Occurrence of Bisphenols and Benzophenone UV Filters in White-Tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from Smøla, Norway

Indian and global scenarios of Bisphenol A distribution and its new analogues: Prevalence & probability exceedance

We compare, the prevalence, fate, and sources of Bisphenol A both globally and in India. India has the highest concentration of BPA and Bisphenol S(BPS) in general, with vegetables, particularly corn, beans, strings, and raw or canned vegetables, being the largest contributors. Among all the matrices, bisphenols (BPs) are found in the highest concentration in food, followed by surface water, wastewater, and indoor dust. BPA, BPS, and BPF are the most commonly reported analogues in India, with BPA being the most dominant category used worldwide. The highest concentration of BPs is observed in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana that are three major agricultural states of India however, there is still a research gap regarding the dietary exposure to BPs on an individual level. Environmentally detected BPA occurs in a range of below detection to 10636 ng. L-1, with significant geographic variations. Interestingly, the order of abundance in India was maximum for BPS, which is contrary to the global average, where BPA is observed as most abundant. BPS is found to be the most common BPs analogue in surface water worldwide, with limited removal efficiency by both naturally remediation and conventional treatment methods. Similar patterns were observed in the US-India and Japan-Korea regions in terms of their source-sink-prevalence-fate dynamics. The probability of exceeding safe concentrations of BPs is higher in India and Korea, suggesting that these countries are more vulnerable to high prevalence concentrations and the subsequent public health hazards.

Biomonitoring of benzophenones in guano samples of wild bats in Poland

Benzophenones (BPs) are substances used in the production of sunscreens, cosmetics, and personal care products. However, there is a lack of knowledge of BPs in wild animals. Therefore, the study aimed to assess the concentration of selected BPs commonly used in the cosmetic industry in guano samples collected from 4 colonies of greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis). Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine guano concentrations of benzophenone 1 (BP-1), benzophenone 2 (BP-2), benzophenone 3 (BP-3) and benzophenone 8 (BP-8). BP-1 levels above the method quantification limit (MQL) were noted in 97.5% of samples and fluctuated from <0.1 ng/g to 259 ng/g (mean 41.50 ng/g, median 34.8). The second most common was BP-3, which fluctuated from <0.1 ng/g to 19 ng/g (mean 6.67 ng/g, median 5.05), and its levels higher than MQL were observed in 40% of samples. BP-2 and BP-8 concentrations did not exceed the method detection limit (0.04 ng/g) in any analyzed sample. There were visible differences in the BP-1 and BP-3 levels among the studied bat colonies. Mean BP-1 concentration fluctuated from 11.23±13.13 ng/g to 76.71±65.51 ng/g and differed significantly between the colonies. Mean BP-3 concentration fluctuated from 5.03±6.03 ng/g to 9.18±7.65 mg/g, but it did not differ significantly between the colonies. The results show that guano is a suitable matrix for the assessment of wildlife exposure to BPs. This could be particularly advantageous in protected species, where not disturbing and stressing the animals are crucial.

Lymnaea stagnalis and Ophryotrocha diadema as Model Organisms for Studying Genotoxicological and Physiological Effects of Benzophenone-3

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is a lipophilic organic compound that occurs naturally in flower pigments. Since it adsorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the UVA and UVB regions, it is one of the most common UV filters found in sunscreen and cosmetic products. We explored by in vivo micronuclei (MNi) assay the genotoxic effects of BP-3 on hemocytes from the freshwater gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. We also studied its possible toxic effects on life-history traits: body growth in L. stagnalis and egg production of both L. stagnalis and the marine polychaete worm Ophryotrocha diadema. Adult individuals were exposed to increasing concentrations of BP-3 (0.025, 0.050, 0.100, and 0.200 mg/L) once a week for 4 weeks. In L. stagnalis, exposure to BP-3 at concentrations of both 0.2 and 0.1 mg/L produced genotoxic effects on the micronuclei frequencies, but only concentrations of 0.2 mg/L affected the NBUDs frequencies. Similarly, negative effects on body growth were observed at the concentrations of 0.2 and 0.1 mg/L and a significant reduction of egg production at 0.2 mg/L. In O. diadema, a negative correlation between egg production and increasing BP-3 concentrations was observed. Our findings suggest the need for more stringent measures to reduce the presence of BP-3 in the environment.

Advanced throughput analytical strategies for the comprehensive HRMS screening of organic micropollutants in eggs of different bird species

Raptors are ideal indicators for biomonitoring studies using wildlife in order to assess the environmental pollution in the terrestrial ecosystem, since they are placed in the highest trophic position in the food webs and their life expectancy is relatively long. In this study, 26 eggs of 4 bird species (Peregrine falcon, Eurasian curlew, Little owl and Eagle owl) collected in Germany, were investigated for the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and thousands of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Generic sample preparation protocols were followed for the extraction of the analytes and the purification of the extracts, and the samples were analyzed both by liquid (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), for capturing a wide range of organic micropollutants with different physicochemical properties. State-of-the-art screening methodologies were applied in the acquired HRMS data, including wide-scope target analysis of 2448 known pollutants and suspect screening of over 65,000 environmentally relevant compounds. Overall, 58 pollutants from different chemical classes, such as plant protection products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and medicinal products, as well as their transformation products, were determined through target analysis. Most of the detected compounds were lipophilic (logP>2), although the presence of (semi)polar contaminants should not be overlooked, underlying the need for holistic analytical approaches in environmental monitoring studies. p,p'-DDE, PCB 153 and PCB138, PFOS and methylparaben were the most frequently detected compounds. 50 additional substances were identified and semi-quantified through suspect screening workflows, including mainly compounds of industrial use with high production volume.

Ecological and spatial variations of legacy and emerging contaminants in white-tailed sea eagles from Germany: Implications for prioritisation and future risk management

The increasing use of chemicals in the European Union (EU) has resulted in environmental emissions and wildlife exposures. For approving a chemical within the EU, producers need to conduct an environmental risk assessment, which typically relies on data generated under laboratory conditions without considering the ecological and landscape context. To address this gap and add information on emerging contaminants and chemical mixtures, we analysed 30 livers of white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from northern Germany with high resolution-mass spectrometry coupled to liquid and gas chromatography for the identification of >2400 contaminants. We then modelled the influence of trophic position (δ¹⁵N), habitat (δ¹³C) and landscape on chemical residues and screened for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties using an in silico model to unravel mismatches between predicted PBT properties and observed exposures. Despite having generally low PBT scores, most detected contaminants were medicinal products with oxfendazole and salicylamide being most frequent. Chemicals of the Stockholm Convention such as 4,4'-DDE and PCBs were present in all samples below toxicity thresholds. Among PFAS, especially PFOS showed elevated concentrations compared to other studies. In contrast, PFCA levels were low and increased with δ¹⁵N, which indicated an increase with preying on piscivorous species. Among plant protection products, spiroxamine and simazine were frequently detected with increasing concentrations in agricultural landscapes. The in silico model has proven to be reliable for predicting PBT properties for most chemicals. However, chemical exposures in apex predators are complex and do not solely rely on intrinsic chemical properties but also on other factors such as ecology and landscape. We therefore recommend that ecological contexts, mixture toxicities, and chemical monitoring data should be more frequently considered in regulatory risk assessments, e.g. in a weight of evidence approach, to trigger risk management measures before adverse effects in individuals or populations start to manifest.