Tea Romih

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the associated pandemic has affected the entire human population. Human susceptibility to the virus has highlighted a tremendous need for affordable diagnostic systems to manage the pandemic and monitor the effectiveness of vaccination. We have developed a simple and label-free electrochemical immunosensor...

The preconditioning and modification of the supporting electrode surface is an essential step in every biosensor architecture. In particular, when using screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPEs) as inexpensive and convenient disposable sensor substrates, their somewhat lower electrochemical (surface) reproducibility might represent a complex hurdle....

The detection of volatile organic compounds with electrochemical gas sensors is still very challenging regarding their sensitivity, selectivity, and operation at room temperature. There is a need for robust, sensitive, inexpensive, and yet easy-to-operate sensors for phenol and other phenolic compounds that would function reliably under ambient con...

The present work aims to study the effects that acute exposure to low concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) cause in digestive glands of the model organism terrestrial isopods (Porcellio scaber). The experiments were designed to integrate different analytical techniques, such as Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atomic Absorption Spectrosc...

We report on the toxicity and bioaccumulation of three different types of Cd-based quantum dots (QDs), dispersed in aqueous medium, for a model plant Allium cepa L. It is believed that encapsulation of nanoparticles should reduce their toxicity and increase their stability in different environments; in this work we studied how QD encapsulation affe...

Ko pomislimo na rake (Crustacea), se nam pred očmi verjetno najprej pojavijo podobe znanih, večjih predstavnikov tega nevretenčarskega poddebla, kot so jastog (Homarus gammarus), rarog (Palinurus vulgaris) in velika rakovica (Cancer pagurus), ki sodijo med deseteronožce (Decapoda). Sladkovodnim ribičem morda pridejo na misel še jelševec (Astacus as...

In the present study, we evaluated the roles that ZnO particle size and Zn ion release have on cyto- and genotoxicity in vitro. The Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells were treated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), ZnO macroparticles (MPs), and ZnCl2 as a source of free Zn ions. We first tested cytotoxicity to define sub-cytotoxic exposure concentra...

The use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in numerous products is increasing, although possible negative implications of their long-term consumption are not known yet. Our aim was to evaluate the chronic, 6-week oral exposure to two different concentrations of ZnO NPs on isolated rat hearts exposed to ischemic-reperfusion injury and on small in...

When reading grant proposals, research papers, conference posters or viewing slide presentations, people look at figures first. If created properly, graphics are the most effective way to explain complex ideas in the shortest amount of time, attract audience and raise credibility. Nevertheless, researchers are not trained in visual communication in...

A study for the application of bismuth film electrode (BiFE) under less acidic conditions for anodic stripping voltammetric measurements of Zn(II) in complex organic sample, i.e. in the cell culture medium containing ZnO nanoparticles, is presented. The BiFE was prepared in-situ on a substrate glassy carbon electrode in solution containing 0.1 mol...

We assessed the bioavailability of Ag from Ag nanoparticles (NPs), stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), to terrestrial isopods which were exposed to 10, 100 and 1000 μg Ag NPs/g of dry food. Different Ag species were determined in the NP suspension that was fed to isopods: (i) total Ag by atomic absorption spectroscopy, (ii) the sum of Ag-PV...

Despite the anticipated environmental release of anthropogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), there is currently not enough data on their potential impact on terrestrial environment. In the current study, we investigated the effects of considerably low concentrations of AuNPs on terrestrial isopods (Porcellio scaber) after 14 days of exposure. The eff...

Our aim was to investigate the occurrence of the dissolution of ingested ZnO NPs, CoFe2O4 NPs (either pristine or citric acid-adsorbed) and Ag NPs in the digestive system of model invertebrate organisms, terrestrial isopods Porcellio scaber, and the influence of NP stabilizers on nanoparticle dissolution. We determined the amounts of proteins and s...

In arthropods, the determination of two important parameters of digestive juices, i.e. the total surfactant concentration and the critical micelle concentration (CMC), is challenging due to small sample volumes and low surfactant concentrations. In this work, we report a successful implementation of potentiometric titrations using the surfactant io...

A straightforward protocol for measuring low concentration levels of Ag(I) using bismuth film electrode (BiFE) in combination with anodic stripping voltammetry was developed and studied as a suitable alternative to current methods for detecting the dissolution of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The BiFE was prepared in-situ on the surface of a suppo...

The applications of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires (NWs) in implantable wireless devices, such as diagnostic nanobiosensors and nanobiogenerators, have recently attracted enormous attention due to their unique properties. However, for these implantable nanodevices, the biocompatibility and the ability to control the behaviour of cells in contact with Z...

Biomolecular profiling with Fourier-Transform InfraRed Microscopy was performed to distinguish the Zn2+-mediated effects on the crustacean (Porcellio scaber) digestive glands from the ones elicited by the ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). The exposure to ZnO NPs or ZnCl2 (1500 and 4000 µg Zn/g of dry food) activated different types of metabolic pathways: so...

There has been extensive research in marine and terrestrial ecotoxicology concerning the release of soil and sediment-bound heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons upon digestion by detritivorous invertebrates. It has been shown that invertebrates from different taxa (mainly annelids) are able to solubilize soil- and sediment-bound pollutants, d...

The dissolution of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) to ions is one of the major ways in which NPs become bioavailable and toxic. Determination of the dissolved metal species in NP suspensions is therefore an important part of NP characterization. However, accurate analysis of NP dissolution is methodologically very difficult, with one of the main ob...

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are mass-produced NPs with a wide range of applications.1 Although their toxic effects have been studied intensively,2 the knowledge about their impact to the excretory system is still limited. In our study, we evaluated cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of ZnO NPs to the Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells. To assess the...

T he increase in the production of nanomaterials in the past decades introduced both positive and negative prospects in the consumer goods. ZnO nanoparticles are amongst the most frequently used and globally produced nanomaterials. Oral ingestion is one of the already acknowledged exposure routes for the unintentional consumption of ZnO nanoparticl...

The aim of this study was to determine whether citric acid adsorbed onto cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) influences the bioavailability of their constituents Co and Fe. Dissolution of Co and Fe was assessed by two measures: (i) in aqueous suspension using chemical analysis, prior to application onto the food of test organisms; and (ii)...

With a model invertebrate animal we have assessed the fate of magnetic nanoparticles in biologically relevant media, i.e. digestive juices. The toxic potential and the internalisation of such nanoparticles by non-target cells were also examined. The aim of this study was to provide experimental evidence on the formation of Co2+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions...

The fate of nanoparticles in organisms is of significant interest. In the current work, we used a test system with terrestrial isopods (Porcellio scaber) fed with food spiked with Cu NPs or soluble Cu salt for 14 days. Two different doses were used for spiking to yield final concentrations of 2000 and 5000 μg Cu/g dry food. After the exposure perio...

In the last decade, the production and consumption of nanoparticle-containing products have increased, together with their presence in the environment. According to the currently available data, nanoparticles are prone to bioaccumulation in living organisms and to being transferred through food chains. Our research focused on the assimilation and c...

A number of reports on potential toxicity of nanoparticles are available, but there is still a lack of knowledge concerning bioaccumulation. The aim of this work was to investigate how different sources of zinc, such as uncoated and unmodified ZnO nanoparticles, ZnCl(2) in solution, and macropowder ZnO influence the bioaccumulation of this metal in...