Julia Martín’s research while affiliated with University of Seville and other places

Composting is an important waste management strategy, providing an economical and environment-friendly approach to sanitizing and stabilizing biosolids for land soil amendment. However, the resulting product can contain a large number of organic pollutants that may have adverse effects on the ecosystem. This paper presents the occurrence of eight widely used organic pollutants (four linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS C10-C13), nonylphenol and its mono- and di-ethoxylates (NPE) and a di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)) in full-scale composting processes. LAS homologues were detected at the highest concentrations (range of ∑LAS: 2068–9375 mg kg⁻¹ dm), exceeding the limit fixed in the EU Directive draft. The concentration levels of the NPE and DEHP were significantly lower (up to 27.5 and 156.8 mg kg⁻¹ dm, respectively) and did not exceed their fixed limits in the EU Directive draft. Ecotoxicological risk assessment for when compost is amended onto soils has also been evaluated. The concentrations measured represented a medium-low risk for most compounds, although it was not enough in the case of LAS C11 and C13 and NP.

Since December 2019, we have been in the battlefield with a new threat to the humanity known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this review, we describe the four main methods used for diagnosis, screening and/or surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); chest computed tomography (CT); and different complementary alternatives developed in order to obtain rapid results, antigen and antibody detection. All of them compare the highlighting advantages and disadvantages from an analytical point of view. The gold standard method in terms of sensitivity and specificity is the RT-PCR. The different modifications propose to make it more rapid and applicable at point of care (POC) are also presented and discussed. CT images are limited to central hospitals. However, being combined with RT-PCR is the most robust and accurate way to confirm COVID-19 infection. Antibody tests, although unable to provide reliable results on the status of the infection, are suitable for carrying out maximum screening of the population in order to know the immune capacity. More recently, antigen tests, less sensitive than RT-PCR, have been authorized to determine in a quicker way whether the patient is infected at the time of analysis and without the need of specific instruments.

The release of pharmaceutically active compounds to the soils through the application of sewage sludge and the irrigation with wastewater, or even with surface water, is constant. The adsorption of these compounds onto the soil is one of the key factors affecting their fate in the environment and their potential environmental risks. In this work, the adsorption of carbamazepine (CBZ) and its metabolites, 3-hydroxy-carbamazepine (3OH-CBZ), carbamazepine-10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxide (EP-CBZ), and 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxycarbamazepine (10OH-CBZ), in three Mediterranean soils was evaluated using single-solute and four-solute experiments. The highest adsorptions were measured for 3OH-CBZ, followed by CBZ, EP-CBZ, and 10OH-CBZ, in that order. A high influence of the physicochemical characteristics of the compounds, pH, and soil characteristics in the adsorption of the studied compounds was observed and corroborated by the statistical analysis of the results. Moreover, a good fit was observed in the three isotherm models evaluated (linear, Freundlich, and Langmuir) in single-solute experiments (R² > 0.90). However, a decrease of the measured adsorptions and a worse fit to the isotherm models were observed in the case of multiple-solute experiments. This could be mainly due to the competition established between the studied compounds for the active sites of the soils.

The antioxidant activity of anthocyanins in food is well known. Numerous antioxidant assays have been proposed to measure the capacity of anthocyanins to prevent the oxidation process that naturally occurs. Different solvents, temperatures, and pH levels are applied in each assay, and these factors should be taken into account in order to obtain useful and reproducible results. The concentration and the structure of these compounds are directly related to their antioxidant capacity and their environment. However, the effectiveness of the anthocyanin ingestion against diseases is also influenced by its bioavailability. Novel methodologies that simulate the digestion process have been developed in order to facilitate the current knowledge of anthocyanins bioavailability. Studies highlight the potential synergy effect between parent compounds and their derivatives (metabolites, conjugated products, and microbe-generated metabolites). The aim of this review is to provide an overview of advantages and disadvantages of the most common methods to determine the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins, chemical structure, and concentration of these compounds in different edible fruits, vegetables, and plants; their bioavailability after intake; as well as the main therapeutic effect described in the scientific literature.

Anthocyanins have a high potential in the food sector not only due to their coloring properties but also due to their high antioxidant activity. Their structural diversity, susceptibility to heat, pH, and copigmentation complicate its extraction and purification. The use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) assisted extraction has proven to be a good alternative to conventional techniques as it combines elevated pressure (100–800 MPa), moderate temperatures (30–60°C), and short processing times (3–10 min). The HHP process is based on the Pascal and Le Chatelier’s principles which state that pressure is uniformly transmitted and distributed in all directions. HHP allows the enhancement of mass transfer rates by increasing cell permeability and increasing the diffusion of secondary metabolite, which leading to higher extraction yields, fewer impurities on the final extract and the possibility of extractions at room temperature with preservation of thermo-sensitive structures. This review examines the basic principles of the HHP technology, including its mechanisms, analytical procedure and its effects on plant materials as well as a discussion on the most important parameters that affect the performance of this technology, its advantages, and disadvantages. Lastly, the applications of HHP for the recovery of phenolic compounds, with emphasis on anthocyanins, are discussed.

The current university environment is characterised by the implementation of an education system focused on competence-based learning. The present study has concentrated on the subject Applied Analytical Chemistry of the Pharmacy Degree and has made it possible to clearly establish the specific competences of the subject, based on levels of acquisition, as well as to design a system of assessment, based on the use of rubrics, which provides the corresponding equivalences in the grading system currently used in the university. This new form of assessment allows the teacher to know where there are gaps in student learning, and this information can be subsequently used to prioritize the training of those skills. The implementation of these rubrics has made it possible to obtain relevant information related to the students’ acquisition of competences.

Environmental context In 2015, the European Union issued a Watch List of organic pollutants resulting from anthropogenic activities. A major obstacle to controlling these pollutants in the environment is the difficulty of their simultaneous measurement at low concentrations. We developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination in surface water of the 17 pollutants included in the EU Watch List. Abstract A multi-class method was developed for the simultaneous determination of the 17 organic pollutants included in the EU Decision 2015/495 regarding surface waters. The target analytes were three estrogens, four pharmaceuticals, a food additive, a solar filter and eight pesticides. The target compounds were extracted through solid-phase extraction with Oasis HLB cartridges. Determination was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). All compounds were satisfactorily determined in one single injection, with a chromatographic run time of only 20 min. The limit of detection (LOD) of the proposed method was in the range of 0.08–13 ng L⁻¹. For most of the target compounds, except for 17α-ethinylestradiol, 17β-estradiol and estrone, the LOD values were equal or below those required by the EU Decision 2015/495. Accuracy was in the range of 69–120 %, whereas inter-day variability was below 20 % in all cases. The validated method was applied to assess the presence of these compounds in Mediterranean surface waters. Samples were collected from 18 sampling sites located in the south of Spain. Up to 14 compounds were detected, among them, the pharmaceutical compounds were the pollutants most frequently detected at concentration levels up to 1158 ng L⁻¹ (diclofenac).

An analytical method based on ultrasound-assisted extraction and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) clean-up has been developed and validated for the determination of 31 emerging pollutants in root vegetables. The target compounds were four preservatives, six perfluoroalkyl compounds, six UV filters, two biocides, eight anionic surfactants, three nonionic surfactants, and two plasticizers. The type and volume of the extraction solvent, those of the disperser solvent, the pH and NaCl content of the DLLME aqueous phase, the amount of sample, and the sonication time were optimized. Box–Behnken experimental design was applied to select the best extraction conditions. Matrix-matched calibration curves were used for quantification. Four internal standards were used to compensate for residual matrix effects. Good linearity (R2 > 0.990), accuracies (expressed as the relative recovery) of >82%, and precisions (expressed as the relative standard deviation) of <18% were achieved. Method quantification limits (MQLs), calculated from spiked samples as the concentrations corresponding to signal-to-noise ratios of 10, were in the range 0.1–25 ng g−1 dry weight (d.w.). MQL values for 26 of the 31 target compounds were lower than 5 ng g−1 d.w. The method was successfully applied to determine the target pollutants in carrots, potatoes, and turnips from a local market. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed method constitutes the first application of DLLME as a clean-up procedure for the multiresidue determination of emerging pollutants in vegetables. The method affords similar recoveries and method detection limits to previously reported methods but requires smaller solvent volumes and sample amounts and is less expensive.