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- Biodegradation of polyethylene microplastics by the marine fungus zalerion maritimumPublication . Paço, Ana; Duarte, Kátia; Costa, João P. da; Santos, Patrícia S.M.; Pereira, R.; Pereira, M. E.; Freitas, Ana C.; Duarte, Armando C.; Rocha-Santos, Teresa A. P.Plastic yearly production has surpassed the 300milliontons mark and recycling has all but failed in constituting a viable solution for the disposal of plastic waste. As these materials continue to accumulate in the environment, namely, in rivers and oceans, in the form of macro-, meso-, micro- and nanoplastics, it becomes of the utmost urgency to find new ways to curtail this environmental threat. Multiple efforts have been made to identify and isolate microorganisms capable of utilizing synthetic polymers and recent results point towards the viability of a solution for this problem based on the biodegradation of plastics resorting to selected microbial strains. Herein, the response of the fungus Zalerion maritimum to different times of exposition to polyethylene (PE) pellets, in a minimum growth medium, was evaluated, based on the quantified mass differences in both the fungus and the microplastic pellets used. Additionally, molecular changes were assessed through attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Results showed that, under the tested conditions, Z. maritimum is capable of utilizing PE, resulting in the decrease, in both mass and size, of the pellets. These results indicate that this naturally occurring fungus may actively contribute to the biodegradation of microplastics, requiring minimum nutrients.
- Disposable sensors for environmental monitoring of lead, cadmium and mercuryPublication . Duarte, Katia; Justino, Celine I. L.; Freitas, Ana C.; Gomes, Ana M. P.; Duarte, Armando; Rocha-Santos, Teresa A. P.Miniaturization is an increasing trend in the field of analytical chemistry as a response to the need to develop new analytical techniques for food, clinical, and environmental applications. There is therefore also an increasing trend towards the use of miniaturized disposable sensors, which are inexpensive and designed to be one-shot and do not require pre-treatment prior to use or cleaning between measurements. This review describes disposable sensors for detection of lead, cadmium and mercury in the environment, taking into account their analytical performance. Further, we also discuss the role of certain factors, such as the immobilization procedure and surface modification affecting the analytical characteristics of sensors. Finally, we comment on future applications and potential research interest in this field.