Environmental Pollutants and Contaminants of Emerging Concern: An African Perspective

This review focuses on the environmental pollutants and contaminants of emerging concern in Africa. There is increasing reports and identification of ecotoxicological impact of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as plastic, pharmaceutical products, modern pesticides, and personal care products, in terrestrial and aquatic environment within Africa. Identification of CECs, including pharmaceuticals, plastic wastes, pesticide residues, fungal toxins, and personal care products, have been documented in African region including in sediments, sludge, treated drinking water, surface water, wastewater, groundwater, land, solid deposits, etc. Some of the emerging pollutants of concern to environment and humans include lindane, heptachlor, endrin, endosulfan, dieldrin, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), benzaldehyde, aldrin, bisphenol A, phthalates, bisphenol S, etc. There is need for more studies to identify and quantify the existing and more emerging pollutants

Hybrid photocatalytic materials for contaminants of emerging concern degradation

228 p.Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as pharmaceuticals represent a new global problem for water quality because these compounds are very resistant to conventional wastewater treatments and can get into environment, causing severe threats to aquatic organisms and human health. In the last decades, semiconductor photocatalysis has become a promising technology to degrade these contaminants. However, poor efficiency of photocatalysts under sunlight and time-consuming and expensive processes for photocatalyst recovery/reuse are two main limitations for photocatalysis application in water remediation. This doctoral thesis focuses on surpassing these obstacles. Firstly, the importance of the interaction between pollutants and photocatalysts, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for photocatalytic performance is considered. Then, the development of Au-functionalised plasmonic photocatalysts is carried out. Later, novel and more efficient photocatalysts using Au nanostar functionalising TiO2 are developed and tested for photocatalytic application. Finally, the novel photocatalysts are immobilised into polymer matrix through different techniques for their reusability and recovery in photocatalytic application. The results obtained show the prepared hybrid photocatalytic materials opening the door to cost-effectively degrade a high variety of CECs under sunlight for water remediation.BCMATERIALS: Basque Center for Materials, Applications & Nanostructure

Contaminants of Emerging Concern Behavior within Water Renewal Facilities

Emerging constituents (ECs), also called contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) as: “…pharmaceuticals and personal care products.” This also includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used in waterproofing and non-stick cooking products. It is highly likely that regulatory limits will be placed on many ECs because they tend to accumulate in the environment and biological tissues with little to no transformation. ECs pose a threat to the ecological systems of our nation and the fundamental need for clean water by all life on earth. Clean water is essential for food production, whether directly, through activities such as fishing, or secondarily, through irrigation for crop production. Research shows that ECs have affected the endocrine systems of certain fish species throughout the United States. Some studies indicate that upward of 85% of male fish sampled had eggs growing within their reproductive organs. ECs in the United States primarily enter water bodies through water renewal facilities, whether on-site (e.g. septic systems) or centralized municipal utilities (e.g. City of Boise’s water renewal system). Research shows various psychotropic drugs, prescribed and illicit, are present in both receiving and discharge streams of many North American water renewal facilities. It is unclear the extent to which ECs are removed or accumulate through wastewater treatment processes. This is further exacerbated by the abundant release of ECs into collection systems across our nation, and the rate at which new ECs are being generated for personal care and medical uses. This research examined a targeted set of ECs within the Lander Street Water Renewal Facility (LSWRF), the older of the City of Boise’s two water renewal facilities. The research detected and mapped certain ECs as they processed through the LSWRF. Their paths through the facility, behavioral tendencies, and variations in concentration are presented here. While the concentrations detected are low in comparison to medical dosing concentrations, the accumulation potential of these substances in the natural receiving systems remains unknown. Water and soil must be clean for life to thrive. We have been given the responsibility by our creator to be good stewards of the earth and its resources. ECs pose a threat to life. We must continue conducting research to find a way to prevent ECs from causing harm to our natural systems. Research like this is the beginning of good stewardship

Epistemology of contaminants of emerging concern and literature meta-analysis

abstract: A meta-analysis was conducted to inform the epistemology, or theory of knowledge, of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The CEC terminology acknowledges the existence of harmful environmental agents whose identities, occurrences, hazards, and effects are not sufficiently understood. Here, data on publishing activity were analyzed for 12 CECs, revealing a common pattern of emergence, suitable for identifying past years of peak concern and forecasting future ones: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT; 1972, 2008), trichloroacetic acid (TCAA; 1972, 2009), nitrosodimethylamine (1984), methyl tert-butyl ether (2001), trichloroethylene (2005), perchlorate (2006), 1,4-dioxane (2009), prions (2009), triclocarban (2010), triclosan (2012), nanomaterials (by 2016), and microplastics (2022 ± 4). CECs were found to emerge from obscurity to the height of concern in 14.1 ± 3.6 years, and subside to a new baseline level of concern in 14.5 ± 4.5 years. CECs can emerge more than once (e.g., TCAA, DDT) and the multifactorial process of emergence may be driven by inception of novel scientific methods (e.g., ion chromatography, mass spectrometry and nanometrology), scientific paradigm shifts (discovery of infectious proteins), and the development, marketing and mass consumption of novel products (antimicrobial personal care products, microplastics and nanomaterials). Publishing activity and U.S. regulatory actions were correlated for several CECs investigated.Hypothesized time course and stages of the emergence of contaminants of concern.Characteristics and metadata of specific contaminants of emerging concern examined in this study.Publishing activity (1950–2013) for selected contaminants of concern (CECs). Shown is the sum of publications per year (circles) by CEC and publication trend lines (black line) computed from 3-year moving averages of annual publication activity.Chronology of emergence of 12 contaminants of concern (CECs) investigated in this study, and relevant regulatory events in the United States.This is the author's final accepted manuscript. The final version as published can be accessed at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389414007663

Contaminants of Emerging Concern: Reconsidering Our Paradigm of Water Pollution

In this senior thesis, I explore contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and discuss the ways in which these novel contaminants defy traditional notions of pollution. I discuss the history and “emergence” of CECs and EDCs in scientific and public spheres and outline ongoing challenges to recognizing, prioritizing, and understanding the action of these contaminants. I position EDCs within the framework of environmental injustice and health disparities and suggest that these compounds could reinforce multigenerational health inequities. Finally, I perform a pilot analysis of the EDC bisphenol A (BPA) in Mt. Baldy Creek, the Los Angeles River, the Tijuana River, and tap water

Evaluating Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Commercial Biosolid-based Fertilizers

The production and popularity of commercially available biosolid-based fertilizers are increasing because of their economic, environmental, and plant nutrition benefits, particularly in urban and suburban areas. Because biosolid-based fertilizers are derived from waste water treatment plant residuals, we hypothesized that there is the potential for micropollutants to persist in these products. Their presence would be of particular concern due to their potential impact on human and ecological health and risk of bioaccumulation. This study involves quantifying contaminants of emerging concern in three biosolid-based fertilizers, and 2 non-biosolid-based fertilizers, a composted animal manure and an organic compost. Our extraction method employed ultrasonic assisted solid-liquid extraction followed by a 20 h equilibration during which samples were rotated end-over-end. Prior to analysis, all solvent extracts were concentrated under nitrogen and cleaned up with ENVI-carb to minimize matrix effects during sample analysis. High performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) and quadrupole time of flight liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (QTOF-LCMS) were used to identify and quantify a suite of micropollutants including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), hormones, parabens, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Variable levels of contaminants ranging from 8.22 to 11,300 ppb were found in the biosolid fertilizers, while the nonbiosolid fertilizers contained much smaller concentrations. Milorganite had 14 contaminants, OceanGRO had 13, Elite Lawn had 16, New Plant Life Composted Manure had 1, and Pro-Mix Ultimate Organic Mix had 3. Although many of these chemicals persist in commercially available biosolid-based fertilizers, future research is still needed to determine what, if any, potential risk these contaminants may pose to human or ecological health at the concentrations detected

Effects of contaminants of emerging concern on Megaselia scalaris (Lowe, Diptera: Phoridae) and its microbial community.

Drought, rising temperatures, and expanding human populations are increasing water demands. Many countries are extending potable water supplies by irrigating crops with wastewater. Unfortunately, wastewater contains biologically active, long-lived pharmaceuticals, even after treatment. Run-off from farms and wastewater treatment plant overflows contribute high concentrations of pharmaceuticals to the environment. This study assessed the effects of common pharmaceuticals on a cosmopolitan saprophagous insect, Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae). Larvae were reared on artificial diets spiked with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) at environmentally relevant concentrations. Female flies showed no oviposition preference for treated or untreated diets. Larvae exposed to caffeine in diets showed increased mortality, and larvae fed antibiotics and hormones showed signs of slowed development, especially in females. The normal sex ratio observed in M. scalaris from control diets was affected by exposure to caffeine and pharmaceutical mixture treatments. There was an overall effect of treatment on the flies' microbial communities; notably, caffeine fed insects displayed higher microbial variability. Eight bacterial families accounted for approximately 95% of the total microbes in diet and insects. Our results suggest that CECs at environmentally relevant concentrations can affect the biology and microbial communities of an insect of ecological and medical importance

Potential for Biodegradation of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Stream Systems

2008 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Addressing Water Challenges Facing the State and Regio

Molecular analysis of endocrine disruption in hornyhead turbot at wastewater outfalls in southern california using a second generation multi-species microarray.

Sentinel fish hornyhead turbot (Pleuronichthysverticalis) captured near wastewater outfalls are used for monitoring exposure to industrial and agricultural chemicals of ~ 20 million people living in coastal Southern California. Although analyses of hormones in blood and organ morphology and histology are useful for assessing contaminant exposure, there is a need for quantitative and sensitive molecular measurements, since contaminants of emerging concern are known to produce subtle effects. We developed a second generation multi-species microarray with expanded content and sensitivity to investigate endocrine disruption in turbot captured near wastewater outfalls in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles California. Analysis of expression of genes involved in hormone [e.g., estrogen, androgen, thyroid] responses and xenobiotic metabolism in turbot livers was correlated with a series of phenotypic end points. Molecular analyses of turbot livers uncovered altered expression of vitellogenin and zona pellucida protein, indicating exposure to one or more estrogenic chemicals, as well as, alterations in cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A, CYP3A and glutathione S-transferase-α indicating induction of the detoxification response. Molecular responses indicative of exposure to endocrine disruptors were observed in field-caught hornyhead turbot captured in Southern California demonstrating the utility of molecular methods for monitoring environmental chemicals in wastewater outfalls. Moreover, this approach can be adapted to monitor other sites for contaminants of emerging concern in other fish species for which there are few available gene sequences