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Zeng Y, Dai Y, Yin L, Huang J, Hoffmann MR. Rethinking alternatives to fluorinated pops in aqueous environment and corresponding destructive treatment strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174200. [PMID: 38936705 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Alternatives are being developed to replace fluorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention, bypass environmental regulations, and overcome environmental risks. However, the extensive usage of fluorinated POPs alternatives has revealed potential risks such as high exposure levels, long-range transport properties, and physiological toxicity. Therefore, it is imperative to rethink the alternatives and their treatment technologies. This review aims to consider the existing destructive technologies for completely eliminating fluorinated POPs alternatives from the earth based on the updated classification and risks overview. Herein, the types of common alternatives were renewed and categorized, and their risks to the environment and organisms were concluded. The efficiency, effectiveness, energy utilization, sustainability, and cost of various degradation technologies in the treatment of fluorinated POPs alternatives were reviewed and evaluated. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanisms of different fluorinated POPs alternatives are systematically generalized, and the correlation between the structure of alternatives and the degradation characteristics was discussed, providing mechanistic insights for their removal from the environment. Overall, the review supplies a theoretical foundation and reference for the control and treatment of fluorinated POPs alternatives pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
| | - Yunrong Dai
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, PR China.
| | - Lifeng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.
| | - Jun Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKJLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
| | - Michael R Hoffmann
- Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, United States.
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2
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Amador CK, Vyas S, Strathmann TJ. Kinetic Model for Predicting Perfluoroalkyl Acid Degradation During UV-Sulfite Treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6425-6434. [PMID: 38554136 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10584] [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: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Hydrated electron (eaq-) treatment processes show great potential in remediating recalcitrant water contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, treatment efficacy depends upon many factors relating to source water composition, UV light source characteristics, and contaminant reactivity. Here, we provide critical insights into the complex roles of solution parameters on contaminant abatement through application of a UV-sulfite kinetic model that incorporates first-principles information on eaq- photogeneration and reactivity. The model accurately predicts decay profiles of short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) during UV-sulfite treatment and facilitates quantitative interpretation of the effects of changing solution composition on PFAS degradation rates. Model results also confirm that the enhanced degradation of PFAAs observed under highly alkaline pH conditions results from changes in speciation of nontarget eaq- scavengers. Reverse application of the model to UV-sulfite data collected for longer chain PFAAs enabled estimation of bimolecular rate constants (k2, M-1 s-1), providing an alternative to laser flash photolysis (LFP) measurements that are not feasible due to the water solubility limitations of these compounds. The proposed model links the disparate means of investigating eaq- processes, namely, UV photolysis and LFP, and provides a framework to estimate UV-sulfite treatment efficacy of PFAS in diverse water sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille K Amador
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Shubham Vyas
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Timothy J Strathmann
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Iannone A, Carriera F, Passarella S, Fratianni A, Avino P. There's Something in What We Eat: An Overview on the Extraction Techniques and Chromatographic Analysis for PFAS Identification in Agri-Food Products. Foods 2024; 13:1085. [PMID: 38611389 PMCID: PMC11011820 DOI: 10.3390/foods13071085] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of anthropogenic chemicals used in a range of industrial processes and consumer products. Recently, their ubiquitous presence in the environment as well as their toxicological effects in humans have gained relevant attention. Although the occurrence of PFASs is widely investigated in scientific community, the standardization of analytical method for all matrices still remains an important issue. In this review, we discussed extraction and detection methods in depth to evaluate the best procedures of PFAS identification in terms of analytical parameters (e.g., limits of detection (LODs), limits of quantification (LOQs), recoveries). Extraction approaches based on liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), alkaline digestion, and solid phase extraction (SPE), followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis are the main analytical methods applied in the literature. The results showed detectable recoveries of PFOA and PFOS in meat, milk, vegetables, eggs products (90.6-101.2% and of 89.2-98.4%), and fish (96-108%). Furthermore, the low LOD and LOQ values obtained for meat (0.00592-0.01907 ng g-1; 0.050 ng g-1), milk (0.003-0.009 ng g-1; 0.010-0.027 ng g-1), fruit (0.002-0.009 ng g-1; 0.006-0.024 ng g-1), and fish (0.00369-0.017.33 ng g-1; 0.05 ng g-1) also confirmed the effectiveness of the recent quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method (QuEChERS) for simple, speedy, and sensitive ultra-trace PFAS analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Iannone
- Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, IT-86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.I.); (F.C.); (S.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Fabiana Carriera
- Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, IT-86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.I.); (F.C.); (S.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Sergio Passarella
- Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, IT-86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.I.); (F.C.); (S.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Alessandra Fratianni
- Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, IT-86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.I.); (F.C.); (S.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Pasquale Avino
- Department of Agriculture, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, IT-86100 Campobasso, Italy; (A.I.); (F.C.); (S.P.); (A.F.)
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Division of Rome, c/o Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, Via Cristoforo Colombo 44, IT-00147 Rome, Italy
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Wu S, Xie J, Zhao H, Sanchez O, Zhao X, Freeman JL, Yuan C. Pre-differentiation GenX exposure induced neurotoxicity in human dopaminergic-like neurons. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 332:138900. [PMID: 37172627 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
GenX, also known as hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO) was introduced as a safer alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in 2009. After nearly two decades of applications there are increasing safety concerns about GenX due to its association with various organ damages. Few studies, however, have systematically assessed the molecular neurotoxicity of low-dose GenX exposure. Here, we evaluated the effects of pre-differentiation exposure of GenX on dopaminergic (DA) -like neurons using SH-SY5Y cell line; and assessed changes in epigenome, mitochondrion, and neuronal characteristics. Low dose GenX exposure at 0.4 and 4 μg/L prior to differentiation induces persistent changes in nuclear morphology and chromatin arrangements, manifested specifically in the facultative repressive marker H3K27me3. We also observed impaired neuronal network, increased calcium activity along with alterations in Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and α-Synuclein after prior exposure to GenX. Collectively, our results identified neurotoxicity of low-dose GenX exposure in human DA-like neurons following a developmental exposure scheme. The observed changes in neuronal characteristics suggest GenX as a potential neurotoxin and risk factor for Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichen Wu
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Junkai Xie
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Han Zhao
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Oscar Sanchez
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Xihui Zhao
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jennifer L Freeman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Chongli Yuan
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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Ma H, Xia S, Sun C, Yu F, Cameron A, Zheng W, Shu Q, Pei H, Han Y. Novel Strategy of Polymers in Combination with Silica Particles for Reversible Control of Oil-Water Interface. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:2216-2227. [PMID: 36576434 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c19037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hybrid smart emulsification systems are highly applicable in manipulating oil-in-water (O/W) droplets. Herein, novel switchable block polymers containing both zwitterionic and tertiary amine pendent groups were designed and synthesized to combine with charged silica particles to stabilize the O/W emulsion responsive to pH. This study was carried out in O/W emulsions stabilized with the polymer and silica particles under different pH conditions. The emulsion system was also simulated using molecular dynamics simulation to reveal the mechanism at molecular levels, thus gaining insight into the relationships between the emulsifying properties and the molecular interaction of the mixed system. Upon acidification of the continuous aqueous phase, protonated polymers with excellent hydrophilicity were induced by charged silica particles to cause rapid emulsion coalescence. In alkaline media, the mixed system conversely stabilized the O/W emulsions, cutting polymer consumption by over three-quarters. The emulsification and demulsification can be switched alternately by tuning the pH conditions. The applications exhibited excellent efficiency in separating heavy oil/water emulsions and proved the high conversion rate in emulsion polymerization. Overall, with this novel strategy to relieve tedious modifications on particle surfaces and massive consumption of polymers, the designed responsive emulsification systems can impart intelligent and controllable chemical reactivity to emulsions on demand in a more affordable and sustainable way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Shuqian Xia
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Caixia Sun
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Fuce Yu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Alexandre Cameron
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AlbertaT6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Wangang Zheng
- Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Co., Ltd., Dongying, Shandong257067, China
| | - Qinglin Shu
- Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Co., Ltd., Dongying, Shandong257067, China
| | - Haihua Pei
- School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao266580, China
| | - You Han
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
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Le ST, Gao Y, Kibbey TCG, O'Carroll DM. Calculating PFAS interfacial adsorption as a function of salt concentration using model parameters determined from chemical structure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 848:157663. [PMID: 35907553 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely-detected environmental contaminants known to concentrate at surfaces and interfaces. Many of the most commonly-detected PFAS function as ionic surfactants under environmental conditions. The interfacial behaviors of ionic surfactants, including PFAS, are strongly dependent on salt concentration and composition, with interfacial affinity potentially varying by orders of magnitude for the same compound under different conditions. The work described here presents a tool for predicting the salt-dependent adsorption of PFAS compounds based entirely on chemical structure, something of great value for predicting the real-world environmental behavior of many of the large numbers of PFAS compounds for which experimental data are not available. The approach combines two different previously-developed models, one a mass-action model designed to predict the effects of salts on interfacial adsorption of ionic PFAS (the UNSW-OU salt model), and the second a group-contribution model designed to predict interfacial adsorption of PFAS in the absence of salt based on chemical structure. The challenge of combining the two models comes from the fact that both are based on different isotherms. The salt model can produce sigmoidal isotherms under salt-limited conditions (an isotherm shape that is supported by experimental evidence), while the group-contribution model can generate Langmuir parameters from calculations based on chemical structure. Equations were derived to determine salt model isotherm parameters from Langmuir parameters (either from the group-contribution model or experimental sources) by matching surface tension curves in the vicinity of the concentration of highest second derivative. Refined group-contribution model parameters were determined based on data from an additional 40 surface tension curves to allow improved structure-based predictions for important classes of PFAS that were not sufficiently well-represented in the original model. The resulting equations provide a tool allowing quantitative predictions of PFAS behavior under realistic environmental conditions for compounds for which little or no experimental data are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Thao Le
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yi Gao
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Tohren C G Kibbey
- School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
| | - Denis M O'Carroll
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Choudhary A, Bedrov D. Interaction of Short-Chain PFAS with Polycationic Gels: How Much Fluorination is Necessary for Efficient Adsorption? ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:1123-1128. [PMID: 36036717 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The short-chain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), introduced to replace the legacy PFAS compounds, turned out to be as toxic and harmful as their longer-chain predecessors and even harder to sequester from contaminated water sources. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are employed to investigate the adsorption mechanism of GenX, a representative compound for short-chain PFAS, on a polycationic hydrogel with various extents of fluorination in its backbone and cross-linkers. Simulations indicate that the presence of fluorinated segments next to cationic groups in the polymer gel structure provides the most efficient environment for GenX adsorption. The combination of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions offered by the cationic-fluorophilic segments amplifies the binding of GenX molecules compared to polymer segments with nonfluorinated cationic or noncationic fluorinated segments. Moreover, such a gel demonstrates high selectivity toward GenX against its hydrogenated analogue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Choudhary
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Dmitry Bedrov
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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Robarts DR, Venneman KK, Gunewardena S, Apte U. GenX induces fibroinflammatory gene expression in primary human hepatocytes. Toxicology 2022; 477:153259. [PMID: 35850385 PMCID: PMC9741548 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity induced by the persistent organic pollutants per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is dependent on the length of their polyfluorinated tail. Long-chain PFASs have significantly longer half-lives and profound toxic effects compared to their short-chain counterparts. Recently, production of a short-chain PFAS substitute called ammonium 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy) propanoate, also known as GenX, has significantly increased. However, the adverse health effects of GenX are not completely known. In this study, we investigated the dose-dependent effects of GenX on primary human hepatocytes (PHH). Freshly isolated PHH were treated with either 0.1, 10, or 100 μM of GenX for 48 and 96 h; then, global transcriptomic changes were determined using Human Clariom™ D arrays. GenX-induced transcriptional changes were similar at 0.1 and 10 μM doses but were significantly different at the 100 μM dose. Genes involved in lipid, monocarboxylic acid, and ketone metabolism were significantly altered following exposure of PHH at all doses. However, at the 100 μM dose, GenX caused changes in genes involved in cell proliferation, inflammation and fibrosis. A correlation analysis of concentration and differential gene expression revealed that 576 genes positively (R > 0.99) and 375 genes negatively (R < -0.99) correlated with GenX concentration. The upstream regulator analysis indicated HIF1α was inhibited at the lower doses but were activated at the higher dose. Additionally, VEGF, PPARα, STAT3, and SMAD4 signaling was induced at the 100 µM dose. These data indicate that at lower doses GenX can interfere with metabolic pathways and at higher doses can induce fibroinflammatory changes in human hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota R Robarts
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn K Venneman
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Sumedha Gunewardena
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
| | - Udayan Apte
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Kancharla S, Dong D, Bedrov D, Alexandridis P, Tsianou M. Binding of Perfluorooctanoate to Poly(ethylene oxide). Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Samhitha Kancharla
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260-4200, United States
| | - Dengpan Dong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, 122 South Central Campus Drive, Room 304, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Dmitry Bedrov
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, 122 South Central Campus Drive, Room 304, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Paschalis Alexandridis
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260-4200, United States
| | - Marina Tsianou
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, New York 14260-4200, United States
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Sequestration of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by adsorption: surfactant and surface aspects. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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