This paper investigated the health risks due to metal concentrations in soil and vegetables from the island province in the Philippines and the potential ecological risks. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in vegetables and soil in six municipalities of the province were analyzed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) Perkin Elmer Optima 8000. It was recorded that all metal concentrations in the soil, except for Cd, exceeded the soil quality standard (SQS). The concentration of Fe and Mn was highest among other metals. The Nemerow synthetical pollution index (Pn) in all soil samples was under Class V which means severe pollution level. Likewise, the risk index (RI) of soil ranged from high to very high pollution risk. Most of the metal concentrations in the vegetables analyzed also exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL). All health hazard indices (HHIs) were less than 1, which means potential low non-carcinogenic risk to human population by vegetable consumption. However, it was found that concentration of Cr and Ni in vegetables is a potential health hazard having concentrations exceeding the maximum threshold limit. A 75% temporary consumption reduction of bitter melon, eggplant, sweet potato tops, and string beans produced from two municipalities may be helpful in reducing exposure to target metals. Additional studies are needed to confirm this recommendation. Spatial correlation analysis showed that six out of target metals had datasets that were more spatially clustered than would be expected. The recorded data are useful for creation of research direction, and aid in developing strategies for remediation, tools, and programs for improving environmental and vegetable quality monitoring.

An island province in the Philippines exposed to acid mine drainage for about 22-25 years, uncovered new discovery in selected agricultural yields. The acid mine drainage was from two open mine pits of higher elevation flowing to Boac and Mogpog River system. A total of 78 various agricultural yields samples with 234 specimens were collected and analyzed from six municipalities of Marinduque, Philippines in 2019. These agricultural yields were (A) vegetables, (B) root crops, (C) fruits, and (D) rice. Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) Perkin Elmer Optima 8000 with ICP multi-element standard solution IV were used to detect metals concentration in the agricultural samples. Digestion of samples followed the EPA Method 200.3. Results were compared with the WHO/FAO limit followed by the identification of yields and areas that pose risks to public health. Determination of the spatial distribution was by ArcGIS. The six municipalities; i.e., Boac, Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Torrijos and Sta. Cruz, were labelled as B, BV, G, M, T and S, respectively. Record showed that Sample A from G contain higher metal concentration among other yields. Manganese concentration in Samples A, B, and D were found to be higher than WHO/FAO limit. However, copper and zinc concentration in Sample C in all municipalities exceeded the allowable limit. Elevated total chromium concentration was found in Sample D collected from G, T, and S. These results would help relevant government agencies and units design strategies to mitigate the degraded agricultural lands and protect public health.

This paper illustrates the impacts of mining disaster after more than 20 years. A two – day rapid assessment was carried out at Mogpog and Boac River catchment in Marinduque Island in March 2019. The target site included Maguilaguila Pit that connects the river catchment and formerly used as mining wastes pit. This is to understand the impacts of 1993 and 1996 mining disasters in the Boac-Mogpog river basin at Marinduque, Philippines. The island of Marinduque has been considered as among the top ten most vulnerable islands in the country due to its environmental condition and geographical location which affected the island demography. The island has suffered the impacts of one of the country’s biggest mining disasters. The instruments used to conduct rapid site assessment were SciAps X-300 Handheld X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Model DJI Mavic Air, Google Earth, Hannah Multiparameter HI 9811-5 with HI 1285-5 probe and HI 70007, 70031, 70032 and 700661 solutions. The DJI Mavic Air captured images of Mogpog and Boac River catchment which helped direct the research team to take the right sampling locations. The DJI Mavic Air captured site images of the two rivers as dead rivers and use as land transportation route during dry season. The Google Earth captured the historical images of the target areas. The recorded data showed that the pit and nearby river water is acidic with pH equivalent to 2.9 and 4.1, respectively. The range of concentration of total dissolved solids in Mogpog and Boac river water was 100–1360 and 160–1150 ppm, respectively. The recorded concentration of iron near the pit was 125,587 ppm, and chromium concentration range was 80–99 ppm. The concentration of copper and manganese in the sediments was 5 and 158 times higher (respectively) than the 1998 detected concentrations. Based on the recorded data and images, the Maguilaguila pit, Boac and Mogpog River catchment need immediate attention. It could be concluded that based on the recent assessment results, leaks at the pit are likely. Also, the combination of areal-aerial and ground technique produced two – day rapid site assessment for areas contaminated by mine tailings. The information could aid in preparing prompt action and setting strategies that are helpful in carrying out risk reduction programs in the island.

The development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to the existence and fate of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds (PHAC) used to treat bacterial diseases in humans as well as veterinary medicine to prevent disease in animals such as poultry, cattle, swine, and fish during animal food production and as growth promoters like antibiotics entering the environment turned out to be a problem when not removed in a normal wastewater treatment plant as it has increased effects on the disturbance of the natural bacterial ecosystem, presence of it in the effluent of sewage treatment plants as well as to surface and groundwater, and concerns for human health. Fate and transport of particles is an important matter that describe their physical form and behavior in different media with primary concern of determining the transport speed and combined effects of the chemicals in their discharge environments. In order to predict the fate and transport in the environment, one important parameter that indicates how individual molecules and ions move through a medium under a concentration gradient at a certain pressure and temperature is the diffusion coefficient. In relation to the previously published work on diffusion coefficient of various livestock antibiotics at infinite dilution, the present work extended the calculation to determine the self-diffusion coefficient of constituent ions from the studied antibiotics using the Nernst-Einstein Equation. Other parameters such as activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and hydrodynamic radius needed in describing the infinite dilution diffusion behavior were also calculated using Arrhenius-type equation and Stokes-Einstein Equation, respectively. The results may provide an adequate understanding of the mobility and behavior of these constituent ions from these livestock antibiotics when present in environmental water system, which may be of help for future studies for the removal of these antibiotics which can lead to the microbial resistance bacteria.

Abstract. The fate of antibiotics entering the environment raised concerns on the possible effect of antimicrobial resistance bacteria. Prediction of the fate and transport of these particles are needed to be determined, significantly the diffusion coefficient of antibiotic in water at infinite dilution. A systematic determination of diffusion coefficient of antibiotic in water at infinite dilution of five different kinds of livestock antibiotics namely: Amtyl, Ciprotyl, Doxylak Forte, Trisullak, and Vetracin Gold in the 293.15 to 313.15 K temperature range are reported through the use of the method involving the electrolytic conductivity measurements. A continuous stirred tank reactor is utilized to measure the electrolytic conductivities of the considered systems. These conductivities are correlated by using the Nernst-Haskell equation to determine the infinite dilution diffusion coefficient. Determined diffusion coefficients are based on the assumption that in dilute solution, these antibiotics behave as strong electrolyte from which H + cation dissociate from the antibiotic's anion.