1
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Taibl KR, Dunlop AL, Smith MR, Walker DI, Ryan PB, Panuwet P, Corwin EJ, Kannan K, Jones DP, Marsit CJ, Tan Y, Liang D, Eick SM, Barr DB. Association of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with the antioxidant bilirubin across pregnancy. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 223:184-192. [PMID: 39097204 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In mechanistic and preliminary human studies, prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with oxidative stress, a potential contributor to maternal liver disease. Bilirubin is an endogenous antioxidant abundant in the liver that may serve as a physiological modulator of oxidative stress in pregnant people. Hence, our objective was to estimate the association between repeated measures of PFAS and bilirubin during pregnancy. METHODS The study population included 332 participants in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort between 2014 and 2020. Serum samples were collected up to two times (early pregnancy: 6-18 gestational weeks; late pregnancy: 21-36 gestational weeks) for the measurement of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and total bilirubin. We analyzed single PFAS with linear mixed effect regression and a mixture of the four PFAS with quantile g-computation. Models were repeated with a multiplicative interaction term to explore effect modification by study visit. RESULTS Overall, PFHxS was positively associated with bilirubin (β = 0.08, 95 % CI = 0.01, 0.15). We also found during late pregnancy, there was a positive association of PFHxS and the PFAS mixture with bilirubin (β = 0.12, 95 % CI = 0.02, 0.22; ψ = 0.19, 95 % CI = 0.03, 0.34, respectively). Finally, study visit modified the PFOA-bilirubin association (interaction p-value = 0.09), which was greater during early pregnancy (β = 0.08, 95 % CI = 0.01, 0.15). CONCLUSION In a prospective cohort of pregnant African Americans, an increase in PFOA, PFHxS, and the PFAS mixture was associated with an increase in bilirubin. Our results suggest that, depending on pregnancy stage, prenatal PFAS exposure disrupts the maternal liver antioxidant capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R Taibl
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne L Dunlop
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - M Ryan Smith
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta VA Healthcare System, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Douglas I Walker
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Parinya Panuwet
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Corwin
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kurunthachalam Kannan
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA
| | - Dean P Jones
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Carmen J Marsit
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Youran Tan
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Donghai Liang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanie M Eick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Dana Boyd Barr
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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2
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Reppas-Chrysovitsinos E, Svanström M, Peters G. Estimating fossil carbon contributions from chemicals and microplastics in Sweden's urban wastewater systems: A model-based approach. Heliyon 2024; 10:e37665. [PMID: 39323797 PMCID: PMC11422550 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The importance of including fossil carbon in greenhouse gas emission assessments from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is highlighted in the 2019 Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines revision and underpinned by an increasing number of experimental studies. The present study introduces a model-based approach to estimate fossil carbon flows within Sweden's urban wastewater system, employing data on chemical and polymeric material flows as a starting point. Our findings show that fossil carbon constitutes approximately 12-17 % of the total carbon emissions to sewer systems. This result aligns with experimental data, which shows fossil carbon contributions to WWTP influents ranging from 4 to 28 %. Our analysis further indicates that microplastics contribute about 13 % of the fossil carbon influx to Swedish WWTPs, while organic chemicals account for the remaining 83 %.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstathios Reppas-Chrysovitsinos
- Division of Environmental Systems Analysis, Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, SE412 96, Sweden
| | - Magdalena Svanström
- Division of Environmental Systems Analysis, Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, SE412 96, Sweden
| | - Gregory Peters
- Division of Environmental Systems Analysis, Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, SE412 96, Sweden
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3
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Santiago-Cruz HA, Lou Z, Xu J, Sullivan RC, Bowers BB, Molé RA, Zhang W, Li J, Yuan JS, Dai SY, Lowry GV. Carbon Adsorbent Properties Impact Hydrated Electron Activity and Perfluorocarboxylic Acid (PFCA) Destruction. ACS ES&T ENGINEERING 2024; 4:2220-2233. [PMID: 39296420 PMCID: PMC11406532 DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.4c00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
Carbon-based adsorbents used to remove recalcitrant water contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are often regenerated using energy-intensive treatments that can form harmful byproducts. We explore mechanisms for sorbent regeneration using hydrated electrons (eaq -) from sulfite ultraviolet photolysis (UV/sulfite) in water. We studied the UV/sulfite treatment on three carbon-based sorbents with varying material properties: granular activated carbon (GAC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and polyethylenimine-modified lignin (lignin). Reaction rates and defluorination of dissolved and adsorbed model perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), were measured. Monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) was employed to empirically quantify eaq - formation rates in heterogeneous suspensions. Results show that dissolved PFCAs react rapidly compared to adsorbed ones. Carbon particles in solution decreased aqueous reaction rates by inducing light attenuation, eaq - scavenging, and sulfite consumption. The magnitude of these effects depended on adsorbent properties and surface chemistry. GAC lowered PFOA destruction due to strong adsorption. CNT and lignin suspensions decreased eaq - formation rates by attenuating light. Lignin showed high eaq - quenching, likely due to its oxygenated functional groups. These results indicate that desorbing PFAS and separating the adsorbent before initiating PFAS degradation reactions will be the best engineering approach for adsorbent regeneration using UV/sulfite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosea A Santiago-Cruz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Zimo Lou
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jiang Xu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ryan C Sullivan
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217, United States
| | - Bailey B Bowers
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074, United States
| | - Rachel A Molé
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Wan Zhang
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Jinghao Li
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, United States
| | - Joshua S Yuan
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899, United States
| | - Susie Y Dai
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Gregory V Lowry
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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4
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Fuller N, Suski JG, Lanasa S, Chanov MK, Jones DK, Haskins DL, Quinlin KA, Wigren MA, Hoverman JT, Choi YJ, Sepulveda MS, Lee LS, Lotufo GR, Kennedy A, May L, Harmon A, Biber T, Melby N, Moore DW, Key PB, Chung KW, Wirth EF, Anderson TA. Chronic Toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance-Free Firefighting Foams to Aquatic Organisms. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 39189750 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Amid global concern regarding the health and environmental impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), there is an urgent need to develop and implement alternative products without PFAS. Consequently, PFAS-free firefighting foams used for fire suppression have been developed for use in military and residential settings. To facilitate the selection of lower-risk PFAS-free foams, the present study focused on the chronic toxicity of seven PFAS-free and one PFAS-containing foam to six aquatic species. Target species included two cladocerans, Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia; the chironomid Chironomus dilutus; the mysid Americamysis bahia; and two fish species, Pimephales promelas and Cyprinodon variegatus, with endpoints including growth, development, reproduction, and survival. To facilitate comparison and product toxicity rankings, effective concentrations (20%, 50%) and no- and lowest-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs and LOECs, respectively) were calculated. Effective concentrations, NOECs, and LOECs varied by over an order of magnitude among foams and species, with several of the PFAS-free formulations ranked as highly toxic based on US Environmental Protection Agency alternatives assessment hazard criteria. Overall, the PFAS-free foams were found to exhibit either similar or greater toxicity compared to the PFAS-containing reference foam across several species and endpoints. Nonmonotonic and hormetic dose responses were observed in D. magna for several of the tested foams, with increased reproduction and growth at intermediate exposures. Generally, tested foam toxicity rankings were consistent with a related acute toxicity study using the same species and formulations, and other research using soil invertebrates. Combined with related efforts for other taxa including mammals, birds, and plants, the present research will facilitate the selection of appropriate PFAS-free firefighting foams that minimize harm to the environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-19. © 2024 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Fuller
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
| | - Jamie G Suski
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah Lanasa
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael K Chanov
- EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
| | - Devin K Jones
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - David L Haskins
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Kathryn A Quinlin
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Maggie A Wigren
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Jason T Hoverman
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Youn J Choi
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Maria S Sepulveda
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Linda S Lee
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Guilherme R Lotufo
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Alan Kennedy
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Lauren May
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Ashley Harmon
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Thomas Biber
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Nicolas Melby
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - David W Moore
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi
| | - Peter B Key
- NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Katy W Chung
- NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Edward F Wirth
- NOAA, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Todd A Anderson
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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5
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Gaillard L, Barouki R, Blanc E, Coumoul X, Andréau K. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as persistent pollutants with metabolic and endocrine-disrupting impacts. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024:S1043-2760(24)00202-9. [PMID: 39181731 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
The widespread use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), and their resistance to degradation, renders human exposure to them inevitable. PFAS exposure disturbs endocrine function, potentially affecting cognitive development in newborns through thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy. Recent studies reveal varying male and female reproductive toxicity across PFAS classes, with alternative analogs affecting sperm parameters and legacy PFASs correlating with conditions like endometriosis. Metabolically, PFASs exposure is linked to metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, and liver toxicity, particularly in early childhood. This review focuses on the endocrine-disrupting impact of PFASs, particularly on fertility, thyroid, and metabolic functions. We highlight the complexity of the PFAS issue, given the large number of molecules and their extremely diverse mixed effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Gaillard
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Robert Barouki
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Etienne Blanc
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France.
| | - Karine Andréau
- Université Paris Cité - INSERM UMR 1124 T3S, 45 rue des Saints-Pères, 75006, Paris, France
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6
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DeWitt JC, Glüge J, Cousins IT, Goldenman G, Herzke D, Lohmann R, Miller M, Ng CA, Patton S, Trier X, Vierke L, Wang Z, Adu-Kumi S, Balan S, Buser AM, Fletcher T, Haug LS, Heggelund A, Huang J, Kaserzon S, Leonel J, Sheriff I, Shi YL, Valsecchi S, Scheringer M. Zürich II Statement on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): Scientific and Regulatory Needs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2024; 11:786-797. [PMID: 39156923 PMCID: PMC11325642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic chemicals of global concern. A group of 36 scientists and regulators from 18 countries held a hybrid workshop in 2022 in Zürich, Switzerland. The workshop, a sequel to a previous Zürich workshop held in 2017, deliberated on progress in the last five years and discussed further needs for cooperative scientific research and regulatory action on PFASs. This review reflects discussion and insights gained during and after this workshop and summarizes key signs of progress in science and policy, ongoing critical issues to be addressed, and possible ways forward. Some key take home messages include: 1) understanding of human health effects continues to develop dramatically, 2) regulatory guidelines continue to drop, 3) better understanding of emissions and contamination levels is needed in more parts of the world, 4) analytical methods, while improving, still only cover around 50 PFASs, and 5) discussions of how to group PFASs for regulation (including subgroupings) have gathered momentum with several jurisdictions proposing restricting a large proportion of PFAS uses. It was concluded that more multi-group exchanges are needed in the future and that there should be a greater diversity of participants at future workshops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie C. DeWitt
- Department
of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331, Oregon, United States
| | - Juliane Glüge
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zürich CH-8092, Switzerland
| | - Ian T. Cousins
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | | | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU,
Tromsø 9296, Norway and Department of Food Safety, Norwegian
Institute of Public Health, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- Graduate
School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, Narragansett 02882, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Mark Miller
- National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Public Health Service, Research
Triangle Park 27709, North Carolina, United States
| | - Carla A. Ng
- Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Environmental and Occupational
Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh 15261, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Sharyle Patton
- Health
and
Environment Program Commonweal, Bolinas 94924, California, United States
| | - Xenia Trier
- Department
of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section for Environmental Chemistry
and Physics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1165, Denmark
| | - Lena Vierke
- German
Environment Agency (UBA), Dessau-Roßlau 06844, Germany
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Empa-Swiss
Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St. Gallen CH-9014, Switzerland
| | | | - Simona Balan
- California
Department of Toxic Substances Control, Safer Consumer Products Program, Berkeley 94710, California, United States
| | | | - Tony Fletcher
- Department
of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1H 9SH, U.K.
| | - Line Småstuen Haug
- Department
of Food Safety, Norwegian Institute of Public
Health, Oslo 0213, Norway
| | | | - Jun Huang
- School
of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Sarit Kaserzon
- Queensland
Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Juliana Leonel
- Department
of Oceanography, Universidade Federal de
Santa Catarina, Florianopólis 40170110, Brazil
| | - Ishmail Sheriff
- School
of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 14300, Malaysia
| | - Ya-Li Shi
- School
of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University
of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, CN, 310024 and State Key
Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research
Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Sara Valsecchi
- Water
Research Institute-National Research Council, Brugherio 20861, Italy
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Institute
of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Zürich CH-8092, Switzerland
- RECETOX, Masaryk
University, Brno 62500, Czech Republic
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7
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Hafeez S, Khanam A, Cao H, Chaplin BP, Xu W. Novel Conductive and Redox-Active Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Direct Quantification of Perfluorooctanoic Acid. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2024; 11:871-877. [PMID: 39156924 PMCID: PMC11325644 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
This study developed a novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) that is both conductive and redox-active for directly quantifying perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) electrochemically. We synthesized the monomer 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (EDOT-TEMPO) for electropolymerization on a glassy carbon electrode using PFOA as a template, which was abbreviated as PEDOT-TEMPO-MIP. The redox-active MIP eliminated the need for external redox probes. When exposed to PFOA, both anodic and cathodic peaks of MIP showed a decreased current density. This observation can be explained by the formation of a charge-assisted hydrogen bond between the anionic PFOA and MIP's redox-active moieties (TEMPO) that hinder the conversion between the oxidized and reduced forms of TEMPO. The extent of the current density decrease showed excellent linearity with PFOA concentrations, with a method detection limit of 0.28 ng·L-1. PEDOT-TEMPO-MIP also exhibited high selectivity toward PFOA against other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at environmentally relevant concentrations. Our results suggest electropolymerization of MIPs was highly reproducible, with a relative standard deviation of 5.1% among three separate MIP electrodes. PEDOT-TEMPO-MIP can also be repeatedly used with good stability and reproducibility for PFOA detection. This study provides an innovative platform for rapid PFAS quantification using redox-active MIPs, laying the groundwork for developing compact PFAS sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumbul Hafeez
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, United States
| | - Aysha Khanam
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, United States
| | - Han Cao
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, United States
| | - Brian P. Chaplin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois
at Chicago, 929 W. Taylor St., 14, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Wenqing Xu
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, United States
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8
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Begum S, Prince N, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Chen Y, Soeteman DI, Fangal V, Huang M, Wheelock C, Mendez K, Litonjua AA, Weiss ST, Lasky-Su J, Kelly RS. Pregnancy complications and birth outcomes following low-level exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the vitamin D antenatal asthma reduction trial. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. ADVANCES 2024:d4va00001c. [PMID: 39156222 PMCID: PMC11328948 DOI: 10.1039/d4va00001c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic, highly fluorinated aliphatic compounds, commonly utilised in a wide variety of consumer products with diverse applications. Since the genesis of these compounds, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated adverse health effects associated with PFAS exposure. In a racially diverse cohort of 459 pregnant mothers, demographically weighted towards minority representation (black 44.4%, white 38.4%, other 17.2%), across three major populous cities of the US, PFAS profiling was performed. Nine distinct PFAS species were quantified using mass spectrometry in plasma samples collected during the third trimester. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to interrogate the associations of PFAS with gestational and birth outcomes: gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, gestational age at delivery, low birth weight, birth weight-, birth length- and head circumference-for-gestational-age. Detectable levels for eight out of nine profiled PFAS species were found in the plasma of pregnant mothers with a median range of 0.1-2.70 ng ml-1. Using a mixtures approach, we observe that increased quantile-based g-computation (Qg-comp) "total" PFAS levels were associated with increased newborn birth-weight-for-gestational-age (β 1.28; 95% CI 1.07-1.52; FDR p 0.006). In study centre-stratified analyses, we observed a similar trend in Boston pregnant mothers, with Qg-comp total PFAS associated with higher newborn birth-weight-for-gestational-age (β 1.39; 95% CI 1.01-1.92, FDR p 0.05). We additionally found elevated PFUA concentrations were associated with longer gestational terms in San Diego pregnant mothers (β 0.60; 95% CI 0.18-1.02, FDR p 0.05). In this multi-city study, we detected lower levels of PFAS than in many previous US environmental studies, concordant with current US trends indicating environmental PFAS levels are falling, and we note geographical variation in the associations between PFAS levels and birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofina Begum
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London London UK
| | - Nicole Prince
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Boston MA USA
| | - Yulu Chen
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Djøra I Soeteman
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
- Center for Health Decision Science, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health Boston MA USA
| | - Vrushali Fangal
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Mengna Huang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Craig Wheelock
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Physiological Chemistry 2, Karolinska Institute Stockholm Sweden
| | - Kevin Mendez
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Augusto A Litonjua
- Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester NY USA
| | - Scott T Weiss
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Jessica Lasky-Su
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
| | - Rachel S Kelly
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 181 Longwood Avenue Boston MA 02115 USA +1 (617) 525-0065
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9
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George AJ, Birnbaum LS. Dioxins vs. PFAS: Science and Policy Challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:85003. [PMID: 39133093 PMCID: PMC11318569 DOI: 10.1289/ehp14449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioxin-like chemicals are a group of ubiquitous environmental toxicants that received intense attention in the last two decades of the 20th century. Through extensive mechanistic research and validation, the global community has agreed upon a regulatory strategy for these chemicals that centers on their common additive activation of a single receptor. Applying these regulations has led to decreased exposure in most populations studied. As dioxin-like chemicals moved out of the limelight, research and media attention has turned to other concerning contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). During the 20th century, PFAS were also being quietly emitted into the environment, but only in the last 20 years have we realized the serious threat they pose to health. There is active debate about how to appropriately classify and regulate the thousands of known PFAS and finding a solution for these "forever chemicals" is of the utmost urgency. OBJECTIVES Here, we compare important features of dioxin-like chemicals and PFAS, including the history, mechanism of action, and effective upstream regulatory strategies, with the objective of gleaning insight from the past to improve strategies for addressing PFAS. DISCUSSION The differences between these two chemical classes means that regulatory strategies for dioxin-like chemicals will not be appropriate for PFAS. PFAS exert toxicity by both receptor-based and nonreceptor-based mechanisms, which complicates mixtures evaluation and stymies efforts to develop inexpensive assays that accurately capture toxicity. Furthermore, dioxin-like chemicals were unwanted byproducts, but PFAS are useful and valuable, which has led to intense resistance against efforts to restrict their production. Nonetheless, useful lessons can be drawn from dioxin-like chemicals and applied to PFAS, including eliminating nonessential production of new PFAS and proactive investment in environmental remediation to address their extraordinarily long environmental persistence. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14449.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. George
- Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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10
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Sherman-Bertinetti SL, Kostelnik EG, Gruber KJ, Balgooyen S, Remucal CK. Preferential Partitioning of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Dissolved Organic Matter in Freshwater Surface Microlayer and Natural Foam. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:13099-13109. [PMID: 38977377 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are surfactants that can accumulate in the surface microlayer (SML) and in natural foams, with potential elevated exposure for organisms at the water surface. However, the impact of water chemistry on PFAS accumulation in these matrices in freshwater systems is unknown. We quantified 36 PFAS in water, the SML, and natural foams from 43 rivers and lakes in Wisconsin, USA, alongside measurements of pH, cations, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). PFAS partition to foams with concentration ranging 2300-328,200 ng/L in waters with 6-139 ng/L PFAS (sum of 36 analytes), corresponding to sodium-normalized enrichment factors ranging <50 to >7000. Similar enrichment is observed for DOC (∼70). PFAS partitioning to foams increases with increasing chain length and is positively correlated with [DOC]. Modest SML enrichment is observed for PFOS (1.4) and FOSA (2.4), while negligible enrichment is observed for other PFAS and DOC due to low specific surface area and turbulent conditions that inhibit surfactant accumulation. However, DOC composition in the SML is distinct from bulk water, as assessed using high-resolution mass spectrometry. This study demonstrates that natural foams in unimpacted and impacted waters can have elevated PFAS concentrations, whereas SML accumulation in surface waters is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summer L Sherman-Bertinetti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Edward G Kostelnik
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kaitlyn J Gruber
- Department of Chemistry University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Sarah Balgooyen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Christina K Remucal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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11
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Brahana P, Patel R, Bharti B. Surface Science View of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in the Environment. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2024; 4:173-185. [PMID: 39035868 PMCID: PMC11258754 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.3c00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a notorious category of anthropogenic contaminants, detected across various environmental domains. Among these PFAS, perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) stand out as a focal point in discussions due to their historical industrial utilization and environmental prominence. Their extensive industrial adoption is a direct consequence of their remarkable stability and outstanding amphiphilic properties. However, these very traits that have made PFAAs industrially desirable also render them environmentally catastrophic, leading to adverse consequences for ecosystems. The amphiphilic nature of PFAAs has made them highly unique in the landscape of anthropogenic contaminants and, thereby, difficult to study. We believe that well-established principles from surface science can connect the amphiphilic nature of PFAAs to their accumulation and transport in the environment. Specifically, we discuss the role of interfacial science in describing the stability, interfacial uptake (air-liquid and solid-liquid), and wetting capability of PFAAs. Surface science principles can provide new insights into the environmental fate of PFAAs, as well as provide context on their deleterious effects on both the environment and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip
J. Brahana
- Cain Department of Chemical
Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Ruchi Patel
- Cain Department of Chemical
Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
| | - Bhuvnesh Bharti
- Cain Department of Chemical
Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, United States
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12
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Tessmann JW, Deng P, Durham J, Li C, Banerjee M, Wang Q, Goettl RA, He D, Wang C, Lee EY, Evers BM, Hennig B, Zaytseva YY. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid exposure leads to downregulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 expression and upregulation of markers associated with intestinal carcinogenesis in mouse intestinal tissues. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142332. [PMID: 38754493 PMCID: PMC11157449 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a widely recognized environment pollutant known for its high bioaccumulation potential and a long elimination half-life. Several studies have shown that PFOS can alter multiple biological pathways and negatively affect human health. Considering the direct exposure to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to environmental pollutants, PFOS can potentially disrupt intestinal homeostasis. However, there is limited knowledge about the effect of PFOS exposure on normal intestinal tissues, and its contribution to GI-associated diseases remains to be determined. In this study, we examined the effect of PFOS exposure on the gene expression profile of intestinal tissues of C57BL/6 mice using RNAseq analysis. We found that PFOS exposure in drinking water significantly downregulates mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), a rate-limiting ketogenic enzyme, in intestinal tissues of mice. We found that diets containing the soluble fibers inulin and pectin, which are known to be protective against PFOS exposure, were ineffective in reversing the downregulation of HMGCS2 expression in vivo. Analysis of intestinal tissues also demonstrated that PFOS exposure leads to upregulation of proteins implicated in colorectal carcinogenesis, including β-catenin, c-MYC, mTOR and FASN. Consistent with the in vivo results, PFOS exposure leads to downregulation of HMGCS2 in mouse and human normal intestinal organoids in vitro. Furthermore, we show that shRNA-mediated knockdown of HMGCS2 in a human normal intestinal cell line resulted in increased cell proliferation and upregulation of key proliferation-associated proteins such as cyclin D, survivin, ERK1/2 and AKT, along with an increase in lipid accumulation. In summary, our results suggest that PFOS exposure may contribute to pathological changes in normal intestinal cells via downregulation of HMGCS2 expression and upregulation of pro-carcinogenic signaling pathways that may increase the risk of colorectal cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiane Weber Tessmann
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Pan Deng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
| | - Jerika Durham
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Chang Li
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Moumita Banerjee
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Qingding Wang
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Ryan A Goettl
- Markey Cancer Center Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Daheng He
- Markey Cancer Center Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Chi Wang
- Markey Cancer Center Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource Facility, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Eun Y Lee
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - B Mark Evers
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Bernhard Hennig
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Yekaterina Y Zaytseva
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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13
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Donley N, Cox C, Bennett K, Temkin AM, Andrews DQ, Naidenko OV. Forever Pesticides: A Growing Source of PFAS Contamination in the Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:75003. [PMID: 39046250 PMCID: PMC11268133 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental contamination by fluorinated chemicals, in particular chemicals from the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) class, has raised concerns around the globe because of documented adverse impacts on human health, wildlife, and ecosystem quality. Recent studies have indicated that pesticide products may contain a variety of chemicals that meet the PFAS definition, including the active pesticide ingredients themselves. Given that pesticides are some of the most widely distributed pollutants across the world, the legacy impacts of PFAS addition into pesticide products could be widespread and have wide-ranging implications on agriculture and food and water contamination, as well as the presence of PFAS in rural environments. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this commentary is to explore different ways that PFAS can be introduced into pesticide products, the extent of PFAS contamination of pesticide products, and the implications this could have for human and environmental health. METHODS We submitted multiple public records requests to state and federal agencies in the United States and Canada and extracted relevant data from those records. We also compiled data from publicly accessible databases for our analyses. DISCUSSION We found that the biggest contributor to PFAS in pesticide products was active ingredients and their degradates. Nearly a quarter of all US conventional pesticide active ingredients were organofluorines and 14% were PFAS, and for active ingredients approved in the last 10 y, this had increased to 61% organofluorines and 30% PFAS. Another major contributing source was through PFAS leaching from fluorinated containers into pesticide products. Fluorination of adjuvant products and "inert" ingredients appeared to be limited, although this represents a major knowledge gap. We explored aspects of immunotoxicity, persistence, water contamination, and total fluorine load in the environment and conclude that the recent trend of using fluorinated active ingredients in pesticides may be having effects on chemical toxicity and persistence that are not given adequate oversight in the United States. We recommend a more stringent risk assessment approach for fluorinated pesticides, transparent disclosure of "inert" ingredients on pesticide labels, a complete phase-out of post-mold fluorination of plastic containers, and greater monitoring in the United States. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13954.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Donley
- Center for Biological Diversity, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Caroline Cox
- Center for Environmental Health (retired), Oakland, California, USA
| | - Kyla Bennett
- Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexis M. Temkin
- Environmental Working Group, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - David Q. Andrews
- Environmental Working Group, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Olga V. Naidenko
- Environmental Working Group, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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14
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Wang T, Yang J, Han Y, Wāng Y. Unveiling the intricate connection between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and prostate hyperplasia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 932:173085. [PMID: 38729377 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173085] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various everyday products has raised concerns about their potential impact on prostate health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different types of PFAS on prostate health, including PFDeA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA. To assess the relationship between PFAS exposure and prostate injury, machine learning algorithms were employed to analyze prostate-specific antigen (PSA) metrics. The analysis revealed a linear and positive dose-dependent association between PFOS and the ratio of free PSA to total PSA (f/tPSA). Non-linear dose-response relationships were observed between the other four types of PFAS and the f/tPSA ratio. Additionally, the analysis showed a positive association between the mixture of PFAS and prostate hyperplasia, with PFNA having the highest impact followed by PFOS. These findings suggest that elevated serum levels of PFDeA, PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA are linked to prostate hyperplasia. Therefore, this study utilized advanced machine learning techniques to uncover potential hazardous effects of PFAS exposure on prostate health, specifically the positive association between PFAS and prostate hyperplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University; School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China
| | - Jijingru Yang
- School of the Second Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Yapeng Han
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University; School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yán Wāng
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University; School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210009, China.
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15
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Khan R, Uygun ZO, Andreescu D, Andreescu S. Sensitive Detection of Perfluoroalkyl Substances Using MXene-AgNP-Based Electrochemical Sensors. ACS Sens 2024; 9:3403-3412. [PMID: 38830812 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a significant threat to the environment due to their persistence, ability to bioaccumulate, and harmful effects. Methods to quantify PFAS rapidly and effectively are essential to analyze and track contamination, but measuring PFAS down to the ultralow regulatory levels is extremely challenging. Here, we describe the development of a low-cost sensor that can measure a representative PFAS, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), at the parts per quadrillion (ppq) level within 5 min. The method combines the ability of PFOS to bind to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded within a fluorine-rich Ti3C2-based multilayered MXene, which provides a large surface area and accessible binding sites for direct impedimetric detection. Fundamentally, we show that MXene-AgNPs are capable of binding PFOS and other long-chain PFAS compounds, though the synergistic action of AgNPs and MXenes via electrostatic and F-F interactions. This binding induced concentration-dependent changes in the charge-transfer resistance, enabling rapid and direct quantification with extremely high sensitivity and no response to interferences. The sensor displayed a linear range from 50 ppq to 1.6 ppt (parts per trillion) with an impressively low limit of detection of 33 ppq and a limit of quantification of 99 ppq, making this sensor a promising candidate for low-cost screening of the PFAS content in water samples, using a simple and inexpensive procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Khan
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Zihni Onur Uygun
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars 36100, Turkey
| | - Daniel Andreescu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
| | - Silvana Andreescu
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
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16
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Abou-Khalil C, Chernysheva L, Miller A, Abarca-Perez A, Peaslee G, Herckes P, Westerhoff P, Doudrick K. Enhancing the Thermal Mineralization of Perfluorooctanesulfonate on Granular Activated Carbon Using Alkali and Alkaline-Earth Metal Additives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11162-11174. [PMID: 38857410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Thermal treatment has emerged as a promising approach for either the end-of-life treatment or regeneration of granular activated carbon (GAC) contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, its effectiveness has been limited by the requirement for high temperatures, the generation of products of incomplete destruction, and the necessity to scrub HF in the flue gas. This study investigates the use of common alkali and alkaline-earth metal additives to enhance the mineralization of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) adsorbed onto GAC. When treated at 800 °C without an additive, only 49% of PFOS was mineralized to HF. All additives tested demonstrated improved mineralization, and Ca(OH)2 had the best performance, achieving a mineralization efficiency of 98% in air or N2. Its ability to increase the reaction rate and shift the byproduct selectivity suggests that its role may be catalytic. Moreover, additives reduced HF in the flue gas by instead reacting with the additive to form inorganic fluorine (e.g., CaF2) in the starting waste material. A hypothesized reaction mechanism is proposed that involves the electron transfer from O2- defect sites of CaO to intermediates formed during the thermal decomposition of PFOS. These findings advocate for the use of additives in the thermal treatment of GAC for disposal or reuse, with the potential to reduce operating costs and mitigate the environmental impact associated with incinerating PFAS-laden wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Abou-Khalil
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Liliya Chernysheva
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Anthony Miller
- Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Angela Abarca-Perez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Graham Peaslee
- Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Pierre Herckes
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Paul Westerhoff
- School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Kyle Doudrick
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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17
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Ma K, Lu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang Y. Trend of PFAS concentrations and prediction of potential risks in Taihu Lake of China by AQUATOX. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:118707. [PMID: 38490632 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118707] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recognized as emerging environmental pollutants due to their high persistence and toxicities to humans and animals. Understanding the temporal trend of PFAS in the environment is important for their pollution control and making appropriate policies. Many studies have reported the PFAS concentrations in Taihu Lake, the third largest lake in China, while their temporal trend during the years was seldom investigated. This study summarizes the PFAS concentrations in the water, sediment and organisms in Taihu Lake from 2009 to 2020 to depict their temporal trends. Meanwhile, the ecological model of AQUATOX was applied to evaluate and predict the potential risks of PFAS from 2012 to 2030. The results showed that the total PFAS concentrations varied but without distinct increase or decrease in both water and sediment during the years, while PFAS concentrations in organisms significantly decreased. The yearly mean concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the water were 21.7-25.4 ng/L and 9.7-26.5 ng/L respectively, lower than the Standards for Drinking Water Quality of China and the suggested water quality criteria to protect the aquatic organisms. In sediment, PFOA and PFOS concentrations were 0.16-0.69 ng/g and 0.15-0.82 ng/g respectively, much lower than the recommended sediment quality guideline values. Based on the AQUATOX prediction, there will be no major threats caused by PFAS to the growth of biota in Taihu Lake in the near future, while the biomass of some species (e.g. carp) will be affected under the perturbation of PFAS. Both field investigation and AQUATOX simulation showed that PFOS concentrations in invertebrates and fish descend steadily, while no remarkable decrease in PFOA concentrations was expected. This study suggests a decreasing ecological risk of PFAS in Taihu Lake, while highlights the necessity of continuous monitoring of PFAS contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyuan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China
| | - Yueshu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China
| | - Yanfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China.
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18
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Pettersson M, Ericson Jogsten I, Yeung LWY. Ways to improve understanding of PFAS contamination - A case study within a waste management facility. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 356:124352. [PMID: 38871169 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Waste management facilities are a known source for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the environment. In this study, water samples from seven subsections within a waste management facility in Sweden were analyzed for PFAS and extractable organofluorine (EOF). Oxidative conversion was used to investigate how much PFAS precursors could contribute to the EOF. Out of the 23 analyzed PFAS, ten compounds accounted for a major proportion of the concentrations. Before oxidative conversion the ∑10PFAS were between 0.44 μg/L and 17 μg/L. The EOF ranged from 2 μg/L F up to 79 μg/L F. There was a greater difference in concentrations and profiles between the subsections in comparison to the four sampling dates at respective sampling point, suggesting different sources of PFAS from the waste. Oxidative conversion revealed presence of precursors by elevated concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids after oxidation, which increased the explained EOF up to 25%. Seven samples from one sampling date were selected to investigate if other fluorinated compounds (inorganic anions, ultra-short-chain PFAS, and zwitterions) could be a part of the unexplained EOF fraction. The contribution of fluorine from tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate were equal or higher proportions than the ∑10PFAS. The presence of the ionic liquids tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate could originate from battery waste, due to their use as counter ions in batteries. Ultra-short-chain PFAS increased the explained EOF by an average of 8%, with trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoromethane sulfonic acid being the main contributors. However, the reported concentrations of ultra-short-chain PFAS, were underestimated due to low recovery by the additional washing step to remove inorganic fluoride for EOF analysis. The concentrations of zwitterions were low and increased the explained EOF by < 1%. Our results suggest that EOF, selected PFAS, oxidative conversion and anionic fluorinated substances give a better picture of PFAS contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mio Pettersson
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Ericson Jogsten
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Leo W Y Yeung
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden.
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19
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Minucci JM, DeLuca NM, Durant JT, Goodwin B, Kowalski P, Scruton K, Thomas K, Cohen Hubal EA. Linking exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in house dust and biomonitoring data in eight impacted communities. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 188:108756. [PMID: 38795657 PMCID: PMC11323284 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in industry and have been linked to various adverse health effects. Communities adjacent to sites where PFAS are manufactured, stored, or used may be at elevated risk. In these impacted communities, significant exposure often occurs through contaminated drinking water, yet less is known about the role of other pathways such as residential exposure through house dust. We analyzed a paired serum and house dust dataset from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's PFAS Exposure Assessments, which sampled eight United States communities with a history of drinking water contamination due to aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) use at nearby military bases. We found that serum PFAS levels of residents were significantly positively associated with the dust PFAS levels in their homes, for three of seven PFAS analyzed, when accounting for site and participant age. We also found that increased dust PFAS levels were associated with a shift in the relative abundance of PFAS in serum towards those chemicals not strongly linked to AFFF contamination, which may suggest household sources. Additionally, we analyzed participant responses to exposure questionnaires to identify factors associated with dust PFAS levels. Dust PFAS levels for some analytes were significantly elevated in households where participants were older and had lived at the home longer, cleaned less frequently, used stain resistant products, and had carpeted living rooms. Our results suggest that residential exposure to PFAS via dust or other indoor pathways may contribute to overall exposure and body burden, even in communities impacted by AFFF contamination of drinking water, and the magnitude of this exposure may also be influenced by demographic, behavioral, and housing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Minucci
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States.
| | - Nicole M DeLuca
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States
| | - James T Durant
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Office of Community Health Hazard Assessment, United States
| | - Bradley Goodwin
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Office of Community Health Hazard Assessment, United States
| | - Peter Kowalski
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Office of Community Health Hazard Assessment, United States
| | - Karen Scruton
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Office of Community Health Hazard Assessment, United States
| | - Kent Thomas
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States
| | - Elaine A Cohen Hubal
- U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, United States
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20
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Dauwe Y, Mary L, Oliviero F, Dubois L, Rousseau-Bacquie E, Gomez J, Gayrard V, Mselli-Lakhal L. Synergistic Steatosis Induction in Mice: Exploring the Interactions and Underlying Mechanisms between PFOA and Tributyltin. Cells 2024; 13:940. [PMID: 38891072 PMCID: PMC11171786 DOI: 10.3390/cells13110940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explores the impact of environmental pollutants on nuclear receptors (CAR, PXR, PPARα, PPARγ, FXR, and LXR) and their heterodimerization partner, the Retinoid X Receptor (RXR). Such interaction may contribute to the onset of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is initially characterized by steatosis and potentially progresses to steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Epidemiological studies have linked NAFLD occurrence to the exposure to environmental contaminants like PFAS. This study aims to assess the simultaneous activation of nuclear receptors via perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and RXR coactivation via Tributyltin (TBT), examining their combined effects on steatogenic mechanisms. Mice were exposed to PFOA (10 mg/kg/day), TBT (5 mg/kg/day) or a combination of them for three days. Mechanisms underlying hepatic steatosis were explored by measuring nuclear receptor target gene and lipid metabolism key gene expressions, by quantifying plasma lipids and hepatic damage markers. This study elucidated the involvement of the Liver X Receptor (LXR) in the combined effect on steatosis and highlighted the permissive nature of the LXR/RXR heterodimer. Antagonistic effects of TBT on the PFOA-induced activation of the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARγ) were also observed. Overall, this study revealed complex interactions between PFOA and TBT, shedding light on their combined impact on liver health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Laïla Mselli-Lakhal
- Toxalim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), Université de Toulouse, Institut National de Recherche Pour L’agriculture, L’alimentation et L’environnement (INRAE), Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse (ENVT), INP-Purpan, Université Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31027 Toulouse, France; (Y.D.); (L.M.); (F.O.); (L.D.); (E.R.-B.); (J.G.); (V.G.)
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21
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Björklund S, Weidemann E, Jansson S. Distribution of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in a Waste-to-Energy Plant─Tracking PFASs in Internal Residual Streams. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:8457-8463. [PMID: 38685907 PMCID: PMC11097385 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) constitute a diverse group of man-made chemicals characterized by their water- and oil-repellent properties and persistency. Given their widespread use in consumer products, PFASs will inevitably be present in waste streams sent to Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants. We have previously observed a subset of PFASs in residual streams (ashes, treated process water, and flue gas) from a WtE plant. However, the transport and distribution of PFASs inside the WtE plant have remained unaddressed. This study is part of a comprehensive investigation to create a synoptic overview of the distribution of PFASs in WtE residues. PFASs were found in all sample types except for boiler ash. The total levels of 18 individual PFASs (Σ18PFASs) in untreated flue gas ranged from 5.2 to 9.5 ng m-3, decreasing with 35% ± 10% after wet flue gas treatment. Σ18PFASs in the condensate ranged from 46 to 50 ng L-1, of which perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) made up 90% on a ng L-1 basis. PFHxA was also dominant in filter ash, where Σ18PFASs ranged from 0.28 to 0.79 ng g-1. This study shows that flue gas treatment can capture some PFASs and transfer them into WtE residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Björklund
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Industrial
Doctoral School, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eva Weidemann
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stina Jansson
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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22
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Ruggles A, Benakis C. Exposure to Environmental Toxins: Potential Implications for Stroke Risk via the Gut- and Lung-Brain Axis. Cells 2024; 13:803. [PMID: 38786027 PMCID: PMC11119296 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that exposure to environmental toxins, both short-term and long-term, can increase the risk of developing neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., Alzheimer's disease and other dementias) and acute brain injury (i.e., stroke). For stroke, the latest systematic analysis revealed that exposure to ambient particulate matter is the second most frequent stroke risk after high blood pressure. However, preclinical and clinical stroke investigations on the deleterious consequences of environmental pollutants are scarce. This review examines recent evidence of how environmental toxins, absorbed along the digestive tract or inhaled through the lungs, affect the host cellular response. We particularly address the consequences of environmental toxins on the immune response and the microbiome at the gut and lung barrier sites. Additionally, this review highlights findings showing the potential contribution of environmental toxins to an increased risk of stroke. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying exposure to environmental toxins has the potential to mitigate stroke risk and other neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corinne Benakis
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81337 Munich, Germany;
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23
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Porseryd T, Larsson J, Lindman J, Malmström E, Smolarz K, Grahn M, Dinnétz P. Effects on food intake of Gammarus spp. after exposure to PFBA in very low concentrations. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116369. [PMID: 38640762 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116369] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of highly persistent anthropogenic chemicals widely used in many industries. Therefore, they are, ubiquitously present in various types of environments. Despite their omnipresence, ecotoxicological studies of most PFAS are scarce, and those available often assess the effects of long chain PFAS. In this study, we present the results of an exposure experiment in which wild aquatic amphipod Gammarus spp. was exposed to the short chain perfluorinated substance perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) at very low and environmentally relevant concentrations of 0, 10 and 100 ng/L. The exposure lasted for 12 days, and food intake and non-reproductive behavior were analyzed. Exposure to 10 and 100 ng/L PFBA resulted in a lower consumption of food during exposure but no effect on behavior was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove Porseryd
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Josefine Larsson
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden; Marint centrum, Simrishamn Kommun, Simrishamn, Sweden
| | - Johanna Lindman
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Erica Malmström
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Katarzyna Smolarz
- Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Mats Grahn
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Patrik Dinnétz
- Department of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
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24
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Starnes HM, Jackson TW, Rock KD, Belcher SM. Quantitative cross-species comparison of serum albumin binding of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from five structural classes. Toxicol Sci 2024; 199:132-149. [PMID: 38518100 PMCID: PMC11057469 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfae028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of over 8000 chemicals, many of which are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to humans, livestock, and wildlife. Serum protein binding affinity is instrumental in understanding PFAS toxicity, yet experimental binding data is limited to only a few PFAS congeners. Previously, we demonstrated the usefulness of a high-throughput, in vitro differential scanning fluorimetry assay for determination of relative binding affinities of human serum albumin for 24 PFAS congeners from 6 chemical classes. In the current study, we used this assay to comparatively examine differences in human, bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumin binding of 8 structurally informative PFAS congeners from 5 chemical classes. With the exception of the fluorotelomer alcohol 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctanol (6:2 FTOH), each PFAS congener bound by human serum albumin was also bound by bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumin. The critical role of the charged functional headgroup in albumin binding was supported by the inability of albumin of each species tested to bind 6:2 FTOH. Significant interspecies differences in serum albumin binding affinities were identified for each of the bound PFAS congeners. Relative to human albumin, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic and sulfonic acids were bound with greater affinity by porcine and rat serum albumin, and the perfluoroalkyl ether acid congener bound with lower affinity to porcine and bovine serum albumin. These comparative affinity data for PFAS binding by serum albumin from human, experimental model, and livestock species reduce critical interspecies uncertainty and improve accuracy of predictive bioaccumulation and toxicity assessments for PFAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Starnes
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA
| | - Thomas W Jackson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA
| | - Kylie D Rock
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA
| | - Scott M Belcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607, USA
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25
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Cordner A, Brown P, Cousins IT, Scheringer M, Martinon L, Dagorn G, Aubert R, Hosea L, Salvidge R, Felke C, Tausche N, Drepper D, Liva G, Tudela A, Delgado A, Salvatore D, Pilz S, Horel S. PFAS Contamination in Europe: Generating Knowledge and Mapping Known and Likely Contamination with "Expert-Reviewed" Journalism. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6616-6627. [PMID: 38569050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c09746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
While the extent of environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has mobilized considerable efforts around the globe in recent years, publicly available data on PFAS in Europe were very limited. In an unprecedented experiment of "expert-reviewed journalism" involving 29 journalists and seven scientific advisers, a cross-border collaborative project, the "Forever Pollution Project" (FPP), drew on both scientific methods and investigative journalism techniques such as open-source intelligence (OSINT) and freedom of information (FOI) requests to map contamination across Europe, making public data that previously had existed as "unseen science". The FPP identified 22,934 known contamination sites, including 20 PFAS manufacturing facilities, and 21,426 "presumptive contamination sites", including 13,745 sites presumably contaminated with fluorinated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) discharge, 2911 industrial facilities, and 4752 sites related to PFAS-containing waste. Additionally, the FPP identified 231 "known PFAS users", a new category for sites with an intermediate level of evidence of PFAS use and considered likely to be contamination sources. However, the true extent of contamination in Europe remains significantly underestimated due to a lack of comprehensive geolocation, sampling, and publicly available data. This model of knowledge production and dissemination offers lessons for researchers, policymakers, and journalists about cross-field collaborations and data transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Cordner
- Department of Sociology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington 99362, United States
| | - Phil Brown
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ian T Cousins
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8092, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Catharina Felke
- Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Ressort Investigation, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Derrick Salvatore
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Woburn, Massachusetts 01801, United States
| | - Sarah Pilz
- Freelance Journalist, Weißenfelder Straße 7, Parsdorf, Munich 85599, Germany
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26
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Sha B, Johansson JH, Salter ME, Blichner SM, Cousins IT. Constraining global transport of perfluoroalkyl acids on sea spray aerosol using field measurements. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1026. [PMID: 38579007 PMCID: PMC10997204 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are highly persistent anthropogenic pollutants that have been detected in the global oceans. Our previous laboratory studies demonstrated that PFAAs in seawater are remobilized to the air in sea spray aerosols (SSAs). Here, we conducted field experiments along a north-south transect of the Atlantic Ocean to study the enrichment of PFAAs in SSA. We show that in some cases PFAAs were enriched >100,000 times in the SSA relative to seawater concentrations. On the basis of the results of the field experiments, we estimate that the secondary emission of certain PFAAs from the global oceans via SSA emission is comparable to or greater than estimates for the other known global sources of PFAAs to the atmosphere from manufacturing emissions and precursor degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Sha
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jana H. Johansson
- Department of Thematic Studies—Environmental Change, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Matthew E. Salter
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara M. Blichner
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ian T. Cousins
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Smith MN, Stump S, van Bergen SK, Davies HG, Fanning E, Eaton R, Manahan CC, Sergent A, Zarker K. A Hazard-Based Framework for Identifying Safer Alternatives to Classes of Chemicals: A Case Study on Phthalates in Consumer Products. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:45002. [PMID: 38683745 PMCID: PMC11057665 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humans are exposed to hazardous chemicals found in consumer products. In 2019, the Pollution Prevention for Healthy People and Puget Sound Act was passed in Washington State. This law is meant to reduce hazardous chemicals in consumer products and protect human health and the environment. The law directs the Washington State Department of Ecology to assess chemicals and chemical classes found in products, determine whether there are safer alternatives, and make regulatory determinations. OBJECTIVES To implement the law, the Department of Ecology developed a hazard-based framework for identifying safer alternatives to classes of chemicals. METHODS We developed a hazard-based framework, termed the "Criteria for Safer," to set a transparent bar for determining whether new chemical alternatives are safer than existing classes of chemicals. Our "Criteria for Safer" is a framework that builds on existing hazard assessment methodologies and published approaches for assessing chemicals and chemical classes. DISCUSSION We describe implementation of our criteria using a case study on the phthalates chemical class in two categories of consumer products: vinyl flooring and fragrances used in personal care and beauty products. Additional context and considerations that guided our decision-making process are also discussed, as well as benefits and limitations of our approach. This paper gives insight into our development and implementation of a hazard-based framework to address classes of chemicals in consumer products and will aid others working to build and employ similar approaches. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13549.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa N. Smith
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Sascha Stump
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Saskia K. van Bergen
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Holly G. Davies
- Environmental Public Health Sciences, Washington State Department of Health, Tumwater, Washington, USA
| | - Elinor Fanning
- Environmental Public Health Sciences, Washington State Department of Health, Tumwater, Washington, USA
| | - Rae Eaton
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Craig C. Manahan
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Amber Sergent
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
| | - Ken Zarker
- Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction, Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, Washington, USA
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28
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Shelton DS, Suriyampola PS, Dinges ZM, Glaholt SP, Shaw JR, Martins EP. Plants buffer some of the effects of a pair of cadmium-exposed zebrafish on the un-exposed majority. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2024; 107:104419. [PMID: 38508506 PMCID: PMC11042042 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2024.104419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Certain individuals have a disproportionate effect on group responses. Characteristics may include susceptibility to pollutants, such as cadmium (Cd), a potent trace metal. Here, we show how a pair of Cd-exposed individuals can impact the behavior of unexposed groups. We used behavioral assessments to characterize the extent of the effects of the Cd-exposed individuals on group boldness, cohesion, foraging, activity, and responses to plants. We found that groups with a pair of Cd-exposed fish remained closer to novel stimuli and plants than did groups with untreated (control) fish. The presence of plants reduced Cd-induced differences in shoal cohesion and delays feeding in male shoals. Shoals with Cd- and water-treated fish were equally active. The results suggest that fish acutely exposed to environmentally relevant Cd concentrations can have profound effects on the un-exposed majority. However, the presence of plants may mitigate the effects of contaminants on some aspects of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia S Shelton
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33134, USA.
| | - Piyumika S Suriyampola
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Zoe M Dinges
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Stephen P Glaholt
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, 1315 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Joseph R Shaw
- O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, 1315 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Emília P Martins
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 East Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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29
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Mueller R, Salvatore D, Brown P, Cordner A. Quantifying Disparities in Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Levels in Drinking Water from Overburdened Communities in New Jersey, 2019-2021. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:47011. [PMID: 38656167 PMCID: PMC11041625 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Policymakers have become increasingly concerned regarding the widespread exposure and toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While concerns exist about unequal distribution of PFAS contamination in drinking water, research is lacking. OBJECTIVES We assess the scope of PFAS contamination in drinking water in New Jersey (NJ), the first US state to develop regulatory levels for PFAS in drinking water. We test for inequities in PFAS concentrations by community sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS We use PFAS testing data for community water systems (CWS) (n = 491 ) from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) from 2019 to 2021 and demographic data at the block group level from the US Census to estimate the demographics of the NJ population served by CWS. We use difference in means tests to determine whether CWSs serving "overburdened communities" (OBCs) have a statistically significant difference in likelihood of PFAS detections. OBCs are defined by the NJDEP to be census block groups in which: a) at least 35% of the households qualify as low-income, b) at least 40% of the residents identify as people of color, or c) at least 40% of the households have limited English proficiency. We calculate statewide summary statistics to approximate the relative proportions of sociodemographic groups that are served by CWSs with PFAS detections. RESULTS We find that 63% of all CWSs tested by NJDEP from 2019 to 2021 had PFAS detections in public drinking water, collectively serving 84% of NJ's population receiving water from CWSs. Additionally, CWSs serving OBCs had a statistically significant higher likelihood of PFAS detection and a higher likelihood of exposure above state MCLs. We also find that a larger proportion of people of color lived in CWS service areas with PFAS detections compared to the non-Hispanic white population. DISCUSSION These findings quantitatively identify disparities in PFAS contamination of drinking water by CWS service area and highlight the extent of PFAS drinking water contamination and the importance of PFAS remediation efforts for protecting environmental health and justice. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12787.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie Mueller
- Department of Economics, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, USA
| | | | - Phil Brown
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alissa Cordner
- Department of Sociology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, USA
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30
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Mofokeng NN, Madikizela LM, Tiggelman I, Sanganyado E, Chimuka L. Determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in paper recycling grades using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:30126-30136. [PMID: 38602641 PMCID: PMC11058588 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33250-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Globally, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-related research on paper products has focused on food packaging with less consideration on the presence of PFAS at different stages of the paper recycling chain. This study analysed the prevalence of PFAS in paper grades used for the manufacture of recycled paperboard. The presence of PFAS was attributed to the use of PFAS-containing additives, consumer usage, exposure to packed goods as well as contamination during mingling, sorting, collection, and recovery of paper recycling material. Q Orbitrap mass spectrometry was used to analyse the paper samples after accelerated solvent extraction and solid phase extraction. The distribution and possible propagation of 22 PFAS were determined in pre-consumer, retail and post-consumer paper products. Post-consumer samples had the highest combined average concentration (ΣPFAS) at 213 ng/g, while the ΣPFAS in retail (159 ng/g) and pre-consumer samples (121 ng/g) was detected at lower concentrations. This study showed that waste collection and recycling protocols may influence PFAS propagation and that measures must be developed to minimise and possibly eliminate exposure opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nondumiso Nomonde Mofokeng
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Ave, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa.
- Mpact Operations Pty (Ltd), Innovation, Research & Development, Devon Valley Road, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.
| | - Lawrence Mzukisi Madikizela
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Science Campus, 28 Pioneer Ave, Roodepoort, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa
| | - Ineke Tiggelman
- Mpact Operations Pty (Ltd), Innovation, Research & Development, Devon Valley Road, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
| | - Edmond Sanganyado
- Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Luke Chimuka
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Ave, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
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Ratier A, Casas M, Grazuleviciene R, Slama R, Småstuen Haug L, Thomsen C, Vafeiadi M, Wright J, Zeman FA, Vrijheid M, Brochot C. Estimating the dynamic early life exposure to PFOA and PFOS of the HELIX children: Emerging profiles via prenatal exposure, breastfeeding, and diet. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108621. [PMID: 38593693 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108621] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In utero and children's exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a major concern in health risk assessment as early life exposures are suspected to induce adverse health effects. Our work aims to estimate children's exposure (from birth to 12 years old) to PFOA and PFOS, using a Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling approach. A model for PFAS was updated to simulate the internal PFAS exposures during the in utero life and childhood, and including individual characteristics and exposure scenarios (e.g., duration of breastfeeding, weight at birth, etc.). Our approach was applied to the HELIX cohort, involving 1,239 mother-child pairs with measured PFOA and PFOS plasma concentrations at two sampling times: maternal and child plasma concentrations (6 to 12 y.o). Our model predicted an increase in plasma concentrations during fetal development and childhood until 2 y.o when the maximum concentrations were reached. Higher plasma concentrations of PFOA than PFOS were predicted until 2 y.o, and then PFOS concentrations gradually became higher than PFOA concentrations. From 2 to 8 y.o, mean concentrations decreased from 3.1 to 1.88 µg/L or ng/mL (PFOA) and from 4.77 to 3.56 µg/L (PFOS). The concentration-time profiles vary with the age and were mostly influenced by in utero exposure (on the first 4 months after birth), breastfeeding (from 5 months to 2 (PFOA) or 5 (PFOS) y.o of the children), and food intake (after 3 (PFOA) or 6 (PFOS) y.o of the children). Similar measured biomarker levels can correspond to large differences in the simulated internal exposures, highlighting the importance to investigate the children's exposure over the early life to improve exposure classification. Our approach demonstrates the possibility to simulate individual internal exposures using PBPK models when measured biomarkers are scarce, helping risk assessors in gaining insight into internal exposure during critical windows, such as early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Ratier
- INERIS, Unit of Experimental Toxicology and Modelling, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France; PériTox Laboratory, UMR-I 01 INERIS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France.
| | - Maribel Casas
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologa y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Remy Slama
- Team of Environmental Epidemiology, IAB, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Inserm, CNRS, CHU-Grenoble-Alpes, University Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Line Småstuen Haug
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food Safety, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathrine Thomsen
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Food Safety, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - John Wright
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, UK
| | - Florence A Zeman
- INERIS, Unit of Experimental Toxicology and Modelling, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiologa y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Céline Brochot
- INERIS, Unit of Experimental Toxicology and Modelling, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France; Certara UK Ltd, Simcyp Division, Sheffield, UK
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32
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Ling AL. Estimated scale of costs to remove PFAS from the environment at current emission rates. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170647. [PMID: 38325453 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
This discussion article builds upon existing data to ask whether environmental remediation and treatment is an economically viable solution to manage global environmental stocks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) without extensive use restrictions. Their environmental persistence means that PFAS released into the environment will remain there until actively removed and destroyed. Thus, removing and destroying PFAS from the global environment at the same rate they are currently being added reflects a theoretical steady-state condition where global PFAS stocks remain constant. Current costs to remove perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), a subclass of PFAS, from the environment at the same rate they are being added were estimated here at 20 to 7000 trillion USD per year. If the ratio of total PFAS emissions to PFAAs emissions matches current production ratios, total PFAS release rates and associated treatment costs could be 10 to 10,000 higher than presented above for PFAAs only. Thus, current costs to remove and destroy the total PFAS mass released annually into the environment would likely exceed the global GDP of 106 trillion USD. While this level of treatment is not technically or economically achievable, it highlights the unaffordability of using environmental remediation alone to manage environmental PFAS stocks. Without significant reductions in production and emissions, the mass of PFAS present in the global environment will continue to rise. Treating targeted environmental media will be needed to manage human and environmental health impacts, but we are limited to the level of treatment that is practical and affordable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Ling
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave, OSS 100, St. Paul, MN 55105, United States of America.
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Ayodele A, Obeng-Gyasi E. Exploring the Potential Link between PFAS Exposure and Endometrial Cancer: A Review of Environmental and Sociodemographic Factors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:983. [PMID: 38473344 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This exploratory narrative review paper delves into the intricate interplay between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure, sociodemographic factors, and the influence of stressors in the context of endometrial cancer. PFAS, ubiquitous environmental contaminants notorious for their persistence in the ecosystem, have garnered attention for their potential to disrupt endocrine systems and provoke immune responses. We comprehensively examine the various sources of PFAS exposure, encompassing household items, water, air, and soil, thus shedding light on the multifaceted routes through which individuals encounter these compounds. Furthermore, we explore the influence of sociodemographic factors, such as income, education, occupation, ethnicity/race, and geographical location and their relationship to endometrial cancer risk. We also investigated the role of stress on PFAS exposure and endometrial cancer risk. The results revealed a significant impact of sociodemographic factors on both PFAS levels and endometrial cancer risk. Stress emerged as a notable contributing factor influencing PFAS exposure and the development of endometrial cancer, further emphasizing the importance of stress management practices for overall well-being. By synthesizing evidence from diverse fields, this review underscores the need for interdisciplinary research and targeted interventions to comprehensively address the complex relationship between PFAS, sociodemographic factors, stressors, and endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aderonke Ayodele
- Department of Built Environment, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
| | - Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi
- Department of Built Environment, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA
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Yang W, Ling X, He S, Cui H, Wang L, Yang Z, An H, Zou P, Chen Q, Sun L, Yang H, Liu J, Cao J, Ao L. Perturbation of IP3R-dependent endoplasmic reticulum calcium homeostasis by PPARδ-activated metabolic stress leads to mouse spermatocyte apoptosis: A direct mechanism for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid-induced spermatogenic disorders. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123167. [PMID: 38110051 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123167] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) as an archetypal representative of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is ubiquitously distributed in the environment and extensively detected in human bodies. Although accumulating evidence is suggestive of the deleterious effects of PFOS on male reproduction, the direct toxicity of PFOS towards spermatogenic cells and the relevant mechanisms remain poorly understood. The aims of the present study were to explore the direct effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of PFOS on spermatogenesis. Through integrating animal study, transcriptome profiling, in silico toxicological approaches, and in vitro validation study, we identified the molecular initiating event and key events contributing to PFOS-induced spermatogenic impairments. The mouse experiments revealed that spermatocytes were involved in PFOS-induced spermatogenic disorders and the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) was linked to spermatocyte loss in PFOS-administrated mice. GC-2spd(ts) cells were treated with an increased gradient of PFOS, which was relevant to environmental and occupational exposure levels of PFOS in populations. Following 72-h treatment, cells was harvested for RNA sequencing. The transcriptome profiling and benchmark dose (BMD) modeling identified endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as the key event for PFOS-mediated spermatocyte apoptosis and determined the point-of-departure (PoD) for perturbations of ER stress signaling. Based on the calculated PoD value, further bioinformatics analyses combined with in vitro and in vivo validations showed that PFOS caused metabolic stress by activating PPARδ in mouse spermatocytes, which was responsible for Beclin 1-involved inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) sensitization. The disruption of IP3R-mediated ER calcium homeostasis triggered ER calcium depletion, leading to ER stress and apoptosis in mouse spermatocytes exposed to PFOS. This study systematically investigated the direct impacts of PFOS on spermatogenesis and unveiled the relevant molecular mechanism of PFOS-induced spermatogenic disorders, providing novel insights and potential preventive/therapeutic targets for PFAS-associated male reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Yang
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xi Ling
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Shijun He
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Haonan Cui
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Zeyu Yang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147, China
| | - Huihui An
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Peng Zou
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Qing Chen
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lei Sun
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Huan Yang
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jinyi Liu
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jia Cao
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Lin Ao
- Key Lab of Medical Protection for Electromagnetic Radiation, Ministry of Education of China, Institute of Toxicology, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
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35
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Musegades LJ, Curtin OP, Cyran JD. Determining the Surface p Ka of Perfluorooctanoic Acid. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2024; 128:1946-1951. [PMID: 38352857 PMCID: PMC10860129 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c07235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an environmentally prevalent and persistent organic pollutant with toxic and bioaccumulative properties. Despite the known importance of perfluorinated pollutants in the global environment, molecular-level details of the physicochemical behavior of PFOA on aqueous interfaces remain poorly understood. Here, we utilized two surface-specific techniques, vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) and surface tensiometry, to investigate the pH-induced structural changes of PFOA and octanoic acid (OA) and determined the apparent pKa at the air-water surface. The SFG spectra and surface activity model were investigated over a wide range of pHs. With the surface tension measurements, the surface pKa values for OA and PFOA are determined to be 3.8 ± 0.1 and 2.2 ± 0.2, respectively. These results could provide insights into improved remediation of PFOAs and may impact climate modeling of perfluorinated alkyl chain molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Owen P. Curtin
- Boise
State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, United States of America
| | - Jenée D. Cyran
- Boise
State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, United States of America
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36
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Reynolds AJ, Smith AM, Qiu TA. Detection, Quantification, and Isomer Differentiation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Using MALDI-TOF with Trapped Ion Mobility. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2024; 35:317-325. [PMID: 38251632 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of organic compounds that have attracted global attention for their persistence in the environment, exposure to biological organisms, and their adverse health effects. There is an urgent need to develop analytical methodologies for the characterization of PFAS in various sample matrices. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) represents a chromatography-free MS method that performs laser-based ionization and in situ analysis on samples. In this study, we present PFAS analysis by MALDI-time-of-flight (TOF) MS with trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS), which provides an additional dimension of gas phase separation based on the size-to-charge ratios. MALDI matrix composition and key instrument parameters were optimized to produce different ranges of calibration curves. Parts per billion (ppb) range of calibration curves were achieved for a list of legacy and alternative perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) and perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), while ion mobility spectrum filtering enabled parts per trillion (ppt) range of calibration curves for PFSAs. We also successfully demonstrated the separation of three perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) structural isomers in the gas phase using TIMS. Our results demonstrated the new development of utilizing MALDI-TOF-MS coupled with TIMS for fast, quantitative, and sensitive analysis of PFAS, paving ways to future high-throughput and in situ analysis of PFAS such as MS imaging applications.
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37
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Lauria MZ, Sepman H, Ledbetter T, Plassmann M, Roos AM, Simon M, Benskin JP, Kruve A. Closing the Organofluorine Mass Balance in Marine Mammals Using Suspect Screening and Machine Learning-Based Quantification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2458-2467. [PMID: 38270113 PMCID: PMC10851419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based suspect and nontarget screening has identified a growing number of novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the environment. However, without analytical standards, the fraction of overall PFAS exposure accounted for by these suspects remains ambiguous. Fortunately, recent developments in ionization efficiency (IE) prediction using machine learning offer the possibility to quantify suspects lacking analytical standards. In the present work, a gradient boosted tree-based model for predicting log IE in negative mode was trained and then validated using 33 PFAS standards. The root-mean-square errors were 0.79 (for the entire test set) and 0.29 (for the 7 PFASs in the test set) log IE units. Thereafter, the model was applied to samples of liver from pilot whales (n = 5; East Greenland) and white beaked dolphins (n = 5, West Greenland; n = 3, Sweden) which contained a significant fraction (up to 70%) of unidentified organofluorine and 35 unquantified suspect PFASs (confidence level 2-4). IE-based quantification reduced the fraction of unidentified extractable organofluorine to 0-27%, demonstrating the utility of the method for closing the fluorine mass balance in the absence of analytical standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Z. Lauria
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Sepman
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 16, 106
91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Ledbetter
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 16, 106
91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Merle Plassmann
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna M. Roos
- Department
of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malene Simon
- Greenland
Climate Research Centre, Greenland Institute
of Natural Resources, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Jonathan P. Benskin
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anneli Kruve
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 16, 106
91 Stockholm, Sweden
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38
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Gray LE, Conley JM, Bursian SJ. Dose Addition Models Accurately Predict the Subacute Effects of a Mixture of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid on Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) Chick Mortality. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024; 43:97-104. [PMID: 37753878 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5758] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring data have consistently demonstrated that fish, wildlife, and humans are exposed to multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water and foods. Despite ubiquitous exposure to mixtures of PFAS, there is a lack of in vivo PFAS mixture research that addresses whether these chemicals act in a cumulative, dose-additive (DA) manner or whether they behave independently. For this reason, there is a critical need for mixtures studies designed to evaluate the cumulative toxicity and potential chemical interactions to support the assessment of human and ecological risks and also to define appropriate regulatory actions. Our primary objective was to evaluate the previously published Japanese quail chick mortality concentration-response data for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and the mixture of PFOS + PFOA and to use statistical modeling to determine whether the effects of the mixtures were accurately predicted by either DA or response addition modeling. In addition, we wanted to compare different DA models to determine whether one model produced more accurate predictions than the others. Our results support the hypothesis of cumulative effects on shared endpoints from PFOA and PFOS co-exposure and DA approaches for predictive estimates of cumulative effects. Given the limited number of in vivo studies that have been executed with enough individual PFAS and PFAS mixture concentration-response data to test the hypothesis of DA for PFAS mixtures, this re-analysis of the data is an important contribution to our understanding of how PFAS mixtures act. The analysis will provide support for regulatory agencies as they begin to implement PFAS cumulative hazard assessments in higher vertebrates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:97-104. © 2023 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Earl Gray
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Justin M Conley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research & Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Steven J Bursian
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Nguyen NTT, Nguyen TTT, Nguyen DTC, Tran TV. Functionalization strategies of metal-organic frameworks for biomedical applications and treatment of emerging pollutants: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167295. [PMID: 37742958 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167295] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
One of the representative coordination polymers, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) material, is of hotspot interest in the multi field thanks to their unique structural characteristics and properties. As a novel hierarchical structural class, MOFs show diverse topologies, intrinsic behaviors, flexibility, etc. However, bare MOFs have less desirable biofunction, high humid sensitivity and instability in water, restraining their efficiencies in biomedical and environmental applications. Thus, a structural modification is required to address such drawbacks. Herein, we pinpoint new strategies in the synthesis and functionalization of MOFs to meet demanding requirements in in vitro tests, i.e., antibacterial face masks against corona virus infection and in wound healing and nanocarriers for drug delivery in anticancer. Regarding the treatment of wastewater containing emerging pollutants such as POPs, PFAS, and PPCPs, functionalized MOFs showed excellent performance with high efficiency and selectivity. Challenges in toxicity, vast database of clinical trials for biomedical tests and production cost can be still presented. MOFs-based composites can be, however, a bright candidate for reasonable replacement of traditional nanomaterials in biomedical and wastewater treatment applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoan Thi Thao Nguyen
- Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 298-300A Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City 755414, Vietnam; Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Thuy Thi Thanh Nguyen
- Faculty of Science, Nong Lam University, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Duyen Thi Cam Nguyen
- Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 298-300A Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City 755414, Vietnam
| | - Thuan Van Tran
- Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 298-300A Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City 755414, Vietnam.
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40
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Zweigle J, Bugsel B, Fabregat-Palau J, Zwiener C. PFΔScreen - an open-source tool for automated PFAS feature prioritization in non-target HRMS data. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024; 416:349-362. [PMID: 38030884 PMCID: PMC10761406 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-05070-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a huge group of anthropogenic chemicals with unique properties that are used in countless products and applications. Due to the high stability of their C-F bonds, PFAS or their transformation products (TPs) are persistent in the environment, leading to ubiquitous detection in various samples worldwide. Since PFAS are industrial chemicals, the availability of authentic PFAS reference standards is limited, making non-target screening (NTS) approaches based on high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) necessary for a more comprehensive characterization. NTS usually is a time-consuming process, since only a small fraction of the detected chemicals can be identified. Therefore, efficient prioritization of relevant HRMS signals is one of the most crucial steps. We developed PFΔScreen, a Python-based open-source tool with a simple graphical user interface (GUI) to perform efficient feature prioritization using several PFAS-specific techniques such as the highly promising MD/C-m/C approach, Kendrick mass defect analysis, diagnostic fragments (MS2), fragment mass differences (MS2), and suspect screening. Feature detection from vendor-independent MS raw data (mzML, data-dependent acquisition) is performed via pyOpenMS (or custom feature lists) with subsequent calculations for prioritization and identification of PFAS in both HPLC- and GC-HRMS data. The PFΔScreen workflow is presented on four PFAS-contaminated agricultural soil samples from south-western Germany. Over 15 classes of PFAS (more than 80 single compounds with several isomers) could be identified, including four novel classes, potentially TPs of the precursors fluorotelomer mercapto alkyl phosphates (FTMAPs). PFΔScreen can be used within the Python environment and is easily automatically installable and executable on Windows. Its source code is freely available on GitHub ( https://github.com/JonZwe/PFAScreen ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Zweigle
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94-96, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Boris Bugsel
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94-96, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Joel Fabregat-Palau
- Hydrogeochemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94-96, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christian Zwiener
- Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94-96, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Barreca S, Mancuso MMM, Sacristán D, Pace A, Savoca D, Orecchio S. Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the Indoor Dust Matter of the Sicily (Italy) Area: Analysis and Exposure Evaluations. TOXICS 2023; 12:28. [PMID: 38250983 PMCID: PMC10819494 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in environmental matrices is increasingly being studied due to its environmental persistence, global occurrence, bioaccumulation, and associated human health risks. Some indoor environments can significantly impact the health of occupants due to pollutants in indoor air and household dust. To investigate the potential exposure of individuals to PFOA in specific confined environments, this study reports an analytical method and results concerning the determination of PFOA in household dust, used as a passive sampler. To the best of our knowledge, this paper represents one of the first studies concerning PFOA concentrations in indoor dust collected in the south of Italy, within the European region. A total of twenty-three dust samples were collected from two different areas of Sicily (Palermo and Milena), extracted, and analyzed by an UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS system. Finally, PFOA exposure was estimated using a new index (Indoor PFOA Exposure Index, IPEX) that incorporates the PFOA levels in dust, exposure time, and the correlation between the PFOA in dust and blood. It was then compared across four different exposure groups, revealing that PFOA exposure for people working in chemistry laboratories was evaluated to be ten times higher than the exposure for homemakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Barreca
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95100 Catania, Italy
| | - Michele Marco Mizio Mancuso
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
| | - Daniel Sacristán
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Valencia Córdoba, 46100 Valencia, Spain;
- Department of Soil and Environmental Quality Department, Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CIDE (CSIC-Universitat de València-Generalitat Valenciana), Carretera Moncada-Náquera km 4.5, 46113 Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrea Pace
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
| | - Dario Savoca
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
- NBFC—National Biodiversity Future Center, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Santino Orecchio
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo (STEBICEF), Viale Delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90100 Palermo, Italy (A.P.); (D.S.); (S.O.)
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42
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Améduri B. Fluoropolymers as Unique and Irreplaceable Materials: Challenges and Future Trends in These Specific Per or Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances. Molecules 2023; 28:7564. [PMID: 38005292 PMCID: PMC10675016 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In contrast to some low-molar-mass per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which are well established to be toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative, and mobile, fluoropolymers (FPs) are water-insoluble, safe, bioinert, and durable. These niche high-performance polymers fulfil the 13 polymer-of-low-concern (PLC) criteria in their recommended conditions of use. In addition, more recent innovations (e.g., the use of non-fluorinated surfactants in aqueous radical (co)polymerization of fluoroalkenes) from industrial manufacturers of FPs are highlighted. This review also aims to show how these specialty polymers endowed with outstanding properties are essential (even irreplaceable, since hydrocarbon polymer alternatives used in similar conditions fail) for our daily life (electronics, energy, optics, internet of things, transportation, etc.) and constitute a special family separate from other "conventional" C1-C10 PFASs found everywhere on Earth and its oceans. Furthermore, some information reports on their recycling (e.g., the unzipping depolymerization of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, into TFE), end-of-life FPs, and their risk assessment, circular economy, and regulations. Various studies are devoted to environments involving FPs, though they present a niche volume (with a yearly production of 330,300 t) compared to all plastics (with 460 million t). Complementary to other reviews on PFASs, which lack of such above data, this review presents both fundamental and applied strategies as evidenced by major FP producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Améduri
- Institute Charles Gerhardt, University Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 34293 Montpellier, France
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43
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Schymanski EL, Zhang J, Thiessen PA, Chirsir P, Kondic T, Bolton EE. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in PubChem: 7 Million and Growing. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16918-16928. [PMID: 37871188 PMCID: PMC10634333 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of high concern, with calls to regulate them as a class. In 2021, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revised the definition of PFAS to include any chemical containing at least one saturated CF2 or CF3 moiety. The consequence is that one of the largest open chemical collections, PubChem, with 116 million compounds, now contains over 7 million PFAS under this revised definition. These numbers are several orders of magnitude higher than previously established PFAS lists (typically thousands of entries) and pose an incredible challenge to researchers and computational workflows alike. This article describes a dynamic, openly accessible effort to navigate and explore the >7 million PFAS and >21 million fluorinated compounds (September 2023) in PubChem by establishing the "PFAS and Fluorinated Compounds in PubChem" Classification Browser (or "PubChem PFAS Tree"). A total of 36500 nodes support browsing of the content according to several categories, including classification, structural properties, regulatory status, or presence in existing PFAS suspect lists. Additional annotation and associated data can be used to create subsets (and thus manageable suspect lists or databases) of interest for a wide range of environmental, regulatory, exposomics, and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Schymanski
- Luxembourg
Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University
of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Jian Zhang
- National
Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, United States
| | - Paul A. Thiessen
- National
Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, United States
| | - Parviel Chirsir
- Luxembourg
Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University
of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Todor Kondic
- Luxembourg
Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University
of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, 4367 Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Evan E. Bolton
- National
Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, United States
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Currie SD, Doherty JP, Xue KS, Wang JS, Tang L. The stage-specific toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 336:122429. [PMID: 37619695 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122429] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a diverse class of industrial chemicals that have been used for decades in industrial and commercial applications. Due to their widespread usages, persistence in the environment, and bioaccumulation in animals and humans, great public health concerns have been raised on adverse health risks of PFAS. In this study, ten PFAS were selected according to their occurrence in different water bodies. The wild-type worms were exposed to individual PFAS at 0, 0.1, 1,10, 100, and 200 μM, and the toxic effects of PFAS on growth, development, fecundity, and behavior at different life stages were investigated using a high-throughput screening (HTS) platform. Our results showed that perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), 1H,1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA), perfluorobutanesulfonic (PFBS), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) exhibited significant inhibitive effects on the growth in the L4 larva and later stages of worms with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 200 μmol/L. PFOS and PFBS significantly decreased the brood size of worms across all tested concentrations (p < 0.05), and the most potent PFAS is PFOS with BMC of 0.02013 μM (BMCL, 1.6e-06 μM). During adulthood, all PFAS induced a significant reduction in motility (p < 0.01), while only PFOS can significantly induce behavior alteration at the early larvae stage. Furthermore, the adverse effects occurred in larval stages were found to be the most susceptible to the PFAS exposure. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential adverse effects associated with PFAS exposure and show the importance of considering developmental stages in toxicity assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth D Currie
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA; Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Joseph Patrick Doherty
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kathy S Xue
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Jia-Sheng Wang
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA; Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Lili Tang
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA; Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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Mundhenke TF, Bhat AP, Pomerantz WCK, Arnold WA. Photolysis Products of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals: A Combined Fluorine Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 37861370 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The aqueous photolysis of four pharmaceuticals with varying fluorinated functional groups was assessed under neutral, alkaline, advanced oxidation, and advanced reduction conditions with varying light sources. Solar simulator quantum yields were 2.21 × 10-1 mol Ei-1 for enrofloxacin, 9.36 × 10-3 mol Ei-1 for voriconazole, and 1.49 × 10-2 mol Ei-1 for flecainide. Florfenicol direct photolysis was slow, taking 150 h for three degradation half-lives. Bimolecular rate constants between pharmaceuticals and hydroxyl radicals were 109 to 1010 M-1 s-1 . Using a combined quantitative fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19 F-NMR) and mass spectrometry approach, fluorine mass balances and photolysis product structures were elucidated. Enrofloxacin formed a variety of short-lived fluorinated intermediates that retained the aryl F motif. Extended photolysis time led to complete aryl F mineralization to fluoride. The aliphatic F moiety on florfenicol was also mineralized to fluoride, but the resulting product was a known antibiotic (thiamphenicol). For voriconazole, the two aryl Fs contributed more to fluoride production compared with the heteroaromatic F, indicating higher stability of the heteroaromatic F motif. The two aliphatic CF3 moieties in the flecainide structure remained intact under all conditions, further supporting the stability of these moieties found in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances under a variety of conditions. The advanced treatment conditions generating hydroxyl radicals or hydrated electrons accelerated the degradation, but not the defluorination, of flecainide. The combination of 19 F-NMR and mass spectrometry proved powerful in allowing identification of fluorinated products and verifying the functional groups present in the intermediates and products. The results found in the present study will aid in the understanding of which fluorinated functional groups should be incorporated into pharmaceuticals to ensure organofluorine byproducts are not formed in the environment and help determine the water-treatment processes that effectively remove specific pharmaceuticals and more generally fluorinated motifs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;00:1-12. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Mundhenke
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Akash P Bhat
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - William A Arnold
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Miranda DA, Zachritz AM, Whitehead HD, Cressman SR, Peaslee GF, Lamberti GA. Occurrence and biomagnification of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Lake Michigan fishes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:164903. [PMID: 37355115 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
We measured perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in prey and predator fish from Lake Michigan (USA) to investigate the occurrence and biomagnification of these compounds in this important ecosystem. Twenty-one PFAS were analyzed in 117 prey fish obtained from sites across Lake Michigan and in 87 salmonids collected in four lake quadrants. The mean concentration of sum (∑) PFAS above the method detection limit was 12.7 ± 6.96 ng g-1 wet weight in predator fish (all of which were salmonids) and 10.7 ± 10.4 ng g-1 in prey fish, with outlier levels found in slimy sculpin, Cottus cognatus (187 ± 12.2 ng g-1 ww). Perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid (PFOS) was the most frequently detected and most abundant compound of the 21 PFAS, occurring in 98 % of individuals with a mean concentration of 9.86 ± 6.36 ng g-1 ww without outliers. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCA) concentrations were higher in prey fish than in predators, with some compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) being detected in higher frequency in prey fish. Besides PFOS, detection of several long-chain (C8-C12) PFCAs were observed in >80 % of the prey fish. Overall, the observed concentrations in Lake Michigan fish were lower than those reported in other Laurentian Great Lakes except for Lake Superior. Biomagnification factors (BMFs) for PFOS exceeded 1.0 (range, 1.80 to 5.12) in all predator-prey relationships analyzed, indicating biomagnification of these compounds, whereas BMFs of other long-chain PFCAs varied according to the fish species. PFAS were found in all fish species measured from Lake Michigan and commonly biomagnified from prey to predator fish, strongly suggesting a dietary connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele A Miranda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Environmental Change initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States.
| | - Alison M Zachritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Heather D Whitehead
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Shannon R Cressman
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, New Franken, WI 54229, United States
| | - Graham F Peaslee
- Environmental Change initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
| | - Gary A Lamberti
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; Environmental Change initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States
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47
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Licul-Kucera V, Frömel T, Kruså M, van Wezel AP, Knepper TP. Finding a way out? Comprehensive biotransformation study of novel fluorinated surfactants. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 339:139563. [PMID: 37482315 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study the environmental fate of two novel trifluoromethoxy-substituted surfactants with respectively an ether or thioether linkage were investigated, of which the design aimed for less persistency and complete mineralization. Long-term microbial transformation studies under aerobic conditions in activated sludge-wastewater medium were performed for 126 days. A semi-closed experimental system with a trapping sorbent was selected to avoid losses of possible volatile transformation products (TPs). The changes in the concentration of the surfactants and their expected TPs were monitored by target analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Significant decrease in the concentration of the surfactants was observed over the incubation period. The main detected TPs were short-chained carboxylic acids (CAs), including a CA with two fluorinated carbon atoms representing the last product prior to mineralization. High stability of these CAs and lack in the formation of inorganic fluoride over the incubation time was however observed. Consequently, unequivocal final mineralization of the investigated surfactants could not be confirmed. Regarding the mass balance, the total amount of detected substances achieved only 30-37% of the expected concentration at the end of the incubation time. The reason of the incomplete mass balance should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktória Licul-Kucera
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Institute for Analytical Research, Hochschulen Fresenius gem. Trägergesellschaft mbH, Idstein, Germany.
| | - Tobias Frömel
- Institute for Analytical Research, Hochschulen Fresenius gem. Trägergesellschaft mbH, Idstein, Germany
| | - Martin Kruså
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annemarie P van Wezel
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thomas P Knepper
- Institute for Analytical Research, Hochschulen Fresenius gem. Trägergesellschaft mbH, Idstein, Germany
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Dai Y, Zhang J, Wang Z, Ding J, Xu S, Zhang B, Guo J, Qi X, Chang X, Wu C, Zhou Z. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in umbilical cord serum and body mass index trajectories from birth to age 10 years: Findings from a longitudinal birth cohort (SMBCS). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 180:108238. [PMID: 37783122 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been linked to low birth weight but higher childhood weight and obesity. However, little is known regarding the associations between PFAS exposure and dynamic body mass index (BMI) trajectories, particularly from birth through preadolescence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the associations of cord serum PFAS concentrations with BMI trajectories from birth to age 10 years and longitudinal BMI in different periods. METHODS Based on 887 mother-child pairs in the longitudinal prospective birth cohort, we measured 12 PFAS congeners in cord serum and calculated BMI with anthropometric indicators at 9 follow-up time points from birth to age 10 years. The BMI trajectories were identified using group-based trajectory model (GBTM). To estimate the associations of cord serum PFAS levels with BMI trajectories and longitudinal changes in BMI, logistic regression models, linear mixed models, Bayesian kernel machine regression, and quantile-based g-computation models (QGC) were used. RESULTS The median concentrations of 10 PFAS congeners included in statistical analysis ranged from 0.047 to 3.623 μg/L. Two BMI trajectory classes were identified by GBTM, characterized by high group and low group. In logistic regression models, five PFAS congeners (PFBA, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFHpS, and PFDoDA) were associated with the higher probability of being in high BMI trajectory group (odds ratio, OR: 1.21 to 1.74, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, higher PFAS mixture were related to elevated odds for the high group in both BKMR models and QGC models, with PFHpA and PFHpS being the two most important drivers jointly. In the sex-stratified analysis, the positive associations remained significant exclusively among males. In the longitudinal analysis, PFUnDA and PFDoDA were associated with increased BMI from birth to age 10 years. Furthermore, PFBS and PFHpA were negatively related to BMI throughout infancy and toddlerhood (from birth to age 3 years), whereas PFDoDA confirmed a positive association with mid-childhood (from age 6 to 10 years) BMI. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal PFAS exposure was positively associated with BMI trajectories from birth to preadolescence and longitudinal BMI in various periods. Future research could use better trajectory modeling strategies to shape more complete growth trajectories and explore the relationship between BMI trajectories and adulthood health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Dai
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Zheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiayun Ding
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sinan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Boya Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianqiu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaojuan Qi
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China; Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 3399 Binsheng Road, Hangzhou 310051, China
| | - Xiuli Chang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chunhua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhijun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment of National Health Commission, School of Public Health, Fudan University, No.130 Dong'an Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
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49
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Haque F, Soerensen AL, Sköld M, Awad R, Spaan KM, Lauria MZ, Plassmann MM, Benskin JP. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in white-tailed sea eagle eggs from Sweden: temporal trends (1969-2021), spatial variations, fluorine mass balance, and suspect screening. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:1549-1563. [PMID: 37622471 DOI: 10.1039/d3em00141e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Temporal and spatial trends of 15 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were determined in white-tailed sea eagle (WTSE) eggs (Haliaeetus albicilla) from two inland and two coastal regions of Sweden between 1969 and 2021. PFAS concentrations generally increased from ∼1969 to ∼1990s-2010 (depending on target and site) and thereafter plateaued or declined, with perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) declining faster than most perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs). The net result was a shift in the PFAS profile from PFOS-dominant in 1969-2010 to an increased prevalence of PFCAs over the last decade. Further, during the entire period higher PFAS concentrations were generally observed in coastal populations, possibly due to differences in diet and/or proximity to more densely populated areas. Fluorine mass balance determination in pooled samples from three of the regions (2019-2021) indicated that target PFAS accounted for the vast majority (i.e. 81-100%) of extractable organic fluorine (EOF). Nevertheless, high resolution mass-spectrometry-based suspect screening identified 55 suspects (31 at a confidence level [CL] of 1-3 and 24 at a CL of 4-5), of which 43 were substances not included in the targeted analysis. Semi-quantification of CL ≤ 2 suspects increased the identified EOF to >90% in coastal samples. In addition to showing the impact of PFAS regulation and phase-out initiatives, this study demonstrates that most extractable organofluorine in WTSE eggs is made up of known (legacy) PFAS, albeit with low levels of novel substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiz Haque
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
| | - Anne L Soerensen
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, 104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Martin Sköld
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, 104 05, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Mathematics, Stockholm University, Albanovägen 28, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raed Awad
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Valhallavägen 81, 114 28, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kyra M Spaan
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Mélanie Z Lauria
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Merle M Plassmann
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius Väg 8, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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50
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Smith SJ, Keane C, Ahrens L, Wiberg K. Integrated Treatment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Existing Wastewater Treatment Plants-Scoping the Potential of Foam Partitioning. ACS ES&T ENGINEERING 2023; 3:1276-1285. [PMID: 37705672 PMCID: PMC10496112 DOI: 10.1021/acsestengg.3c00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Foam fractionation is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment technology for water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). At many existing wastewater treatment facilities, particularly in aerated treatment steps, foam formation is frequently observed. This study aimed to investigate if foam fractionation for the removal of PFAS could be integrated with such existing treatment processes. Influent, effluent, water under the foam, and foam were sampled from ten different wastewater treatment facilities where foam formation was observed. These samples were analyzed for the concentration of 29 PFAS, also after the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay. Enrichment factors were defined as the PFAS concentration in the foam divided by the PFAS concentration in the influent. Although foam partitioning did not lead to decreased ∑PFAS concentrations from influent to effluent in any of the plants, certain long-chain PFAS were removed with efficiencies up to 76%. Moreover, ∑PFAS enrichment factors in the foam ranged up to 105, and enrichment factors of individual PFAS ranged even up to 106. Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) were more effective at enriching PFAS in the foam than activated sludge processes. Altogether, these high enrichment factors demonstrate that foam partitioning in existing wastewater treatment plants is a promising option for integrated removal. Promoting foam formation and removing foam from the water surface with skimming devices may improve the removal efficiencies further. These findings have important implications for PFAS removal and sampling strategies at wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J. Smith
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chantal Keane
- Queensland
Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Wiberg
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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