No abstract

A wide range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are present in the environment, and many of their adverse effects are unknown. The environmental risk assessment of 26 PPCPs of relevant consumption and occurrence in the aquatic environment in Spain was accomplished in this research. Based on the ecotoxicity values obtained by bioluminescence and respirometry assays and by predictions using the US EPA ecological structure-activity relationship (ECOSAR™), the compounds were classified following the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. According to the criteria of the European Medicines Agency, the real risk of impact of these compounds in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in the aquatic environment was predicted. In at least two ecotoxicity tests, 65.4 % of the PPCPs under study showed high toxicity or were harmful to aquatic organisms. The global order of the species' sensitivity to the PPCPs considered was as follows: Vibrio fischeri (5 min) > Vibrio fischeri (15 min) > algae > crustaceans > fish > biomass of WWTP. Acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, clarithromycin, clofibrate, ibuprofen, omeprazole, triclosan, parabens and 1,4-benzoquinone showed some type of risk for the aquatic environments and/or for the activated sludge of WWTPs. Development of acute and chronic ecotoxicity data, the determination of predicted and measured environmental concentrations of PPCPs, the inclusion of metabolites and transformation products and the evaluation of mixtures of these compounds will allow further improvements of the results of the ERAs and, finally, to efficiently identify the compounds that could affect the environment.

No abstract

Polyethoxylated nonylphenols, with different ethoxylation degrees (NPEOx), are incorporated into many commercial and industrial products such as detergents, domestic disinfectants, emulsifiers, cosmetics, and pesticides. However, the toxic effects exerted by their degradation products, which are persistent in natural environments, have been demonstrated in several animal and invertebrate aquatic species. Therefore, it seems appropriate to look for indigenous bacteria capable of degrading native NPEOx and its derivatives. In this paper, the isolation of five bacterial strains, capable of using NPEO15, as unique carbon source, is described. The most efficient NPEO15 degrader bacterial strains were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens (strain Yas2) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (strain Yas1). Maximal growth rates were reached at pH 8, 27°C in a 5% NPEO15 medium. The NPEO15 degradation extension, followed by viscometry assays, reached 65% after 54.5 h and 134 h incubation times, while the COD values decreased by 95% and 85% after 24 h for the Yas1 and Yas2 systems, respectively. The BOD was reduced by 99% and 99.9% levels in 24 h and 48 h incubations. The viscosity data indicated that the NPEO15 biodegradation by Yas2 follows first-order kinetics. Kinetic rate constant (k) and half life time (τ) for this biotransformation were estimated to be 0.0072 h−1 and 96.3 h, respectively.

El estudio se basó en realizar un diagnostico y clasificación de los reactivos peligrosos utilizados y almacenados, durante el periodo académico del segundo semestre (2007) en que se inician las actividades de investigación y docencia hasta el primer semestre (2014), en las áreas del laboratorio de bromatología. Se estableció un formulario para la revisión de los inventarios existentes sobre las sustancias químicas almacenadas y utilizadas en el laboratorio, proponer la implantación de un manejo seguro aplicando la ley de Gestión Ambiental de Ecuador en las operaciones de docencia e investigación,  la obtención de estos datos permitió la clasificación de los reactivos de acuerdo con el Sistema Globalmente Armonizado de la ONU; correspondientemente al Nº. Código de ONU, niveles de riesgos, clases de riesgos, clase de Peligrosidad y la cantidad de todos los reactivos peligrosos almacenados y utilizados en el laboratorio. Los resultados sobre la clasificación de los reactivos químicos, permitió determinar los reactivos de mayor o menor uso en el laboratorio. El apropiado manejo de los reactivos peligrosos, con su correspondiente clasificación basada en los niveles de riesgos, clases de riesgos y clase de peligrosidad como la base primordial para la implantación de un sistema de aseguramiento de calidad de la gestión ambiental en los laboratorios de nuestra Alma Mater.  De hecho la clasificación de los reactivos peligrosos permite minimizar costos económicos en el desarrollo de las investigaciones y la aplicación de prácticas de trabajo educativas por parte de los docentes  estudiantes  y  funcionarios  de  apoyo  durante  la  manipulación  de  estos  reactivos químicos.  Palabras clave: costos económicos, niveles de riesgos, clases de riesgos, clase de peligrosidad, reactivos peligrosos, sistema de aseguramiento de calidad de la gestión ambiental  Diagnosis and classification of hazardous reagents used in the laboratory of Food Science  UNESUM Abstract The study was based on an inventory or diagnosis, of dangerous reagents used and stored, during the second half of the academic period (2007), when researching and teaching activities are stared, until first half (2014), in the areas of food science lab. A form for the review of existing inventories of  chemicals  stored  and  used  in  the  laboratory was  established to  propose the introduction of a safe handling, applying the Environment Management Ecuadorian Law, in teaching and research operations, obtaining these data allowed the classification of reagents according to the Globally Harmonized System of the United Nations, levels and types of risks, the  amount  of  all  stored  hazardous  reagents  used  in  the  laboratory.  The  results  on  the classification of the chemical reagents, made possible the determination of the class of reagents of  varying  laboratory  use.  The  proper  management  of  hazardous  reagents,  with  their classification based on risk levels and types of risks as the primary basis for the implementation of a quality assurance system of environmental management in the laboratories of our Alma Mater. In fact, the classification of hazardous reagents minimizes economic costs in the development of research and practical application of educational work by students and teachers and support staff when handling these chemical reagents. Key words: economic costs, levels of risk, types of risk, hazardous reagents, quality assurance system of environmental management.