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The Ciprofloxacin (CIP) toxicity and salinity stress in agricultural soils cause risk to environmental and food safety. Consequently, it is essential to devise or use more effective techniques for mitigating salinity and ciprofloxacin-induced stress in soil. This study includes the nZVI-loaded biochar synthesis, integrating the unique characteristics of raw biochar with nZVI. The present study examined the impact of raw and nZVI-loaded biochar on soil quality and the mitigation of salinity stress and Ciprofloxacin toxicity in wheat plants. The results showed that the application of nZVI-loaded biochar treatments led to substantial enhancement in shoot biomass, root biomass, grain biomass, and spike biomass by 152.1, 54.3 %, 59.8 %, and 151 %, respectively compared to control treatment. The treatment with nZVI-loaded biochar significantly increased the rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as the conductance of stomata. It also resulted in higher levels of intercellular CO2, photosynthetic pigments, and water use efficiency with increases of 49 %, 59 %, 57 %, 37 %, 40 %, and 95 %, respectively. The nZVI-loaded biochar significantly decreased electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide levels compared to the NaCl treatment alone. It also enhanced the activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The non-enzymatic antioxidants including total soluble sugars (TSS), flavonoids, total soluble proteins (TSP), phenolics, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, proline, and glycine betaine significantly influenced by the nZVI-loaded biochar. The nZVI-loaded biochar effectively alleviates the stress of soils that are contaminated with hazardous amounts of Ciprofloxacin while improving the soil and plant health.

The Ciprofloxacin (CIP) toxicity and salinity stress in agricultural soils cause risk to environmental and food safety. Consequently, it is essential to devise or use more effective techniques for mitigating salinity and ciprofloxacin-induced stress in soil. This study includes the nZVI-loaded biochar synthesis, integrating the unique characteristics of raw biochar with nZVI. The present study examined the impact of raw and nZVI-loaded biochar on soil quality and the mitigation of salinity stress and Ciprofloxacin toxicity in wheat plants. The results showed that the application of nZVI-loaded biochar treatments led to substantial enhancement in shoot biomass, root biomass, grain biomass, and spike biomass by 152.1, 54.3 %, 59.8 %, and 151 %, respectively compared to control treatment. The treatment with nZVI-loaded biochar significantly increased the rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, as well as the conductance of stomata. It also resulted in higher levels of intercellular CO 2 , photosynthetic pigments, and water use efficiency with increases of 49 %, 59 %, 57 %, 37 %, 40 %, and 95 %, respectively. The nZVI-loaded biochar significantly decreased electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide levels compared to the NaCl treatment alone. It also enhanced the activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The non-enzymatic antioxidants including total soluble sugars (TSS), flavonoids, total soluble proteins (TSP), phenolics, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, proline, and glycine betaine significantly influenced by the nZVI-loaded biochar. The nZVI-loaded biochar effectively alleviates the stress of soils that are contaminated with hazardous amounts of Ciprofloxacin while improving the soil and plant health. [Display omitted] • nZVI-loaded biochar proved highly efficient in mitigating ciprofloxacin contamination and salinity stress in wheat. • nZVI-loaded biochar reduced oxidative stress with subsequent increase in enzymatic and non-Enzymatic antioxidants in wheat. • nZVI-loaded biochar also enhanced the gas exchange attributes, WUE performance and wheat yield under stress. • nZVI-loaded biochar provides an eco-friendly option to improve soil fertility and mitigate soil pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased consumption of antibiotics and their partial metabolism by the human and animal body have led to the frequent identification of such compounds in various environmental matrices. Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is one of the most widely used antibiotics worldwide and it has low mobility and high sorption to soil, leading to the potential to accumulate and persist on organic fertilizers (manure and sewage sludge) and agricultural soils. Therefore, the presence of CIP in the agricultural environment has become an emerging concern as it may negatively affect soil organisms and soil quality, and contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, thus threatening food security and public health. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the multigenerational and transgenerational effects of CIP on the reproduction of Enchytraeus crypticus to properly assess the long-term impacts of such exposure. Our results for the multigenerational test showed that the reproduction of the organisms was affected from the third to the last (sixth) generation, highlighting the importance of long-term evaluation. There was also evidence of tolerance to reproduction of E. crypticus, as there was no statistical difference between concentrations for all generations, including for among the last three generations themselves. For the transgenerational tests, almost all results showed no statistical difference from the controls, indicating that the effects of CIP may be reversible when the organisms are transferred to clean media. However, since the last generations in the transgenerational tests showed significant differences from the first of the multigenerational tests, the adverse effects may still persist to some extent in the subsequent generations. Thus, when evaluating the effects of CIP on soil media, its persistence and behavior in this matrix must be considered. We strongly recommend that further long-term exposure studies be conducted and considered in regulatory decision-making, especially for persistent compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Marcela Ravanelli Martins reports financial support was provided by Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement. If there are other authors, they 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to chemical mixtures is the norm in natural environments. Yet, water quality regulations are still mostly constructed for individual chemicals. However, an important ambition of the European Green Deal is the future implementation of mixture toxicity to address the risks posed by the joint presence of multiple chemicals in aquatic ecosystems (e.g., via a mixture allocation factor, MAF). This study aimed to contribute to this by investigating the ecotoxicity of a series of binary ciprofloxacin‑copper (CIP-Cu) mixtures at environmental realistic concentrations to the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, which is the most CIP-sensitive freshwater species identified so far. The two chemicals have distinct modes of action, however, the bioavailability of both is influenced by pH. The toxicity data of CIP-Cu mixtures were analysed to examine if significant interactions exist relative to the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) models. CIP-Cu mixtures behaved antagonistically relative to the CA model, whereas there was no interactive toxicity relative to the IA model, which better describes the CIP-Cu mixture toxicity, in line with expectations based on the distinct modes of action of Cu and CIP. Furthermore, attention was placed to the influence of Cu in the low-effect concentration range (≤ EC10, the 10 % effective concentration) on CIP ecotoxicity, in order to identify potential synergistic effects that may lower the toxic threshold of CIP in the presence of Cu. Across the pH range 7.3-9.0, the presence of '≤ EC10' level of Cu did not affect the EC10 of CIP. Only at pH 8.0, but not at pH 7.3 or 9.0, the addition of an (EC10)/2 level of Cu lowered the 50 % effect concentration (EC50) of CIP from 2.8 to 2.0 μg L -1 . The overall observations confirmed that there are no significant interactive effects between Cu and CIP relative to the IA model. Therefore, regulatory environmental threshold concentrations for CIP derived from single-chemical tests, are protective in situations of co-occurrence with Cu, provided that Cu remains below its own environmental quality standards., 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.)

The antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP), detected in various aqueous environments, has broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties that can severely affect methanogenic performance in anaerobic systems. In this study, a novel strategy to alleviate the inhibition of AD performance under CIP press with the direct addition of biochar (BC) prepared from corn stover was proposed and the corresponding alleviation mechanism was investigated. When the dosage of BC was 5 and 20 g/L, the cumulative methane production in AD could reach 317.9 and 303.0 mL/g COD, and the CIP degradation efficiencies reached 94.1 % and 96.6 %, significantly higher than those of 123.0 mL/g COD and 81.2 % in the Control system. BC avoided excessive reactive oxygen species in anaerobic systems and induced severe oxidative stress response, while protecting the cell membrane and cell wall of microorganisms. Microorganisms could consume and utilize more organic extracellular polymeric substances for their growth and metabolism. When BC was involved in AD, fewer toxic intermediates were generated during CIP biodegradation, reducing acute and chronic toxicity in anaerobic systems. Microbial diversity suggested that BC could enrich functional microorganisms involved in direct interspecies electron transfer like Methanosaeta, norank_f_Bacteroidetes_vadinHA17, JGI-0000079-D21 and Syntrophomonas, thus facilitating the methanogenic process and CIP degradation. Genetic analyses showed that BC could effectively upregulate functional genes related to the conversion of butyrate-to-acetate and acetyl-to-methane under CIP stress, while functional gene abundance associated with CIP degradation enhanced partially, about encoding translocases, oxidoreductases, lyases, and ligases. Therefore, BC can be added to AD under CIP press to address its inhibited methanogenic performance., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CIP) is a broad-spectrum synthetic antibiotic often found in domestic sewage and industrial waste due to the inefficiency of conventional treatments. Given the potential risk of drug accumulation, this study presents coatings of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO 2 ) doped with different bismuth (Bi) concentrations to degrade CIP through photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes. Characterization studies revealed that bismuth (Bi) doping affected the morphology of the materials, with concentrations of 0.01 and 0.05 mol L -1 , resulting in collapsed materials with a smaller active surface area. Photocatalysis tests for all the materials exhibited a similar degree of efficiency to photolysis, approximately 33%. Ecotoxicity tests using the biomarkers Lactuca sativa L ., Lemna minor , and Artemia salina indicated that, although they were similar to photolysis in terms of efficiency, the effluents generated when employing the doped catalysts showed lower levels of toxicity, with the best results achieved for the material doped with 0.005 mol L -1 of Bi, with a toxicity level approximately 40% lower. Photoelectrocatalysis proved to be the most efficient CIP degradation technique. The highest degradation rate was observed for materials doped with 0.005 mol L -1 of Bi, with an efficiency of 46%, which is 1.4 times more efficient than photolysis. These results demonstrate that materials doped with low amounts of Bi can be effectively used as photoanodes for drug degradation, as their performance is superior, and the final product generated exhibits low toxicity to living organisms.

This study developed a continuous reactor system employing a hybrid hydrogel composite synthesized using a complex sludge microbiome and an adsorbent (HSA). This HSA-based system effectively eliminated the environmental risks associated with a mixture of the antibiotics ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, which exhibited higher toxicity in combination than individually at environmentally relevant levels. Analytical chemistry experiments revealed the in-situ generation of various byproducts (BPs) within the bioreactor system, with two of these BPs recording toxicity levels that surpassed those of their parent compound. The HSA approach successfully prevented the functional microbiome from being washed out of the reactor, while HSA efficiently removed antibiotic residues in their original and BP forms through synergistic adsorptive and biotransformation mechanisms, ultimately reducing the overall ecotoxicity. The use of HSA thus demonstrates promise not only as a mean to reduce the threat posed by toxic antibiotic residues to aquatic ecosystems but also as a practical solution to operational challenges, such as biomass loss/washout, that are frequently encountered in various environmental bioprocesses., 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.)

Ciprofloxacin (CFX) and ofloxacin (OFX) are commonly found as residual contaminants in aquatic environments, posing potential risks to various species. To ensure the safety of aquatic wildlife, it is essential to determine the toxicity of these antibiotics and establish appropriate concentration limits. Additionally, in (eco)toxicological studies, addressing the issue of multiple hypothesis testing through p -value adjustments is crucial for robust decision-making. In this study, we assessed the no observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) of CFX and OFX on Moina macrocopa across a concentration range of 0-400 µg L -1 . Furthermore, we investigated multiple p -value adjustments to determine the NOAECs. Our analysis yielded consistent results across seven different p -value adjustments, indicating NOAECs of 100 µg CFX L -1 for age at first reproduction and 200 µg CFX L -1 for fertility. For OFX treatment, a NOAEC of 400 µg L -1 was observed for both biomarkers. However, further investigation is required to establish the NOAEC of OFX at higher concentrations with greater certainty. Our findings demonstrate that CFX exhibits higher toxicity compared to OFX, consistent with previous research. Moreover, this study highlights the differential performance of p -value adjustment methods in terms of maintaining statistical power while controlling the multiplicity problem, and their practical applicability. The study emphasizes the low NOAECs for these antibiotics in the zooplanktonic group, highlighting their significant risks to ecological and environmental safety. Additionally, our investigation of p -value adjustment approaches contributes to a deeper understanding of their performance characteristics, enabling (eco)toxicologists to select appropriate methods based on their specific needs and priorities.

Atrazine (ATRA) and ciprofloxacin (CPRO) are widely detected, persistent and co-existing aquatic pollutants. This study investigated effects of 14-day single and joint ATRA and CPRO exposure on juvenile Clarias gariepinus. Standard bioassay methods were used to determine responses of oxidative stress, hepatic condition, and immunological biomarkers on days 7 and 14. Seven groups were used: Control, CPRO EC , CPRO Subl , ATRA EC , ATRA Subl , CPRO EC +ATRA EC , and CPRO Subl +ATRA Subl . The test substances caused decreased activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Lipid peroxidation was elevated, especially in CPRO-ATRA mixtures. Serum aminotransferases (ALT, and AST), and alkaline phosphatase activity increased significantly. Total protein, albumin, total immunoglobulin, and respiratory burst decreased significantly. Therefore, single and joint exposure to CPRO and ATRA poses adverse consequences on aquatic life., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no competing interests whatsoever., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a commonly used antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone group and is widely used in medical and veterinary medicine disciplines to treat bacterial infections. When CIP is discharged into the sewage system, it cannot be removed by a conventional wastewater treatment plant because of its recalcitrant characteristics. In this study, boron-doped diamond anode and persulfate were used to degrade CIP in an aquatic solution by creating an electrochemically activated persulfate (EAP) process. Iron was added to the system as a coactivator and the process was called EAP+Fe. The effects of independent variables, including pH, Fe 2+ , persulfate concentration, and electrolysis time on the system were optimized using the response surface methodology. The results showed that the EAP+Fe process removed 94% of CIP under the following optimum conditions: A pH of 3, persulfate/Fe 2+ concentration of 0.4 mmol/L, initial CIP concentration 30 mg/L, and electrolysis time of 12.64 min. CIP removal efficiency was increased from 65.10% to 94.35% by adding Fe 2+ as a transition metal. CIP degradation products, 7 pathways, and 78 intermediates of CIP were studied, and three of those intermediates (m/z 298, 498, and 505) were reported. The toxicological analysis based on toxicity estimation software results indicated that some degradation products of CIP were toxic to targeted animals, including fathead minnow, Daphnia magna, Tetrahymena pyriformis, and rats. The optimum operation costs were similar in EAP and EAP+Fe processes, approximately 0.54 €/m 3 ., 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 © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LEV) are broad-spectrum antibiotics with potent antibacterial activity. Although many studies have shown that antibiotics can lead to gut microbiota disruption, the effects of CIP and LEV on gut microbial colonization at the embryonic stage remain poorly characterized. Here, we evaluated the response of Bufo gargarizans embryos in terms of gut microbiota colonization, growth and developmental stages to CIP and LEV exposure. Embryos treated with 100 μg/L CIP and LEV exhibited significantly reduced diversity and richness of the gut microbiota, as well as altered community structure. Both CIP and LEV treatments resulted in an increase in the pathogenic bacteria Bosea and Aeromonas, and they appeared to be more resistant to CIP than LEV. Additionally, CIP exposure caused reduced total length and delayed the development in B. gargarizans embryos, while LEV increased the total length and promoted embryonic development. The present study revealed the adverse effects of CIP and LEV exposure on host gut microbiota, growth and development during the embryonic stage, and contributed new perspectives to the evaluation of early aquatic ecological risk under CIP and LEV exposure., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Persistent molecules, such as pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals, pose significant threats to both the environment and human health. Advancements in developing efficient photocatalysts for degrading these substances can play a fundamental role in remediating contaminated environments, thereby enhancing safety for all forms of life. This study investigates the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency achieved by incorporating La 3+ into Ag 3 PO 4 , using the co-precipitation method in an aqueous medium. These materials were utilized in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation, with monitoring conducted through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The synthesized materials exhibited improved stability and photodegradation levels for RhB. Particularly noteworthy was the 2% La 3+ -incorporated sample (APL2), which achieved a 32.6% mineralization of CIP, nearly three times higher than pure Ag 3 PO 4 . Toxicological analysis of the residue from CIP photodegradation using the microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata revealed high toxicity due to the leaching of Ag  +  ions from the catalyst. This underscores the necessity for cautious wastewater disposal after using the photocatalyst. The toxicity of the APL2 photocatalysts was thoroughly assessed through comprehensive toxicological tests involving embryo development in Danio rerio, revealing its potential to induce death and malformations in zebrafish embryos, even at low concentrations. This emphasizes the importance of meticulous management. Essentially, this study adeptly delineated a thorough toxicological profile intricately intertwined with the photocatalytic efficacy of newly developed catalysts and the resultant waste produced, prompting deliberations on the disposal of degraded materials post-exposure to photocatalysts., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Excessive antibiotic use has led to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), impacting gut microbiota and host health. However, the effects of antibiotics on amphibian populations remain unclear. We investigated the impact of oxytetracycline (OTC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) on Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus), focusing on gut microbiota, ARGs, and gene expression by performing metagenome and transcriptome sequencing. A. davidianus were given OTC (20 or 40 mg/kg) or CIP (50 or 100 mg/kg) orally for 7 days. The results revealed that oral administration of OTC and CIP led to distinct changes in microbial composition and functional potential, with CIP treatment having a greater impact than OTC. Antibiotic treatment also influenced the abundance of ARGs, with an increase in fluoroquinolone and multi-drug resistance genes observed post-treatment. The construction of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) accurately validated that CIP intervention enriched fish-associated potential pathogens Aeromonas hydrophila carrying an increased number of ARGs. Additionally, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as phages and plasmids, were implicated in the dissemination of ARGs. Transcriptomic analysis of the gut revealed significant alterations in gene expression, particularly in immune-related pathways, with differential effects observed between OTC and CIP treatments. Integration of metagenomic and transcriptomic data highlighted potential correlations between gut gene expression and microbial composition, suggesting complex interactions between the host gut and its gut microbiota in response to antibiotic exposure. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the impact of antibiotic intervention on the gut microbiome and host health in amphibians, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance and immune function., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Microplastics (MPs), as emerging contaminants, usually experience aging processes in natural environments and further affect their interactions with coexisted contaminants, resulting in unpredictable ecological risks. Herein, the effect of MPs aging on their adsorption for coexisting antibiotics and their joint biotoxicity have been investigated. Results showed that the adsorption capacity of aged polystyrene (PS, 100 d and 50 d) for ciprofloxacin (CIP) was 1.10-4.09 times higher than virgin PS due to the larger BET surface area and increased oxygen-containing functional groups of aged PS. Following the increased adsorption capacity of aged PS, the joint toxicity of aged PS and CIP to Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 (MR-1) was 1.03-1.34 times higher than virgin PS and CIP. Combined with the adsorption process, CIP posed higher toxicity to MR-1 compared to aged PS due to the rapid adsorption of aged PS for CIP in the first 12 h. After that, the adsorption process tended to be gentle and hence the joint toxicity to MR-1 was gradually dominated by aged PS. A similar transformation between the adsorption rate and the joint toxicity of PS and CIP was observed under different conditions. This study supplied a novel perception of the synergistic effects of PS aging and CIP on ecological health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Residues of veterinary antibiotics are a worldwide problem of increasing concern due to their persistence and diverse negative effects on organisms, including crops, and limited understanding of their phytotoxicity. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the phytotoxic effects of veterinary antibiotics tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) applied in a wide range of concentrations on model plant oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Overall phytotoxicity of 1-500 mg kg -1 of TC and CIP was investigated based on morphological, biochemical, and physiological plant response. Photosystem II (PSII) performance was suppressed by TC even under environmentally relevant concentration (1 mg kg -1 ), with an increasing effect proportionally to TC concentration in soil. In contrast, CIP was found to be more phytotoxic than TC when applied at high concentrations, inducing a powerful oxidative burst, impairment of photosynthetic performance, collapse of antioxidative protection and sugar metabolism, and in turn, complete growth retardation at 250 and 500 mg kg -1 CIP treatments. Results of our study suggest that TC and CIP pollution do not pose a significant risk to oilseed rapes in many little anthropogenically affected agro-environments where TC or CIP concentrations do not exceed 1 mg kg -1 ; however, intensive application of manure with high CIP concentrations (more than 50 mg kg -1 ) might be detrimental to plants and, in turn, lead to diminished agricultural production and a potential risk to human health., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) pore has become a motive for drug evolvement pertinent to dysregulated apoptosis situations. Some chemical compounds impede tumor/cancer via the inception of mPT pore opening. Ciprofloxacin has been demonstrated to hinder growth and effect apoptosis in some cancer cells. However, using a rat model, this study investigated its effect on mitochondrial-mediated cell death via mPT pore opening and estradiol benzoate (EB)-induced endometrial hyperplasia. Mitochondria were isolated using differential centrifugation. The opening of the pore, cytochrome c release (CCR), mitochondrial ATPase (mATPase) activity, mitochondrial lipid peroxidation (mLPO), caspases 3 and 9 levels, and hepatic DNA fragmentation were determined. Histological evaluation of hepatic and uterine sections and immunoexpression levels of Bax, caspase 3, and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 levels were quantified. The results show that ciprofloxacin caused mPT pore opening, CCR, mATPase activity, effected mLPO, caspases 3 and 9 activations, and hepatic DNA fragmentation. The histology of the liver section showed moderate to marked disseminated congestion at 100 mg/kg, while higher doses showed severe hepatic damage. Severe EH was detected in the EB-treated rats which was attenuated by ciprofloxacin in the treatment group. The Bax and caspase expressions were upregulated by ciprofloxacin while anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was downregulated. Ciprofloxacin induces mitochondrial-mediated cell death via mPT pore opening and mitigates EB-induced EH in rat models via Bax/caspase/Bcl-2 signaling pathway., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) region of Indian Himalayas is one of the most important pharmaceutical industrial clusters in Asia. This study investigated the distribution, and ecological and human health risks of four most frequently used pharmaceuticals [ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NOR), cetirizine (CTZ) and citalopram oxalate (ECP)] when co-occurring with metal ions in the Sirsa river water of the BBN region. The concentration range of the selected pharmaceuticals was between 'not detected' to 50 μgL -1 with some exception for CIP (50-100 μgL -1 ) and CTZ (100-150 μgL -1 ) in locations directly receiving wastewater discharges. A significant correlation was found between the occurrences of NOR and Al (r 2  = 0.65; p = 0.01), and CTZ and K (r 2  = 0.50; p = 0.01) and Mg (r 2  = 0.50; p = 0.01). A high-level ecological risk [risk quotient (RQ) > 1] was observed for algae from all the pharmaceuticals. A medium-level risk (RQ = 0.01-0.1) was observed for Daphnia from CIP, NOR and ECP, and a high-level risk from CTZ. A low-level risk was observed for fishes from CIP and NOR, whereas CTZ and ECP posed a high-level risk to fishes. The overall risk to ecological receptors was in the order: CTZ > CIP > ECP > NOR. Samples from the river locations receiving water from municipal drains or situated near landfill and pharmaceutical factories exhibited RQ > 1 for all pharmaceuticals. The average hazard quotient (HQ) values for the compounds followed the order: CTZ (0.18) > ECP (0.15) > NOR (0.001) > CIP (0.0003) for children (0-6 years); ECP (0.49) > CTZ (0.29) > NOR (0.005) > CIP (0.001) for children (7-17 years), and ECP (0.34) > CTZ (0.21) > NOR (0.007) > CIP (0.001) for adults (>17 years). The calculated risk values did not readily confirm the status of water as safe or unsafe because the values of predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) would depend on various other environmental factors such as quality of the toxicity data, and species sensitivity and distribution, which warrants further research., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Plastics ranging from nano-scale to micron-scale are frequently ingested by many marine animals. These particles exhibit biotoxicity and additionally perform as vectors that convey and amass adsorbed chemicals within organisms. Meanwhile, the frequency of detection of the benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin can be adsorbed on plastic particles, then accumulated in bivalves, causing biotoxicity. To understand their unknown accumulative kinetics in vivo affected by different plastic sizes and toxic effect from co-exposure, several scenarios were set up in which the mode organism were exposed to 0.6 mg/L of polystyrene carrying benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin in three sizes (300 nm, 38 μm, and 0.6 mm). The live Asian green mussels were chosen as mode organism for exposure experiments, in which they were exposed to environments with plastics of different sizes laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin, then depurated for 7 days. The bioaccumulation and depuration kinetics of benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin were measured using HPLC-MS/MS after one week of exposure and depuration. Meanwhile, their toxic effect were investigated by measuring the changes in six biomarkers (condition index, reactive oxygen species, catalase, glutathione, lipid peroxidation, cytochrome P450 and DNA damage). The bioconcentration factors in mussels under different exposure conditions were 41.48-111.75 for benzophenone-3 and 6.45 to 12.35 for ciprofloxacin. The results suggested that microplastics and nanoplastics can act as carriers to increase bioaccumulation and toxicity of adsorbates in mussels in a size-dependent manner. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species caused by microplastics and nanoplastics led to increased DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and changes in antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidants during exposure. Marked disruption of antioxidant defenses and genotoxic effects in mussels during depuration indicated impaired recovery. Compared to micron-scale plastic with sizes over a hundred micrometers that had little effect on bivalve bioaccumulation and toxicity, nano-scale plastic greatly enhanced the biotoxicity effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that this work is original research that has not been published previously and they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The leaching of additives from plastics and elastomers (rubbers) has raised concerns due to their potential negative impacts on the environment and the development of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we investigated the effects of chemicals extracted from two types of rubber on microbiomes derived from a benthic sea urchin and two pelagic fish species. Additionally, we examined whether bacterial communities preconditioned with rubber-associated chemicals displayed adaptations to antibiotics. At the highest tested concentrations of chemicals, we observed reduced maximum growth rates and yields, prolonged lag phases, and increased alpha diversity. While the effects on alpha and beta diversity were not always conclusive, several bacterial genera were significantly influenced by chemicals from the two rubber sources. Subsequent exposure of sea urchin microbiomes preconditioned with rubber chemicals to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin resulted in decreased maximum growth rates. This indicates a more sensitive microbiome to ciprofloxacin when preconditioned with rubber chemicals. Although no significant interaction effects between rubber chemicals and ciprofloxacin exposure were observed in bacterial alpha and beta diversity, we observed log-fold changes in two bacterial genera in response to ciprofloxacin exposure. These findings highlight the structural and functional alterations in microbiomes originating from various marine species when exposed to rubber-associated chemicals and underscore the potential risks posed to marine life., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Alexander Eiler reports financial support was provided by Research Council of Norway. Alexander Eiler reports financial support was provided by University of Oslo., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Fe-based catalysts typically undergo severe problems such as deactivation and Fe sludge emission during the peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, which commonly leads to poor operation and secondary pollution. Herein, an S-doped Fe-based catalyst with a core-shell structure (Fe@C T , T = 1000°C) was synthesized, which can solve the above issues via the dynamic surface evolution during the reaction process. Specifically, the Fe 0 on the surface of Fe@C 1000 could be consumed rapidly, leaving numerous pores; the Fe 3 C from the core would subsequently migrate to the surface of Fe@C 1000 , replenishing the consumed active Fe species. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses demonstrated that the reaction surface reconstructed during the PMS activation, which involved the Fe III in-situ reduction by S species as well as the depletion/replenishment of effective Fe species. The reconstructed Fe@C 1000 achieved near-zero Fe sludge emission (from 0.59 to 0.08-0.23 mg L -1 ) during 5 cycles and enabled the dynamic evolution of dominant reactive oxygen species (ROS) from SO 4 ·- to Fe IV O, sustainably improving the oxidation capacity (80.0-92.5% in following four cycles) to ciprofloxacin (CIP) and reducing the toxicity of its intermediates. Additionally, the reconstructed Fe@C 1000 /PMS system exhibited robust resistance to complex water matrix. This study provides a theoretical guideline for exploring surface reconstruction on catalytic activity and broadens the application of Fe-based catalysts in the contaminants elimination., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is frequently detected in agricultural soils and can be accumulated by crops, causing phytotoxicities and food safety concerns. However, the molecular basis of its phytotoxicity and phytoaccumulation is hardly known. Here, we analyzed physiological and molecular responses of choysum (Brassica parachinensis) to CIP stress by comparing low CIP accumulation variety (LAV) and high accumulation variety (HAV). Results showed that the LAV suffered more severe inhibition of growth and photosynthesis than the HAV, exhibiting a lower tolerance to CIP toxicity. Integrated transcriptome and proteome analyses suggested that more differentially expressed genes/proteins (DEGs/DEPs) involved in basic metabolic processes were downregulated to a larger extent in the LAV, explaining its lower CIP tolerance at molecular level. By contrast, more DEGs/DEPs involved in defense responses were upregulated to a larger extent in the HAV, showing the molecular basis of its stronger CIP tolerance. Further, a CIP phytotoxicity-responsive molecular network was constructed for the two varieties to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the variety-specific CIP tolerance and accumulation. The results present the first comprehensive molecular profile of plant response to CIP stress for molecular-assisted breeding to improve CIP tolerance and minimize CIP accumulation in crops., 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 reports in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Water pollution induced by antibiotics has garnered considerable concern, necessitating urgent and effective removal methods. This study focused on exploring ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal by duckweed and assessing CIP bioaccumulation and toxic effects within duckweed under varying dissolved organic matter categories, pH levels, and nutrient (nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) levels. The results revealed the proficient and rapid elimination of CIP from water by duckweed, resulting in 86.17 % to 92.82 % removal efficiency at the end of the 7-day experiment. Across all exposure groups, varying degrees of CIP bioaccumulation in duckweed were evident, with uptake established as a primary pathway for CIP elimination within this plant. Additionally, five CIP metabolites were identified in duckweed tissues. Interestingly, the presence of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) reduced CIP absorption by duckweed, with FA yielding a more pronounced impact. Optimal CIP removal was recorded at a pH of 7.5, while duckweed displayed heightened physiological stress induced by CIP at pH 8.5. Although the influence of N and P concentrations on CIP removal by duckweed was modest, excessive N and P levels intensified the physiological strain of CIP on duckweed., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The abuse and overuse of antibiotics increased not only the exposure of aquatic animals to antibiotics but also the development of resistance in pathogenic bacteria. To investigate the effects and mechanisms of exposure, a long-term experiment lasting 120 days was conducted in which Xenopus tropicalis was exposed to single and combined stress factors of multiresistant pathogenic Shigella flexneri and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The intestinal oxidative stress, immune factors and flora, as well as the brain-gut axis correlation factors of X. tropicalis, were tracked to account for the response of aquatic animals to the exogenous pollutants. SOD activity and MDA content were significantly increased in stressed X. tropicalis (p < 0.001), while the levels of proinflammatory factors (IL-1β, IFN-γ) were significantly reduced (p < 0.01). The content of intestinal beneficial bacteria decreased and that of harmful bacteria increased in the intestinal flora of the stressed X. tropicalis (p < 0.001). These results suggested that S. flexneri and CIP disturbed the intestinal flora and caused oxidative damage in the host, and the body produced a series of responses, such as oxidative stress responses and regulation of the expression of immune factors, to maintain the balance of antioxidant inflammation. Significant changes in the expression of intestinal neurotransmitters (5-HT, CGRP) and brain peptides (BDNF, NCAM, NPY) (p < 0.05) also indicated that the brain-gut axis interaction was disrupted. In addition, although the coexisting CIP could reduce intestinal toxicity caused by S. flexneri, the amount of intestinal pathogenic bacteria Desulfovibrio increased significantly. Moreover, compared with the single exposure group, SOD activity, CAT activity and MDA content were significantly reduced in the dual exposure group. Therefore, the health risks of multiresistant pathogenic bacteria on the intestinal and brain-gut axis interaction should be given more attention, and the interaction of brain-gut axis is more important when antibiotics coexist., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The electro-Fenton process (EFP) is a powerful advanced oxidation process beneficial to treating recalcitrant contaminants, and there has been a continuing interest in combining this technology to enhance the efficiency of conventional wastewater treatment processes. In this work, an optimized EFP process is performed as pretreatment for the degradation and mineralization of three blank fluoroquinolones (FQs) drugs: ofloxacin (OFL), norfloxacin (NOR), and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The optimization of the experiment was carried out using a Box-Behnken experimental design. Faster and complete degradation of the drugs mixture was achieved in 90 min with 61.12 ± 2.0% of mineralization in 180 min, under the optimized conditions: j = 244.0 mA cm -2 , [Fe 2+ ] = 0.31 mM, and [FQs] = 87.0 mg L -1 . Furthermore, a low toxicity effluent was obtained in 90 min of the experiment, according to bioassay toxicity with Vibrio fischeri. Five short-chain carboxylic acids, including oxalic, maleic, oxamic, formic, and fumaric acids, were detected and quantified, in addition to F - and NO 3 - inorganic ions. The inhibition of the reactive oxygen species with scavenger proof was also evaluated in this paper., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The work attempts to construct a highly effective γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag visible active photocatalyst for the enhanced degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and Cr(VI) reduction. γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag photocatalyst was prepared by simple solid phase and co-precipitation methods. The nanosphere shaped CoFe 2 O 4 photocatalyst are embedded on top of γ-Bi 2 O 3 nanotriangle. The addition of Ag into γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 heterojunction primitively facilitates the photocatalytic activity in higher rate. The quantitative analysis of photocatalyst possesses to have lower e - /h + recombination rate compared to its counterparts. The prepared γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag photocatalyst showed 96.6% degradation of CIP in 220 min and 99.2% reduction of Cr(VI) in 120 min. Additionally, γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag showed outstanding recyclability and long-term stability with a degradation efficiency of 96.5% even after six cycles. The intermediate products formed were identified and the degradation pathway was elucidated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Total organic carbon measurement was carried over to assess the efficiency of complete degradation and the removal percentage was found to be 98%. The end product toxicity study towards bacteria was proven to have less toxicity level when compared to parent compound. Lastly, the genotoxicity of γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag photocatalyst was tested in Allium cepa and the results confirmed to have no cause of toxicity impacts. Overall, the work not only tends to provide a highly visible active γ-Bi 2 O 3 /CoFe 2 O 4 /Ag photocatalyst, but also attributes to have no further negative imprints in the environment., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mineral nanoparticles (M-NPs) are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, but their potential harms to primary producers and impacts on the toxicity of coexisting pollutants are largely unknown. Herein, the toxicity mechanisms of various M-NPs (i.e., SiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 NPs) to Synechocystis sp. in absence and presence of ciprofloxacin (CIP) were comprehensively investigated. The heteroaggregation of cells and M-NPs can hinder substrate transfer or light acquisition. The attraction between Synechocystis sp. and M-NPs increased in the order of SiO 2 < Fe 2 O 3 < Al 2 O 3 ≈ TiO 2 NPs. Therefore, SiO 2 and Fe 2 O 3 NPs exerted slight effects on physiology and proteome of Synechocystis sp.. Al 2 O 3 NPs with the rod-like shape caused physical damage to cells. Differently, TiO 2 NPs with photocatalytic activities provided photogenerated electrons for Synechocystis sp., promoting photosynthesis and the Calvin cycle for CO 2 fixation. SiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , and Al 2 O 3 NPs alleviated the toxicity of CIP in an adsorption-depended manner. Conversely, the combination of CIP and TiO 2 NPs exerted more pronounced toxic effects compared to their individuals, and CIP disturbed the extracellular electron transfer from TiO 2 NPs to cells. The findings highlight the different effects of TiO 2 NPs from other M-NPs on cyanobacteria, either alone or in combination with CIP, and improve the understanding of toxic mechanisms of M-NPs., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a powerful regulator of the ecotoxicity of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a widely applied fluoroquinolone antibiotic. In this study, we investigated the impact of DOC from a variety of sources on CIP bioavailability, using a cyanobacteria growth inhibition test with Microcystis aeruginosa. We analyzed the impact from two perspectives: (1) DOC concentration, and (2) water brownness, defined in this work as the light absorbance of DOC solutions. The toxicity tests were conducted with (1) unprocessed freshwater DOC in the naturally occurring state, (2) DOC extracted from a freshwater stream (Schwarzbach stream, Küchelscheid, Belgium), and (3) the commercial DOC product Suwannee River organic matter. Across all DOC sources investigated, a strong negative correlation was observed between CIP ecotoxicity and light absorbance at four wavelengths across the ultraviolet-visible range (e.g., A 350 ), whereas CIP ecotoxicity correlated poorly with the DOC concentration. In addition, the interactions between CIP and DOC were modelled as a CIP-DOC binding process to allow the quantification of the inhibitory effects of DOC on CIP toxicity via binding constants (K d,CIP x , with x being the ionic charge + or +/-, L g -1 ). Processed DOC sources showed higher binding potency than most of the unprocessed DOC sources, suggesting that toxicity tests employing only processed DOC potentially overestimates the impact of DOC in natural environments. Nonetheless, the light absorption coefficient (i.e., ε 350 ) appeared a reliable predictor of the K d,CIP +/- (and thus of the potential of the DOC source to reduce ecotoxicity of CIP) of both processed and unprocessed DOC. The relationship can be further incorporated into model simulations to estimate CIP bioavailability in dynamic environments. It is concluded that the brownness of water is a better predictor of the impact of DOC on CIP bioavailability than the DOC concentration itself., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this research, the photocatalytic degradation of CIP from aqueous solutions using CQD decorated on N-Cu co-doped titania (NCuTCQD) was made during two synthesis steps by sol-gel and hydrothermal methods. The fabricated catalysts were analyzed using various techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, BET, FESEM, EDX, and DRS. The results showed that N and Cu atoms were doped on TiO 2 and CQD was well deposited on NCuT. The investigation of effective operational parameters demonstrated that the complete removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP: 20 mg/L) could be achieved at pH 7.0, NCuTCQD 4wt% : 0.8 g/L, and light intensity: 100 mW/cm 2 over 60 min reaction time. The O 2 •- and OH˙ radicals were identified as the primary reactive species during the decontamination process. The synthesized photocatalyst could be recycled after six consecutive cycles of CIP decomposition with an insignificant decrease in performance. Pharmaceutical wastewater was treated through the optimum degradation conditions which showed the photocatalytic degradation eliminated 89% of COD and 75% of TOC within 180 min. In the effluent toxicity evaluation, the EC 50 values for treated and untreated pharmaceutical wastewater increased from 62.50% to 140%, indicating that the NCuTCQD 4wt% /Vis system can effectively reduce the toxic effects of pharmaceutical wastewater on aquatic environments., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Excessive usage and unrestricted discharge of antibiotics in the environment lead to their accumulation in the ecosystem due to their highly stable and non-biodegradation nature. Photodegradation of four most consumed antibiotics such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, cefixime, and ciprofloxacin were studied using Cu 2 O-TiO 2 nanotubes. Cytotoxicity evaluation of the native and transformed products was conducted on the RAW 264.7 cell lines. Photocatalyst loading (0.1-2.0 g/L), pH (5, 7 and 9), initial antibiotic load (50-1000 μg/mL) and cuprous oxide percentage (5, 10 and 20) were optimized for efficient photodegradation of antibiotics. Quenching experiments to evaluate the mechanism of photodegradation with hydroxyl and superoxide radicals were found the most reactive species of the selected antibiotics. Complete degradation of selected antibiotics was achieved in 90 min with 1.5 g/L of 10% Cu 2 O-TiO 2 nanotubes with initial antibiotic concentration (100 μg/mL) at neutral pH of water matrix. The photocatalyst showed high chemical stability and reusability up to five consecutive cycles. Zeta potential studies confirms the high stability and activity of 10% C-TAC (Cuprous oxide doped Titanium dioxide nanotubes for Applied Catalysis) in the tested pH conditions. Photoluminescence and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy data speculates that 10% C-TAC photocatalyst have efficient photoexcitation in the visible light for photodegradation of antibiotics samples. Inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) interpretation from the toxicity analysis of native antibiotics concluded that ciprofloxacin was the most toxic antibiotic among the selected antibiotics. Cytotoxicity percentage of transformed products showed r: -0.985, p: 0.01 (negative correlation) with the degradation percentage revealing the efficient degradation of selected antibiotics with no toxic by-products., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Much attention has been given to the safety and quality of aquatic products, including consuming Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), which offers both nutritional benefits and toxicological risks. Eighteen sulfonamides, 9 quinolones and 37 fatty acids were analyzed in 92 crab samples from primary aquaculture provinces in China. Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin have been mentioned as typical antimicrobials occurring at the greatest concentrations (>100 μg/kg, wm). By use of an in vitro method, the proportions of enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and essential fatty acids (EFAs, DHA and EPA) in ingested nutrients were determined to be 12 %, none and 95 %, respectively. The risk-benefit quotient (HQ) between the adverse effects of antimicrobials and nutritional benefits of EFAs in crabs found that HQs based on data after digestion were significantly less (HQ = 0.0086) than that of the control group where no digestion occurred (HQ = 0.055). This result suggested that (1) there was less risk posed by antimicrobials due to the consumption of crab, and (2) ignoring the bioaccessible fraction of antimicrobials in crabs might overestimate risks to the health of humans due to dietary exposure. Meaning bioaccessibility can improve the accuracy of the risk assessment process. Realistic risk evaluation should be recommended to achieve a quantified assessment of the dietary risks and benefits of aquatic products., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Tetracyclines are less cytotoxic to tympanic membrane (TM) fibroblasts than quinolones., Background: Use of quinolone ear drops after tympanostomy tube placement and for acute otitis externa has been linked to an increased risk of TM perforation. This has been verified in animal models. Cell culture studies have shown quinolones to be highly toxic to TM fibroblasts. Tetracyclines are a potential alternative to quinolones as they have been used to treat acute otitis externa and are thought to be nontoxic to the inner ear. We aimed to determine if tetracyclines are cytotoxic to TM fibroblasts., Methods: Human TM fibroblasts were treated with 1:10 dilutions of ofloxacin 0.3%, ciprofloxacin 0.3%, doxycycline 0.3 and 0.5%, minocycline 0.3 and 0.5%, tetracycline 0.3 and 0.5%, or dilute HCl (control), twice within 24 hours or four times within 48 hours. After 2 hours of treatment, cells were returned to growth media. Cells were observed with phase-contrast microscopy until cytotoxicity was measured., Results: Fibroblasts had lower survival with ciprofloxacin 0.3% and doxycycline 0.5% treatment compared with the control after 24 and 48 hours (all p < 0.0001). Fibroblasts treated with minocycline 0.5% had increased cell survival after 24 hours. Minocycline 0.3 and 0.5% showed increased TM fibroblast survival after 48 hours (all p < 0.0001). Phase-contrast images mirrored the cytotoxicity findings., Conclusions: Tetracyclines are less toxic to cultured TM fibroblasts than ciprofloxacin. Fibroblast tetracycline toxicity is drug and dose specific. Minocycline shows the most promise for possible otic applications in which fibroblast toxicity is a concern., Competing Interests: The authors disclose no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023, Otology & Neurotology, Inc.)

The photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) was examined by loading spinel ferrite copper (CuFe 2 O 4 ) nanoparticles onto montmorillonite (MMT) under irradiation using UV light. The laboratory parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), and maximum efficiency (83.75%) was achieved at a pH of 3, CIP concentration of 32.5 mg/L, MMT/CuFe 2 O 4 dose of 0.78 g/L, and irradiation time of 47.50 min. During the photocatalysis process, the experiments on radical trapping demonstrated the generation of hydroxyls ( • OH), superoxide ( • O 2 - ) radical, electrons (e - ), and holes (h + ). A low rate drop (below 10%) in the CIP degradation during the six consecutive reaction cycles corroborated the remarkable recyclability and stability of the MMT/CuFe 2 O 4 . The acute toxicity of the treated solution was determined using Daphnia Magna, by applying photocatalysis, which was indicative of a marked decline in the toxicity. Comparing the findings of the degradation using UV and the degradation process using visible light represented results with close resemblance to each other at the end of the reaction time. Besides, under UV and visible light, the particles in reactor are easily activated when the pollutant mineralization exceeded 80%., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Ciprofloxacin (CPX), the most commonly used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, and microplastics (MPs) are two classes of emerging contaminants with severe adverse impacts on aquatic organisms. Previous studies suggest that both CPX and MPs induce deleterious changes in exposed aquatic biota, but the characterization of a chronic and combined ecotoxicological response is not well known, especially in organisms from estuarine ecosystems. Thus, in this study, we investigated the behavioral and biochemical effects of environmentally relevant levels of CPX alone and in combination with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics over 28 days of exposure, using the polychaete Hediste diversicolor as a model. In addition to behavioral parameters, different biochemical endpoints were also evaluated, namely the levels of metabolic enzymes of phase I (7-ethoxy-resorufin-O-deethylase, EROD), and phase II (glutathione-S-transferase, GSTs), antioxidant defense (catalase, CAT; glutathione peroxidase, GPx; superoxide dismutase, SOD), oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation, by means of levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS]) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Chronic exposure to ciprofloxacin caused a decrease in burrowing time and a significant increase in SOD activity. In animals exposed to the combination of CPX and PET MPs, effects on behavioral traits were also observed, with higher concentrations of MPs leading to a marked delay in the animals' burrowing time. In addition, these animals showed changes in their antioxidant defenses, namely, a significant increase in SOD activity, while GPx activity was severely compromised. For none of the experimental groups, significant alterations were observed in the metabolic enzymes, TBARS or AChE. These findings provide the first insights into the responses of H. diversicolor when exposed to the combination of CPX and PET MPs, highlighting that, although the here studied conditions, there was no evidence of oxidative damage or neurotoxicity, these organisms are not risk-free in co-exposure scenarios, even at low environmental relevant concentrations., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The wide occurrence of fluoroquinolones (FQs) in aquatic environments has aroused increasing concern about their potential adverse effects on human health. In this study, an emerging advanced oxidation process, i.e., the Medium-Pressure Ultraviolet/Peracetic Acid (MPUV/PAA) process, was used to degrade FQs (e.g., levofloxacin (LEV), norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin). Compared with the MPUV process alone and the PAA process alone, the MPUV/PAA process significantly promoted degradation of FQs due to the considerable contribution of reactive radicals. Probe experiments revealed that PAA-specific organic radicals (e.g., CH 3 C(O)O• and CH 3 C(O)OO•) were the major radicals responsible for FQ elimination. Rapid degradation of FQs via the MPUV/PAA process was achieved within a wide range of pH values (5-9) by selecting LEV as the target compound, and higher pH values were more favorable for the reaction. The slight impacts of Cl - and CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - on LEV removal were observed. The transformation products and pathways of LEV were identified, and nearly all of the transformation pathways occurred on the piperazine ring. Based on Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis, most of the products had lower toxicities than LEV. Overall, these findings improve our understanding and application of the MPUV/PAA process for degrading emerging contaminants in (waste)water treatment., 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 © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Even though the toxic effects of antibiotics and heavy metals have been extensively studied in the last decades, their combined adverse impact on aquatic organisms is poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the acute effects of a ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and lead (Pb) mixture on the 3D swimming behavior, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, lipid peroxidation level (MDA-malondialdehyde), activity of some oxidative stress markers (SOD-superoxide dismutase and GPx-glutathione peroxidase), and the essential elements content (Cu-copper, Zn-zinc, Fe-iron, Ca-calcium, Mg-magnesium, Na-sodium and K-potassium) in the body of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ). For this purpose, zebrafish were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of Cipro, Pb, and a mixture for 96 h. The results revealed that acute exposure to Pb alone and in mixture with Cipro impaired zebrafish exploratory behavior by decreasing swimming activity and elevating freezing duration. Moreover, significant deficiencies of Ca, K, Mg, and Na contents, as well as an excess of Zn level, were observed in fish tissues after exposure to the binary mixture. Likewise, the combined treatment with Pb and Cipro inhibited the activity of AChE and increased the GPx activity and MDA level. The mixture produced more damage in all studied endpoints, while Cipro had no significant effect. The findings highlight that the simultaneous presence of antibiotics and heavy metals in the environment can pose a threat to the health of living organisms.

Amoxicillin (AMX) and ciprofloxacin (CPX) are broad-spectrum antibiotics with wide application in agriculture and human and veterinary medicine. The drugs end up in the environment where their impact on zooplankton remains scantily understood. This study investigated the immobilization, risk assessment (RQ), antioxidant response, and biochemical changes of Daphnia magna post-exposure to AMX and CPX. Sixty-percent immobilization of Daphnia occurred at 200 μg L -1 AMX and CPX, while EC 50 values were 2391.6 μg L -1 and 273.4 μg L -1 , respectively. RQs were 113.3 and 11,481.5, while Toxic units were 41.6 and 364.9 for AMX and CPX, respectively. Both antibiotics caused a significant rise in intracellular hydrogen peroxide 48 h post-exposure, indicating oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity were considerably altered during the research. Thus, environmentally relevant concentrations of AMX and CPX pose an adverse risk that could change the population dynamics of Daphnia magna., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter and are widely present in water environments. Their unique surface structures can adsorb coexisting pollutants in the surrounding environment, such as antibiotics and metal ions, leading to compound pollution. The adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics under different environmental conditions (pH and salinity) was investigated. The Freundlich model fitted well at 25 °C, indicating that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by polyethylene microplastics was multilayered, and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by polyethylene microplastics was physical. The kinetic adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics followed a pseudo-second-order mode. Heavy metals (Cu 2+ , Cr 3+ , Cr 6+ , Cd 2+ , and Pb 2+ ) affected the adsorption of ciprofloxacin by microplastics, which was related to the type and concentration of metal ions and the valence state of the ions. The acute toxicity of microplastics and the microplastic-ciprofloxacin-Cu 2+ complex were evaluated using luminescent Photobacterium phosphoreum, demonstrating the polyethylene toxicity microplastic-ciprofloxacin-Cu 2+ complex was mainly caused by Cu 2+ and ciprofloxacin rather than microplastics. This study provides theoretical support for the environmental behavior and ecological effects of microplastics in aqueous environments., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microplastic and antibiotic contamination are considered an increasing environmental problem in aquatic systems, while little is known about the impact of microplastics and co-pollutant with antibiotics on freshwater vascular plants, particularly the effects of interactions between macrophytes. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment to evaluate the impact of polyethylene-microplastics and their co-pollutants with ciprofloxacin on the growth and physiological characteristics of Spirodela polyrhiza and Lemna minor and the interactions between these two macrophytes. Our results showed that microplastics alone cannot significantly influence fresh weight and specific leaf area of the two test free-floating macrophytes, but the effects on photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde, catalase and soluble sugar contents were species-specific. Ciprofloxacin can significant adverse effects on the growth and physiological traits of the two test macrophytes and microplastic mitigated the toxicity of ciprofloxacin on the two free-floating plants to a certain extent. In addition, our studies showed that microplastics and co-pollutants can influence relative yield and competitiveness of S. polyrhiza and L. minor by directly or indirectly influencing their physiology and growth. Therefore our findings suggest that species-specific sensibility to microplastic and its co-pollutant among free-floating macrophytes may influence macrophyte population dynamics and thereby community structure and ecosystem functioning. And microplastics altered other contaminant behaviours and toxicity, and may directly or indirectly influence macrophytes interactions and community structure. The present study is the first experimental study exploring the effects of microplastics alone and with their co-pollutants on interactions between free-floating macrophytes, which can provide basic theoretical guidance for improving the stability of freshwater ecosystems., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceuticals have increasingly received attention from the scientific community due to their growing intake, improved detection and potential ecological risks. Several pharmaceuticals, including antidepressants, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic compounds and antibiotics, have been described as contaminants in different water matrices. In this context, the aim of the present study was to assess the acute and chronic effects of four classes of pharmaceuticals (acetylsalicylic acid, fluoxetine, metformin and ciprofloxacin) individually and in binary and quartenary mixture. Furthermore, the toxicity of binary mixtures containing the antidepressant fluoxetine was also evaluated. The results of the single acute and chronic toxicity assays indicate lower acetylsalicylic acid and higher fluoxetine toxicity towards Daphnia similis. Regarding the evaluated mixture toxicity, the nature of potential toxicological interactions was predicted by applying mathematical concentration addition and independent action models. The findings revealed both antagonistic and synergistic features, depending on the applied amounts and doses. Finally, the chronic assays performed with the quaternary mixture indicated the presence of a hormetic effect at low concentrations. In sum, the present study demonstrated that the effects of individual pharmaceuticals can underestimate the risk level of these contaminants in the environment., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics (MPs) in natural environments undergo complex aging processes, changing their interactions with coexisting antibiotics, and posing unpredictable ecological risks. However, the joint toxicity of aged MPs (aMPs) and antibiotics to bacteria, especially at the molecular level, is unclear. In this study, non-thermal plasma technology was used to simultaneously simulate various radical oxidation and physical reactions that occur naturally in the environment, breaking the limitation of simple aging process in laboratory aging technologies. After aging, we investigated the altered properties of aMPs, their interactions with ciprofloxacin (CIP), and the molecular responses of E. coli exposed to pristine MPs (13.5 mg/L), aMPs (13.5 mg/L), and CIP (2 μg/L) individually or simultaneously. aMPs bound far more CIP to their surfaces than pristine MPs, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Notably, the growth of E. coli exposed to aMPs alone was inhibited, whereas pristine MPs exposure didn't affect the growth of E. coli. Moreover, the most differentially expressed genes in E. coli were induced by the coexposure of aMPs and CIP. Although E. coli depended on chemotaxis to improve its flagellar rotation and escaped the stress of pollutants, the coexposure of aMPs and CIP still caused cell membrane damage, oxidative stress, obstruction of DNA replication, and osmotic imbalance in E. coli. This study filled the knowledge gap between the toxicity of aMPs and pristine MPs coexisting with antibiotics at the transcription level, helping in the accurate assessment of the potential risks of MPs to the environment., 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 © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The presence of emerging pollutants, and specifically antibiotics, in agricultural soils has increased notably in recent decades, causing growing concern as regards potential environmental and health issues. With this in mind, the current study focuses on evaluating the toxicity exerted by three antibiotics (amoxicillin, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin) on the growth of soil bacterial communities, when these pollutants are present at different doses, and considered in the short, medium, and long terms (1, 8 and 42 days of incubation). Specifically, the research was carried out in 12 agricultural soils having different physicochemical characteristics and was performed by means of the leucine ( 3 H) incorporation method. In addition, changes in the structure of soil microbial communities at 8 and 42 days were studied in four of these soils, using the phospholipids of fatty acids method for this. The main results indicate that the most toxic antibiotic was amoxicillin, followed by trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin. The results also show that the toxicity of amoxicillin decreases with time, with values of Log IC 50 ranging from 0.07 ± 0.05 to 3.43 ± 0.08 for day 1, from 0.95 ± 0.07 to 3.97 ± 0.15 for day 8, and from 2.05 ± 0.03 to 3.18 ± 0.04 for day 42, during the incubation period. Regarding trimethoprim, 3 different behaviors were observed: for some soils the growth of soil bacterial communities was not affected, for a second group of soils trimethoprim toxicity showed dose-response effects that remained persistent over time, and, finally, for a third group of soils the toxicity of trimethoprim increased over time, being greater for longer incubation times (42 days). As regards ciprofloxacin, this antibiotic did not show a toxicity effect on the growth of soil bacterial communities for any of the soils or incubation times studied. Furthermore, the principal component analysis performed with the phospholipids of fatty acids results demonstrated that the microbial community structure of these agricultural soils, which persisted after 42 days of incubation, depended mainly on soil characteristics and, to a lesser extent, on the dose and type of antibiotic (amoxicillin, trimethoprim or ciprofloxacin). In addition, it was found that, in this research, the application of the three antibiotics to soils usually favored the presence of fungi and Gram-positive bacteria., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a pseudopersistent antibiotic detected in freshwater worldwide. As an ionizable chemical, its fate in freshwater is influenced by water chemistry factors such as pH, hardness, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. We investigated the effect of pH, DOC, and Ca 2+ levels on the toxicity of CIP to Microcystis aeruginosa and developed a bioavailability model on the basis of these experimental results. We found that the zwitterion (CIP +/- ) is the most bioavailable species of CIP to M. aeruginosa, whereas DOC is the most dominant factor reducing CIP toxicity, possibly via binding of both CIP +/- and CIP + to DOC. pH likely also regulates CIP-DOC binding indirectly through its influence on CIP speciation. In addition, higher tolerance to CIP by M. aeruginosa was observed at pH < 7.2, but the underlying mechanism is yet unclear. Calcium was identified as an insignificant factor in CIP bioavailability. When parameterized with the data obtained from toxicity experiments, our bioavailability model is able to provide accurate predictions of CIP toxicity because the observed and predicted total median effective concentrations deviated by <28% from each other. Our model predicts that changes in pH and DOC conditions can affect CIP toxicity by up to 10-fold, suggesting that CIP in many natural environments is likely less toxic than in standard laboratory toxicity experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2835-2847. © 2022 SETAC., (© 2022 SETAC.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is widely used in livestock farms, but the internal mechanism of the effect of residual CIP in actual livestock wastewater on anaerobic digestion (AD) performance remains unknown. This study examined the dose-specific effects of CIP (0.5-2 mg/L) on livestock wastewater AD by analyzing acidogenesis and methanogenesis. 0.5 mg/L CIP promoted methane production by facilitating acidogenesis and acetogenesis. Compared with the control, the cumulative methane production increased from 331.38 to 407.44 mL/g VS at a dose of 0.5 mg/L, an increase of 22.95 %. However, as the dose of CIP increased, the cumulative methane production gradually decreased to 217.64 mL/g VS (2 mg/L). Microbial community analysis revealed that CIP had the greatest impact on methane production by influencing the activity of acidogenic bacteria. Meanwhile, acidogenesis was critical for CIP degradation. In acidogenesis, hydroxylation, amination, defluorination, decarboxylation, and piperazine ring breaking not only degraded CIP but also reduced its toxicity. Therefore, a large number of intermediates could be continuously degraded by microorganisms. However, as the dosage of CIP increased, the ability of microorganisms to degrade intermediates decreased., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that can influence the study reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The abuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry has brought many public health problems, among which the passive use of antibiotics caused by eating food containing residual antibiotics has attracted the most attention. However, few studies have examined the possible adverse effects of prenatal antibiotics exposure on fetal growth and development. In this study, we investigated the associations between prenatal antibiotics exposure and measures of fetal growth. A total of 429 mother-newborn pairs from a birth cohort were enrolled and spot urine samples (N = 1287) were collected during each trimester of pregnancy. Sixteen antibiotics from 7 categories, were selected for the determination of the targeted antibiotics in maternal urines by UHPLC-MS/MS. Fetal growth indicators including newborn birth weight, birth length and gestational age (GA), were obtained from medical record. Sixteen antibiotics were found in 92.3% of the urine samples with detection frequencies ranging from 0.3% to 41.3%. Among the 16 antibiotics detected, we found that the exposure level of ciprofloxacin in the first trimester of pregnancy was negatively correlated with GA (β = -0.17 day, 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.02 day), which would increase the risk of preterm birth (OR=1.05, 95% CI, 1.00, 1.09). The exposure level of norfloxacin in the second trimester of pregnancy was negatively correlated with fetal birth weight (β = -17.56 g, 95% CI, -31.13 to -3.99 g) and birth length (β = -0.05 cm, 95% CI, -0.08 to -0.02 cm), and the exposure level of sulfamethoxazole in the third trimester of pregnancy was negatively correlated with fetal birth length (β = -0.15 cm, 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.02 cm). Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to norfloxacin and sulfamethoxazole may adversely affect fetal growth and development., 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 © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) and enrofloxacin (ENR) are veterinary antibiotics commonly utilized to treat and prevent animal diseases. Environmental and dietary antibiotic residues can directly and indirectly affect the reproductive development of animals and humans. This article investigated the reproductive toxicity of CIP in male zebrafish, showing that it could decrease the spermatogonial weight and damage the spermatogonial tissue. The sex hormone assays showed that CIP decreased fshb and lhb gene expression and plasma testosterone (T). In addition, transcriptome analysis indicated that the effect of CIP on zebrafish might be related to the endocrine signaling pathways. ENR, which was selected for further study, inhibited mouse Leydig (TM3) and Sertoli (TM4) cell proliferation and caused cell cycle arrest. The sperm concentration, serum luteotropic hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and T levels decreased in adolescent mice after ENR treatment for 30d in vivo. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that ENR exposure potentially induced testicular injury, while the real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) results indicated that ENR inhibited the mRNA expression of key genes in the Leydig cells (cyp11a1, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD), Sertoli cells (Inhbβ and Gdnf) and spermatogenic cells (Plzf, Stra8 and Dmc1). In conclusion, these findings indicated that ENR exposure might influence the development of the testes of pubescent mice., 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 © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Since the discovery of the potential hazards of ciprofloxacin (CIP) to the ecosystem and human health, there has been an urgent need to develop effective technologies to solve the severe issue. In this work, the nanozero-valent iron graphitized carbon matrix (xFe@CS-T m ) were prepared via a hydrothermal method to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) for degradation of CIP. Specifically, 0.5Fe@CS-T 7 exhibited the excellent catalytic performance for PDS activation to degrade CIP. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited vigorous interference resistance at various pH values, in the presence of various inorganic anions and under humic acid conditions. The characterization results demonstrated that Fe was successfully embedded on the carbon matrix and became the active sites to promote ROS production. It is demonstrated that O 2 •- was the main active species rather than •OH and SO 4 •- , based on quench trapping, EPR experiments and steady state concentrations calculations. The possible pathways of CIP degradation were proposed using LC-MS results and density functional theory. The outcomes of the toxicity estimation software tool found that the toxicity of CIP was reduced. This study not only investigated a novel methodology for the degradation of antibiotic wastewater but also provides a feasible pathway for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The toxicological impacts of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics in the soil environment have gradually drawn widespread attention, while little research has focused on the combined pollution of MPs and antibiotics on plants. In this work, a 21-day hydroponic study was conducted to test the hypothesis that polystyrene MPs (0.1, 1 and 10 μm particle sizes, 50 mg/L) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) (1.0 and 5.0 mg/L) had a joint toxicity to wheat seedlings and they could be absorbed by wheat. Plant samples were taken for analyses after 21 days of exposure. The results showed that 0.1 and 1 μm MP could enter wheat roots but only the former could translocate to aerial parts. Moreover, 0.1 μm MP showed a greater toxicity effect than 1 μm MP, whereas 10 μm MP exhibited little toxicity on wheat. The dosing of 0.1 μm MP significantly increased the toxic effects of CIP to wheat. Compared to the control treatment (without MPs and CIP), 0.1 μm MPs-5.0 mg/L CIP treatment resulted in inhibition of root length and weight by 60.1% and 44.3%, respectively, while the contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b decreased by 36.3% and 44.6%, respectively. The presence of CIP (5.0 mg/L) potentially aggravated the combined toxicity. The exposure of 0.1 μm MP significantly reduced root superoxide distumase activity but increased root malondialdehyde content. The amount of CIP in wheat tissues carried by MPs was negligible compared with the uptake quantity of CIP by wheat., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceutical pollutant in the environmental water bodies has become a major concern, which causes adverse effect to aquatic entities. This study provides an incisive insight on the photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and the development of rationally engineered g-C 3 N 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 -Zn 0.3 Fe 2·7 O 4 nanocomposite for boosted photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation. The g-C 3 N 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 -Zn 0.3 Fe 2·7 O 4 nanocomposite was synthesized via ultrasonication-assisted hydrothermal method. The characterization of the as-prepared material was evaluated by XPS, SEM, HR-TEM, PL, FT-IR, EIS, ESR, XRD, BET, and UV-Vis DRS techniques. Furthermore, the effect of catalytic dosage, drug dosage, and pH changes was explored, where g-C 3 N 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 -Zn 0.3 Fe 2·7 O 4 -10% unveiled excellent visible light photo-Fenton degradation of 92% for CIP at 140 min. The hydroxyl radicals (OH . ) served as the predominant radical species on the photodegradation of CIP, which was confirmed by performing a radical scavenging test. Furthermore, the degradation efficiency was determined by six consecutive cycle tests, where the nanomaterial exhibited excellent stability with 98.5% reusable efficiency. The degradation of CIP was further scrutinized by GC-MS analysis, where the degraded intermediate products and the possible pathway were elucidated. The degraded product toxicity was determined by ECOSAR program, where the degraded products haven't exhibited any considerable toxic effects. In addition, the genotoxicity of the nanomaterial was determined by treating them with root tips of A. cepa, where it was found to be non-toxic. Here, the prepared g-C 3 N 4 -NiCo 2 O 4 -Zn 0.3 Fe 2·7 O 4 nanocomposite (CNZ NCs) shows eco-friendly and excellent photo-Fenton activity for environmental applications., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the effects of adding biochar (BC) on the fate of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and its related antibiotic tolerance (AT) in activated sludge. Three activated sludge reactors were established with different types of BC, derived from apple, pear, and mulberry tree, respectively, and one reactor with no BC. All reactors were exposed to an environmentally relevant level of CIP that acted as a definitive selective pressure significantly promoting AT to four representative antibiotics (CIP, ampicillin, tetracycline, and polymyxin B) by up to two orders of magnitude. While CIP removal was negligible in the reactor without BC, the BC-dosed reactors effectively removed CIP (70-95% removals) through primarily adsorption by BC and biodegradation/biosorption by biomass. The AT in the BC-added reactors was suppressed by 10-99%, compared to that without BC. The BC addition played a key role in sequestering CIP, thereby decreasing the selective pressure that enabled the proactive prevention of AT increase. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that the BC addition alleviated the CIP-mediated toxicity to community diversity and organisms related to phosphorous removal. Machine learning modeling with random forest and support vector models using AS microbiome data collectively pinpointed Achromobacter selected by CIP and strongly associated with the AT increase in activated sludge. The identification of Achromobacter as an important AT bacteria revealed by the machine learning modeling with multiple models was also validated with a linear Pearson's correlation analysis. Overall, our study highlighted Achromobacter as a potential useful sentinel for monitoring AT occurring in the environment and suggested BC as a promising additive in wastewater treatment to improve micropollutant removal, mitigate potential AT propagation, and maintain community diversity against toxic antibiotic loadings., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ciprofloxacin is ubiquitous and poses a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. However, the comprehensive effect of prolonged ciprofloxacin exposure on the submerged clonal plant Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara remains unknown. Growth and physiological responses in V. natans exposed to ciprofloxacin at concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.25, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/L were repeatedly evaluated on Days 7, 14, 28, 42 and 56. V. natans maintained good growth properties under 0.05-0.25 mg/L ciprofloxacin treatments, while the inhibition effect on plant growth induced by higher-concentration treatments increased over time. The IC50 values of ciprofloxacin for growth endpoints ranged from 1.6 mg/L to 5.3 mg/L and displayed time-dependent decreases. Pigment contents were significantly stimulated by ciprofloxacin on Day 7 but decreased to varying degrees as the exposure time was extended. Soluble protein and hydrogen peroxide content rose significantly over the first 14 days of treatment with 0.25-10 mg/L ciprofloxacin but decreased under 1.25-10 mg/L ciprofloxacin treatments since Day 28. Antioxidants including superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and proline functioned well in mitigating oxidative stress under different ciprofloxacin concentrations, lowering the comprehensive toxic effects of ciprofloxacin on V. natans during the period from Day 14 to Day 42, as evidenced by decreased IBR (integrated biomarker response) values. However, the toxic pressure of ciprofloxacin on V. natans peaked on Day 56. These findings suggest that exposure time can influence the responses of V. natans exposed to ciprofloxacin and that IBR can be employed to evaluate the integrated impacts of prolonged ciprofloxacin contamination in aquatic settings., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)