RESUMEN

In this study, a method for the simultaneous determination of two steroid hormones, 17ß-estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3), and a hormone mimicking polycarbonate, bisphenol-A (BPA), was developed and validated. This was thereafter used for the determination of the levels of the hormones in surface water collected around some livestock farms. The sensitivity of the method allowed the LODs and LOQs of the hormones and mimic hormone in the range 1.14-2.510 and 3.42-7.53 µg/L, respectively. The results revealed wide variability in the concentrations of E2 and E3, while BPA was not detected at any of the sampling stations. The concentration of E3 ranged between <1.14 and 45.5 µg/L (N = 120) in station 2 water. The highest concentration of E2 (15.7 µg/L, N = 80) was observed in water from station 1. The varied concentrations may be connected with the nature and sources of release, inconsistencies in analyte distribution due to dynamics of water flow pattern and the physical/chemical properties of the receiving water bodies.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Organic pollutants in water and wastewater have been causing serious environmental problems. The arbitrary discharge of wastewater by industries, and handling, use, and disposal constitute a means by which phenols, flame retardants (FRs), phthalates (PAEs) and other toxic organic pollutants enter the ecosystem. Moreover, these organic pollutants are not completely removed during treatment processes and might be degraded into highly toxic derivatives, which has led to their occurrence in the environment. Phenols, FRs and PAEs are thus highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic, and are capable of disrupting the endocrine system. Therefore, investigation to understand the sources, pathways, behavior, toxicity and exposure to phenols, FRs and PAEs in the environment is necessary. Formation of different by-products makes it difficult to compare the efficacy of the treatment processes, most especially when other organic matters are present. Hence, high levels of phenols, FRs and PAEs removal could be attained with in-line combined treatment processes.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The effect of tributyltin (TBT) on the stability of hemocytic lysosome membranes of the mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the use thereof as a biomarker of TBT-induced stress, was investigated. Mussels were exposed to 0.1 and 1.0 µg/L tributyltin respectively for 4 weeks. Lysosomal membrane stability of hemocytes was tested weekly by means of the neutral red retention time (NRRT) assay, after which the mussel samples were analyzed for TBT content. The two exposed groups exhibited significantly increased (p < 0.05) whole body TBT concentrations with concomitant significant decreases (p < 0.05) in NRRT (R(2) values of 0.85 and 0.971 for lower and higher exposure groups, respectively). The higher exposure group showed a typical dose-response curve. For the control, no TBT was detected and NRRT remained stable. It was concluded that the NRRT assay could be considered as a useful technique, and lysosomal membrane destabilization a useful early warning and cellular biomarker of stress due to TBT exposure in M. galloprovincialis.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

In this study, the concentration levels of the probable carcinogenic PAH fractions, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[k]fluoranthrene (BkF) in fillets of some processed fish species were investigated. Fish species comprising Merluccius poli (hake), Tyrsites atun (snoek), Seriola lalandi (yellow-tail) and Brama brama (angel fish) were bought in fish shops at Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, South Africa. The fish were gutted, filleted and prepared for edibility by frying, grilling and boiling. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were extracted from each homogenized fish sample, cleaned-up using solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysed for the PAH fractions, BaP and BkF using a Gas Chromatograph coupled with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The sum of the two PAHs (∑2PAH) i.e., BaP and BkF ranged between 0.56 and 1.46 µg/kg, in all boiled, grilled and fried fish species. The fried fish extracts showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) abundance of ∑2PAH, than grilled and boiled fish. Dietary safety and PAHs toxicity was also discussed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked, grilled and boiled meats were determined using gas chromatography - flame ionization detector (GC-FID). PAHs in the processed meats were extracted in n-hexane after hydrolysis with methanolic KOH. Clean-up was achieved using solid phase extraction in neutral-Si/basic-Si/acidic-Si/neutral-Si frits. The fractions, benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkP), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), indeno[123-cd]pyrene (IP) and benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiP) were separated and quantified using GC-FID. The method and instrument limits of detections were 0.1, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3µg/kg and 0.5, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5µg/kg, respectively, for BkP, BaP, IP and BghiP. The method's recovery and precision generally varied between 83.69% and 94.25% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.18-15.60%; and 90.38-96.71% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.82-12.87% respectively. The concentration of BkP, BaP, IP and BghiP in smoked, grilled and boiled meat samples were ranged 0.64-31.54µg/kg, 0.07-7.04µg/kg, 0.09-15.03, 0.51-46.67µg/kg and 0.01-5.11µg/kg, respectively.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The removal of triphenyltin chloride from contaminated simulated seawater with adsorption method was discussed. The adsorbents used are fly ash, nSiO2, and nSiO2/fly ash composite. The results showed that the adsorption of the adsorbents increases with increase in the adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, stirring speed, initial TPT concentration, and decreased with increase in temperature. The adsorption fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm, showing that the adsorbent and TPT combined with function groups and the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters were also evaluated. Optimal conditions for the adsorption of TPT from simulated seawater were applied to TPT removal from natural seawater. A higher removal efficiency of TPT (>99%) was obtained for the nSiO2/fly ash composite but not for fly ash and nSiO2.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The removal of tributyltin (TBT) from artificial seawater using nZnO, activated carbon and nZnO/activated carbon composite was systematically studied. The equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption were investigated in a batch adsorption system. Equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models. Pseudo first- and second-order, Elovich, fractional power and intraparticle diffusion models were applied to test the kinetic data. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔS° and ΔH° were also calculated to understand the mechanisms of adsorption. Optimal conditions for the adsorption of TBT from artificial seawater were then applied to TBT removal from natural seawater. A higher removal efficiency of TBT (>99%) was obtained for the nZnO/activated carbon composite material and for activated carbon but not for nZnO.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Organotin compounds result from the addition of organic moieties to inorganic tin.Thus, one or more tin-carbon bonds exist in each organotin molecule. The organo-tin compounds are ubiquitous in the environment. Organotin compounds have many uses, including those as fungicides and stabilizers in plastics, among others in industry. The widespread use of organotins as antifouling agents in boat paints has resulted in pollution of freshwater and marine ecosystems. The presence of organotin compounds in freshwater and marine ecosystems is now understood to be a threat, because of the amounts found in water and the toxicity of some organotin compounds to aquatic organisms, and perhaps to humans as well. Organotin com-pounds are regarded by many to be global pollutants of a stature similar to biphenyl,mercury, and the polychlorinated dibenzodioxins. This stature results from the high toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and endocrine disruptive features of even very low levels of selected organotin compounds.Efforts by selected governmental agencies and others have been undertaken to find a global solution to organotin pollution. France was the first country to ban the use of the organotins in 1980. This occurred before the international maritime organization (IMO) called for a global treaty to ban the application of tributyltin (TBT)-based paints. In this chapter, we review the organotin compounds with emphasis on the human exposure, fate, and distribution of them in the environment. The widespread use of the organotins and their high stability have led to contamination of some aquatic ecosystems. As a result, residues of the organotins may reach humans via food consumption. Notwithstanding the risk of human exposure, only limited data are available on the levels at which the organotins exist in foodstuffs consumed by humans. Moreover, the response of marine species to the organotins, such as TBT, has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, more data on the organotins and the consequences of exposure to them are needed. In particular, we believe the following areas need attention: expanded toxicity testing in aquatic species, human exposure, human body burdens, and the research to identify biomarkers for testing the toxicity of the organotins to marine invertebrates.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Treatment of yttrium metal with bis(pentafluorophenyl)mercury (1.5 equiv), 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole (3 equiv), and pyridine (2 equiv) in toluene at ambient temperature for 120 h afforded tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(pyridine)yttrium(III) (33%). In an analogous procedure, the reaction of erbium metal with 3,5-dialkylpyrazole (alkyl = methyl or tert-butyl), bis(pentafluorophenyl)mercury, and a neutral nitrogen donor (4-tert-butylpyridine, pyridine, n-butylimidazole, or 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole) yielded tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(4-tert-butylpyridine)erbium(III) (63%), tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(pyridine)erbium(III) (88%), tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(n-butylimidazole)erbium(III) (48%), tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolato)bis(4-tert-butylpyridine)erbium(III) (50%), and tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole)erbium(III) (59%), respectively. Treatment of tris(cyclopentadienyl)lutetium(III) or tris(cyclopentadienyl)erbium(III) with 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole (3 equiv) and 4-tert-butylpyridine (2 equiv) in toluene at ambient temperature for 24 h afforded tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(4-tert-butylpyridine)lutetium(III) (83%) and tris(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)bis(4-tert-butylpyridine)erbium(III) (41%), respectively. The X-ray crystal structures of all new complexes were determined. The X-ray structure analyses revealed seven- and eight-coordinate lanthanide complexes with all-nitrogen coordination spheres and eta(2)-pyrazolato ligands. Molecular orbital calculations were carried out on dichloro(pyrazolato)diammineyttrium(III). The calculations demonstrate that eta(2)-bonding of the pyrazolato ligand is favored over the eta(1)-bonding mode and give insight into the bonding between yttrium and the pyrazolato ligands. Complexes bearing 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato ligands can be obtained in a high state of purity and sublime without decomposition (150 degrees C, 0.1 mmHg). Application of these complexes as source compounds for chemical vapor deposition processes is discussed.