Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) probe for effectively sampling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in waters and sediments

The passive sampling technique, diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) has attracted increasing interests as an in-situ sampler for organic contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, its effectiveness has been questioned because of the small effective sampling area (3.1 cm²). In this study, we developed a DGT probe for rapid sampling of eight PFAS in waters and applied it to a water-sediment system. It has a much larger sampling area (27 cm²) and as a result lower method quantification limits (0.15 – 0.21 ng/L for one-day deployment and 0.02 – 0.03 ng/L for one-week deployment) and much higher (by > 10 factors) sampling rate (100 mL/day) compared to the standard DGT (piston configuration). The sampler could linearly accumulate PFAS from wastewater, was sensitive enough even for a 24 hr deployment with performance comparable to grab sampling (500 mL). The DGT probe provided homogeneous sampling performance along the large exposure area. The use of the probe to investigate distributions of dissolved PFAS around the sediment-water interface was demonstrated. This work, for the first time, demonstrated that the DGT probe is a promising monitoring tool for trace levels of PFAS and a research tool for studying their distribution, migration, and fate in aquatic environments including the sediment-water interface.     

Association between serum levels of TSH and free T4 and per-and polyfluoroalkyl compounds concentrations in pregnant women

Many per-and polyfluoralkyl substances(PFASs) may disrupt maternal thyroid hormone homeostasis in pregnancy. Concerns should be raised regarding the PFASs exposure in pregnant women because thyroid hormones are involved in the early development of the fetus. In this study, we measured the concentrations of 13 PFASs, including five novel shortchain PFASs, in serum from 123 pregnant women in Beijing, China. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between thyroid-stimulati...     

全氟和多氟烷基化合物微生物降解与转化研究进展

全氟和多氟烷基化合物(PFASs)因其持久性、长距离迁移性、生物积累性和生物毒性而受到广泛关注.目前世界上对环境中PFASs的监测和管控主要针对全氟烷基酸(PFAAs).而大部分多氟烷基化合物在环境中能够被微生物降解为PFAAs,也被称为前体物.因此,探究前体物在环境中的微生物转化行为有助于综合评价PFASs的环境风险,以及制定相关的管控和修复措施.虽然PFAAs一直被认为是环境中的“永久化合物”,但近年来,PFAAs的厌氧微生物还原脱氟作为一项极具潜力且充满挑战的修复技术,成为研究的一个前沿热点.系统总结了前体物(氟调化合物和全氟辛烷磺胺衍生物)、 PFAAs和新型PFASs在微生物作用下的降解规律和转化路径,并讨论了PFASs微生物降解的影响因素,最后提出未来的研究方向.     

Environmental factors affecting degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by In2O3 nanoparticles

Nanophotocatalysts have shown great potential for degrading poly-and perfluorinated substances (PFAS).In light of the fact that most of these catalysts were studied in pure water,this study was designed to elucidate effects from common environmental factors on decomposing and defluorinating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by In₂O₃ nanoparticles.Results from this work demonstrated that among the seven parameters,pH,sulfate,chloride,H₂O₂,In₂O     

渤海油气区周边海域PFASs的赋存特征与来源

为了解我国海上油田区域附近PFASs(多氟或全氟化合物)污染状况,本文针对我国渤海油田区所在海域采集了92个海水样品,并对其中19种PFASs及其新型替代品的含量进行了分析。结果表明,渤海油气区周边海水中总PFASs浓度范围为9.33~113ng/L,与中国其他海域相比,渤海油田区周边海水中总PFASs含量较高。传统PFASs中,全氟辛酸(PFOA)是大部分样品中的主要PFASs。新型替代品中,六氟环氧丙烷二聚酸(HFPO-DA)的浓度相对较高,浓度中位数为1.82ng/L,而在所有样品中6:2氯代多氟醚磺酸(6:2Cl-PFESA)均未检出。从区域分布来看,总PFASs浓度较高的油田位于渤海西部。总PFASs含量与离岸距离等影响因素相关性分析表明,渤海油气区附近海水中总PFASs含量与离岸距离显著相关,说明陆源是渤海油气区中PFASs污染的主要来源。     

黄河中游(渭南-郑州段)全/多氟烷基化合物的分布及通量

本研究收集黄河中游(渭南—郑州段)表层水样品,利用高效液相色谱质谱串联的方法分析了水相和颗粒相中的28种全氟和多氟烷基化合物(PFASs).结果表明,水相和颗粒相中Σ28PFASs的含量分别为18.4~56.9 ng·L~(-1)和26.8~164ng·g~(-1)(以干重计).水相和颗粒相中以全氟己酸(PFHx A)为主要污染物,分别占总含量的27%和16%,且3H-全氟-3-(3-甲氧基丙氧基)丙酸(ADONA)、氯代多氟醚基磺酸(6∶2和8∶2 Cl-PFESA)在颗粒相均有检出,表明PFASs替代品的生产和使用逐渐增多.PFASs在水相-颗粒相中的lg Kd变化范围为2.95±0.553(PFPe A)~3.85±0.237(8∶2 FTUCA),颗粒物吸附氟调聚羧酸(FTCAs)和不饱和氟调聚羧酸(FTUCAs)的能力随碳链长度的增长而增加,全氟烷基磺酸(PFSAs)较全氟烷基羧酸(PFCAs)更容易被颗粒物吸附.黄河郑州—渭南段PFASs的通量呈现先降低后增加的趋势,表明该河段接纳了来自上游及支流的污染输入.此外,结果表明水相中的PFASs通量大于颗粒相.     

大连海域入海污染源中PFASs的赋存、输入通量和季节特征

本文对大连海域入海河流和入海排污口中19种PFASs和2种PFOS新型替代品Cl-PFESAs进行了分析,估算其入海通量,并分析了季节变化特征.结果表明,研究区域入海河流中总PFASs的含量范围为9. 85～757 ng·L~(-1)(浓度中位数为74. 7 ng·L~(-1)),与国内外其他河流相比,大连海域入海河流中总PFASs的含量处于中等或较低水平;入海排污口中总PFASs的含量范围为9. 19～801 ng·L~(-1)(浓度中位数为29. 5 ng·L~(-1)).入海河流和入海排污口中PFASs的主要贡献要素为PFOS和PFOA,其中入海河流、市政污水和污水处理厂出水中总PFASs含量未发现明显的季节差异特征,但工业废水中冬季含量显著高于夏季.计算结果显示,大连海域总PFASs入海通量约123 g·d~(-1)(44. 7 kg·a~(-1)),入海河流和入海排污口的贡献相当.全氟/多氟醚类磺酸化合物(Cl-PFESAs)检出率较低,其中8∶2Cl-PFESA均为检出.     

黄渤海区域水产品中全氟烷基物质的分布特征

选取黄渤海区域水产品生产、消费水平较高的23个城市,采集鱼类、海洋贝类、甲壳类、头足类及海珍品（海参、鲍鱼）等5类水产品共1225个样本,采用超快速液相色谱-串联质谱法测定了23种全氟烷基物质（PFASs）的含量,并分析了黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平及分布特征.结果表明,黄渤海区域水产品中PFASs的残留水平具有明显的组分差异、城市分布及品种分布差异等特征.在23种PFASs组分中,共检出20种PFASs,其中全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）和全氟辛酸（PFOA）的检出率最高,分别为79.1%和71.7%,且PFOA的质量浓度占比最高（64.5%）,为首要污染组分;在不同采样点样本中,莱州湾近岸的潍坊、滨州和东营,渤海湾近岸的沧州以及辽东湾近岸的营口为PFASs总质量浓度（∑PFASs）较高的城市,残留水平范围为10.2~16.8μg/kg;在不同品种样本中,检出PFASs组分的数量由高到低为：鱼类（20种） > 海洋贝类、甲壳类（18种） > 海珍品（16种） > 头足类（10种）,其中海洋贝类、海珍品样本中检出率最高的是PFOA,鱼类、甲壳类样本中检出率最高的是PFOS,而头足类则是全氟辛烷磺酰胺（PFOSA）;通过计算不同水产品中PFASs各组分的平均含量发现,PFOA、PFOS、全氟十一烷酸（PFUdA）和PFOSA在不同品种中平均含量相对较高,且表现出较为明显的组分差异性;通过计算危害指数（HR）评价人体暴露于PFASs的健康风险,得到PFASs各组分的危害指数均 < 1,说明黄渤海区域水产品中残留的PFASs对消费者的潜在健康风险较低.     

Occurrence, profiles, and ecotoxicity of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances and their alternatives in global apex predators: A critical review

Certain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exhibit significant bioaccumulation/biomagnification behaviors in ecosystems. PFASs, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and related precursors, have elicited attention from both public and national regulatory agencies, which has resulted in worldwide restrictions on their production and use. Apex predators occupy the top trophic positions in ecosystems and are most affected by the biomagnification behavior of PFASs. Meanwhile, the long lifespans of apex predators also lead to the high body burden of PFASs. The high body burden of PFASs might be linked to adverse health effects and even pose a potential threat to their reproduction. As seen in previous reviews of PFASs, knowledge is lacking between the current stage of the PFAS body burden and related effects in apex predators. This review summarized PFAS occurrence in global apex predators, including information on the geographic distribution, levels, profiles, and tissue distribution, and discussed the trophic transfer and ecotoxicity of PFASs. In the case where legacy PFASs were restricted under international convention, the occurrence of novel PFASs, such as 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) and perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate (PFECHS), in apex predators arose as an emerging issue. Future studies should develop an effective analytical method and focus on the toxicity and trophic transfer behavior of novel PFASs.     

全氟烷基物质在胶州湾海水、沉积物及生物中污染特征

为探明胶州湾全氟烷基物质(perfluorinated alkyl substances,PFASs)的污染水平及特征,本研究于2018年4月在胶州湾近岸海域采集了海水、沉积物及菲律宾蛤仔样品,采用高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定35种PFASs的含量.结果表明,海水中检出12种PFASs,PFASs总质量浓度(ΣPFASs)范围为21. 1～38. 0 ng·L-1,沉积物中检出10种PFASs,ΣPFASs含量(以干重计)范围为0. 459～1. 20μg·kg-1,菲律宾蛤仔中检出19种PFASs,ΣPFASs含量(以干重计)范围为15. 5～27. 5μg·kg-1;与国内外报道的其他地区相比,胶州湾ΣPFASs污染处于中等或偏高水平.全氟辛酸(perfluorooctanoic acid,PFOA)是胶州湾PFASs的首要污染因子,6∶2全氟辛烷二磷酸酯(6∶2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester,6∶2 di PAP)是海水及沉积物中检出的主要前驱物,全氟辛烷磺酰胺(perfluorooctanesulfonamide,PFOSA)是菲律宾蛤仔中检出的主要前驱物.此外,PFASs的沉积物-海水分配系数(Kd)、有机碳归一化分配系数(KOC)及生物累积因子(bioaccumulation factors,BAF)随碳链的增加而增加,而生物-沉积物累积因子(bioaccumulation factors between organism and sediment,BSAF)随碳链(C8～C13)的增加呈现下降趋势.     

UV/H2O2 oxidation of tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate: Intermediate products, degradation pathway and toxicity evaluation

Tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate(TCEP) with the initial concentration of 5 mg/L was degraded by UV/H₂O₂ oxidation process. The removal rate of TCEP in the UV/H₂O₂ system was 89.1% with the production of Cl-and PO₄^3- of 0.23 and 0.64 mg/L. The removal rate of total organic carbon of the reaction was 48.8% and the pH reached 3.3 after the reaction. The oxidative degradation process of TCEP in the UV/H₂O₂ system ...     

Phase transformation of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite in the presence of Mn(II): Fate of Mn(II) and Cr(VI)

Ferrihydrite is an important sink for the toxic heavy metal ions, such as Cr(VI). As ferrihydrite is thermodynamically unstable and gradually transforms into hematite and goethite, the stability of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite is environmentally significant. This study investigated the phase transformation of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite at different pH in the presence of aqueous Mn(II), as well as the fate of Mn(II) and Cr(VI) in the transformation process of ferrihydrite. Among the ferrihydrite transformation products, hematite was dominant, and goethite was minor. The pre-adsorbed Cr(VI) inhibited the conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite at initial pH 3.0, whereas little amount of adsorbed Mn(II) favored the formation of goethite at initial pH 7.0. After the aging process, Cr species in solid phase existed primarily as Cr(III) in the presence of Mn(II) at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0. The aqueous Mn concentration was predominantly unchanged at initial pH 3.0, whereas the aqueous Mn(II) was adsorbed onto ferrihydrite or form Mn(OH)₂ precipitates at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0, promoting the immobilization of Cr(VI). Moreover, the oxidation of Mn(II) occurred at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0, forming Mn(III/IV) (hydr)oxides.     

Presence of organophosphate flame retardants (OPEs) in different functional areas in residential homes in Beijing, China

The production and application of organophosphate esters (OPEs) have dramatically increased in recent years due to their use as a replacement for brominated flame retardants. In this study, 13 OPEs (Σ₁₃OPEs) were analyzed in indoor air samples from kitchens and living rooms in 14 residential homes in Beijing, China. The concentrations of Σ₁₃OPEs in kitchen air samples (mean: 13 ng/m³) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in living room air samples (5.0 ng/m³). In addition, paired window surface organic film samples were collected and analyzed to investigate film-air partitioning, exhibiting a mean concentration of Σ₁₃OPEs of 4100 ng/m². The congener profiles showed that tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCPP) was the predominant compound in both window film samples (48%) and the corresponding indoor air sample (56%). The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of OPEs via indoor air inhalation were 2.8 and 1.4 ng/kg/day for infants and adults, respectively, both of which are below the reference dose values (RfDs). Overall, these findings indicate that OPEs in the indoor air environment of residential homes in Beijing are not likely to pose a health risk to the general population.     

Formation mechanisms of nitrous acid (HONO) during the haze and non-haze periods in Beijing, China

As an important precursor of hydroxyl radical (OH), nitrous acid (HONO) plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. Here, an observation of HONO and relevant air pollutants in an urban site of Beijing from 14 to 28 April, 2017 was performed. Two distinct peaks of HONO concentrations occurred during the observation. In contrast, the concentration of particulate matter in the first period (period Ⅰ) was significantly higher than that in the second period (period Ⅱ). Comparing to HONO sources in the two periods, we found that the direct vehicle emission was an essential source of the ambient HONO during both periods at night, especially in period Ⅱ. The heterogeneous reaction of NO₂ was the dominant source in period Ⅰ, while the homogeneous reaction of NO with OH was more critical source at night in period Ⅱ. In the daytime, the heterogeneous reaction of NO₂ was a significant source and was confirmed by the good correlation coefficients (R²) between the unknown sources (P_unknown) with NO₂, PM_2.5, NO₂ × PM_2.5 in period Ⅰ. Moreover, when solar radiation and OH radicals were considered to explore unknown sources in the daytime, the enhanced correlation of P_unknown with photolysis rate of NO₂ and OH ($J_{{\mathrm{NO}}_2}$ × OH) were 0.93 in period Ⅰ, 0.95 in period Ⅱ. These excellent correlation coefficients suggested that the unknown sources released HONO highly related to the solar radiation and the variation of OH radicals.     

Short-term impacts of air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio among urban adults in China

The short-term impacts of urban air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remain obscure.In this study,we included 3487 urban adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort.Individual inhalation exposure to air pollutants was estimated by combining participants’daily breath volume and ambient concentrations of six air pollutants (includingfine particulate matter (PM_2.5),inhalable particulate matter(PM₁₀),nitrogen dioxide (NO₂...     

Photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) over cinder-based nanoneedle in presence of tartaric acid: Synergistic performance and mechanism

Cr(VI) is a common heavy metal ion, which will seriously harm human body and environment. Therefore, the removal of Cr(VI) has become an attractive topic. In this work, cinder was used as a raw material to synthesize a nanoneedle material: γ-([email protected]) (γ[email protected]). The physicochemical properties of γ[email protected] were thoroughly characterized, and its effectiveness as a catalyst for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) was evaluated. The results showed that Cr(VI) could be efficiently reduced by γ[email protected] in the presence of tartaric acid (TA) under visible light. The variable factors on the reaction were investigated in detail, and the results showed that under optimal conditions (γ[email protected] 0.4 g/L, TA 0.6 g/L, pH 2), Cr(VI) was completely reduced within 7 min. Besides, scavenger experiments and EPR proved that O₂^{? —} and CO₂^{? —} played a significant role in the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI). TA acts as a sacrificial agent to trap the holes and generate strong reducing free radicals: CO₂^{? —}. Dissolving O₂ could react with electrons to generate O₂^{? —}. This work discussed the performance and mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in detail, which provided a new idea for the resource utilization of solid waste and the treatment of heavy metal sewage.     

Highly inhibited transport of dissolved thallium(I) in manganese oxide-coated sand: Chemical condition effects and retention mechanisms

Thallium contamination in water can cause great danger to the environment. In this study, we synthesized manganese oxide-coated sand (MOCS) and investigated the transport and retention behaviors of Tl(I) in MOCS under different conditions. Characterization methods combined with a two-site nonequilibrium transport model were applied to explore the retention mechanisms. The results showed that Tl(I) mobility was strongly inhibited in MOCS media, and the retention capacity calculated from the fitted model was 510.41 mg/g under neutral conditions. The retention process included adsorption and oxidative precipitation by the manganese oxides coated on the sand surface. Cotransport with the same concentration of Mn(II) led to halving Tl(I) retention due to competition for reactive sites. Enhanced Tl(I) retention was observed under alkaline conditions, as increasing pH promoted electronegativity on the media surface. Moreover, the competitive cation Ca²⁺ significantly weakened Tl(I) retention by occupying adsorption sites. These findings provide new insights into understanding Tl(I) transport behavior in water-saturated porous media and suggest that manganese oxide-coated sand can be a cost-effective filter media for treating Tl-contaminated water.     

Anaerobic degradation of xenobiotic organic contaminants (XOCs): The role of electron flow and potential enhancing strategies

In groundwater, deep soil layer, sediment, the widespread of xenobiotic organic contaminants (XOCs) have been leading to the concern of human health and eco-environment safety, which calls for a better understanding on the fate and remediation of XOCs in anoxic matrices. In the absence of oxygen, bacteria utilize various oxidized substances, e.g. nitrate, sulphate, metallic (hydr)oxides, humic substance, as terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) to fuel anaerobic XOCs degradation. Although there have been increasing anaerobic biodegradation studies focusing on species identification, degrading pathways, community dynamics, systematic reviews on the underlying mechanism of anaerobic contaminants removal from the perspective of electron flow are limited. In this review, we provide the insight on anaerobic biodegradation from electrons aspect — electron production, transport, and consumption. The mechanism of the coupling between TEAs reduction and pollutants degradation is deconstructed in the level of community, pure culture, and cellular biochemistry. Hereby, relevant strategies to promote anaerobic biodegradation are proposed for guiding to an efficient XOCs bioremediation.     

Extraction and characterization of bound extracellular polymeric substances from cultured pure cyanobacterium (Microcystis wesenbergii)

Preliminary characterization of bound extracellular polymeric substances（bEPS） of cyanobacteria is crucial to obtain a better understanding of the formation mechanism of cyanobacterial bloom. However,the characterization of bEPS can be affected by extraction methods. Five sets（including the control） of bEPS from Microcystis extracted by different methods were characterized using three-dimensional excitation and emission matrix（3DEEM） fluorescence spectroscopy combined chemical spectrophotometry; and the characterization results of bEPS samples were further compared. The agents used for extraction were NaOH,pure water and phosphate buffered saline（PBS） containing cationic exchange resins,and hot water. Extraction methods affected the fluorescence signals and intensities in the bEPS. Five fluorescence peaks were observed in the excitation and emission matrix fluorescence spectra of bEPS samples. Two peaks（peaks T1 and T2） present in all extractions were identified as protein-like fluorophores,two（peaks A and C） as humic-like fluorophores,and one（peak E） as a fulvic-like substance.Among these substances,the humic-like and fulvic-like fluorescences were only seen in the bEPS extracted with hot water. Also,NaOH solution extraction could result in strong fluorescence intensities compared to the other extraction methods. It was suggested that NaOH at pH 10.0 was the most appropriate method to extract bEPS from Microcystis. In addition,dialysis could affect the yields and characteristics of extracted bEPS during the determination process. These results will help us to explore the issues of cyanobacterial blooms.     

Functional groups assisted-photoinduced electron transfer-mediated highly fluorescent metal-organic framework quantum dot composite for selective detection of mercury (II) in water

The presence of toxic mercury (II) in water is an ever-growing problem on earth that has various harmful effect on human health and aquatic living organisms. Therefore, detection of mercury (II) in water is very much crucial and several researches are going on in this topic. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as an effective device for sensing of toxic heavy metal ions in water. The tunable functionalities with large surface area of highly semiconducting MOFs enhance its activity towards fluorescence sensing. In this study, we are reporting one highly selective and sensitive luminescent sensor for the detection of mercury (II) in water. A series of binary MOF composites were synthesized using in-situ solvothermal synthetic technique for fluorescence sensing of Hg²⁺ in water. The well-distributed graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots on porous zirconium-based MOF improve Hg²⁺ sensing activity in water owing to their great electronic and optical properties. The binary MOF composite (2) i.e., the sensor exhibited excellent limit of detection (LOD) value of 2.4 nmol/L for Hg²⁺. The sensor also exhibited excellent performance for mercury (II) detection in real water samples. The characterizations of the synthesized materials were done using various spectroscopic techniques and the fluorescence sensing mechanism was studied.