The Complex Interplay Between Antibiotic Resistance and Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in the Environment

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Abstract

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are important environmental contaminants. Nonetheless, what drives the evolution, spread, and transmission of antibiotic resistance dissemination is still poorly understood. The abundance of ARB and ARGs is often elevated in human-impacted areas, especially in environments receiving fecal wastes, or in the presence of complex mixtures of chemical contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Self-replication, mutation, horizontal gene transfer, and adaptation to different environmental conditions contribute to the persistence and proliferation of ARB in habitats under strong anthropogenic influence. Our review discusses the interplay between chemical contaminants and ARB and their respective genes, specifically in reference to co-occurrence, potential biostimulation, and selective pressure effects, and gives an overview of mitigation by existing man-made and natural barriers. Evidence and strategies to improve the assessment of human health risks due to environmental antibiotic resistance are also discussed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;00:1–16. © 2022 SETAC

ZIF‐8‐Derived Dual Metal (Fe, Ni)‐Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon for Superior ORR Performance in Universal Acid‐Base Properties Solutions

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ZIF-8-Derived Dual Metal (Fe, Ni)-Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Superior ORR Performance in Universal Acid-Base Properties Solutions


Abstract

Fe-N/C catalysts have currently comparable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to Pt/C catalysts, which are up for consideration as the most promising non-precious metal material for research. In spite of this, its development and application are limited by the Fenton effect and insufficient stability. Herein, we have fabricated a FeNi-nitrogen-doped porous carbon (FeNi-NPC) catalyst using solvent thermal method, made from the bimetallic (Fe, Ni)-doped ZIF-8. A soft template of glucose was used to control the pore structure and active specific surface area of the catalyst. With the benefit of the electronic effect of the bimetal, FeNi-NPC catalysts exhibit superior ORR activity and stability to Pt/C catalysts in both acidic (E 1/2=0.8672 V) and alkaline (E 1/2=0.8663 V) conditions. FeNi-NPC demonstrated peak power densities in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) of up to 865 mW cm−2, which exceeds the currently reported M-N/C catalysts. The work presented here will lead to the design of efficient ORR electrocatalysts in PEMFC devices.