Cell absorption induced desorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants from digested soil residue

Oral ingestion of contaminated soil is an important pathway of human exposure to hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), particularly for children in developing countries. The mobilization potential of various contaminants from ingested soil is often characterized using an in vitro gastrointestinal model, based on the quantities of contaminants remaining in digestive fluid after digestion and separation. Recently, it was experimentally demonstrated that a large fraction of mobilized contaminants sorbed on the digested residue could be released if the dissolved fraction was removed by intestinal absorption. This hypothesis was further tested in this study. Soil spiked with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDXs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was digested using an in vitro gastrointestinal model. A human colon carcinoma cell line (Caco-2) was cultured in digestive fluid with or without soil residue (pre-equilibrated with the soil) for 2 h. A large proportion of the contaminants (37-68%) was sorbed on the digested residue. Without this residue, 66 ± 13% of DDXs and 73 ± 14% of PAHs dissolved in the fluid, as means and standard deviations, were absorbed by the cell monolayer after exposure. With both digestive fluid and residue, the sorbed fraction of PAHs and DDXs decreased by 38-92%, while the ratios of the cellular to the dissolved concentrations were 2.7-2.8 times higher than those without the residue. This supported the hypothesis that the cell absorption of dissolved HOCs induces desorption of the sorbed fraction from digestive residue, and the desorbed HOCs can be absorbed as well.     

Nontarget analysis of polar contaminants in freshwater sediments influenced by pharmaceutical industry using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A comprehensive analytical procedure for a reliable identification of nontarget polar contaminants in aquatic sediments was developed, based on the application of ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOFMS). The procedure was applied for the analysis of freshwater sediment that was highly impacted by wastewater discharges from the pharmaceutical industry. A number of different contaminants were successfully identified owing to the high mass accuracy of the QTOFMS system, used in combination with high chromatographic resolution of UHPLC. The major compounds, identified in investigated sediment, included a series of polypropylene glycols (n = 3-16), alkylbenzene sulfonate and benzalkonium surfactants as well as a number of various pharmaceuticals (chlorthalidone, warfarin, terbinafine, torsemide, zolpidem and macrolide antibiotics). The particular advantage of the applied technique is its capability to detect less known pharmaceutical intermediates and/or transformation products, which have not been previously reported in freshwater sediments.     

Levels of glyphosate in surface waters, sediments and soils associated with direct sowing soybean cultivation in north pampasic region of Argentina

Levels of glyphosate were determined in water, soil and sediment samples from a transgenic soybean cultivation area located near to tributaries streams of the Pergamino-Arrecifes system in the north of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Field work took into account both the pesticide application and the rains occurring after applications. The pesticide was analysed by HPLC-UV detection, previous derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate (FMOC-Cl). In addition, SoilFug multimedia model was used to analyse the environmental distribution of the pesticides. In the field, levels of glyphosate in waters ranged from 0.10 to 0.70mg/L, while in sediments and soils values were between 0.5 and 5.0mg/Kg. Temporal variation of glyphosate levels depended directly on the time of application and the rain events. The results obtained from the application of the model are in accordance with the values found in the field.     

地下水中污染物运移过程数值模拟算法的比较

数值模拟已成为目前地下水有机污染现场中,预测和评价溶解相有机污染物运移的主要手段.自从MT3D问世以来,它在地下水溶质运移的模拟中得到了广泛的应用.MT3D中包含有4种不同的数值算法--MOC,MMOC,HMOC和UFDM.利用Processing MODFLOW Pro.7.0.5建立了均质一维流动的地下水数学模型,考虑溶解相有机污染物在地下水中运移时的4个主要影响因素--对流、弥散、吸附和降解,设定了14种代表性的情形,模拟了等浓度污染源条件下污染物的运移,并将不同数值算法的计算结果与理论解进行比较,从而研究不同数值算法的优缺点,为实际数值模拟时算法的选择提供依据.     

Application of hydration reaction on the removal of recalcitrant contaminants in leachate after biological treatment

Leachate contains amounts of non-biodegradable matters with COD range of 400–1500 mg/L after the biological treatment, and should be removed further to attain the Chinese discharge standards. Hydration reaction has the potential to combine and solidify some recalcitrant substances, and thus could be applied as the advanced leachate treatment process. It was found that COD and NH₃N decreased from 485 to <250 mg/L and 91 to 10 mg/L, with the removal rate over 50% and 90% in the first 6 d, respectively, and COD and NH₃N removal capacity were around 23.7 and 9.2 mg/g under the test conditions. The percentage of the substances with low Mn range of <1000 decreased from 32.9% to 3.2% in leachate after hydration reaction. Tricalcium aluminate, tricalcium silicate and dicalcium silicate were the most activity compounds successively for the pollutant removal in leachate, and hydration reaction could be the option for the advanced wastewater treatment process thereafter.     

Fate of bulk and trace organics during a simulated aquifer recharge and recovery (ARR)-ozone hybrid process

The attenuation of bulk organic matter and trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) was evaluated for various aquifer recharge and recovery (ARR)-ozone (O₃) hybrid treatment process combinations using soil-batch reactor and bench-scale ozonation experiments as a proof of concept prior to pilot and/or field studies. In water reclamation and especially potable reuse, refractory bulk organic matter and TOrCs are of potential health concern in recycled waters. In this study, the role of biotransformation of bulk organic matter and TOrCs was investigated considering different simulated treatment combinations, including soil passage (ARR) alone, ARR after ozonation (O₃-ARR), and ARR prior to ozonation (ARR-O₃). During oxic (aerobic) ARR simulations, soluble microbial-like substances (e.g., higher molecular weight polysaccharides and proteins) were easily removed while (lower molecular weight) humic substances and aromatic organic matter were not efficiently removed. During ARR-ozone treatment simulations, removals of bulk organic matter and TOrCs were rapid and effective compared to ARR alone. A higher reduction of effluent-derived organic matter, including aromatic organic matter and humic substances, was observed in the ARR-O₃ hybrid followed by the O₃-ARR hybrid. An enhanced attenuation of recalcitrant TOrCs was observed while increasing the ozone dose slightly (O₃: DOC = 1). TOrC removal efficiency also increased during the post-ozone treatment combination (i.e., ARR-O₃). In addition, the carcinogenic wastewater disinfection byproduct N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was eliminated below the method reporting limit (<5 ng L⁻¹) both during ARR treatment alone and the ARR-ozone hybrid.     

Food contamination control in European new Member States and associated candidate countries: Data collected within the SAFEFOODNET project

This paper reports the results obtained from the data collected within the European Commission funded project SAFEFOODNET regarding the state of the art in the control of chemical food contaminants in twelve European New Member States and one Associated Candidate Country (Turkey). Information has been gathered on institutions involved in food chemical contamination control, types of contaminants and matrices analyzed, procedures for data quality assurance, purposes of the analyses and accessibility of data in the participant countries. The resulting picture points out the general availability of adequate capabilities for the analysis of food contaminants in the laboratories in charge of control and the performance of the analysis of a large variety of chemicals (persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, radionuclides) in almost each country with few exceptions (dioxins in Bulgaria, Turkey, Latvia, persistent organic pollutants in Lithuania and Malta, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Malta). The application of validated analytical methods and the process of laboratory accreditation are partially fulfilled within the investigated countries, but still forthcoming for some countries, as in Romania, Turkey and Malta. Information collected on food controls is only partially available online and the language used is prevalently local and English to a lesser extent.     

Sorption comparison between phenanthrene and its degradation intermediates, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone and 9-phenanthrol in soils/sediments

The degradation intermediates of phenanthrene (PHE) may have increased health risks to organisms than PHE. Therefore, environmental fate and risk assessment studies should take into considerations of PHE degradation products. This study compared the sorption properties of PHE and its degradation intermediates, 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PQN) and 9-phenanthrol (PTR) in soils, sediments and soil components. A relationship between organic carbon content (f_OC) and single-point sorption coefficient (log K_d) was observed for all three chemicals in 10 soils/sediments. The large intercept in the log f_OC − log K_d regression for PTR indicated that inorganic fractions control PTR sorption in soils/sediments. No relationship between specific surface area and K_d was observed. This result indicated that determination of surface area based on gas sorption could not identify surface properties for PHE, PQN, and PTR sorption and thus provide limit information on sorption mechanisms. The high sorption and strong nonlinearity (low n values) of PTR in comparison to PHE suggested that the mobility of PTR could be lower than PHE. Increased mobility of PQN compared with PHE may be expected in soils/sediments because of PQN lower sorption. The varied sorption properties of the three chemicals suggested that their environmental risks should be assessed differently.     

静电场轨道阱超高分辨质谱在新污染物分析中的应用

介绍了静电场轨道阱超高分辨质谱在新污染物分析中的应用,包括靶向定量、靶向筛查和非靶向筛查3个方面。在靶向定量方面,静电场轨道阱可以达到μg/L至ng/L检测限,满足环境中新污染物分析的需求。在靶向筛查方面,静电场轨道阱超高分辨质谱配备了包含上千种新污染物的数据库,可从精确质量数、保留时间、同位素峰形、碎片离子、二级谱图等方面,实现对新污染物的快速筛查。在非靶向筛查方面,该系统可通过智能化的数据采集模式(AcquireX)采集丰富的二级信息,然后通过Compound Discoverer软件流程化地处理数据,包括基于本地和网络数据库的谱图搜索,以及不依赖于数据库的特征碎片查找、中性丢失查找、特征同位素查找、质量亏损计算、分子网络分析等,最大程度地查找和发现未知的新污染物。     

Integrated risk assessment framework for transformation products of emerging contaminants: what we know and what we should know

● A better risk assessment can combine the improved non-target analysis method. ● Multi-evidence is advised in molecular determination and risk-based prioritization. ● Combining omics, multi-endpoint EDA, and machine learning to assess product risks. The continuous input of various emerging contaminants (ECs) has inevitably introduced large amounts of transformation products (TPs) in natural and engineering water scenarios. Structurally similar to the precursor species, the TPs are expected to possess comparative, if not more serious, environmental properties and risks. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding the integrated risk assessment frameworks of TPs of ECs, mainly involving the exposure- and effect-driven analysis. The inadequate information within existing frameworks that was essential and critical for developing a better risk assessment framework was discussed. The main strategic improvements include (1) non-targeted product analysis in both laboratory and field samples, (2) omics-based high-throughput toxicity assessment, (3) multichannel-driven mode of action in conjugation with effect-directed analysis, and (4) machine learning technology. Overall, this review provides a concise but comprehensive insight into the optimized strategy for evaluating the environmental risks and screening the key toxic products from the cocktail mixtures of ECs and their TPs in the global water cycle. This facilitates deciphering the mode of toxicity in complex chemical mixtures and prioritizing the regulated TPs among the unknown products, which have the potential to be considered a class of novel “ECs” of great concern.