Contamination and persistence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rice grains after drying in direct-fired dryer

The objective of this work was to study PAHs contamination in rice grains subjected to different milling types, after drying at different air temperatures in a direct-fired dryer and using firewood with different moisture contents as a heating source. In addition to verifying the persistence of these compounds after storage. Drying of rice grains was performed in a cross-flow dryer at air temperatures of 55 and 65 ºC. As heating source firewood containing different moisture contents was used. The presence of nine PAHs was detected. The drying air temperature, as well as the storage time, did not significantly influence the PAHs contamination of grains. The highest PAHs contamination was observed in grains from the brown subgroup. Grain polishing promoted a reduction in the PAH concentration. The grains subjected to parboilization showed a higher PAHs concentration. The use of firewood with higher moisture content promoted greater PAHs contamination in the grains.

Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails

About 3 billion new tires are produced each year and about 800 million tires become waste annually. Global dependence upon tires produced from natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds represents a persistent and complex environmental problem with only partial and often-times, ineffective solutions. Tire emissions may be in the form of whole tires, tire particles, and chemical compounds, each of which is transported through various atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic routes in the natural and built environments. Production and use of tires generates multiple heavy metals, plastics, PAH's, and other compounds that can be toxic alone or as chemical cocktails. Used tires require storage space, are energy intensive to recycle, and generally have few post-wear uses that are not also potential sources of pollutants (e.g., crumb rubber, pavements, burning). Tire particles emitted during use are a major component of microplastics in urban runoff and a source of unique and highly potent toxic substances. Thus, tires represent a ubiquitous and complex pollutant that requires a comprehensive examination to develop effective management and remediation. We approach the issue of tire pollution holistically by examining the life cycle of tires across production, emissions, recycling, and disposal. In this paper, we synthesize recent research and data about the environmental and human health risks associated with the production, use, and disposal of tires and discuss gaps in our knowledge about fate and transport, as well as the toxicology of tire particles and chemical leachates. We examine potential management and remediation approaches for addressing exposure risks across the life cycle of tires. We consider tires as pollutants across three levels: tires in their whole state, as particulates, and as a mixture of chemical cocktails. Finally, we discuss information gaps in our understanding of tires as a pollutant and outline key questions to improve our knowledge and ability to manage and remediate tire pollution.

Assessment of synthetic musks, polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants in adipose tissue of obese northern Portuguese women - Metabolic implications

Obesity is a worldwide multifactorial disease linked to persistent pollutants exposure amongst other factors. Humans are daily exposed to an assort of pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants and synthetic musks. These, also known as endocrine disruptors, were all found in human adipose tissue, the preferable matrix for the assessment of long-time accumulation. There are several accounts of hazardous effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants on the human organism, whereas for synthetic musks little is still known. Hence, in this study, the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants, and synthetic musks were measured in samples of adipose tissue from 188 Obese Portuguese Women (subcutaneous or scAT and visceral or vAT). After which, associations between pollutants levels and several biochemical parameters from assorted of metabolic processes were studied. Brominated flame retardants were not found in any sample analysed, synthetic musks were found in all the samples analysed (100 % detection frequency) with median levels of 0.4 ± 0.6 μg/g in scAT and 0.4 ± 0.7 μg/g in vAT and polychlorinated biphenyls were found in the majority of samples (<90 % detection frequency) with median levels of 0.1 ± 0.3 μg/g in both tissues. Median concentrations of synthetic musks and polychlorinated biphenyls were similar between scAT and vAT. In total 315 associations were achieved with pollutants levels in adipose tissue, including 273 Spearman's correlations (146 negative and 127 positive). Additionally, 3 multiple linear regressions were achieved. Synthetic musks behave differently than polychlorinated biphenyls and other well-known persistent pollutants in the human body. Synthetic musks behaviour is yet poorly known and their high levels and detection frequencies enforces the need for more studies about their impact on human health. Understanding how these chemicals alter the metabolism is crucial knowledge and hopefully will contribute to improving the treatment and follow-up of obesity in the female population.

A discussion of microplastics in soil and risks for ecosystems and food chains

Microplastics are among the major contaminations in terrestrial and marine environments worldwide. These persistent organic contaminants composed of tiny particles are of concern due to their potential hazards to ecosystem and human health. Microplastics accumulates in the ocean and in terrestrial ecosystems, exerting effects on living organisms including microbiomes, fish and plants. While the accumulation and fate of microplastics in marine ecosystems is thoroughly studied, the distribution and biological effects in terrestrial soil call for more research. Here, we review the sources of microplastics and its effects on soil physical and chemical properties, including water holding capacity, bulk density, pH value as well as the potential effects to microorganisms and animals. In addition, we discuss the effects of microplastics in combination with other toxic environmental contaminants including heavy metals and antibiotics on plant growth and physiology, as well as human health and possible degradation and remediation methods. This reflect is an urgent need for monitoring projects that assess the toxicity of microplastics in soil and plants in various soil environments. The prospect of these future research activities should prioritize microplastics in agro-ecosystems, focusing on microbial degradation for remediation purposes of microplastics in the environment.

Dietary intakes of dioxins and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and breast cancer risk in 9 European countries

BACKGROUND

Dioxins and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that have demonstrated endocrine disrupting properties. Several of these chemicals are carcinogenic and positive associations have been suggested with breast cancer risk. In general population, diet represents the main source of exposure.

METHODS

Associations between dietary intake of 17 dioxins and 35 PCBs and breast cancer were evaluated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort from nine European countries using multivariable Cox regressions. The present study included 318,607 women (mean ± SD age: 50.7 ± 9.7) with 13,241 incident invasive breast cancers and a median follow-up of 14.9 years (IQR = 13.5-16.4). Dietary intake of dioxins and PCBs was assessed combining EPIC food consumption data with food contamination data provided by the European Food Safety Authority.

RESULTS

Exposure to dioxins, dioxins + Dioxin-Like-PCBs, Dioxin-Like-PCBs (DL-PCBs), and Non-Dioxin-Like-PCBs (NDL-PCBs) estimated from reported dietary intakes were not associated with breast cancer incidence, with the following hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for an increment of 1 SD: HRdioxins = 1.00 (0.98 to 1.02), HRdioxins+DL-PCB = 1.01 (0.98 to 1.03), HRDL-PCB = 1.01 (0.98 to 1.03), and HRNDL-PCB = 1.01 (0.99 to 1.03). Results remained unchanged when analyzing intakes as quintile groups, as well as when analyses were run separately per country, or separating breast cancer cases based on estrogen receptor status or after further adjustments on main contributing food groups to PCBs and dioxins intake and nutritional factors.

CONCLUSIONS

This large European prospective study does not support the hypothesis of an association between dietary intake of dioxins and PCBs and breast cancer risk.

Ecosystem impact and dietary exposure of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals in Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) and their farming areas in Jiangsu, China

This study investigated the presence of 18 dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl- and ndl-PCBs), heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, and As) in Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) and their distribution in Jiangsu, China. Risk assessment and source apportionment were employed for evaluating the eco-toxicological impact and human exposure. It was found that the compositions of PCBs varied spatially, suggesting different sources of pollutants, whilst PCB 28, 105, 114, and 126 were consistently found in all sample types, suggesting a common pollution source remained, and the bio-accumulation process was in effect. The total PCBs in sediment were found much higher than in water, and brown meat had the highest and most diverse PCB congeners among all tissues. The presence of heavy metals was found in all samples in descending order of As>Cd>Pb>Hg and in the order of shell>brown meat>white meat>gill for crabs. The results of risk assessment indicated that the potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were within the acceptable range for long-term consumption of the crabs overall. However, the highest toxic equivalent (TEQ), carcinogenic, and non-carcinogenic risks were all recorded in Location C, where dl-PCB 126, 169, and As contributed to the majority of the risks. The ecological risk posed by all HMs was low, but cases of serious point source pollution have been found in the investigated regions, and risks caused by Cd individually should raise concerns. Source apportionment study revealed that the contaminants mostly originated from anthropogenic activities. Natural deposition and transportation played an important role as well.

Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins/Furans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Free-Range Hen Eggs in Central Italy and Estimated Human Dietary Exposure

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination levels of some classes of persistent organic pollutants in free-range hen eggs and to estimate the related human dietary exposure in a site of national interest, characterized by a serious state of environmental pollution in the Bussi sul Tirino area in central Italy. For these purposes, 17 samples of free-range hen eggs collected in home-producing farms located in the site of national interest territory were analyzed for 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), and 6 non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs). Dietary exposure was assessed assuming a standard consumption of eggs per week. The concentration of ∑PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs ranged from 0.463 to 8.028 pg toxic equivalent g-1 fat, whereas the mean contamination level of the ∑ndl-PCBs ranged from 0.234 to 7.741 ng toxic equivalent g-1 fat. PCDD/Fs and PCBs contamination levels were lower than maximum values established by the Commission Regulation (European Union) 1259/2011, except for one sample. The estimated weekly intake, calculated to evaluate the contribution in terms of the monitored pollutants of the locally produced eggs to the diet, was lower than the tolerable weekly intake established by the European Food Safety Authority.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chemico-nanotreatment methods for the removal of persistent organic pollutants and xenobiotics in water - A review

While the technologies available today can generate high-quality water from wastewater, the majority of the wastewater treatment plants are not intended to eliminate emerging xenobiotic pollutants, pharmaceutical and personal care items. Most endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and personal care products (PPCPs) are more arctic than most regulated pollutants, and several of them have acid or critical functional groups. Together with the trace occurrence, EDCs and PPCPs create specific challenges for removal and subsequent improvements of wastewater treatment plants. Various technologies have been investigated extensively because they are highly persistent which leads to bioaccumulation. Researchers are increasingly addressing the human health hazards of xenobiotics and their removal. The emphasis of this review was on the promising methods available, especially nanotechnology, for the treatment of xenobiotic compounds that are accidentally released into the setting. In terms of xenobiotic elimination, nanotechnology provides better treatment than chemical treatments and their degradation mechanisms are addressed.

A two-step gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for measurement of multiple environmental pollutants in human plasma

Individuals are exposed to a wide variety of chemicals over their lifetime, yet current understanding of mixture toxicology is still limited. We present a two-step analytical method using a gas chromatograph-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer that requires less than 1 mL of sample. The method is applied to 183 plasma samples from a study population of children with autism spectrum disorder, their parents, and unrelated neurotypical children. We selected 156 environmental chemical compounds and ruled out chemicals with detection rates less than 20% of our study cohort (n = 61), as well as ones not amenable to the selected extraction and analytical methods (n = 34). The targeted method then focused on remaining chemicals (n = 61) plus 8 additional polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Persistent pollutants, such as p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) and PCB congeners 118 and 180, were detected at high frequencies and several previously unreported chemicals, including 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, isosafrole, and hexachlorobutadiene, were frequently detected in our study cohort. This work highlights the benefits of employing a multi-step analytical method in exposure studies and demonstrates the efficacy of such methods for reporting novel information on previously unstudied pollutant exposures.

Assessment of persistent indoor VOCs inside public transport during winter season

The present work intends to analyze the pollution level at the indoor environments of the public transport units of León Guanajuato, Mexico during winter season. An identification and quantification of persistent organic pollutants were carried out within three of the principal bus lines of the city in order to determine their possible origin, the differences in the levels of contamination between routes, and the potential risk to the health of the users, these analyses were carried out with different statistical techniques (ANOVA, PCA, and correlation network maps). Fourteen different organic compounds were identified as persistent pollutants. Although toluene and hexane were the compounds that were detected at the highest concentrations (average of 86.52 ± 56.1 μg m^-3 and 183.33 ± 10.7 μg m^-3, respectively), the correlation analysis showed that xylene, styrene, and ethylbenzene were the compounds that were mostly related to the other compounds identified as persistent. Otherwise, the statistical analysis of the concentration of these pollutants allowed to establish the fuel combustion vapors as the main source of these compounds. In the same way, the potential exposition health risk to the users were calculated in accordance to the Environmental Protection Agency of United States on those commuters grouped as students and workers. This analysis shown that the xylenes are the most representative organic pollutant in this particulate indoor spaces, and is the one with potential to generate a greater risk to the health of the bus-users, this without demising the potential danger of other pollutants.

Relationship between exposure to mixtures of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals and cancer risk: A systematic review

Environmental risks are responsible for one in five of all deaths worldwide. Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances are chemicals that can subsist for decades in human tissues and the environment. They include heavy metals, organochlorines, polychlorinated biphenyls, organobromines, organofluorines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among others. Although humans are often exposed to multiple pollutants simultaneously, their negative effects on health have generally been studied for each one separately. Among the most severe of these harmful effects is cancer. Here, to compile and analyze the available evidence on the relationship between exposure to mixtures of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals and the risk of developing cancer in the general population, we provide a systematic review based on the main databases (Cochrane, PubMed and Embase), together with complementary sources, using the general methodology of the PRISMA Statement. The articles analyzed were selected by two researchers working independently and their quality was evaluated by reference to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The initial search yielded 2379 results from the main sources of information and 22 from the complementary ones. After the article selection process, 22 were included in the final review (21 case-control studies and one cohort study). Analysis of the selected studies revealed that most of the mixtures analyzed were positively associated with risk of cancer, especially that of the breast, colon-rectum or testis, and more strongly so than each contaminant alone. In view of the possible stronger association observed with the development of cancer for some mixtures of pollutants than when each one is present separately, exposure to mixtures should also be monitored and measured, preferably in cohort designs, to complement the traditional approach to persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. The results presented should be taken into account in public health policies in order to strengthen the regulatory framework for cancer prevention and control.

Simultaneous exploration of nutrients and pollutants in human milk and their impact on preterm infant growth: An integrative cross-platform approach

Early nutritional management including fortified human breastmilk is currently recommended to fulfil the energy demands and counterbalance risks associated to preterm birth. However, little is known about the potential adverse effects of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) carried in human milk on preterm infant growth. We conducted a pilot study proving the application of an integrative analytical approach based on mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to advanced statistical models, favouring the comprehensive molecular profiling to support the identification of multiple biomarkers. We applied this workflow in the frame of a preterm infants' cohort to explore environmental determinants of growth. The combination of high resolution gas and liquid chromatography MS platforms generated a large molecular profile, including 102 pollutants and nutrients (targeted analysis) and 784 metabolites (non-targeted analysis). Data analysis consisted in a preliminary examination of associations between the signatures of POPs and the normalised growth of preterm infants, using multivariate linear regression adjusting for known confounding variables. A second analysis aimed to identify multidimensional biomarkers using a multiblock algorithm allowing the integration of multiple datasets in the growth model of preterm infants. The preliminary results did not suggest an impairment of preterm growth associated to the milk concentrations of POPs. The multiblock approach however revealed complex interrelated molecular networks of POPs, lipids, metabolites and amino acids in breastmilk associated to preterm infant growth, supporting the high potential of biomarkers exploration of this proposed workflow. Whereas the present study intended to identify simultaneously pollutant and nutrient exposure profiles associated to early preterm infant growth, this workflow may be easily adapted and applied to other matrices (e.g. serum) and research settings, favouring the functional exploration of environmental determinants of complex and multifactorial diseases.

silver nanoparticles: innate green bullets for morbific pathogens and persistent pollutants

Silver nanoparticles were fabricated in the presence and absence of light with silver nitrate and aqueous extract of Prunus cerasifera leaf via facile and one-pot green method. P. cerasifera leaf extract reduced and stabilized the nanoparticles with phytometabolites expunging the need for addition of external reducing agents. Optimized silver nanoparticle syntheses was done with variations in leaf extract concentration, time, temperature, and molarity for deciphering the photocatalytic, antifungal, and antibacterial potential of synthesized nanoparticles. Optical, compositional, and morphological analyses of the synthesized nanoparticles were done by UV-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed firstly through UV-Vis by exhibition of peaks with 400-450 nm. FTIR confirmed the presence of major organic groups responsible for reduction of nanoparticles. AFM confirmed the spherical morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles with remarkable dispersion without any agglomeration. Phytochemical analysis for P. cerasifera leaf metabolites was done by GC-MS. Spherical nanoparticles having a size range of 57-144 nm were obtained with face-centered cubic crystals. The average crystallite size obtained from XRD spectra was 2.34 nm. Enhanced photocatalytic first-order kinetics were obtained for persistent organic pollutants, i.e., crystal violet, methylene blue, and malachite green (R² = 0.99, 0.99, 0.98) in less than 15 min. Biomedical and agricultural significance as an antibiotic drug and utilization as a fungicides substitute was explored against nine resistant microbes. Statistically significant variations were analyzed via one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis test and specific multi comparison tests. Active to highly active inhibition zones manifested the use of biogenic silver nanoparticles as potential candidate for applications in biological arenas and as environmental remediators.

Quantitative screening level assessment of human risk from PCBs released in glacial meltwater: Silvretta Glacier, Swiss Alps

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are entrained within glaciers globally, reemerging in many alpine ecosystems. Despite available data on POP flux from glaciers, a study of human health risk caused by POPs released in glacial meltwater has never been attempted. Glaciers in the European Alps house the largest known quantity of POPs in the Northern Hemisphere, presenting an opportunity for identification of potential risk in an endmember scenario case study. With methodology developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we provide a regional screening level human risk analysis of one class of POPs, polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCB) that have been measured in melt waters from the Silvretta Glacier in the Swiss Alps. Our model suggests the potential for both cancer and non-cancer impacts in residents with lifetime exposure to current levels of PCB in glacial meltwater and average consumption of local fish. For residents with an abbreviated 30-year exposure timeframe, the risk for cancer and non-cancer impacts is low. Populations that consume higher quantities of local fish are predicted to be at a greater risk, with risk to lifetime consumers higher by an order of magnitude. Based on the results of our screening study, we suggest that local government move to the next step within the risk assessment framework: local monitoring and management. Within the Alps, other glacial watersheds of a similar size and latitude may see comparable risk and our model framework can be adapted for further implementation therein.

Examination of contaminant exposure and reproduction of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Delaware Bay and River in 2015

A study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in the coastal Inland Bays of Delaware, and the Delaware Bay and Delaware River in 2015 examined spatial and temporal trends in contaminant exposure, food web transfer and reproduction. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), coplanar PCB toxic equivalents, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other flame retardants in sample eggs were generally greatest in the Delaware River. Concentrations of legacy contaminants in 2015 Delaware Bay eggs were lower than values observed in the 1970s through early 2000s. Several alternative brominated flame retardants were rarely detected, with only TBPH [bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate)] present in 5 of 27 samples at <5 ng/g wet weight. No relation was found between p,p'-DDE, total PCBs or total PBDEs in eggs with egg hatching, eggs lost from nests, nestling loss, fledging and nest success. Osprey eggshell thickness recovered to pre-DDT era values, and productivity was adequate to sustain a stable population. Prey fish contaminant concentrations were generally less than those in osprey eggs, with detection frequencies and concentrations greatest in white perch (Morone americana) from Delaware River compared to the Bay. Biomagnification factors from fish to eggs for p,p'-DDE and total PCBs were generally similar to findings from several Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Overall, findings suggest that there have been improvements in Delaware Estuary waterbird habitat compared to the second half of the 20th century. This trend is in part associated with mitigation of some anthropogenic contaminant threats.

Photodegradation of pharmaceutical persistent pollutants using hydroxyapatite-based materials

Pharmaceutical persistent pollutants pose a serious threat to the environment. The aim of this study was to use, for the first time, hydroxyapatite-based biomaterials as photocatalysts to degrade micropollutants. Diclofenac and fluoxetine were selected for these initial tests. Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)(OH)2, HAp) is one of the most commonly used biomaterials/bioceramics, being a major constituent of bone. In this work sustainable HAp-based materials of marine origin, obtained from cod fish bones, were used; these photocatalysts were previously fully studied and characterised. Both single-phase HAp and HAp-titania multicomponent materials (1 wt% TiO2) were employed as UV light photocatalysts, the latter showing better performance, indicated by higher degradation rates of both compounds. The HAp-titania photocatalyst showed excellent degradation of both persistent pollutants, the maximum degradation performance being 100% for fluoxetine and 92% for diclofenac, with pollutant and photocatalyst concentrations of 2 ppm and 4 g/L, respectively. Variations in features such as pollutant and photocatalyst concentrations were investigated, and results showed that generally fluoxetine was degraded more easily than diclofenac. The photocatalyst's crystallinity was not affected by the photodegradation reaction; indeed the material exhibited good photostability, as the degradation rate did not decrease when the material was reused. Tests were also performed using actual treated wastewater; the photocatalyst was still effective, even if with lower efficiency (-20% and -4% for diclofenac and fluoxetine, respectively). TOC analysis showed high but incomplete mineralisation of the pollutants (maximum 60% and 80% for DCF and FXT, respectively).

Scale-up of electrolytic and photoelectrolytic processes for water reclaiming: a preliminary study

This work focuses on the scale-up of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical oxidation processes with diamond anodes for the removal of organic pollutants and disinfection of treated urban wastewater, two of the most important parameters for the reclaiming of wastewater. The removal of organics was studied with actual biologically treated urban wastewater intensified with 100 mg dm(-3) of caffeine, added as a trace organic pollutant. The disinfection was also studied with biologically treated urban wastewater, and Escherichia coli was used to monitor the efficiency of the process. Results obtained with a single DiaCell® 101 were compared with those obtained with a single-stack DiaCell® 1001 and with a pilot plant made up of five of these stacks. Results obtained demonstrate that scale-up is not a simple but a very complex process, in which not only the electrode and the irradiation dose are important but also mass transfer conditions. Enhanced mass transport conditions have a determining and very positive effect on the removal of organics and a negative effect on the disinfection. Likewise, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation affects in a different way in the different setups used, having a great influence on the removal of complex organics and on the speciation of oxidants produced during disinfection. This works helps to understand the key differences observed in the scale-up, and it is a first approach for future works focused on the real application of conductive diamond electrochemical oxidation.

Decadal re-evaluation of contaminant exposure and productivity of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) nesting in Chesapeake Bay Regions of Concern

The last large-scale ecotoxicological study of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake Bay was conducted in 2000-2001 and focused on U.S. EPA-designated Regions of Concern (ROCs; Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco, Anacostia/middle Potomac, and Elizabeth Rivers). In 2011-2012, ROCs were re-evaluated to determine spatial and temporal trends in productivity and contaminants. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE were low in eggs and below the threshold associated with eggshell thinning. Eggs from the Anacostia/middle Potomac Rivers had lower total PCB concentrations in 2011 than in 2000; however, concentrations remained unchanged in Baltimore Harbor. Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants declined by 40%, and five alternative brominated flame retardants were detected at low levels. Osprey productivity was adequate to sustain local populations, and there was no relation between productivity and halogenated contaminants. Our findings document continued recovery of the osprey population, declining levels of many persistent halogenated compounds, and modest evidence of genetic damage in nestlings from industrialized regions.