Environmental Science & Technology Letters Environ.最新文献

Parabens (PBs) are typical endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) that are commonly found in a water environment. However, their fate and transport in urban rivers remain largely unexplored. This study offers a quantitative analysis of the sources of PBs in urban river water, considering the perspective of a multimedia environment. PBs were ubiquitous in the surface water of six metropolitan cities in China, with median concentrations of 8.38 ng/L. A significant difference was observed for PB concentrations in different cities. The geographical variation of PBs in the six rivers may be influenced by multiple factors, including hydrological conditions (runoff amounts and catchment areas), environmental factors (temperature and SPM concentrations), population density, production, and domestic wastewater discharge. Here, the occurrence of PBs in outdoor dust was reported for the first time and was found to be the most polluted solid medium on the land surface. The estimated input fluxes of PBs in the six rivers ranged from 32.0 to 1470 tons/a. The point source emission was the primary input source of PBs in river water of the six cities, contributing between 56.7% and 93.7%, followed by the non-point source discharge of runoff scouring dust, contributing 1.77% to 38.4%.

This review examines the environmental occurrence and fate of aromatic amines (AAs), a group of environmental contaminants with possible carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. AAs are known to be partially responsible for the genotoxic traits of industrial wastewater (WW), and AA antioxidants are acutely toxic to some aquatic organisms. Still, there are gaps in the available data on sources, occurrence, transport, and fate in domestic WW and indoor environments, which complicate the prevention of adverse effects in aquatic ecosystems. We review key domestic sources of these compounds, including cigarette smoke and grilled protein-rich foods, and their presence indoors and in aquatic matrices. This provides a basis to evaluate the importance of nonindustrial sources to the overall environmental burden of AAs. Appropriate sampling techniques for AAs are described, including copper-phthalocyanine trisulfonate materials, XAD resins in solid-phase extraction, and solid-phase microextraction methods, which can offer insights into AA sources, transport, and fate. Further discussion is provided on potential progress in the research of AAs and their behavior in an aim to support the development of a more comprehensive understanding of their effects and potential environmental risks.

Integrated development of carbon removal strategies offers the possibility of lowering CO₂ removal costs and enabling their widespread deployment. Here, we examine the feasibility and benefits of coupling technological and nature-based marine carbon removal strategies. A bench-scale bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED) unit is used to generate acidity and alkalinity from natural seawater. Utilization of alkalinity for CO₂ mineralization is widely researched, but sustainable use of the acid remains a challenge. We show that the acid can be used to enhance photosynthesis in the fast-growing marine phytoplankter Picochlorum celeri. Additions of ca. 900 μM H⁺_eq from BPMED effluent acid increased algal productivity up to 3-fold, by shifting the seawater–carbonate equilibrium toward CO₂. A high-level CO₂ emissions analysis based on experimental data shows that using BPMED acid for marine algae cultivation results in sequestration of −6.1 kg of CO₂/kg of HCl, whereas transport of acid for alternative uses accounts for emission of +0.41 kg of CO₂/kg of HCl. The analysis boundary excluded seawater pretreatment and BPMED acid production and any processing beyond delivery of dewatered algae. Through further optimization of algal species, growth conditions, acid addition rates, etc., the combined electrochemical-biological approach has the potential to achieve higher net CO₂ removal.

Pyrethroids, a class of extensively used insecticides, may pose health risks to humans. Whether pyrethroid exposure contributes to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women remains unknown. The potential association of urinary concentrations of pyrethroid metabolites [3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzoic acid] with the risk of GDM was assessed using a nested case-control study of 220 GDM cases and 440 controls from a prospective cohort. The mediation roles of oxidative stress biomarkers [advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and malondialdehyde (MDA)] in the associations were investigated. Urinary concentrations of 3-PBA in these cases were significantly higher than those of the controls. Urinary 3-PBA was positively associated with the risk of GDM. The adjusted odds of GDM significantly increased by 32% in each unit increment of the ln-transformed concentration of urinary 3-PBA. The significant dose–response relationships of GDM with serum AGEs (P_trend = 0.03) and MDA (P_trend < 0.001) were observed. However, there were no significant correlations between 3-PBA and AGEs or MDA, nor was there a significant mediation effect of AGEs or MDA on the association of 3-PBA with GDM. We provide the first evidence that early gestational exposure to pyrethroids is an environmental risk factor for GDM.

In the United States, the growing number of people experiencing homelessness has become a socioeconomic crisis with public health ramifications, recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that the environmental surveillance of flood control infrastructure may be an effective approach to understand the prevalence of infectious disease. From December 2021 through July 2022, we tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA from two flood control channels known to be impacted by unsheltered individuals residing in upstream tunnels. Using qPCR, we detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in these environmental water samples when significant COVID-19 outbreaks were occurring in the surrounding community. We also performed whole genome sequencing to identify SARS-CoV-2 lineages. Variant compositions were consistent with those of geographically and temporally matched municipal wastewater samples and clinical specimens. However, we also detected 10 of 22 mutations specific to the Alpha variant in the environmental water samples collected during January 2022─one year after the Alpha infection peak. We also identified mutations in the spike gene that have never been identified in published reports. Our findings demonstrate that environmental surveillance of flood control infrastructure may be an effective tool to understand public health conditions among unsheltered individuals─a vulnerable population that is underrepresented in clinical surveillance data.

Approximately 33 million t of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), also known as chlorinated paraffins, has been globally produced and used. Despite the higher bioaccumulation potential of PCAs in terrestrial ecosystems than in marine ecosystems, North American terrestrial PCA data are sparse and Arctic studies largely focus on short-chain PCAs, with minimal attention to longer-chain homologues in wildlife. This research delves into the dynamics of PCA accumulation and temporal changes across a broad spectrum of PCA homologues in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Hudson Bay. Subcutaneous fat samples collected over the past decade from adult male polar bears of the Western Hudson Bay (WHB) and Southern Hudson Bay (SHB) subpopulations were analyzed, identifying 109 of 545 PCA homologues, ranging from C₈ to C₂₆. Analysis of 37 dietary fatty acids provided insights into dietary shifts and their influence on PCA profiles. Notably, SHB bears exhibited a decrease in PCA concentrations, reflecting marine food web influences. In contrast, WHB bears displayed increasing PCA levels, likely due to the use of more terrestrial and anthropogenic food sources. This study underscores the critical yet overlooked role of longer-chain PCAs in the Arctic food web and polar bear exposure, emphasizing the variance between subpopulations and the significant impact of dietary factors.

Driven by regulatory requirements and market demands, the paint industry has replaced conventional “solvent-based” paints with “water-based” paints containing zero or low amounts of volatile organic compounds. To achieve comparable performance and ensure product quality, water-based paints often contain various chemical additives. In this study, we analyzed 40 water-based paint products of different brands in the global market. Semivolatile organic compounds were widely detected, with concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 3.5% by weight. Several new coalescing agents were identified with a high detection frequency, including 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate, diisobutyl adipate, and triethylene glycol bis(2-ethylhexanoate) (TEG-EH). Preservatives, such as 2-methyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone and octhilinone, were also identified in half of the paint products. The functionality of the chemicals in water-based paints was determined by analyzing the raw material formulations used by paint manufacturers. To identify chemicals of potential concern, the detected compounds were prioritized on the basis of their toxicity. A case study of TEG-EH emissions showed that the use of water-based paints may lead to long-term exposure. The results significantly expanded our knowledge of emerging chemicals in paint products, highlighting the importance of making decisions for sustainable chemical management and designing safe paint products.

Although rubber shoes have been extensively produced and used for the past century, the chemical additives released from shoe soles, as well as the aquatic ecological risks, have been overlooked. Using nontargeted analysis, this study detected 106 and 70 chemicals in shoe soles and leachates, respectively. The total concentrations were in the range of 203 to 3.21 × 10³ μg/g for shoe soles and 247 to 5.32 × 10⁴ μg/L for leachates. The detected chemicals were distributed in 10 groups, among which phthalate esters were the dominant chemical additives. Chemical concentrations and compositions varied significantly among different shoes, with polyvinyl chloride shoe sole (3.21 × 10⁴ μg/g) and leachate (5.32 × 10⁴ μg/L) having concentrations 158 and 215 times higher, respectively, than that of polyurethane (shoe sole, 203 μg/g; leachate, 247 μg/L). Risk quotient analysis indicated low ecological risks of shoe sole abrasions to aquatic ecosystems (9.64 × 10^–4 to 0.09). The predicted high binding affinities between the detected chemicals and hormone receptors of Oryzias melastigma suggested their potential endocrine-disrupting effects. This study emphasizes the screening results of chemical additives in shoe soles and proposes continuous monitoring of the potential environmental risks associated with global shoe products.

The presence of toxic metals in tobacco smoke is well documented. However, few studies have quantified trace metals in secondhand smoke (SHS) and thirdhand smoke (THS). Their presence in indoor air can contribute to nonsmokers’ exposures and health effects. In this study, emission and deposition rates of toxic trace metals were determined, and their airborne concentration in typical indoor scenarios was predicted. PM_2.5 was collected on Teflon-coated filters at various times following a smoking event in a room-sized chamber over a 43 h period. The concentration of 28 trace metals was determined by extraction and analysis using inductively coupled plasma-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ-MS). Emission and indoor deposition rates of cadmium, arsenic, chromium, manganese, beryllium and selenium were determined, and used to predict concentrations expected in a smokers’ home and a smoking bar. In most of the considered scenarios, average indoor concentrations of Cd, As, and Cr exceeded their corresponding cancer risk thresholds and, in some cases, also noncancer reference exposure levels, more than 3 h after smoking ended. The fraction of cadmium that remained airborne was significantly higher than those of other metal traces and that of PM_2.5, suggesting an association of Cd traces with small particles.