A new record for Abutilon theophrasti is recorded for the first time in the flora of Libya. This widespread agricultural weed was collected from El-Hamra region (El-Qabel) in the Nafusa Mountain south of Tripoli. To facilitate further identification and future detection, a full description, habitat information, distribution map and distribution data are provided. A brief discussion about the most important threats posed by this species is presented.

This study investigate the removal efficiency of chromium (VI) from water by using (R-AgCl) Silver chloride resin (SCR) as selective sorbent material for removal chromium (VI) from aqueous solution; the study was carried out by sorption batch experiments at room temperature(25°C). Efficiency of Cr(VI) removal was determined by measuring the chromium concentration before and after the sorption process. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method has been applied as analytical method for determination of Cr concentration in water. Governing factors for removal efficiency were proposed, analyzed and compared. It was conducted that the process is mostly affected by pH value of solution, mass of sorbent and concentration of Cr(VI) , which was the most efficient sorbent showed maximal efficiency and maximal sorption capacity, 1.5g of SCR after 60 min at 25 °C and pH 6.5 recovered 98% of Cr(VI) from 100 mL of water polluted with 20 mg of Cr(VI).

High antibiotic releases from manufacturing facilities have been identified as a risk factor for antibiotic resistance development in bacterial pathogens. However, the role of antibiotic pollution in selection and transferability of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is still limited. In this study, we analyzed effluents from azithromycin-synthesis and veterinary-drug formulation facilities as well as sediments from receiving river and creek taken at the effluent discharge sites, upstream and downstream of discharge. Culturing showed that the effluent discharge significantly increased the proportion of antibiotic resistant bacteria in exposed sediments compared to the upstream ones. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that effluents from both industries contained high and similar relative abundances of resistance genes [sul1, sul2, qacE/qacEΔ1, tet(A)], class 1 integrons (intI1) and IncP-1 plasmids (korB). Consequently, these genes significantly increased in relative abundances in receiving sediments, with more pronounced effects being observed for river than for creek sediments due to lower background levels of the investigated genes in the river. In addition, effluent discharge considerably increased transfer frequencies of captured ARGs from exposed sediments into Escherichia coli CV601 recipient as shown by biparental mating experiments. Most plasmids exogenously captured from effluent and polluted sediments belonged to the broad host range IncP-1ε plasmid group, conferred multiple antibiotic resistance and harbored class 1 integrons. Discharge of pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing sites thus poses a risk for development and dissemination of multi-resistant bacteria, including pathogens.