Diego Espirito Santo

@portal.uel.br

Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences
State University of Londrina

Diego Espirito Santo


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https://researchid.co/diegoespst

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Environmental Science, Pollution
17

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • Ecotoxicological Evaluation of Organic Sunscreens Used Worldwide, Alone and in Mixture, on Terrestrial Plants
    Diego Espirito Santo, Edson Araújo de Almeida, Elisângela Dusman, A. C. Downs, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Toxicology, 2026
    The environmental hazards of sunscreens are discussed worldwide. However, there are few ecotoxicological studies on these compounds alone for edaphic organisms, and none for their mixtures. Avobenzone (1 and 10 ng/L), octocrylene (10 and 100 μg/L), and oxybenzone (2 and 20 μg/L), alone and in binary combinations (between the lowest and the highest concentrations), were evaluated for phytotoxicity to the roots of rustic varieties of Daucus carota and Solanum lycopersicum, and for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in the roots of Allium cepa bulbs. In contrast to the higher concentrations, the lower concentrations of sunscreens, despite the increase in superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in the cells, did not cause changes in the length of the rootlets, since they did not affect cell elongation. In mixture, the lower concentrations caused a synergistic interaction in the roots, while the higher did not exceed the toxicity of the filters alone. In bulbs, the filters alone and in mixtures caused inhibition of cell division and mitotic spindle alterations in the meristems, mainly due to the accumulation of H2O2 in the cells, and the mixtures triggered a synergistic interaction in the roots. The mixtures were highly hazardous, especially avobenzone‐oxybenzone, the most absorbed by the roots and with the greatest phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic potential; however, of low environmental stability. Environmentally stable mixtures with octocrylene were the least absorbed but were highly harmful, inducing phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity in the plants. Therefore, the use of sewage sludge and wastewater on crop soils poses a risk to agricultural productivity and the environment.
  • Ecotoxicological Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Butylparaben in Edaphic Organisms Using Multiple Biomarkers
    Lorena Maihury Santos Tsubouchi, Edson Araújo de Almeida, Diane Scapin, Anna Karolina Gomes Oliveira, Cassiano Aparecido de Souza, Diego Espirito Santo, Carmem Lúcia Henrich, Ana Elisa Maehashi, Gideã Taques Tractz, Craig Allan Downs, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Elisângela Düsman, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Toxicology, 2026
    Butylparaben (BuP) recurrently contaminates soils worldwide, mainly by incorporating sewage sludge into cultivated areas, using wastewater in irrigation, and leaching contaminated soils. However, there are few studies on the ecotoxicological effects of this paraben on edaphic organisms. The ecotoxicity of BuP was evaluated in seeds of Daucus carota, Allium cepa, and Cucumis sativus, in the roots of A. cepa bulbs, and in Eisenia fetida earthworms, at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng/L. In root meristems, the four concentrations of BuP induced lipid peroxidation and raised the levels of superoxide radicals, which triggered inhibition of cell division and mitotic spindle alteration, significantly reducing the growth of roots in seeds and bulbs. In animals, BuP at 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng/L caused 80%, 80%, 70%, and 90% evasion of earthworms from artificial soil, respectively. In addition, this paraben did not cause mortality in earthworms after 14 days of exposure. However, all concentrations increased the production of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in cells and caused lipid peroxidation. Thus, increased exposure to this compound can affect the ecological functions negatively and/or cause the death of these animals. Therefore, recurrent contamination with BuP can negatively impact soil quality, posing a risk to agricultural productivity and the environment. This study is a pioneer in the ecotoxicological evaluation of BuP in plants at environmentally relevant concentrations and in the behavioral and oxidative stress study in earthworms.
  • Cellular and Systemic Toxicity Induced by Sunscreen and Paraben Mixtures and the Implications for Root Development in Cultivated Plants
    Ana Elisa Maehashi, Emily de Moura Galdino, Edson Araujo de Almeida, Diego Espirito Santo, Carmem Lúcia Henrich, Bianca da Cruz, Elisângela Dusman, Danielle Cristina da Silva de Oliveira, Gideã Taques Tractz, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, C. A. Downs, Ana Paula Peron
    Journal of Toxicology, 2026
    Sunscreens and parabens contaminate agricultural areas worldwide; however, the effects of these micropollutants in mixture on cultivated plants have not yet been reported. This study evaluated the cellular and systemic toxicity induced by octocrylene (OC), methylparaben (MeP), and butylparaben (BuP), individually at concentrations of 10, 50, 100, and 500 ng·L −1 , as well as by equimolar binary mixtures (1:1) of OC with MeP and OC with BuP, in seeds of Cucumis sativus L. and Lycopersicum esculentum L., and in roots of Allium cepa L. bulbs. The OC + MeP mixtures induced H 2 O 2 accumulation, whereas the OC + BuP mixtures promoted lipid peroxidation in the root meristems of A. cepa , resulting in significant mitodepressive, aneugenic, and clastogenic effects. The OC + BuP combination markedly reduced root growth in the three evaluated species and, in onion, caused mitotic indices below 50% compared to the control, demonstrating severe cytotoxicity to the meristems. In contrast, the OC + MeP combination stimulated root growth in cucumber, tomato, and onion. However, although significantly longer, the formed roots exhibited greater susceptibility to breakage than the control, indicating that growth predominantly associated with cell elongation, without concomitant cell proliferation. The interaction between the compounds was characterized as synergistic for OC + MeP and additive for OC + BuP, with BuP being the main determinant of mixture toxicity. Thus, mixtures of OC + MeP and OC + BuP may impair the early establishment of crops by affecting root system functionality, delaying or inhibiting root development, and altering root structural stability. These effects indicate that the presence of these micropollutant mixtures in contaminated agricultural soils may negatively influence plant development and the agronomic performance of cultivated plants.
  • Ecotoxicological assessment of photo-ozonation applied to emerging contaminants in single and mixed systems: evidence of increased toxicity after treatment
    Clisley Marielly Ribeiro Lameira, André Demetrio Brustolim Broetto, Anna Karolina Gomes Oliveira, Bruno Henrique Drun, Daniela Caroline Antes, Daniela Fatima Tamankievies, Diego Espirito Santo, Kaylana Angela Ramos Krüger, Luciano José Soave, Patricia Aline Bressiani, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Ana Paula Peron, Ticiane Sauer Pokrywiecki, Elisângela Düsman
    Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A Current Issues, 2026
    . In the plant assay, benzophenone exhibited cytotoxicity prior to treatment, while benzophenone, octocrylene, and their mixture displayed mutagenic effects. After photo-ozonation, increased cytotoxic and mutagenic responses were observed, and additional mixtures became toxic, attributed to the formation of transformation products. In the avoidance test, only the ethylparaben-benzophenone mixture produced toxicity to earthworms, although higher avoidance rates were noted in benzophenone samples following treatment. Taken together, photo-ozonation showed limited effectiveness in reducing ecotoxicity. Data demonstrated that treatment strategies need to consider mixture interactions and byproduct formation, reinforcing the need for optimized and environmentally safe advanced oxidation processes.
  • Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields
    Edson Araujo de Almeida, Maria Eduarda Nardes Pinto, Ana Elisa Maehashi, Mateus Antônio Vicente Rodrigues, Emily de Moura Galdino, Diego Espirito Santo, Carmem Lúcia Henrich, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Gideã Taques Tractz, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, C. A. Downs, Ana Paula Peron
    Toxics, 2025
    Ethylparaben (EtP) is an emerging pollutant that is widely found in the environment, particularly in agricultural landscapes. With the extensive contamination of agricultural soils and irrigation waters, there is a rising concern about their potential impact on crop yields. To provide some of the first evidence that EtP may be more than just an agricultural contaminant, but a potential pollutant, we evaluated the systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by EtP in seed roots of Daucus carota, Lycopersicum esculentum, and Cucumis sativus, and in bulb roots of Allium cepa, at environmentally relevant concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng·L−1. The seeds and bulbs remained in contact with the concentrations for 7 days. Distilled water and Tween 80 at 1000 ng·L−1 were used as negative controls. The results were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Dunn’s test (p ≤ 0.05). In all plants, all concentrations significantly altered the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng·L−1), tomato (1000 ng·L−1), and cucumber (all concentrations), such concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, leading to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, as well as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the cells. These oxidants caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and alterations to the mitotic spindle in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting root growth in the plants evaluated. Recurrent contamination with EtP can potentially harm soil quality, posing a risk to both agricultural productivity and the environment.
  • Production and Characterization of Graphene Oxide for Adsorption Analysis of the Emerging Pollutant Butylparaben
    Lorena Maihury Santos Tsubouchi, Edson Araujo de Almeida, Diego Espirito Santo, Evandro Bona, Gustavo Leite Dias Pereira, Veeriah Jegatheesan, Lucio Cardozo-Filho, Ana Paula Peron, Osvaldo Valarini Junior
    Water Switzerland, 2024
    Emerging pollutants such as butylparaben (BP) are often difficult to remove via conventional wastewater treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to produce and characterize graphene oxide (GO) and evaluate the adsorption of BP on this adsorbent. The GO was made using the Hummers method and characterized by TGA/DTA, XRD, XRF, BET, point of zero charge (pHpzc), SEM, and the Boehman method. Adsorption experiments were performed in a batch system. The removal efficiency from a Box–Behnken experimental design was 84.3% at a BP concentration 600 µg∙L−1, adsorbent five g∙L−1, and pH 7 in solution. The first-order (PFO) kinetics obtained the best fit to the experimental data compared to the other models tested in this study: pseudo-second-order (PSO), Elovich (ELC), and intra-particle diffusion (IPD). The Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit compared to the Freundlich isotherm. The temperature effect showed that the system has a spontaneous adsorption process, with a Gibbs energy lower than zero, and that increasing the temperature increases the adsorption capacity. The ionic effect showed that increasing the salt concentration of 1 M increased the repulsive forces but did not decrease the adsorption capacity. The regeneration cycle showed a rate of 85% up to the second cycle. The toxicity analysis confirmed the efficiency of the adsorption process using GO before and after BP adsorption on GO.
  • Prospecting toxicity of the avobenzone sunscreen in plants
    Sara Splendor Beijora, Thalia Aparecida Correia Vaz, Diego Espirito Santo, Edson Araújo de Almeida, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Mauro Parolin, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2024
  • Toxicity of the emerging pollutants propylparaben and dichloropropylparaben to terrestrial plants
    Caio Okon, Mylena Bathke Rocha, Lizandra de Souza Ratuchinski, Diego Espirito Santo, Charla Chaionara Schults Duarte, Lidiane de Lima Feitoza, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Edson Araújo de Almeida, Maria Cristina Oliveira Halmemam, Danielle Cristina dade SilvaOliveira, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2024
  • Removal of bentazone using activated carbon from spent coffee grounds
    Bianca Caroline da Silva Rocha, Luiz Eduardo Zani de Moraes, Diego Espirito Santo, Ana Paula Peron, Débora Cristina de Souza, Evandro Bona, Osvaldo Valarini
    Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2024
    BACKGROUNDThis study aimed to produce activated carbon (AC) from spent coffee (Coffea arabica) grounds by chemical activation using zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and nitric acid to remove bentazone from aqueous solutions.RESULTSThe fresh spent coffee grounds were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the AC by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett– Teller (BET), point of zero charge, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Boehman method. Adsorption experiments were carried out in a batch system. The results showed a 70% efficiency in bentazone removal using ZnCl2 carbon. Kinetic studies indicate that the adsorption rate increased slowly up to 720 min; the first‐ and second‐order models fitted the experimental data at a concentration of 50 mg L−1. The adsorption equilibrium is represented by the Langmuir model with a high adsorption capacity of 279.33 ± 6.29 mg mg−1. The adsorption efficiency was also confirmed by toxicity analysis of the effluent with bentazone at 50 mg L−1, using the Allium cepa bioassay, a high‐sensitivity test for pollutants in water.CONCLUSIONBefore adsorption, the effluent caused significant cytogenotoxicity to onion root meristems. After adsorption, the generated effluent no longer caused toxicity to the test system, and the results obtained were similar to the control with distilled water. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
  • Evaluation and Simulation of the Adsorption Capacity of Octocrylene Sunscreen on Commercial Carbon and Biochar from Spent Coffee Beans
    Sandra Andreola Franco da Rocha, Bianca Caroline da Silva Rocha, Luiz Eduardo Zani de Moraes, João Marcos Pires Villaça, Diane Scapin, Diego Espirito Santo, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Ana Paula Peron
    Processes, 2024
    The emerging pollutant octocrylene is not efficiently removed from effluents by conventional treatment and is recurrently found in rivers. This study evaluated the adsorption of octocrylene using commercial carbon and biochar from spent coffee grounds activated with ZnCl2. The two adsorbents had an efficiency of approximately 100% in pollutant removal throughout the experimental design. The kinetics and equilibrium isotherms showed a good correlation with the experimental data. The kinetics showed adsorption of the contaminant in 40 min for both adsorbents. The model equilibrium isotherms with the best fit and adsorption capacity was Langmuir for biochar, with a capacity of 37.822 ± 0.005 µg∙mg−1 compared to 33.602 ± 0.202 µg∙mg−1 for commercial carbon. Furthermore, a toxicity analysis of a 600 µg∙L−1 octocrylene solution was carried out before and after adsorption with the two charcoals separately, using Allium cepa roots. Before adsorption, the solution was phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic. After adsorption, the solution obtained for each charcoal no longer caused toxicity to the roots. The charcoals tested had high removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, a condition reiterated by the toxicity results. However, biochar better represented the Langmuir model in the adsorption process when removing octocrylene from the aqueous medium.
  • Ecotoxicity of the Antimicrobials Methylparaben and Propylparaben in Mixture to Plants
    Thalia Aparecida Correia Vaz, Lizandra de Souza Ratuchinski, Sara Splendor Beijora, Diego Espirito Santo, Leonardo Fernandes Caleffi, Edson Araújo de Almeida, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Lidiane de Lima Feitoza, Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2024
  • Assessment of the potential toxic of naringenin nanoparticles using ex vivo and in silico models
    G. B. Costa, B. F. Rossi, B. P. M. Oliveira, D. E. Santo, F. V. Leimann, A. L. Romero, A. P. Peron, O. H. Gonçalves
    Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2024
  • Adverse Effects of Octocrylene on Cultivated and Spontaneous Plants and in Soil Animal
    Gabrielle Cristina dos Santos Gonçalves Nascimento, Daniela Giovana da Cunha Barros, Lizandra Souza Ratuchinski, Caio Okon, Patricia Aline Bressiani, Diego Espirito Santo, Charla Chaionara Schults Duarte, Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Juan Carlos Pokrywiecki, Elisângela Dusman, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2023
  • Benzophenone-3 sunscreen causes phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity in higher plants
    Daniela Giovana da Cunha Barros, Gabrielle Cristina dos Santos Gonçalves do Nascimento, Caio Okon, Mylena Bathke Rocha, Diego Espirito Santo, Lidiane de Lima Feitoza, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2023
  • Biological effects of sewage sludge – does its incorporation into agricultural soils in the state of Paraná, Brazil, represent an environmental risk?
    Ádila Cristina Krukoski Filipi, Gabrielle Cristina dos Santos Gonçalves Nascimento, Patricia Aline Bressani, Anna Karolina Gomes Oliveira, Diego Espirito Santo, Charla Chaionara Schultz Duarte, Eduardo Michel Vieira Gomes, Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira, Juan Carlos Pokrywiecki, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Fernanda Batista de Souza, Elisângela Dusman, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Water Air and Soil Pollution, 2023
  • Toxicity of methylparaben and its chlorinated derivatives to Allium cepa L. and Eisenia fetida Sav.
    Gabrielle Cristina dos Santos Gonçalves Nascimento, Elisângela Dusman, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, João Victor Nicola, Matheus Augusto de Souza Moura, Karine Mares de Oliveira, Anna Karolina Gomes Oliveira, Patricia Aline Bressani, Diego Espirito Santo, Ádila Cristina Krukoski Filipi, Eduardo Michel Vieira Gomes, Juan Carlos Pokrywiecki, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2023
  • Prospecting toxicity of octocrylene in Allium cepa L. and Eisenia fetida Sav
    Diego Espirito Santo, Elisângela Dusman, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, Adriano Lopes Romero, Gabrielle Cristina dos Santos Gonçalves do Nascimento, Matheus Augusto de Souza Moura, Patricia Aline Bressiani, Ádila Cristina Krukoski Filipi, Eduardo Michel Vieira Gomes, Juan Carlos Pokrywiecki, Flávia Vieira da Silva Medeiros, Débora Cristina de Souza, Ana Paula Peron
    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2023