Simone Stülp

Anxiety-like behaviour in mice exposed to tannery wastewater: The effect of photoelectrooxidation treatment.

The leather industry is a major producer of wastewaters and releases large quantities of many different chemical agents used in hide processing into the environment. Since the central nervous system is sensitive to many different contaminants, our aim was to investigate the neurobehavioral effects of exposure of mice to tannery effluents using animal models of depression and anxiety, namely forced swim and elevated plus-maze. In order to propose a clean technology for the treatment of this effluent, we also investigated the exposure of mice to effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation process (PEO). Adult male Swiss albino mice (CF1 strain) were given free access to water bottles containing an effluent treated by a tannery (non-PEO) or PEO-treated tannery wastewater (0.1 and 1% in drinking water). Exposure to tannery wastewater induced behavioural changes in the mice in elevated plus-maze. Exposure to non-PEO 1% decreased the percentage of time spent in the open arms, indicating anxiety-like behaviour. Exposure to tannery wastewater did not alter immobility time in the forced swim test, suggesting that tannery effluents did not induce depression-like behaviour in the mice. These behavioural data suggest that non-PEO tannery effluent has an anxiogenic effect, whereas PEO-treated tannery effluents do not alter anxiety levels.

Treatment of Effluent from the Agate Dyeing Industry Using Photodegradation and Electrodialysis Processes

The industrial dyeing of agates employs considerable quantities of synthetic dyes (organic and metallic ions). The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential value of coupling photodegradation with electrodialysis in the degradation of organic dyes and in the removal of contaminant ions present in raw effluent obtained from the agate dyeing industry. Photodegradation was carried out on a pilot-scale in a flow cell reactor fitted with a 400 W lamp. Electrodialysis was performed in a cell comprising three compartments separated by ion-selective membranes and fitted with a 70TiO2/30RuO2 DSA® anode and a titanium plate as cathode. The treatment produced a 62% reduction in the TOC present in the raw effluent, and around 20.5% of total nitrogen was extracted. Thus it was concluded that coupling photochemical degradation with electrodialysis represents an efficient method for treating effluents.

Photolysis and UV/H2O2 treatment of a synthetic effluent containing food dyes

Food industries employ a lot of synthetic dyes in their products. Most of these dyes are very stable face to the conventional treatments. This work studied the use of advanced oxidation process (AOP) as an alternative to the conventional ones to degrade a synthetic food effluent (photolysis and UV/H2O2 in continuous reactor). The more efficient process was the UV/H2O2 and it presented decoloration and degradation energetic efficiency values equal to 30.775 kWh m-3 and 269.909 kWh m-3, respectively. The color reduction was 96.4% and COD decrease was 38.56%.

Avaliação da degradação do corante vermelho bordeaux através de processo fotoquímico

This paper studied the photochemical degradation of food dye (red dye). The investigation aimed at the assessment of alternative treatments, focusing the use of clean technologies. The photochemical degradation experiments were performed in a compartment with UV radiation (mercury lamp - 250W). The photochemical treatment showed a 99% color and concentration reduction in the dye solution.Neste trabalho foi realizado o estudo da degradacao fotoquimica do corante vermelho bordeaux. O estudo objetivou a avaliacao de tratamentos alternativos com vistas a aplicacao de tecnologias limpas. Os experimentos de fotodegradacao foram realizados atraves da incidencia de radiacao UV em um compartimento contendo o corante (solucao). O tratamento fotoquimico reduziu em 99% a coloracao e a concentracao da solucao contendo o corante vermelho bordeaux.

Therapeutic ultrasound stimulates MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation through the activation of NF-κB1, p38α, and mTOR

As the population ages, osteometabolic diseases and osteoporotic fractures emerge, resulting in substantial healthcare resource utilization and impaired quality of life. Many types of mechanical stimulation have the potential of being recognized by bone cells after a mechanical sign is transformed into a biological one (a process called mechanotransduction). The therapeutic ultrasound (TU) is one of several resources capable of promoting bone cell mechanical stimulation. Therefore, the main purpose of present study was to evaluate the effect of TU on the proliferation of pre‐osteoblasts using in vitro bioassays.

Avaliação dos efeitos do ultrassom terapêutico sobre a cafeína e verificação da liberação em sistema de difusão vertical

Currently, the physiotherapists use the phonoforesis, which consists in the therapeutical ultrasound (US) used to increase the drug molecules migration through the skin, however, the US can shows oxidative effects, and is used, for example, in chemical reactions acceleration. The present study aimed to perform the electrochemical evaluation and the diffusion investigation of gel/caffeine 5% solutions submitted to therapeutical US (continuous mode, 1.0 W cm-2 and 1 MHz). It this study, it has been verified diffusion increase and a possible oxidation of the caffeine molecules, when subjected to therapeutical US.

Effect of tannery effluent on oxidative status of brain structures and liver of rodents

Oxidative stress has been considered as a central mechanism of toxicity induced by xenobiotics. Previously, it was demonstrated that mice exposed to tannery effluent showed an anxiety-like behavior, without any comparable behavioral effects in rats. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of tannery wastewater on oxidative status in in vitro and in vivo assays with two mammal species, mice and rats. Specifically, homogenates of two brain areas and the liver were incubated with tannery wastewater; reactive species and lipid peroxidation levels and antioxidant enzyme activities were detected. In addition, the effects of in vivo exposure of mice to tannery effluents on and lipid peroxidation levels and the total reactive antioxidant capacity in brain areas and liver. Brain areas, the hippocampus and frontal cortex, and the liver of mice exposed to tannery wastewater showed oxidative stress. Our data suggest that divergent species-dependent hepatic enzymes adaptations, such as glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase activities, induced by tannery effluent could explain previous behavioral findings.

Poly(methylene blue)-modified electrode for indirect electrochemical sensing of OH radicals and radical scavengers

A new modified electrode for indirect sensing of OH· and radical scavengers was described. The electrochemical polymerization of methylene blue in aqueous solutions and the properties of the resulting films on a glassy carbon electrode were carried out using cyclic voltammetry. A surface coverage of 1.11 × 109mol cm2 was obtained, revealing a complete surface coverage of the polymeric film on the electrode surface. OH· was able to destroy the poly(methylene blue) film by exposure to a Fenton solution. The loss of the electrochemical signal of the residual polymeric film attached to the electrode surface was related to the extent of its dissolution. The applicability of the sensor was demonstrated by evaluating the OH radical scavenging effect on different concentrations of ascorbic acid. The obtained radical scavenging capacity were 31.4%, 55.7%, 98.9% and 65.7% for the ascorbic acid concentrations of 5, 10, 30 and 50 mM, respectively.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulates mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells through calcium and phosphate uptake

HighlightsLIPUS can stimulate the pre‐osteoblast bone cell mineralization.LIPUS stimulates mineralization through calcium and phosphate uptake.LIPUS promote HA formation deposited in a framework of collagen fibers. ABSTRACT The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on pre‐osteoblast mineralization using in vitro bioassays. Pre‐osteoblastic MC3T3‐E1 cells were exposed to LIPUS at 1 MHz frequency, 0.2 W/cm2 intensity and 20% duty cycle for 30 min. The analyses were carried out up to 336 h (14 days) after exposure. The concentration of collagen, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, calcium and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐&bgr;1) in cell supernatant and the presence of calcium deposits in the cells were analyzed. Our results showed that LIPUS promotes mineralized nodules formation. Collagen, phosphate, and calcium levels were decreased in cell supernatant at 192 h after LIPUS exposure. However, alkaline phosphatase and TGF‐&bgr;1 concentrations remained unchanged. Therapeutic pulsed ultrasound is capable of stimulating differentiation and mineralization of pre‐osteoblastic MC3T3‐E1 cells by calcium and phosphate uptake with consequent hydroxyapatite formation.

Uso de Ferramentas Quimiométricas para Otimização do Processo de Remoção de Fósforo por Eletrocoagulação

O tratamento de aguas residuais e uma questao que tem sido estudada nos ultimos anos devido ao grande potencial degenerativo do meio ambiente. A disponibilidade de nutrientes, em especial o fosforo, causa a eutrofizacao de rios e lagos. A eletrocoagulacao e uma tecnica de simples aplicacao para a remocao de poluentes. O planejamento experimental multivariado foi utilizado para otimizacao da eficiencia do processo de remocao de fosforo por eletrocoagulacao utilizando um meio sintetico simples. Com base em um planejamento fatorial fracionario e dados da literatura, o potencial aplicado, o tempo de eletrolise e a condutividade inicial do eletrolito foram identificados como variaveis significativas. O planejamento Box-Behnken e a Metodologia de Superficie de Resposta foram entao utilizados para a otimizacao. A amplitude do dominio experimental neste estudo foi limitada pelo equipamento utilizado (maximo de 25 V). Mesmo assim, uma remocao maxima de fosforo de 97,1% foi estimada em potencial de 25 V aplicado por 12,5 min usando uma condutividade inicial de 1,1 mS cm -2 . A validacao do modelo foi realizada e apresentou uma reducao de 92% para a remocao de fosforo, obtendo uma resposta apenas 5,1% abaixo do esperado, o que comprova a confiabilidade do modelo multivariado.