Occurrence and profiles of organic sun-blocking agents in surface waters and sediments in Japanese rivers and lakes

Ecological risk assessment of urban creek sediments contaminated by untreated domestic wastewater: potential contribution of antimicrobials and a musk fragrance

Despite the fact that some hydrophobic pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been found to accumulate in river sediments, little is known about the contribution of these compounds to the toxicity of the whole sediment. We sampled river sediments from two urban creeks with an unsewered drainage area to investigate the toxicity for a benthic organism, Chironomus yoshimatsui. The concentrations of selected hydrophobic PPCPs, triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC) and galaxolide (HHCB) were analysed using gas chromatographic mass spectroscopy or liquid chromatographic mass spectroscopy and were found to lie within the range 50 to 200 ng g(-1). The toxicity of the three individual contaminants for the chironomid was also determined. The toxicity of TCC was found to be the strongest, with an NOEC value of 2.5 microg g(-1). Combining the toxicity and measured environmental concentration, the ecological risk was assessed and the contribution of these contaminants to the whole sediment toxicity estimated, assuming additivity. The hazard quotient of all three compounds, determined without assessment factor, ranged between 0.01 and 0.1. The combined contribution of the three compounds to total sediment toxicity was as high as 8.2%, but other unknown factors may also make an important contribution.

UV filters, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene and ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA from untreated wastewater in sediment from eastern Mediterranean river transition and coastal zones

UVF may occur in the aquatic environment through two principal sources: direct inputs from recreational activities and indirect wastewater- and river-borne inputs. The aim of this study was to obtain a first overview of levels of three UVF (EHMC, OC and OD-PABA) in coastal areas subjected to river inputs, untreated wastewater discharges and dumpsite leachates. We selected three eastern Mediterranean rivers that have been impacted for decades by untreated wastewater release and collected sediment in the coastal zone during the hot and humid seasons. Western Mediterranean sites receiving treated wastewaters were analyzed for comparison. The results gave an overview of sediment contamination under these two contrasted situations representative of Mediterranean coastal areas without bathing activities. The analysis of the three UVF revealed the ubiquity and high point source contamination by EHMC and OC in transition and coastal zones, with levels as high as 128 ng g(-1)d.w. OD-PABA was also frequently detected, but at lower concentrations (<LOD-17 ng g(-1)d.w.). A temporal trend was observed, with a higher sediment concentration in the dry period (August and October). Based on these results, we conclude that there is background contamination from river input that could be exacerbated by the direct contribution in coastal bathing zones.

Asia-Pacific mussel watch for emerging pollutants: Distribution of synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in Asian and US coastal waters

We analyzed 68 green and blue mussels collected from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and the USA during 2003 and 2007, to elucidate the occurrence and widespread distributions of emerging pollutants, synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in Asia-Pacific coastal waters. Synthetic musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from all countries, suggesting their ubiquitous contamination and widespread distribution. High concentrations of musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from Japan and Korea, where the levels were comparable or greater than those of PCBs, DDTs and PBDEs. Significant correlations were found between the concentrations of HHCB and AHTN, and also between the concentrations of UV-327 and UV-328, which suggest similar sources and compositions of these compounds in commercial and industrial products. To our knowledge, this is the first study of large-scale monitoring of synthetic musks and BUVSs in Asia-Pacific coastal waters.

Contamination of benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers in house dust from the Philippines: implications on human exposure

Seven compounds of benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) were determined in house dust samples collected from a residential area (Malate: n = 17) and municipal dumping area (Payatas: n = 20) in the Philippines. Total concentrations of the 7 BUVSs in house dust ranged from ND (not detected) to 1020 ng/g in Malate and ND to 277 ng/g in Payatas. Among the target compounds, the most abundant BUVS was UV-234, with a median value of 84 ng/g (ND-813 ng/g) in Malate and 41 ng/g (ND-212 ng/g) in Payatas, respectively. Significantly higher concentrations of UV-326 (p<0.01) and UV-327 (p<0.05) were found in house dust samples from Malate than those from Payatas, suggesting that the household products are the major sources of contamination in the indoor microenvironment. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of BUVSs through house dust ingestion in the Philippines were two to four orders of magnitude lower than the guideline values. However, the EDI of 5 BUVSs for toddlers in this study was 5 times higher than those for adults, suggesting that toddlers are at higher risk. House dust may be an important exposure route of UV-234 (88%) and UV-326 (69%) in worst-case scenarios, which using high dust ingestion and worst-case exposure (P95). To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on BUVSs in house dust samples from Asian developing countries and reporting the occurrence of UV-234 and UV-320 in dust samples.

Organic UV filter concentrations in marine mussels from French coastal regions

The accumulation of EHMC, OCT and OD-PABA, three common UV filter compounds, was investigated in marine mussels. Wild Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis were sampled in ten sites along the French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts from June to November. In mussel tissues, 100% of the samples had quantifiable EHMC concentrations ranging from 3 to 256ngg(-1) dry weight, while 55% of the samples had detectable OCT concentrations ranging from under 2 to 7 112ngg(-1) dry weight. These concentrations significantly increased with the rising air temperature in summer, the recreational pressure and the geomorphological structure of the sampling sites (its lack of openness to the wide). This is the first study to report bioaccumulation of UV filters in marine mussels, thus highlighting the need for further monitoring and assessment.

On-line solid-phase extraction coupled to ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection for the determination of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in coastal marine and wastewater samples

Benzotriazoles are a group of UV absorbing compounds considered emerging contaminants that are used in different personal care products, and therefore, it is of high interest to develop sensitive and fast methods for investigating their presence in the environment. In this work, we present the development and application of a novel method based on on-line solid-phase extraction coupled to ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS) for the determination of seven benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in coastal marine and wastewater samples. This process is compared with a conventional off-line SPE procedure followed by UPLC-MS/MS. The parameters affecting the performance of the sample preparation and determination processes were evaluated. The results indicate that the on-line procedure provides for better sensitivity and reproducibility and is faster and easier than the off-line procedure. The detection limits and quantification limits achieved were in the range of 0.6-4.1 ng∙L(-1) and 2.1-14 ng∙L(-1) and relative standard deviation between 6.2 and 10%. The developed method was applied to coastal marine and wastewater samples from Gran Canaria Island (Spain). All of the BUVSs studied were detected in the samples from wastewater treatment plants and two were found in the seawater samples (UV P in the range of 2.8-4.4 ng∙L(-1) and UV 360 between 3.6 and 5.2 ng∙L(-1)).

Concentrations and composition profiles of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in municipal sewage sludge in China

The environmental contamination and fate of benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BZTs) have received increasing attention due to their large production volume and wide usage in various consumer and industrial products. In the present work, 60 municipal sewage sludge samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in 33 cities in China were collected to investigate the occurrence and distribution of 9 frequently used BZTs. The most dominant analogue was 2-[3,5-bis(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)-2-hydroxyphenyl]benzotriazole (UV-234) at a median concentration of 116 ng/g (dry weight) and accounted on average for 27.2% of total BZTs. The abundance was successively followed by 2-(2-hydroxy-5-tert-octylphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-329, average 24.3%), 2-(2-hydroxy-3-tert-butyl-5-methylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzotriazole (UV-326, average 22.2%), 2-(3,5-di-tert-amyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-328, average 17.7%), and 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-P, average 6.6%), with median concentrations of 66.8, 67.8, 57.3, and 20.6 ng/g, respectively. 5-Chloro-2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-327) and 2-(3-sec-butyl-5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-350) had low detection frequency, while 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-320) and 2-(5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-PS) were not detectable in any sample. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the occurrence of UV-234, UV-329, and UV-350 in sewage sludge in China. Significant correlations were found among the BZT concentrations and also with a WWTP characteristic (daily treatment volume). Furthermore, results from degradation prediction and multimedia fate simulation based on a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model at screening level also implied that the commercial BZT chemicals and their plausible transformation products might be persistent in the environment.