High-throughput multi-residue quantification of contaminants of emerging concern in wastewaters enabled using direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Exploration of novel solid-phase extraction modes for analysis of multiclass emerging contaminants

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) has gained an essential role in environmental analytical chemistry. Classic off-line SPE coupled with LC-MS/MS systems creates powerful analytical procedures for ultratrace analysis of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water. But, being associated with tedious work and large consumption of materials, alternative SPE modes are becoming interesting. As so, the study focuses on development, evaluation, and overall comparison of established and novel SPE modes. Off-line SPE, dispersive micro SPE (DMSPE), and 'fast' single-pump on-line SPE were explored, using commercially available sorbents. Their efficiency was evaluated on their performance in water analysis of 20 multiclass CECs. Hydrophilic-lipophilic sorbent and mixture of C18/C8 sorbents were the best choice for off-line and DMSPE, respectively. All optimized SPE modes coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS reached environmentally-relevant limits of detection (LODs 0.1-12 ng L-1), acceptable repeatability (<20 % RSD), and exhibited less than ±30 % matrix effects in real river water sample. Among all, on-line SPE showed a potential to fully replace the well-established off-line SPE and even improve analytical performance. This was due to the best repeatability (<10 % RSD), automatization, simplicity, the highest multiplexing capacity, as well as comparable LODs of <2 ng L-1. DMSPE is, on the other hand, the most innovative and could be seen as a quick and green alternative to off-line SPE for determination of semi-to-nonpolar CECs, but within sub-10 ng L-1 range. Overall, the study shows workflow for the exploration of important and promising sample pretreatment techniques in water analysis. Comparison of the developed three SPE-UHPLC-MS/MS methods suggests that alternative SPE modes can compete with the well-established off-line SPE and can even improve the analysis quality if properly applied.

Wastewater reuse and pharmaceutical pollution in agriculture: Uptake, transport, accumulation and metabolism of pharmaceutical pollutants within plants

The presence of pharmaceutical pollutants in water sources has become a growing concern due to its potential impacts on human health and other organisms. The physicochemical properties of pharmaceuticals based on their intended therapeutical application, which include antibiotics, hormones, analgesics, and antidepressants, is quite diverse. Their presence in wastewater, sewerage water, surface water, ground water and even in drinking water is reported by many researchers throughout the world. Human exposure to these pollutants through drinking water or consumption of aquatic and terrestrial organisms has raised concerns about potential adverse effects, such as endocrine disruption, antibiotic resistance, and developmental abnormalities. Once in the environment, they can persist, undergo transformation, or degrade, leading to a complex mixture of contaminants. Application of treated wastewater, compost, manures or biosolids in agricultural fields introduce pharmaceutical pollutants in the environment. As pharmaceuticals are diverse in nature, significant differences are observed during their uptake and accumulation in plants. While there have been extensive studies on aquatic ecosystems, the effect on agricultural land is more disparate. As of now, there are few reports available on the potential of plant uptake and transportation of pharmaceuticals within and between plant organs. This review summarizes the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic water bodies at a range of concentrations and their uptake, accumulation, and transport within plant tissues. Research gaps on pharmaceutical pollutants' specific effect on plant growth and future research scopes are highlighted. The factors affecting uptake of pharmaceuticals including hydrophobicity, ionization, physicochemical properties (pKa, logKow, pH, Henry's law constant) are discussed. Finally, metabolism of pharmaceuticals within plant cells through metabolism phase enzymes and plant responses to pharmaceuticals are reviewed.

Priority list of pharmaceutical active compounds in aquatic environments of Mexico considering their occurrence, environmental and human health risks

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are detected pollutants in aquatic environments worldwide at concentrations ranging from ng L-1 to µg L-1. Currently, PhAC monitoring is poorly realized in Mexico. This study proposes a priority list of PhACs in Mexican aquatic environments, considering their occurrence and environmental and human health risks. Ecological risks were assessed as Risk Quotients (RQ) values using the PhAC concentrations detected in surface water, obtaining high risks (RQ > 1) against aquatic organisms, especially of naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, acetaminophen, 17β-estradiol, carbamazepine, ketoprofen, caffeine. In contrast, potential human health risks (RQH) were assessed on the Mexican population using the concentrations quantified in groundwater, demonstrating potential risks (RQH > 0.2) on the population, particularly of DCF and CBZ. Thus, a priority list of PhACs can be used as a reference for environmental monitoring in Mexican water supplies as well as PhACs monitoring in countries of the Caribbean region and Central America.

Effect of short-term sample storage and preparatory conditions on losses of 18 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to container materials

There is a lack of agreement on a suitable container material for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) analysis, particularly at trace levels. In this study, the losses of 18 short- and long-chain (C4-C10) PFAS to commonly used labware materials (high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene co-polymer (PPCO), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and glass were investigated. The influence of sample storage and preparation conditions, i.e., storage time, solvent composition, storage temperatures (4 °C and 20 °C), and sample agitation techniques (shaking and centrifugation) on PFAS losses to the container materials were investigated. The results showed higher losses for most of the considered PFAS (up to 50.9%) in 100% aqueous solutions after storage for 7 days regardless of the storage temperature compared to those after 3 days. Overall, the order of losses to different materials varied for individual PFAS, with the highest losses of long-chain PFAS observed to PP and HDPE after 7-day storage at room temperature. The addition of methanol to aqueous PFAS solutions reduced the losses of long-chain PFAS to all tested materials. The use of sample centrifugation and shaking did not influence the extent of losses for most of the PFAS in 80:20 water:methanol (%, v/v) to container materials except for 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS), 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) and 4:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS). This study demonstrates lower losses of both long- and short-chain PFAS to glass and PET. It also highlights the need for caution when deciding on sample preparatory steps and storage during the analysis of PFAS.

Primary Microplastics in the Ecosystem: Ecological Effects, Risks, and Comprehensive Perspectives on Toxicology and Detection Methods

Recent discoveries of microplastics in cities, suburbs, and even remote locations, far from microplastic source regions, have raised the possibility of long-distance transmission of microplastics in many ecosystems. A little is known scientifically about the threat that it posed to the environment by microplastics. The problem's apparent size necessitates the rapid development of reliable scientific advice regarding the ecological risks of microplastics. These concerns are brought on by the lack of consistent sample and identification techniques, as well as the limited physical analysis and understanding of microplastic pollution. This review provides insight regarding some unaddressed issues about the occurrence, fate, movement, and impact of microplastics, in general, with special emphasis on primary microplastics. The approaches taken in the earlier investigations have been analyzed and different recommendations for future research have been suggested.

Occurrence of micropollutants in rural domestic wastewater in Zhejiang Province, China and corresponding wastewater-based epidemiology analysis

By 2021, rural regions in China were occupied by over 500 million residents, generating an annual volume of 19.5 billion m3 of rural domestic wastewater (RDW). This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and removal of micropollutants (MPs) in RDW treatment facilities and to perform a corresponding wastewater-based epidemiology analysis (WBE). Our findings indicated the significantly high levels of influent MPs, particularly pharmaceuticals, such as ofloxacin and diclofenac being most prevalent (ranging from several to tens of μg/L) across different facilities. After various treatments, regular water indexes in the effluent, like NH3 -N and COD, have basically satisfied the local discharge standard. However, the concentration of certain dominant MPs in effluent remained notably high, ranging from hundreds of ng/L to several μg/L. The risk quotients of MPs like diclofenac, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, diuron, and isoproturon were all above 1 in the effluent, signifying significant hazards to aquatic organisms. The quantitative meta-analysis revealed higher average standardized removal efficiency for membrane bioreactor (MBR) treatment (-11 %) compared to anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) treatment (11 %), indicating the higher efficiency of MBR treatment in outperforming the A2O as a secondary treatment. Additionally, employing biofilter as a tertiary treatment proved to be more effective as compared to flocculation-air flotation and artificial wetlands. Moreover, the results of WBE analysis showed that diclofenac and ofloxacin emerged as the most commonly used pharmaceuticals (of seven), with consumption levels recorded at 1222 and 517 mg/(d·103 capita), with daily defined doses per day per 103 capita of 12.2/1000 and 1.29/1000, respectively. This study addresses the existing knowledge gaps regarding the occurrence and removal of MPs in RDW and offers valuable insights into pharmaceutical consumption patterns in rural regions, thereby improving our understanding of public health.

Direct injection ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the high-throughput determination of etomidate and etomidate acid in wastewater

Etomidate (ET), a hypnotic agent used for the induction of anesthesia, is rapidly metabolized to etomidate acid (ETA) in the liver. Recently, ET has become one of the most serious alternative drugs of abuse in China. Therefore, an urgent need exists to develop a fast and convenient analysis method for monitoring ET. The current work presents a simple, fast, and sensitive direct injection method for the determination of ET and ETA in wastewater. After the optimization of the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and sample filtration conditions, the method exhibited satisfactory limits of detection (1 ng/L) and good filtration loss. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the concentrations of ET and ETA in wastewater samples (n = 245) from several wastewater treatment plants in China. The concentrations of the targets in positive samples ranged from less than the lower limits of quantitation to 47.71 ng/L. The method can meet ET monitoring and high-throughput analysis requirements.

A review of analytical parameters in 'rapid' liquid chromatographic methods for bioanalysis: Can we do better?

Rapid bioanalysis is beneficial to many applications. However, how 'rapid' a method is, or could be, is often an unanswered question. In this statistical review, the authors have assessed multiple pre-analytical (i.e. sample preparation), and analytical method parameters specifically for liquid chromatography to assist researchers in developing and validating 'rapid' bioanalytical methods. We restricted the search to urine and plasma matrices only. Data were extracted from over 2,000 recent studies and evaluated to assess how these parameters affected the 'on-instrument' analysis time. In addition to methods using ultra-violet (UV) detection, there were a large number of mass spectrometric (MS) methods, allowing additional review of the differences between high- and low-resolution MS on analysis time. We observed that most (N = 922, 70 %) methods used 5 or 10 cm columns, and that whilst uptake of ultra-high performance (U)HPLC columns was good, the use of sub-5 cm columns and/or flow rates in excess of 1 mL/min was incredibly rare (N = 25, 3 %). The detector of choice for quantitative (U)HPLC-MS remains the triple quadrupole, although a number of groups report the use of high-resolution MS for such methods.

Contaminants of emerging concern: Occurrence, analytical techniques, and removal with electrochemical advanced oxidation processes with special emphasis in Latin America

The occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in environmental systems is gradually more studied worldwide. However, in Latin America, the presence of contaminants of emerging concern, together with their environmental and toxicological impacts, has recently been gaining wide interest in the scientific community. This paper presents a critical review about the source, fate, and occurrence of distinct emerging contaminants reported during the last two decades in various countries of Latin America. In recent years, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are the main countries that have conducted research on the presence of these pollutants in biological and aquatic compartments. Data gathered indicated that pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and personal care products are the most assessed CECs in Latin America, being the most common compounds the followings: atrazine, acenaphthene, caffeine, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, diclofenac, diuron, estrone, losartan, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. Most common analytical methodologies for identifying these compounds were HPLC and GC coupled with mass spectrometry with the potential to characterize and quantify complex substances in the environment at low concentrations. Most CECs' monitoring and detection were observed near to urban areas which confirm the out-of-date wastewater treatment plants and sanitization infrastructures limiting the removal of these pollutants. Therefore, the implementation of tertiary treatment should be required. In this tenor, this review also summarizes some studies of CECs removal using electrochemical advanced oxidation processes that showed satisfactory performance. Finally, challenges, recommendations, and future perspectives are discussed.

Direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a sensitive and high-throughput method for the quantitative surveillance of antimicrobials in wastewater

Environmental antimicrobial pollution and antimicrobial resistance pose a threat to environmental and human health. Wastewater analysis has been identified as a promising tool for antimicrobial monitoring and the back-estimation of antimicrobial consumption, but current pretreatment methods are tedious and complicated, limiting their scope for high-throughput analysis. A sensitive direct injection method for the quantification of 109 antimicrobials and their metabolites in wastewater samples was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method was validated for both wastewater influent and effluent in terms of specificity, calibration range, matrix effect, filtration loss, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ). Most analytes achieved calibration of R2 > 0.99, and the calibration range was from 0.0002 to 150 μg L-1. Recoveries ranged consistently between ~50 % and ~100 % and losses were attributed to sample filtration. Method LOQs were determined as low as 0.0003 μg L-1, and acceptable accuracy (75 %-125 %) and precision (within 25 %) were achieved for >90 % of the analytes. The method was subsequently further assessed using wastewater of raw influent and treated effluent collected from 6 Australian wastewater treatment plants in 2021. In total, 37 analytes were detected in influent and 22 in effluent. Most of them could be quantified at concentrations ranging from 0.0053 to 160 μg L-1, with benzalkonium chloride-C12, amoxicilloic acid, and cephalexin detected at the highest concentrations. The current study provides a straightforward analytical method for antimicrobial monitoring in wastewater with a fast and simple pretreatment procedure.

Occurrence and temporal distribution of oxandrolone and meclizine in surface water, sediments, fish muscle and otter feces of the Ayuquila-Armería basin, Mexico

Aquatic ecosystems worldwide are strongly influenced by the productive activities of a region. These activities can generate pollution by compounds with little-known or unknown characteristics and without regulation. Emerging contaminants are a group of compounds that have worldwide begun to be frequently detected in the environment, raising concern about their possible adverse effects on human and environmental health. Thus, it is important to generate a broader panorama of the dissemination of contaminants of emerging concern in the environment, implement actions to regulate their usage. This study aims to evaluate the occurrence and temporal distribution of oxandrolone and meclizine in surface water, sediments, tilapia muscle, and otter feces of the Ayuquila-Armería river, Mexico. Oxandrolone was detected in 55 % of the total analyzed samples, while meclizine was present in 12 %. In surface water, oxandrolone was present in 56 % of the samples, while meclizine in 8 %. In sediments, oxandrolone was detected in 45 % and meclizine was not detected. In tilapia muscle, oxandrolone was present in 47 % of samples and meclizine was not detected. In otters feces samples, oxandrolone and meclizine were present in 100 %. Regardless of the season (wet or dry), oxandrolone was detected in all four sample types, while meclizine was only detected in surface water and otter feces samples. Oxandrolone in the aquatic ecosystem of the Ayuquila-Armería basin showed that season variation generates a significant effect on their concentrations, especially in surface water and sediments. Meclizine did not show temporal variations either in seasons or between years. Particularly, oxandrolone concentrations presented an influence with respect to the sites that present continuous residual discharges to the river. In this sense, this study could be considered as a starting point for further routine monitoring of emerging contaminants to support regulation policies regarding their use and disposal.

A One-Health environmental risk assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in London's waterways throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had huge impacts on global urban populations, activity and health, yet little is known about attendant consequences for urban river ecosystems. We detected significant changes in occurrence and risks from contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in waterways across Greater London (UK) during the pandemic. We were able to rapidly identify and monitor large numbers of CECs in n = 390 samples across 2019-2021 using novel direct-injection liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for scalable targeted analysis, suspect screening and prioritisation of CEC risks. A total of 10,029 measured environmental concentrations (MECs) were obtained for 66 unique CECs. Pharmaceutical MECs decreased during lockdown in 2020 in the R. Thames (p ≤ 0.001), but then increased significantly in 2021 (p ≤ 0.01). For the tributary rivers, the R. Lee, Beverley Brook, R. Wandle and R. Hogsmill were the most impacted, primarily via wastewater treatment plant effluent and combined sewer overflows. In the R. Hogsmill in particular, pharmaceutical MEC trends were generally correlated with NHS prescription statistics, likely reflecting limited wastewater dilution. Suspect screening of ∼ 1,200 compounds tentatively identified 25 additional CECs at the five most impacted sites, including metabolites such as O-desmethylvenlafaxine, an EU Watch List compound. Lastly, risk quotients (RQs) ≥ 0.1 were calculated for 21 compounds across the whole Greater London freshwater catchment, of which seven were of medium risk (RQ ≥ 1.0) and three were in the high-risk category (RQ ≥ 10), including imidacloprid (RQ = 19.6), azithromycin (15.7) and diclofenac (10.5). This is the largest spatiotemporal dataset of its kind for any major capital city globally and the first for Greater London, representing ∼ 16 % of the population of England, and delivering a foundational One-Health case study in the third largest city in Europe across a global pandemic.

Combining chemical, bioanalytical and predictive tools to assess persistence, seasonality, and sporadic releases of organic micropollutants within the urban water cycle

Using a novel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with large volume direct injection and quantitation via isotope dilution, we evaluated the presence of 55 organic micropollutants in wastewater effluents, and locations within the Bow River and Elbow River watersheds in and around the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In addition to establishing baseline micropollutant data for water utility operations, our study aimed to enhance our understanding of micropollutant behavior in the urban water cycle, assess the contributions of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to downstream receiving waters, explain the potential causes of total estrogenicity measured using the yeast-estrogen screen assay (YES), and prioritize a subset of substances for continuous monitoring. With data spanning 48 months and 95 river km, our results indicate the extensive persistence of metformin (antidiabetic), seasonality of N,N‑diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET, insect repellant), O-desmethylvenlafaxine (antidepressant metabolite), and sulfamethoxazole (antibiotic) in source waters, and sporadic detections of a well-known perfluoroalkyl substance (PFOA). The seasonality of pharmaceuticals at the sentinel downstream monitoring site appeared to coincide with river dilution while that of DEET was likely attributable to peak usage during the warmer months. Steroidal estrogens were rarely detected in wastewater effluents although total estrogenicity via YES was evident, suggesting the presence of less potent but more abundant non-steroidal estrogens (e.g., flame retardants, bisphenols, and phthalates). A conservative mass balance analysis suggests that the largest WWTP (serving a population of >1 million) consistently contributed the highest load of micropollutants, with the exception of metformin, which appeared to be influenced by a smaller WWTP (serving 115,000) that operates a different activated sludge process. We consider metformin, sucralose, diclofenac, and venlafaxine as more effective conservative tracers of wastewater pollution due to their notably higher concentrations and persistence in the Bow River compared to carbamazepine and caffeine, respectively. Finally, hierarchical clustering revealed a close association between E. coli and caffeine, supporting the use of caffeine as an indicator of short-term, untreated anthropogenic inputs. Overall, this study yields valuable insights on the presence, behavior, and sources of organic micropollutants in the urban water cycle and identifies indicators of anthropogenic impacts that are useful for prioritizing future monitoring campaigns in Calgary and elsewhere.

Efficient Validation Strategies in Environmental Analytical Chemistry: A Focus on Organic Micropollutants in Water Samples

This article critically reviews analytical method validation and quality control applied to the environmental chemistry field. The review focuses on the determination of organic micropollutants (OMPs), specifically emerging contaminants and pesticides, in the aquatic environment. The analytical technique considered is (gas and liquid) chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (MS), including high-resolution MS for wide-scope screening purposes. An analysis of current research practices outlined in the literature has been performed, and key issues and analytical challenges are identified and critically discussed. It is worth emphasizing the lack of specific guidelines applied to environmental analytical chemistry and the minimal regulation of OMPs in waters, which greatly affect method development and performance, requirements for method validation, and the subsequent application to samples. Finally, a proposal is made for method validation and data reporting, which can be understood as starting points for further discussion with specialists in environmental analytical chemistry.

Mass spectrometry-based multimodal approaches for the identification and quantification analysis of microplastics in food matrix

Background

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have become emerging contaminants worldwide in food matrices. However, analytical approaches for their determination have yet to be standardized. Therefore, a systematic study is urgently needed to highlight the merits of mass spectrometry (MS) based methods for these applications.

Purpose

The aim of the study is to review the current status of MS-based multimodal analysis for the determination of MPs in food matrices.

Methods

Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched and screened until Jan. 2023. Inclusion criteria: “publication years” was set to the last decades, “English” was selected as the “language,” and “research area” was set to environmental chemistry, food analysis and polymer science. The keywords were “microplastics,” “nanoplastics,” “determination,” “identification/quantification,” and “mass spectrometry.”

Results

Traditional spectrometry techniques offer good abilities to conduct the multimodal analysis of MPs in terms of color, shape and other morphologies. However, such technologies have some limitations, in particular the relatively high limits of detection. In contrast, MS-based methods supply excellent supplements. In MS-based methods, gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and LC-MS/MS were selected as representative methods for determining MPs in the food matrices, while specialized MS methods (i.e., MALDI-ToF MS and ToF-SIMS) were considered to offer great potential in multimodal analysis of MPs especially when interfaced with the imaging systems.

Significance

This study will contribute to gaining a deeper insight into the assessment of the exposure levels of MPs in human body, and may help build a bridge between the monitoring studies and the toxicology field.

Trends and challenges in analytical chemistry for multi-analysis of illicit drugs employing wastewater-based epidemiology

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for quantification of illicit drug biomarkers (IDBs) in wastewater samples is an effective tool that can provide information about drug consumption. The most commonly quantified IDBs belong to different chemical classes, including cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, opioids, and cannabinoids, so the different chemical properties of these molecules pose a challenge in the development of analytical methods for multi-analyte analysis. Recent workflows include the steps of sampling and storage, sample preparation using solid-phase extraction (SPE) or without extraction, and quantification of analytes employing gas or liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The greatest difficulty is due to the fact that wastewater samples are complex chemical mixtures containing analytes with different chemical properties, often present at low concentrations. Therefore, in the development of analytical methods, there is the need to simplify and optimize the analytical workflows, reducing associated uncertainties, analysis times, and costs. The present work provides a critical bibliographic survey of studies published from the year 2020 until now, highlighting the challenges and trends of published analytical workflows for the multi-analysis of IDBs in wastewater samples, considering sampling and sample preparation, method validation, and analytical techniques.

Impact of Matrix Species and Mass Spectrometry on Matrix Effects in Multi-Residue Pesticide Analysis Based on QuEChERS-LC-MS

With the popularity of multi-residue pesticide analysis based on quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) cleanup and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), matching optimal matrix-matched calibration protocols and LC-MS conditions to reduce matrix effects (MEs) has become a crucial task for analysts in their routines. However, dozens to hundreds of pesticide analytes in a single run generate increasingly multi-dimensional ME data, requiring appropriate tools to handle these data sets. Therefore, we established an ME analysis strategy by drawing on analytical thinking and tools from metabolomics analysis. Using this, matrix species-induced and mass spectrometry-induced systematic ME variations were distinguished, and pesticides contributed to the variations were scanned out. A simultaneous weakening of MEs on 24 pesticides in 32 different matrices was achieved using the time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) scan under the information-dependent acquisition (IDA) mode of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), compared to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Bay leaf, ginger, rosemary, Amomum tsao-ko, Sichuan pepper, cilantro, Houttuynia cordata, and garlic sprout showed enhanced signal suppression in the MRM scan for 105 differential MRM transitions for 42 pesticides and in IDA mode for 33 pesticides, respectively. This study revealed the interference of matrix species and mass spectrometry on MEs and provided a novel strategy for ME analysis.

A year-long study of the occurrence and risk of over 140 contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater influent, effluent and receiving waters in the Republic of Ireland

Despite being a developed country in the European Union (EU), knowledge of the nature and extent of contamination of water bodies with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in Ireland is limited. In this study, >140 CECs including pharmaceuticals, pesticides and personal care products were monitored in monthly samples of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent, effluent and receiving surface waters at both an urban and a rural location (72 samples in total) in Ireland over a 12-month period in 2018-2019. In total, 58 CECs were detected, including several EU Water Framework Directive Watch List compounds. Of all classes, the highest concentrations were measured for pharmaceuticals across all media, i.e., propranolol in surface waters (134 ng·L^-1), hydrochlorothiazide in effluent (1067 ng·L^-1) and venlafaxine in influent wastewater (8273 ng·L^-1). Overall, high wastewater treatment removal was observed and a further reduction in CEC occurrence and concentration was measured via dilution in the receiving river environment. Lastly, an environmental risk assessment (ERA) was performed using risk quotients (RQ), which revealed that in surface waters, total RQ for all CECs was an order of magnitude lower than in effluents. The majority of CECs in surface waters posed a lower risk except E2 and EE2 which presented a medium risk (RQs of 3.5 and 1.1, respectively) in the rural area. This work represents the most comprehensive CEC monitoring dataset to date for Ireland which allowed for an ERA prioritisation to be performed for the first time.

Use of a guard column coupled to mass spectrometry as a fast semi-quantitative methodology for the determination of plasticizer metabolites in urine

For the first time, a very simple and fast method combining the use of a guard column coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (guard column-MS/MS) has been proposed for the determination of plasticizer metabolites in urine. Briefly, samples (1.0 mL) were submitted to enzymatic hydrolysis for 10 min, filtered, diluted 1/10 v/v with ultrapure water and directly injected into the system. A fast run of only 2 min (3 min including the injection cycle) allowed the determination of 19 analytes. Enzymatic hydrolysis, filtering material, and guard column-MS/MS conditions were optimized. Intra-day precision at the low-level concentration (expressed as relative standard deviation, %RSD) obtained from the analysis of synthetic urine samples varied between 11 and 20%. Limits of quantification ranged from 2.8 to 60 ng/mL. Trueness values, calculated as apparent recoveries, ranged from 70 to 135%. To correct for matrix effects, analyte concentrations in real urine were quantified by the standard addition method. To confirm the results obtained by guard column-MS/MS, an ultra(high)-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was also applied (total chromatographic run time 17 min, including column re-equilibration). Concentrations measured with both methods were in good agreement. Hence, we propose the use of guard column-MS/MS to analyse a large number samples in a very short time (semi-quantification), and apply the chromatographic analysis only to those samples with levels close to/higher than the concentrations equivalent to the safe maximum daily intakes of the parent compounds (confirmation). This double strategy (semi-quantification by guard column-MS/MS and confirmation-when needed-by UHPLC-MS/MS) implies important savings in time and money.

Occurrence of Z-drugs, benzodiazepines, and ketamine in wastewater in the United States and Mexico during the Covid-19 pandemic

Z-drugs, benzodiazepines and ketamine are classes of psychotropic drugs prescribed for treating anxiety, sleep disorders and depression with known side effects including an elevated risk of addiction and substance misuse. These drugs have a strong potential for misuse, which has escalated over the years and was hypothesized here to have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) constitutes a fast, easy, and relatively inexpensive approach to epidemiological surveys for understanding the incidence and frequency of uses of these drugs. In this study, we analyzed wastewater (n = 376) from 50 cities across the United States and Mexico from July to October 2020 to estimate drug use rates during a pandemic event. Both time and flow proportional composite and grab samples of untreated municipal wastewater were analyzed using solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to determine loadings of alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, ketamine, lorazepam, nordiazepam, temazepam, zolpidem, and zaleplon in raw wastewater. Simultaneously, prescription data of the aforementioned drugs were extracted from the Medicaid database from 2019 to 2021. Results showed high detection frequencies of ketamine (90 %), lorazepam (87 %), clonazepam (76 %) and temazepam (73 %) across both Mexico and United States and comparatively lower detection frequencies for zaleplon (22 %), zolpidem (9 %), nordiazepam (<1 %), diazepam (<1 %), and alprazolam (<1 %) during the pandemic. Average mass consumption rates, estimated using WBE and reported in units of mg/day/1000 persons, ranged between 62 (temazepam) and 1100 (clonazepam) in the United States. Results obtained from the Medicaid database also showed a significant change (p < 0.05) in the prescription volume between the first quarter of 2019 (before the pandemic) and the first quarter of 2021 (pandemic event) for alprazolam, clonazepam and lorazepam. Study results include the first detections of zaleplon and zolpidem in wastewater from North America.

A new on-line SPE LC-HRMS method for simultaneous analysis of selected emerging contaminants in surface waters

In recent years emerging contaminants (ECs) have received significant attention due to their widespread detection in surface waters and concerns that these compounds can cause adverse ecological and/or human health effects. Therefore, accurate methods for determining and quantifying ECs in surface water are essential for estimating their environmental impact. This work describes the development, validation and application of a sensitive multiclass method for simultaneous determination of 22 per and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs), 3 pharmaceuticals, 15 pesticides, and 2 bisphenols in surface water using on-line solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). The method allows simultaneous sample clean-up from interfering matrices and lower limits of detection (LODs) by injecting a large sample volume into the LC system without compromising chromatographic efficiency and resolution. Linearity of response over several orders of magnitude was demonstrated for all tested compounds (R2 > 0.99), with the LODs ranging from 0.8 and 33.7 pg mL-1, allowing detection of ECs at trace levels in surface water. The method showed acceptable accuracy and precision (CV, % and RE below 20%) for all tested ECs. It also provided recoveries between 60% and 130% for all tested ECs. The validated method was successfully applied for analysis of surface water samples from three rivers (Cam, Ouse and Thames) in England. Several ECs, including perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), dimethyl-metatoluamide (DEET) and ibuprofen were observed in analysed surface water above the method's limit of quantitation (LOQ), with concentrations ranging between 3.5 and 460 pg mL-1.

Application of wastewater-based epidemiology for estimating population-wide human exposure to phthalate esters, bisphenols, and terephthalic acid

Phthalates, bisphenols (BPs), and terephthalic acid (TPA) are widely used plasticizers and monomers in plastic manufacturing. Most of them are known to have an adverse effect on the human body, functioning as endocrine disruptors and suspected carcinogens. Access to near real-time data on population exposure to plasticizers is essential for identifying vulnerable communities and better protecting and managing public health locally. The objective of the present study was to evaluate population-level exposure to phthalates, BPs, and TPA by measuring urinary metabolites in community wastewater. Composited community wastewater (24-h samples) from five sewer sub-catchments of a southwestern city within the United States were analyzed for urinary biomarkers of phthalates, BPs, and TPA using solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in conjunction with the isotope dilution method for absolute quantification. Ten of 16 analytes were detected at least once in community wastewater above the method detection limit (MDL), with MDLs ranging from 37 to 203 ng/L. The population normalized mass load of TPA was the highest, followed by the human metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Bisphenol S and monoethyl phthalate were detected with the highest frequency. Study findings suggest that analyzing municipal wastewater for chemical indicators of human exposure to plastic constituents is feasible, practicable, and informative, as long as appropriate steps are taken to determine, quantify and account for background levels of plastic analytes in the laboratory environment.

Trace-level detection of sulfonamide antibiotics using quaternary ammonium polymeric ionic liquid-based effervescence-enhanced dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by LC-DAD analysis in environmental waters

Conventional ionic liquids possess several disadvantages, such as high viscosity, difficult sampling/retrieval, and great loss in aqueous solution, limiting their wide applications in the pretreatment field. To solve these drawbacks, we synthesized a quaternary ammonium polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) and pressed it into an effervescent tablet for developing an effervescence-enhanced dispersive solid-phase extraction method (QAP-EDSE). The pressed effervescent tablet was composed of PIL as an extractant, tartaric acid as an acidic source, NaHCO₃ as an alkaline source, and water-soluble starch as a filler, respectively. Under the CO₂-driven dispersion, the QAP-EDSE method integrated rapid enrichment, extraction, and dispersion into one synchronous step. Employing the one-factor-at-a-time approach, several important variables were optimized as follows: 200 mg of P[VBTHEA]Cl as sorbent, 400 μL of acetone as elution solvent, 5 min of elution, solution pH 9.0, and 1 : 1.25 molar ratio of alkaline to acidic sources. Combining LC-DAD analysis, this proposed approach offered the limits of detection as low as 0.11–0.31 μg L⁻¹ and satisfactory recoveries of 81.40–102.62% for five sulfonamides (SAs) in environmental waters. The lower relative standard deviations (1.9–6.7%) evidenced the higher intraday and interday experimental precision by this method. Overall, the newly developed method is environmentally benign, time-saving, and easy to operate with low detection limit and high recovery and thus shows excellent prospects in the trace-level detection of SAs in environmental waters.

An effervescent tablet-assisted dispersive solid-phase extraction based on the utilization of quaternary ammonium poly ionic liquids (PIL) was proposed for the concentration/extraction of sulfonamides (SAs) in river and lake water samples.

Biosensors for the detection of disease outbreaks through wastewater-based epidemiology

Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) is a novel community-wide monitoring tool that provides comprehensive real-time data of the public and environmental health status and can contribute to public health interventions, including those related to infectious disease outbreaks (e.g., the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic). Nonetheless, municipalities without centralized laboratories are likely still not able to process WBE samples. Biosensors are a potentially cost-effective solution to monitor the development of diseases through WBE to prevent local outbreaks. This review discusses the economic and technical feasibility of eighteen recently developed biosensors for the detection and monitoring of infectious disease agents in wastewater, prospecting the prevention of future pandemics.

A miniaturized passive sampling-based workflow for monitoring chemicals of emerging concern in water

The miniaturization of a full workflow for identification and monitoring of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) is presented. Firstly, successful development of a low-cost small 3D-printed passive sampler device (3D-PSD), based on a two-piece methacrylate housing that held up to five separate 9 mm disk sorbents, is discussed. Secondly, a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method reduced the need for large scale in-laboratory apparatus, solvent, reagents and reference material quantities for in-laboratory passive sampler device (PSD) calibration and extraction. Using hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced sorbents, sampling rates (R_s) were determined after a low 50 ng L^-1 exposure over seven days for 39 pesticides, pharmaceuticals, drug metabolites and illicit drugs over the range 0.3 to 12.3 mL day^-1. The high sensitivity LC-MS/MS method enabled rapid analysis of river water using only 10 μL of directly injected sample filtrate to measure occurrence of 164 CECs and sources along 19 sites on the River Wandle, (London, UK). The new 3D-PSD was then field-tested over seven days at the site with the highest number and concentration of CECs, which was down-river from a wastewater treatment plant. Almost double the number of CECs were identified in 3D-PSD extracts across sites in comparison to water samples (80 versus 42 CECs, respectively). Time-weighted average CEC concentrations ranged from 8.2 to 845 ng L^-1, which were generally comparable to measured concentrations in grab samples. Lastly, high resolution mass spectrometry-based suspect screening of 3D-PSD extracts enabled 113 additional compounds to be tentatively identified via library matching, many of which are currently or are under consideration for the EU Watch List. This miniaturized workflow represents a new, cost-effective, and more practically efficient means to perform passive sampling chemical monitoring at a large scale. SYNOPSIS: Miniaturized, low cost, multi-disk passive samplers enabled more efficient multi-residue chemical contaminant characterization, potentially for large-scale monitoring programs.

Extensive Wastewater-Based Epidemiology as a Resourceful Tool for SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in a Low-to-Middle-Income Country through a Successful Collaborative Quest: WBE, Mobility, and Clinical Tests

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged healthcare systems worldwide. Efforts in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) cannot keep stride with infection rates, especially during peaks. A strong international collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU), Tec de Monterrey (TEC), and Servicios de Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey (Local Water Utilities) is acting to integrate wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) of SARS-CoV-2 in the region as a complementary approach to aid the healthcare system. Wastewater was collected from four sewer catchments in the Monterrey Metropolitan area in Mexico (pop. 4,643,232) from mid-April 2020 to February 2021 (44 weeks, n = 644). Raw wastewater was filtered and filter-concentrated, the RNA was extracted using columns, and the Charité/Berlin protocol was used for the RT-qPCR. The viral loads obtained between the first (June 2020) and second waves (February 2021) of the pandemic were similar; in contrast, the clinical cases were fewer during the first wave, indicating poor coverage. During the second wave of the pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 quantification in wastewater increased 14 days earlier than the COVID-19 clinical cases reported. This is the first long-term WBE study in Mexico and demonstrates its value in pandemic management.

Comparison of sorption models to predict analyte loss during sample filtration and evaluation of the impact of filtration on data quality

Although filtration has been a widely applied sample pretreatment step in environmental analytical chemistry, its impact on the quality of the data produced is often underappreciated in the scientific community. The objective of this literature review and modeling exercise was to examine nine existing sorption models with input parameters including hydrophobic interactions, pH, and structural features to predict the loss of analytes during wastewater filtration due to sorption to suspended solids and to assess the impact of filtration on data quality. Models' sorption estimates were further validated with a set of comprehensive metadata collected and analyzed from 20 peer-reviewed research papers that reported physical measurements of the suspended solids sorbed fraction of analytes obtained during wastewater filtration of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Data on the impact of filtration were obtained from the literature for 156 organic compounds reported both for the dissolved and particulate bound analyte mass. Approximately 40% of CECs (62/156) showed significant filtration loss (>20%) as a result of the removal of suspended solids during filtration. The loss of analyte mass due to filtration ranged from <1% for atenolol to >95% for acenaphthene. Collected literature data were then used to evaluate the utility of sorption modeling to predict analyte losses during sample pretreatment. Among nine sorption models, three were found to predict filtration loss of at least 70% of the CECs evaluated within a range of ±20% of the actually measured filtration loss of analytes, assuming a suspended solid concentration of 200 mg/L and a fraction of organic carbon in suspended solids of 0.43. Thus, sorption modeling can help reduce error when calculating mass loadings based on samples filtered before analysis. It is concluded that the estimates could be further improved by considering the following factors: ionic interactions, characteristics of the water-borne sorbents, and filtration media properties.

Proximate causes and ultimate effects of common antidepressants, fluoxetine and venlafaxine, on fish behavior

Antidepressant (AD) drugs are widely prescribed for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. The continuous use of ADs causes significant quantities of these bioactive chemicals to enter the aquatic ecosystems mainly through wastewater effluent discharge. This may result in many aquatic organisms being inadvertently affected by these drugs. Fluoxetine (FLX) and venlafaxine (VEN) are currently among the most widely detected ADs in aquatic systems. A growing body of experimental evidence demonstrates that FLX and VEN have a substantial capacity to induce neurotoxicity and cause behavioral dysfunctions in a wide range of teleost species. At the same time, these studies often report seemingly contradictory results that are confounding in nature. Hence, we clearly require comprehensive reviews that attempt to find overarching patterns and establish possible causes for these variable results. This review aims to explore the current state of knowledge regarding the neurobehavioral effects of FLX and VEN on fishes. This study also discusses the potential mechanistic linkage between the neurotoxicity of ADs and behavioral dysfunction and identifies key knowledge gaps and areas for future research.

Application of UHPLC-MS/MS method to study occurrence and fate of sulfonamide antibiotics and their transformation products in surface water in highly urbanized areas

Sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) are used on a large scale in human and veterinary medicine. The main goal of this study was to develop a method for the detection of selected SAs (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamerazine, sulfamethiazole, and sulfisoxazole) in aqueous samples (targeted analysis), and then conduct a non-targeted analysis to determine the transformation products to elucidate their degradation pathways. These analyses were performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The procedure was used to detect selected antibiotics in water samples collected throughout a highly urbanized area. Among the studied compounds, sulfamethoxazole (max. 78.88 ng L^-1) and sulfapyridine (max. 38.88 ng L ^-1) were the most common pollutants identified in surface waters. Trace amounts of sulfadiazine (below LOQ = 0.40 ng L^-1) were also detected. Next, the samples were screened to detect the transformation products. Several sulfadiazine and sulfamethoxazole transformation products were detected and confirmed in the environmental samples.

Quantitative Determination and Environmental Risk Assessment of 102 Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Wastewater-Impacted Rivers Using Rapid Direct-Injection Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The rapid source identification and environmental risk assessment (ERA) of hundreds of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in river water represent a significant analytical challenge. Herein, a potential solution involving a rapid direct-injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantitative determination of 102 CECs (151 qualitatively) in river water is presented and applied across six rivers in Germany and Switzerland at high spatial resolution. The method required an injection volume of only 10 µL of filtered sample, with a runtime of 5.5 min including re-equilibration with >10 datapoints per peak per transition (mostly 2 per compound), and 36 stable isotope-labelled standards. Performance was excellent from the low ng/L to µg/L concentration level, with 260 injections possible in any 24 h period. The method was applied in three separate campaigns focusing on the ERA of rivers impacted by wastewater effluent discharges (1 urban area in the Basel city region with 4 rivers, as well as 1 semi-rural and 1 rural area, each focusing on 1 river). Between 25 and 40 compounds were quantified directly in each campaign, and in all cases small tributary rivers showed higher CEC concentrations (e.g., up to ~4000 ng/L in total in the R. Schwarzach, Bavaria, Germany). The source of selected CECs could also be identified and differentiated from other sources at pre- and post- wastewater treatment plant effluent discharge points, as well as the effect of dilution downstream, which occurred over very short distances in all cases. Lastly, ERA for 41 CECs was performed at specific impacted sites, with risk quotients (RQs) at 1 or more sites estimated as high risk (RQ > 10) for 1 pharmaceutical (diclofenac), medium risk (RQ of 1-10) for 3 CECs (carbamazepine, venlafaxine, and sulfamethoxazole), and low risk (RQ = 0.1-1.0) for 7 CECs (i.e., RQ > 0.1 for 11 CECs in total). The application of high-throughput methods like this could enable a better understanding of the risks of CECs, especially in low flow/volume tributary rivers at scale and with high resolution.

Minimizing transient microenvironment-associated variability for analysis of environmental anthropogenic contaminants via ambient ionization

The rapid and quantitative analysis of anthropogenic contaminants in environmental matrices is crucial for regulatory testing and to elucidate the environmental fate of these pollutants. Direct ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) methodologies greatly increase sample throughput, can be adapted for onsite analysis and are often regarded as semi-quantitative by most developed protocols. One of the limitations of AMS, especially for on site analysis applications, is the irreproducibility of the measurements related to the occurrence of transient microenvironments (TME) and variable background interferences. In this work we report an effective strategy to minimize these effects by hyphenating, for the first time, solid phase microextraction (SPME) arrow to mass spectrometry via a thermal desorption unit (TDU) and direct analysis in real time (DART) source. The developed method was optimized for the extraction and analysis of pesticides and pharmaceuticals from surface water. It was demonstrated that the hyphenation of the SPME and TDU-DART resulted in reduced background contamination, indicating the suitability of the method for onsite analysis even in variable and non-ideal environments. Model analytes were quantitated in the low μg/L range with a total analysis time of less than 5 min, linear dynamic ranges (LDR) and interday reproducibility for most compounds being 2.5-500 μg/L and lower than 10%, respectively. The developed approach provides an excellent analytical tool that can be applied for the onsite high-throughput analysis of water samples as well as air and aereosols. Considering the tunability of our extraction process, time-resolved environmental monitoring can be achieved onsite within minutes.

Antidepressants surveillance in wastewater: Overview extraction and detection

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges worldwide. The psychological disorders associated with the pandemic causing depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety reduce emotional stability. Different antidepressant drugs with several mechanisms of action are used with a prescription. The excretion of the compounds and their metabolites reach municipal wastewaters and enter sewage treatment plants with a low rate of remotion of pharmaceutical compounds and the releasing on the environment. Several effects on aquatic species exposed to antidepressants have been reported as the impact in gene transcription, reproduction cycles, predator defense, and motility. The aim of this work is to resume the common antidepressants detected in wastewater around the world and show the increment of its use during SARS-CoV-2 crisis.

Developing in vitro models to assess fish gill excretion of emerging contaminants

Advances in analytical methods have enabled the detection of emerging contaminants at ever lower concentrations in freshwaters. However, such measurements need to be linked to effect-based assays to identify risks. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) forms part of a chemical's environmental risk assessment (ERA), and current regulatory testing guidelines to calculate fish BCFs use hundreds of fish per chemical. Due to ethical concerns a reduction in the numbers of animals used is desired, and there is a need to identify in vitro or in silico alternatives which meet regulatory acceptance. This study describes the successful demonstration of a FIsh Gill Cell culture System (FIGCS) to assess an often overlooked parameter in pharmacokinetics: the excretion of drugs across the gill. The FIGCS tolerates the application of natural waters on its apical surface, mimicking the situation of the live fish, and thus in combination with advanced analytical methods, offers an opportunity to take lab-based testing used for ERA, such as compound uptake, biotransformation or excretion directly into field for validation with natural waters. Here we used the basic drug propranolol and the acidic ibuprofen as a demonstration of the FIGCS utility in three separate experiments. Excretion across the apical membrane showed saturation kinetics, suggesting the involvement of carrier-mediated processes. Both propranolol and ibuprofen were excreted across the epithelium from the media (internal blood equivalent) to the water, with ibuprofen excretion being considerably slower than propranolol excretion. Further studies indicate that ibuprofen may be complexing with fetal bovine serum (FBS) reducing bioavailability; in contrast propranolol efflux rate was unaffected, indicating that drugs behave differently in the presence of FBS and other plasma proteins. A key issue in future ERA is to better understand the effects of mixtures of different pollutant classes found in environmental samples, and this model offers an ethical path to do this.

Antidepressant drugs as emerging contaminants: Occurrence in urban and non-urban waters and analytical methods for their detection

Antidepressants are drugs with a direct action on the brain's biochemistry through their interaction with the neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The increasing worldwide contamination from these drugs may be witnessed through their increasing presence in the urban water cycle. Furthermore, their occurrence has been detected in non-urban water, such as rivers and oceans. Some endemic aquatic animals, such as certain fish and mollusks, have bioaccumulated different antidepressant drugs in their tissues. This problem will increase in the years to come because the present COVID-19 pandemic has increased the general worldwide occurrence of depression and anxiety, triggering the consumption of antidepressants and, consequently, their presence in the environment. This work provides information on the occurrence of the most administrated antidepressants in urban waters, wastewater treatment plants, rivers, and oceans. Furthermore, it provides an overview of the analytical approaches currently used to detect each antidepressant presented. Finally, the ecotoxicological effect of antidepressants on several in vivo models are listed. Considering the information provided in this review, there is an urgent need to test the presence of antidepressant members of the MAOI and TCA groups. Furthermore, incorporating new degradation/immobilization technologies in WWTPs will be useful to stop the increasing occurrence of these drugs in the environment.

Construction of a red emission fluorescent protein chromophore-based probe for detection of carboxylesterase 1 and carbamate pesticide in culture cells

Designing fluorescent probe for detecting carboxylesterase 1 is remains challenging. Herein, a red emission human carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) probe (CAE-FP) was synthesized based on fluorescent protein chromophore. Probe CAE-FP can specific detect human CES1 with high selectively. The fluorescence quantum yield was calucated as 0.19. The carboxylic acid ester in CAE-FP could be easily hydrolyzed by CES1 under physiological conditions, and this process could induce the obvious fluorescence signal in red emission region. The detection limit of CES1 was calculated as 84.5 ng/mL. Due to the biological detoxification mechanism of carboxylesterase and the obvious inhibitory effect of pesticides on its activity, CAE-FP was applied to detect carbamate pesticide and have achieved good application results. Since fluorescent protein chromophore has excellent biocompatibility, probe CAE-FP with good cell membrane permeable and was successfully applied to monitor the real activities of CES1 in living cells. In summary, this is one of the few reported fluorescent probes that can specific detect the real-time activity of CES1 in biological samples. Besides, we first applied the fluorescent protein chromophore to construct the specific target enzyme probe. This work would contribute to further investigate CES1-associated physiological and pathological processe.

Quantitative Assessment of Dietary (Poly)phenol Intake: A High-Throughput Targeted Metabolomics Method for Blood and Urine Samples

Many studies have associated the consumption of (poly)phenol-rich diets with health benefits. However, accurate high-throughput quantitative methods for estimating exposure covering a broad spectrum of (poly)phenols are lacking. We have developed and validated a high-throughput method for the simultaneous quantification of 119 (poly)phenol metabolites in plasma and urine using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, with a very fast sample treatment and a single run time of 16 min. This method is highly sensitive, precise, accurate, and shows good linearity for all compounds (R² > 0.992). This novel method will allow a quantitative assessment of habitual (poly)phenol intake in large epidemiological studies as well as clinical studies investigating the health benefits of dietary (poly)phenols.