Determination of Hormones and Non-ionic Surfactant Degradation Products in Small-Volume Aqueous Samples from Soil Columns Using LC-ESI-MS-MS and GC-MS

[Research progress on lyophilization for pretreatment of emerging organic contaminants in environmental samples]

有机新污染物是一类在先进分析技术帮助下新鉴定的、现有法规未管制的、人为源的有机污染物。有机新污染物主要包括药品与个人护理、农药、全氟化合物、内分泌干扰物等,其会产生内分泌干扰效应、诱发抗性基因传播,还对人类和野生生物的生存与发展构成潜在威胁,因此检测环境样品中的有机新污染物浓度对生态环境和人体健康具有重大意义。由于环境样品中的有机新污染物浓度较低,为了达到检测仪器的检测要求,通常需要对环境样品进行前处理,包括样品的净化和浓缩。冷冻干燥技术是一种在真空干燥条件下通过升华方式去除水分的前处理技术,主要包括样品冷冻、初级干燥和再干燥3个阶段,常用于食品和药品行业。在药品行业中,冷冻干燥技术能维持药品的生物活性和化学活性,保持药品的物理化学特性。近年来,冷冻干燥技术逐步用于环境水样中有机新污染物的前处理。其主要的操作步骤包括水样预处理、冷冻干燥、洗脱、吹干、过滤、定容和上机检测。冷冻干燥技术具有操作简单、低成本、样品处理体积少、样品易保存和处理过程中样品损失少等优点,具有广泛应用于环境样品中有机新污染物监测的潜力。该文综述了环境样品中有机新污染物常见的种类,并重点介绍冷冻干燥技术的原理及其在环境样品前处理过程中的应用,提出了冷冻干燥技术在环境分析中的应用前景,为环境样品中有机新污染物的监测提供了参考。

Response Surface Optimization of an Extraction Method for the Simultaneous Detection of Sulfamethoxazole and 17β-Estradiol in Soil

Antibiotics and hormones widely exist in fertilizers and manures, which are excessively used in agriculture and animal husbandry. Considering their potential harm to the environment and human health, the detection of antibiotics and hormones has become a necessity. However, current methods find it difficult to simultaneously extract and detect antibiotics and hormones in soil and to maintain a high level of accuracy and a low cost. In this study, a straightforward, convenient, and simultaneous extraction and detection method of a representative antibiotic (sulfamethoxazole, SMZ) and hormone (17β-Estradiol, E2) in soil has been established. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was used in the pretreatment process and high-performance liquid chromatography with the ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV) method was then chosen in the detection process. By means of single factors and response surface experiments, optimal extraction conditions were a 41-mL buffer solution (pH 4.27) mixed with 1 g of soil sample, an ultrasonication time of 36 min, an ultrasonication temperature of 25 °C, and two extraction cycles. The detection limits of 0.3–10 μg/kg and quantification limits of 1–30 μg/kg have been obtained. Finally, the optimized simultaneous extraction and detection method was validated by three different real soil samples with recoveries ranging from 79.49% to 86.47%.

Increase and Spatial Variation in Soil Infiltration Rates Associated with Fibrous and Tap Tree Roots

Trees play important roles in urban stormwater management; through the loosening of soils by root growth, they increase infiltration and reduce runoff, helping to mitigate flooding and recharge groundwater. Malus baccata with fibrous roots and Sophora japonica with tap roots were studied experimentally to assess their enhancement of soil infiltration. A blank test without a tree was conducted for comparison. Steady-state soil infiltration rates at the bottom of test tanks were measured as 0.28 m/d, 0.33 m/d, and 0.61 m/d for the blank test, M. baccata, and S. japonica, respectively. This represents a 19% increase in the infiltration rate by planting M. baccata and a 118% increase by planting S. japonica. A larger increase in the infiltration rate by S. japonica is consistent with the effects of deeper and more vertical roots that help loosen deeper soils. Spatial variations in soil infiltration rates were also measured. Infiltration rates for M. baccata (1.06 m/d and 0.62 m/d) were larger than those for S. japonica (0.91 m/d and 0.51 m/d) at the same depths (0.35 m and 0.70 m); this is consistent with the expected effects of the shallower and more lateral roots of M. baccata. This study furthers our understanding of the roles of trees in watersheds and urban environments.