levels of degradation of these pharmaceuticals resulting from sludge treatment were assessed. The concentrations of the studied pharmaceuticals sufficiently varied both in sewage sludge and in compost and due to this phenomenon the possible danger resulting from the presence of pharmaceuticals in sewage sludge, used for composting, can not be ignored. The concentrations of the studied pharmaceuticals were lower in compost, if compared to the relevant concentrations in sewage sludge. The highest pharmaceutical concentration in sewage sludge -426 µg/kg -was detected in the case of ciprofloxacin. The highest concentrations present in compost were 22 µg/kg of norfloxacin and 20 µg/kg of ciprofloxacin. Results show that before using the sewage sludge for making compost or before using the compost a fertilizer for food plants, they should be carefully tested against the content of commonly used pharmaceuticals.

We report on the study of surfactant-free silver nanoparticles synthesized using non-hydrolytic sol-gel methods for applications in straw bale constructions. Micro-organism infestation in green constructions is of concern as their proliferation tends to induce health problems. We demonstrate the biocidal properties of these Ag nanoparticles and their efficacy against fungi. Outdoor tests with Ag nanoparticles have demonstrated the effective protection of straw against micro-organisms. Indoor tests using broth liquid are compared with a method of testing we recently developed where the possible nature of the biocidal properties of the silver nanoparticles are further probed. In contrast to the commonly reported results, this study shows that Ag nanoparticles synthesized using nonhydrolytic sol-gel methods have antifungal properties against common fungi in outdoor conditions which demonstrate high potential in related applications.

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