ABSTRACT
Plastics are becoming a pervasive pollutant in every environmental matrix, particularly in the aquatic environment. Due to increased plastic usage and its impact on human and aquatic life, microplastic (MP) pollution has been studied extensively as a global issue. The production of MP has been linked to both consumer and commercial practices. There is a significant amount of MP's that must be removed by wastewater treatment plants before they can be bioaccumulated. Many researchers have recently become interested in the possibility of eliminating MPs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Many studies have analyzed MP's environmental effects, including its emission sources, distribution, and impact on the surrounding environment. The effectiveness of their removal by various wastewater treatment technologies requires a critical review that accounts for all these methods. In this review, we have covered the most useful technologies for the removal of MP during WWTP. The findings of this review should help scientists and policymakers move forward with studies, prototypes, and proposals for significant remediation impact on water quality.
ABSTRACT
Microneedle patches are promising transdermal drug delivery platforms with minimal invasiveness in a painless manner. Microneedle patch could be a promising alternate route for delivery of drugs having poor solubility and low bioavailability. This research work therefore, aimed to develop and characterize microneedle patch of thiolated chitosan (TCS) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) for the systemic delivery of dydrogesterone (DYD). TCS-PVA-based microneedle patch was fabricated with 225 needles having a length of 575 µm with the sharp pointed end. Different ratios of TCS-PVA-based patch were employed to investigate the effects of mechanical tensile strength and percentage elongation. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed intact sharp-pointed needles. In vitro dissolution studies of microneedle patch (MN-P) were carried out by modified Franz-diffusion cell revealing the sustained release of DYD 81.45 ± 2.768 % at 48 hrs as compared to pure drug that showed 96.7 ± 1.75 % at 12 hrs. The transport of DYD (81%) across skin reaching the systemic circulation was evaluated through ex vivo permeation studies of MN-P. The skin penetration study through the parafilm M method showed good penetration with no deformation and breakage of needles along with no visible signs of skin irritation. Histological study of mice skins clearly showed the deeper penetration of needles into the skin. In summary, as-prepared MN-P show potential in developing an effective transdermal delivery system for DYD.
ABSTRACT
Toxicity with heavy metals has proven to be a significant hazard with several health problems linked to it. Heavy metals bioaccumulate in living organisms, pollute the food chain, and possibly threaten the health of animals. Many industries, fertilizers, traffic, automobile, paint, groundwater, and animal feed are sources of contamination of heavy metals. Few metals, such as aluminum (Al), may be eliminated by the elimination processes, but other metals like lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Ca) accumulate in the body and food chain, leading to chronic toxicity in animals. Even if these metals have no biological purpose, their toxic effects are still present in some form that is damaging to the animal body and its appropriate functioning. Cadmium (Cd) and Pb have negative impacts on a number of physiological and biochemical processes when exposed to sub-lethal doses. The nephrotoxic effects of Pb, As, and Cd are well known, and high amounts of naturally occurring environmental metals as well as occupational populations with high exposures have an adverse relationship between kidney damage and toxic metal exposure. Metal toxicity is determined by the absorbed dosage, the route of exposure, and the duration of exposure, whether acute or chronic. This can lead to numerous disorders and can also result in excessive damage due to oxidative stress generated by free radical production. Heavy metals concentration can be decreased through various procedures including bioremediation, pyrolysis, phytoremediation, rhizofiltration, biochar, and thermal process. This review discusses few heavy metals, their toxicity mechanisms, and their health impacts on cattle with special emphasis on the kidneys.
