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Li M, Li Z, Fu L, Deng L, Wu C. Molecular-level insights into dissolved organic matter and its variations of the full-scale processes in a typical petrochemical wastewater treatment plant. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 261:121990. [PMID: 38944002 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121990] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Petrochemical wastewater (PCWW) treatment poses challenges due to its unique and complex dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition, originating from various industrial processes. Despite the addition of advanced treatment units in PCWW treatment plants to meet discharge standards, the mechanisms of molecular-level sights into DOM reactivity of the upgraded full-scale processes including multiple biological treatments and advanced treatment remain unclear. Herein, we employ water quality indexes, spectra, molecular weight (MW) distribution, and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to systematically characterize DOM in a typical PCWW treatment plant including influent, micro-oxygen hydrolysis acidification (MOHA), anaerobic/oxic (AO), and micro-flocculation sand filtration-catalytic ozonation (MFSF-CO). Influent DOM is dominated by tryptophan-like and soluble microbial products with MW fractions 〈 1 kDa and 〉 100 kDa, and CHO with lignin and aliphatic/protein structures. MOHA effectively degrades macromolecular CHO (10.86 %) and CHON (5.24 %) compounds via deamination and nitrogen reduction, while AO removes CHOS compounds with MW < 10 kDa by desulfurization, revealing distinct DOM conversion mechanisms. MFSF-CO transforms unsaturated components to less aromatic and more saturated DOM through oxygen addition reactions and shows high CHOS and CHONS reactivity via desulfurization and deamination reactions, respectively. Moreover, the correlation among multiple parameters suggests UV254 combined with AImod as a simple monitoring indicator of DOM to access the chemical composition. The study provides molecular-level insights into DOM for the contribution to the improvement and optimization of the upgraded processes in PCWW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Zhouyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Liya Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Research Center of Water Pollution Control Engineering Technology, Chinese Research Academy, of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Liyan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Changyong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Research Center of Water Pollution Control Engineering Technology, Chinese Research Academy, of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
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2
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Keyes P, Halimah N, Xiong B. Deciphering polymer degradation chemistry via integrating new database construction into suspect screening analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2024; 26:1184-1197. [PMID: 38804611 DOI: 10.1039/d4em00212a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Water-soluble synthetic polymers and their environmental degradation products are overlooked but important industrial pollutants in wastewater. However, the detection of degradation products is limited to bulk solution chemistry and molecular-level analysis remains unreachable. In this work, we assessed the feasibility of current suspect screening and nontarget workflow using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) to elucidate molecular level information about polyacrylamide (PAM) and its degraded products by free radicals. Radical chain scission of PAM (10 kDa) using heat-activated persulfate was conducted to simulate hydraulic fracturing conditions in the deep subsurface. We found that the current workflows in the commercial software generated predicted formulae with low accuracy, due to limited capability of peak picking and formula prediction for high mass and charge features. By modeling literature-reported degradation pathways, we constructed a degradation product database of over 463 000 unique formulae, which improved the accuracy of the predicted formula. For the matched features, the ratio of aldehyde/ketone terminating molecule abundance was found to increase over 24 h degradation time, suggesting increasing content of aldehydes by radical-induced oxidative chain scission of PAM. This is contradictory to previously proposed ratios of carbon-centered radical position on polymer backbone initiated by hydroxyl radicals. Using in silico fragmentation of MS1 features, we identified 11 structures with confidence levels 2b and 3 using their MS2 information. This is the first attempt to resolve complex polymer degradation chemistry using HRMS that can advance our ability to detect water-soluble polymer pollutants and their transformation products in environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Keyes
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
| | - Noor Halimah
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
| | - Boya Xiong
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA.
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3
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Altamirano JC, Yin S, Belova L, Poma G, Covaci A. Exploring the hidden chemical landscape: Non-target and suspect screening analysis for investigating solid waste-associated environments. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 245:118006. [PMID: 38154568 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.118006] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgelina Cecilia Altamirano
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CONICET-UNCuyo-Government of Mendoza, P.O. Box. 331, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Padre Jorge Contreras 1300, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina; Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Shanshan Yin
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium; Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Interdisciplinary Research Academy (IRA), Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, 310015, China
| | - Lidia Belova
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Giulia Poma
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
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4
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Vidović N, Antić V, Schwarzbauer J. Simultaneous identification and quantification of three water-soluble polymers (PVP, PNVCL and PEI) in wastewater samples by continuous-flow off-line pyrolysis GC/MS. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170320. [PMID: 38278278 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
In environmental analysis, the detection of water-soluble synthetic polymers (WSSP) presents considerable challenges. Thus, a precise and reproducible analytical method was developed using continuous-flow off-line pyrolysis with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to simultaneously identify multiple water-soluble polymers from a single environmental sample. WSSP are widely used in multiple industries as hydrogels due to their hydrophilic character and potential biocompatibility. This adaptability of hydrogels is reflected in their ability to provide customized formulations for specific needs, such as in the development of personal care products, medicine, and pharmaceuticals. Specifically, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) were targeted for analysis in wastewater, employing unique pyrolysis products for identification. These polymers require careful assessment in wastewater to evaluate potential environmental risks associated with their release. PVP and PNVCL were identified through two pyrolysis products, while six pyrolysis products were utilized for the identification of PEI. The validated method demonstrated very good linearity and reproducibility, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.94 to 0.99 and relative standard deviation (RSD) values between 3 % and 36 % for the targeted compounds. The limit of quantification (LOQ) for the three polymers ranged from 1 to 10 μg L-1. Moreover, the average recovery rates for these polymers, determined from artificial water samples, were approx. 85 %. Utilizing the validated method, water samples from seven wastewater treatment plants in Germany were successfully analyzed, confirming the presence of these polymers at elevated concentrations in the μg L-1 range. Notably, untreated influent waters exhibited higher polymer levels compared to treated influents and effluents, underscoring their significant contribution to overall polymer content. The developed analytical method provides an efficient tool for the simultaneous identification and quantification of PVP, PNVCL, and PEI in wastewater samples. The results highlighted the prevalent presence of PVP, PNVCL, and PEI in the tested wastewater samples, indicating their significant abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Vidović
- Institute for Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, RWTH, Lochnerstr. 4-20, Aachen, Germany
| | - Vesna Antić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Zemun-Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jan Schwarzbauer
- Institute for Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, RWTH, Lochnerstr. 4-20, Aachen, Germany.
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5
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Kang D, Yun D, Cho KH, Baek SS, Jeon J. Profiling emerging micropollutants in urban stormwater runoff using suspect and non-target screening via high-resolution mass spectrometry. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141402. [PMID: 38346509 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141402] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Urban surface runoff contains chemicals that can negatively affect water quality. Urban runoff studies have determined the transport dynamics of many legacy pollutants. However, less attention has been paid to determining the first-flush effects (FFE) of emerging micropollutants using suspect and non-target screening (SNTS). Therefore, this study employed suspect and non-target analyses using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to detect emerging pollutants in urban receiving waters during stormwater events. Time-interval sampling was used to determine occurrence trends during stormwater events. Suspect screening tentatively identified 65 substances, then, their occurrence trend was grouped using correlation analysis. Non-target peaks were prioritized through hierarchical cluster analysis, focusing on the first flush-concentrated peaks. This approach revealed 38 substances using in silico identification. Simultaneously, substances identified through homologous series observation were evaluated for their observed trends in individual events using network analysis. The results of SNTS were normalized through internal standards to assess the FFE, and the most of tentatively identified substances showed observed FFE. Our findings suggested that diverse pollutants that could not be covered by target screening alone entered urban water through stormwater runoff during the first flush. This study showcases the applicability of the SNTS in evaluating the FFE of urban pollutants, offering insights for first-flush stormwater monitoring and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daeho Kang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo, 51140, South Korea
| | - Daeun Yun
- Civil Urban Earth and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, 50 UNIST-gil, Eonyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 44919, South Korea
| | - Kyung Hwa Cho
- School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Sang-Soo Baek
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro, Gyeongsan-Si, Gyeongbuk, 38541, South Korea
| | - Junho Jeon
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo, 51140, South Korea; School of Smart and Green Engineering, Changwon National University, Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo, 51140, South Korea.
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6
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Tarring EC, Durance I, Harbottle MJ, Lucas R, Read DS, Ward BD. Water-soluble polymers: Emerging contaminants detected, separated and quantified by a novel GPC/MALDI-TOF method. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 340:122888. [PMID: 37940017 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122888] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are additives used as thickeners, stabilisers and flocculants in industry and in household products, including personal care products. Given their widespread use, it is likely WSPs enter the environment, particularly through wastewaters. This is of concern as there is little ecotoxicological research on their fate and behaviour once in the environment, which means their risk to aquatic life is not understood. The lack of suitable analytical techniques to detect, characterise and quantify WSPs hinders research on the potential impact of these polymers. A novel method has been developed that identifies polymers within a sample and separates them using gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). This is coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), to quantify the polymer fractions using molecular weight information. This process has been carried out on a range of aqueous media. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) ingredients were successfully separated from non-polymeric material in a commercial shaving gel personal care product (PCP), before being quantified at 1.62 wt%. This method was applied to a spiked wastewater influent sample to demonstrate the extraction and separation of PEG from organic constituents such as dissolved organic matter (DOM). This highlighted the additional challenges of analysing WSPs in the environment, as factors such as sorption and biodegradation affected the total recovery of PEG, with an extraction efficiency of 53%. Overall, this method was applied for the extraction of PEG from a PCP with accurate quantification, before a proof-of-concept extraction from wastewater demonstrated the difficulties associated with WSP analysis in environmental samples. This method provides opportunities to use tandem GPC/MALDI-TOF MS to quantify WSPs in a broad array of environmental samples. Additional studies could include its application to wastewater or freshwater monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve C Tarring
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle Durance
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Daniel S Read
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin D Ward
- School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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7
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Hofman‐Caris R, Dingemans M, Reus A, Shaikh SM, Muñoz Sierra J, Karges U, der Beek TA, Nogueiro E, Lythgo C, Parra Morte JM, Bastaki M, Serafimova R, Friel A, Court Marques D, Uphoff A, Bielska L, Putzu C, Ruggeri L, Papadaki P. Guidance document on the impact of water treatment processes on residues of active substances or their metabolites in water abstracted for the production of drinking water. EFSA J 2023; 21:e08194. [PMID: 37644961 PMCID: PMC10461463 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This guidance document provides a tiered framework for risk assessors and facilitates risk managers in making decisions concerning the approval of active substances (AS) that are chemicals in plant protection products (PPPs) and biocidal products, and authorisation of the products. Based on the approaches presented in this document, a conclusion can be drawn on the impact of water treatment processes on residues of the AS or its metabolites in surface water and/or groundwater abstracted for the production of drinking water, i.e. the formation of transformation products (TPs). This guidance enables the identification of actual public health concerns from exposure to harmful compounds generated during the processing of water for the production of drinking water, and it focuses on water treatment methods commonly used in the European Union (EU). The tiered framework determines whether residues from PPP use or residues from biocidal product use can be present in water at water abstraction locations. Approaches, including experimental methods, are described that can be used to assess whether harmful TPs may form during water treatment and, if so, how to assess the impact of exposure to these water treatment TPs (tTPs) and other residues including environmental TPs (eTPs) on human and domesticated animal health through the consumption of TPs via drinking water. The types of studies or information that would be required are described while avoiding vertebrate testing as much as possible. The framework integrates the use of weight-of-evidence and, when possible alternative (new approach) methods to avoid as far as possible the need for additional testing.
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8
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Gao XX, Wang YW, An YC, Ren RY, Lin YH, Wang N, Wang YF, Han JL, Hao ZN, Liu JF, Wang AJ, Ren NQ. Molecular insights into the dissolved organic matter of leather wastewater in leather industrial park wastewater treatment plant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163174. [PMID: 37028676 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Leather wastewater (LW) effluent is characterized by complex organic matter, high salinity, and poor biodegradability. To meet the discharge standards, LW effluent is often mixed with municipal wastewater (MW) before being treated at a leather industrial park wastewater treatment plant (LIPWWTP). However, whether this method efficiently removes the dissolved organic matter (DOM) from LW effluent (LWDOM) remains debatable. In this study, the transformation of DOM during full-scale treatment was revealed using spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. LWDOM exhibited higher aromaticity and lower molecular weight than DOM in MW (MWDOM). The DOM properties in mixed wastewater (MixW) were similar to those in LWDOM and MWDOM. The MixW was treated using a flocculation/primary sedimentation tank (FL1/PST), anoxic/oxic (A/O) process, secondary sedimentation tank (SST), flocculation/sedimentation tank, denitrification filter (FL2/ST-DNF), and an ozonation contact reactor (O3). The FL1/PST unit preferentially removed the peptide-like compounds. The A/O-SST units had the highest removal efficiencies for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (61.34 %) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) (52.2 %). The FL2/ST-DNF treatment removed the lignin-like compounds. The final treatment showed poor DOM mineralization efficiency. The correlation between water quality indices, spectral indices, and molecular-level parameters indicated that lignin-like compounds were strongly correlated with spectral indices and CHOS compounds considerably contributed to the SCOD and DOC. Although the effluent SCOD met the discharge standard, some refractory DOM from LW remained in the effluent. This study illustrates the composition and transformation of DOM and provides theoretical guidance for improving the current treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xu Gao
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China
| | - Yun-Wen Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China
| | - Ye-Chen An
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Rui-Yun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Yao-Hui Lin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China
| | - Ning Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China
| | - Yi-Fan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Jing-Long Han
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, PR China.
| | - Zhi-Neng Hao
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China.
| | - Jing-Fu Liu
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10085, PR China
| | - Ai-Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, PR China
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9
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Pauelsen F, Huppertsberg S, Knepper TP, Zahn D. Narrowing the analytical gap for water-soluble polymers: A novel trace-analytical method and first quantitative occurrence data for polyethylene oxide in surface and wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163563. [PMID: 37084914 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) like polyethylene oxide (PEO) have annual production volumes ranging from thousands to millions of tonnes and are used in a wide variety of applications that enable a release into the aquatic environment. Despite these facts, a lack of quantitative trace-analytical methods for WSPs prevents the comprehensive study of their environmental occurrence. Here, size exclusion chromatography was hyphenated with electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. An all-ion fragmentation approach for the formation of diagnostic fragments independent of molecular weight, charge state, and ion species was used to quantify PEO and its derivatives in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and surface water samples. Despite its inherent biodegradability, PEO concentrations found in the samples analysed ranged from <LOD-11 μg/L for surface waters (11/18 samples >1 μg/L) and reached up to 20 μg/L (effluent) and 400 μg/L (influent) for WWTPs. A substantial shift in molecular weight ranges was observed between influent and effluent, pointing towards a molecular weight fraction between 1.3 and 4 kDa being dominant in the effluent. Due to an assumed size exclusion during sample enrichment, information on the MW-distribution of PEO is limited to MW < 55 kDa. The high concentrations widely detected for a readily biodegradable WSP such as PEO, raise strong concerns about the occurrence and fate of recalcitrant WSPs in the aquatic environment. The method presented herein may provide the tools necessary to assess the burden of these high production volume chemicals and the risk they may pose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Pauelsen
- Hochschule Fresenius gem. GmbH, Institute for Analytical Research, Idstein, Germany
| | - Sven Huppertsberg
- Hochschule Fresenius gem. GmbH, Institute for Analytical Research, Idstein, Germany
| | - Thomas P Knepper
- Hochschule Fresenius gem. GmbH, Institute for Analytical Research, Idstein, Germany
| | - Daniel Zahn
- Hochschule Fresenius gem. GmbH, Institute for Analytical Research, Idstein, Germany.
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10
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Groh KJ, Arp HPH, MacLeod M, Wang Z. Assessing and managing environmental hazards of polymers: historical development, science advances and policy options. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:10-25. [PMID: 36511246 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00386d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Polymers are the main constituents of many materials and products in our modern world. However, their environmental safety is not assessed with the same level of detail as done for non-polymeric chemical substances. Moreover, the fundamentals of contemporary regulatory approaches for polymers were developed in the early 1990s, with little change occurring since then. Currently, the European Commission is working on a proposal to initiate registration of polymers under the European Union's (EU) chemicals legislation REACH. This provides a unique opportunity for regulation to catch up on recent scientific advances. To inform this process, we here critically appraise the suggested regulatory approaches to the environmental assessment and management of polymers against the latest scientific findings regarding their environmental fate, exposure, and effects, and identify the remaining critical knowledge gaps. While we use the EU draft proposal as an example, our findings are broadly applicable to other polymer legislations worldwide, due to the similarity of polymer assessment criteria being used. We emphasize four major aspects that require more attention in the regulation of polymers: (i) increased transparency about chemical identities, physical characteristics and grouping approaches for in-use polymers; (ii) improved understanding of the environmental fate of polymers and materials composed of polymers across size and density categories and exposure profiles; (iii) comprehensive assessment of the environmental hazards of polymers, considering the effects of degradation and weathering and taking into account the actual uptake, long-term toxicity, and geophysical impacts; and (iv) consideration of the production volume and use/release patterns in determining regulatory data and testing requirements. Transitioning toward a toxic-free and sustainable circular economy will likely require additional policy instruments that will reduce the overall complexity and diversity of in-use polymers and polymeric materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Hans Peter H Arp
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, NO-0806 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Matthew MacLeod
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Technology and Society Laboratory, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
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11
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Lai A, Schaub J, Steinbeck C, Schymanski EL. An algorithm to classify homologous series within compound datasets. J Cheminform 2022; 14:85. [PMID: 36510332 PMCID: PMC9746203 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-022-00663-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous series are groups of related compounds that share the same core structure attached to a motif that repeats to different degrees. Compounds forming homologous series are of interest in multiple domains, including natural products, environmental chemistry, and drug design. However, many homologous compounds remain unannotated as such in compound datasets, which poses obstacles to understanding chemical diversity and their analytical identification via database matching. To overcome these challenges, an algorithm to detect homologous series within compound datasets was developed and implemented using the RDKit. The algorithm takes a list of molecules as SMILES strings and a monomer (i.e., repeating unit) encoded as SMARTS as its main inputs. In an iterative process, substructure matching of repeating units, molecule fragmentation, and core detection lead to homologous series classification through grouping of identical cores. Three open compound datasets from environmental chemistry (NORMAN Suspect List Exchange, NORMAN-SLE), exposomics (PubChemLite for Exposomics), and natural products (the COlleCtion of Open NatUral producTs, COCONUT) were subject to homologous series classification using the algorithm. Over 2000, 12,000, and 5000 series with CH2 repeating units were classified in the NORMAN-SLE, PubChemLite, and COCONUT respectively. Validation of classified series was performed using published homologous series and structure categories, including a comparison with a similar existing method for categorising PFAS compounds. The OngLai algorithm and its implementation for classifying homologues are openly available at: https://github.com/adelenelai/onglai-classify-homologues .
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelene Lai
- grid.16008.3f0000 0001 2295 9843Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg ,grid.9613.d0000 0001 1939 2794Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessing Strasse 8, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Jonas Schaub
- grid.9613.d0000 0001 1939 2794Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessing Strasse 8, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Christoph Steinbeck
- grid.9613.d0000 0001 1939 2794Institute for Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Lessing Strasse 8, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Emma L. Schymanski
- grid.16008.3f0000 0001 2295 9843Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
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12
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Zumstein M, Battagliarin G, Kuenkel A, Sander M. Environmental Biodegradation of Water-Soluble Polymers: Key Considerations and Ways Forward. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:2163-2167. [PMID: 35929823 PMCID: PMC9386898 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) have unique properties that are valuable in diverse applications ranging from home and personal care products to agricultural formulations. For applications that result in the release of WSPs into natural environments or engineered systems, such as agricultural soils and wastewater streams, biodegradable as opposed to nonbiodegradable WSPs have the advantage of breaking down and, thereby, eliminating the risk of persistence and accumulation. In this Commentary, we emphasize central steps in WSP biodegradation, discuss how these steps depend on both WSP properties and characteristics of the receiving environment, and highlight critical requirements for testing WSP biodegradability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Zumstein
- Division
of Environmental Geosciences, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental
Systems Science, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria,
| | | | - Andreas Kuenkel
- BASF
SE, Carl-Bosch-Strasse
38, 67056 Ludwigshafen
am Rhein, Germany
| | - Michael Sander
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental
Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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13
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Nigro L, Magni S, Ortenzi MA, Gazzotti S, Della Torre C, Binelli A. Are "liquid plastics" a new environmental threat? The case of polyvinyl alcohol. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 248:106200. [PMID: 35605492 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2022.106200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the pollution induced by plastics become a well-known and documented problem, bringing many countries to adopt restrictions about their production, commercialization and use, the impact of another emerging category of synthetic polymers, represented by the Water-Soluble Polymers (WSPs), also known as "liquid plastics", is overlooked by scientific community. WSPs are produced in large quantities and used in a wide plethora of applications such as food packaging, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, cosmetics and detergents, with a consequent continuous release in the environment. The aim of this study was the investigation of the possible toxicity induced by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), one of the main produced and used WSPs, on two freshwater model organisms, the crustacean Daphnia magna and the teleost Danio rerio (zebrafish). We evaluated the effects of solubilized standard PVA powder and PVA-based commercial bags for carp-fishing, at 3 different concentrations (1 µg/L, 0.5 mg/L and 1 mg/L), through the exposures for 14 days of D. magna (daphnids; age < 24 h) and for 5 days of zebrafish embryos (up to 120 h post fertilization - hpf). As acute effects we evaluated the immobilization/mortality of specimens, while for chronic toxicity we selected several endpoints with a high ecological relevance, as the behavioural alteration on swimming performance, in real-time readout, and the activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO), a neuro-enzyme with a potential implication in the organism movement. The results showed the lack of significant effects induced by the selected substances, at all tested concentrations and in both model organisms. However, considering the wide plethora of available WSPs, other investigations are needed to provide the initial knowledge of risk assessment of these compounds contained in some consumer products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Nigro
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Stefano Magni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy.
| | - Marco Aldo Ortenzi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Stefano Gazzotti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Camilla Della Torre
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Andrea Binelli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan 20133, Italy
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14
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Liu X, Du M, Lu Q, He D, Song K, Yang Q, Duan A, Wang D. How Does Chitosan Affect Methane Production in Anaerobic Digestion? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:15843-15852. [PMID: 34788010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The expanding use of chitosan in sewage and sludge treatment processes raises concerns about its potential environmental impacts. However, investigations of the impacts of chitosan on sewage sludge anaerobic digestion where chitosan is present at substantial levels are sparse. This study therefore aims to fill this knowledge gap through both long-term and batch tests. The results showed that 4 g/kg total suspended solid (TSS) chitosan had no acute effects on methane production, but chitosan at 8-32 g/kg TSS inhibited methane production by 7.2-30.3%. Mass balance and metabolism of organic analyses indicated that chitosan restrained the transfer of organic substrates from solid phase to liquid phase, macromolecules to micromolecules, and finally to methane. Further exploration revealed that chitosan suppressed the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances of anaerobes by occupying the connection sites of indigenous carbohydrates and increased the mass transfer resistance between anaerobes and substrates, which thereby lowered the metabolic activities of anaerobes. Although chitosan could be partly degraded by anaerobes, it is much more persistent to be degraded compared with indigenous organics in sludge. Microbial community and key enzyme encoding gene analyses further revealed that the inhibition of chitosan to CO2-dependent methanogenesis was much severer than that to acetate-dependent methanogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuran Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Mingting Du
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Qi Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Dandan He
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Kang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China
| | - Qi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Abing Duan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
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15
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Rozman U, Kalčíková G. The first comprehensive study evaluating the ecotoxicity and biodegradability of water-soluble polymers used in personal care products and cosmetics. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 228:113016. [PMID: 34839136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.113016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Water-soluble polymers (WSPs) are organic materials that have been used for decades in various applications as part of paints, coatings, adhesives, washing agents, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and cosmetics. However, their ecotoxicity, biodegradability, and overall impact on the environment are still unknown. In this study four polyacrylic acid- based WSPs (three in the solid state and one in the liquid state), which are widely used in cosmetic industry, were tested in terms of their ecotoxicity and biodegradability. The ecotoxicity tests were performed using aquatic plant Lemna minor, microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, crustacean Daphnia magna, bacterium Allivibrio fischeri, and a mixed bacterial culture of activated sludge (with heterotrophic and nitrifying microorganisms tested separately). All four WSPs had low or moderate effects on the tested organisms at several endpoints. However, the liquid WSP had a specific toxic effect on the bioluminescence of Allivibrio fischeri and the oxygen consumption of nitrifying microorganisms - 100 mg/L caused 73% and 88% inhibition, respectively. Therefore, some WSPs capable of inhibiting nitrifying microorganisms could have implications for the nitrification process in wastewater treatment plants and aquatic ecosystems, despite 100 mg/L being a high tested concentration and probably difficult to reach in wastewater. All investigated WSPs were not biodegradable; therefore, their persistence in the environment could be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ula Rozman
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, 113 Večna pot, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gabriela Kalčíková
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, 113 Večna pot, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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16
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Ainali NM, Kalaronis D, Kontogiannis A, Evgenidou E, Kyzas GZ, Yang X, Bikiaris DN, Lambropoulou DA. Microplastics in the environment: Sampling, pretreatment, analysis and occurrence based on current and newly-exploited chromatographic approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 794:148725. [PMID: 34323760 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The omnipresent character of microplastics (MPs) in environmental matrices, organisms and products has recently posed the need of their qualitative as well as quantitative analysis imperative, in order to provide data about their abundance and specification of polymer types in several substrates. In this framework, current and emerging approaches based on the chromatographic separation are of increased relevance in the field of MPs analysis and possess a large number of merits, since most of them are applicable in various complex matrices, sensitive and ideal for the detection of small-sized particles, whereas the common absence of any special pre-treatment step before analysis should also be highlighted. Αnalytical pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has recently gained ground as a powerful means to deliver information on MPs composition and degradation after their release into environment. Several instrumentations and trends in the area of analytical pyrolysis are thoroughly described within this review, while newly-exploited chromatographic methods in the field of MPs analysis, including Liquid Chromatography (LC) and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) in this line are also investigated. The present review fills the gap of standardization concerning sampling, pre-treatment and chromatographic approaches and gathers all the available methodologies applied inside this area in accordance with the studied substrate, with the most examined environmental matrices being the solid one. After investigating the various works, some development options arise and it appears that chromatographic approaches should focus on improved extraction processes in terms of MPs isolation, since it is a crucial part in plastic items monitoring and is commonly depended on the polymer type and matrix. Special attention is given on the potential of chromatographic techniques for microplastics identification as well as quantification by confirming the current research status and knowledge gaps and highlighting some of the recent trends in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Maria Ainali
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Kalaronis
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Antonios Kontogiannis
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Evgenidou
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki GR-57001, Greece
| | - George Z Kyzas
- Department of Chemistry, International Hellenic University, GR-654 04 Kavala, Greece
| | - Xin Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Dimitrios N Bikiaris
- Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitra A Lambropoulou
- Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki GR-57001, Greece.
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17
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Schollée JE, Hollender J, McArdell CS. Characterization of advanced wastewater treatment with ozone and activated carbon using LC-HRMS based non-target screening with automated trend assignment. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 200:117209. [PMID: 34102384 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Advanced treatment is increasingly being applied to improve abatement of micropollutants in wastewater effluent and reduce their load to surface waters. In this study, non-target screening of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data, collected at three Swiss wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), was used to evaluate different advanced wastewater treatment setups, including (1) granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration alone, (2) pre-ozonation followed by GAC filtration, and (3) pre-ozonation followed by powdered activated carbon (PAC) dosed onto a sand filter. Samples were collected at each treatment step of the WWTP and analyzed with reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to HRMS. Each WWTP received a portion of industrial wastewater and a prioritization method was applied to select non-target features potentially resulting from industrial activities. Approximately 37,000 non-target features were found in the influents of the WWTPs. A number of non-target features (1207) were prioritized as likely of industrial origin and 54 were identified through database spectral matching. The fates of all detected non-target features were assessed through a novel automated trend assignment method. A trend was assigned to each non-target feature based on the normalized intensity profile for each sampling date. Results showed that 73±4% of influent non-target features and the majority of industrial features (89%) were well-removed (i.e., >80% intensity reduction) during biological treatment in all three WWTPs. Advanced treatment removed, on average, an additional 11% of influent non-target features, with no significant differences observed among the different advanced treatment settings. In contrast, when considering a subset of 66 known micropollutants, advanced treatment was necessary to adequately abate these compounds and higher abatement was observed in fresh GAC (7,000-8,000 bed volumes (BVs)) compared to older GAC (18,000-48,000 BVs) (80% vs 56% of micropollutants were well-removed, respectively). Approximately half of the features detected in the WWTP effluents were features newly formed during the various treatment steps. In ozonation, between 1108-3579 features were classified as potential non-target ozonation transformation products (OTPs). No difference could be observed for their removal in GAC filters at the BVs investigated (70% of OTPs were well-removed on average). Similar amounts (67%) was observed with PAC (7.7-13.6 mg/L) dosed onto a sand filter, demonstrating that a post-treatment with activated carbon is efficient for the removal of OTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Schollée
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf 8600, Switzerland.
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf 8600, Switzerland; ETH Zurich, Institute of Biopollutant Dynamics, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Christa S McArdell
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf 8600, Switzerland
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18
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Target, suspect and non-target screening analysis from wastewater treatment plant effluents to drinking water using collision cross section values as additional identification criterion. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 414:425-438. [PMID: 33768366 PMCID: PMC8748347 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03263-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The anthropogenic entry of organic micropollutants into the aquatic environment leads to a potential risk for drinking water resources and the drinking water itself. Therefore, sensitive screening analysis methods are needed to monitor the raw and drinking water quality continuously. Non-target screening analysis has been shown to allow for a more comprehensive investigation of drinking water processes compared to target analysis alone. However, non-target screening is challenging due to the many features that can be detected. Thus, data processing techniques to reduce the high number of features are necessary, and prioritization techniques are important to find the features of interest for identification, as identification of unknown substances is challenging as well. In this study, a drinking water production process, where drinking water is supplied by a water reservoir, was investigated. Since the water reservoir provides surface water, which is anthropogenically influenced by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, substances originating from WWTP effluents and reaching the drinking water were investigated, because this indicates that they cannot be removed by the drinking water production process. For this purpose, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ion-mobility high-resolution mass spectrometer (UPLC-IM-HRMS) was used in a combined approach including target, suspect and non-target screening analysis to identify known and unknown substances. Additionally, the role of ion-mobility-derived collision cross sections (CCS) in identification is discussed. To that end, six samples (two WWTP effluent samples, a surface water sample that received the effluents, a raw water sample from a downstream water reservoir, a process sample and the drinking water) were analyzed. Positive findings for a total of 60 substances in at least one sample were obtained through quantitative screening. Sixty-five percent (15 out of 23) of the identified substances in the drinking water sample were pharmaceuticals and transformation products of pharmaceuticals. Using suspect screening, further 33 substances were tentatively identified in one or more samples, where for 19 of these substances, CCS values could be compared with CCS values from the literature, which supported the tentative identification. Eight substances were identified by reference standards. In the non-target screening, a total of ten features detected in all six samples were prioritized, whereby metoprolol acid/atenolol acid (a transformation product of the two β-blockers metoprolol and atenolol) and 1,3-benzothiazol-2-sulfonic acid (a transformation product of the vulcanization accelerator 2-mercaptobenzothiazole) were identified with reference standards. Overall, this study demonstrates the added value of a comprehensive water monitoring approach based on UPLC-IM-HRMS analysis.
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