Degradation of sulfamonomethoxine in solution using pulsed plasma discharge - identification of by-products and toxicity of treated solution to green algae.

This study investigated the degradation of sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) by pulsed plasma discharge. SMM was successfully degraded following the first-order kinetics model. The percentage removal of SMM was estimated by the total input energy of plasma discharge, which was dependent on the initial SMM concentration. In addition, three types of by-products were observed at an early reaction time, which were then degraded. In contrast, the ecotoxicity of the treated solution by plasma discharge was assessed by an acute toxicity test using the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata. The plasma discharge in water generated hydrogen peroxide with a concentration higher than the EC50 for R. subcapitata. It is therefore necessary to remove H2O2 or prevent the generation of H2O2 for the degradation of antibiotics in solutions using plasma discharge.

Determination of tylosin excretion from sheep to assess tylosin spread to agricultural fields by manure application.

Antibiotics administered to livestock are partly excreted with urine and feces. As livestock excrement is used as manure on agricultural fields, soil may be contaminated by excreted antibiotics, potentially resulting in the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the amount of antibiotic administered to livestock that could spread to agricultural fields through manure application. This study reveals the excretion ratio of tylosin from sheep. After developing an analysis procedure for tylosin in urine and feces from sheep, a tylosin excretion study was performed with two sheep. Tylosin was excreted in urine and feces for four days, after which its concentrations dropped below the limits of quantification (urine: 0.5µg/kg, feces: 2.4µg/kg). The total excretion ratio was 11% on average. The results of our study can provide useful knowledge for treating excrement in order to prevent the spread of antibiotics to agricultural fields through manure application.

Iodide sorption and partitioning in solid, liquid and gas phases in soil samples collected from Japanese paddy fields.

Sorption kinetics of iodide (I(-)), which is one of the major inorganic chemical forms of iodine in soil environments, were studied under four sets of experimental conditions characterised by temperature or biological activity. We compared partitioning ratios in solid, liquid and gas phases in soils as well as soil-soil solution distribution coefficients (K(d)s) at two different temperatures 4 and 23 °C, for 63 paddy soil samples collected throughout Japan. Interestingly, (125)I emission from soil was observed; the partitioning ratios in gas phase ranged from 0 to 27 % at 4 °C and from 0 to 42 % at 23 °C. In addition, the authors found that K(d) values at 23 °C had good correlation with pH though there was no correlation between K(d) values at 4 °C and pH because of the difference in biological activity.

Estimation of soil-soil solution distribution coefficient of radiostrontium using soil properties.

We propose a new approach for estimation of soil-soil solution distribution coefficient (K(d)) of radiostrontium using some selected soil properties. We used 142 Japanese agricultural soil samples (35 Andosol, 25 Cambisol, 77 Fluvisol, and 5 others) for which Sr-K(d) values had been determined by a batch sorption test and listed in our database. Spearman's rank correlation test was carried out to investigate correlations between Sr-K(d) values and soil properties. Electrical conductivity and water soluble Ca had good correlations with Sr-K(d) values for all soil groups. Then, we found a high correlation between the ratio of exchangeable Ca to Ca concentration in water soluble fraction and Sr-K(d) values with correlation coefficient R=0.72. This pointed us toward a relatively easy way to estimate Sr-K(d) values.