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Cioni L, Nikiforov V, Benskin JP, Coêlho ACMF, Dudášová S, Lauria MZ, Lechtenfeld OJ, Plassmann MM, Reemtsma T, Sandanger TM, Herzke D. Combining Advanced Analytical Methodologies to Uncover Suspect PFAS and Fluorinated Pharmaceutical Contributions to Extractable Organic Fluorine in Human Serum (Tromsø Study). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12943-12953. [PMID: 38985529 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c03758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
A growing number of studies have reported that routinely monitored per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not sufficient to explain the extractable organic fluorine (EOF) measured in human blood. In this study, we address this gap by screening pooled human serum collected over 3 decades (1986-2015) in Tromsø (Norway) for >5000 PFAS and >300 fluorinated pharmaceuticals. We combined multiple analytical techniques (direct infusion Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-high-resolution mass spectrometry, and total oxidizable precursors assay) in a three-step suspect screening process which aimed at unequivocal suspect identification. This approach uncovered the presence of one PFAS and eight fluorinated pharmaceuticals (including some metabolites) in human serum. While the PFAS suspect only accounted for 2-4% of the EOF, fluorinated pharmaceuticals accounted for 0-63% of the EOF, and their contribution increased in recent years. Although fluorinated pharmaceuticals often contain only 1-3 fluorine atoms, our results indicate that they can contribute significantly to the EOF. Indeed, the contribution from fluorinated pharmaceuticals allowed us to close the organofluorine mass balance in pooled serum from 2015, indicating a good understanding of organofluorine compounds in humans. However, a portion of the EOF in human serum from 1986 and 2007 still remained unexplained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Cioni
- NILU, Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT─the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | | | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | - Ana Carolina M F Coêlho
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT─the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | - Silvia Dudášová
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research─UFZ, Leipzig DE-04103, Germany
| | - Melanie Z Lauria
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | | | - Merle M Plassmann
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research─UFZ, Leipzig DE-04103, Germany
| | - Torkjel M Sandanger
- NILU, Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Department of Community Medicine, UiT─the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU, Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Public Health, Oslo NO-0213, Norway
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2
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Müller V, Andrade Costa LC, Rondan FS, Matic E, Mesko MF, Kindness A, Feldmann J. Per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) target and EOF analyses in ski wax, snowmelts, and soil from skiing areas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:1926-1936. [PMID: 37853802 DOI: 10.1039/d3em00375b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are common additives in ski waxes for their water repellent characteristic. Abrasion of ski wax leaves PFAS on the snow surface, however, little is known about the distribution and concentration of PFAS in snow and soil due to skiing. In this study we analysed different ski waxes, snowmelts and soil from family skiing areas from Alpine locations using targeted high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to understand more about PFAS distribution in the environment. In general, we found a very diverse PFAS pattern in the analysed media. PFAS level was higher in skiing areas compared to the non-skiing ones that were used as control. ∑target PFAS ranged between <1.7 ng L-1 and 143 ng L-1 in snowmelt, <0.62 ng g-1 and 5.35 ng g-1 in soil and <1.89 and 874 ± 240 ng g-1 in ski wax samples. Snowmelt was dominated by short-chained PFAS, while soil and wax contained both short and long-chained PFAS. Extractable organic fluorine (EOF) was several orders of magnitude higher for waxes (0.5-2 mg g-1) than for soils (up to 0.3 μg g-1), while total fluorine (TF) content of the waxes was even higher, up to 31 210 ± 420 μg g-1. We also showed that the ∑ target PFAS accounts for up to 1.5% in EOF content, showing that targeted LC-MS/MS gives a limited measure of the pollution originated from ski waxes and non-targeted analysis and EOF is necessary for a better overview on PFAS distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Müller
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Larissa Cristine Andrade Costa
- Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Capão do Leão, RS, 96160-000, Brazil
| | - Filipe Soares Rondan
- Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Capão do Leão, RS, 96160-000, Brazil
| | - Eleonora Matic
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Marcia Foster Mesko
- Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Capão do Leão, RS, 96160-000, Brazil
| | - Andrew Kindness
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
- University of KwaZulu Natal, School of Chemistry & Physics, Private Bag X54001, Westville Campus, ZA-4000 Durban, South Africa
| | - Jörg Feldmann
- TESLA-Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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Cioni L, Plassmann M, Benskin JP, Coêlho ACM, Nøst TH, Rylander C, Nikiforov V, Sandanger TM, Herzke D. Fluorine Mass Balance, including Total Fluorine, Extractable Organic Fluorine, Oxidizable Precursors, and Target Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, in Pooled Human Serum from the Tromsø Population in 1986, 2007, and 2015. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14849-14860. [PMID: 37747946 PMCID: PMC10569050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Of the thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) known to exist, only a small fraction (≤1%) are commonly monitored in humans. This discrepancy has led to concerns that human exposure may be underestimated. Here, we address this problem by applying a comprehensive fluorine mass balance (FMB) approach, including total fluorine (TF), extractable organic fluorine (EOF), total oxidizable precursors (TOP), and selected target PFAS, to human serum samples collected over a period of 28 years (1986, 2007, and 2015) in Tromsø, Norway. While concentrations of TF did not change between sampling years, EOF was significantly higher in 1986 compared to 2007 and 2015. The ∑12PFAS concentrations were highest in 2007 compared to 1986 and 2015, and unidentified EOF (UEOF) decreased from 1986 (46%) to 2007 (10%) and then increased in 2015 (37%). While TF and EOF were not influenced by sex, women had higher UEOF compared to men, opposite to target PFAS. This is the first FMB in human serum to include TOP, and it suggests that precursors with >4 perfluorinated carbon atoms make a minor contribution to EOF (0-4%). Additional tools are therefore needed to identify substances contributing to the UEOF in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Cioni
- NILU,
Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Department
of Community Medicine, UiT − The
Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | - Merle Plassmann
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Jonathan P. Benskin
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
| | | | - Therese H. Nøst
- Department
of Community Medicine, UiT − The
Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | - Charlotta Rylander
- Department
of Community Medicine, UiT − The
Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | | | - Torkjel M. Sandanger
- NILU,
Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Department
of Community Medicine, UiT − The
Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø NO-9037, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU,
Fram Centre, Tromsø NO-9296, Norway
- Norwegian
Institute for public Health, Oslo NO-0213, Norway
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Pennoyer EH, Heiger-Bernays W, Aro R, Yeung LWY, Schlezinger JJ, Webster TF. Unknown Organofluorine Mixtures in U.S. Adult Serum:Contribution from Pharmaceuticals? TOXICS 2023; 11:toxics11050416. [PMID: 37235230 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11050416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Organofluorines occur in human serum as complex mixtures of known and unidentified compounds. Human biomonitoring traditionally uses targeted analysis to measure the presence of known and quantifiable per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in serum, yet characterization of exposure to and quantification of PFAS are limited by the availability of methods and analytical standards. Studies comparing extractable organofluorine (EOF) in serum to measured PFAS using organofluorine mass balance show that measurable PFAS only explain a fraction of EOF in human serum and that other sources of organofluorine may exist. The gap in fluorine mass balance has important implications for human biomonitoring because the total body burden of PFAS cannot be characterized and the chemical species that make up unidentified EOF are unknown. Many highly prescribed pharmaceuticals contain organofluorine (e.g., Lipitor, Prozac) and are prescribed with dosing regimens designed to maintain a therapeutic range of concentrations in serum. Therefore, we hypothesize organofluorine pharmaceuticals contribute to EOF in serum. We use combustion ion chromatography to measure EOF in commercial serum from U.S. blood donors. Using fluorine mass balance, we assess differences in unexplained organofluorine (UOF) associated with pharmaceutical use and compare them with concentrations of organofluorine predicted based on the pharmacokinetic properties of each drug. Pharmacokinetic estimates of organofluorine attributable to pharmaceuticals ranged from 0.1 to 55.6 ng F/mL. Analysis of 44 target PFAS and EOF in samples of commercial serum (n = 20) shows the fraction of EOF not explained by Σ44 PFAS ranged from 15% to 86%. Self-reported use of organofluorine pharmaceuticals is associated with a 0.36 ng F/mL (95% CL: -1.26 to 1.97) increase in UOF, on average, compared to those who report not taking organofluorine pharmaceuticals. Our study is the first to assess sources of UOF in U.S. serum and examine whether organofluorine pharmaceuticals contribute to EOF. Discrepancies between pharmacokinetic estimates and EOF may be partly explained by differences in analytical measurements. Future analyses using EOF should consider multiple extraction methods to include cations and zwitterions. Whether organofluorine pharmaceuticals are classified as PFAS depends on the definition of PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily H Pennoyer
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Wendy Heiger-Bernays
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Rudolf Aro
- MTMResearch Centre, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Leo W Y Yeung
- MTMResearch Centre, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jennifer J Schlezinger
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Thomas F Webster
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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Workman J. Analyzing Organofluorine Compounds in the Environment Using Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC) and Other Methods. LCGC NORTH AMERICA 2023. [DOI: 10.56530/lcgc.na.le9188h1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Organofluorine compounds are potential contaminants in the environment, particularly in natural water sources. Leo W. Y. Yeung, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Science and Technology of the Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM) at Örebro University in Örebro, Sweden. His research has involved the analysis of organofluorine compounds of concern in the natural environment. We recently spoke to him about his work using combustion ion chromatography (CIC) and other methods to analyze organofluorine and specific perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds in environmental samples.
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Ao Y, Nian M, Tang W, Zhang J, Zhang Q, Ao J. A sensitive and robust method for the simultaneous determination of thirty-three legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in human plasma and serum. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:457-470. [PMID: 36383228 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04426-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have attracted growing attention due to their potential adverse effects on humans. We developed a method to simultaneously determine thirty-three PFAS (legacy PFAS, precursors, and alternatives) in human plasma and serum using solid phase extraction coupled to ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS). The method yielded good linearity (>0.995) and excellent limits of detection (LODs) (0.0005~0.012 ng mL-1 in plasma and 0.002~0.016 ng mL-1 in serum). The relative recoveries ranged from 80.1 to 116%, with intra- and inter-day precision less than 14.3%. The robustness of this method has been tested continuously for 10 months (coefficients of variation <14.9%). Our method was successfully applied to the PFAS analysis of 42 real human plasma and serum samples collected from women. The proposed method is attractive for the biomonitoring of multi-class PFAS in human health risk assessment and epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ao
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1665, Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Min Nian
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200082, China
| | - Weifeng Tang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1665, Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1665, Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.,School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Qianlong Zhang
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1665, Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Junjie Ao
- Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 1665, Kongjiang Road, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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Horii Y, Ohtsuka N, Nishino T, Kuroda K, Imaizumi Y, Sakurai T. Spatial distribution and benthic risk assessment of cyclic, linear, and modified methylsiloxanes in sediments from Tokyo Bay catchment basin, Japan: Si-based mass profiles in extractable organosilicon. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155956. [PMID: 35580679 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the spatial distribution, mass profiles, and benthic risk assessment of a wide range of methylsiloxanes (MSs), including 7 cyclic MSs (CMSs; D3-D9; the number refers to the number of SiO bonds), 13 linear MSs (LMSs; L3-L15), and 15 modified and other MSs (MMSs) in sediments from the Tokyo Bay catchment basin, Japan. We observed widespread distribution of MSs (ΣCMS, ΣLMS, and ΣMMS) in the sediment samples, with concentrations of 1.0-6180 ng/g dry weight (dw), 1.8-10,100 ng/g dw, and < 0.31-210 ng/g dw, respectively. Our study is the first to measure various MMSs modified with hydrogen, vinyl, or phenyl groups; however, only methyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane and phenyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane were detected with high occurrence frequency. Notably, no elevated concentrations of MSs were observed downstream of silicone manufacturers, whereas the sediment was characterized by a specific D4/D5 ratio. With the Si-based mass profiles in extractable organosilicon (EOSi), the measured CMSs, LMSs, and MMSs accounted for 5.4%, 7.8%, and 0.2%, respectively. Unidentified EOSi (unknown fraction) constituted a major proportion of the EOSi in the sediment, with a mean of 87%, suggesting that the organosilicon environmental emissions were more than the measured MSs. In risk assessment of the adverse effects of D4, D5, and D6 in sediment on benthic organisms, the respective distributions indicated no overlap between the 95th percentile field sediment concentration and the 5th percentile chronic sediment no-effect concentration in organic carbon-normalized concentration. Although the hazard quotient compared with the predicted no-effect concentration for D5 and D6 exceeded the threshold level (hazard quotient ≥1), the results of probabilistic risk assessment for the three CMSs were not high enough to indicate a threat to benthic organisms in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Horii
- Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, 914 Kamitanadare, Kazo, Saitama 347-0115, Japan.
| | - Nobutoshi Ohtsuka
- Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, 914 Kamitanadare, Kazo, Saitama 347-0115, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nishino
- Tokyo Metropolitan Research Institute for Environmental Protection, 1-7-5 Shinsuna, Koto, Tokyo 136-0075, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kuroda
- Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu, Toyama 939-0398, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Imaizumi
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Takeo Sakurai
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
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Jiao E, Zhu Z, Yin D, Qiu Y, Kärrman A, Yeung LWY. A pilot study on extractable organofluorine and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water from drinking water treatment plants around Taihu Lake, China: what is missed by target PFAS analysis? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1060-1070. [PMID: 35687097 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00073c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised concerns due to their worldwide occurrence and adverse effects on both the environment and humans as well as posing challenges for monitoring. Further collection of information is required for a better understanding of their occurrence and the unknown fractions of the extractable organofluorine (EOF) not explained by commonly monitored target PFAS. In this study, eight pairs of raw and treated water were collected from drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) around Taihu Lake in China and analyzed for EOF and 34 target PFAS. Mass balance analysis of organofluorine revealed that at least 68% of EOF could not be explained by target PFAS. Relatively higher total target concentrations were observed in 4 DWTPs (D1 to D4) when compared to other samples with the highest sum concentration up to 189 ng L-1. PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS were the abundant compounds. Suspect screening analysis identified 10 emerging PFAS (e.g., H-PFAAs, H-PFESAs and OBS) in addition to target PFAS in raw or treated water. The ratios PFBA/PFOA and PFBS/PFOS between previous and current studies showed significant replacements of short-chain to long-chain PFAS. The ratios of the measured PFAS concentrations to the guideline values showed that some of the treated drinking water exceeds guideline values, appealing for efforts on drinking water safety guarantee.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enmiao Jiao
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, China.
| | - Zhiliang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, China.
| | - Daqiang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, China.
| | - Yanling Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, China.
| | - Anna Kärrman
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Sweden.
| | - Leo W Y Yeung
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Sweden.
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