Stable Isotopic Labeling and Nontarget Identification of Nanogram/Liter Amino Contaminants in Water

Nontargeted Analysis of Coumarins in Source Water and Their Formation of Chlorinated Coumarins as DBPs in Drinking Water

Coumarin was detected as one of the most abundant compounds by nontargeted analysis of natural product components in actual water samples prior to disinfection. More importantly, prechlorination of humic acid generated 3-hydroxycoumarin and monohydroxy-monomethyl-substituted coumarin with a total yield of ≤10.1%, which suggested the humic substance in raw water is an important source of coumarins. 7-Hydroxycoumarin, 6-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin, 6,7-dihydroxycoumarin, and 7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin were identified in raw water by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry because only some coumarin standards were commercially available. Their chlorination generated monochlorinated and polychlorinated coumarins, and their structures were confirmed by the synthesized standards. These products could form at various dosages of chlorine and pH levels, and some with a concentration of 600 ng/L can be stable in tap water for days. 3,6,8-Trichloro-7-hydroxycoumarin, 3-chloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin, and 3,6-dichloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin were first identified in finished water with concentrations of 0.0670, 78.1, and 14.7 ng/L, respectively, but not in source water, suggesting that they are new DBPs formed during disinfection. The cytotoxicity of 3-chloro-7-methoxy-4-methylcoumarin in CHO-K1 cells was comparable to those of 2,6-dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone and 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone in TIC-Tox analyses, suggesting that further investigation of their occurrence and control in drinking water systems is warranted.

What is the role of nitrate/nitrite in trace organic contaminants degradation and transformation during UV-based advanced oxidation processes?

The effectiveness of UV-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) in degrading trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) can be significantly influenced by the ubiquitous presence of nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) in water and wastewater. Indeed, NO3-/NO2- can play multiple roles of NO3-/NO2- in UV-AOPs, leading to complexities and conflicting results observed in existing research. They can inhibit the degradation of TrOCs by scavenging reactive species and/or competitively absorbing UV light. Conversely, they can also enhance the elimination of TrOCs by generating additional •OH and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Furthermore, the presence of NO3-/NO2- during UV-AOP treatment can affect the transformation pathways of TrOCs, potentially resulting in the nitration/nitrosation of TrOCs. The resulting nitro(so)-products are generally more toxic than the parent TrOCs and may become precursors of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs) upon chlorination. Particularly, since the impact of NO3-/NO2- in UV-AOPs is largely due to the generation of RNS from NO3-/NO2- including NO•, NO2•, and peroxynitrite (ONOO-/ONOOH), this review covers the generation, properties, and detection methods of these RNS. From kinetic, mechanistic, and toxicologic perspectives, future research needs are proposed to advance the understanding of how NO3-/NO2- can be exploited to improve the performance of UV-AOPs treating TrOCs. This critical review provides a comprehensive framework outlining the multifaceted impact of NO3-/NO2- in UV-AOPs, contributing insights for basic research and practical applications of UV-AOPs containing NO3-/NO2-.

HDPairFinder: A data processing platform for hydrogen/deuterium isotopic labeling-based nontargeted analysis of trace-level amino-containing chemicals in environmental water

The combination of hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) formaldehyde-based isotopic methyl labeling with solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) is a powerful analytical solution for nontargeted analysis of trace-level amino-containing chemicals in water samples. Given the huge amount of chemical information generated in HPLC-HRMS analysis, identifying all possible H/D-labeled amino chemicals presents a significant challenge in data processing. To address this, we designed a streamlined data processing pipeline that can automatically extract H/D-labeled amino chemicals from the raw HPLC-HRMS data with high accuracy and efficiency. First, we developed a cross-correlation algorithm to correct the retention time shift resulting from deuterium isotopic effects, which enables reliable pairing of H- and D-labeled peaks. Second, we implemented several bioinformatic solutions to remove false chemical features generated by in-source fragmentation, salt adduction, and natural 13C isotopes. Third, we used a data mining strategy to construct the AMINES library that consists of over 38,000 structure-disjointed primary and secondary amines to facilitate putative compound annotation. Finally, we integrated these modules into a freely available R program, HDPairFinder.R. The rationale of each module was justified and its performance tested using experimental H/D-labeled chemical standards and authentic water samples. We further demonstrated the application of HDPairFinder to effectively extract N-containing contaminants, thus enabling the monitoring of changes of primary and secondary N-compounds in authentic water samples. HDPairFinder is a reliable bioinformatic tool for rapid processing of H/D isotopic methyl labeling-based nontargeted analysis of water samples, and will facilitate a better understanding of N-containing chemical compounds in water.

Isotopically labeled ozone: A new approach to elucidate the formation of ozonation products

As ozonation becomes a widespread treatment for removal of chemicals of emerging concern from wastewater treatment plant effluents, there are increasing concerns regarding the formation of ozonation products (OPs), and their possible impacts on the aquatic environment and eventually human health. In this study, a novel method was developed that utilizes heavy oxygen (¹⁸O₂) for the production of heavy ozone ([¹⁸O₁]O₂, [¹⁸O₂]O₁, [¹⁸O₃]) to actively label OPs from oxygen transfer reactions. To establish and validate this new approach, venlafaxine with a well-described oxygen transfer reaction (tertiary amine -> N-oxide) was chosen as a model compound. Observed ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios in the major OP venlafaxine N-oxide (NOV) correlated with expected ¹⁸O purities based on tracer experiments. These results confirmed the successful labeling with heavy oxygen and furthermore demonstrate the potential to monitor NOV as an indicator of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios during ozonation. As a next step, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios were used to elucidate the formation mechanism of previously described OPs from sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Seven OPs were detected including the frequently described nitro-SMX, which was formed with a maximum yield of 3.2% (of initial SMX). With the successful labeling of six of the seven OPs from sulfamethoxazole, it was possible to confirm their previously proposed formation pathways, and to distinguish oxygen transfer from electron transfer reactions. ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios in OPs indicate that hydroxylation of the aromatic ring and formation of nitro-groups mostly follows oxygen transfer reactions, while electron transfer reactions initiate the formation of hydroxylamine and the abstraction of NH₂ leading to catechol.

Analytical derivatizations in environmental analysis

Analytical derivatization is a technique that alters the structure of an analyte and produces a product more suitable for analysis. While this process can be time-consuming and add reagents to the procedure, it can also facilitate the isolation of the analyte(s), enhance analytes' stability, improve separation and sensitivity, and reduce matrix interferences. Since derivatization is a functional group analysis, it improves selectivity by separating reactive from neutral compounds during sample preparation. This technique introduces detector-orientated tags into analytes that lack suitable physicochemical properties for detection at low concentrations. Notably, many regulatory bodies, especially those in the environmental field, require these characteristics in analytical methods. This review focuses on note-worthy analytical derivatization methods employed in environmental analyses with functional groups, phenol, carboxylic acid, aldehyde, ketone, and thiol in aqueous, soil, and atmospheric sample matrices. Both advantages and disadvantages of analytical derivatization techniques are discussed. In addition, we discuss the future directions of analytical derivatization methods in environmental analysis and the potential challenges.

Ozonation of organic compounds in water and wastewater: A critical review

Ozonation has been applied in water treatment for more than a century, first for disinfection, later for oxidation of inorganic and organic pollutants. In recent years, ozone has been increasingly applied for enhanced municipal wastewater treatment for ecosystem protection and for potable water reuse. These applications triggered significant research efforts on the abatement efficiency of organic contaminants and the ensuing formation of transformation products. This endeavor was accompanied by developments in analytical and computational chemistry, which allowed to improve the mechanistic understanding of ozone reactions. This critical review assesses the challenges of ozonation of impaired water qualities such as wastewaters and provides an up-to-date compilation of the recent kinetic and mechanistic findings of ozone reactions with dissolved organic matter, various functional groups (olefins, aromatic compounds, heterocyclic compounds, aliphatic nitrogen-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds, hydrocarbons, carbanions, β-diketones) and antibiotic resistance genes.

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.

Noncovalently Tagged Gas Phase Complex Ions for Screening Unknown Contaminant Metabolites in Plants

Screening the metabolites of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) from complicated biological matrices is an important but challenging task. Although stable isotope labeling (SIL) is frequently used to facilitate the identification of contaminant metabolites from redundant interfering components, the isotopically labeled reagents are expensive and difficult to synthesize, which greatly constrains the application of the SIL method. Herein, a new online noncovalent tagging method was developed for screening the metabolites of 1H-benzotriazol (BT) based on the characteristic structural moieties reserved in the metabolites. By selecting β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a macrocyclic tagging reagent, metabolites with the reserved moiety were expected to exhibit a characteristic shift of the mass-to-charge ratio (Δm/z = 1134.3698) after being noncovalently tagged by β-CD. Based on the characteristic mass shift, the suspected features were reduced by 1 order of magnitude, as numerous interfering species that could not be effectively tagged by β-CD were excluded. From these suspected features, two metabolites of BT that have not been reported before were successfully screened out. The significant characteristic mass shift caused by the noncovalent tagging method is easier to identify with more confidence than the previously reported SIL method. Besides, noncovalent tagging reagents can be much more accessible and less expensive than isotopically labeled reagents. Hence, this online noncovalent tagging method can be an intriguing alternative to the conventional SIL method.

Analytical discovery of water disinfection byproducts of toxicological relevance: highlighting halobenzoquinones

Analytical advancement enables discoveries in water research, and challenges in the identification and determination of a wide range of trace level toxic compounds in water drives the development of new analytical platforms and tools. The identification of toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in disinfected drinking water is an excellent example. Water disinfection is necessary to protect the public from waterborne disease. However, an unintentional consequence is the formation of DBPs resulting from reactions of disinfectants with natural organic matter in source water. To date, regulated DBPs do not account for the increased bladder cancer risk estimated in epidemiological studies. The majority of halogenated DBPs remain unidentified and the discovery of unknown DBPs of toxicological relevance continues to be a major focus of current water research. This review will highlight halobenzoquinones as a class of DBPs that serves as an example of analytical development and toxicological studies. We will feature recent trends and gaps in analytical technologies for identification of unknown DBPs and bioassays for evaluation of the toxicological effects of specific DBPs and their mixtures.

Nontargeted Identification of an N-Heterocyclic Compound in Source Water and Wastewater as a Precursor of Multiple Nitrosamines

N-Nitrosamine disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are a health concern because they are probable human carcinogens. Complex organic nitrogenous compounds, nitrosamine precursors, are largely unidentified in source water. Using stable isotopic labeling-enhanced nontargeted analysis, we identified a natural product N-heterocyclic amine 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCCA) in source water. Interestingly, we discovered that chloramination of MTCCA-containing water could produce four nitrosamines: methylethylnitrosamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosoanatabine, and N-nitrosoanabasine. Computational modeling and experimental results helped explain potential pathways of nitrosamines generated from chloramination of MTCCA. Further investigations confirmed widespread occurrence of MTCCA in source water and wastewater. Its concentration ranged from high in upstream creeks (23.2-332.2 ng L^-1) to low in the river (5.7-37.6 ng L^-1) during the 2020 spring runoffs, indicating that sources of MTCCA came from creeks around farms. Analysis of wastewater before and after ultraviolet, as well as microfiltration with subsequent ozonation treatments, showed increased MTCCA after treatments, demonstrating a difficulty to degrade and remove MTCCA in water. This study discovered the extensive presence of MTCCA in source water and wastewater, suggesting that natural N-heterocyclic compounds may serve as a new source of nitrosamine precursors.

Unraveling the chemodiversity of halogenated disinfection by-products formed during drinking water treatment using target and non-target screening tools

To date, there is no analytical approach available that allows the full identification and characterization of highly complex disinfection by-product (DBP) mixtures. This study aimed at investigating the chemodiversity of drinking water halogenated DBPs using diverse analytical tools: measurement of adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) and mass spectrometry (MS)-based target and non-target analytical workflows. Water was sampled before and after chemical disinfection (chlorine or chloramine) at four drinking water treatment plants in Sweden. The target analysis had the highest sensitivity, although it could only partially explain the AOX formed in the disinfected waters. Non-target Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) MS analysis indicated that only up to 19 Cl and/or Br-CHO formulae were common to all disinfected waters. Unexpectedly, a high diversity of halogenated DBPs (presumed halogenated polyphenolic and highly unsaturated compounds) was found in chloraminated surface water, comparable to that found in chlorinated surface water. Overall, up to 86 DBPs (including isobaric species) were tentatively identified using liquid chromatography (LC)-Orbitrap MS. Although further work is needed to confirm their identity and assess their relevance in terms of toxicity, they can be used to design suspect lists to improve the characterization of disinfected water halogenated mixtures.

New methods for identification of disinfection byproducts of toxicological relevance: Progress and future directions

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) represent a ubiquitous source of chemical exposure in disinfected water. While over 700 DBPs have been identified, the drivers of toxicity remain poorly understood. Additionally, ever evolving water treatment practices have led to a continually growing list of DBPs. Advancement of analytical technologies have enabled the identification of new classes of DBPs and the quantification of these chemically diverse sets of DBPs. Here we summarize advances in new workflows for DBP analysis, including sample preparation, chromatographic separation with mass spectrometry (MS) detection, and data processing. To aid in the selection of techniques for future studies, we discuss necessary considerations for each step in the strategy. This review focuses on how each step of a workflow can be optimized to capture diverse classes of DBPs within a single method. Additionally, we highlight new MS-based approaches that can be powerful for identifying novel DBPs of toxicological relevance. We discuss current challenges and provide perspectives on future research directions with respect to studying new DBPs of toxicological relevance. As analytical technologies continue to advance, new strategies will be increasingly used to analyze complex DBPs produced in different treatment processes with the aim to identify potential drivers of toxicity.

Identification of N-Nitrosamines and Nitrogenous Heterocyclic Byproducts during Chloramination of Aromatic Secondary Amine Precursors

With diminishing pristine water, wastewater-affected waters that contain complex anthropogenic compounds are becoming important sources of drinking water and the compounds will inevitably react with disinfectants to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Secondary amines such as diphenylamine (DPA) analogues are considered as potential precursors of N-nitrosamines. In this study, an in situ ¹⁴N/¹⁵N-labeling and screening workflow was used to systematically investigate the formation of nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs) and putative reaction pathways. Twenty-four pairs of N-DBPs were generated and identified from chloramination of DPA through two main pathways, in which chloramines reacted with the amino and phenyl functional groups to form N-nitrosodiphenylamine and monochlorinated 5,10-dihydro-phenazine (Cl-DiH-Phe), respectively. Cl-DiH-Phe could further produce phenazine and the coupling products with another DPA molecule. Selective N-DBP formation was pH and dose-dependent, and the same reactions were observed for additional two aromatic DPA analogues. Effects of alkyl substituents on the formation pathways were investigated using a series of dialkyl and N-alkyl aromatic analogues. Only the amino pathway to form nitrosamines was noticed for dialkyl amines, nevertheless, both the main reactions occurred for N-alkyl aromatic amines. These findings suggested that the reaction with chloramines through a phenyl pathway was likely to be crucial for novel nitrogenous heterocyclic byproducts.