Search

Background: Plastic pollution has reached an alarming magnitude, defining the contemporary era as the "Plastic Age." Uncontrolled plastic production and inadequate recycling processes have led to widespread contamination of the environment with micro and nanoplastics., Objective: The study aims to assess the environmental and human health consequences of exposure to microplastic particles (MPs) and their additives among plastic recycling workers in Dhaka. Specifically, it focuses on mapping the management pathways of plastic waste from collection to disposal, analyzing the types of MPs in the environment, and assessing the potential health impacts on plastic recycling workers., Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study design was used, consisting of exposed and nonexposed groups in plastic recycling sites in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study will establish possible associations between different health consequences and microplastic particle exposure with a systematic approach involving plastic recycling hot spot detection, management pathway mapping, and detecting the presence of environmental MP. MPs and heavy metals will be detected from environmental samples using fluorescence microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Human exposure will be assessed by detecting the metabolites of bisphenol and phthalates from urine samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and thoroughly evaluating endocrine, reproductive, respiratory, and renal functions. The sample size was derived from the mean concentrations of urinary bisphenol and phthalates metabolites, requiring the participation of 168 respondents. A 1:1 exposure to nonexposed stratification would be sufficient to meet our study objectives, considering the conventional level of power and confidence interval. This study protocol (PR#22111) has received approval from the Research Review Committee and Ethical Review Committee of the icddr,b., Results: The project was funded in August 2022. We started collecting environmental samples in January 2023 and completed participant enrollment, exposure survey, and biological sample collection by December 2023. We enrolled 84 adult plastic recycling workers with at least 5 years of exposure history and 84 nonexposed participants who were not involved with plastic recycling activities. Data analysis is currently underway, and the first results are expected to be submitted for publication in November 2024., Conclusions: The findings would provide valuable insights into the adverse impacts of microplastic pollution on both the environment and human health, aiding in better understanding the extent of the issue., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/60289., (©Shaikh Sharif Hasan, Abdus Salam, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Md Aynul Bari, Nirupam Aich, Farjana Jahan, Mahbubur Rahman, Zubayer Islam, Md Humayun Kabir, Md Aftab Ali Shaikh, Rubhana Raqib, Sarker Masud Parvez. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 29.11.2024.)

Intercalation in two-dimensional (2D) materials can modify their physical, chemical, and electronic properties. This modification enables the tailoring of 2D material characteristics, enhancing their performance and expanding their applications in various fields. The friction performance of 2D materials such as MoS 2 and graphite has a strong dependence on their interlayer spacing, and they exhibit an increase in d -spacing associated with a reduction in friction performance. The ability to control the interlayer spacing of Ti 3 C 2 T z MXene has proven beneficial for energy storage applications such as batteries and supercapacitors, but no one has utilized this control of interlayer spacing for lubrication. In this study, we demonstrate that interlayer spacing of multilayer (ML) Ti 3 C 2 T z MXene can be controlled through chemical intercalation and its direct effects on the electrical conductivity and friction performance. We observed a notable decrease in electrical conductivity in vacuum-filtered ML-Ti 3 C 2 T z MXene films, which was attributed to an increased internal resistance resulting from the expansion of the interlayer gap. We also found a significant reduction in the coefficient of friction for ML-Ti 3 C 2 T z MXene with an increased d -spacing. This reduction is attributed to a weakened attraction of individual ML-Ti 3 C 2 T z MXene layers (intercalated). Under a tangential force, it becomes easier to slide within the larger interlayer gap with weakened van der Waals forces. This work provides insights into the tunability of MXene properties through interlayer spacing, offering potential applications requiring materials with specific electrical and friction characteristics.

Improper disposal of used dry cell batteries and the leaching of bisphenol A (BPA), a prevalent endocrine disruptor present in food packaging, into surface water pose a significant threat to both the environment and drinking water, threatening the sustainability of the ecosystem. Thus, it is imperative to manage detrimental e-waste and regularly monitor BPA using a sensitive and reliable technique. This study proposes a cost-effective reduced graphene oxide/zinc oxide (rGO/ZnO) nanohybrid, entirely synthesized from electronic waste, for electrochemically detecting BPA in an aqueous medium. Graphite and metallic Zn precursors obtained from discarded batteries were employed to synthesize rGO/ZnO. The successful characterization of the prepared rGO and rGO/ZnO nanohybrid was conducted through different state-of-the-art techniques. An rGO/ZnO-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited superior conductivity and a larger surface area. Voltammetric study at the rGO/ZnO-modified GCE successfully detected BPA in an aqueous medium, demonstrating a one-electron and proton pathway for BPA oxidation. The sensor demonstrated a linear response within the concentration range of 1-30 μM, with a limit of detection of 0.98 nM and sensitivity of 0.055 μA μM -1 . The developed electrode could also detect BPA in real water samples with reasonable recovery. These findings imply that the developed sensor has the potential to be a sensitive, practical, and economical monitoring system for BPA in water., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background:  Azo dyes featuring one (monoazo) or several intramolecular NQN bonds are utilized in the food, pharmaceutical, and textile industries. The food azo dye chocolate brown HT (E155) adversely affects hepatic and renal function upon prolonged consumption. This study aimed to assess the carcinogenic potential of E155 in the development of mammary tumors and breast cancer., Methods:  A total of 20 female Long-Evans rats (eight to nine weeks old) were randomly assigned to five groups, each consisting of four rats. The control (female control) group received a regular diet, whereas the positive control (female positive control) group received 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. The remaining three groups received 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day E155 for 40 weeks. Tumor development, BW, and biochemical, hematological, and histological data were monitored., Results:  BW decreased significantly with increasing dosages in the female moderate dose (FMD) group. Blood counts indicated potential microcytic anemia and inflammation in the treatment groups, especially in the female high-dose (FHD) group. E155 dose-dependently impaired renal function and increased blood creatinine and uric acid levels. Elevated serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase levels indicate abnormal liver function. FHD animals had more tumors and larger sizes. Higher alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and cancer antigen levels were detected even at low doses. Histopathological analysis revealed that E155 causes mammary gland fibroadenomas, ductal carcinoma in situ, and hyperplasia. It also causes circular layer granulomas, fibrosis, and crypt abscesses in the intestines of FMD and FHD., Conclusion:  The current study suggests that prolonged exposure to E155 may result in a higher incidence of mammary tumors, indicating an elevated risk for the onset of breast cancer., Competing Interests: Human subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve human participants or tissue. Animal subjects: The Ethics Committee of Islamic University Issued protocol number FBS/ERC/IU-2021/05. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: The authors T. M. Tawabul Islam and Mustakin Ahmed Shohel are affiliated with Parul University, India, under the supervision of the author Ivvala Anand Shaker, who has recently transferred to a new institution. Prior to their enrollment at Parul University, they obtained their M.Sc. degrees from Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Consequently, they maintain affiliations with both Parul University, and Islamic University. The author Abul Kashem Tang, Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Islamic University, served as a co-supervisor and facilitated access to the animal laboratory of the Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Islamic University, for the conduct of their research., (Copyright © 2024, Islam et al.)

Objective: To develop and validate machine learning algorithms to automatically extract the rod length of the magnetically controlled growing rod from ultrasound images (US) in a pilot study., Methods: Two machine-learning (ML) models, called the "Boundary model" and "Rod model," were developed to identify specific rod segments on ultrasound images. The models were developed utilizing Mask Regional Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask RCNN). Ninety US images were acquired from 23 participants who had early onset scoliosis (EOS) surgeries; among those, 70 were used for model development, including training and validation, and 20 were used for testing by comparing the AI-based vs. manual measurements., Results: The average precision (AP) of the ML models was 88.5% and 60.2%, respectively. The inter-method correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.98, and the mean absolute difference ± standard deviation (MAD ± SD) between AI and manual measurements was 0.86 ± 1.0 mm. The Bland-Altman analysis showed no bias, and 90% of the data were within the 95% confidence interval. The automated method was reliable, accurate, and fast. Measurements were displayed in 4.6 seconds after the US image was inputted., Conclusion: This was the first AI-based method to measure the MCGR rod length on US images automatically., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors assert that they do not have any conflicting interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The recent trend of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) was studied extensively for their promising mechanical properties, but individual constituents' effects have remained unexplored. In this work, the effects of changing the percentage of elements of HfNbTaTiZr-HEA on the mechanical properties were analyzed during uniaxial tension using molecular dynamics simulation. The tensile strength and modulus of elastic properties of the samples were analyzed. It was found that adding Nb or Ta up to 10 % ( i.e. Nb10/Ta10) in the high entropy alloys increased the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from 2.9 GPa in the base alloy to 3.8/3.9 GPa (Nb10/Ta10) respectively, but further increment of these elements to 30 % resulted in a downgrade of UTS to 2.7 GPa. Similarly, the modulus of elasticity increased from 117.7 (±3) GPa in the base alloy to 137.7/129 (±3) GPa (Nb10/Ta10) respectively, but fell to 112-115 GPa upon further increment. The initial increase in strength could be due to the solid solution strengthening mechanism. However, further increases in these elements might hinder the development of a homogeneous solid solution because of differences in atomic size and crystal structure, which could ultimately reduce the alloy's strength. However, the effect of Ti and Zr follows an opposite trend as compared to Nb and Ta. Furthermore, the optimum composition of HEAs alloys was analyzed using a surface-contour plot and suggests minimizing the inclusion of Ta for maximizing the UTS, E, and %Elongation. Also, the high-temperature behavior of the optimized HEA's alloy was analyzed which showed a deterioration in properties at elevated temperature. The fracture evolution of the samples showed cup and cone-type fractures propagating under strain, the linear thermal expansion coefficient of HfNbTaTiZr-HEA was also calculated and found closer to the literature value., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Spatiotemporal monitoring of pesticide residues in river water is urgently needed due to its negative environmental and human health consequences. The present study is to investigate the occurrence of multiclass pesticide residue in the surface water of the Feni River, Bangladesh, using an optimized salting-out assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (SALLME) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The optimized SALLME method was developed and validated following the SANTE/11312/2021 guidelines. A total of 42 water samples were collected and analyzed to understand the spatiotemporal distribution of azoxystrobin (AZ), buprofezin (BUP), carbofuran (CAR), pymetrozine (PYM), dimethoate (DMT), chlorantraniliprole (CLP), and difenoconazole (DFN). At four spike levels (n = 5) of 20, 40, 200, and 400 μg/L, the recovery percentages were satisfactory, ranging between 71.1 % and 107.0 % (RSD ≤13.8 %). The residues ranged from below the detection level (BDL) to 14.5 μg/L. The most frequently detected pesticide was DMT (100 %), followed by CLP (52.3809-57.1429), CAR (4.7619-14.2867), and PYM (4.7619-9.5238). However, AZ and BUP were below the detection limit in the analyzed samples of both seasons. Most pesticides and the highest concentrations were detected in March 2023, while the lowest concentrations were present in August 2023.Furthermore, ecological risk assessment based on the general-case scenario (RQ m ) and worst-case scenario (RQ ex ) indicated a high (RQ > 1) risk to aquatic organisms, from the presence of PYM and CLP residue in river water. Human health risk via dietary exposure was estimated using the hazard quotient (HQ). Based on the detected residues, the HQ (<1) value indicated no significant health risk. This report provides the first record of pesticide residue occurrences scenario and their impact on the river environment of Bangladesh., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)