Environmental pollution is significant and oftentimes hazardous in the areas, where mining, foundries and smelters and other metallurgical operations are located. Systematic research on the chronic effects of metals started during the past century; nevertheless, it is evident that even today, there are large gaps in knowledge regarding the assessment of the health effects caused by environmental and occupational exposures to these metals. Heavy metals induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing oxidative stress, make several repair-inhibiting cellular changes and alter the DNA repair processes. They favour the ‘false’ repairing of double-strand breaks (DSBs), propagate DNA mutations and induce carcinogenesis. A detailed literature search was performed using the MedLine/PubMed database. Depending on the mechanism of action, arsenicals can act as genotoxins, non-genotoxic agents and carcinogens. Cadmium can bind to proteins, reduce DNA repair, activate protein degradation, up-regulate cytokines and proto-oncogenes (c-fos, c-jun and c-myc), induce the expression of metallothionein, haeme-oxygenases, glutathione transferases, heat-shock proteins, acute-phase reactants and DNA polymerase β at lower concentrations. Inorganic mercury damages oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport pathways at the ubiquinone–cytochrome b5 locus and thus induces ROS production. Abandoned mining areas generate environmentally persistent waste. These specific sites urgently require maximally efficient and cheap remediation. This bears the need for methodologies employing green and sustainable remediation. Phytoremediation is important in that it is a prevalent in situ remediation technique. Its advantages include the use of solar energy, cost-effectiveness, easy operation, reduction in secondary contaminants, the use of biomass for biofuel production and low-cost adsorbents.

A considerable number of drugs were withdrawn from the world market in the last decades due to safety reasons. A retrospective review of withdrawals is important in determining the adequacy of regulations regarding the safety and efficacy of drugs. The scope of the present study was to focus on cardiovascular adverse reactions of 61 withdrawn medicinal products, as well as 40 additional drugs withdrawn due to non-cardiovascular toxicity, while being cardiovascular agents themselves. A detailed web-based data search was held to draw a list of withdrawn pharmaceutical products from the pharmaceutical market by regulatory authorities between 1950 and 2017 due to safety reasons. A total of 464 medicinal products were withdrawn from the pharmaceutical markets between 1950 and 2017 due to safety reasons. Hepatotoxicity was the most commonly reported adverse drug reaction (ADR) that led to withdrawal, followed by immune-related reactions, neurotoxicity, and cardiovascular toxicity. The underlying mechanisms leading to cardiovascular toxicity should be investigated in depth to avoid the use of risky drugs for long periods, especially in consideration of the fact that some cardiovascular drugs persisted in the market for many decades. Furthermore, improved reporting of suspected adverse reactions and stricter regulations will lead to quicker detection of ADRs, thus emphasizing the importance of this public health problem and highlighting the need for improved “early warning systems” to manage the risks of high-risk drugs.

Rationale Bisphenol A (BPA), 4‐t‐octylphenol (4‐t‐OP), and 4‐nonylphenol (4‐NP) are ubiquitous manufactured chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors. Now these substances are prevalent and found in a wide range of biological and environmental matrices globally. Acting as xenoestrogens, their target is to bind estrogen receptors and compete against natural hormones. Thus, there is an increasing concern on their negative health consequences. Methods A rapid, sensitive, and robust method was established, validated, and used for the trace analysis of BPA, 4‐t‐OP, and 4‐NP in human urine using liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry. Results The linear ranges for BPA, 4‐t‐OP, and 4‐NP were 5.0–500 ng/mL. The correlation coefficient was higher than 0.996. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation for the compounds were 0.001, 0.007, and 0.005 ng/mL and 0.005, 0.023, and 0.180 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries were as follows: 99.539%–108.557%, 97.780%–110.768%, and 99.694%–106.908% for BPA, 4‐NP, and 4‐t‐OP respectively, with relative standard deviation <8.26%. Conclusions The established method was also applied effectively for the determination of BPA, 4‐t‐OP, and 4‐NP levels in 15 human urine samples. This method was specifically developed for easy and precise analysis of BPA, 4‐t‐OP, and 4‐NP in human urine. The method developed has been shown to be accurate, precise, and sensitive.

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