Publications (157) View all
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Article: Risk assessment on the presence of pharmaceuticals in sediments, soils and waters of the Pego-Oliva Marshlands (Valencia, eastern Spain).
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ABSTRACT: This study is focused on the occurrence of 17 pharmaceuticals in waters (34 samples), sediments (16 samples) and soils (23 samples, at two different depths) in a typical Mediterranean coastal wetland (Pego-Oliva marsh, Spain). Soil and sediment samples were extracted by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). Aqueous extracts from PLE and water samples were concentrated by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and determined by liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Pharmaceuticals were detected in concentrations up to 112ng/L in water samples, up to 15.1ng/g sediments and up to 8.4ng/g in soil. In surface waters, ibuprofen and codeine were the compounds more frequently detected (up to 59ng/L and 63ng/L, respectively). Ground and tap water samples analyzed were also contaminated with pharmaceuticals. The 94% of sediments and the 80% of agricultural soils were polluted (mostly by carbamazepine and acetaminophen). Diffusion of codeine and fluoroquinolones to deeper soil horizons was observed. Possible relationships between variables were established by Pearson correlations and principal components analysis (PCA). An environmental risk assessment based on the available long-term data was performed. Results showed actual risk for the lowest trophic level, and for fishes, due to the presence of fluoroquinolones and ibuprofen. Nevertheless, the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is not limited only to an ecological problem since contamination also affects drinking water, being a potential risk to human health.Science of The Total Environment 09/2012; · 3.29 Impact Factor -
Article: Determination of currently used pesticides in biota.
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ABSTRACT: Although pesticides enable control of the quantity and quality of farm products and food, and help to limit diseases in humans transmitted by insects and rodents, they are regarded as among the most dangerous environmental contaminants because of their tendency to bioaccumulate, and their mobility and long-term effects on living organisms. In the past decade, more analytical methods for accurate identification and quantitative determination of traces of pesticides in biota have been developed to improve our understanding of their risk to ecosystems and humans. Because sample preparation is often the rate-determining step in analysis of pesticides in biological samples, this review first discusses extraction and clean-up procedures, after a brief introduction to the classes, and the methods used in the analysis of pesticides in biota. The analytical methods, especially chromatographic techniques and immunoassay-based methods, are reviewed in detail, and their corresponding advantages, limitations, applications, and prospects are also discussed. This review mainly covers reports published since 2008 on methods for analysis of currently used pesticides in biota.Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 08/2012; · 3.78 Impact Factor -
Article: Evaluation of carbamazepine uptake and metabolization by Typha spp., a plant with potential use in phytotreatment.
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ABSTRACT: Phytoremediation technologies such as constructed wetlands have shown higher efficiencies in removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewaters than conventional wastewater treatment processes, and plants seem to have an important role in the removal of some of those compounds. In this context, a study was conducted to assess tolerance, uptake, and metabolism of the epilepsy drug, carbamazepine, by the macrophyte Typha spp. This evaluation was conducted in hydroponic solutions with 0.5-2.0mg/L of this pharmaceutical for a maximum period of 21 days. The removal of carbamazepine from nutrient solutions by the plants reached values of 82% of the initial contents. Furthermore, a metabolite (10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxycarbamazepine) was detected in leaf tissues indicating carbamazepine translocation and metabolism inside plants. Activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and guaiacol peroxidase generally increase (after some mild initial inhibition in the case of the latter enzyme) as result of the abiotic stress caused by the exposure to carbamazepine, but ultimately Typha seemed able to cope with its toxicity. The results obtained in this study suggest the ability of Typha spp., to actively participate in the removal of carbamazepine from water when used in phytotreatment systems.Bioresource technology 09/2011; 102(17):7827-34. · 4.25 Impact Factor -
Article: Perfluorinated compounds in food: a global perspective.
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ABSTRACT: Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are resistant to breakdown and are turning up in unexpected places around the world, becoming emerging food contaminants. Although these chemicals have been used in countless products since the 1950s, they have been subject to little control until now. There is still an insufficient knowledge of their sources, occurrence, and hazards for food safety decision making. This article provides a comprehensive review of the food contamination levels and dietary intake risks posed by PFCs, as well as the specific methods developed for their determination. It is based on the evaluation of the published literature between 2004 and the beginning of 2010, with special emphasis on those reports of the last two years and in the examination of the growing body of studies on the exposure assessment and food occurrence of PFCs. The current state-of-the art and future perspectives in extraction, clean-up, detection, identification, confirmation, and quantification highlighting the advantages and limitations of each technique have been summarized. How much is known about the sources and pathways of food web and human exposure, which is needed to control and manage the release of these emerging toxic contaminants, has also been explained.Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 08/2011; 51(7):605-25. · 3.73 Impact Factor -
Article: Procedures for Antibiotic Residues in Bovine Muscle Tissues
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ABSTRACT: Acetonitrile extraction followed by primary-secondary amine dispersive SPE cleanup QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe), was compared to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using water at 70°C for 10 min at 1500 psi for the determination of 16 veterinary drugs in bovine muscle tissues by LC/MS/MS. PLE was significantly more effective for the extraction of veterinary drugs (ranging from 69 to 103% with RSD ≤ 18%) than QuEChERS (ranging from 19 to 89% with RSD ≤ 19%). Linearity of the calibration curves was obtained over the range considered (from 10 μg/kg or LOQ to 1000, μg/kg) with r2 ≥ 0.99 for all the analytes by both methods. Although an internal standard was used, matrix effects were corrected using matrix- matched standards. LODs were from 5 to 30 μg/kg for PLE and from 10 to 100 μg/kg for QuEChERS. To establish and assess the most efficient conditions for each extraction method, statistical parametric and nonparametric tests were used. PLE with water almost eliminates the use or generation of hazardous wastes. The two methods were applied successfully in a routine analysis during surveys in 2008.Journal of AOAC International 04/2011; 94(3):991-1003. · 1.20 Impact Factor
