Trials on ciprofloxacin removal from real aqueous systems were performed using a photocatalytic membrane reactor with catalyst in suspension. Four sets of four treatment cycles were carried out and experimental results were processed from the statistical point of view in order to assess results reproducibility. Global ciprofloxacin removal efficiencies of more than 99.85% were obtained for all treatment cycles. Coupling of photocatalytic degradation with membrane process allowed catalyst separation and reuse within further treatment cycles. Statistical analyse of experimental data recommend the use of photocatalytic membrane reactors as a feasible option for the advanced removal of pharmaceutical products like ciprofloxacin from real wastewater systems.

The present work is a preliminary study of mortality data and fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 µm, PM2.5) concentration in Kabyle village (northern Algeria) under COVID-19. Three epidemiological measures were used to quantify COVID-19-attributable mortality during the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and the first half of 2022, namely monthly death count, crude excess mortality (EM) and P-score (%). In addition, PM2.5 concentration was measured three times minimum in the morning (between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m.) for 2 to 25 days depending on the month, from August to October 2021 and from January to June 2022 to look for a possible correlation between air quality and monthly excess mortality. The P-score, as the most interesting parameter for comparison purposes, was found to range from approximately -67 % (in 2021, for women 65 years and older) to 133 % (in 2021, for men 65 years and older). For those under 65, the P-score is undefined, either because their EM is zero (the case in 2021 for men under 65) or because expected mortality is zero. The daily PM2.5 concentration varied from 0.5 to 150 µg/m3 during the entire observation period. A moderate positive correlation was found between monthly EM and monthly PM2.5 concentration, for women of all ages only (Kendall’s tau (τ) ~ 0.22, p = 0.00). This work could inspire other larger studies, which should include, for example, all the 23 villages of the municipality, considering other air pollution parameters with, in addition, a more consequent recording frequency.

The food and beverage industries are considered essential sources of wastewater contaminated with pollutants discharged into the sewerage networks of cities. This study focused on monitoring the analytical parameters regulated in the environmental legislation in force in Romania for factories with various sectors of activity in the processing industry. The main objective is to understand the presence of conventional contaminants in the effluents from the food and alcoholic beverages industry and raise awareness of the effects of spillage in local networks. The study occurred over three years, between 2020 and 2022 when monthly wastewater samples from factories processing chocolate, meat, and alcohol were monitored. Values that exceed the maximum allowed limits were recorded for the meat processing factory due to the processed raw materials. The effluents resulting from the technological processes of meat processing significantly impact the aquatic environment.

The current work focused on the water quality of the Bega and Timis rivers measured by two methods. One of them is the method by which the water was analyzed from a physical-chemical point of view, and the other aimed at quantifying the degree of water pollution by biological methods. In this sense, diatoms were used. In the study, samples of water and diatoms were taken using specific techniques from the Bega and Timis rivers, starting from near the area of their formation until near the border with Serbia. Four sampling points were chosen on the Timis River plus one sampling point on the Surgani River, which is a tributary of the Timis, and six sampling points on the Bega River. The points were chosen specifically, being located downstream of the major sources of pollution. In order to locate the points, information was collected from the studies carried out as part of an extensive monitoring that spanned several years. The abundance and diversity of diatom species were used to calculate the Biological Diatom Index (BDI) and the Saprobity Index (SI). These two indices provide valuable information about organic or heavy metal pollution of water bodies.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic situation put extreme pressure on the worldwide medical system from medical personnel to medical equipment. The protective face mask became the front line of anti-SARS-CoV-2 prevention methods, used by most of the world population, more than 7 billion people. The massive demand for face masks activated the world market, where countries from different continents increased their mask production and commercialization worldwide. Unfortunately, the focus on face mask production mostly relied on their ability to filter small-size molecules and less on their microbiological sterile status. Since bacterial structural communities could differ between various large populational groups or continents, in this study, we analyzed the microbial quality of face masks received from various countries/continents. There were analyzed the microbiological load of four types of masks, three from China and one from Romania. The bacterial density from masks was analyzed by membrane filtration and swabbing bacterial collection techniques. The results showed the Romanian mask had a smaller bacterial load than the Chinese masks. In addition, the bacterial identification showed a wide range of bacterial strains, quite different between face mask types.

Most frecquent used methods for recycling and treating plastic waste, with their advantages and disadvantages were analysed and investigated. Plastic waste present a slow degradation rate in nature, almost one thousand years, therefore it is important to address this type of pollution, by finding the most sustainable methods in reducing the percentage of plastic that ends up in landfills or in the ocean. The negative impact of plastic waste include bioaccumulation in organisms by exposure to micro and nano plastics that end up in the environment from degrading macro plastics or directly from products that contain microplastic, like exfoliating personal care products.

The aim of the study was to develop a new method for mercury determination from plants grown on mercury-polluted soils as well as to evaluate the mobility and bioavailability of mercury in the soil and its transfer to different plant organs (root, stem, leaves) from three different plants, such as mustard (Sinapis alba), thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and wild thyme. A cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) method for the detection of mercury in plants was developed. The developed method was validated in the laboratory and was verified using two different certified reference materials (CRMs) type matrices, namely: NIST 1515 Apple Leaves and BCR-482 Lichen.