This review describes the role of contact lenses as an innovative drug delivery system in treating eye diseases. Current ophthalmic drug delivery systems are inadequate, particularly eye drops, which allow about 95% of the active substance to be lost through tear drainage. According to the literature, many interdisciplinary studies have been carried out on the ability of contact lenses to increase the penetration of topical therapeutic agents. Contact lenses limit drug loss by releasing the medicine into two layers of tears on either side of the contact lens, eventually extending the time of contact with the ocular surface. Thanks to weighted soft contact lenses, a continuous release of the drug over an extended period is possible. This article reviewed the various techniques to deliver medications through contact lenses, examining their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the potential of drug delivery systems based on contact lenses has been extensively studied.

Controlled drug delivery is a matter of interest to numerous scientists from various domains, as well as an essential issue for society as a whole. In the treatment of many diseases, it is crucial to control the dosing of a drug for a long time and thus maintain its optimal concentration in the tissue. Heart diseases are particularly important in this aspect. One such disease is an obstructive arterial disease affecting millions of people around the world. In recent years, stents and balloon catheters have reached a significant position in the treatment of this condition. Balloon catheters are also successfully used to manage tear ducts, paranasal sinuses, or salivary glands disorders. Modern technology is continually striving to improve the results of previous generations of stents and balloon catheters by refining their design, structure, and constituent materials. These advances result in the development of both successive models of drug-eluting stents (DES) and drug-eluting balloons (DEB). This paper presents milestones in the development of DES and DEB, which are a significant option in the treatment of coronary artery diseases. This report reviews the works related to achievements in construction designs and materials, as well as preparation technologies, of DES and DEB. Special attention was paid to the polymeric biodegradable materials used in the production of the above-mentioned devices. Information was also collected on the various methods of producing drug release coatings and their effectiveness in releasing the active substance.

Technological and economic development have influenced the amount of post-production waste. Post-industrial waste, generated in the most considerable amount, includes, among others, waste related to the mining, metallurgical, and energy industries. Various non-hazardous or hazardous wastes can be used to produce new construction materials after the “solidification/stabilization” processes. They can be used as admixtures or raw materials. However, the production of construction materials from various non-hazardous or hazardous waste materials is still very limited. In our opinion, special attention should be paid to waste containing fluoride, and the reuse of solid waste containing fluoride is a high priority today. Fluoride is one of the few trace elements that has received much attention due to its harmful effects on the environment and human and animal health. In addition to natural sources, industry, which discharges wastewater containing F− ions into surface waters, also increases fluoride concentration in waters and pollutes the environment. Therefore, developing effective and robust technologies to remove fluoride excess from the aquatic environment is becoming extremely important. This review aims to cover a wide variety of procedures that have been used to remove fluoride from drinking water and industrial wastewater. In addition, the ability to absorb fluoride, among others, by industrial by-products, agricultural waste, and biomass materials were reviewed.

The interest in UV filters’ occurrence in the environment has increased since they were recognized as “emerging contaminants” having potentially adverse impacts on many ecosystems and organisms. Increased worldwide demand for sunscreens is associated with temperature anomalies, high irradiance, and changes in the tourist market. Recently, it has been demonstrated that personal care products, including sunscreens, appear in various ecosystems and geographic locations causing an ecotoxicological threat. Our goal was to determine for the first time the presence of selected organic UV filters at four beaches in the central Pomeranian region in northern Poland and to assess their horizontal and vertical distribution as well as temporal variation at different locations according to the touristic pressure. In this pioneering study, the concentration of five UV filters was measured in core sediments dredged from four exposed beaches (Darłowo, Ustka, Rowy, and Czołpino). UV filters were detected in 89.6% of collected cores at detection frequencies of 0–22.2%, 75–100%, 0–16.7%, and 2.8–25% for benzophenone-1 (BP-1), benzophenone-2 (BP-2), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), and enzacamene (4-MBC), respectively. In terms of seasonality, the concentration of UV filters generally increased in the following order: summer > autumn > spring. No detectable levels of 3-BC (also known as 3-benzylidene camphor) were recorded. No differences were found in the concentration of UV filters according to the depth of the sediment core. During the summer and autumn seasons, all UV filters were detected in higher concentrations in the bathing area or close to the waterline than halfway or further up the beach. Results presented in this study demonstrate that the Baltic Sea coast is not free from UV filters. Even if actual concentrations can be quantified as ng·kg⁻¹ causing limited environmental threat, much higher future levels are expected due to the Earth’s principal climatic zones shifting northward.

The growing interest in modern polymer materials has targeted research on complex plastic coatings and the possibilities of modifying their features and properties during manufacturing. Today’s modern coatings, including polyurea and polyurethane, are among the most modern developed resins. Compared to other polymer coatings, they are distinguished by their versatility, strength, and durability. They undoubtedly represent the next step in the evolution of coatings. Advances in coating technology have also led to the development of spray, injection, and roto-cast application equipment, improving polyurea-based elastomers’ performance. For many years, there has been much interest in increasing the flame resistance of polymers. This is dictated by safety considerations and the increasing requirements for the flammability of plastics, the area of application of which is growing every year. This text attempts to provide an overview of current research on flame retardant composites. Particular attention was paid to polyurea (PU) and polyurea-based hybrids and the application areas of polyurea coatings. The paper defines flame retardants, discusses how they work, and presents the types of flame retardants and the current trends of their usage in the production of plastics.