetration tests were carried out and supported by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The cytocompatibility of the microneedle arrays was assessed to human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Finally, the transport of the model peptide octreotide acetate across artificial membranes was assessed in Franz cells using the aforementioned HMN design.

Injection Molded PP Foams Using Food Ingredients for Food Packaging Applications.

A new approach to the creation of polypropylene (PP) based foaming materials was developed using food grade foaming agents that were coated on the PP pellets. More specifically, sodium bicarbonate and organic acids were used to coat PP pellets using either polyethyleneoxide (PEO) or lipid esters as coating stabilizers. In order to overcome the problem of the thermal decomposition of sodium bicarbonate at temperatures lower than the PP melting temperature, which makes the direct foaming during melt mixing impossible, the proposed methodology was proved quite efficient. Thus, new PP masterbatches were prepared, where the foaming agents were incorporated as coating at PP pellets at contents up to 10%, and initially used in Lab scale injection machines in order to find the best combination of materials that resulted in the production of foamed articles. Subsequently selected material combinations were tested in an industrial scale injection molding machine, where an optimization of the injection parameters was attempted. The outcome of this was the production of PP articles with significantly increased void fraction, up to 14%, decreased thermal conductivity, up to 20%, and various pore sizes as was observed via microscopic examination using SEM and CLSM.

Priority and emerging organic microcontaminants in three Mediterranean river basins: Occurrence, spatial distribution, and identification of river basin specific pollutants.

There is a worldwide growing use of chemicals by our developed, industrialized, and technological society. More than 100,000 chemical substances are thus commonly used both by industry and households. Depending on the amount produced, physical-chemical properties, and mode of use, many of them may reach the environment and, notably, the aquatic receiving systems. This may result in undesirable and harmful side-effects on both the human and the ecosystem's health. Mediterranean rivers are largely different from Northern and Central European rivers in terms of hydrological regime, climate conditions (e.g. air temperature, solar irradiation, precipitation), and socio-economics (e.g. land use, tourism, crop types, etc.), with all these factors leading to differences in the relative importance of the environmental stressors, in the classes and levels of the pollutants found and their environmental fate. Furthermore, water scarcity might be critical in affecting water pollution because of the lowered dilution capacity of chemicals. This work provides raw chemical data from different families of microcontaminants identified in three selected Mediterranean rivers (the Sava, Evrotas, and Adige) collected during two sampling campaigns conducted in 2014 and 2015 in three different matrices, namely, water, sediments, and biota (fish). More than 200 organic micropollutants were analyzed, including relevant groups like pharmaceuticals, personal care products, perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, pyrethroid insecticides, flame retardants, and persistent organic pollutants. Data obtained were summarized with some basic statistics for all compound families and matrices analyzed. Observed occurrence and spatial patterns were interpreted both in terms of compound physical-chemical properties and local environmental pressures. Finally, their spatial distribution was examined and their ecotoxicological risk in the water phase was assessed. This allowed locating, at each basin, the most polluted sites ("hot spots") and identifying the respective river basin specific pollutants (RBSPs), prioritizing them in terms of the potential ecotoxicological risk posed to the aquatic ecosystems.

Defining non-indigenous fish assemblage types in Mediterranean rivers: Network analysis and management implications.

The design and implementation of appropriate management actions to tackle the spread and negative impacts of non-indigenous fish species (NIFS) in freshwater ecosystems still remains a complex task. In an effort to address the limitations of current managerial approaches, our study develops and applies a classification framework to define non-indigenous fish assemblage types (FATs) in Mediterranean riverine ecosystems and identifies the linkage with various regional, local, biotic and abiotic environmental factors. This framework contributes to a pre-invasion stage screening and to the design of effective type-specific post-invasion management actions dealing with specific NIFS assemblages. A network analysis was applied in order to extract NIFS community level information from 393 samples obtained from 51 river basins of Greece, while a multivariate ordination analysis was conducted to detect the factors best explaining the structure and distribution of FATs. The association patterns of the study's inputs and outcomes are illustrated through an alluvial diagram, providing insights across different spatial scales. In total, five FATs were generated where the major NIFS contributors of average similarity within each modularity class revealed the key indicator species (Gambusia-FAT; Carassius/Lepomis-FAT; Pseudorasbora-FAT; Salmonids-FAT and Carp-FAT). Overall, the identified FATs varied spatially, indicating different community structure, mainly based on the diverse habitat preferences and life-history traits of indicator species. Alien FATs were mainly distributed within large and transboundary rivers, while Translocated and Salmonids FATs mostly occupied ecoregions with relatively depauperate faunas and often in biodiversity hotspots. The results of this study can identify conservation priorities within FATs, inform specific-type post-invasion management actions tackling NIFS, while in addition may provide valuable information for protecting high-priority water bodies before invasion.

Unravelling the effects of multiple stressors on diatom and macroinvertebrate communities in European river basins using structural and functional approaches.

Rivers suffer from more severe decreases in species diversity compared to other aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems due to a variety of pressures related to human activities. Species provide different roles in the functioning of the ecosystem, and their loss may reduce the capacity of the ecosystems to respond to multiple stressors. The effects on diversity will differ based on the type, combination and severity of stressors, as well as on the characteristics of the community composition and tolerance. Multiple trait-based approaches (MTBAs) can help to unravel the effects of multiple stressors on communities, providing a mechanistic interpretation, and, thus, complementing traditional biodiversity assessments using community structure. We studied the relationships between diversity indexes and trait composition of macroinvertebrate and diatom communities, as well as environmental variables that described the hydrological and geomorphological alterations and toxic pollution (pesticides and pharmaceuticals) of three different European river basins: the Adige, the Sava, and the Evrotas. These river basins can be considered representative cases of different situations in European freshwater systems. Hydrological variables were the main drivers determining the community structure and function in the rivers, for both diatoms and macroinvertebrates. For diatom communities, pharmaceutical active compound (PhAC) toxic units were also identified as a very important driver of diversity changes, explaining up to 57% of the variance in taxonomic richness. For macroinvertebrates, river geomorphology was an important driver of structural changes, particularly affecting Plecoptera richness. In addition, PhAC and pesticide toxic units were also identified as stressors for macroinvertebrate communities. MTBA provided a detailed picture of the effects of the stressors on the communities and confirmed the importance of hydrological variables in shaping the functional attributes of the communities.

River restoration is prone to failure unless pre-optimized within a mechanistic ecological framework | Insights from a model-based case study.

River restoration with the use of in-stream structures has been widely implemented to maintain/improve physical habitats. However, the response of aquatic biota has often been too weak to justify the high costs of restoration projects. The ecological effectiveness of river restoration has thus been much debated over claims that large-scale environmental drivers often overshadow the potential positive ecological effects of locally placed in-stream structures. In this study, we used a two-dimensional hydrodynamic-habitat model to evaluate the ecological effectiveness of habitat restoration with the use of in-stream structures in various water discharges, ranging from near-dry to environmental flows. The habitat suitability of benthic macroinvertebrates and of three cyprinid fish species was simulated for six restoration schemes and at four discharge scenarios, and was compared with a reference model, without in-stream structures. We found that the ecological response to habitat restoration varied by species and life stages, it strongly depended on the reach-scale flow conditions, it was often negative at near-environmental flows, and when positive, mostly at near-dry flows, it was too low to justify the high costs of river restoration. Flow variation was the major environmental driver that our local habitat restoration schemes attempted -but mostly failed-to fine-tune. We conclude that traditional river restoration, based on trial and error, will likely fail and should be ecologically pre-optimized before field implementation. Widespread use of in-stream structures for ecological restoration is not recommended. However, at near-dry flows, the response of all biotic elements except for macroinvertebrates, was positive. In combination with the small habitat-suitability differences observed among structure types and densities, we suggest that sparse/moderate in-stream structure placement can be used for cost-effective river restoration, but it will only be ecologically effective -thus justifying the high implementation costs-when linked to very specific purposes: (i) to conserve endangered species and (ii) to increase/improve habitat availability/suitability during dry periods, thus proactively preventing/reducing the current and future ecological impacts of climate change.

Penetrating deep sclerectomy in primary open-angle and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of a new antiglaucoma surgical method, a modification of the standard deep sclerectomy, the penetrating deep sclerectomy. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with medically uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma or pseudoexfoliative glaucoma were prospectively, in a consecutive way, enrolled in this study. METHODS: The study was conducted in Glaucoma Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece, in 29 eyes of 29 patients. In a fornix-based surgical procedure, all eyes underwent the proposed penetrating deep sclerectomy (deep sclerectomy plus trabeculectomy) with the use of mitomycin C applied intraoperatively (0.2 mg/mL for 2 min). The follow-up period was 3 years. Ocular examination was conducted before the operation and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The average reduction in intraocular pressure at the end of follow-up was 11.24 (57.88%). The complete success rate (intraocular pressure ⩽21 mm Hg without medication) after 3 years was 58.6%. The qualified success rate (intraocular pressure ⩽21 mm Hg without or with medication) was 75.86%. Postoperatively, the mean number of medication dropped from 3.75 ± 0.89 to 0.89 ± 0.98. Low postoperative complications were recorded. CONCLUSION: During the 3-year follow-up period, penetrating deep sclerectomy presented very positive outcome. The addition of a controlled perforation of the trabeculo-Descemet's membrane in deep sclerectomy, playing the role of an early goniopuncture, seems to ensure a satisfactory outcome and is not associated with additional complications.

Effects of olive mill wastewater discharge on benthic biota in Mediterranean streams.

Olive mill wastewaters (OMW) discharging in river ecosystems cause significant adverse effects on their water chemistry and biological communities. We here examined the effects of OMW loads in four streams of a Mediterranean basin characterized by changing flow. The diatom and macroinvertebrate community structures were compared between upstream (control) and downstream (impacted) sites receiving OMW discharge. We also tested if effects occurred at the organism level, i.e. the occurrence of deformities in diatom valves, and the sediment toxicity on the midge Chironomus riparius. We evaluated these effects through a two-year analysis, at various levels of chemical pollution and dilution capacity. The impacted sites had high phenol concentrations and organic carbon loads during and after olive mill (OM) operation, and were characterized by higher abundances of pollution-tolerant diatom and macroinvertebrate taxa. Diatom valve deformities occurred more frequently at the impacted sites. The development of C. riparius was affected by phenolic compounds and organic carbon concentrations in the sediments. The similarity in the diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages between control and impacted sites decreased at lower flows. Diatoms were more sensitive in detecting deterioration in the biological status of OMW receiving waterways than macroinvertebrates. Our results indicate that the negative effects of OMW extended to the whole benthic community, at both assemblage and organism level.

Fractionation of a hydrocolloid emulsifier reclaimed from winery waste.

Complex hydrocolloids have been isolated and fractionated using a consecutive elution process, starting from winery waste. These extracts consist mainly of polysaccharidic populations and of smaller protein molecules and they exhibit emulsifying, thickening and texture-modifying activity. This work is a systematic study of these individual populations, as fractionated with preparative size exclusion chromatography (Prep-SEC) in terms of their chemical identity, surface properties, and emulsification behavior. The fractions have been characterized via SEC-MALLS, FTIR, DLS, zeta potential, and interfacial tension measurements. The results highlight the antagonistic and synergistic effects of the individual components of the above-mentioned complex natural material (winery waste extract) towards its emulsifying behavior, and provide a model for the kinetics of the evolution of a Pickering interfacial layer.

Emulsifiers from Partially Composted Olive Waste.

Partial (one month) composting of solid olive processing waste is shown to produce extractable emulsifiers. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) show that these consist of polysaccharides and proteins from the composted waste. Aqueous extraction at pH 5, pH 7, and pH 9 all yield extracts rich in oligosacchrides and oligopeptides which derive from the break-down of the macromolecules under composting, with the extract obtained at pH 5 being the richer in such components. Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy also confirms that these materials consist of proteinic and poly/oligosaccharidic populations. These materials can emulsify stable oil-in-water emulsions at pH 3 for a few days, while the same emulsions collapse in less than 24 h at pH 7. Confocal microscopy and droplet size distribution data suggest that Ostwald ripening, rather than coalescence, is the major course of emulsion instability. The above point to a short-process alternative to full composting in producing a high added value product from solid olive processing waste.

Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Aflatoxin M1 Intake through Consumption of Milk and Yoghurt by Student Population in Serbia and Greece.

The objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) intake through the consumption of milk and yoghurt by the student population in Serbia and Greece. A food consumption survey of milk and yoghurt was performed during the first half of 2018 in the two countries with at least 500 interviewees (aged between 18 and 27 years) per country, covering their dietary habits and body weight based on one-day and seven-day recall methods. Values for the concentration of AFM1 were extracted from published research. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 iterations was performed to estimate the intake of AFM1 from the consumption of the two dairy products. Results revealed that the estimated average exposure of students to AFM1 was in the range of 1.238⁻2.674 ng kg-1 bw day-1 for Serbia, and 0.350⁻0.499 ng kg-1 bw day-1 for Greece, depending on the dietary recall method employed. High estimations for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases/year/105 individuals, depending on the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive individuals (HBsAg+), were 0.0036⁻0.0047 and 0.0007⁻0.0009 for Serbia and Greece, respectively. Presented Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI) values indicate increased risk from exposure to AFM1, particularly in Serbia.

Acute and sub-chronic toxicity bioassays of Olive Mill Wastewater on the Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki.

Olive oil production generates large volumes of wastewaters mostly in peri-Mediterranean countries with adverse impacts on the biota of the receiving aquatic systems. Few studies have however documented its toxicity on aquatic species, with an almost total lack of relative studies on fish. We assessed the acute and sub-chronic OMW toxicity, as well as the acute and sub-chronic behavioural, morphological and biochemical effects of OMW exposure on the mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki. LC50 values of the acute bioassays ranged from 7.31% (24 h) to 6.38% (96 h). Behavioural symptoms of toxicity included hypoactivity and a shift away from the water surface, coupled with a range of morphological alterations, such as skin damage, excessive mucus secretion, hemorrhages, fin rot and exophhalmia, with indications also of gill swelling and anemia. Biochemical assays showed that OMW toxicity resulted in induction of catalase (CAT) and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities. The implications of our results at the level of environmental policy for the sustainable management of the olive mill industry, i.e. the effective restriction of untreated OMW disposal of in adjacent waterways, as well as the implementation of new technologies that reduce their impact (detoxification and/or revalorization of its residues) are discussed.

Down scaling of climate change scenarii to river basin level: A transdisciplinary methodology applied to Evrotas river basin, Greece.

The Mediterranean region is anticipated to be (or, already is) one of the hot spots for climate change, where freshwater ecosystems are under threat from the effects of multiple stressors. Climate change is impacting natural resources and on the functioning of Ecosystem Services. The challenges about modelling climate change impact on water cycle in general and specifically on socio-economic dynamics of the society leads to an exponential amount of results that restrain interpretation and added value of forecasting at local level. One of the main challenges when dealing with climate change projections is the quantification of uncertainties. Modellers might have limited information or understanding from local river catchment management practices and from other disciplines with relevant insights on socio-economic and environmental complex relationship between biosphere and human based activities. Current General Circulation Models cannot fulfil the requirements of high spatial detail required for water management policy. This article reports an innovative transdisciplinary methodology to down scale Climate Change scenarii to river basin level with a special focus on the development of climate change narrative under SSP5-RCP8.5 combination called Myopic scenario and SSP1-RCP4.5 combination called Sustainable scenario. Local Stakeholder participative workshop in the Evrotas river basin provide perception of expected changes on water demand under to two developed scenario narratives.

Multiple stressor effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a Mediterranean temporary river.

The hydrological and biological complexity of temporary rivers as well as their importance in providing goods and services is increasingly recognized, as much as it is the vulnerability of the biotic communities in view of climate change and increased anthropogenic pressures. However, the effects of flow intermittency (resulting from both seasonal variations and rising hydrological pressure) and pollution on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning have been overlooked in these ecosystems. We explore the way multiple stressors affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (B-EF) relationship in a Mediterranean temporary river. We measured diversity of benthic communities (i.e. diatoms and macroinvertebrates) and related ecosystem processes (i.e. resource use efficiency-RUE and organic matter breakdown-OMB) across a pollution and flow intermittency gradient. Our results showed decreases in macroinvertebrate diversity and the opposite trend in diatom assemblages, whereas ecosystem functioning was negatively affected by both pollution and flow intermittency. The explored B-EF relationships showed contrasting results: RUE decreased with higher diatom diversity, whereas OMB increased with increased macroinvertebrate diversity. The different responses suggest contrasting operating mechanisms, selection effects possibly driving the B-EF relationship in diatoms and complementarity effects driving the B-EF relationship in macroinvertebrates. The understanding of multiple stressor effects on diversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the B-EF relationship in temporary rivers could provide insights on the risks affecting ecosystem functioning under global change.

Contamination patterns and attenuation of pharmaceuticals in a temporary Mediterranean river.

The contamination patterns and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) were investigated in the Evrotas River (Southern Greece). This is a temporary river with differing levels of water stress and water quality impairment in a number of its reaches. Three sampling campaigns were conducted in order to capture different levels of water stress and water quality. Four sampling sites located on the main channel of the Evrotas River were sampled in July 2015 (moderate stream flow), and June and September 2016 (low stream flow). Discharge of urban wastewater has been determined as the main source of pollution, with PhACs, nutrients and other physicochemical parameters considerably increasing downstream the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Sparta city. Due to the pronounced hydrological variation of the Evrotas River, generally, the highest concentrations of PhACs have been detected during low flow conditions. Simultaneously, low flow resulted in an increased water travel time and consequently longer residence time that accounted for the higher attenuation of most PhACs. The average decrease in total concentration of PhACs within the studied waterbody segment (downstream of Sparta city) increased from 22% in July 2015 to 25% in June 2016 and 77% in September 2016. The PhACs with the highest average concentration decrease throughout the sampling campaigns were hydrochlorothiazide, followed by sotalol, carbamazepine, valsartan, and naproxen.

Particle bound pollutants in rivers: Results from suspended sediment sampling in Globaqua River Basins.

Transport of hydrophobic pollutants in rivers such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals is often facilitated by suspended sediment particles, which are typically mobilized during high discharge events. Suspended sediments thus represent a means of transport for particle related pollutants within river reaches and may represent a suitable proxy for average pollutant concentrations estimation in a river reach or catchment. In this study, multiple high discharge/turbidity events were sampled at high temporal resolution in the Globaqua River Basins Sava (Slovenia, Serbia), Adige (Italy), and Evrotas (Greece) and analysed for persistent organic pollutants such as PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) or PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metals. For comparison, river bed sediment samples were analysed as well. Further, results are compared to previous studies in contrasting catchments in Germany, Iran, Spain, and beyond. Overall results show that loadings of suspended sediments with pollutants are catchment-specific and relatively stable over time at a given location. For PAHs, loadings on suspended particles mainly correlate to urban pressures (potentially diluted by sediment mass fluxes) in the rivers, whereas metal concentrations mainly display a geogenic origin. By cross-comparison with known urban pressure/sediment yield relationships (e.g. for PAHs) or soil background values (for metals) anthropogenic impact - e.g. caused by industrial activities - may be identified. Sampling of suspended sediments gives much more reliable results compared to sediment grab samples which typically show a more heterogeneous contaminant distribution. Based on mean annual suspended sediment concentrations and distribution coefficients of pollutants the fraction of particle facilitated transport versus dissolved fluxes can be calculated.