Comparative effects of several cyclodextrins on the extraction of PAHs from a real contaminated soil

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) attracting extensive attention worldwide. Soils from many sites, such as areas of coal storage, coke oven plants, manufactured gas plants and areas of coal tar spillage present a high contamination level by PAHs. Due to their low solubility in water, the presence of PAHs in the soil matrix constitutes a long-term source of groundwater contamination, and their toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties are responsible that the remediation of PAH-contaminated soil becomes a major environmental concern. In order to enhance the desorption rate of organic pollutants, various extracting agents have been used. Recently, cyclodextrins (CDs) have been proposed as an alternative agent to enhance the water solubility of hydrophobic compounds and thus their availability for biodegradation. The objectives of the present work were: to identify the level of PAHs of an aged-contaminated soil sample from a former chemical industry plant and to evaluate the ability of a natural cyclodextrin (ß-cyclodextrin, BCD) and three chemically modified cyclodextrins: 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPBCD), partially methylated-ß-cyclodextrin (PMBCD), and hydroxypropyl-¿-cyclodextrin (HPGCD) to extract the sixteen PAHs considered as priority pollutants by US-EPA. A real contaminated soil from the surrounding area of a deserted chemical industry situated in Asturias (North of Spain) was analyzed exhaustively in order to know its PAHs content. Then extraction experiments using Ca(NO3)2 solution or three types of different cyclodextrins solutions were carried out about the same soil. The results presented in this study show that according to Spanish legislation the analyzed soil had to be considered as contaminated soil. Its total PAHs content was about 1068.77±100.81 mg Kg-1, being phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene the most abundant compounds (25.3, 24.7 and 17.1 % of the total PAHs content of the soil, respectively). After the extractions experiments using CDs solutions, it was observed that the percentages of PAHs obtained were always higher than when an aqueous solution was used, although the three chemically modified cyclodextrins achieved higher extractions percentages than the natural cyclodextrin (BCD). From the sixteen selected PAHs, the highest extraction percentages was always obtained for the 3-rings PAHs, what is related with the more appropriated size and shape of this compounds with respect to the CDs cavity dimensions

Migration of phthalates, alkylphenols, bisphenol A and di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate from food packaging

The migration of plastic components or additives from packaging to food can produce a risk for human health, in fact many of these plasticizers and additives are "Endocrine Distruptors", such as phthalates (PAEs), alkylphenols (APs), 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A or BPA) and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DENA). The evaluation of some PAEs, some APs, BPA and DEHA levels in common food packaging (oil and natural tuna cans, marmalade cap, yogurt packaging, polystyrene dish, teat, bread bag, film, baby's bottle, aseptic plastic laminate paperboard carton and plastic wine top) was carried out by migration tests. Furthermore to evaluate the potential migration of plasticizers and additives from plastic wine tops, two extraction methods were used, one through incubation at 40 degrees C for 10 days and one by ultrasounds extraction. The simulants employed were distilled water, acetic acid at 3%, ethanol at 15% for wine top. The food simulant was extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by GC-MS. Comparing these results with EU restrictions all samples showed contaminant migration lower than SML and OML established. Finally, about the comparison of two extraction methods, the extraction carried out for 10 days at 40 degrees C may be better than the other one in order to detect all compounds. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Contrasting long term temporal trends in perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in eggs of the northern gannet (Morus bassanus) from two UK colonies

We compared long-term (1977 to 2014) trends in concentrations of PFAS in eggs of the marine sentinel species, the Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), from the Irish Sea (Ailsa Craig) and the North Sea (Bass Rock). Concentrations of eight perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and three perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) were determined and we report the first dataset on PFAS in UK seabirds before and after the PFOS ban. There were no significant differences in ∑PFAS or ∑PFSAs between both colonies. The ∑PFSAs dominated the PFAS profile (>80%); PFOS accounted for the majority of the PFSAs (98–99%). In contrast, ∑PFCAs concentrations were slightly but significantly higher in eggs from Ailsa Craig than in those from Bass Rock. The most abundant PFCAs were perfluorotridecanoate (PFTriDA) and perfluoroundecanoate (PFUnA) which, together with PFOA, comprised around 90% of the ∑PFCAs. The ∑PFSAs and ∑PFCAs had very different temporal trends. ∑PFSAs concentrations in eggs from both colonies increased significantly in the earlier part of the study but later declined significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of the phasing out of PFOS production in the 2000s. In contrast, ∑PFCAs concentrations in eggs were constant and low in the 1970s and 1980s, suggesting minimal environmental contamination, but residues subsequently increased significantly in both colonies until the end of the study. This increase appeared driven by rises in long chain compounds, namely the odd chain numbered PFTriDA and PFUnA. PFOA, had a very different temporal trend from the other dominant acids, with an earlier rise in concentrations followed by a decline in the last 15 years in Ailsa Craig; later temporal trends in Bass Rock eggs were unclear. Although eggs from both colonies contained relatively low concentrations of PFAS, the majority had PFOS residues that exceeded a suggested Predicted No Effect Concentration and ~ 10% of the eggs exceeded a suggested Lowest-Observable-Adverse-Effect

Comparative effects of several cyclodextrins on the extraction of PAHs from an aged contaminated soil

7 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 2 tablas.-- 52 referencias.-- Supplementary dataThe objective of the present study was to characterise the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content of an aged contaminated soil and to propose remediation techniques using cyclodextrins (CDs). Four CDs solutions were tested as soil decontamination tool and proved more efficient in extracting PAHs than when an aqueous solution was used; especially two chemically modified CDs resulted in higher extraction percentages than natural β-CD. The highest extraction percentages were obtained for 3-ring PAHs, because of the appropriate size and shape of these compounds relative to those of the hydrophobic cavities of the CDs studied. A detailed mechanistic interpretation of the chemical modification of CDs on the extraction of the different PAHs has been performed, and connected with the role that the different hydrophobicities of the PAHs play in the extraction behaviour observed for the 16 PAHs, limiting their accessibility and the remaining risk of those PAHs not extractable by CDs. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors thank to Dr. J.R. Gallego from the Universidad de Oviedo for providing the contaminated soil sample. Support from projects CTM2006-04626 and CTM2009-07335, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (co-funded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), are greatly appreciated. M.A. Sánchez-Trujillo acknowledges a research contract from CSIC (JAEPre 0800763) cofinanced by Fondo Social Europeo (FSE).Peer Reviewe

Decontamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nonylphenol from sewage sludge using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and evaluation of the toxicity of leachates

11 páginas.-- 2 tablas.-- 3 figuras.-- 61 referenciasA decontamination technique based in cyclodextrin extraction has been developed to eliminate nonylphenol (NP) and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; the US Environmental Protection Agency priority pollutants list) from sewage sludge. In a first step, PAHs and NP were characterised in six sludges to determine contamination levels according to limit values proposed by the European Union Sludge Directive draft. There were few variations in the total PAHs content with levels of 1.88 to 3.05 mg kg-1. Three-ring PAHs predominated, but fluoranthene and pyrene were also present. None of the sludge exceeded the PAHs limit proposed by the European Union's draft Directive. On the contrary, NP content in four of the six sludges was over the recommended limits of 50 mg kg-1 for NP ethoxylates. With the aim of obtaining NP values below the concentration limits proposed to use the sewage sludge as agricultural amendments, a preliminary study using hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) extractions as a decontamination technique was carried out. About 90 % of NP content was removed with only one extraction with HPBCD, whereas after three sequential extractions using an aqueous solution without HPBCD, the NP extraction percentage was less than 1 %. Simultaneously, PAHs extraction percentages obtained with HPBCD were also much higher than when aqueous solution was used, especially in the case of two- and three-ring PAHs. Finally, the potential environmental hazard of HPBCD leachates to aquatic organisms (Daphnia magna) was tested. These results indicate that the treatment of sewage sludge with cyclodextrin could allow their safe use as fertiliser in agriculture. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.Support from projects CTM2006-04626 and CTM2009-07335, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (cofunded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), are greatly appreciated. M.A. Sánchez-Trujillo acknowledges a research contract from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, JAEPre 0800763) cofinanced by Fondo Social Europeo (FSE).Peer Reviewe

Integrated Modeling of Fate and Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Marine Ecosystems

In this report, an integrated model including fate of contaminants and ecological models it is presented. The model has been developed in the framework of the Thresholds project for analysing the effects of contaminants at ecosystem level. The fate model was already presented in D2.6.2 where the major families of POPs (PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PAHs and PBDEs) were implemented. In this work a simple ecological model has been incorporated in the fate model and coupled with it in terms of organic matter. The model allows estimating the environmental concentrations of POPs and the main fluxes between compartments, i.e. air/water/sediments and organisms. In addition the model has been validated for PAHs based on experimental data available in literature and it is now used to analyse NERI’s mesocosm experiments where combined effects of nutrients and contaminants are assessed. Furthermore, the model is being validated with other contaminants families as the experimental results from Thresholds campaigns are starting to be available.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Impacts of metals and nutrients released from melting multiyear Arctic sea ice

Nutrients (C, N, and P) and metals (iron, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, vanadium, copper, and cobalt) were determined in water and multiyear ice sampled along the Greenland current and Fram Strait in July 2007. Total metal and nutrient concentrations in ice varied fivefold to tenfold, for most elements, across the area sampled. Data show that some nutrients (i.e., NH4+) and metals (i.e., Fe, Zn, V, Cu, Ni, Mo, and Co) are enriched in Arctic ice relative to surface seawaters, suggesting that ice melting is a significant source of metals to the receiving seawaters, particularly Fe and Zn whose concentrations were significantly (t test, P < 0.05) more than 2 orders of magnitude higher in ice than in surface seawater.This research is part of the ATOS project, funded as part of the Spanish contribution to the International Polar Year (IPY) by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (POL2006-00550/CTM). This is a contribution to the GEOTRACES cluster of the IPY. We thank the ATOS participants, UTM and crew of R/V Hespérides for help with ice sampling and logistics. We thank R. Santiago, R. Martínez, and A. Massanet at IMEDEA and J. A. González (SCT, UIB) for help with chemical analyses. This manuscript was written in the field stations of Ses Salines Lighthouse.Peer reviewe

Building the new international science of the agriculture–food–water–environment nexus in China and the world

The multiple, complex and systemic problems of the agriculture–food–water–environment nexus (“Nexus”) are among the most significant challenges of the 21st century. China is a key site for Nexus research amidst profound socio-environmental problems. The policy implications of these problems have been authoritatively summarized elsewhere. This study presents discussions at an international workshop in Guangzhou that asked instead “What science is needed to deliver the growing policy commitments regarding these challenges? And, What changes are needed to the science itself?” Understanding and effective intervention regarding the Nexus calls for a paradigm shift: to a new kind of science of (capacity for) international, interdisciplinary, and impactful research working with and within complex socio-natural systems. We here argue that science must become proactive in approach, striving only for “minimal harm” not “silver bullet” solutions, and adopting an explicitly long-term strategic perspective. Together, these arguments lead to calls for reorienting science and science policy in three ways: from short-term remediation to longer-term optimization; from a focus on environmental threats to one on the opportunities for international collaborative learning; and toward supporting new forms of scientific career. We bring these points together by recommending a new form of scientific institution: a global network of collaborative Nexus Centres, under the umbrella of a global Food Nexus Organization akin to those of the human genome and proteome

Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: high diversity and prevalence

We described the geographic distribution of 82 haemosporidian lineages (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) in the cattle egret sampled in five countries in central-western and southern Africa. Seventy-three lineages have not previously been reported. We determined the prevalence of three haemosporidians in the samples. We investigated the influence of the internal environment of the host and environmental variables on the Plasmodium diversity and whether environmental variables may explain spatial variations in the prevalence of Plasmodium. We screened DNA from 509 blood samples from nestlings in 15 African colonies for infection by sequencing the cytochrome b gene of parasites. The molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian methods and including sequences from the MalAvi and GeneBank databases. We found 62 new Plasmodium lineages in a clade with MYCAME02, which is a lineage described in waterbirds and recently identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum. Two Haemoproteus lineages identified in cattle egret formed a distinct group with Haemoproteus catharti and MYCAMH1 (Haemoproteus spp.). Seven Leucocytozoon lineages found in the cattle egret clustered with Leucocytozoon californicus. We found different Plasmodium diversities among the colonies sampled, demonstrating that the internal environment of the host is not the primary determinant of diversity. A linear mixed-effects multivariate model showed that precipitation was positively associated with Plasmodium diversity when controlling for the effects of temperature, colony composition (mixed and non-mixed species) and country. Moreover, a generalized mixed model showed that temperature was positively associated with the prevalence of Plasmodium when controlling for precipitation, elevation and country. We conclude that the cattle egret is a good model for future haemosporidian studies, as we found a significant number of new lineages in this host, which occupies regions with different climate characteristics where environmental variables exert an influence on the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium

Pharmaceuticals released from senior residences: occurrence and risk evaluation

One of the main pursuits, yet most difficult, in monitoring studies is to identify the sources of environmental pollution. In this study, we have identified health-care facilities from south European countries as an important source of pharmaceuticals in the environment. We have estimated that compounds consumed in by the elderly and released from effluents of senior residences can reach river waters at a concentration higher than 0.01 μg/L, which is the European Medicines Agency (EMA) threshold for risk evaluation of pharmaceuticals in surface waters. This study has been based on five health institutions in Portugal, Spain, and France, with 52 to 130 beds. We have compiled the pharmaceuticals dispensed on a daily base and calculated the consumption rates. From 54.9 to 1801 g of pharmaceuticals are consumed daily, with laxatives, analgesics, antiepileptics, antibiotics, and antidiabetic agents being the main drug families administered. According to excretion rates, dilution in the sewerage system, and elimination in wastewater treatment plants, macrogol, metformin, paracetamol, acetylcysteine, amoxicillin, and gabapentin, among others, are expected to reach river waters. Finally, we discuss the risk management actions related to the discharge of pharmaceuticals from senior residences to surface waters