Extraction and determination of trinitrotoluenes and products of their biotransformation in soil samples

The separation of a mixture of trinitrotoluenes (TNTs) and their metabolites by reverse phase liquid chromatography using different columns with octadecyl stationary phase is presented. The retention behaviour of a mixture of TNTs and their metabolites was studied under different chromatographic conditions. The mixture of methanol/water was used as a mobile phase in isocratic and gradient modes. The effect of content of organic modifier and temperature of mobile phase has been investigated. Very good RP-HPLC separation of 14 nitroaromatic compounds was obtained using stepped gradient elution. Different properties of extraction procedures for isolation of trinitrotoluenes and their metabolites from soil were tested. Experimental conditions of Soxhlet warm extraction (extractant type, extraction time) suitable for efficient extraction of individual analytes were studied. Recoveries over 80% for all studied compounds and over 90% for almost all (11 compounds) were obtained in short extraction time (1 hour). The formation of precipitate during the Soxhlet extraction was observed and the further treatment of extract was necessary. The amount of precipitate formed from an artificial soil was higher than that from a natural one. THF was found as the best solvent suitable for total dissolution of precipitate. © 2009 Taylor & Francis

Retention performance of three widely used SPE sorbents for the extraction of perfluoroalkyl substances from seawater

Some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been detected ubiquitously in the environment. Owing to the polar character conferred by the presence of the carboxylic or sulfonic acid groups and their resistance to degradation, aquatic environments became their major reservoirs, including marine waters. The procedure of PFAS analysis in aqueous matrices consists usually of solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, passive sampling approach using various SPE sorbents may be applied. This study deals with the assessment of retention characteristics of a selected group of PFASs in marine water on three sorbent media widely used in SPE or passive sampling techniques. The influence of type of sorbent, matrix pH, salinity and eluent on the PFAS recovery from aquatic samples was investigated. The best overall extraction conditions were found to be at pH 8 and 50%/100% matrix seawater content using Oasis® HLB/Strata™-X as SPE sorbents and methanol as eluent. The matrix properties found to be the most appropriate for extraction of investigated PFASs from aqueous samples (i.e., pH and salinity levels) match well the natural properties of marine and brackish waters. Acid-base behavior was found to be the main driver influencing the recovery of PFASs. These research findings can be used to optimize PFAS extraction conditions from aquatic samples and also to develop efficient extraction procedures for multiresidual analyses

Annual dynamics of perfluorinated compounds in sediment: A case study in the Morava River in Zlín district, Czech Republic

Two groups of perfluorined compounds (PFCs), i.e. perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFASs) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) were analysed during a period of 1 year in monthly collected riverbed sediment samples from five sampling sites in an industrial region in Morava River catchment in Czech Republic. Levels of PFCs determined in sediment samples were up to 6.8 μg kg-1 of dry weight. Among PFCs analysed, mainly short-chain PFASs (C6 to C8) including PFOS were found in sediment samples and their levels were similar to those found in comparable river basins in other parts of Europe. Concentrations of PFCs were correlated with organic carbon content and their variations were mainly correlated by high flow events on Morava River and its tributaries. The changes in PFC concentrations were induced by displacing of PFCs containing particles to the river sediment during these elevated flow events

Contaminants of emerging concern in the open sea waters of the Western Mediterranean

Pollution by chemical substances is of concern for the maintenance of healthy and sustainable aquatic environments. While the occurrence and fate of numerous emerging contaminants, especially pharmaceuticals, is well documented in freshwater, their occurrence and behavior in coastal and marine waters is much less studied and understood. This study investigates the occurrence of 58 chemicals in the open surface water of the Western Mediterranean Sea for the first time. 70 samples in total were collected in 10 different sampling areas. 3 pesticides, 11 pharmaceuticals and personal care products and 2 artificial sweeteners were detected at sub-ng to ng/L levels. Among them, the herbicide terbuthylazine, the pharmaceuticals caffeine, carbamazepine, naproxen and paracetamol, the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, the antibacterial triclocarban and the two artificial sweeteners acesulfame and saccharin were detected in all samples. The compound detected at the highest concentration was saccharin (up to 5.23 ng/L). Generally small spatial differences among individual sampling areas point to a diffuse character of sources which are likely dominated by WWTP effluents and runoffs from agricultural areas or even, at least for pharmaceuticals and artificial food additives, from offshore sources such as ferries and cruising ships. The implications of the ubiquitous presence in the open sea of chemicals that are bio-active or toxic at low doses on photosynthetic organisms and/or bacteria (i.e., terbuthylazine, sulfamethoxazole or triclocarban) deserve scientific attention, especially concerning possible subtle impacts from chronic exposure of pelagic microorganisms

Health and ecological risk assessment of emerging contaminants (pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and artificial sweeteners) in surface and groundwater (drinking water) in the Ganges River Basin, India

Embargo until 01 January 2021Pharmaceuticals, personal care products (PPCPs), and artificial sweeteners (ASWs) are contaminants of emerging concern commonly found in the aquatic environments. In India, studies reporting environmental occurrence of these contaminants are scarce. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and distribution of 15 PPCPs and five ASWs in the river and groundwater (used untreated as drinking water) at several sites along the Ganges River. Based on the measured groundwater concentrations, we estimated the life-long human health risk from exposure to PPCPs through drinking. In addition, we estimated the risk of exposure to PPCPs and ASWs in the river water for aquatic organisms. The sum of detected PPCPs in the river water ranged between 54.7-826 ng/L, with higher concentrations in the severely anthropogenically influenced middle and lower reaches of the Ganges. The highest concentration among the PPCPs in the river water was of caffeine (743 ng/L). The sum of detected ASWs in river water ranged between 0.2–102 ng/L. Similar to PPCPs, the sum of ASWs in the river water was higher in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges. In groundwater, the sum of detected PPCPs ranged between 34–293 ng/L, whereas of ASWs ranged between 0.5-25 ng/L. Negligible risk for humans was estimated from PPCPs in the drinking groundwater sources along the Ganges River, whereas moderate risks to PPCPs and ASWs (namely: caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, triclocarban, triclosan, and sucralose) were estimated for aquatic organisms in the Ganges River.acceptedVersio

Screening for halogenated flame retardants in European consumer products, building materials and wastes

To fulfill national and international fire safety standards, flame retardants (FRs) are being added to a wide range of consumer products and building materials consisting of flammable materials like plastic, wood and textiles. While the FR composition of some products and materials has been identified in recent years, the limited global coverage of the data and the large diversity in consumer products necessitates more information for an overall picture of the FR composition in common products/materials. To address this issue, 137 individual samples of various consumer products, building materials and wastes were collected. To identify and characterize potential sources of FRs in indoor environment, all samples were analyzed for content of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) and novel flame retardants (NFRs). The most frequently detected were HBCDDs (85%), with the highest median concentration of Σ4HBCDDs of 300 mg kg−1 in polystyrenes. The highest median concentration of Σ10PBDEs was found in recycled plastic materials, reaching 4 mg kg−1. The lowest concentrations were observed for NFRs, where the median of Σ12NFRs reached 0.4 mg kg−1 in the group of electrical & electronic equipment wastes. This suggests that for consumer products and building materials that are currently in-use, legacy compounds still contribute to the overall burden of FRs. Additionally, contrasting patterns of FR composition in recycled and virgin plastics, revealed using principle component analysis (PCA), suggest that legacy flame retardants are reentering the market through recycled products, perpetuating the potential for emissions to indoor environments and thus for human exposure

Exploring the occurrence and distribution of contaminants of emerging concern through unmanned sampling from ships of opportunity in the North Sea

Chemical pollution is of concern for the marine environment. New European regulation demands exposure and impact assessment to be conducted in coastal environments in order to define and ensure fulfillment of environmental quality standards. A cost-effective approach for monitoring the over 100,000 km of European coasts is necessary. This proof-of-concept study focuses on the use of unmanned water sampling from a commercial ship of opportunity to implement monitoring of marine contaminants of emerging concern. Marine areas that are not directly affected by river plumes or other direct sources were covered in order to provide information on background pollution. 14 currently used pesticides, 11 pharmaceuticals and personal care products and 3 food additives were detected in water samples through targeted analysis at sub-ng to tenths of ng/L levels in both coastal and offshore areas of the North Sea. Among contaminants, 6 pesticides (dimethoate, fenpropimorph, pendimethalin, propiconazole, tebuconazole and temephos), 3 pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, naproxen and ketoprofen) and 2 food additives (acesulfame and saccharine) have never been detected before in offshore areas. 4 pesticides (diuron, isoproturon, metazachlor and terbuthylazine), 4 pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, atenolol, ibuprofen and ketoprofen) and 2 food additives (sucralose and acesulfame) were detected in over 90% of the samples. The antibiotic sulfamethoxazole was detected in 50% of the samples at tenths of pg/L levels, including some offshore areas. Our study highlights that the use of ships of opportunity can provide a key support for the development and cost-effective implementation of marine monitoring of chemical pollutants in Europe and elsewhere

Line ferries and cargo ships for the monitoring of marine contaminants of emerging concern: Application along a Europe-Arctic transect

Contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) are a focus in marine protection. Several CECs are released with wastewater effluents to coastal environments and their offshore occurrence has been recently documented. Routine monitoring is key for implementing marine protection acts, however infrastructural, financial, and technical limitations hinder this task along broad spatial transects. Here we show the efficacy of a new infrastructure enabling unmanned sampling of surface water from ships of opportunity in providing reliable and cost-effective routine monitoring of CECs along a Europe-Arctic transect. The distribution and long-range transport of several pharmaceuticals and personal care products, artificial food additives, and stimulants were assessed. Validation of operations through strict procedural and analytical quality criteria is presented. A framework to estimate a compound-specific spatial range (SR) index of marine long-range transport based on monitoring results and information on source spatial distribution, is introduced. Estimated SR values ranged 50–350 km depending on compound, yielding a ranking of long-range transport potential which reflected expectations based on degradation half-lives. SR values were used to calculate prior maps of detection probability that can be used to plan future routine monitoring in the region

Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in household dust in Central Europe and North America

Concentrations of 20 perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in dust samples from 41 homes in Canada, the Czech Republic, and United States in the spring-summer of 2013. The most frequently detected compounds were perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) had the highest concentrations of PFASs in all countries. PFOS median concentrations for the three countries were between 9.1 and 14.1 ng/g, and PFOA medians ranged between 8.2 and 9.3 ng/g. In general, concentrations in North America were higher than in the Czech Republic, which is consistent with usage patterns. No differences were found for perfluorooctane sulfonamides/sulfonamidoethanols (FOSA/Es) levels due to the low number of detections. Homologue profiles suggest that the shift from longer to shorter chain PFASs is more advanced in North America than in Europe. Significant relationships were found among individual homologues and between PFAS concentrations in dust and type of floor, number of people living in the house, and building age