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Paula M.L. Castro
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF – Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina – Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal

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Research article
Published: 25 May 2021 in Environmental Technology
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Diclofenac is a worldwide consumed drug included in the watch list of substances to be monitored according to the European Union Water Framework Directive (Directive 2013/39/EU). Aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors (AGS-SBR) are increasingly used for wastewater treatment but there is scant information on the fate and effect of micropollutants to nutrient removal processes. An AGS-SBR fed with synthetic wastewater containing diclofenac was bioaugmented with a diclofenac degrading bacterial strain and performance and microbial community dynamics was analysed. Chemical oxygen demand, phosphate and ammonia removal were not affected by the micropollutant at 0.03 mM (9.54 mg L-1). The AGS was able to retain the degrading strain, which was detected in the sludge throughout after augmentation. Nevertheless, besides some adsorption to the biomass, diclofenac was not degraded by the augmented sludge given the short operating cycles and even if batch degradation assays confirmed that the bioaugmented AGS was able to biodegrade the compound. The exposure to the pharmaceutical affected the microbial community of the sludge, separating the two first phases of reactor operation (acclimatization and granulation) from subsequent phases. The AGS was able to keep the bioaugmented strain and to maintain the main functions of nutrient removal even through the long exposure to the pharmaceutical, but combined strategies are needed to reduce the spread of micropollutants in the environment. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

ACS Style

Vânia S. Bessa; Irina S. Moreira; Mark C. M. Van Loosdrecht; Paula M. L. Castro. Biological removal processes in aerobic granular sludge exposed to diclofenac. Environmental Technology 2021, 1 -14.

AMA Style

Vânia S. Bessa, Irina S. Moreira, Mark C. M. Van Loosdrecht, Paula M. L. Castro. Biological removal processes in aerobic granular sludge exposed to diclofenac. Environmental Technology. 2021; ():1-14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia S. Bessa; Irina S. Moreira; Mark C. M. Van Loosdrecht; Paula M. L. Castro. 2021. "Biological removal processes in aerobic granular sludge exposed to diclofenac." Environmental Technology , no. : 1-14.

Journal article
Published: 25 April 2021 in Applied Sciences
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The present study was undertaken in a constructed wetland (CW), setup in a tourism house, for domestic wastewater treatment. The influence of season variations on the abundance of fecal indicator organisms (total coliforms and Escherichia coli) in the wastewater and in the substrate and the roots of plants inhabiting the inlet and outlet zones of the CW was evaluated along three consecutive years. The structure and diversity of bacterial communities associated to the CW’s substrate of inlet and outlet zones was also analyzed overtime. Wastewater was characterized for physicochemical and microbiological parameters and the bacterial communities colonizing the substrate surface, were analyzed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). The CW was effective in removing COD, BOD5, TSS, PO4 3−, NH4 +, NO3 −, and NO2 −. It was also effective in removing fecal indicators, with a generalized decrease of total coliforms and E. coli in the substrate and in the wastewater from inlet to outlet of up to 2–3 log. The structure and composition of bacterial communities associated with the substrate was mainly influenced by the year rather than by the season or the CW zone.

ACS Style

Cristina Calheiros; Sofia Pereira; Albina Franco; Paula Castro. Spatial-Temporal Changes in Removal of Fecal Indicators and Diversity of Bacterial Communities in a Constructed Wetland with Ornamental Plants. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 3875 .

AMA Style

Cristina Calheiros, Sofia Pereira, Albina Franco, Paula Castro. Spatial-Temporal Changes in Removal of Fecal Indicators and Diversity of Bacterial Communities in a Constructed Wetland with Ornamental Plants. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (9):3875.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristina Calheiros; Sofia Pereira; Albina Franco; Paula Castro. 2021. "Spatial-Temporal Changes in Removal of Fecal Indicators and Diversity of Bacterial Communities in a Constructed Wetland with Ornamental Plants." Applied Sciences 11, no. 9: 3875.

Journal article
Published: 09 April 2021 in Water Science and Technology
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The presence of toxic compounds in wastewater can cause problems for organic matter and nutrient removal. In this study, the long-term effect of a model xenobiotic, 2-fluorophenol (2-FP), on ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and phosphate accumulating organisms (PAO) in aerobic granular sludge was investigated. Phosphate (P) and ammonium (N) removal efficiencies were high (>93%) and, after bioaugmentation with 2-FP degrading strain FP1, 2-FP was completely degraded. Neither N nor P removal were affected by 50 mg L−1 of 2-FP in the feed stream. Changes in the aerobic granule bacterial communities were followed. Numerical analysis of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles showed low diversity for the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene with an even distribution of species. PAOs, including denitrifying PAO (dPAO), and AOB were present in the 2-FP degrading granules, although dPAO population decreased throughout the 444 days reactor operation. The results demonstrated that the aerobic granules bioaugmented with FP1 strain successfully removed N, P and 2-FP simultaneously.

ACS Style

Anouk F. Duque; Vânia S. Bessa; Udo van Dongen; Merle K. de Kreuk; Raquel B. R. Mesquita; António O. S. S. Rangel; Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht; Paula M. L. Castro. Simultaneous nitrification and phosphate removal by bioaugmented aerobic granules treating a fluoroorganic compound. Water Science and Technology 2021, 83, 2404 -2413.

AMA Style

Anouk F. Duque, Vânia S. Bessa, Udo van Dongen, Merle K. de Kreuk, Raquel B. R. Mesquita, António O. S. S. Rangel, Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht, Paula M. L. Castro. Simultaneous nitrification and phosphate removal by bioaugmented aerobic granules treating a fluoroorganic compound. Water Science and Technology. 2021; 83 (10):2404-2413.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anouk F. Duque; Vânia S. Bessa; Udo van Dongen; Merle K. de Kreuk; Raquel B. R. Mesquita; António O. S. S. Rangel; Mark C. M. van Loosdrecht; Paula M. L. Castro. 2021. "Simultaneous nitrification and phosphate removal by bioaugmented aerobic granules treating a fluoroorganic compound." Water Science and Technology 83, no. 10: 2404-2413.

Journal article
Published: 03 April 2021 in Applied Sciences
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This work is focused on the valorization of brewer’s spent grains (BSG) into volatile fatty acids (VFA) through acidogenic fermentation. VFAs are building blocks for several applications, such as bioplastics’ production. Using acid hydrolysis as pre-treatment, several batch assays were performed and the impact of organic load (OL) and pH on VFA production from BSG hydrolysate was assessed. Regardless of the condition, the produced acids were mainly butyric and acetic acids followed by propionic acid. The OL had a direct impact on the total organic acid concentration with higher concentrations at the highest OL (40 gCOD L−1). pH affected the concentration of individual organic acid, with the highest fermentation products (FP) diversity attained at pH 5.0 and OL of 40 gCOD L−1. To assess the potential application of organic acids for biopolymers (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates) production, the content in hydroxybutyrate (HB) and hydroxyvalerate (HV) monomers was estimated from the respective precursors produced at each pH and OL. The content in HV precursors increased with pH, with a maximum at pH 6.0 (ca. 16% C-mol basis). The acidogenic fermentation of BSG hydrolysate was also assessed in continuous operation, using an expanded granular sludge bed reactor (EGSB). It was shown that the BSG hydrolysate was successfully converted to VFAs without pH control, achieving higher productivities than in the batch operation mode.

ACS Style

Eliana Guarda; Ana Oliveira; Sílvia Antunes; Filomena Freitas; Paula Castro; Anouk Duque; Maria Reis. A Two-Stage Process for Conversion of Brewer’s Spent Grain into Volatile Fatty Acids through Acidogenic Fermentation. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 3222 .

AMA Style

Eliana Guarda, Ana Oliveira, Sílvia Antunes, Filomena Freitas, Paula Castro, Anouk Duque, Maria Reis. A Two-Stage Process for Conversion of Brewer’s Spent Grain into Volatile Fatty Acids through Acidogenic Fermentation. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (7):3222.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eliana Guarda; Ana Oliveira; Sílvia Antunes; Filomena Freitas; Paula Castro; Anouk Duque; Maria Reis. 2021. "A Two-Stage Process for Conversion of Brewer’s Spent Grain into Volatile Fatty Acids through Acidogenic Fermentation." Applied Sciences 11, no. 7: 3222.

Journal article
Published: 21 November 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
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The tolerance of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) to variable wastewater composition is perceived as one of its greatest advantages compared to other aerobic processes. However, research studies select optimal operational conditions for evaluating AGS performance, such as the use of pre-adapted biomass and the control of wastewater composition. In this study, non-adapted granular sludge was used to treat fish canning wastewater presenting highly variable organic, nutrient and salt levels over a period of ca. 8 months. Despite salt levels up to 14 g NaCl L−1, the organic loading rate (OLR) was found to be the main factor driving AGS performance. Throughout the first months of operation the OLR was generally lower than 1.2 kg COD m−3 day−1, resulting in stable nitrification and low COD and phosphorous levels at the outlet. An increase in OLR up to 2.3 kg COD m−3 day−1 disturbed nitrification and COD and phosphate removal, but a decrease to average values between 1 and 1.6 kg COD m−3 day−1 led to resuming of these processes. Most of the bacteria present in the AGS core microbiome were associated to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, such as Thauera and Paracoccus, which increased during the higher OLR period. Ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) species were detected in AGS biomass; while AOB were identified throughout the operation, NOB were no further identified after the period of increased OLR. Different polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) were detected along the process: Candidatus Accumulibacter, Tetrasphaera and Gemmatimonas. A non-adapted granular sludge was able to treat the fish canning wastewater and to tolerate salinity fluctuations up to 14 g L−1. Overall, a high microbial diversity associated to EPS producers allowed to preserve bacterial groups responsible for nutrients removal, contributing to the adaptation and long-term stability of the AGS system.

ACS Style

Ana M.S. Paulo; Catarina L. Amorim; Joana Costa; Daniela P. Mesquita; Eugénio C. Ferreira; Paula M.L. Castro. Long-term stability of a non-adapted aerobic granular sludge process treating fish canning wastewater associated to EPS producers in the core microbiome. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 756, 144007 .

AMA Style

Ana M.S. Paulo, Catarina L. Amorim, Joana Costa, Daniela P. Mesquita, Eugénio C. Ferreira, Paula M.L. Castro. Long-term stability of a non-adapted aerobic granular sludge process treating fish canning wastewater associated to EPS producers in the core microbiome. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 756 ():144007.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ana M.S. Paulo; Catarina L. Amorim; Joana Costa; Daniela P. Mesquita; Eugénio C. Ferreira; Paula M.L. Castro. 2020. "Long-term stability of a non-adapted aerobic granular sludge process treating fish canning wastewater associated to EPS producers in the core microbiome." Science of The Total Environment 756, no. : 144007.

Review
Published: 22 March 2020 in Agronomy
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World population growth, together with climate changes and increased hidden hunger, bring an urgent need for finding sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural approaches to improve crop yield and nutritional value. The existing methodologies for enhancing the concentration of bioavailable micronutrients in edible crop tissues (i.e., biofortification), including some agronomic strategies, conventional plant breeding, and genetic engineering, have not always been successful. In recent years, the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) has been suggested as a promising approach for the biofortification of important crops, including legumes. Legumes have many beneficial health effects, namely, improved immunological, metabolic and hormonal regulation, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, and decreased risk of cardiovascular and obesity-related diseases. These crops also play a key role in the environment through symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation, reducing the need for N fertilizers, reducing CO2 emissions, improving soil composition, and increasing plant resistance to pests and diseases. PGPB act by a series of direct and indirect mechanisms to potentially improve crop yields and nutrition. This review will focus on the: (i) importance of legumes in the accomplishment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for production systems; (ii) understanding the role of PGPB in plant nutrition; (iii) iron biofortification of legumes with PGPB, which is an interesting case study of a green technology for sustainable plant-food production improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.

ACS Style

Mariana Roriz; Susana M. P. Carvalho; Paula M. L. Castro; Marta W. Vasconcelos. Legume Biofortification and the Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in a Sustainable Agricultural Era. Agronomy 2020, 10, 435 .

AMA Style

Mariana Roriz, Susana M. P. Carvalho, Paula M. L. Castro, Marta W. Vasconcelos. Legume Biofortification and the Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in a Sustainable Agricultural Era. Agronomy. 2020; 10 (3):435.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mariana Roriz; Susana M. P. Carvalho; Paula M. L. Castro; Marta W. Vasconcelos. 2020. "Legume Biofortification and the Role of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in a Sustainable Agricultural Era." Agronomy 10, no. 3: 435.

Journal article
Published: 10 January 2020 in Environmental Pollution
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Antibiotics are the most consumed therapeutic classes worldwide and are released to the environment in their original form as well as potentially active metabolites and/or degradation products. Consequences of the occurrence of these compounds in the environment are primarily related to bacterial resistance development. This work presents a validated analytical method based on solid phase extraction (SPE) using HLB cartridges, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for quantification of seven different fluoroquinolone antibiotics, namely ciprofloxacin (CPF), enrofloxacin (ENR), lomefloxacin (LOM), norfloxacin (NOR), ofloxacin (OFL), prulifloxacin (PLF) and moxifloxacin (MOX) and its application to detect the target compounds in influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Linearity was established through calibration curves in solvent and matrix match using internal calibration method in the range of 50–1300 ng L−1 and all the fluoroquinolones showed good linear fit (r2 ≥ 0.991). Accuracy ranged between 80.3 and 92.9%, precision was comprised between 7.2 and 14.6%, and 10.7 and 18.1% for intra- and inter-batch determinations, respectively. Method detection and quantification limits ranged from 6.7 to 59.0 ng L−1 and 22.3–196.6 ng L−1, respectively. Influents and effluents of fifteen WWTPs of North of Portugal were analyzed. OFL was the fluoroquinolone found at the highest concentration, up to 4587.0 ng L−1 and 987.9 ng L−1, in influent and effluent, respectively. NOR and PLF were not detected.

ACS Style

Alexandra S. Maia; Paula Paíga; Cristina Delerue-Matos; Paula Castro; Maria Elizabeth Tiritan. Quantification of fluoroquinolones in wastewaters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Environmental Pollution 2020, 259, 113927 .

AMA Style

Alexandra S. Maia, Paula Paíga, Cristina Delerue-Matos, Paula Castro, Maria Elizabeth Tiritan. Quantification of fluoroquinolones in wastewaters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Environmental Pollution. 2020; 259 ():113927.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandra S. Maia; Paula Paíga; Cristina Delerue-Matos; Paula Castro; Maria Elizabeth Tiritan. 2020. "Quantification of fluoroquinolones in wastewaters by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry." Environmental Pollution 259, no. : 113927.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2019 in Journal of Environmental Management
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Salt-affected soils are a major problem worldwide for crop production. Bioinocula such as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can help plants to thrive in these areas but interactions between them and with soil conditions can modulate the effects on their host. To test potential synergistic effects of bioinoculants with intrinsically different functional relationships with their host in buffering the effect of saline stress, maize plants were grown under increasing soil salinity (0–5 g NaCl kg−-1 soil) and inoculated with two PGPB strains (Pseudomonas reactans EDP28, and Pantoea alli ZS 3-6), one AMF (Rhizoglomus irregulare), and with the combination of both. We then modelled biomass, ion and nutrient content in maize plants in response to increasing salt concentration and microbial inoculant treatments using generalized linear models. The impacts of the different treatments on the rhizosphere bacterial communities were also analyzed. Microbial inoculants tended to mitigate ion imbalances in plants across the gradient of NaCl, promoting maize growth and nutritional status. These effects were mostly prominent in the treatments comprising the dual inoculation (AMF and PGPB), occurring throughout the gradient of salinity in the soil. The composition of bacterial communities of the soil was not affected by microbial treatments and were mainly driven by salt exposure. The tested bioinocula are most efficient for maize growth and health when co-inoculated, increasing the content of K+ accompanied by an effective decrease of Na+ in plant tissues. Moreover, synergistic effects potentially contribute to expanding crop production to otherwise unproductive soils. Results suggest that the combination of AMF and PGPB leads to interactions that may have a potential role in alleviating the stress and improve crop productivity in salt-affected soils.

ACS Style

Helena Moreira; Sofia I.A. Pereira; Alberto López Vega; Paula M.L. Castro; Ana P.G.C. Marques. Synergistic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria benefit maize growth under increasing soil salinity. Journal of Environmental Management 2019, 257, 109982 .

AMA Style

Helena Moreira, Sofia I.A. Pereira, Alberto López Vega, Paula M.L. Castro, Ana P.G.C. Marques. Synergistic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria benefit maize growth under increasing soil salinity. Journal of Environmental Management. 2019; 257 ():109982.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Helena Moreira; Sofia I.A. Pereira; Alberto López Vega; Paula M.L. Castro; Ana P.G.C. Marques. 2019. "Synergistic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting bacteria benefit maize growth under increasing soil salinity." Journal of Environmental Management 257, no. : 109982.

Journal article
Published: 12 December 2019 in Water
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The present research intended to investigate the toxicity abatement of domestic wastewater after passing a biosystem composed of a constructed wetland (CW) followed by a pond. The wastewater was generated in a tourism house in a rural and mountainous context and passed through a septic tank before being diverted to a CW followed by a pond. A battery of ecotoxicological tests, comprising microalgae (Raphidocelis subcapitata), macrophytes (Lemna minor), cladocerans (Daphnia magna), and bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri), was used to assess the toxicity of the wastewater collected before and after the CW and the water of the pond. Physicochemical parameters (pH, conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, phosphates, ammonium, and nitrate) were also determined. The CW was able to remove carbon and nutrients from the water with a concomitant reduction of its toxicity. This study, reinforced the added value of using toxicity tests as a complement to CW operational monitoring to validate the solution and to analyze possible readjustments that may be required to improve efficiency. This study lends further support to the claim that CWs can be a sustainable solution for treating small volumes of domestic wastewater in a rural context.

ACS Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros; Paula M. L. Castro; Ana Gavina; Ruth Pereira. Toxicity Abatement of Wastewaters from Tourism Units by Constructed Wetlands. Water 2019, 11, 2623 .

AMA Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros, Paula M. L. Castro, Ana Gavina, Ruth Pereira. Toxicity Abatement of Wastewaters from Tourism Units by Constructed Wetlands. Water. 2019; 11 (12):2623.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros; Paula M. L. Castro; Ana Gavina; Ruth Pereira. 2019. "Toxicity Abatement of Wastewaters from Tourism Units by Constructed Wetlands." Water 11, no. 12: 2623.

Research article
Published: 22 November 2019 in PLOS ONE
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Urban trees provide many ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, air quality improvement, storm water attenuation and energy conservation, to people living in cities. Provisioning of ecosystem services by urban trees, however, may be jeopardized by the typically poor quality of the soils in urban areas. Given their well-known multifunctional role in forest ecosystems, ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcM) may also contribute to urban tree health and thus ecosystem service provisioning. Yet, no studies so far have directly related in situ EcM community composition to urban tree health indicators. Here, two previously collected datasets were combined: i) tree health data of 175 Tilia tomentosa trees from three European cities (Leuven, Strasbourg and Porto) estimated using a range of reflectance, chlorophyll fluorescence and physical leaf indicators, and ii) ectomycorrhizal diversity of these trees as characterized by next-generation sequencing. Tree health indicators were related to soil characteristics and EcM diversity using canonical redundancy analysis. Soil organic matter significantly explained variation in tree health indicators whereas no significant relation between mycorrhizal diversity variables and the tree health indicators was found. We conclude that mainly soil organic matter, through promoting soil aggregate formation and porosity, and thus indirectly tree water availability, positively affects the health of trees in urban areas. Our results suggest that urban planners should not overlook the importance of soil quality and its water holding capacity for the health of urban trees and potentially also for the ecosystem services they deliver. Further research should also study other soil microbiota which may independently, or in interaction with ectomycorrhiza, mediate tree performance in urban settings.

ACS Style

Maarten Van Geel; Kang Yu; Gerrit Peeters; Kasper Van Acker; Miguel Ramos; Cindy Serafim; Pierre Kastendeuch; Georges Najjar; Thierry Ameglio; Jérôme Ngao; Marc Saudreau; Paula Castro; Ben Somers; Olivier Honnay. Soil organic matter rather than ectomycorrhizal diversity is related to urban tree health. PLOS ONE 2019, 14, e0225714 .

AMA Style

Maarten Van Geel, Kang Yu, Gerrit Peeters, Kasper Van Acker, Miguel Ramos, Cindy Serafim, Pierre Kastendeuch, Georges Najjar, Thierry Ameglio, Jérôme Ngao, Marc Saudreau, Paula Castro, Ben Somers, Olivier Honnay. Soil organic matter rather than ectomycorrhizal diversity is related to urban tree health. PLOS ONE. 2019; 14 (11):e0225714.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maarten Van Geel; Kang Yu; Gerrit Peeters; Kasper Van Acker; Miguel Ramos; Cindy Serafim; Pierre Kastendeuch; Georges Najjar; Thierry Ameglio; Jérôme Ngao; Marc Saudreau; Paula Castro; Ben Somers; Olivier Honnay. 2019. "Soil organic matter rather than ectomycorrhizal diversity is related to urban tree health." PLOS ONE 14, no. 11: e0225714.

Journal article
Published: 25 October 2019 in Journal of Soils and Sediments
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Mining areas are low-quality habitats for macro- and microorganisms’ development, mainly due to the degradation of the soil quality by metal pollution. The present work aimed to analyze the influence of metal contamination and of plant species on the rhizospheric microbial communities of four indigenous metallophytes (Ononis natrix, Haloxylon scoparium, Peganum harmala, and Aizoon canariense) growing along a metal contamination gradient in Kettara mine near Marrakech, Morocco. In pyrrhotite mining areas (Kettara mine, Morocco), rhizosphere soil samples were collected from four predominant indigenous metallophytes (O. natrix, H. scoparium, P. harmala, and A. canariense) growing along a metal contamination gradient (ZC, control zone; Z1, high metal contamination; Z2, moderate metal contamination; Z3, low metal contamination). Microbial communities were analyzed by using microbial counts and by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The physicochemical properties (pH, conductivity, total organic carbon, nitrogen, P Olsen, and metal concentrations) of soils were also determined. The physicochemical analysis revealed that rhizospheric soils from Z1, Z2, and Z3 were relatively poor in nutrients as they presented low levels of total organic carbon and nitrogen, organic matter and available P. Moreover, these rhizospheric soils showed high concentrations of metals, especially Cu and Pb, which significantly reduced the abundance of the different groups of soil microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) and the activity of soil dehydrogenase. The analysis of bacterial communities by DGGE revealed that bacterial diversity was not negatively affected by metal contamination being higher in the most contaminated area (Z1). Overall, the microbial abundance, the composition, and the diversity of rhizospheric bacterial communities were more influenced by the environmental factors in sampling zones than by plant cover. Microbial counts and enzymatic activity were both systematically affected throughout the metal gradient, evidencing as good indicators of the harmful effects of anthropogenic disturbances in soils. H. scorparium and P. harmala proved to be good candidates for the development of phytotechnological programs aiming the revegetation of mining degraded areas.

ACS Style

Leila Benidire; Sofia I. A. Pereira; Ahmed Naylo; Paula M. L. Castro; Ali Boularbah. Do metal contamination and plant species affect microbial abundance and bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of metallophytes growing in mining areas in a semiarid climate? Journal of Soils and Sediments 2019, 20, 1003 -1017.

AMA Style

Leila Benidire, Sofia I. A. Pereira, Ahmed Naylo, Paula M. L. Castro, Ali Boularbah. Do metal contamination and plant species affect microbial abundance and bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of metallophytes growing in mining areas in a semiarid climate? Journal of Soils and Sediments. 2019; 20 (2):1003-1017.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leila Benidire; Sofia I. A. Pereira; Ahmed Naylo; Paula M. L. Castro; Ali Boularbah. 2019. "Do metal contamination and plant species affect microbial abundance and bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of metallophytes growing in mining areas in a semiarid climate?" Journal of Soils and Sediments 20, no. 2: 1003-1017.

Journal article
Published: 09 September 2019 in Separation and Purification Technology
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Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is considered a promising technology for wastewater treatment. Furthermore, it is recognized that the stability of the process is related to the balanced growth of the suspended (floccular) and granular fractions. Therefore, the development of adequate techniques to monitor this balance is of interest. In this work the sludge volume index (SVI), volatile suspended solids (VSS) and total suspended solids (TSS) of mature AGS were successfully predicted with multilinear regression (MLR) models using data obtained from quantitative image analysis (QIA) of both fractions (suspended and granular). Relevant predictions were obtained for the SVI (R2 of 0.975), granules TSS (R2 of 0.985), flocs TSS (R2 of 0.971), granules VSS (R2 of 0.984) and flocs VSS (R2 of 0.986). The estimation of the granular fraction ratio from the predicted TSS and VSS was also successful (R2 of 0.985). The predictions help to avoid instability episodes of the AGS system, such as changes in biomass morphology, structure and settling properties.

ACS Style

Cristiano Leal; Angeles Val del Río; Daniela P. Mesquita; António L. Amaral; Paula Castro; Eugénio C. Ferreira. Sludge volume index and suspended solids estimation of mature aerobic granular sludge by quantitative image analysis and chemometric tools. Separation and Purification Technology 2019, 234, 116049 .

AMA Style

Cristiano Leal, Angeles Val del Río, Daniela P. Mesquita, António L. Amaral, Paula Castro, Eugénio C. Ferreira. Sludge volume index and suspended solids estimation of mature aerobic granular sludge by quantitative image analysis and chemometric tools. Separation and Purification Technology. 2019; 234 ():116049.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristiano Leal; Angeles Val del Río; Daniela P. Mesquita; António L. Amaral; Paula Castro; Eugénio C. Ferreira. 2019. "Sludge volume index and suspended solids estimation of mature aerobic granular sludge by quantitative image analysis and chemometric tools." Separation and Purification Technology 234, no. : 116049.

Journal article
Published: 06 September 2019 in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
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The increased use of fertilisers is a well-known problem; linked to this, there is an always higher demand for phosphorus (P). Because of this, it is crucial to use P from all possible sources and, if necessary, turn it into a soluble form, available for plants/crops. In this paper we report the use of aerobic phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) on the scales of the tilapia (Copton rendalli) fish, a waste from the food industry; this is the first time that PSB were employed on fish scales to mediate the available P. The scales were calcined to 700 °C to obtain a nanoscale powdery material (more easily solubilised), made of hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, a calcium phosphate with very low solubility. Seventeen different PSB strains were tested for their ability to solubilise phosphate (commercial tricalcium phosphate - TCP) and hydroxyapatite from fish scale (FSHA). The best performing bacterial strain (Acidovorax oryzae ZS 1-7) led to a P solubilisation more than 60 times higher than the negative control - at 325 mg/L, almost 40 % of the available P was solubilised – one of the highest increased efficiencies reported for PBS. Such solubilisation was linked to a decrease of the pH to more acidic values of about 4. The strain ZS 1-7 showed higher P solubilisation efficiency with fish-derived FSHA than with commercial TCP. This approach showed a promising strategy for the valorisation of residues of the fish industry, turning them into a source of P, to be used for sustainable agriculture.

ACS Style

C. A. Santana; C. Piccirillo; S.I. A. Pereira; R.C. Pullar; S.M. Lima; P.M. L. Castro. Employment of phosphate solubilising bacteria on fish scales – Turning food waste into an available phosphorus source. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2019, 7, 103403 .

AMA Style

C. A. Santana, C. Piccirillo, S.I. A. Pereira, R.C. Pullar, S.M. Lima, P.M. L. Castro. Employment of phosphate solubilising bacteria on fish scales – Turning food waste into an available phosphorus source. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2019; 7 (5):103403.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. A. Santana; C. Piccirillo; S.I. A. Pereira; R.C. Pullar; S.M. Lima; P.M. L. Castro. 2019. "Employment of phosphate solubilising bacteria on fish scales – Turning food waste into an available phosphorus source." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 7, no. 5: 103403.

Journal article
Published: 25 July 2019 in Water
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Constructed wetlands (CWs) are biological wastewater treatment systems that comprise several components where plants and associated organisms play an important role in water depuration. Microbial studies emphasize bacterial dynamics, whereas studies of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are scarce and the functional role of AMF in aquatic and wetland plants is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the AMF communities colonizing the roots of Canna indica, Canna flaccida, and Watsonia borbonica inhabiting a CW treating wastewater of a tourism unit. The dynamics of the AMF communities were evaluated by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) of 18S rRNA gene amplification products along cold (C) and hot (H) seasons for three consecutive years. DGGE profiles allowed the estimation of AMF species richness (S), and Shannon-Wienner (H) and Pielou (J) indexes, for the different plant species, showing differences between species and along the years. Excised bands from DGGE were analyzed and identified through sequencing for arbuscular mycorrhiza, revealing the presence of AMF strains closely related to Glomus sp., Rhizophagus sp. and Acaulospora sp. genera. Concomitant water quality analyses showed that the system was effective in organic and nutrient removal during the sampling period. Findings from this study suggest that AMF diversity found in the CW is influenced by the water constituents, season, and plant species.

ACS Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros; Sofia I. A. Pereira; Albina R. Franco; Paula M. L. Castro. Diverse Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Communities Colonize Plants Inhabiting a Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment. Water 2019, 11, 1535 .

AMA Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros, Sofia I. A. Pereira, Albina R. Franco, Paula M. L. Castro. Diverse Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Communities Colonize Plants Inhabiting a Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment. Water. 2019; 11 (8):1535.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristina S. C. Calheiros; Sofia I. A. Pereira; Albina R. Franco; Paula M. L. Castro. 2019. "Diverse Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Communities Colonize Plants Inhabiting a Constructed Wetland for Wastewater Treatment." Water 11, no. 8: 1535.

Journal article
Published: 28 June 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is a topic of concern. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widespread antiepileptic drug and due to its physical-chemical characteristics minimal removal is achieved in conventional water treatments, and thus has been suggested as a molecular marker of wastewater contamination in surface water and groundwater. The present study reports the biotransformation of CBZ by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11. When supplied as a sole carbon source, a 95.4% biotransformation of 40 μM CBZ was achieved in 30 days. In co-metabolism with acetate, complete biotransformation was attained at a faster rate. Following a target approach, the detection and identification of 14 intermediary metabolites was achieved through UPLC-QTOF/MS/MS. Biotransformation of CBZ by the bacterial strain is mostly based on oxidation, loss of -CHNO group and ketone formation reactions; a biotransformation pathway with three main routes is proposed. The toxicity of untreated and treated CBZ solutions was assessed using Vibrio Fischeri and Lepidium sativum acute toxicity tests and Toxi-Chromo Test. The presence of CBZ and/or its degradations products in solution resulted in moderate toxic effect on Vibrio Fischeri, whereas the other organisms were not affected. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report that proposes the metabolic degradation pathway of CBZ by a single bacterial strain.

ACS Style

Vânia S. Bessa; Irina S. Moreira; Sapia Murgolo; Giuseppe Mascolo; Paula M.L. Castro. Carbamazepine is degraded by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 690, 739 -747.

AMA Style

Vânia S. Bessa, Irina S. Moreira, Sapia Murgolo, Giuseppe Mascolo, Paula M.L. Castro. Carbamazepine is degraded by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 690 ():739-747.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vânia S. Bessa; Irina S. Moreira; Sapia Murgolo; Giuseppe Mascolo; Paula M.L. Castro. 2019. "Carbamazepine is degraded by the bacterial strain Labrys portucalensis F11." Science of The Total Environment 690, no. : 739-747.

Journal article
Published: 05 January 2019 in Journal of Soils and Sediments
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Due to their close proximity with the population, urban soils are extensively affected by human activities that release considerable technogenic inputs resulting in an overall soil degradation and leading to an increase of water-extractable fraction of trace elements. This work aimed to determine the influence of anthropization on trace and major element concentrations and to assess how it might also affect soil biochemical and microbiological parameters in an urban area of Marrakech city, Morocco. The work was carried out on nine topsoils located along an anthropogenic gradient from a suburban area to the city center. The percentage of technogenic fraction (TGF) (e.g., building material, plastic, wood, metallic material, bones, glass, paper, fabric) was used to quantify the degree of human interference in the different soils. Physicochemical parameters were measured: pH (in water solution), TOC (Anne method), TKN, and Olsen phosphorus. The total fraction of trace and major elements (ISO NF 11446) and their water-soluble fraction were analyzed with an ICP-OES. Enumeration of cultivable microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) was conducted on culture media. Dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease activities were colorimetrically measured, and the structure and diversity of soil bacterial communities were determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. In general, trace and major element concentrations showed increasing levels along the anthropogenic gradient, except for Ca, Mg, B, and Cd. However, trace element concentrations remained below the standard international limits for soils. Total numbers of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) varied significantly among sites, with bacterial counts directly related to the anthropogenic gradient, significantly increasing from suburban area to the city center. Dehydrogenase activity decreased throughout the anthropogenic gradient, while phosphatase and urease activities varied between sites independently of the gradient. DGGE profiles showed that bacterial diversity was higher in the most anthropized soils, where their community structure seemed to be influenced by the total concentrations of Zn, As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and the technogenic fraction. Overall, trace and major element concentrations and the technogenic fraction were higher with increasing levels of urbanization. Microbiological and biochemical parameters appeared significantly influenced by the anthropogenic inputs without being systematically inhibited along the anthropogenic gradient. Dehydrogenase activity decreased along the anthropization gradient, and thus may be used as a proxy to assess the effect of anthropization on soil biological functions.

ACS Style

Ahmed Naylo; Sofia I. Almeida Pereira; Leila Benidire; Hicham El Khalil; Paula M. L. Castro; Stéphanie Ouvrard; Christophe Schwartz; Ali Boularbah. Trace and major element contents, microbial communities, and enzymatic activities of urban soils of Marrakech city along an anthropization gradient. Journal of Soils and Sediments 2019, 19, 2153 -2165.

AMA Style

Ahmed Naylo, Sofia I. Almeida Pereira, Leila Benidire, Hicham El Khalil, Paula M. L. Castro, Stéphanie Ouvrard, Christophe Schwartz, Ali Boularbah. Trace and major element contents, microbial communities, and enzymatic activities of urban soils of Marrakech city along an anthropization gradient. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 2019; 19 (5):2153-2165.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed Naylo; Sofia I. Almeida Pereira; Leila Benidire; Hicham El Khalil; Paula M. L. Castro; Stéphanie Ouvrard; Christophe Schwartz; Ali Boularbah. 2019. "Trace and major element contents, microbial communities, and enzymatic activities of urban soils of Marrakech city along an anthropization gradient." Journal of Soils and Sediments 19, no. 5: 2153-2165.

Chapter
Published: 09 December 2018 in Nanomaterial Biointeractions at the Cellular, Organismal and System Levels
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Environmental contamination by fluorinated organic compounds is an issue of major concern due to their widespread use and recalcitrance to degradation. The susceptibility of fluorinated pollutants to biodegradation, a major route for the removal of such pollutants from different environmental compartments, is affected by the molecule structure, namely, the number and position of fluorine atoms. In this chapter, the biodegradation of several fluorinated substrates is presented, highlighting the occurrence of mineralization versus biotransformation to dead-end metabolites, whose toxicity cannot be disregarded. Enrichment strategies to obtain degrading strains are addressed, as well as approaches to improve degradation efficiency. Frequently, in contaminated environments, autochthonous strains are not able to break the high-strength carbon-fluorine bond(s). Bioaugmentation, through the addition of specialized pollutant-degrading strains/genes to environmental matrices, is presented as a promising strategy to improve pollutant removal efficiency. Successful bioaugmentation processes applied to different reactor configurations are presented, and constraints to its implementation are also discussed.

ACS Style

Irina Moreira; Catarina L. Amorim; Cormac Murphy; Paula M. L. Castro. Strategies for Biodegradation of Fluorinated Compounds. Nanomaterial Biointeractions at the Cellular, Organismal and System Levels 2018, 239 -280.

AMA Style

Irina Moreira, Catarina L. Amorim, Cormac Murphy, Paula M. L. Castro. Strategies for Biodegradation of Fluorinated Compounds. Nanomaterial Biointeractions at the Cellular, Organismal and System Levels. 2018; ():239-280.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Irina Moreira; Catarina L. Amorim; Cormac Murphy; Paula M. L. Castro. 2018. "Strategies for Biodegradation of Fluorinated Compounds." Nanomaterial Biointeractions at the Cellular, Organismal and System Levels , no. : 239-280.

Journal article
Published: 12 October 2018 in FEMS Microbiology Ecology
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Trees in urban areas face harsh environmental conditions. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcM) form a symbiosis with many tree species and provide a range of benefits to their host through their extraradical hyphal network. Although our understanding of the environmental drivers and large scale geographical variation of EcM communities in natural ecosystems is growing, our knowledge of EcM communities within and across urban areas is still limited. Here, we characterized EcM communities using Illumina miseq sequencing on 175 root samples of the urban tree Tilia tomentosa from three European cities, namely Leuven (Belgium), Strasbourg (France) and Porto (Portugal). We found strong differences in EcM richness and community composition between cities. Soil acidity, organic matter and moisture content were significantly associated with EcM community composition. In agreement, the explained variability in EcM communities was mostly attributed to general soil characteristics, whereas very little variation was explained by city and heavy metal pollution. Overall, our results suggest that EcM communities in urban areas are significantly associated with soil characteristics, while heavy metal pollution and biogeography had little or no impact. These findings deliver new insights into EcM distribution patterns in urban areas and contribute to specific inoculation strategies to improve urban tree vitality.

ACS Style

Maarten Van Geel; Kang Yu; Tobias Ceulemans; Gerrit Peeters; Kasper van Acker; Willem Geerts; Miguel M Ramos; Cindy Serafim; Pierre Kastendeuch; Georges Najjar; Thierry Ameglio; Jérôme Ngao; Marc Saudreau; Michael Waud; Bart Lievens; Paula Castro; Ben Somers; Olivier Honnay. Variation in ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa) within and across urban areas. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 2018, 94, 1 .

AMA Style

Maarten Van Geel, Kang Yu, Tobias Ceulemans, Gerrit Peeters, Kasper van Acker, Willem Geerts, Miguel M Ramos, Cindy Serafim, Pierre Kastendeuch, Georges Najjar, Thierry Ameglio, Jérôme Ngao, Marc Saudreau, Michael Waud, Bart Lievens, Paula Castro, Ben Somers, Olivier Honnay. Variation in ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa) within and across urban areas. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 2018; 94 (12):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maarten Van Geel; Kang Yu; Tobias Ceulemans; Gerrit Peeters; Kasper van Acker; Willem Geerts; Miguel M Ramos; Cindy Serafim; Pierre Kastendeuch; Georges Najjar; Thierry Ameglio; Jérôme Ngao; Marc Saudreau; Michael Waud; Bart Lievens; Paula Castro; Ben Somers; Olivier Honnay. 2018. "Variation in ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Silver linden (Tilia tomentosa) within and across urban areas." FEMS Microbiology Ecology 94, no. 12: 1.

Original paper
Published: 25 September 2018 in Plant Growth Regulation
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Studies on the functional significance of bacteria associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are scarce, as well as information on the metabolism of the host plant when in symbiosis with ECM fungi. Here we intended to evaluate the phenolic profile of seedlings when associated with Bacillus subtilis (B1), Pisolithus tinctorius (Pis) and their combination (PisB1). The interaction between microorganisms was conducted in three stages: (i) in vitro evaluation of fungal/bacterial interaction, (ii) microcosms, (iii) plant transplantation to natural soil. The profile of phenolic compounds was determined at the end of stages (ii) and (iii) and further supplemented with biometric, nutritional and analysis of the ectomycorrhizal community by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. In the in vitro compatibility test, B1 inhibited fungal growth at all glucose concentrations tested. In the microcosm, the levels of chlorogenic and p-coumaric acid decreased over time, unlike the protocatechuic acid which tended to increase during 70 days. After transplantation to the soil, the levels of phenolic acids decreased in all treatments, while catechin increased. B. subtilis positively influenced the fungus-plant relationship as was evidenced by higher biomass of seedlings inoculated with the dual inoculum (PisB1), both in the microcosm and soil stages. The presence of the bacteria interfered in the composition of the ECM fungal community installed in Pinus pinea L. in the soil. This leads to infer that B. subtilis may have caused a greater effect on the metabolism of P. pinea, especially in synergy with mycorrhizal fungi, than the action of the isolated fungus.

ACS Style

Giovânia C. Araújo; Nadine R. Sousa; Paula M. L. Castro. The effect of fungal-bacterial interaction on the phenolic profile of Pinus pinea L. Plant Growth Regulation 2018, 86, 465 -475.

AMA Style

Giovânia C. Araújo, Nadine R. Sousa, Paula M. L. Castro. The effect of fungal-bacterial interaction on the phenolic profile of Pinus pinea L. Plant Growth Regulation. 2018; 86 (3):465-475.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giovânia C. Araújo; Nadine R. Sousa; Paula M. L. Castro. 2018. "The effect of fungal-bacterial interaction on the phenolic profile of Pinus pinea L." Plant Growth Regulation 86, no. 3: 465-475.

Journal article
Published: 19 September 2018 in Materials
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Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the most detected pharmaceuticals in environmental water matrices and is known to be recalcitrant to conventional wastewater treatment plants. In this study, degradation of DCF was performed in water by photolysis and photocatalysis using a new synthetized photocatalyst based on hydroxyapatite and TiO2 (HApTi). A degradation of 95% of the target compound was achieved in 24 h by a photocatalytic treatment employing the HApTi catalyst in comparison to only 60% removal by the photolytic process. The investigation of photo-transformation products was performed by means of UPLC-QTOF/MS/MS, and for 14 detected compounds in samples collected during treatment with HApTi, the chemical structure was proposed. The determination of transformation product (TP) toxicity was performed by using different assays: Daphnia magna acute toxicity test, Toxi-ChromoTest, and Lactuca sativa and Solanum lycopersicum germination inhibition test. Overall, the toxicity of the samples obtained from the photocatalytic experiment with HApTi decreased at the end of the treatment, showing the potential applicability of the catalyst for the removal of diclofenac and the detoxification of water matrices.

ACS Style

Sapia Murgolo; Irina S. Moreira; Clara Piccirillo; Paula M. L. Castro; Gianrocco Ventrella; Claudio Cocozza; Giuseppe Mascolo. Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac by Hydroxyapatite–TiO2 Composite Material: Identification of Transformation Products and Assessment of Toxicity. Materials 2018, 11, 1779 .

AMA Style

Sapia Murgolo, Irina S. Moreira, Clara Piccirillo, Paula M. L. Castro, Gianrocco Ventrella, Claudio Cocozza, Giuseppe Mascolo. Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac by Hydroxyapatite–TiO2 Composite Material: Identification of Transformation Products and Assessment of Toxicity. Materials. 2018; 11 (9):1779.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sapia Murgolo; Irina S. Moreira; Clara Piccirillo; Paula M. L. Castro; Gianrocco Ventrella; Claudio Cocozza; Giuseppe Mascolo. 2018. "Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac by Hydroxyapatite–TiO2 Composite Material: Identification of Transformation Products and Assessment of Toxicity." Materials 11, no. 9: 1779.