Correlation between urinary methoxyacetic acid and exposure of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether in a lithium battery plant

Dye functionalized lanthanide metal-organic framework as a multifunctional luminescent hybrid material for visual sensing of biomarker 2-methoxyaceticacid and sulfide anion

Based on the anionic Slug-47 [Gd(bpdc)₂^-] [NH₂(CH₃)₂⁺], a multifunctional fluorescent material with ultra-high stability has been fabricated successfully. Firstly, Eu_0.04Tb_39.96Gd₆₀ with white light emission is prepared by adjusting the doping ratio of Eu³⁺ ions and Tb³⁺ ions. Then, the dye acriflavine (ACF) is further introduced into the framework of Eu@ Slug-47 (1) via cation exchange to obtain ACF@1, which can be used as a ratio fluorescence sensor to detect 2-methoxyaceticacid (Maa), a toxic metabolite of glycol monomethyl ether, with the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.27 μg/mL. It is impressive that the emissions of ACF and biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylicacid ligands are gradually enhanced with the gradual weakening of the emission of Eu³⁺ ions during the detection of Maa. Under the superposition of three different colors, the sensing process undergoes a distinct color change from red to white and then to blue. These rich and colorful colors provide conditions for accurate visual detection of Maa. In addition, the material can also respond well to the pollutant S^2- ions and the LOD can reach 11.3 μmol /L. It is worth mentioning that the available quenching effect can be observed even if Maa and S^2- ions are detected in urine and tap water respectively, indicating that the multifunctional material has a brilliant application prospect. Finally, the quenching mechanism of Maa, S^2- ions toward ACF@1 is discussed in detail.

Exposure of German residents to ethylene and propylene glycol ethers in general and after cleaning scenarios

Glycol ethers are a class of semi-volatile substances used as solvents in a variety of consumer products like cleaning agents, paints, cosmetics as well as chemical intermediates. We determined 11 metabolites of ethylene and propylene glycol ethers in 44 urine samples of German residents (background level study) and in urine samples of individuals after exposure to glycol ethers during cleaning activities (exposure study). In the study on the background exposure, methoxyacetic acid and phenoxyacetic acid (PhAA) could be detected in each urine sample with median (95th percentile) values of 0.11 mgL(-1) (0.30 mgL(-1)) and 0.80 mgL(-1) (23.6 mgL(-1)), respectively. The other metabolites were found in a limited number of samples or in none. In the exposure study, 5-8 rooms were cleaned with a cleaner containing ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), propylene glycol monobutyl ether (PGBE), or ethylene glycol monopropyl ether (EGPE). During cleaning the mean levels in the indoor air were 7.5 mgm(-3) (EGBE), 3.0 mgm(-3) (PGBE), and 3.3 mgm(-3) (EGPE), respectively. The related metabolite levels analysed in the urine of the residents of the rooms at the day of cleaning were 2.4 mgL(-1) for butoxyacetic acid, 0.06 mgL(-1) for 2-butoxypropionic acid, and 2.3 mgL(-1) for n-propoxyacetic acid. Overall, our study indicates that the exposure of the population to glycol ethers is generally low, with the exception of PhAA. Moreover, the results of the cleaning scenarios demonstrate that the use of indoor cleaning agents containing glycol ethers can lead to a detectable internal exposure of residents.