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Mohapatra S, Xian JLL, Galvez-Rodriguez A, Ekande OS, Drewes JE, Gin KYH. Photochemical fate of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and degradation pathways predication through computational analysis. J Hazard Mater 2024; 465:133483. [PMID: 38232547 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are commonly used in many products, such as disinfectants, detergents and personal care products. However, their widespread use has led to their ubiquitous presence in the environment, posing a potential risk to human and environmental health. Several methods, including direct and indirect photodegradation, have been explored to remove QACs such as benzylalkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (BACs) and alkyltrimethyl ammonium compounds (ATMACs) from the environment. Hence, in this research, a systematic review of the literature was conducted using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) method to understand the fate of these QACs during direct and indirect photodegradation in UV/H2O2, UV/PS, UV/PS/Cu2+, UV/chlorine, VUV/UV/chlorine, O3/UV and UV/O3/TiO2 systems which produce highly reactive radicals that rapidly react with the QACs, leading to their degradation. As a result of photodegradation, several transformation products (TPs) of QACs are formed, which can pose a greater risk to the environment and human health than the parent QACs. Only limited research in this area has been conducted with fewer QACs. Hence, quantum mechanical calculations such as density functional theory (DFT)-based computational calculations using Gaussian09 software package were used here to explain better the photo-resistant nature of a specific type of QACs, such as BACs C12-18 and ATMACs C12, C14, C18, and their transformation pathways, providing insights into active sites participating in the phototransformation. Recognizing that different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) come with pros and cons in the elimination of QACs, this review also highlighted the importance of implementing each AOP concerning the formation of toxic transformation products and electrical energy per order (EEO), especially when QACs coexist with other emerging contaminants (ECs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeeb Mohapatra
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411, Singapore; Energy and Environmental Sustainability for Megacities (E2S2) Phase II, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), 1 CREATE Way, 138602, Singapore; Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, P.O Box 5048, 2600 GA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jovina Lew Li Xian
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411, Singapore
| | | | - Onkar Sudhir Ekande
- Environmental Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jörg E Drewes
- Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, T-Lab Building, 5A Engineering Drive 1, 117411, Singapore; Energy and Environmental Sustainability for Megacities (E2S2) Phase II, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), 1 CREATE Way, 138602, Singapore; Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 2, 117576, Singapore.
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Zheng G, Webster TF, Salamova A. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: Bioaccumulation Potentials in Humans and Levels in Blood before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:14689-14698. [PMID: 34662096 PMCID: PMC8547165 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are commonly used in a variety of consumer, pharmaceutical, and medical products. In this study, bioaccumulation potentials of 18 QACs with alkyl chain lengths of C8-C18 were determined in the in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) model using the results of human hepatic metabolism and serum protein binding experiments. The slowest in vivo clearance rates were estimated for C12-QACs, suggesting that these compounds may preferentially build up in blood. The bioaccumulation of QACs was further confirmed by the analysis of human blood (sera) samples (n = 222). Fifteen out of the 18 targeted QACs were detected in blood with the ΣQAC concentrations reaching up to 68.6 ng/mL. The blood samples were collected during two distinct time periods: before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic (2019; n = 111) and during the pandemic (2020, n = 111). The ΣQAC concentrations were significantly higher in samples collected during the pandemic (median 6.04 ng/mL) than in those collected before (median 3.41 ng/mL). This is the first comprehensive study on the bioaccumulation and biomonitoring of the three major QAC groups and our results provide valuable information for future epidemiological, toxicological, and risk assessment studies targeting these chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guomao Zheng
- O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405, United States
| | - Thomas F. Webster
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
| | - Amina Salamova
- O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405, United States
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Diaz D, Church J, Young M, Kim KT, Park J, Hwang YB, Santra S, Lee WH. Silica-quaternary ammonium "Fixed-Quat" nanofilm coated fiberglass mesh for water disinfection and harmful algal blooms control. J Environ Sci (China) 2019; 82:213-224. [PMID: 31133266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Intensification of pollution loading worldwide has promoted an escalation of different types of disease-causing microorganisms, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), instigating detrimental impacts on the quality of receiving surface waters. Formation of unwanted disinfection by-products (DBPs) resulting from conventional disinfection technologies reveals the need for the development of new sustainable alternatives. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) are cationic surfactants widely known for their effective biocidal properties at the ppm level. In this study, a novel silica-based antimicrobial nanofilm was developed using a composite of silica-modified QAC (Fixed-Quat) and applied to a fiberglass mesh as an active surface via sol-gel technique. The synthesized Fixed-Quat nanocoating was found to be effective against E. coli with an inactivation rate of 1.3 × 10-3 log reduction/cm min. The Fixed-Quat coated fiberglass mesh also demonstrated successful control of Microcystis aeruginosa with more than 99% inactivation after 10 hr of exposure. The developed antimicrobial mesh was also evaluated with wild-type microalgal species collected in a water body experiencing HABs, obtaining a 97% removal efficiency. Overall, the silica-functionalized Fixed-Quat nanocoating showed promising antimicrobial properties for water disinfection and HABs control, while decreasing concerns related to DBPs formation and the possible release of toxic nanomaterials into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Diaz
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12800 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
| | - Jared Church
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12800 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Mikaeel Young
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826, USA; Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, 6850 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Keug Tae Kim
- Department of Environmental & Energy Engineering, Suwon University, 17 Wauan-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do 445-743, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungsu Park
- K-water Institute, Korea Water Resources Corporation, 200 Sintanjin-Ro, Daedeok-Gu, Daejeon 34350, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Bin Hwang
- Department of Environmental & Energy Engineering, Suwon University, 17 Wauan-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do 445-743, Republic of Korea
| | - Swadeshmukul Santra
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826, USA; Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, 6850 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, FL 32827, USA; Department of Material Science and Engineering, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA; Department of Chemistry, 4111 Libra Drive, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - Woo Hyoung Lee
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, 12800 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
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Zhang C, Cui F, Zeng GM, Jiang M, Yang ZZ, Yu ZG, Zhu MY, Shen LQ. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs): a review on occurrence, fate and toxicity in the environment. Sci Total Environ 2015; 518-519:352-62. [PMID: 25770948 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely applied in household and industrial products. Most uses of QACs can be expected to lead to their release to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and then dispersed into various environmental compartments through sewage effluent and sludge land application. Although QACs are considered to be aerobically biodegradable, the degradation is affected by its chemical structures, dissolved oxygen concentration, complexing with anionic surfactants, etc. High abundance of QACs has been detected in sediment and sludge samples due to its strong sorption and resistance to biodegradation under anoxic/anaerobic conditions. QACs are toxic to a lot of aquatic organisms including fish, daphnids, algae, rotifer and microorganisms employed in wastewater treatment systems. And antibiotic resistance has emerged in microorganisms due to excessive use of QACs in household and industrial applications. The occurrence of QACs in the environment is correlated with anthropogenic activities, such as wastewater discharge from WWTPs or single source polluters, and sludge land application. This article also reviews the analytical methods for determination of QACs in environmental compartments including surface water, wastewater, sewage sludge and sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China.
| | - Fang Cui
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Guang-ming Zeng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China.
| | - Min Jiang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Zhong-zhu Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Zhi-gang Yu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Meng-ying Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Liu-qing Shen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Hunan University, Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China
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