An integrated method for the simultaneous determination of alkylphenol ethoxylates and brominated flame retardants in sewage sludge samples by ultrasonic-assisted extraction, solid phase clean-up, and GC-MS analysis

A Review on Tetrabromobisphenol A: Human Biomonitoring, Toxicity, Detection and Treatment in the Environment

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a known endocrine disruptor employed in a range of consumer products and has been predominantly found in different environments through industrial processes and in human samples. In this review, we aimed to summarize published scientific evidence on human biomonitoring, toxic effects and mode of action of TBBPA in humans. Interestingly, an overview of various pretreatment methods, emerging detection methods, and treatment methods was elucidated. Studies on exposure routes in humans, a combination of detection methods, adsorbent-based treatments and degradation of TBBPA are in the preliminary phase and have several limitations. Therefore, in-depth studies on these subjects should be considered to enhance the accurate body load of non-invasive matrix, external exposure levels, optimal design of combined detection techniques, and degrading technology of TBBPA. Overall, this review will improve the scientific comprehension of TBBPA in humans as well as the environment, and the breakthrough for treating waste products containing TBBPA.

Quantitative SERS Detection of TBBPA in Electronic Plastic Based on Hydrophobic Cu-Ag Chips

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants. However, it easily contaminates nature and harms the environment and human health during its production and use. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the content of TBBPA in electronics. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has the advantages of being fast and sensitive, but it is difficult to obtain the SERS spectra of TBBPA because the hydrophobic TBBPA molecule is difficult to approach with the hydrophilic surface of common noble metal SERS substrates. In the present work, a hydrophobic Cu-Ag chip was developed for the SERS detection of TBBPA. The integration of the hydrophobic interaction and the Ag-Br bonding promoted the adsorption of TBBPA on the Cu-Ag chip, allowing for SERS detection. It was observed that both the hydrophobicity and bimetallic composition of the Cu-Ag chip played important roles in the SERS detection of TBBPA. Under the optimized conditions, the low limit of detection of the established SERS method for TBBPA was 0.01 mg L^-1, within a linear range of 0.1-10 mg L^-1. Combined with ultrasonic-assisted extraction, the substrate could be used for the quantitative determination of TBBPA in electronic products. Compared with the HPLC-UV method used as a national standard, the relative error of the SERS method for quantifying the TBBPA content in a mouse cable and shell was ±3% and ±7.7%, respectively. According to the SERS results, the recovery of TBBPA in the spiked mouse shell was 95.6%.

Analytical and legislative challenges of sewage sludge processing and management

ABSTRACT

This article presents the most popular methods of sewage sludge management and analytical techniques which could be a powerful tool in designing new sewage sludge management methods. Chemical analysis is also described as a vital point at the subsequent stages of technological processes control and sewage sludge quality assessment. It is also an instrument essential to maintaining control of processed sewage sludge introduced to the environment as ready-to-use materials. The sludge management method is conditioned by the compliance with legal acts concerning sludge management. The most important of these contain information regarding allowable concentrations of pollutants which can be released into the environment, and the most important declarations concerning sewage sludge management. Various analytical techniques and preparation methods that can be used during the monitoring of the managed and processed sewage sludge are described. The most important are chromatographic techniques, methods based on inductively coupled plasma, and mass spectrometry based methods.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Photodegradation of some brominated and phenolic micropollutants in raw hospital wastewater with CeO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles

In this study, the degradations of 2,3,4,5,6-pentabromotoluene (PBT), 2,3,4,5,6-pentabromoethyl benzene (PBEB), triclosan (TCS) and gemfibrozil (GFZ) in raw hospital wastewater were investigated with cerium (IV) oxide and titanium (IV) oxide nanoparticles considering the mechanisms of adsorption, photolysis, and photocatalysis with UV-C lamps. The effects of nano-CeO₂ and nano-TiO₂ concentrations, irradiation times, UV light powers and hospital wastewater pH on the photodegradation yields of micropollutants namely PBT, PBEB, TCS and GFZ were investigated throughout photocatalysis. The nano-TiO₂ produced had an anatase phase with crystalline shape with a surface area of 205 m² g^-1 and an average size of 11.50 nm. The CeO₂ nanoparticles had a spherical shape with a higher surface area (302 m² g^-1) than that of TiO₂ and a lower average size (8.11 nm). It was found that the removals of PBT, PBEB, TCS and GFZ with adsorption (5.7%-17.1%) and photolysis (9.0%-15.9%) were not significant for both nanoparticles. The photodegradation of PBT (92%), PBEB (90%), TCS (97%) and GFZ (95%) with nano-CeO₂ gave better results than nano-TiO₂ (90%, 87%, 94% and 93% for PBT, PBEB, TCS and GFZ, respectively) under optimum experimental conditions (0.50 g L^-1 nano-CeO_2, 45 min irradiation time, 25 °C temperature, pH = 8.50, 210 W UV light power). Both nanoparticles were reused effectively after photo-removals of the micropollutants from the hospital wastewater. The lowest photodegradation yields were 80%, 78%, 75% and 74% for TCS, GFZ, PBT and PBEB, respectively, with nano-TiO₂ after six sequential treatments. The lowest photodegradation yields were 86%, 83%, 80% and 79% for the same micropollutants, respectively, with nano-CeO₂ after six sequential treatments. The cost to treat 1 m³ raw hospital wastewater were 8.70 € and 2.28 €, for the photocatalytic treatments with nano-TiO₂ and nano-CeO₂, respectively.

Critical review of the analysis of brominated flame retardants and their environmental levels in Africa

World-wide, the prevalence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) is well documented for routine analysis of environmental and biological matrices. There is, however, limited information on these compounds in the African environment and insufficient information on the analytical approaches used to obtain data. This paper presents a review on BFR levels in the African environment and the various analytical methodologies specifically applied in Africa for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated biphenyls and alternative-BFRs. The analyses include liquid sample preparation using liquid-liquid and solid phase extraction and solid sample preparation involving Soxhlet extraction, with ultrasound-assisted extraction increasingly being applied. Instrumental detection techniques were limited to gas chromatography coupled with electron capture detector and electron impact ionisation with single quadrupole mass spectrometers. Information on congener profile prevalence in indoor dust, soil, aquatic environment (water, sediment, and aquatic organisms), eggs, wastewater treatment plant compartments, landfills (leachate and sediment) and breast milk are presented. Although PBDEs were inconsistently detected, contamination was reported for all investigated matrices in the African environment. The manifestation in remote regions indicates the ubiquitous prevalence and long-range transport of these compounds. Levels in sediment, and breast milk from some African countries were higher than reported for Asia and Europe. Due to limited data or non-detection of alternative-BFRs, it is unclear whether banned formulations were replaced in Africa. Most of the data reported for BFR levels in Africa were obtained in non-African laboratories or in South Africa and formed the basis for our discussion of reported contamination levels and related methodologies.