Ionized alkaline water reduces injury in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis.

Ionized water has been reported to contribute to the tissue repair process and wound healing. Water purifiers can generate ionized water by means of activated charcoal with silver and minerals, the main purpose of which are to reduce microbiological and physicochemical contaminants. Moreover, when water is subjected to a magnetic field an organization of water molecules occurs due to the presence of mineral salts. The resulting water is thus more alkaline, which has been shown to be non-toxic to mice and can actually prolong survival. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, caused by obligate uni- and intracellular protozoa belonging to the genus Leishmania, that can manifest in the form of skin lesions. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the evolution of disease in L. amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice that received tap water (TW) or ionized alkaline water (IAW). As a control, additional groups of mice receiving TW or IAW were also treated with the antileishmanial miltefosine. All mouse groups received either TW or IAW as drinking water 30 days prior to infection and the groups continued to receive the respective drinking water for 4 weeks, after which the blood and plasma were collected. Biochemical assays of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatinine, urea, glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol were performed, in addition to hematology tests. There was a significant decrease in the volume of the lesion for groups that received IAW, in which the ingestion of ionized alkaline water favored the non-evolution of the lesion in the footpads of the animals. The results of the blood count and leukogram tests were within the normal values for BALB/c mice demonstrating that ionized water has no toxic effects on blood factors.

Application of activated carbon functionalized with graphene oxide for efficient removal of COVID-19 treatment-related pharmaceuticals from water.

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has been increasing the consumption of some drugs, such as chloroquine (CQN) and dipyrone (DIP), which are continuously discharged into water resources through domestic sewage treatment systems. The presence of these drugs in water bodies is worrisome due to their high toxicity, which makes crucial their monitoring and removal, especially by means of advanced technologies. Given this scenario, a new adsorbent material was synthesized through the combination of babassu coconut activated carbon and graphene oxide (GAC-GO). This study was evaluated in batch adsorption processes, aiming at the treatment of water contaminated with CQN and DIP. Characterization analyzes using physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques indicated that the GAC-GO functionalization was successfully performed. The equilibrium time of the adsorption process was 18 and 12 h for CQN and DIP, respectively. Kinetic and isothermal data better fitted to pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models for both drugs. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the process is endothermic and the maximum adsorption capacities of CQN and DIP were 37.65 and 62.43 mg g-1, respectively, both at 318 K. The study of the effect of ionic strength, which simulates a real effluent, demonstrated that the synthesized adsorbent has potential application for the treatment of effluents. Furthermore, satisfactory removal rates were verified for the removal of other contaminants in both simple solutions and synthetic mixtures, evidencing the versatile profile of the adsorbent.