Safe levels of heavy metals in the surface water and sediment of the Kirtankhola River watershed have not been universally established. Current study characterized heavy metals such as arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in surface water and sediments of the most important fishing resource at the coastal area of Bangladesh. Considering both of the season, the mean concentration of Cr, As, Cd and Pb in water sample was 33.25, 8.14, 0.48 and 21.14 µg/L, respectively and in sediment was 30.47, 4.48, 0.20 and 19.98 mg/kg, respectively. Heavy metals concentration in water samples surpassed the acceptable limits of drinking water quality, indicating that water from this river is not safe for drinking and cooking. Enrichment factors also directed minor enrichment of heavy metals in sediments of the watershed. Other indexes for ecological risk assessment such as pollution load index (PLI), contamination factor (CF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), modified contamination degree (mCd) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) also indicated that the sediment of the study river was low contamination. Taking into account, water and sediment of the study river, in-depth inventorying of heavy metals and holistic ecological risk assessments are required to determine river health.
Infectious disease is a major cause of death worldwide, and novel methods capable of controlling the spread of disease are in high demand. This research presents a method of producing antimicrobial microcomposites by exploiting the powder-based nature of the Laser Sintering Additive Manufacturing process, via the incorporation of silver-containing additives. Silver phosphate glass additives in different formulations were designed to determine the effect of dissolution rate on the antimicrobial efficacy. These were characterised and successfully incorporated into polyamide 12 parts, without affecting the mechanical properties. The printed microcomposite parts displayed both bactericidal and antibiofouling effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in nutrient-poor conditions, with the efficacy found to be more sensitive to silver content than degradation rate.
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