Monitorización del consumo de sustancias de abuso legales e ilegales en España a través de las aguas residuales en el marco de la red ESAR-Net

Trabajo presentado en el 4th Congreso Internacional y XLIX Jornadas Nacionales de Socidrogalcohol - VIII Congreso Nacional Patología Bio-Psicosocial, celebrado en Tenerife del 06 al 08 de octubre de 2022

A critical review of the novel analytical methods for the determination of microplastics in sand and sediment samples

Microplastics (MPs) form the most investigated plastic category since their size (1 μm- 5 mm) enables them to accumulate in various environmental compartments and to be ingested by biota. Beach sand and sediment can be indicators of the MP contamination levels of the coastal and marine ecosystem and, thus, they are widely analyzed. With the increasing number of publications in recent years, there is a need for constant updates on the variety of extraction and analysis procedures developed. Thus, this review aims to evaluate the sample preparation techniques for MPs and provide a critical discussion on their determination in sand and sediment based on studies published in the last 5 years. We also report the conditions imposed by the MPs identification and quantification techniques on sample preparation and MPs isolation as well as the materials used in the procedures. Finally, we address the expectations and new challenges related to instrumental innovations.This study forms part of the ThinkInAzul programme and was supported by MCIN with funding from the European Union Next Generation EU (PRTR-C17.I1) and the Generalitat Valenciana. V. Soursou also acknowledges her pre-doctoral contract by the Grant ACIF/2021/408 funded by the Generalitat Valencia

Revisiting the analytical determination of PAHs in environmental samples: An update on recent advances

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives are legislated contaminants ubiquitous in the environment with well-established determination analytical schemes. However, the determination of PAHs is not exempt from being improved by the application of newly developed methods and therefore needs to be reviewed periodically to establish the state of the art. Thus, in this article, we critically review the sample preparation and instrumental methods for determining PAHs in air, water, sediment, soil, biota and microplastics developed in the last 10 years. The advantages and challenges of different analytical techniques, including classical and innovative approaches used to quantify and characterize PAHs are discussed. To conclude, future trends and challenges to be overcome are examined.This work has been supported by the Grant RTI2018-097158-B-C31 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 0.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe” and by the Grant CIPROM/2021/032 funded by the Generalitat Valenciana. V. Soursou also acknowledges her pre-doctoral contract by the Grant ACIF/2021/408 funded by the Generalitat Valenciana

Microplastics in water, from treatment process to drinking water: analytical methods and potential health effects

Aim: The commonly used analytical methods for microplastic (MPs) detection in drinking water and the threat of MP pollution in water intended for human consumption to human beings are presented through a systematic review. Furthermore, MP occurrence, transport, and fate from raw to treated drinking water, tap water, and bottled water, as well as the possible health impacts of MPs on human beings, are also evaluated.Methods: Systematic review included articles published in scientific journals that contain specific keywords in the title and were searched in Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus. The literature was selected and extracted by two reviewers based on the PRISMA-A guidelines, which recommend including 57 items.Results: The experimental studies pointed out that sampling is performed using grab or reduced samples, and sample treatment involves mostly oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and density separation. The minimum sample size obtainable in the extraction and the maximum density of the polymer separable from the matrix provided different results. Clearly, the determination of MPs involves the simultaneous application of several analytical techniques, including optical, fluorescence, and electronic microscopies, µFTIR, µ-Raman, and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The determination technique also provides different results according to the sensitivity as well as the minimum size determinable. These studies are mostly devoted to establishing the occurrence, transport, and fate within the supply network, the efficiency in removal of MPs from drinking water by treatment plants, and the risk to humans. The MP concentration in drinking water reservoirs is highly variable. However, tap water always presents lower concentrations of MPs than the water that enters the drinking water treatment plants because the different treatments are efficient at removing MPs. Although it has not been fully demonstrated that MPs are toxic to humans, the effects point to oxidative stress, gastrointestinal irritation, microbiome irregularities, and changes in lipid metabolism.Conclusion: Analytical methods present some common features as a first step towards harmonization. However, it is still unknown whether the analytical methods could influence the disparity of the results. The MP concentration in drinking water is low in comparison to other types of water. MPs are not exempt from hazards to human health

High-resolution mass spectrometry to identify pesticides in rice fields of L’Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain)

Trabajo presentado en el 18th Annual Workshop On Emerging High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) And LC-MS/MS Applications In Environmental Analysis And Food Safety, celebrado en Barcelona (España) del 10 al 11 de octubre de 2022

Differences in chemical contaminants bioccumulation in presence or not of microplastics in mussels (Mytillus galloprovincialis)

Trabajo presentado en el SETAC Europe 32nd annual meeting, celebrado en Copenhague (Dinamarca) del 15 al 19 de mayo de 2022.Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are one of the most important indicators of the anthropic influence on the environment, specially on the biota as they are bioaccumulable and have recently shown to interact with microplastics (MPs) [1]. Mussels are suitable for in-lab aquarium experiments, such as bioacumulation studies, which provide insigth about the occurrence and fate of pollutants in the organisms. In the present study, bioacummulation in Mytilus galloprovincialis of 20 POPs including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) was assesssed with or without the influence of MPs. Mussels (M. galloprovincialis) were distributed randomly in three groups: (B): control; (C): exposed to POPs; and (C+M): exposed to POPs+MPs (polyethylene). The experiment was carried out in two stages: exposure (0-28 days) and depuration (29-58 days). Visceral mass and haemolymph of the mussels were extracted separately, using QuEChERS and solid phase extraction. Extracts were analysed via UHPLC-MS/MS. Results showed that 3 PPCPs, 4 pesticides and 3 PFASs accumulated in visceral mass with bio-concentration factors (BCFs) ranging 6.7–15000 L/kg. In haemolymph, 2 PPCPs, 2 pesticides and PFPeA were detected with BCFs ranging 0.9–3.3 L/kg. Comparing C and C+M, MPs worked as a vector for the accumulation of the PFASs with higher BCFs in the presence of MPs. Furthermore, the elimination of PFDA and PFOS was slower in the mussels exposed to MPs. On the other hand, the pesticides terbuthylazine and chlorpyrifos showed lower BCFs and more rapid elimination in the mussels exposed to MPs.This work has been supported by Grant RTI2018-097158-B-C31 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF A way of making Europe”

Wastewater-based epidemiology in Valencia city (Spain): 8 years of drugs of abuse monitoring

Trabajo presentado en el SETAC Europe 32nd annual meeting, celebrado en Copenhague (Dinamarca) del 15 al 19 de mayo de 2022

Development and Application of an analytical method using HRMS (Orbitrap) to estimate drug of abuse consumption through wastewater based epidemiology in post-pandemic Valencia (Spain)

Trabajo presentado en el 18th Annual Workshop On Emerging High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) And LC-MS/MS Applications In Environmental Analysis And Food Safety, celebrado en Barcelona (España) del 10 al 11 de octubre de 2022.Wastewater-based epidemiology allows, among other estimations, to establish the consumption of drugs of abuse in any given population [1,2]. After two years of complete or partial quarantines and restrictions due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, calculating the concentrations of these substances excreted in wastewater permits the assessment of drug use trends and how they were affected during these last years. Thus, developing methods for the rapid screening and confirming of drugs of abuse and their metabolites in water samples can be considered a public health priority. Wastewater samples taken in four wastewater treatment plants of Valencia city, its metropolitan area and Sueca town during a whole week in 2021 and 2022. A method to quantify six illicit substances indicators using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and UHPLCHRMS/ MS (Orbitrap Exploris 120) was developed, validated and applied to the analysis of these water samples. As far as the HRMS/MS system is concerned, the correct tuning of instrumental parameters was crucial to achieve selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility for the analytes. Different acquisition modes are available while using a Q-Orbitrap platform and the optimized protocol focused on targeted analysis. The best results were obtained by applying a full scan (FS) mode and then a target MS2 (ddMS2) mode after using a filter for dynamic exclusion. Amphetamine, benzoylecgonine, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy were detected in positive mode, while 11-Nor-9-carboxi-delta-9-tetrahidrocannabinol, the main secondary metabolite of cannabis formed in the human body after consumption, was detected in negative mode. Intra- day precision (% RSD, n = 3) ranged from 0.03 to 18.7 %, while linearity (R2) values were higher than 0.9970 and the lowest method detection limit was 0.01 ¿g/ ml. Cannabis and cocaine estimated consumptions remain the highest in Valencia even after the pandemic, with calculated amounts up to 18 g/day/1000inh and 2.5 g/day/1000inh, respectively, in 2021, while in 2022 consumptions reached 26 g/day/1000inh for cannabis and 3 g/day/1000inh. It seems that the restrictions did affect the access to drugs of abuse analysed and their consumption tends to increase in wastewater samples in 2022, a year free from quarantines at national or city-wide level.This work has been supported by Grant RTI2018-097158-B-C31 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. V. Soursou also acknowledges her pre-doctoral contract by the grant ACIF/2021/408 funded by the Generalitat Valencia

First evidence of microplastics occurrence in mixed surface and treated wastewater from two major Saudi Arabian cities and assessment of their ecological risk

In this study, water of the channels and ponds that conduct residual water in two most important cities of Saudi Arabia were assessed to ascertain the influence of the population on the occurrence and pollution characteristics of microplastics (MPs) (> 20 µm in size). Riyadh has 7.6 million inhabitants and is an urban city even though also have industry while Al-Jubail has only 0.78 and is the biggest industrial city. MPs showed an average of 3.2 items/L in Riyadh and 0.2 items/L in Al-Jubail showing a statistically significant difference between both cities. Sampling with a Turton Tow Net of 20 µm mesh, fibers were dominant in all sites (60%). MPs size was mainly distributed between 80 and 250 µm (60%), and their major colors were white (40%), red (25%) and blue (20%). Infrared spectral analysis revealed that most of the selected particles were identified as MPs of polypropylene and polyethylene (48.3%). The risk assessment was carried out using both the hazard index (HI) and the pollution load index (PLI). The results showed that, in this case, the decisive index is the PLI since the main difference in the MPs characteristics between the two cities is their concentration.The financial support from the project number (RSP-2020/11) King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Peer reviewe