Persistence of N-oxides transformation products of tertiary amine drugs at lab and field studies.

This work aimed at studying the formation and persistence of N-oxides transformation products (TPs) of tertiary amine drugs by combining laboratory and field studies relevant for surface water. A monitoring study using passive samplers was first achieved for assessing attenuation of selected pharmaceuticals and their related N-oxides and N-, O-dealkylated TPs (i.e., venlafaxine, tramadol, amisulpride and sulpiride) along a 1.7 km river stretch between two sampling sites. This study revealed the stability of tramadol-N-oxide, amisulpride-N-oxide and the fast dissipation of O-desmethylvenlafaxine-N-oxide, as well as the significance of N-oxidized TPs in comparison to N-dealkylated TPs and parent compounds in river. Lab-scale experiments were then implemented for a better understanding of their mechanisms of formation and degradation under aerobic water/sediment testing and under simulated solar photochemistry. N-oxidation reactions were always a minor transformation pathway under both degradation conditions with respect to N-and O-dealkylation reactions. The amount of generated N-oxides were similar for venlafaxine, tramadol and sulpiride and peaked in the 8.4-12.8% and <4% of their initial concentration (100 µg/L), during photodegradation and biodegradation experiments, respectively. Other transformation pathways such as hydroxylation and α-C-hydroxylation followed by oxidation to amide or dehydration were also identified. Investigated N-oxides TPs (except O-desmethylvenlafaxine-N-oxide) were found stable under solar photolysis and aerobic biodegradation with a very slight reverse reaction to parent compound observed for tramadol-N-oxide and amisulpride-N-oxide. Lab-scale degradation experiments were not able to anticipate the high occurrence levels of N-oxide compounds in the environment. This was most likely due to faster degradation kinetics and/or higher sorption to sediment of parent compounds and dealkylated TPs over N-oxide TPs, resulting in higher relative accumulation of the latter.

Effects of tetracycline, sulfonamide, fluoroquinolone, and lincosamide load in pig slurry on lettuce: Agricultural and human health implications.

The application of pig slurry as fertilizer in agriculture provides nutrients, but it can also contain veterinary medicines, including antibiotic residues (ABs), which can have an ecotoxicological impact on agroecosystems. Furthermore, uptake, translocation, and accumulation of ABs in crops can mobilize them throughout the food chain. This greenhouse study aims to assess AB uptake from soil fertilized with pig slurry and its phenotypical effects on Lactuca sativa L. The plants were cropped in loamy clay soil dosed at 140 kg total N/ha and containing antibiotics (lincomycin, sulfadiazine, oxytetracycline, and enrofloxacin) at different concentration levels (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg fresh weight, fw). Whereas sulfadiazine (11.8 ng/g fw) was detected in lettuce leaves at the intermediate doses (0.5 mg/kg), lincomycin and its transformation products (hydroxy/sulfate) were only detected at the 50 mg/kg fw dose. In addition, increased AB doses in the pig slurry resulted in decreased lettuce fresh weight and lipid and carbohydrate content and became lethal to lettuce at the highest AB concentrations (500 mg/kg fw). Nevertheless, even at higher doses, the AB content in lettuce following pig-slurry fertilization did not pose any direct significant human health risk (total hazard quotient<0.01). However, the promotion of antimicrobial resistance in humans due to the intake of these vegetables cannot be ruled out.

Occurrence of antibiotics in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) following organic soil fertilisation under plot-scale conditions: Crop and human health implications.

Recent studies have demonstrated the crop uptake of antibiotics (ABs) from soils treated with AB-carrying fertilisers. However, there is a lack of plot-scale studies linking their effects at the agronomic and metabolomic/transcriptomic level to their impact on human health. This paper assesses the plant uptake of 23 ABs following two productive cycles of lettuce and radish cropped with sewage sludge, pig slurry, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, or chemical fertilisation under plot-scale conditions (32 plots spanning 3-10 m2 each). AB uptake by plants depended on both the vegetable and the AB class and was higher in radish than in lettuce edible parts. Levels ranged from undetectable to up to 76 ng/g (fresh weight). Repetitive organic fertilisation resulted in an increase in the concentration of ABs in lettuce leaves, but not in radish roots. Significant metabolomic and transcriptomic changes were observed following soil fertilisation. Nevertheless, a human health risk assessment indicates that the occurrence of ABs in lettuce or radish edible parts does not pose any risk. To our knowledge, this is the first holistic plot-scale study demonstrating that the use of organic fertilisers containing ABs is safe for crop security and human health.

A novel method to produce hydroxyapatite objects with interconnecting porosity that avoids sintering.

Porous objects of carbonated apatite were prepared by mixing polyvinyl alcohol fibres (PVA) and sodium chloride as porogens with nanocrystalline carbonated apatite powder. After cold isostatic pressing (CIP) and dissolving the porogens, the bioceramic showed an interconnecting porosity with pore diameters in the range of 250-400 microm. The method can be transposed to any material that is insoluble in water (like many polymers). Such objects are promising for bone regeneration because the interconnecting porosity in carbonated apatite provides a good environment for bone attachment and ingrowth.

A thorough physicochemical characterisation of 14 calcium phosphate-based bone substitution materials in comparison to natural bone.

Fourteen different synthetic or biological bone substitution materials were characterised by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Thus, the main parameters chemical composition, crystallinity, and morphology were determined. The results are compared with natural bone samples. The materials fall into different classes: Chemically treated bone, calcined bovine bone, algae-derived hydroxyapatite, synthetic hydroxyapatite, peptide-loaded hydroxyapatite, and synthetic beta-TCP ceramics.

An optimized synthetic substrate for orthodontic bond strength testing.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of different synthetic calcium phosphate based substrates as a biomimetic enamel surface model for orthodontic bond strength testing. METHODS: Carbonated apatite, amorphous calcium phosphate and commercial hydroxyapatite specimens were prepared as substrates for orthodontic bond strength testing. Carbonated apatite specimens were prepared by pressing, sintering and treatment with NaF. The shear bond strength was measured with a universal testing machine. RESULTS: Hydroxyapatite, amorphous and cold pressed carbonated hydroxyapatite exhibited fractures within the substrate after debonding. Mean bond strength values for carbonated hydroxyapatite were 7.38 (1.75) MPa for specimens pressed at 300 degrees C and 9.55 (2.23) MPa for specimens pressed at 300 degrees C and then sintered at 600 degrees C. An additional NaF treatment after sintering resulted in lower bond strength measurements of on average 6.52 (1.03) MPa. SIGNIFICANCE: Hot pressed and sintered carbonated hydroxyapatite showed acceptable shear bond strength values and may represent a suitable biomimetic model for orthodontic bond strength testing.

Mechanically stable implants of synthetic bone mineral by cold isostatic pressing.

A calcium phosphate phase that is equivalent in composition (carbonate content) and crystallinity (nanocrystals) to the mineral phase of bone was prepared by a continuous precipitation method. The powder was compacted by cold isostatic pressing into desired shapes with high compressive strength (range of 20-50 MPa, depending on the geometry). It is concluded that such implant materials can be prepared with a fine-tuned biodegradability in combination with a high mechanical strength. The high mechanical strength of the objects also permits further mechanical shaping procedures like drilling or cutting.

Continuous synthesis of amorphous carbonated apatites.

Amorphous carbonated hydroxyapatite was prepared by rapid mixing of aqueous solutions of a continuous computer-controlled reactor. The variation of the carbonate content in the solid product is possible by adjustment of the ratios of phosphate to carbonate in the initial solution. The principal reaction parameters (temperature, pH, stirrer speed, solution composition and supersaturation) are controlled and monitored. By controlling these processing parameters, a non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite with fine-tuned crystallinity, morphology, and carbonate content can be reproducibly prepared. The higher solubility under the conditions of osteoclastic resorption was tested in vitro at constant pH (4.4).