Influence of manure application method on veterinary medicine losses to water.

Veterinary medicines are routinely used within modern animal husbandry, which results in frequent detections within animal manures and slurries. The application of manures to land as a form of organic fertiliser presents a pathway by which these bioactive chemicals can enter the environment. However, to date, there is limited understanding regarding the influence of commonly used manure application methods on veterinary medicine fate in soil systems. To bridge this knowledge gap, a semi-field study was conducted to assess the influence of commonly used application methods such as, broadcast, chisel sweep, and incorporation on veterinary medicine losses to waters. A range of veterinary medicines were selected and applied as a mixture; these were enrofloxacin, florfenicol, lincomycin, meloxicam, oxytetracycline, sulfadiazine, trimethoprim and tylosin. All the assessed veterinary medicines were detected within surface runoff and leachates, and the concentrations generally decreased throughout the irrigation period. The surface runoff concentrations ranged from 0.49 to 183.47 µg/L and 2.26-236.83 µg/L for the bare soil and grass assessments respectively. The leachate concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 309.66 µg/L and 0.33-37.79 µg/L for the bare soil and grass assessments respectively. More advanced application methods (chisel sweep) were found to significantly reduce the mass loads of veterinary medicines transported to surface runoff and leachate by 13-56% and 49-88% over that of broadcast. Incorporating pig slurries reduced the losses further with surface runoff and leachate losses being 13-56% and 49-88% lower than broadcast. Our results show that manure application techniques have a significant effect on veterinary medicine fate in the environment and as such these effects should be considered in the decision-making processes for the management of manures as well as from a risk mitigation perspective for aquatic compartments.

Combined effects of increased water temperature and cyanobacterial compounds exert heterogeneous effects on survival and ecological processes in key freshwater species.

Climate change is increasing water temperature and intensifying the incidence of cyanobacterial blooms worldwide. However, the combined effects of increased temperature and microcystin concentrations as co-stressors on survival and ecological processes in freshwater species are unclear. Here, using purified MC-LR and crude extract of toxigenic Microcystis aeruginosa, we tested the individual and combined effects of three water temperatures (15, 20, 25 °C) and a range of environmentally relevant concentrations of dissolved microcystin and crude extract (0.01-10 µg·L-1) on survival, growth inhibition, grazing and predation rates in three freshwater species: phytoplankton (Scenedesmus quadricauda), zooplankton (Daphnia pulex), and an invertebrate predator (Ischnura elegans). Purified MC-LR exerted a higher growth inhibitory effect on S. quadricauda compared to crude extract with the same concentration of MC-LR, while neither treatment affected its chlorophyll-a content or survival of D. pulex. Crude extract reduced grazing and survival of D. pulex and I. elegans, respectively. The combined effect of higher temperature and crude extract reduced I. elegans survival by 50%. Increased temperature reduced prey handing time in I. elegans by 49%, suggesting a higher predation rate. However, warming together with higher concentrations of crude extract jointly increased zooplankton grazing and reduced damselfly predation. Taken together, these results suggest crude extract, and not necessarily microcystin, can affect survival and productivity in freshwater species, although these effects may vary unevenly across trophic levels. Our findings highlight the importance of complex ecological mechanisms by which warming can exacerbate toxic effects of cyanobacterial bloom extracts on survival and functions among species in eutrophic freshwaters.

The Uptake of Sporopollenin Exine Capsules and Associated Bioavailability of Adsorbed Oestradiol in Selected Aquatic Invertebrates.

Lycopodium clavatum sporopollenin exine capsules (SpECs) are known to both adsorb and absorb chemicals. The aim of the present work was to determine whether oestradiol (E2) is 'bioavailable' to bioindicator species, either pre-adsorbed to, or in the presence of, SpECs. SpEC uptake was confirmed for Daphnia magna and Dreissena bugensis. E2 levels varied among treatments for Caenorhabditis elegans though there was no relationship to SpEC load. E2 was not detected in D. bugensis tissues. Expression changes of general stress and E2-specific genes were measured. For C. elegans, NHR-14 expression suggested that SpECs modulate E2 impacts, but not general health responses. For D. magna, SpECs alone and with E2 changed Vtg1 and general stress responses. For D. bugensis, SpECS were taken up but no E2 or change in gene expression was detected after exposure to E2 and/or SpECs. The present study is the first to investigate SpECs and bound chemical dynamics.

Screening Tool Identifies Older Adults With Cancer at Risk for Poor Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Oncologists often struggle with managing the complex issues unique to older adults with cancer, and research is needed to identify patients at risk for poor outcomes. METHODS: This study enrolled patients aged ≥70 years within 8 weeks of a diagnosis of incurable gastrointestinal cancer. Patient-reported surveys were used to assess vulnerability (Vulnerable Elders Survey [scores ≥3 indicate a positive screen for vulnerability]), quality of life (QoL; EORTC Quality of Life of Cancer Patients questionnaire [higher scores indicate better QoL]), and symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS; higher scores indicate greater symptom burden] and Geriatric Depression Scale [higher scores indicate greater depression symptoms]). Unplanned hospital visits within 90 days of enrollment and overall survival were evaluated. We used regression models to examine associations among vulnerability, QoL, symptom burden, hospitalizations, and overall survival. RESULTS: Of 132 patients approached, 102 (77.3%) were enrolled (mean [M] ± SD age, 77.25 ± 5.75 years). Nearly half (45.1%) screened positive for vulnerability, and these patients were older (M, 79.45 vs 75.44 years; P=.001) and had more comorbid conditions (M, 2.13 vs 1.34; P=.017) compared with nonvulnerable patients. Vulnerable patients reported worse QoL across all domains (global QoL: M, 53.26 vs 66.82; P=.041; physical QoL: M, 58.95 vs 88.24; P<.001; role QoL: M, 53.99 vs 82.12; P=.001; emotional QoL: M, 73.19 vs 85.76; P=.007; cognitive QoL: M, 79.35 vs 92.73; P=.011; social QoL: M, 59.42 vs 82.42; P<.001), higher symptom burden (ESAS total: M, 31.05 vs 15.00; P<.001), and worse depression score (M, 4.74 vs 2.25; P<.001). Vulnerable patients had a higher risk of unplanned hospitalizations (hazard ratio, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.08-5.27; P=.032) and worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.14-4.48; P=.020). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with cancer who screen positive as vulnerable experience a higher symptom burden, greater healthcare use, and worse survival. Screening tools to identify vulnerable patients should be integrated into practice to guide clinical care.

Pilot Randomized Trial of a Transdisciplinary Geriatric and Palliative Care Intervention for Older Adults With Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Oncologists often struggle with managing the unique care needs of older adults with cancer. This study sought to determine the feasibility of delivering a transdisciplinary intervention targeting the geriatric-specific (physical function and comorbidity) and palliative care (symptoms and prognostic understanding) needs of older adults with advanced cancer. METHODS: Patients aged ≥65 years with incurable gastrointestinal or lung cancer were randomly assigned to a transdisciplinary intervention or usual care. Those in the intervention arm received 2 visits with a geriatrician, who addressed patients' palliative care needs and conducted a geriatric assessment. We predefined the intervention as feasible if >70% of eligible patients enrolled in the study and >75% of eligible patients completed study visits and surveys. At baseline and week 12, we assessed patients' quality of life (QoL), symptoms, and communication confidence. We calculated mean change scores in outcomes and estimated intervention effect sizes (ES; Cohen's d) for changes from baseline to week 12, with 0.2 indicating a small effect, 0.5 a medium effect, and 0.8 a large effect. RESULTS: From February 2017 through June 2018, we randomized 62 patients (55.9% enrollment rate [most common reason for refusal was feeling too ill]; median age, 72.3 years; cancer types: 56.5% gastrointestinal, 43.5% lung). Among intervention patients, 82.1% attended the first visit and 79.6% attended both. Overall, 89.7% completed all study surveys. Compared with usual care, intervention patients had less QoL decrement (-0.77 vs -3.84; ES = 0.21), reduced number of moderate/severe symptoms (-0.69 vs +1.04; ES = 0.58), and improved communication confidence (+1.06 vs -0.80; ES = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot trial, enrollment exceeded 55%, and >75% of enrollees completed all study visits and surveys. The transdisciplinary intervention targeting older patients' unique care needs showed encouraging ES estimates for enhancing patients' QoL, symptom burden, and communication confidence.

Comparison of two methods of hue scaling.

Hue-scaling functions are designed to characterize color appearance by assessing the relative strength of the red versus green and blue versus yellow opponent sensations comprising different hues. However, these judgments can be non-intuitive and may pose difficulties for measurement and analysis. We explored an alternative scaling method based on positioning a dial to represent the relative similarity or distance of each hue from the labeled positions for the opponent categories. The hue-scaling and hue-similarity rating methods were compared for 28 observers. Settings on both tasks were comparable though the similarity ratings showed less inter-observer variability and weaker categorical bias, suggesting that these categorical biases may reflect properties of the task rather than the percepts. Alternatively, properties that are concordant for the two paradigms provide evidence for characteristics that do reflect color appearance. Individual differences on both tasks suggest that color appearance depends on multiple, narrowly tuned color processes, which are inconsistent with conventional color-opponent theory.

Advanced glycation end products-related modulation of cathepsin L and NF-κB signalling effectors in retinal pigment epithelium lead to augmented response to TNFα.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a central role in neuroretinal homoeostasis throughout life. Altered proteolysis and inflammatory processes involving RPE contribute to the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but the link between these remains elusive. We report for the first time the effect of advanced glycation end products (AGE)-known to accumulate on the ageing RPE's underlying Bruch's membrane in situ-on both key lysosomal cathepsins and NF-κB signalling in RPE. Cathepsin L activity and NF-κB effector levels decreased significantly following 2-week AGE exposure. Chemical cathepsin L inhibition also decreased total p65 protein levels, indicating that AGE-related change of NF-κB effectors in RPE cells may be modulated by cathepsin L. However, upon TNFα stimulation, AGE-exposed cells had significantly higher ratio of phospho-p65(Ser536)/total p65 compared to non-AGEd controls, with an even higher fold increase than in the presence of cathepsin L inhibition alone. Increased proportion of active p65 indicates an AGE-related activation of NF-κB signalling in a higher proportion of cells and/or an enhanced response to TNFα. Thus, NF-κB signalling modulation in the AGEd environment, partially regulated via cathepsin L, is employed by RPE cells as a protective (para-inflammatory) mechanism but renders them more responsive to pro-inflammatory stimuli.

The effect of association between inefficient arsenic methylation capacity and demographic characteristics on the risk of skin lesions.

This study was conducted in rural Pakistan to assess the dose-response relationship between skin lesions and arsenic exposure and their variation by demographic characteristics. The study included 398 participants (66 participants with skin lesions and 332 without) residing in six previously unstudied villages exposed to ground water arsenic in the range of <1 to 3090µgL-1. The skin lesions identification process involved interview and physical examinations of participants followed by confirmation by a physician according to UNICEF criteria. Urinary inorganic arsenic (iAs), total arsenic (tAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were analysed to determine methylation capacity, methylation efficiency and the dose-response relationship with skin lesions. Study participants with skin lesions were found to be exposed to arsenic >10µgL-1 with a daily arsenic intake of 3.23±3.75mgday-1 from household ground water sources for an exposure duration of 10-20years. The participants with skin lesions compared to those without skin lesions showed higher levels of urinary iAs (133.40±242.48 vs. 44.24±86.48µgg-1Cr), MMA (106.38±135.04 vs. 35.43±39.97µgg-1Cr), MMA% (15.26±6.31 vs.12.11±4.68) and lower levels of DMA% (66.99±13.59 vs. 73.39±10.44) and secondary methylation index (SMI) (0.81±0.11 vs. 0.86±0.07). Study participants carrying a lower methylation capacity characterized by higher MMA% (OR 5.06, 95% CI: 2.09-12.27), lower DMA% (OR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.33-1.26), primary methylation index (PMI) (OR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.28-1.12) and SMI (OR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21-0.88) had a significantly higher risk of skin lesions compared to their corresponding references after adjusting for occupation categories. The findings confirmed that inefficient arsenic methylation capacity was significantly associated with increased skin lesion risks and the effect might be modified by labour intensive occupations.

Perceiving the average hue of color arrays.

The average of a color distribution has special significance for color coding (e.g., to estimate the illuminant) but how it depends on the visual representation (e.g., perceptual versus cone-opponent) or nonlinearities (e.g., categorical coding) is unknown. We measured the perceived average of two colors shown alternated in spatial arrays. Observers adjusted the components until the average equaled a specified reference hue. Matches for red, blue-red, or yellow-green were consistent with the arithmetic mean chromaticity, while blue-green settings deviated toward blue. The settings show little evidence for categorical coding, and cannot be predicted from the scaled appearances of the individual components.

Electrophysiological evidence for the left-lateralized effect of language on preattentive categorical perception of color.

Previous studies have shown that the effect of language on categorical perception of color is stronger when stimuli are presented in the right visual field than in the left. To examine whether this lateralized effect occurs preattentively at an early stage of processing, we monitored the visual mismatch negativity, which is a component of the event-related potential of the brain to an unfamiliar stimulus among a temporally presented series of stimuli. In the oddball paradigm we used, the deviant stimuli were unrelated to the explicit task. A significant interaction between color-pair type (within-category vs. between-category) and visual field (left vs. right) was found. The amplitude of the visual mismatch negativity component evoked by the within-category deviant was significantly smaller than that evoked by the between-category deviant when displayed in the right visual field, but no such difference was observed for the left visual field. This result constitutes electroencephalographic evidence that the lateralized Whorf effect per se occurs out of awareness and at an early stage of processing.

Learning new color names produces rapid increase in gray matter in the intact adult human cortex.

The human brain has been shown to exhibit changes in the volume and density of gray matter as a result of training over periods of several weeks or longer. We show that these changes can be induced much faster by using a training method that is claimed to simulate the rapid learning of word meanings by children. Using whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we show that learning newly defined and named subcategories of the universal categories green and blue in a period of 2 h increases the volume of gray matter in V2/3 of the left visual cortex, a region known to mediate color vision. This pattern of findings demonstrates that the anatomical structure of the adult human brain can change very quickly, specifically during the acquisition of new, named categories. Also, prior behavioral and neuroimaging research has shown that differences between languages in the boundaries of named color categories influence the categorical perception of color, as assessed by judgments of relative similarity, by response time in alternative forced-choice tasks, and by visual search. Moreover, further behavioral studies (visual search) and brain imaging studies have suggested strongly that the categorical effect of language on color processing is left-lateralized, i.e., mediated by activity in the left cerebral hemisphere in adults (hence "lateralized Whorfian" effects). The present results appear to provide a structural basis in the brain for the behavioral and neurophysiologically observed indices of these Whorfian effects on color processing.

Directional protein secretion by the retinal pigment epithelium: roles in retinal health and the development of age-related macular degeneration.

The structural and functional integrity of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is fundamental for maintaining the function of the neuroretina. These specialized cells form a polarized monolayer that acts as the retinal-blood barrier, separating two distinct environments with highly specialized functions: photoreceptors of the neuroretina at the apical side and Bruch's membrane/highly vascularized choriocapillaris at the basal side. The polarized nature of the RPE is essential for the health of these two regions, not only in nutrient and waste transport but also in the synthesis and directional secretion of proteins required in maintaining retinal homoeostasis and function. Although multiple malfunctions within the RPE cells have been associated with development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of legal blindness, clear causative processes have not yet been conclusively characterized at the molecular and cellular level. This article focuses on the involvement of directionally secreted RPE proteins in normal functioning of the retina and on the potential association of incorrect RPE protein secretion with development of AMD. Understanding the importance of RPE polarity and the correct secretion of essential structural and regulatory components emerge as critical factors for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting AMD.

Global synthesis and critical evaluation of pharmaceutical data sets collected from river systems.

Pharmaceuticals have emerged as a major group of environmental contaminants over the past decade but relatively little is known about their occurrence in freshwaters compared to other pollutants. We present a global-scale analysis of the presence of 203 pharmaceuticals across 41 countries and show that contamination is extensive due to widespread consumption and subsequent disposal to rivers. There are clear regional biases in current understanding with little work outside North America, Europe, and China, and no work within Africa. Within individual countries, research is biased around a small number of populated provinces/states and the majority of research effort has focused upon just 14 compounds. Most research has adopted sampling techniques that are unlikely to provide reliable and representative data. This analysis highlights locations where concentrations of antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, painkillers, contrast media, and antiepileptic drugs have been recorded well above thresholds known to cause toxic effects in aquatic biota. Studies of pharmaceutical occurrence and effects need to be seen as a global research priority due to increasing consumption, particularly among societies with aging populations. Researchers in all fields of environmental management need to work together more effectively to identify high risk compounds, improve the reliability and coverage of future monitoring studies, and develop new mitigation measures.

Newly trained lexical categories produce lateralized categorical perception of color.

Linguistic categories have been shown to influence perceptual discrimination, to do so preferentially in the right visual field, to fail to do so when competing demands are made on verbal memory, and to vary with the color-term boundaries of different languages. However, because there are strong commonalities across languages in the placement of color-term boundaries, the question remains open whether observed categorical perception for color can be entirely a result of learned categories or may rely to some degree on innate ones. We show here that lateralized color categorical perception can be entirely the result of learned categories. In a visual search task, reaction times to targets were faster in the right than the left visual field when the target and distractor colors, initially sharing the same linguistic term (e.g., "blue"), became between-category colors after training (i.e., when two different shades of blue had each acquired a new name). A control group, whose conditions exactly matched those of the experimental group except that no new categories were introduced, did not show this effect, establishing that the effect was not dependent on increased familiarity with either the color stimuli or the task. The present results show beyond question that lateralized categorical perception of color can reflect strictly learned color categories, even artificially learned categories that violate both universal tendencies in color naming and the categorization pattern of the language of the subject.

Investigating on the toxicity and bio-magnification potential of synthetic glitters on Artemia salina.

Our research aims to assess the toxic impacts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) glitters on Artemia salina as a model zooplankton. The mortality rate was assessed using a Kaplan Maier plot as a function of various microplastic dosages. The ingestion of microplastics was confirmed by their presence in digestive tract and faecal matter. Gut wall damage was confirmed by dissolution of basal lamina walls and an increase in the secretory cells. A significant decrease in the activities of cholinesterase (ChE) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were noted. A decrease in catalase activity could be correlated to an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cysts incubated in presence of microplastics exhibited delay in their hatching into 'umbrella' and 'instar' stages. The data presented in the study would be useful for scientists working on discovering new sources of microplastics, related scientific evidences, image data and model of study.

Critical review on uranium and arsenic content and their chemical mobilization in groundwater: A case study of the Malwa region Punjab, India.

The presence of pollutants like uranium and arsenic in the groundwater can have a terrible impact on people's health (both radiologically and toxicologically) and their economic conditions. Their infiltration into groundwater can occur through geochemical reactions, natural mineral deposits, mining and ore processing. Governments and scientists are working to address these issues, and significant progress has been achieved, but it's challenging to deal with and mitigate without adequately understanding the different chemical processes and the mobilization mechanism of these hazardous chemicals. Most of the articles and reviews have focused on the particular form of contaminants and specific sources of pollution, such as fertilizers. However, no literature report exists explaining why particular forms appear and the possible basis of their chemical origins. Hence, in this review, we tried to answer the various questions by devising a hypothetical model and chemical schematic flowcharts for the chemical mobilization of arsenic and uranium in groundwater. An effort has been made to explain how chemical seepage and excessive groundwater use resulted in the change in aquifers' chemistry, as evidenced by their physicochemical parameters and heavy metal analysis. Many technological advancements have taken place to mitigate these issues. Still, in low-middle-income countries, especially in the Malwa region of Punjab, also known as Punjab's cancer belt, paying a high amount for installing and maintaining these technologies is an unviable option. In addition to working to improve people's access to sanitary facilities and clean water to drink, the policy-level intervention would focus on increasing community awareness and continued research on developing better and more economical technologies. Our designed model/chemical flowcharts will help policymakers and researchers better understand the problems and alleviate their effects. Moreover, these models can be utilized in other parts of the globe where similar questions exist. This article emphasises the value of understanding the intricate issue of groundwater management through a multidisciplinary and interdepartmental approach.

Mixtures of sediment chemical contaminants at freshwater sampling sites across Europe with different contaminant burdens.

Extended chemical analyses of fluvial sediments were undertaken to establish the key pollutant pressures and mixtures present across nine European Union inland waterways. A wide range of chemical components and physical parameters were investigated including substances from the EU Priority List and Watch List. The data set was examined for key indicator compounds, however it was found that a wide range of pollution pressures were present in the different sediments including organic hydrocarbons, metal(loid)s, nutrients, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and pesticides, some of which exceeded regulatory guidance at different sampling points. The presence of such a wide range of compounds underpins the complex chemical composition of sediments that have acted as sinks for many decades absorbing contaminants from urban, industrial and agricultural sources. This dataset has been used to describe average overall toxicity of the sediments sampled, a calculation which was based on key components identified by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and for those that had existing freshwater sediment regulatory values. A total of 33 components were used including PCBs, PAHs, metal(iod)s and pesticides. This analysis reflected the contamination of each site, with most indicating some level of toxicity during the sampling period. Watch List chemicals triclosan (TCS) and diclofenac (DIC) were also investigated; levels were relatively low, typically 10-100's ng L-1, however they were present at all sampling sites. The dataset is available as a resource for future chemical, and toxicological, sediment analysis comparisons.

Language regions of brain are operative in color perception.

The effect of language on the categorical perception of color is stronger for stimuli in the right visual field (RVF) than in the left visual field, but the neural correlates of the behavioral RVF advantage are unknown. Here we present brain activation maps revealing how language is differentially engaged in the discrimination of colored stimuli presented in either visual hemifield. In a rapid, event-related functional MRI study, we measured subjects' brain activity while they performed a visual search task. Compared with colors from the same lexical category, discrimination of colors from different linguistic categories provoked stronger and faster responses in the left hemisphere language regions, particularly when the colors were presented in the RVF. In addition, activation of visual areas 2/3, responsible for color perception, was much stronger for RVF stimuli from different linguistic categories than for stimuli from the same linguistic category. Notably, the enhanced activity of visual areas 2/3 coincided with the enhanced activity of the left posterior temporoparietal language region, suggesting that this language region may serve as a top-down control source that modulates the activation of the visual cortex. These findings shed light on the brain mechanisms that underlie the hemifield- dependent effect of language on visual perception.

A systematic review on toxicity assessment of persistent emerging pollutants (EPs) and associated microplastics (MPs) in the environment using the Hydra animal model.

Emerging pollutants (EPs) are causative for teratogenic and reproductive effects. EPs are detected in all the environmental matrices at higher levels. A suitable model for aquatic toxicity assessment is Hydra, because of morphological, behavioral, reproductive (sexual and asexual), and biochemical changes. Many researchers have used Hydra for toxicity assessment of organic chemicals (BPA), heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials and microplastics. Various Hydra species were used for environmental toxicity studies; however H. magnipapillata was predominantly used due to the availability of its genome and proteome sequences. Teratogenic and reproductive changes in Hydra are species specific. Teratogenic effects were studied using sterozoom dissecting microscope, acridine orange (AO) and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DPAI) staining. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by EPs had been understood by the Dichlorodihydrofluorescein Diacetate (DCFDA) staining and comet assay. Multiple advanced techniques would aid to understand the effects at molecular level, such as real-time PCR, rapid amplification of cDNA end- PCR. EPs modulated the major antioxidant enzyme levels, therefore, defense mechanism was affected by the higher generation of reactive oxygen species. Genome sequencing helps to know the mode of action of pollutants, role of enzymes in detoxification, defense genes and stress responsive genes. Molecular techniques were used to obtain the information for evolutionary changes of genes and modulation of gene expression by EPs.

The effect of anaerobic pig slurry redox potentials on the degradation of veterinary medicines.

Veterinary medicines are frequently used within intensive livestock husbandry and there has been a growing interest regarding their fate in the environment. However, research has seldom assessed the influence of pig slurry properties on the fate of veterinary medicines even though such an understanding is essential for a more robust environmental risk assessment. Changes within manure degradation rates have the potential to alter the concentration of antibiotics applied to land, and the outcome of the risk assessment. The aim of this work was to investigate whether commonly reported redox potentials affect the degradation rates of acetyl-salicylic acid, ceftiofur, florfenicol, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and tylosin. The employed redox potentials were -100 mV (reduced), -250 mV (anaerobic) and -400 mV (very anaerobic). A compound specific relationship was observed where the degradation of ceftiofur, florfenicol, oxytetracycline and sulfamethoxazole was inhibited under reduced conditions over that of very anaerobic; the respective DT50 values were 0.7-1.84 h, 1.35-3.61 h, 22.2-49.8 h, 131-211 h and 35.4-94 h. In contrast, tylosin was found to degrade faster at reduced conditions over very anaerobic (DT50 6.88-19.4 h). The presented research demonstrates the importance of redox potential on degradation rates and suggests we need stringent and harmonized redox control to improve the environmental risk assessment of veterinary medicines. Environmental relevance and significance: Given the significant effect of anaerobic redox potentials on veterinary medicine fate tighter regulation is required in manure degradation trials.