Assessment of bisphenol A released from reusable plastic, aluminium and stainless steel water bottles

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous high volume industrial chemical that is an estrogen and an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical. Bisphenol A is used extensively in the production of consumer goods, polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins and coatings used to line metallic food and beverage cans. There is great concern regarding the possible harmful effects from exposures that result from BPA leaching into foods and beverages from packaging or storage containers. The objective of this study was to independently assess whether BPA contamination of water was occurring from different types of reusable drinking bottles marketed as alternatives to BPA-containing polycarbonate plastics. Using a sensitive and quantitative BPA-specific competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay we evaluated whether BPA migrated into water stored in polycarbonate or copolyester plastic bottles, and different lined or unlined metallic reusable water bottles. At room temperature the concentration of BPA migrating from polycarbonate bottles ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 mg L⁻¹. Under identical conditions BPA migration from aluminium bottles lined with epoxy-based resins was variable depending on manufacturer ranging from 0.08 to 1.9 mg L⁻¹. Boiling water significantly increased migration of BPA from the epoxy lined bottles. No detectable BPA contamination was observed in water stored in bottles made from Tritan™ copolyester plastic, uncoated stainless steel, or aluminium lined with EcoCare™. The results from this study demonstrate that when used according to manufacturers’ recommendations reusable water bottles constructed from “BPA-free” alternative materials are suitable for consumption of beverages free of BPA contamination.     

Study of trace metal leaching from coals into seawater

The behaviour of three South African coals in water and, particularly in seawater, was examined. A sequential speciation procedure used to evaluate trace metal partitioning in coal has shown that trace metals will not be easily released from these coals into environmental ecosystems. Only a few trace elements are slightly leached from these coals into water or seawater at pH around 8. On the other hand, Mn is highly leached from these coals into water or seawater. It has been clearly shown that Mn concentrations are highly correlated to sulfate and calcium concentrations indicating that Mn is mainly solubilized into water simultaneously to gypsum; the leaching efficiency being severely reduced for coal having a high calcite content. The leaching percentage of Mn into seawater is enhanced by the presence of seawater salts that increases gypsum solubility. The leaching process of Mn from coal into water or seawater is governed by gypsum solubilization and is relatively rapid during the first thirty minutes, then very slow. In this study, it has been also shown that, depending on their physico-chemical properties, trace metals may be removed from seawater solutions in the presence of coal having a high calcite content. In this work, it has been also shown that some elements, particularly Fe, are greatly solubilized into seawater in the presence of a strong chelating agent like EDTA. Like for Mn, the leaching rate of metals from coal in the presence of EDTA is relatively rapid during the first 30 min then much slower, suggesting a solubilization process simultaneously to gypsum or/and calcite solubilization.     

2种浸取程序下炉渣重金属浸出特性

对锅炉煤渣、高炉煤渣、流化床焚烧渣和炉排焚烧渣4种炉渣样品进行了分级,研究炉渣典型重金属(Cu、Zn、Cr、Cd、Pb)含量,以及基于水平振荡浸出程序(HVEP)和毒性特性浸出程序(TCLP)浸取程序的重金属浸出特性,为炉渣的资源化利用模式提供科学依据。结果表明,2种浸取程序下,4种炉渣的重金属浸出浓度远低于浸出毒性限值,其中,炉排焚烧渣中典型重金属(Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr、Cd)浸出量最大,高炉煤渣最小;HVEP方法下,2 mm粒级炉渣对重金属浸出总量的贡献较大,TCLP方法下则为2~6 mm粒径段;高炉煤渣和流化床焚烧渣可作为基质应用于潜流园林湿地污水处理系统,但不适宜于酸雨区。     

Endocrine disruptors in bottled mineral water: total estrogenic burden and migration from plastic bottles

Background, aim, and scope  Food consumption is an important route of human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. So far, this has been demonstrated by exposure modeling or analytical identification of single substances in foodstuff (e.g., phthalates) and human body fluids (e.g., urine and blood). Since the research in this field is focused on few chemicals (and thus missing mixture effects), the overall contamination of edibles with xenohormones is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the integrated estrogenic burden of bottled mineral water as model foodstuff and to characterize the potential sources of the estrogenic contamination. Materials, methods, and results  In the present study, we analyzed commercially available mineral water in an in vitro system with the human estrogen receptor alpha and detected estrogenic contamination in 60% of all samples with a maximum activity equivalent to 75.2 ng/l of the natural sex hormone 17β-estradiol. Furthermore, breeding of the molluskan model Potamopyrgus antipodarum in water bottles made of glass and plastic [polyethylene terephthalate (PET)] resulted in an increased reproductive output of snails cultured in PET bottles. This provides first evidence that substances leaching from plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogens in vivo. Discussion and conclusions  Our results demonstrate a widespread contamination of mineral water with xenoestrogens that partly originates from compounds leaching from the plastic packaging material. These substances possess potent estrogenic activity in vivo in a molluskan sentinel. Overall, the results indicate that a broader range of foodstuff may be contaminated with endocrine disruptors when packed in plastics.     

Characteristics and factors that influence heavy metal leaching from spent catalysts

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the extensive use of nonferrous metals and metal catalysts, solid wastes containing heavy metals release metal ions into soil and surface water...     

Investigating the metal contamination status from recycling e-waste sites from Dakar,Senegal

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In Senegal, processes employed for recycling e-wastes result in release of so-called heavy metals in the environment. In this study, the metal...     

Heavy metal leaching from coal fly ash amended container substrates during Syngonium production

Coal fly ash has been proposed to be an alternative to lime amendment and a nutrient source of container substrates for ornamental plant production. A great concern over this proposed beneficial use, however, is the potential contamination of surface and ground water by heavy metals. In this study, three fly ashes collected from Florida, Michigan, and North Carolina and a commercial dolomite were amended in a basal substrate. The formulated substrates were used to produce Syngonium podophyllum Schott 'Berry Allusion' in 15-cm diameter containers in a shaded greenhouse. Leachates from the containers were collected during the entire six months of plant production and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations. There were no detectable As, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Se in the leachates; Cd and Mo were only detected in few leachate samples. The metals constantly detected were Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn. The total amounts of Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn leached during the six-month production period were 95, 210, 44, and 337 microg per container, indicating that such amounts in leachates may contribute little to contamination of surface and ground water. In addition, plant growth indices and fresh and dry weights of S. podophyllum 'Berry Allusion' produced from fly ash and dolomite-amended substrates were comparable except for the plants produced from the substrate amended with fly ash collected from Michigan which had reduced growth indices and fresh and dry weights. Thus, selected fly ashes can be alternatives to commercial dolomites as amendments to container substrates for ornamental plant production. The use of fly ashes as container substrate amendments should represent a new market for the beneficial use of this coal combustion byproduct.     

Quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls in plastic granulates from the recycling of cables - Reference materials and interlaboratory comparison

A procedure for the quantification of the PCB marker congeners 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180 in plastic waste form the recycling of cables in the range of content between 0.1 mgkg(-1) and 20 mgkg(-1) was validated. Representative reference materials for laboratory analyses were produced using granulates from different recycling processes. The method development included aspects of grinding, sieving, homogenising as well as the comparison of extraction methods and chromatographic conditions. The validated procedure foresees grinding of the technical sample to an upper particle size limit of 0.50mm followed by extraction with an unpolar solvent such as n-hexane and gas chromatographic determination. LOD and LOQ for individual congeners ranged between 0.01 mgkg(-1) and 0.08 mgkg(-1). Electron capture detection (ECD) and mass selective detection (MS) were equivalent if chromatographic conditions were appropriately selected. The application of MS was advantageous in presence of significant amounts of interfering components which have been found in some cables. Three reference materials containing the marker congeners in the range of 0.1 mgkg(-1)-5 mgkg(-1) were submitted to a final validation intercomparison with 23 selected field laboratories using the developed method. Relative reproducibility standard deviations varied between 15% and 33%.     

进口再生塑料颗粒重金属浸出特征及健康风险评价

为了评价进口再生塑料颗粒中主要重金属经口摄入的潜在健康风险,选取了5类典型进口再生塑料颗粒,基于美国环保署(US EPA)人体健康风险评估框架,通过检测其在食物模拟液中Hg、Pb、Cr、Cd、Mn和Cu的浸出浓度,对其饮食摄入途径下的致癌/非致癌风险进行量化评价,并采用靶器官毒性剂量(TTD)法对非致癌风险指数进行修正。结果表明,参照我国饮用水标准,Hg、Pb、Cr、Cd和Mn浸出浓度超标倍数分别高达1 243.04、50.06、38.27、3.27和2.96倍,而Cu未超标,总体上存在严重健康风险。致癌风险结果显示,在所有模拟场景下,5种进口再生塑料颗粒中重金属致癌风险指数平均超过可能致癌水平上限70.28倍。非致癌风险结果显示,在所有模拟场景下,5种进口再生塑料颗粒中重金属传统非致癌风险指数和靶器官毒性剂量修正的非致癌风险指数分别平均超过最高上限15.26倍和23.71倍,其中肠胃道、血液、肾脏和神经系统存在不可接受非致癌风险,睾丸、心血管和肝脏不存在非致癌风险。这表明进口再生塑料颗粒所带来潜在健康风险仍需持续关注。     

生物法和化学法回收制革污泥中铬的对比研究

研究了嗜酸性硫杆菌(Thiobacillus)生物沥滤法和1:1硫酸化学沥滤法分离回收制革污泥中的铬.比较了嗜酸性硫杆菌生物沥滤法和化学沥滤法回收制革污泥铬过程中pH、氧化还原电位(ORP)、沉降比(SV)以及铬的沥滤率的变化.试验结果表明,pH是影响制革污泥中铬的沥滤率的关键因素.生物沥滤法在使污泥pH大幅度降低的同时,能很好地改善污泥的沉降性能,对铬的沥滤效果好于化学沥滤法.     

河道底泥重金属浸出毒性分析及其固化/稳定化效果

城市内河由于长期承纳污染物导致其底泥受到污染,特别是其中重金属污染严重。选取某城市纳污河淤泥为试验对象,发现底泥Cr、Cu、Ni和Zn含量和浸出浓度均较高。为使其达到资源再利用要求,研究了一种污泥改性剂对其固化/稳定化的效果。结果显示,当改性剂掺量为10%时,已能够显著提高淤泥各个龄期强度。固化淤泥重金属浸出浓度在7 d时已明显降低,且随养护时间增长进一步降低。改性剂掺量为13%时,固化淤泥Cu、Ni和Zn浸出浓度可降低90%以上,而Cr浸出浓度也可降低80%左右。实验表明,污泥改性剂处理后淤泥抗压强度提高,同时有害物质得到有效的稳定。     

Relationship of surface changes to metal leaching from tungsten composite shot exposed to three different soil types

Physical changes that occur on the surface of fired shots due to firing and impact with soil may increase the dissolution of muniton metals. Increased metal dissolution could potentially increase metal transport and leaching, affecting metal concentrations in surface and groundwater. This research describes the relationship between the surface changes on fired tungsten-nickel-iron (94% W:2% Ni:4% Fe) composite shots and metals leaching from those shots. Tungsten composite shot was fired into, and aged in, three soil types (Silty Sand, Sandy Clay, and Silt) in mesoscale rainfall lysimeters to simulate live-fire conditions and subsequent interactions between the metals of the composite and soil. Leachate, runoff, and soil samples were collected from the lysimeters and analyzed for metal content. The shots were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate surface changes. SEM results indicated that a soil’s particle size distribution initially affected the amount of metal that was sheared from the surface of the fired W-composite shots. Shearing was greatest in soils with larger soil particles (sand and gravel); shearing was least in soils composed of small soil particles (fines). Increased metallic shearing from the shot’s surface was associated with increased W dissolution, compared to controls, following a simulated 1 year soil aging.     

Remediation of heavy metal polluted sediment by suspension and solid-bed leaching: estimate of metal removal efficiency

Remediation of heavy metal polluted sediment by extracting the metals with sulfuric acid can be performed as follows: abiotic suspension leaching, microbial suspension leaching, abiotic solid-bed leaching, and microbial solid-bed leaching. Abiotic leaching means that the acid is directly added, while microbial leaching means that the acid is generated from sulfur by microbes (bioleaching). These four principles were compared to each other with special emphasis on the effectiveness of metal solubilization and metal removal by subsequent washing. Abiotic suspension leaching was fastest, but suspending the solids exhibits some disadvantages (low solid content, costly reactors, permanent input of energy, high water consumption, special equipment required for solid separation, large amounts of waste water, sediment properties hinder reuse), which prevent suspension leaching in practice. Abiotic solid-bed leaching implies the supply of acid by percolating water which proceeds slowly due to a limited bed permeability. Microbial solid-bed leaching means the generation of acid within the bed and has been proven to be the only principle applicable to practice. Metal removal from leached sediment requires washing with water. Washing of solid beds was much more effective than washing of suspended sediment. The kinetics of metal removal from solid beds 0.3, 0.6 or 1.2m in height were similar; when using a percolation flow of 20lm(-2)h(-1), the removal of 98% of the mobile metals lasted 57-61h and required 8.5, 4.2 or 2.3lkg(-1) water. This means, the higher the solid bed, the lower the sediment-mass-specific demand for time and water.     

Effect of bone meal (calcium phosphate) amendments on metal release from contaminated soils--a leaching column study

Metal-contaminated soil may be remediated in situ by the formation of highly insoluble metal phosphates if an appropriate phosphorus (P) source can be found. Leaching column experiments have been carried out to assess the suitability of bone meal as such a source. Bone meal additions reduced metal release from a contaminated soil, increased soil and leachate pH and decreased soil leachate toxicity. Minimal P leaching occurred from the soil. The data are consistent with a proton consuming bone meal (calcium phosphate) dissolution reaction followed by the formation of metal phosphates. Although, no metal phosphates were observed to form using X-ray diffraction of scanning electron microscopy this could be due to their low concentration. Relatively low (1:50 bone meal:soil) concentrations of fine (90-500 microns) bone meal would appear to be an effective treatment for metal-contaminated soils.     

Comparisons of metal leachability for various wastes by extraction and leaching methods

The objective of this research was to evaluate three extraction tests, i.e., toxicity characteristic leaching procedures (TCLP), extraction procedure (EP), and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods, for their ability to extract metals in chemical sludge and incineration bottom ash, in terms of the precision of analytical results. Typical chemical sludges, including the electroplating and dye-stuff sludges, the municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash, the leather debris, and the steel-mill bottom residue containing Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were prepared for the lysimetry test (dynamic testing) to compare with the extraction results. Results show that for bottom residue and dye-stuff sludge, the concentration of metal leached was almost the same between the lysimetry leaching and the TCLP tests. The metal concentration followed the order: TCLP approximately = EP > ASTM. TCLP and EP exhibited almost the same relative standard deviation (RSD) value. Therefore, the results of the TCLP tests for bottom residue and dye-stuff sludge, which have a low metal content and alkalinity, can be used to estimate the metal concentration leached by typical acid rain in Taiwan; whereas the ASTM extraction test may be a better indicator of the lysimetry test.     

Phytostabilization of a metal contaminated sandy soil. II: Influence of compost and/or inorganic metal immobilizing soil amendments on metal leaching

A lysimeter approach (under natural climatologic conditions) was used to evaluate the effect of four metal immobilizing soil treatments [compost (C), compost+cyclonic ashes (C+CA), compost+cyclonic ashes+steel shots (C+CA+SS)) and cyclonic ashes+steel shots (CA+SS)] on metal leaching through an industrially contaminated soil. All treatments decreased Zn and Cd leaching. Strongest reductions occurred after CA+SS and C+CA+SS treatments (Zn: -99.0% and -99.2% respectively; Cd: -97.2% and -98.3% respectively). Copper and Pb leaching increased after C (17 and >30 times for Cu and Pb respectively) and C+CA treatment (4.4 and >3.7 times for Cu and Pb respectively). C+CA+SS or CA+SS addition did not increase Cu leaching; the effect on Pb leaching was not completely clear. Our results demonstrate that attention should be paid to Cu and Pb leaching when organic matter additions are considered for phytostabilization of metal contaminated soils.     

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: 2. Assessment of metal accumulation and toxicity in plants

Metalliferous soils cover a relatively large surface area in Morocco, and up to now no hyperaccumulating plants have been identified on these mining or these industrial sites. The aim of this work was to assess the extent of metal accumulation by plants found in three mining areas in southern Morocco with the ultimate goal of finding metal hyperaccumulating species by using the MetPAD biotest. The biotest helps to obtain information on the selective metal toxicity of aqueous extracts from the plants. A strong metal toxicity, as revealed by the biotest is an indication of a hyperaccumulating plant. Toxicity tests were run concurrently with chemicals analyses of metals in plants and their water extracts. The chemical analyses allow the determination of the hyperaccumulated metal(s). Specimens of the plant species mainly growing on and in the vicinity of the three mines were sampled with their corresponding soils. The results show that all plants analyzed had lower heavy metal content and toxicity despite the relatively very high soil concentrations. A comparison of our results with the criterion used to classify the hyperaccumulator plants indicates that plants we collected from mining sites were hypertolerant but not hyperaccumulators. This was confirmed by transfer factors generally lower than 1. Nevertheless, these tolerant plants species can be used as tools for revegetation for erosion control in metals-contaminated sites (phytostabilization).     

Source identification and risk assessment of heavy metal contaminations in urban soils of Changsha,a mine-impacted city in Southern China

The urban soils suffered seriously from heavy metal pollutions with rapid industrialization and urbanization in China. In this study, 54 urban soil samples were collected from Changsha, a mine-impacted city located in Southern China. The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined by ICP-MS. The pollution sources of heavy metals were discriminated and identified by the combination of multivariate statistical and geostatistical methods. Four main sources were identified according to the results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and spatial distribution patterns. Co and Mn were primarily derived from soil parent material. Cu, Pb, and Zn with significant positive relationships were associated with mining activities and traffic emissions. Cd and Ni might be affected by commercial activities and industrial discharges. As isolated into a single group was considered to have correlation with coal combustion and waste incineration. Risk assessment of heavy metals in urban soils indicated an overall moderate potential ecological risk in the urban region of Changsha.     

化学沥浸与硫化钠钝化联合处理猪粪中重金属

利用柠檬酸浸提猪粪中重金属,减少总量,再利用硫化钠钝化经柠檬酸浸提后的猪粪残渣,降低猪粪中剩余重金属的生物可利用性。柠檬酸浸提实验表明：0.2 moL·L-1柠檬酸与猪粪按固液比1:5混合,反应24 h,对猪粪中Cu、Zn、Mn的浸出率为18.10%、66.16%、43.85%;硫化钠投加量5%,钝化7 d,猪粪中离子交换态Cu、Zn、Mn的浓度由酸浸后的14.08、116、81.75 mg·kg-1降为8.77、12.04、21.02 mg·kg-1,硫化钠对酸浸后猪粪中Cu、Zn的钝化率为52.00%、63.72%,猪粪残渣中离子交换态Mn所占全量的比例由对照组的30.22%降到7.77%;柠檬酸酸浸和硫化钠钝化对猪粪中Cu、Zn、Mn总处理效率为73.00%、61.44%、29.90%。重金属分离技术和钝化技术联合处理猪粪中重金属,可以有效减少猪粪中Cu、Zn、Mn的总量并降低其生物可利用性。     

熔盐法处置高熔点垃圾焚烧飞灰重金属的浸出特性

对熔盐法处置高熔点垃圾焚烧飞灰重金属离子浸出特性进行了实验研究。结果表明,熔盐物料组成、熔盐温度和热处理气氛对重金属离子的热挥发特性具有重要影响。在还原性气氛条件下,热处理温度为900～1 000 ℃,添加质量分数为10%～50%的CaCl2的氯化钠熔盐中处理2 h后,垃圾焚烧飞灰渣中Pb、Cd、Cu和Zn等重金属浸出浓度降低90%以上,可以完全达到生活垃圾填埋场填埋标准。在此过程中,灰渣较原灰可减轻50%,同时转化成具有良好胶凝性能的水泥活性混合材料,XRD测试表明其晶体矿物组成为硅酸二钙、硅酸三钙和阿里尼特以及硫酸钙等。