Dimitra Hela

• PhD in Chemistry
• University of Ioannina

The present study aims at evaluating potential genotoxic and cytotoxic effects caused by the occupational exposure of farmers to pesticide mixtures in the Aitoloakarnania Prefecture (Greece). The aforementioned assessment was conducted through in vivo Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus assay (CBMN assay) in peripheral blood lymphocytes, in relation to...

This study reports the heterogeneous activation of sodium persulfate (SPS) by La0.8Sr0.2CoO3-δ (LSC) perovskite oxide for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), a representative antibiotic agent. LSC was synthesized by a combustion method and characterized with respect to its physicochemical characteristics by means of nitrogen isotherm absorpt...

Growth analysis is an appropriate method for plant response to various environmental and cultural conditions during plant life. A 2-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil tillage and fertilization on the growth and growth parameters of quinoa crop and to determine the association between yield and growth characteristics at bot...

Tramadol (TRA) is a widely used human pharmaceutical and a well-established emerging pollutant and its potential genotoxic and cytotoxic effects on humans as well as its fate in aqueous systems demand full investigation. The present study is a multidisciplinary approach and provides important insights on the potential risks of Tramadol on humans ac...

Quinoa is a gluten-free pseudocereal crop recognized for its exceptional nutritional properties. A 3-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of soil tillage and fertilization on root growth and productivity of quinoa. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with two replicates, two main plots [conventional (CT) and...

Biochars obtained by biomass pyrolysis have been proposed as a soil amendment to improve soil properties and fertility as well as to retain pesticides and other environmental contaminants. The present study investigates the degradation of metribuzin herbicide and its metabolites deamino- (DA), deaminodiketo- (DADK) and diketo- (DK) metribuzin under...

The photocatalytic degradation of tris (2–butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBEP) flame retardant using visible light response catalysts TiO2/V2O5, (N,F-doped)-TiO2/V2O5, and N-doped-SrTiO3 has been studied by high-resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry. TBEP degradation followed first-order kinetics with half-life values ranging between 9.8 and 83.5 min. N-d...

Different iron-containing materials (named as S1–S5) obtained through an oxidative digestion in acid media of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag were studied for the activation of sodium persulfate (SPS) to generate active radicals for the oxidation of propylparaben (PP), a model endocrine disruptor, in water. It was found that the materials with magn...

Considering the necessity to monitor rainwater quality and the limited existing data regarding wet precipitations’ toxic potential, the toxic potential of rainwater (RW) samples collected in three cities of Western Greece (Corfu, Agrinion and Patras) during May, October, November, and December of 2014 were investigated. The relationship of the adve...

In recent years, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has attached the interest as a multi-purpose crop. A 3-year field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of tillage systems and fertilization on nitrogen uptake and use efficiency of quinoa crop. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with two replicates, two main plots [con...

The degradation of the herbicides metazachlor (MTZ) and quizalofop-p-ethyl (QZE) was investigated in three different loamy (L) soils on thin-layer chromatography plates under natural solar light and dark conditions. Both herbicides degraded significantly faster under sunlight irradiation. The degradation rate of MTZ followed single first-order kine...

The environmental fate of metazachlor herbicide was investigated under field conditions in rapeseed cultivated and uncultivated plots, over a period of 225 days. The cultivation was carried out in silty clay soil plots with two surface slopes, 1 and 5 %. The herbicide was detectable in soil up to 170 days after application (DAA), while the dissipat...

This study investigated for the first time the photocatalytic degradation of three well-known transformation products (TPs) of pharmaceutical Tramadol, N-desmethyl-(N-DES), N,N-bidesmethyl (N,N-Bi-DES) and N-oxide-tramadol (N-OX-TRA) in two different aquatic matrices, ultrapure water and secondary treated wastewater, with high (10 mg L-1) and low (...

A field dissipation and transport study of the insecticide cypermethrin applied as microgranular (MG) and emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations has been conducted in field sunflower cultivations and bare soil plots with two different slopes (1% and 5%). The dissipation of insecticide in soil (on planting rows) was monitored for a period of 193...

During the past decades, there has been a growing concern related to the presence of “emerging” and “priority substances” in surface waters. For this reason, the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Directive 2000/60/EC) has established the bases to regulate water resources with the objective of preserving, protecting and improving...

The effects of tillage system and fertilization regimes on weed flora in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) were evaluated by means of two field experiments in 2011 and 2012. The experiments were laid out in a split-plot design with two main plots (conventional and minimum tillage) and four sub-plots (fertilization regimes). The results indicated t...

The effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on yield and biomass quality of two species: quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and green amaranth (Amaranthus retrolexus L.) was studied in this paper. The agronomic performance and nutritional value of quinoa and green amaranth was analyzed in order to establish them as alternatives to local forag...

Background The present study focuses on the photocatalytic transformation and mineralization of triclosan (TCS) using TiO2 catalyst. The main objectives were: (a) to investigate the effect of TiO2, TCS concentration and irradiation intensity on the photocatalytic efficiency and to model the % degradation and mineralization of TCS using response sur...

The occurrence of eight pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs), two metabolites and caffeine was investigated in River Acheloos, located in Western Greece, during a twelve-month monitoring period (March 2007–February 2008). Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for the extraction and pre-concentration of the target pollutants and gas chromatography mass s...

In this study, a detailed process of uncertainty estimation associated with matrix solid phase dispersion method (MSPD) for the extraction of organochlorinated compounds from fish coupled with gas chromatography is given. The evaluation of uncertainty arising from trueness using fully nested experimental designs is presented by estimating proportio...

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of fertilization and tillage on growth, yield and quality of quinoa crop (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). The agronomic performance and nutritive value of quinoa was analyzed in order to define alternatives to local forages for dry-season feeding of ruminants in the Mediterranean region. The exp...

The effect of Fenton [Fe/H2O2] on the catalytic decomposition of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the presence and absence of humic acid (HA) was evaluated. Numerous studies have shown that HA can act either as an enhancer or inhibitor of the Fenton reaction. Herein, by combining electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic and catalytic data, it...

The loss of metalaxyl, a systemic fungicide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco, over a period of 170 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10% and both cultivated and...

A three-year monitoring survey (March 2005-February 2008) was conducted to investigate, on monthly basis, the presence of thirty pesticides belonging to various categories and metabolites, in Acheloos River (Western Greece), one of the most important water resources in Greece. Six sampling stations along the river were established. Water analyses w...

Field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of tillage systems and fertilization on growth, yield and quality of quinoa crop (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four replicates, two main plots [conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT)] and three sub-plots (fertilization treatmen...

A monitoring study of pesticides belonging to different chemical families was carried out in Amvrakia lake (West Greece) waters after land use changes in the lake's basin. Based on land-use patterns, nine sampling points were selected. Pesticides were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE) using Oasis HLB cartridges and analysed by gas chromatog...

The allelopathic effects of three plant tissues of Chenopodium quinoa (leaves, roots and inflorescences) on oat growth were investigated using in vivo tests. Oat growth (fresh and dry weights of above and underground parts) was significantly inhibited from phytotoxic activity of inflorescence tissues, leaves and roots of C. quinoa in pot experiment...

The purpose of this contribution is to present a very effective strategy for the development of matrix solid phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction methodology for the determination of chlorinated compounds in fish using experimental design methods and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The MSPD extraction method of compounds is a preparation method th...

Purpose Polar chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were examined for their sampling efficiency of 12 pesticides and one metabolite commonly detected in surface waters. Laboratory-based calibration experiments of POCISs were conducted. The determined passive sampling rates were applied for the monitoring of pesticides levels in Lake Amvrakia, Weste...

Different degradation methods have been applied to assess the suitability of advanced oxidation process (AOPs) to promote mineralization of imazethapyr [(RS)-5-ethyl-2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)nicotinic acid], a widely used imidazolinone class herbicide, the persistence of which has been demonstrated in surface and ground water...

Aromatic plants and herbs are among the more important sources of phenolic compounds, which have been reported to show strong antioxidant activity. In the present work the total phenolic content and the antioxidant charge of five aromatic plants, Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Ocimum basilicum L., Salvia officinalis L. and Achillea...

The soil mobility and dissipation of two pesticides with different physicochemical properties, namely mefenoxam, a systemic fungicide, and pendimethalin a selective herbicide, were determined in bare and tobacco tilled soil columns, which were installed in field conditions for over 125 days. Soil samples were collected at specific time intervals fo...

he aim of this study was to investigate rapeseed crop parameters as well as their potential use as biofuel. The main point was the verification of the role of Brassica napus L. Brassicaceae like biofuel crop. The experiment showed that seed yields depend on the sowing season, and vary considerably between autumn and spring crop. The highest yields...

Publisher‘s note. We regret that the published version of this article erroneously denoted the first author as corresponding author; in fact the formal corresponding author of this paper is Professor Ioannis Konstantinou, whose address is repeated below.

This work reports the occurrence and the removal of a wide spectrum of pesticides in municipal wastewaters from the Agrinio region, Greece. Analytical determination was carried out by means of solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography equipped with flame thermionic and mass spectrometric detection. The herbicides atrazine, alachlor, iso...

The persistence of trifluralin, a herbicide exhibiting persistent organic pollutant properties, was investigated in a clay loam (CL) type soil under conventional tillage of oilseed rape and in bare soil. Trifluralin residues were determined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD) after extraction with ace...

Pyridine and pyridine derivatives are extensively used for the production of pesticides, medicinal drugs, industrial solvents, dyes, rubber chemicals etc. They are encountered in their wastewaters and due to their hazardous effects on ecosystems and human health, their removal is imperative. However, the methods for their treatment need to be impro...

The degradation and mineralisation of (400mL, 3.15mM) aqueous solutions of 2-hydroxypyridine (2-HPY), a primary intermediate formed during the photolytic degradation of 2-chloropyridine (2-CPY), 2-bromopyridine (2-BPY) and 2-iodopyridine (2-IPY), was studied at 50°C, under 254nm UV irradiation in a range of conditions. The rate of 2-HPY disappearan...

This work reports the occurrence and the removal of widely used fungicides, in municipal sewage treatment plant receiving combined sewage discharges and operating with primary (mechanical), secondary (activated sludge) and tertiary (sand filtration and chlorination) treatments that are commonly applied in Greece. Target analytes included compounds...

The loss of pendimethalin, a selective herbicide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco, over a period of 193days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% and both cu...

The photolytic destruction and mineralisation of 2-halogenated pyridines (2-HalPYs) was studied in a range of conditions by means of ultraviolet irradiation at 254 nm. In all cases pseudo-first order kinetics satisfactorily describe the degradation process. Key decomposition products were identified and primary reaction pathways are proposed. 2-Hal...

The occurrence of organophosphorus pesticide (OPs) and their metabolite residues was investigated in 167 samples of Greek virgin olive oil during a 2-year (2004-2005) sampling campaign. A total of 30.5% of samples contained detectable residues, although only one sample contained dimethoate residues above the maximum residue limit. Among the seven d...

This paper reports the results obtained from the monitoring of nitrate in four of the most nitrate-rich leafy vegetables (lettuce, spinach, celery and white cabbage), grown organically or conventionally in two different seasons (winter and summer) in the region of Western Greece province of Aitoloakarnania. The comparison of the nitrate accu...

Στην εργασία αυτή προσδιορίσθηκε η συσσώρευση νιτρικών σε εννέα καλλιεργούμενα λαχανικά (συμβατικά και βιολογικά) στο Νομό Αιτωλοακαρνανίας. Τα δείγματα των νωπών λαχανικών συλλέχθηκαν από την περιοχή του Νομού Αιτωλοακαρνανίας σε δύο διαφορετικές εποχές, χειμώνα και καλοκαίρι, και μετρήθηκε η περιεκτικότητά τους σε νιτρικά ιόντα. Στα λαχανικά που...

The effect of rimsulfuron on weed flora and phytotoxicity on maize crop, especially on root system was evaluated in two years field experiment on maize crop in west Greece at a site with no history of pesticide use for the last years. The impact of soil surface slope in the activity of rimsulfuron was determined. Conditions were selected to simulat...

This work is focused on the effectiveness of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) for the analysis of nine organophosphorus (OPs) insecticides (dimethoate, diazinon, fenitrothion, malathion, fenthion, parathion ethyl, methyl bromophos, methidathion, ethion) and four metabolites (omethoate, malaoxon, fenthion sulfoxide and fenthion sulfon...

This review evaluates and summarizes the results of long-term research projects, monitoring programs and published papers concerning the pollution of surface waters (rivers and lakes) of Greece by pesticides. Pesticide classes mostly detected involve herbicides used extensively in corn, cotton and rice production, organophosphorus insecticides as w...

The concentrations of persistent organic pollutants, such as DDT and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), cyclodienes (Cycls), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were measured in livers and subcutaneous fat tissues of six Accipitridae and four Falconidae bird species from different areas in Greece. This is the first repo...

Waterbirds are particularly subject to accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have been shown to constitute a major hazard for this group of birds. Liver and fat tissue from ten species belonging to the orders Ciconiformes (Ardeidae, Ciconiidae, Phoenicopteridae) and Pelicaniformes (Pelecanidae, Phalacrocoracidae) were used as bi...

The loss of imidacloprid, a systemic insecticide, was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with tobacco over a period of 174 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slopes of plots were 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%, and both culti...

The adsorption of thiram and disulfiram onto alpha-Al2O3 and montmorillonite clay has been studied in the presence of small carboxylate anions, bicarbonate, formate, and oxalate. At natural concentrations, HCO3- enhances dramatically the adsorption of both pesticides on alpha-Al2O3 and clay. An analogous significant enhancement of pesticide adsorpt...

The loss of carbofuran, a systemic insecticide, nematicide was determined in runoff water from loamy soil plots of various surface slopes cultivated with maize, over a period of 170 days. Conditions were selected to simulate agricultural practices employed in the Mediterranean region. The surface slops of plots were 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4% and bot...

Monitoring of pesticide residues in water and sediments was conducted as a basis for subsequent ecotoxicological risk assessment for the shallow eutrophic Lake Pamvotis, northwestern Greece. During a one-year study period, atrazine, desethylatrazine (DEA), simazine, diazinon, malathion, oxamyl, carbofuran, and ethion were detected in water and atra...

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and selected ion monitoring (SIM) was used for the analytical determination of priority pesticide residues. Fibers coated with a 65-µm film thickness of polydimethylsiloxane divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) were used to extract 31 pesticides of different chemical...

A solid phase microextraction (SPME) method was applied for the extended monitoring survey of priority pesticides for the European Union, for 12 months, in Kalamas River water samples (Epirus region in northwestern Greece) to determine their concentration levels and seasonal variations. For this purpose, polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber has been u...

Losses of pirimiphos‐methyl and benalaxyl in runoff water from clay soil plots cultivated with potatoes and of differing soil surface slopes were determined over approximately 120 days (1 October 1999–28 January 2000). The plot slopes were 0, 1, 2.5 and 5%, and soil erosion increased with the slope from 610 to 1760 kg ha ⁻¹ . The runoff of surface...

A solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method was applied to an extended monitoring survey of priority pesticides for the European Union for a period of 12 months in water of the Kalamas River (Epirus region of northwestern Greece) in order to determine their concentrations and seasonal variations. Polydimethylsiloxane-coated fiber (100 microm) was u...

Lake Pamvotis is a moderately sized (22 km2) shallow (z avg=4 m) lake with a polymictic stratification regime located in northwest Greece. The lake has undergone cultural eutrophication over the past 40 years and is currently eutrophic (annual averages of FRP=0.07 mg P l-1, TP=0.11 mg P l-1, NH4 +=0.25 mg N l-1, NO3 –=0.56 mg N l-1). FRP and NH4 +...

Analytical procedures based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) have been compared for the determination of four organic booster biocides used in marine antifouling paints (irgarol 1051, dichlofluanid, chlorothalonil, and sea-nine 211). Both techniques were coupled with gas chromatography with electron-capture, fl...

The application of solid phase extraction of a selected range of pesticides and analysis by GC-FTD and EI-MSD, to determine the amounts recovered and the levels occuring in a range of environmental waters, is presented. The selected compounds have different mode of action, belong to different chemical groups and to the most used in the European Uni...

Seasonal variations of pesticide residues in surface waters and ground waters of the Imathia area of Central Mecedonia (N. Greece) were determined for the period from May 1996 to April 1997. The sampling cruises included eight sites in rivers Aliakmon, Loudias, Tripotamos, Arapitsa and Canal-66, seven water springs in the mountain Vermion, seven ra...

Gas chromatography with flame thermionic detection (GC-FTD) and mass selective detection (GC-MSD), was employed for the identification of 22 selected pesticides belonging to triazines, organophosphorus compounds and substituted ureas, carbamates and anilides. During a two year-survey (1994-95) on the sediment duality of Louros estuary and Amvrakiko...

Seasonal variations and riverine input of pesticide residues to the coastal zone were determined in Louros river for the period of 1995 and 1996. The sampling sites for the determination of fluxes were located at the main river flow and its estuary at the boundary between freshwater and brackish zone. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks followed by...

Seasonal variations and riverine input of pesticide residues to the coastal zone were determined in Louros River for the period of 1995 and 1996. The sampling sites for the determination of fluxes were located at the main river flow and its estuary at the boundary between freshwater and the brackish zone. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks followed...

The influence of water salinity and dissolved organic matter (DOM) on pesticide extraction recoveries using solid phase extraction disks was investigated. Eleven selected pesticides, belonging to different chemical groups were spiked at 1–5 μg/L in 500 ml distilled water containing sodium chlorine at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 ‰ or humic acids...

Concentrations of the principal organochlorine insecticides were determined in eggs and freshly dead chicks of the Squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), as well as in frogs (Rana sp.), the main heron prey. Material was collected from the wetlands of the Thermaikos Gulf (Macedonia...

Organochlorine insecticide residues were determined in eggs of Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) as well as in eels (Anguila anguila) (the main pelican prey). Material was collected at wetlands of Amvrakikos Gulf (North-western Greece) for a two-year period, 1992 and 1993. Residues of the organochlorine pesticides, α-BHC, β-BHC, lindane, 2,4′-D...

Water and sediment samples from seven stations in estuaries of the Louros and Arachthos rivers as well as in the wetlands of the Amvrakikos Gulf were collected for a period from March 1992 to February 1993. The herbicides atrazine, simazine, alachlor, metolachlor, trifluralin and diuron and the organochlorine insecticides α-BHC, lindane and 4,4′-DD...

A multi-residue analysis for 25 pesticides was developed as a rapid screening method for organic contaminants in river, lake and sea water samples. Gas chromatography with flame thermionic detection (GC-FTD) and mass selective detection (GC-MSD) using two different capillary columns, DB-1 and HP-5, was employed for the identification of 25 selected...