Suspect, non-target and target screening of emerging pollutants using data independent acquisition: Assessment of a Mediterranean River basin

Development of a robust non-targeted analysis approach for fast identification of endocrine disruptors and their metabolites in human urine for exposure assessment

Endocrine disrupting chemicals are of concern because of possible human health effects, thus they are frequently included in biomonitoring studies. Current analytical methods are focused on known chemicals and are incapable of identifying or quantifying other unknown chemicals and their metabolites. Non-targeted analysis (NTA) methods are advantageous since they allow for broad chemical screening, which provides a more comprehensive characterization of human chemical exposure, and can allow elucidation of metabolic pathways for unknown chemicals. There are still many challenges associated with NTA, which can impact the results obtained. The chemical space, i.e., the group of known and possible compounds within the scope of the method, must clearly be defined based on the sample preparation, as this is critical in identifying chemicals with confidence. Data acquisition modes and mobile phase additives used with liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass-spectrometry can affect the chemicals ionized and structural identification based on the spectral quality. In this study, a sample preparation method was developed using a novel clean-up approach with CarbonS cartridges, for endocrine-disrupting chemicals in urine, including new bisphenol A analogues and benzophenone-based UV filters, like methyl bis (4-hydroxyphenyl acetate). The study showed that data dependent acquisition (DDA) had a lower identification rate (40%) at low spiking levels, i.e., 1 ng/mL, compared to data independent acquisition (DIA) (57%), when Compound Discoverer was used. In DDA, more compounds were identified using Compound Discoverer, with an identification rate of 95% when ammonium acetate was compared to acetic acid (82%) as a mobile phase additive. TraceFinder software had an identification rate of 53% at 1 ng/mL spiking level using the DDA data, compared to 40% using the DIA data. Using the developed method, 2,4 bisphenol F was identified for the first time in urine samples. The results show how NTA can provide human exposure information for risk assessment and regulatory action but standardized reporting of procedures is needed to ensure study results are reproducible and accurate. His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2024.

Toxic interactions at the physiological and biochemical levels of green algae under stress of mixtures of three azole fungicides

Assessing the interactions between environmental pollutants and these mixtures is of paramount significance in understanding their negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, existing research often lacks comprehensive investigations into the physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying these interactions. This study aimed to reveal the toxic mechanisms of cyproconazole (CYP), imazalil (IMA), and prochloraz (PRO) and corresponding these mixtures on Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa by analyzing the interactions at physiological and biochemical levels. Higher concentrations of CYP, IMA, and PRO and these mixtures resulted in a reduction in chlorophyll (Chl) content and increased total protein (TP) suppression, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited a negative correlation with algal growth. The activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased with increasing azole fungicides and their mixture concentrations, correlating positively with growth inhibition. Azole fungicides induced dose-dependent apoptosis in A. pyrenoidosa, with higher apoptosis rates indicative of greater pollutant toxicity. The results revealed concentration-dependent toxicity effects, with antagonistic interactions at low concentrations and synergistic effects at high concentrations within the CYP-IMA mixtures. These interactions were closely linked to the interactions observed in Chl-a, carotenoid (Car), CAT, and cellular apoptosis. The antagonistic effects of CYP-PRO mixtures on A. pyrenoidosa growth inhibition can be attributed to the antagonism observed in Chl-a, Chl-b, Car, TP, CAT, SOD, and cellular apoptosis. This study emphasized the importance of gaining a comprehensive understanding of the physiological and biochemical interactions within algal cells, which may help understand the potential mechanism of toxic interaction.

Exploring the hidden chemical landscape: Non-target and suspect screening analysis for investigating solid waste-associated environments

Solid waste is an inevitable consequence of urbanization. It can be safely managed in municipal landfills and processing plants for volume reduction or material reuse, including organic solid waste. However, solid waste can also be discarded in (un-)authorized dumping sites or inadvertently released into the environment. Legacy and emerging contaminants have the potential to leach from solid waste, making it a significant pathway to the environment. Non-target screening (NTS) and suspect screening analysis (SSA) have become helpful tools in environmental science for the simultaneous analysis of a wide range of chemical compounds. However, the application of these analytical approaches to environmental samples related to Raw or Processed Solid Waste (RPSW) has been largely neglected so far. This perspective review examines the potential and policy relevance of NTS and SSA applied to waste-related samples (liquid, gaseous and solid). It addresses the hurdles associated with the chemical safety of solid waste accumulation, processing, and reuse, and the need for landfill traceability, as well as effectiveness of leachate treatments. We reviewed the current applications of NTS and SSA to environmental samples of RPSW, as well as the potential adaptation of NTS and SSA techniques from related fields, such as oilfield and metabolomics, to the solid waste domain. Despite the ongoing technical challenges, this review highlights the significant potential for the implementation of NTS and SSA approaches in solid waste management and related scientific fields and provides support and guidance to the regulatory authorities.

Reproducibility in nontarget screening (NTS) of environmental emerging contaminants: Assessing different HLB SPE cartridges and instruments

Non-targeted screening (NTS) methods are integral in environmental research for detecting emerging contaminants. However, their efficacy can be influenced by variations in hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) instruments across different laboratories. In this study, we scrutinized the influence of five HLB SPE cartridges (Nano, Weiqi, CNW, Waters, and J&K) and four LC-HRMS platforms (Agilent, Waters, Thermo, and AB SCIEX) on the identification of emerging environmental contaminants. Our results demonstrate that 87.6 % of the target compounds and over 59.6 % of the non-target features were consistently detected across all tested HLB cartridges, with an overall 71.2 % universally identified across the four LC-HRMS systems. Discrepancies in detection rates were primarily attributable to variations in retention time stability, mass stability of precursors and fragments, system cleanliness affecting fold change and p-values, and fragment response. These findings confirm the necessity of refining parameter criteria for NTS. Moreover, our study confirms the efficacy of the PyHRMS tool in analyzing and processing data from multiple instrumental platforms, reinforcing its utility for multi-platform NTS. Overall, our findings underscore the reliability and robustness of NTS methods in identifying potential water contaminants, while also highlighting factors that may influence these outcomes.

Influence of extraction windows for data-independent acquisition on feature annotation during suspect screening

Non-target analysis (NTA) using high-resolution mass spectrometry is becoming a useful approach to screen for suspect and unknown chemicals. For comprehensive analyses, data-independent acquisition (DIA), like Sequential Windowed Acquisition of all THeoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) on Sciex instruments, is necessary, usually followed by library matching for feature annotation. The choice of parameters, such as acquisition window number and size, may influence the comprehensiveness of the suspect features detected. The goal of this study was to assess how mass spectrometric DIA settings may influence the ability to obtain confident annotations and identifications of features in environmental (river water, passive sample extract (PSE)), wastewater (unpreserved and acidified) and biological (urine) sample matrices. Each matrix was analysed using 11 different MS methods, with 5-15 variable size acquisition windows. True positive (TP) annotation (i.e., matching experimental and library spectra) rates were constant for PSE (40%) and highest for urine (18%), wastewater (34% and 36%, unpreserved and acidified, respectively) and river water (8%) when using higher numbers of windows (15). The number of annotated features was highest for PSE (12%) and urine (8.5%) when using more acquisition windows (9 and 14, respectively). Less complex matrices (based on average total ion chromatogram intensities) like river water, unpreserved and acidified wastewater have higher annotation rates (7.5%, 8% and 13.2%, respectively) when using less acquisition windows (5-6), indicating matrix dependency of optimum settings. Library scores varied widely for correct (scores between 6 and 100) as well as incorrect annotations (scores between 2 and 100), making it hard to define specific ideal cut-off values. Results highlight the need for properly curated libraries and careful optimization of SWATH-MS and other DIA methods for each individual matrix, finding the best ratio of total annotations to true positive, (i.e., correct) annotations to achieve best NTA results.

Integrated analysis of marine biotoxins and contaminants of emerging concern in bivalve mollusks from Santa Catarina, Brazil

Santa Catarina is the main producer state of oysters and mussels in Brazil, reaching 98 % of national production. To assure the safety of bivalve mollusks production, control programs of marine biotoxins (MBs) have been continuously performed. Herein, the co-occurrence of MBs and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in oyster and mussels from the main production sites of Santa Catarina was reported, covering 178 compounds. Samples of wild and non-cultivated oysters and mussels were also assessed. Chemometric tools were used to evaluate and optimize several sample preparation techniques such as solid-liquid, ultrasound assisted, and pressurized liquid extraction. The optimized protocol was based on ultrasound assisted extraction followed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed the incidence of several CECs and MBs. In the case of MBs, all results were below the regulatory limits for both cultivated and non-cultivated samples. Wild mollusks have shown a higher number of compounds. Regarding CECs, the more frequent compounds were caffeine, diclofenac, meloxicam, and sertraline. Domoic acid and okadaic acid were the main toxins detected. The results highlighted the need of monitoring for MBs and the potential of oyster and mussels as sentinel organisms to risk analysis of CECs in coastal regions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method to describe a simultaneous sample preparation and analysis of CECs and MBs in bivalve mollusks, as well as the first report of meloxicam and florfenicol in mussels and oysters.

Comparison of 17β-estradiol, bisphenol-A and caffeine concentration levels before and after the water treatment plant

This article compares the concentration levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), bisphenol-A (BPA) and caffeine (CAF) in the Sinos River, Brazil, which is a source of drinking water and the presence of contaminants after the conventional treatment in a municipal water treatment plant (WTP). A total of nine sampling campaigns were carried out, with sample collection in the Sinos River, upstream and downstream of the WTP, in addition to a drinking water sample (DW). The samples were extracted with solid phase extraction (SPE) and the concentration by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The maximum concentration in the Sinos River was 6,127.99 ng·L-1 for E2, 3,294.63 ng·L-1 for BPA and 1,221.95 ng·L-1 for CAF. In drinking water, the concentration range of E2, BPA and CAF was from less than the Detection Limit (DL) up to 437.50 ng·L-1,

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Key Words Collapse

MESH Headings

• Caffeine
• Drinking Water
• Estradiol
• Water Purification/methods

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Affiliation(s)

Graziela Taís Schmitt Civil Engineering Post-Graduate Program, Unisinos University, São Leopoldo, Brazil E-mail:
Marcelo Oliveira Caetano Civil Engineering Post-Graduate Program, Unisinos University, São Leopoldo, Brazil
Vinícius Martins Marques Civil Engineering Post-Graduate Program, Unisinos University, São Leopoldo, Brazil
Amanda Gonçalves Kieling Civil Engineering Post-Graduate Program, Unisinos University, São Leopoldo, Brazil
Marie Launay Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Lilia Itzel Acosta Muñiz Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management (ISWA), University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Luciana Paulo Gomes Civil Engineering Post-Graduate Program, Unisinos University, São Leopoldo, Brazil

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Influence of biosolids and sewage effluent application on sitagliptin soil sorption

Biosolids and sewage effluent application to agricultural fields is becoming a win-win practice as both an economical waste management strategy and a source of nutrients and organic matter for plant growth. However, these organic wastes contain a variety of trace chemicals of environmental concern such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which may pose a risk to agricultural fields and ecosystems. This work aims to investigate the sorption of sitagliptin on four agricultural soils, evaluate the effects of biosolids and sewage effluent application, and elucidate the main sorption mechanism of the pharmaceutical on soils. The sorption study revealed that the sorption capacities of sitagliptin on different soils were positively related to the contents of soil organic matter and negatively associated with soil pH values. The application of biosolids and sewage effluent decreased the sorption capacity of sitagliptin, which may be attributed to the loading of dissolved organic matter derived from organic wastes. The Freundlich isotherm model demonstrated that the addition of biosolids from 0 to 100 % (W/W) consistently decreased the sorption affinity (Kf) of sitagliptin from 1.69 × 102 to 3.82 × 101 mg(1-n) Ln kg-1. Sewage application at 0, 10, 50, and 100 % (V/V) also reduced the Kf values from 1.69 × 102 to 9.17 × 101 mg(1-n) Ln kg-1. Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR)-Infrared (IR) spectroscopy analyses suggested that electrostatic interactions between carbonyl and amino groups of sitagliptin and the negatively charged soil surface are the main sorption mechanisms. In a co-solute system, the sorption affinity of sitagliptin on the soil decreased with increasing metformin concentrations, suggesting that competitive sorption may reduce the sorption capacity of individual contaminants in soil systems containing multiple PPCPs.

Ketoprofen as an emerging contaminant: occurrence, ecotoxicity and (bio)removal

Ketoprofen, a bicyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used in human and veterinary medicine, has recently been cited as an environmental contaminant that raises concerns for ecological well-being. It poses a growing threat due to its racemic mixture, enantiomers, and transformation products, which have ecotoxicological effects on various organisms, including invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, and microorganisms. Furthermore, ketoprofen is bioaccumulated and biomagnified throughout the food chain, threatening the ecosystem function. Surprisingly, despite these concerns, ketoprofen is not currently considered a priority substance. While targeted eco-pharmacovigilance for ketoprofen has been proposed, data on ketoprofen as a pharmaceutical contaminant are limited and incomplete. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the most recent findings (from 2017 to March 2023) regarding the global distribution of ketoprofen in the environment, its ecotoxicity towards aquatic animals and plants, and available removal methods. Special emphasis is placed on understanding how ketoprofen affects microorganisms that play a pivotal role in Earth's ecosystems. The review broadly covers various approaches to ketoprofen biodegradation, including whole-cell fungal and bacterial systems as well as enzyme biocatalysts. Additionally, it explores the potential of adsorption by algae and phytoremediation for removing ketoprofen. This review will be of interest to a wide range of readers, including ecologists, microbiologists, policymakers, and those concerned about pharmaceutical pollution.

Impact of historical legacy pesticides on achieving legislative goals in Europe

Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to optimise food production. However, the movement of pesticides into water bodies negatively impacts aquatic environments. The European Union (EU) aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly through its current Farm to Fork strategy. As part of this strategy, the EU plans to reduce the overall use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50 % by 2030. The attainment of this target may be compromised by the prevalence of legacy pesticides arising from historical applications to land, which can persist in the environment for several decades. The current EU Farm to Fork policy overlooks the potential challenges of legacy pesticides and requirements for their remediation. In this review, the current knowledge regarding pesticide use in Europe, as well as pathways of pesticide movement to waterways, are investigated. The issues of legacy pesticides, including exceedances, are examined, and existing and emerging methods of pesticide remediation, particularly of legacy pesticides, are discussed. The fact that some legacy pesticides can be detected in water samples, more than twenty-five years after they were prohibited, highlights the need for improved EU strategies and policies aimed at targeting legacy pesticides in order to meet future targets.

Characterization of microalgal toxicants in the sediments from an industrial area: Application of advanced effect-directed analysis with multiple endpoint bioassays

Microalgal toxicants in sediments from an industrialized area (Ulsan Bay) in South Korea were identified using effect-directed analysis (EDA) with full-scan screening analysis (FSA) and microalgal bioassays with multiple endpoints. The growth rate and cell viability of three microalgae (Isochrysis galbana, Dunaliella tertiolecta, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) were strongly inhibited following exposure to raw organic extracts of sediments from Site D5 (Woehang River). The polar fraction separated using a silica gel column significantly inhibited growth rate, esterase activity, cell membrane intensity, and chlorophyll a autofluorescence. In comparison, non- and mid-polar fractions induced non-toxic or esterase inhibition. Target toxicants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, styrene oligomers, and alkylphenols, were detected at low concentrations (450, 79, and 98 ng g^-1 dw, respectively) in the sediment of D5, indicating the presence of unmonitored toxicants. FSA was performed for the polar fraction using LC-QTOFMS, and 31 candidates of toxicants were selected. Toxicological confirmation was conducted for 7 candidates for which standards are available. Out of these, 2-nitrophenol, 3-nitrophenol, and 4-nitrophenol showed significant microalgal toxicity; however, these compounds did not fully explain the induced toxicity. Overall, combining EDA and FSA with multiple endpoint bioassays demonstrated the benefits of characterizing the microalgal toxicants in the environments.

Comprehensive investigation and risk assessment of organic contaminants in Yellow River Estuary using suspect and nontarget screening strategies

Contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) include numerous chemicals that may pose known and unknown risks to the ecosystem, and identification and risk ranking of these compounds is essential for the environmental management. In this study, liquid and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS and GC-QTOF-MS) were used to characterize the occurrence of CECs in the surface water of the Yellow River Estuary (YRE). A total of 295 and 315 chemicals were identified by LC-QTOF-MS and GC-QTOF-MS, respectively. The occurrence of two compounds, erucamide and 2-phenylquinoline, was for the first time reported in the aquatic environment in YRE. The concentrations of 121 CECs, including 35 antibiotics, 49 pesticides and veterinary, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 21 phthalic acid esters were further quantified by target analysis, which showed the detection of 99 compounds in the surface water in the range of 7.07-4611.26 ng/L. Ecological risks of pollutants based on the risk quotient (RQ) method revealed that 13 pollutants posed ecological risks to the aquatic ecosystem (RQ > 1), and pesticides (n = 12) were the main risk contributors. Here, all CECs data sets were finally transformed and ranked in the framework of the toxicological priority index (ToxPi), and a total of 81 priority control pollutants were identified in the surface water of YRE. This study highlighted the necessity of suspect and nontarget screening for CECs in estuaries, and revealed the importance of localized contamination sources in urban and agricultural environment.

Spatial-temporal occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern in urban rivers in southern Brazil

The widespread use and misuse of antibiotics and pesticides has been linked with several risks to the environment and human health. In the present report, the results of the monitoring of 64 pharmaceuticals and 134 pesticides occurrence in an urban river in Southern Brazil are presented and discussed. Sampling campaigns have covered the period 2016-2018. The identification and determination of the analytes were achieved by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The data were analyzed using chemometric tools to obtain spatial-temporal models. Toxicological evaluation was achieved using acute toxicity (zebrafish standardized protocol), and determination of risk quotient. Within the 198 analytes included in the targeted analysis method for surface water, 33 were identified in an urban river during 2 years of monitoring, being 20 pharmaceuticals and 13 pesticides. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, a suspect screening approach was established in an un-target analysis. The evaluation was carried out using a data bank built from consumption data of drugs and pesticides, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre - RS and their respective metabolites. The suspect screening analysis done with a data bank with more than 1450 compounds results in 27 suspect findings. The target analysis results showed a continuous prevalence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, analgesics, antipyretics, beta-blockers, corticoids, and antibiotics. Regarding the pesticides, the main classes were fungicides, especially those from triazol and strobilurin classes.

Bromuconazole exposure induces cardiotoxicity and lipid transport disorder in larval zebrafish

Bromuconazole (BRO), as one of the typical triazole fungicides, has not been reported on its effects on aquatic organisms. In this study, zebrafish embryos were used as experimental objects to evaluate the toxicity of BRO. In the acute embryo toxicity test, it was observed that the heart rate and growing development were affected by BRO in a concentration-dependent manner, and the half-lethal concentration (LC50) of BRO at 96 h post-fertilization (hpf) was about 11.83 mg/L. Then, low concentrations of BRO (50 ng/L, 0.075 mg/L, 0.3 mg/L, 1.2 mg/L), which were set according to the LC50 and environmental related concentrations, were used to analyze the toxic effects on the different endpoints in larval zebrafish. Interestingly, the transcriptomic analysis found that most different expressed genes (DEGs) could be focused on the pathways of lipid metabolism, myocardial function, glycometabolism, indicating that heart function and lipid metabolism in larval zebrafish were disrupted by BRO. For supporting this idea, we re-exposed the transgenic zebrafish and WT zebrafish embryos, proved that BRO caused damage to heart development and lipid transport on morphological and genetic level, which was consistent with transcriptomic results. In addition, BRO exposure caused oxidative damage in the larvae. Taken together, BRO exposure could affect the myocardial contraction function and lipid transport in larval zebrafish, accompanied by disturbances in the level of oxidative stress, which was of great significance for improving the biotoxicological information of BRO.

Updated knowledge, partitioning and ecological risk of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in global aquatic environments

Over the last few decades, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments has generated increasing public concern. In this review, data on the presence of PPCPs in environmental compartments from the past few years (2014-2022) are summarized by carrying out a critical survey of the partitioning among water, sediment, and aquatic organisms. From the available articles on PPCP occurrence in the environment, in Web of Science and Scopus databases, 185 articles were evaluated. Diclofenac, carbamazepine, caffeine, ibuprofen, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole were reported to occur in 85% of the studies in at least one of the mentioned matrices. Risk assessment showed a moderate to high environmental risk for these compounds worldwide. Moreover, bioconcentration factors showed that sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms, while ciprofloxacin and triclosan present bioaccumulation potential. Regarding spatial distribution, the Asian and European continents presented most studies on the occurrence and effects of PPCPs on the environment, while Africa and Asia are the most contaminated continents. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 on environmental contamination by PPCPs is discussed.

Target analysis and suspect screening of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in paired samples of maternal serum, umbilical cord serum, and placenta near fluorochemical plants in Fuxin, China

The levels of legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been growing in the environmental matrices and blood of residents living around the fluorochemical industrial park (FIP) in Fuxin of China over the past decade. Although some recent studies have reported occurrence of novel PFAS alternatives in biotic and abiotic matrices near fluorochemical facilities worldwide, little is known about novel PFAS congeners in maternal sera, umbilical cord sera, and placentas from the female residents close to the FIP and their related health risks. In this study, 50 paired samples of maternal and cord serum as well as placenta were derived from Fuxin pregnant women at delivery, and 21 target analytes of legacy PFASs in all the samples were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), revealing that PFBS, PFBA, and PFOA were the dominant PFAS contaminants observed in the whole samples. Based upon the suspect screening through high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), 49 novel PFASs assigned to 11 classes were further identified in the Fuxin samples, of which, 20 novel congeners in 4 classes were reported in human blood and placentas for the first time. Moreover, the coefficients for mother-placenta transfer (R_m/p), placenta-newborn transfer (R_p/n), and mother-newborn transfer (R_m/n) of legacy PFASs could be calculated with median values of 1.7, 1.1, and 2.0, respectively, and R_m/p, R_p/n, and R_m/n for each novel PFAS identified were also estimated with the median values of 0.9, 1.2, and 0.8 individually. Accordingly, novel PFASs contributed 90% of all the legacy and novel PFASs in maternal sera and even occupied 96% of the whole PFASs in both placentas and cord sera. In addition, significant associations were determined among the neonate birth outcomes and serum concentrations of thyroid hormone, sex hormone, and glucocorticoid, together with the levels of certain legacy and novel PFASs in cord sera.

Daphnia as a Sentinel Species for Environmental Health Protection: A Perspective on Biomonitoring and Bioremediation of Chemical Pollution

Despite available technology and the knowledge that chemical pollution damages human and ecosystem health, chemical pollution remains rampant, ineffectively monitored, rarely prevented, and only occasionally mitigated. We present a framework that helps address current major challenges in the monitoring and assessment of chemical pollution by broadening the use of the sentinel species Daphnia as a diagnostic agent of water pollution. And where prevention has failed, we propose the application of Daphnia as a bioremediation agent to help reduce hazards from chemical mixtures in the environment. By applying "omics" technologies to Daphnia exposed to real-world ambient chemical mixtures, we show improvements at detecting bioactive components of chemical mixtures, determining the potential effects of untested chemicals within mixtures, and identifying targets of toxicity. We also show that using Daphnia strains that naturally adapted to chemical pollution as removal agents of ambient chemical mixtures can sustainably improve environmental health protection. Expanding the use of Daphnia beyond its current applications in regulatory toxicology has the potential to improve both the assessment and the remediation of environmental pollution.

Assessing the colonization by Daphnia magna of pesticide-disturbed habitats (chlorpyrifos, terbuthylazine and their mixtures) and the behavioral and neurotoxic effects

The spread of pesticides in water bodies integrated into agricultural landscapes may prevent some areas from being colonized. In this study, the effects on the colonization responses of D. magna exerted by gradients of realistic environmental concentrations of the pesticides chlorpyrifos, terbuthylazine and their mixtures were tested in a novel multicompartment non-forced exposure system. Furthermore, the effects of both pesticides and their mixtures on the swimming behavior and the neurotransmission activity of D. magna were analyzed using a traditional forced exposure system. The synthesis and concentration of the main environmental metabolites of terbuthylazine were also analyzed. Results confirmed that D. magna exposed to mixture gradients were able to detect the pollutants and their colonization dynamics were drastically inhibited. The swimming behavior increased in D. magna exposed to the highest concentration of the mixture treatment. AChE activity was only significantly inhibited in the D. magna exposed to the highest concentration of chlorpyrifos. Changes in swimming behavior could not be directly related to the effects on AChE. Furthermore, the synthesis of the metabolite terbuthylazine 2-hydroxy during the course of the experiments was confirmed. These results demonstrate the importance of integrating pesticide mixtures in both non-forced and forced exposure systems during ecotoxicological assays.

Health effects and risks associated with the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in marine organisms and seafood

Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are continuously invading the marine environment due to their input from the land such as their disposal into the drains and sewers which is mostly followed by their transfer into wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Their incomplete removal in WWTPs introduces pharmaceuticals into oceans and surface water. To date, various pharmaceuticals and their metabolites have been detected in marine environment. Their occurrence in marine organisms raises concerns regarding toxic effects and development of drug resistant genes. Therefore, it is crucial to review the health effects and risks associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in marine organisms and seafood. This is an important study area which is related to the availability of seafood and its quality. Hence, this study provides a critical review of the information available in literature which relates to the occurrence and toxic effects of pharmaceuticals in marine organisms and seafood. This was initiated through conducting a literature search focussing on articles investigating the occurrence and effects of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in marine organisms and seafood. In general, most studies on the monitoring of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in marine environment are conducted in well developed countries such as Europe while research in developing countries is still limited. Pharmaceuticals present in freshwater are mostly found in seawater and marine organisms. Furthermore, the toxicity caused by different pharmaceutical mixtures was observed to be more severe than that of individual compounds.

Present-Day Practice of Non-Target Chemical Analysis

Abstract

We review the main techniques, procedures, and information products used in non-target analysis (NTA) to reveal the composition of substances. Sampling and sample preparation methods are preferable that ensure the extraction of analytes from test samples in a wide range of analyte properties with the most negligible loss. The necessary techniques of analysis are versions of chromatography–high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS), yielding individual characteristics of analytes (mass spectra, retention properties) to accurately identify them. The prioritization of the analytical strategy discards unnecessary measurements and thereby increases the performance of the NTA. Chemical databases, collections of reference mass spectra and retention characteristics, algorithms, and software for processing HRMS data are indispensable in NTA.

Machine Learning Applications for Chemical Fingerprinting and Environmental Source Tracking Using Non-target Chemical Data

A frequent goal of chemical forensic analyses is to select a panel of diagnostic chemical features─colloquially termed a chemical fingerprint─that can predict the presence of a source in a novel sample. However, most of the developed chemical fingerprinting workflows are qualitative in nature. Herein, we report on a quantitative machine learning workflow. Grab samples (n = 51) were collected from five chemical sources, including agricultural runoff, headwaters, livestock manure, (sub)urban runoff, and municipal wastewater. Support vector classification was used to select the top 10, 25, 50, and 100 chemical features that best discriminate each source from all others. The cross-validation balanced accuracy was 92-100% for all sources (n = 1,000 iterations). When screening for diagnostic features from each source in samples collected from four local creeks, presence probabilities were low for all sources, except for wastewater at two downstream locations in a single creek. Upon closer investigation, a wastewater treatment facility was located ∼3 km upstream of the nearest sample location. In addition, using simulated in silico mixtures, the workflow can distinguish presence and absence of some sources at 10,000-fold dilutions. These results strongly suggest that this workflow can select diagnostic subsets of chemical features that can be used to quantitatively predict the presence/absence of various sources at trace levels in the environment.

Vertical profile and assessment of soil pollution from a typical coking plant by suspect screening and non-target screening using GC/QTOF-MS

A comprehensive workflow for suspect screening and non-target screening with gas chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/QTOF-MS) was used to characterize the pollution characteristics of soil samples in a typical coking plant in China. Suspect screening confirmed 57 chemicals including PAHs, alkyl PAHs, and phthalates contained in high-resolution personal compound database and library (PCDL). Non-target screening detected 88 chemicals from soil samples in the NIST 17 library. A total of 122 chemicals were screened in soil samples, and many of them were of emerging concern. Their presence in the soil obtained from coking operations has been underestimated, such as the oxygenated PAHs (naphtho[2,1-b]furan and 9H-fluoren-9-one), and the alkyl biphenyls compounds (4,4'-dimethylbiphenyl, 3,3'-dimethylbiphenyl, 4-methyl-1,1'-biphenyl and 2,2',5,5'-tetramethyl-1,1'-biphenyl). Toxicity assays by luminescent bacteria proved that the extracts from soil samples at different depths showed varying toxicity to V. qinghaiensis sp.-Q67. Soil extracts from a depth of 20-40 cm exhibited the greatest toxicity to luminescent bacteria compared with the other six-layered soil samples, which was correlated with the number of detectable pollutants and total organic carbon content. This study provided a screening method for suspect and non-target contaminants in urban industrial soil sites, which was important in identifying localized contamination sources.

Coupling suspect and non-target analytical methods for screening organic contaminants of concern in agricultural & urban impacted waters: Optimization and application

Long-term exposure of contaminants to emerging concern (CECs) may pose risks to human health and ecosystems, even at low concentrations. Rivers impacted by both agricultural and urban activities experience distinctive environmental pressures due to receiving wastewaters that contain complex organics and their transformation products (TPs). In this study, we developed a regional database composed of 1200 CECs of high concern in Guangxi (South China). Further, we optimized a comprehensive analytical method for simultaneously screening for CECs and their TPs. The optimized screening method was applied to surface waters sampled from 10 different cross sections of a river that is impacted by both agricultural and urban activities. The best results of method optimization were achieved when the screening detection limit (SDL) ranged from 0.05 to 2 ng L^-1, and over 90% of the analytes had acceptable recovery rates ranging between 64.7% and 95.6% (RSD < 11%). Of the 1200 CECs contained in the regional database, 168 were detected in at least one sampling site of the studied river via suspect screening, and among them, 36 contaminants were found at all sampling sites. Also, 58 additional contaminants and 39 TPs were tentatively identified via non-target screening, among which 4 TPs were reported for the first time in the aquatic environment. Triazine herbicides and their TPs were identified at most of the sampling sites, with ametryn and atrazine posing relatively high risks in the river ecosystems. Furthermore, 31 known analytes were selected as standards in order to confirm the combined screening method; one false positive occurred in the non-target screening method. According to these results, the suspect screening strategy provides valuable confirmation for the identification of a wide range of CECs in water, while non-target screening can provide a reference for researchers and supplement the regional database, particularly in the study of TPs.

Target and Suspect Screening of Pharmaceuticals and their Transformation Products in the Klip River, South Africa, using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

In spite of recent reports about the presence of pharmaceuticals in African water bodies, their prevalence has still not been sufficiently quantified. The few available studies have mostly focused on a limited number of pharmaceuticals. In the present study, a suspect screening of 92 compounds (mainly pharmaceuticals and their transformation products) along the Klip River, South Africa was conducted, followed by target monitoring of 21 of the detected pharmaceuticals. The experimental approach was based on solid-phase extraction followed by analysis with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). The results revealed 47 pharmaceuticals, 31 of which were detected for the first time in South African waters. Seven detected pharmaceuticals (propyphenazole, sulfamerazine, levamisole, tryptophan, dibucaine, albuterol, and fenpropimorph) are not approved medications in South Africa. Six pharmaceutical metabolites were detected for the first time in South Africa. Pharmaceuticals with the highest concentrations in river water were flumequine (0.257 µg L^-1 ), oxolinic acid (0.355 µg L^-1 ), and acetaminophen (0.432 µg L^-1 ). Oxolinic acid presented the highest hazard quotient, 48.6, indicating a risk of toxicity to aquatic organisms. Hazard quotients for other pharmaceuticals were below 1, except that of flumequine, which reached 1.285. These results suggest a need for further research into the fate of pharmaceuticals in surface waters, and a quantification of the risks associated with the identified drugs because they are likely to accumulate in the tissues of fish/aquatic organisms, thus affecting humans. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:437-447. © 2021 SETAC.

Identification of organic pollutants with potential ecological and health risks in aquatic environments: Progress and challenges

Thousands of organic pollutants are intentionally and unintentionally discharged into water bodies, adversely affecting the ecological environment and human health. Screening for organic pollutants that pose a potential risk in aquatic environments is essential for risk management. This review evaluates the processes, methods, and technologies used to screen such pollutants in the aquatic environment and discuss their advantages and disadvantages, in addition to the challenges and knowledge gaps in this field. Combining non-target screening, target screening, and suspect screening is often effective for compiling a list of potential risk compounds and enables the quantitative analysis of these compounds. Sample preparation technologies and pollutant detection technologies considerably affect the results of pollutant screening. The limited amount of chemical and toxicological information contained in databases hinders the screening of organic pollutants with potential risk. Machine learning, high-throughput methods, and other technologies will increase the accuracy and convenience of screening for high-risk pollutants. This review provides an important reference for screening these compounds in aquatic environments and can be used in future pollutant screening and risk management.

Sample preparation techniques for suspect and non-target screening of emerging contaminants

The progress in sensitivity and resolution in mass spectrometers in recent years provides the possibility to detect a broad range of organic compounds in a single procedure. For this reason, suspect and non-target screening techniques are gaining attention since they enable the detection of hundreds of known and unknown emerging contaminants in various matrices of environmental, food and human sources. Sample preparation is a critical step before analysis as it can significantly affect selectivity, sensitivity and reproducibility. The lack of generic sample preparation protocols is obvious in this fast-growing analytical field, and most studies use those of traditional targeted analysis methods. Among them, solvent extraction and solid phase extraction (SPE) are widely used to extract emerging contaminants from solid and liquid sample types, respectively. Sequential solvent extraction and a combination of different SPE sorbents can cover a broad range of chemicals in the samples. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and adsorption chromatography, including acidification, are typically used to remove matrix components such as lipids from complex matrices, but usually at the expense of compound losses. Ideally, the purification of samples intended for non-target analysis should be selective of matrix interferences. Recent studies have suggested quality assurance/quality control measures for suspect and non-target screening, based on expansion and extrapolation of target compound lists, but method validations remain challenging in the absence of analytical standards and harmonized sample preparation approaches.

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides and metals/metalloids in Lake Guaíba in Southern Brazil: Spatial and temporal evaluation and a chemometrics approach

Compiling and reporting data related to the presence of pharmaceuticals and pesticides are crucial means of assessing the risk those chemicals pose to human health and environment. Data sets from different sources were combined using a data fusion approach to produce a spatial and temporal variation of contaminants presents in water from Lake Guaíba (29°55'-30°24' S; 51°01'-51°20' W). Lake Guaíba is a 496 km² water body situated in the geological depression of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil; that is fed by several rivers from the metropolitan area, the 5th largest metro area in Brazil, with approximately 5 million inhabitants. Analytical methodology to quantify pharmaceuticals and pesticides by LC-QTOF-MS and GC-MS/MS was validated for 41 pharmaceutical and 62 pesticides. Furthermore, 27 chemical elements were analyzed by ICP-MS, and physical chemical parameters were determined using established methodologies. All validation parameters were in accordance with the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality. Thirty-five water samples were analyzed from January to August 2019, and 15 pharmaceuticals and 25 pesticides were present in concentrations ranging from 6.00 ng L^-1 to 580.00 ng L^-1. Twenty-seven elements were analyzed during the same period, and 18 were present in concentrations ranging from 0.2 μg L^-1 to 7060 μg L^-1. Samples were tagged according to the points and months of collection to identify temporal and spatial patterns. The main findings show that the compounds are distributed throughout the studied area without an apparent regular pattern, suggesting that events in a specific point affect the entire ecosystem. Conversely, temporal variations were well defined, as samples were grouped according to the climatic conditions of the months of collection. Considering the calculated quotient risks, atrazine, cyproconazole, diuron, and simazine showed the highest risk levels for algae; acetaminophen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen showed the highest risk levels for aquatics invertebrates.

Identification and determination of emerging pollutants in sewage sludge driven by UPLC-QTOF-MS data mining

Sludge from sewage treatment plants (STPs) is recognized as a sink of moderate to high lipophilic compounds resistant to biodegradation. Herein, we investigate the presence of emerging pollutants in sewage sludge combining the information provided by mass spectrometry detection, following ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), with the use of an accurate spectral database of pesticides and pharmaceuticals. In a first step, the performance of matrix solid-phase dispersion, as sample preparation technique, and two non-target data acquisition strategies (data dependent, DDA, and data independent analysis modes, DIA), used in combination with a UPLC quadrupole time-of-flight system, are assessed using a selection of deuterated compounds added either to freeze-dried sludge samples, or to sludge extracts. Possibilities and limitations of both modes are discussed. Following the DDA approach, a group of 68 micropollutants was identified in sludge from different STPs. Some of them are reported in this compartment for the first time. Finally, semi-quantitative concentration data are reported for a group of 37 pollutants in samples obtained from 16 STPs. Out of them, 10 pharmaceuticals, showing detection frequencies and median sludge residues above 50% and 100 ng g^-1, respectively; are highlighted as pollutants to be monitored in sludge in order to understand their behaviour during the wastewater treatment.

Suspect screening workflow comparison for the analysis of organic xenobiotics in environmental water samples

Suspect screening techniques are able to determine a broader range of compounds than traditional target analysis. However, the performance of the suspect techniques relies on the procedures implemented for peak annotation and for this, the list of potential candidates is clearly a limiting factor. In order to study this effect on the number of compounds annotated in environmental water samples, a method was validated in terms of absolute recoveries, limits of quantification and identification, as well as the peak picking capability of the software (Compound Discoverer 2.1) using a target list of 178 xenobiotics. Four suspect screening workflows using different suspect lists were compared: (i) the Stoffident list, (ii) all the NORMAN lists, (iii) suspects containing C, H, O, N, S, P, F or Cl in their molecular formula with more than 10 references in Chemspider and (iv) the mzCloud library. The results were compared in terms of the number of annotated compounds at each confidence level. The same 8 compounds (atenolol, caffeine, caprolactam, carbendazim, cotinine, diclofenac, propyphenazone and trimetoprim) were annotated at the highest confidence level using the four workflows. Remarkable differences were observed for lower confidence levels but only 4 features were annotated at different levels by the four workflows. While the third approach provided the highest number of annotated features, the workflow based on the mzCloud library rendered satisfactory results with a simpler approach. Finally, this latter approach was extended to the analysis of organic xenobiotics in different environmental water samples.

Suspect and non-target screening: the last frontier in environmental analysis

Suspect and non-target screening (SNTS) techniques are arising as new analytical strategies useful to disentangle the environmental occurrence of the thousands of exogenous chemicals present in our ecosystems. The unbiased discovery of the wide number of substances present over environmental analysis needs to find a consensus with powerful technical and computational requirements, as well as with the time-consuming unequivocal identification of discovered analytes. Within these boundaries, the potential applications of SNTS include the studies of environmental pollution in aquatic, atmospheric, solid and biological samples, the assessment of new compounds, transformation products and metabolites, contaminant prioritization, bioremediation or soil/water treatment evaluation, and retrospective data analysis, among many others. In this review, we evaluate the state of the art of SNTS techniques going over the normalized workflow from sampling and sample treatment to instrumental analysis, data processing and a brief review of the more recent applications of SNTS in environmental occurrence and exposure to xenobiotics. The main issues related to harmonization and knowledge gaps are critically evaluated and the challenges of their implementation are assessed in order to ensure a proper use of these promising techniques in the near future.

Suspect Screening, Prioritization, and Confirmation of Environmental Chemicals in Maternal-Newborn Pairs from San Francisco

Our proof-of-concept study develops a suspect screening workflow to identify and prioritize potentially ubiquitous chemical exposures in matched maternal/cord blood samples, a critical period of development for future health risks. We applied liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) to perform suspect screening for ∼3500 industrial chemicals on pilot data from 30 paired maternal and cord serum samples (n = 60). We matched 662 suspect features in positive ionization mode and 788 in negative ionization mode (557 unique formulas overall) to compounds in our database, and selected 208 of these for fragmentation analysis based on detection frequency, correlation in feature intensity between maternal and cord samples, and peak area differences by demographic characteristics. We tentatively identified 73 suspects through fragmentation spectra matching and confirmed 17 chemical features (15 unique compounds) using analytical standards. We tentatively identified 55 compounds not previously reported in the literature, the majority which have limited to no information about their sources or uses. Examples include (i) 1-(1-acetyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-4-yl)-3-dodecylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione (known high production volume chemical) (ii) methyl perfluoroundecanoate and 2-perfluorooctyl ethanoic acid (two PFAS compounds); and (iii) Sumilizer GA 80 (plasticizer). Thus, our workflow demonstrates an approach to evaluating the chemical exposome to identify and prioritize chemical exposures during a critical period of development.

Pharmaceuticals in the marine environment: What are the present challenges in their monitoring?

During the last years, there has been a growing interest in the research focused on the pharmaceutical residues in the environment. Those compounds have been recognized as a possible threat to aquatic ecosystems, due to their inherent biological activity and their "pseudo-persistence". Their presence has been relatively few investigated in the marine environment, though it is the last receiver of the continental contamination. Thus, pharmaceuticals monitoring data in marine waters are necessary to assess water quality and to allow enhancing future regulations and management decisions. A review of the current practices and challenges in monitoring strategies of pharmaceuticals in marine matrices (water, sediment and biota) is provided through the analysis of the available recent scientific literature. Key points are highlighted for the different steps of marine waters monitoring as features to consider for the targeted substance selection, the choice of the marine site configuration and sampling strategies to determine spatio-temporal trends of the contamination. Some marine environment specific features, such as the strong dilution occurring, the complex hydrodynamic and local logistical constraints are making this monitoring a very difficult and demanding task. Thus key knowledge gap priorities for future research are identified and discussed. Suitable passive samplers to monitor pharmaceutical seawater levels need further development and harmonization. Non-target analysis approaches would be promising to understand the fate of the targeted molecules and to enhance the list of substances to analyze. The implementation of integrated monitoring through long-term ecotoxicological tests on sensitive marine species at environmental levels would permit to better assess the ecological risk of these compounds for the marine ecosystems.

Multiple stressors in Mediterranean coastal wetland ecosystems: Influence of salinity and an insecticide on zooplankton communities under different temperature conditions

Temperature increase, salinity intrusion and pesticide pollution have been suggested to be among the main stressors affecting the biodiversity of coastal wetland ecosystems. Here we assessed the single and combined effects of these stressors on zooplankton communities collected from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon. An indoor microcosm experiment was designed with temperature variation (20 °C and 30 °C), salinity (no addition, 2.5 g/L NaCl) and the insecticide chlorpyrifos (no addition, 1 μg/L) as treatments. The impact of these stressors was evaluated on water quality variables and on the zooplankton comunity (structure, diversity, abundance and taxa responses) for 28 days. This study shows that temperature is the main driver for zooplankton community change, followed by salinity and chlorpyrifos. The three stressors contributed to a decrease on zooplankton diversity. The increase of temperature contributed to an increase of zooplankton abundance. Salinity generally affected Cladocera, which resulted in a Copepoda increase at 20 °C, and a reduction in the abundance of all major zooplankton groups at 30 °C. The insecticide chlorpyrifos affected primarily Cladocera, altough the magnitude and duration of the direct and indirect effects caused by the insecticide substantially differed between the two temperature scenarios. Chlorpyrifos and salinity resulted in antagonistic effects on sensitive taxa (Cladocera) at 20 °C and 30 °C. This study shows that temperature can influence the direct and indirect effects of salinity and pesticides on zooplankton communities in Mediterranean coastal wetlands, and highlights vulnerable taxa and ecological responses that are expected to dominate under future global change scenarios.

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.

Non-targeted screening of trace organic contaminants in surface waters by a multi-tool approach based on combinatorial analysis of tandem mass spectra and open access databases

Non-targeted screening (NTS) in mass spectrometry (MS) helps alleviate the shortcoming of targeted analysis such as missing the presence of concerning compounds that are not monitored and its lack of retrospective analysis to subsequently look for new contaminants. Most NTS workflows include high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS²) and structure annotation with libraries which are still limited. However, in silico combinatorial fragmentation tools that simulate MS² spectra are available to help close the gap of missing compounds in empirical libraries. Three NTS tools were combined and used to detect and identify unknown contaminants at ultra-trace levels in surface waters in real samples in this qualitative study. Two of them were based on combinatorial fragmentation databases, MetFrag and the Similar Partition Searching algorithm (SPS), and the third, the Global Natural Products Social Networking (GNPS), was an ensemble of empirical databases. The three NTS tools were applied to the analysis of real samples from a local river. A total of 253 contaminants were identified by combining all three tools: 209 were assigned a probable structure and 44 were confirmed using reference standards. The two major classes of contaminants observed were pharmaceuticals and consumer product additives. Among the confirmed compounds, octylphenol ethoxylates, denatonium, irbesartan and telmisartan are reported for the first time in surface waters in Canada. The workflow presented in this work uses three highly complementary NTS tools and it is a powerful approach to help identify and strategically select contaminants and their transformation products for subsequent targeted analysis and uncover new trends in surface water contamination.

Comparison of preconcentration methods for nontargeted analysis of natural waters using HPLC-HRMS: Large volume injection versus solid-phase extraction

Nontargeted analysis of water samples using liquid chromatography combined with high‐resolution mass spectrometers is an emerging approach for surface water monitoring and evaluation of water treatment processes. In this study, sample preconcentration via direct, large volume injection with 500 μL and 1000 μL injection volumes was compared to SPE regarding analytical performance parameters in targeted and nontargeted workflows. In targeted analysis, the methods were evaluated in terms of LOD and intrabatch precision of the selected compounds, whereas in nontargeted analysis, the number of detected unknown compounds, the method's intra‐batch precision, and the retention time versus molecular mass pattern of the detected unknowns were evaluated. In addition, a novel intensity drift correction method was developed that is not based on quality control samples and makes use of the signals obtained for continuously infused reference compounds, which are conventionally utilized for online mass drift correction. It could be demonstrated that the new correction method significantly reduced the bias introduced by instrumental drift and is important for the reliable intercomparison of different nontargeted methods. Intercomparison of results showed that the 1000 μL large volume injection method revealed the best performance in terms of precision under repeatability conditions of measurement as well as lower LODs for targeted compound analysis. In nontargeted analysis, the SPE method detected a higher number of unknown compounds but exhibited also a higher uncertainty of measurement caused by matrix effects.

Distribution of organochlorine, organophosphates, carbamate, thiocarbamate, pyrethroids, and strobilurins in surface sediments of the Rio de Ondas watershed by GC-MS

The determination of some pesticides in surface sediments can provide important information about their distribution in the water column. This work aimed to determine the distribution of the classes of pesticides along the Ondas River's hydrographic basin (ORHB), in eighteen different points, during the dry and rainy periods. The pesticides were extracted from the sediment samples by solid-liquid extraction and then analyzed using a gas chromatograph coupled to mass spectrometry. After the development and validation of the method, nineteen pesticides from the group of organochlorine, organophosphates, carbamate and thiocarbamate, pyrethroids, and strobilurins were quantified in at least one point in the two collection periods, with accuracy varying between 86 and 126%. The average concentrations were 0.020 ng g^-1 (carbofuran) to 249.123 ng g^-1 (dimethoate) and 0.029 ng g^-1 (carbofuran and sulfotep) to 533.522 ng g^-1 in the dry and rainy periods, respectively. The results showed a wide distribution of pesticide residues in the ORHB, with higher levels for dimethoate, phenitrothion, and malathion, which may be related to their agricultural use in the region. In Brazil, it does not have specific legislation for maximum permitted values of pesticides in sediment, allowing for inappropriate or prohibited use and, consequently, affecting water quality.

Contaminants of emerging concern in aquatic environment: Occurrence, monitoring, fate, and risk assessment

The present work provides a review focusing on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in aquatic environment, with an emphasis on their occurrence, monitoring, fate, and risk assessment in the research published in the scientific literature in 2019. Several studies revealed that these organic contaminants were detected in many water bodies and suspect, nontarget, and target screening provided an efficient detection for the co-existing organic substances with complex components. Wastewater resource recovery facilities were concurrently considered as a central source, and several specific chemicals have been found to be used as chemical markers to track the source of CECs in some urban watersheds. Reliable monitoring, reliable fate/toxicity assessment, and effective removal that consider CECs as a heterogeneous group rather than single substances will be the challenges for the research community in the future.

Rapid qualitative profiling of metabolites present in Fusarium solani, a rhizospheric fungus derived from Senna spectabilis, using GC/MS and UPLC-QTOF/MSE techniques assisted by UNIFI information system

Fungi are an important source of natural products found in a variety of plant species. A wide range of methods for the detection of metabolites present in fungi have been reported in the literature. The search for methodologies that allow the rapid detection of compounds present in crude extracts is crucial to enable the metabolite annotation doing a qualitative analysis of the complex matrix. Mass spectrometry is an important ally when it comes to in silico detection of previously reported metabolites. In this work, the ethyl acetate extract of Fusarium solani was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after derivatization process. The ethyl acetate extract was also investigated by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry assisted by the UNIFI software system. A library containing previously reported metabolites from the Fusarium genus was added to the UNIFI platform. Simultaneously, the extract was analyzed through anticholinesterase and antifungal assays. The analysis of the derivatized extract by GC/MS led to the putative identification of five metabolites, and the investigation using Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography - Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF) analysis in data-independent acquisition mode (mass spectrometry) led to the annotation of 15 compounds present in the built-in Fusarium library added to the UNIFI system. The Fusarium solani extract showed potential anticholinesterase and in vitro antifungal activity supported by the detection of bioactive metabolites.

Recent progresses in analytical GC and LC mass spectrometric based-methods for the detection of emerging chlorinated and brominated contaminants and their transformation products in aquatic environment

This paper is an overview of screening methods recently developed for emerging halogenated contaminants and their transformation products. The target screening methods are available only for a limited number of emerging pollutants since the reference standards for these compounds are not always available, but a risk assessment of those micropollutants in environment must be performed anyhow. Therefore, the chromatographic techniques hyphenated with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) trend to become indispensable methods for suspect and non-target screening of emerging halogenated contaminants. HRMS is also an effective tool for tentatively identification of the micropollutants' transformation products existing in much lower concentrations. To assess the transformation pathway of halogenated contaminants in environment, the non-target screening methods must be combined with biodegradation lab experiments and also with advanced oxidation and reduction processes that can mimic the transformation on these contaminants in environment. It is expected that in the future, the accurate-mass full-spectra of transformation products recorded by HRMS will be the basic information needed to elucidate the transformation pathways of emerging halogenated contaminants in aquatic environment.

Performance of the organic-diffusive gradients in thin-films passive sampler for measurement of target and suspect wastewater contaminants

Although passive sampling is widely accepted as an excellent tool for environmental monitoring, their integration with suspect or non-targeted screening by high-resolution mass spectrometry has been limited. This study describes the application of the organic-diffusive gradients in thin-films (o-DGT) passive sampler as a tool for accurate measurement of both targeted and suspect polar organic contaminants (primarily pharmaceuticals) in wastewater. First, performance of o-DGT was assessed alongside the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) and active sampling at two wastewater treatment facilities using targeted analyses. Overall, water concentrations measured by o-DGT, POCIS, and 24-hr integrative active samples were in good agreement with each other. There were exceptions, including a systematic difference between o-DGT and POCIS at certain sites that we propose was a result of site-specific conditions and a difference in sampling rates between the two techniques. The second component of this work involved suspect screening of the o-DGT extracts using high-resolution, high mass accuracy quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF). Lamotrigine, venlafaxine, and des-methylvenlafaxine were three suspect compounds identified and selected as proof-of-concept case studies to determine the feasibility and accuracy of o-DGT for estimating water concentrations based upon predicted sampling rates using a previously validated o-DGT diffusion model. Semi-quantification of the suspect compounds was conducting using an average surrogate response factor based on the suite of compounds measured by the targeted analyses. This, combined with the modelled sampling rates provided time-weighted average wastewater concentrations of the identified suspects within a factor of 2 of the true value, confirmed by isotope dilution with mass labelled internal surrogates. To the knowledge of the authors, this work is the first to demonstrate the utility of the o-DGT passive sampler as a potential environmental screening tool that can be integrated into the rapidly advancing field of non-targeted high resolution mass spectrometry.

Dataset of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products occurrence in wetlands of Saudi Arabia

The data set presents the occurrence of 59 currently used pesticides (CUPs) and 33 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), from wetland areas, in Saudi Arabia, impacted by wastewater discharge. Wetlands are valuable ecosystems, but are very fragile and easily affected by anthropogenic pressure [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. The occurrence of organic contaminants provides understanding about their fate and possible risk for humans and environment. Up to our knowledge, this is the first report on the occurrence of the mentioned organic pollutants in shallow lakes in Saudi Arabia, and the first time these compounds are analyzed in wild flora. Samples of water, sediment, soil and plants were extracted via ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and solid phase extraction (SPE). The compounds determination was performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Interpretation and discussion of the present dataset can be found in the article entitled “Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products and microplastics contamination assessment of Al-Hassa irrigation network (Saudi Arabia) and its shallow lakes”[1].

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products and microplastics contamination assessment of Al-Hassa irrigation network (Saudi Arabia) and its shallow lakes

This study assess the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and pesticides in different environmental compartments and microplastics in water of a characteristic lagoon wetland in Saudi Arabia to establish the transport, accumulation and fate of these pollutants in a water-stressed area under high anthropogenic pressure. In water, diazinon (up to 1016 ng L^-1), caffeine (up to 20,663 ng L^-1), diclofenac (up to 1390 ng L^-1) and paracetamol (up to 3069 ng L^-1) were at the highest concentrations. The substances with the highest frequency of detection were carbendazim, atorvastatin, caffeine, etoricoxib, lorazepam, metformin, ofloxacin, paracetamol, salicylic acid and tramadol. Considerably less pesticides and PPCPs at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 126 ng g^-1 dry weight (d.w.) were detected in the other matrices (sediment ≫ soil > plants). The concentration of microplastics in water ranged from 0.7 to 7.8 items/L in the Al-Asfar lake and from 1.1 to 9.0 items/L in the Al-Hubail lake. Risk assessment [using hazards quotients (HQ)] was used to highlight pesticides and PPCPs of major ecological concern that should be closely monitored to avoid adverse effects.