The occurrence of chemical and biological contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) was investigated in treated wastewater intended for reuse in agriculture. An agarose hydrogel diffusion-based passive sampler was exposed to the outlet of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located in Cyprus, which is equipped with membrane bioreactor (MBR). Passive samplers in triplicate were exposed according to a time-series exposure plan with maximum exposure duration of 28 days. Composite flow-proportional wastewater samples were collected in parallel with the passive sampling exposure plan and were processed by solid phase extraction using HORIZON SPE-DEX 4790 and the same sorbent material (Oasis HLB) as in the passive sampler. The analysis of passive samplers and wastewater samples enabled (i) the field-scale calibration of the passive sampler prototype by the calculation of in situ sampling rates of target substances, and (ii) the investigation of in silico predicted transformation products of the four most ecotoxicologically hazardous antibiotics (azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, ofloxacin). Additionally, the wastewater samples were subjected to the analysis of seven preselected antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) and one mobile resistant element (int1). All extracts were analyzed for chemicals in a single batch using a highly sensitive method for pharmaceuticals, antibiotics and illicit drugs by liquid chromatography tandem MS/MS (LC-QQQ) and for various other target compounds (2316 compounds in total) by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). 279 CECs and all investigated ARGs (except for blaCTX-M-32) were detected, highlighting potential chemical and biological hazards related to wastewater reuse practices. 16 CECs were prioritized following ecotoxicological risk assessment, whereas sul1 and the mobile resistant element (int1) showed the highest abundance. Comprehensive monitoring efforts using novel sampling methods such as passive sampling, wide-scope target screening and molecular analysis are required to assure safe application of wastewater reuse and avoid spread and crop uptake of potentially hazardous chemicals.
In recent years, organic ultraviolet filters (UVFs) received considerable attention as a group of emerging contaminants, including in Australia where the use of UVFs is particularly relevant. Passive sampling using polymers has become widely used for routine monitoring of chemicals in the aquatic environment. Application of passive samplers for monitoring chemicals in the water relies on calibration data such as chemical's polymer-water partition coefficient (Kpw) and diffusion coefficients in the sampling material (Dp), for understanding uptake and kinetic limitations. In the present study, Kpw and Dp for nine UVFs were estimated. Kpw values were determined in different water - polymer partition experiments where (1) a given mass of chemicals was dosed into the water and (2) into the polymer. Diffusion coefficients were determined using the stacking method. The estimated log Kpw and log Dp ranged from 2.9 to 6.4 L kg-1 and -11.1 to -10.5 m2s-1, respectively. The sufficient high Dp allows application of kinetic models that only consider water boundary-controlled uptake for converting silicone sampler uptake into an aqueous phase concentration using the presented Kpw.
- MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza MeSH
- filtrace MeSH
- kalibrace * MeSH
- monitorování životního prostředí metody MeSH
- organické látky škodlivé účinky MeSH
- polymery chemie MeSH
- silikony * MeSH
- ultrafialové záření MeSH
- voda MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Austrálie MeSH
Passive sampling is increasingly applied for monitoring neutral hydrophobic compounds (HOC) in various environmental media like water, sediment, air and also soft biota tissue. Passive samplers for HOC are often constructed from permeable polymers like silicone and polyethylene (PE), while also SPMD are often applied. Their HOC uptake can be converted to freely dissolved or equivalent lipid-based concentrations using appropriate partition coefficients with or without the use of kinetic uptake models to adjust for non-equilibrium. To facilitate such conversions for seventy HOC partition coefficients are derived by combining polymer-water for Altesil™ silicone and PE, with new and earlier published polymer-polymer, polymer-lipid partition coefficients. Derived SSP silicone-water, lipid-water (Klip/w), and SPMD-water (Kspmd/w) partition coefficients demonstrate good agreement with literature data, except for Kspmd/w. For SPMD, this work demonstrates a linear Kspmd/w - Kow relationship (R2 = 0.99) in contrast to the parabolic Kspmd/w - Kow relationship utilized in the USGS "SPMD Water Concentrations Calculator". Following a thorough evaluation of this Calculator it is recommended that in combination with revised Kspmd/w, a radical different model approach should be used for obtaining accurate water concentrations from passive sampling with SPMD.
- MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu chemie MeSH
- hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
- lipidy chemie MeSH
- monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
- polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky analýza MeSH
- polyethylen chemie MeSH
- polymery chemie MeSH
- silikony chemie MeSH
- voda chemie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
To further support implementation of monitoring by passive sampling, robust sampler-water partition coefficients (Kpw) are required to convert data from passive sampler into aqueous phase concentrations. In this work silicone-water partition coefficients were determined for ∼80 hydrophobic organic contaminants using the cosolvent method. Partition coefficients (Kpm) were measured in pure water and water-methanol mixtures up to a methanol mole fraction of 0.3 (50% v/v). Subsequently, logKpw in pure water was determined as the intercept of linear regression of the logKpm with the corresponding methanol mole fractions. LogKpw were determined for phthalates, musks, organo phosphorus flame-retardants, chlorobenzenes, pesticides, some PCBs and a number of miscellaneous compounds. The median standard error and 95% confidence interval of the measured logKpw was 0.06 and 0.13, respectively. The overall relationship between Kpw and Kow seems insufficient to predict Kpw for unknown compounds. Prediction may work within a group of compounds with similar nature, e.g. homologues but HCH isomers having the same Kow exhibit Kpw ranging over an order of magnitude. Long alkyl-chain phthalates and tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate; all having a molecular volume >400 Å3, deviated the most from the Kpw-Kow relationship.
- MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu chemie MeSH
- chlorbenzeny chemie MeSH
- fosfáty chemie MeSH
- kyseliny ftalové chemie MeSH
- kyseliny mastné mononenasycené MeSH
- pesticidy chemie MeSH
- polychlorované bifenyly chemie MeSH
- retardanty hoření MeSH
- silikony chemie MeSH
- voda chemie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The freely dissolved concentration of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is one of the most important parameters for risk assessment in aquatic environments, due to its proportionality to the chemical activity. Chemical activity difference represents the driving force for a spontaneous contaminant transport, such as water-aquatic biota or water-sediment. Freely dissolved concentrations in sediment pore water can be estimated from the concentrations in a partition-based passive sampler equilibrated in suspensions of contaminated sediment. Equilibration in the sediment/passive sampler system is slow, since concentrations of most POPs in the water phase, which is the main route for mass transfer, are very low. Adding methanol to sediment in suspension increases the POPs' solubility and, consequently, the permeability in the water phase. The resulting higher aqueous concentrations enhance POPs mass transfer up to three times for investigated POPs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides) and shorten equilibrium attainment to less than 6 weeks. The addition of methanol to the aqueous phase up to a molar fraction of 0.2 changed the POPs equilibrium distribution ratio between sediment and passive sampler by less than a factor of two. As a result, the pore water concentrations of POPs, calculated from their amounts accumulated in a passive sampler, are affected by methanol addition not more than by the same factor.
- MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza MeSH
- chlorované uhlovodíky analýza MeSH
- geologické sedimenty analýza MeSH
- methanol chemie MeSH
- monitorování životního prostředí metody MeSH
- pesticidy analýza MeSH
- polychlorované bifenyly analýza MeSH
- polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky analýza MeSH
- rozpustnost MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Polymers are increasingly used for passive sampling of neutral hydrophobic organic substances (HOC) in environmental media including water, air, soil, sediment and even biological tissue. The equilibrium concentration of HOC in the polymer can be measured and then converted into equilibrium concentrations in other (defined) media, which however requires appropriate polymer to media partition coefficients. We determined thus polymer-lipid partition coefficients (KPL) of various PCB, PAH and organochlorine pesticides by equilibration of two silicones and low density polyethylene (LDPE) with fish oil and Triolein at 4 °C and 20 °C. We observed (i) that KPLwas largely independent of lipid type and temperature, (ii) that lipid diffusion rates in the polymers were higher compared to predictions based on their molecular volume, (iii) that silicones showed higher lipid diffusion and lower lipid sorption compared to LDPE and (iv) that absorbed lipid behaved like a co-solute and did not affect the partitioning of HOC at least for the smaller molecular size HOC. The obtained KPLcan convert measured equilibrium concentrations in passive sampling polymers into equilibrium concentrations in lipid, which then can be used (1) for environmental quality monitoring and assessment, (2) for thermodynamic exposure assessment and (3) for assessing the linkage between passive sampling and the traditionally measured lipid-normalized concentrations in biota. LDPE-lipid partition coefficients may also be of use for a thermodynamically sound risk assessment of HOC contained in microplastics.
- MeSH
- chlorované uhlovodíky chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- fyzikální absorpce * MeSH
- hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
- látky znečišťující životní prostředí chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- lipidy chemie MeSH
- organické látky chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- polyethylen chemie MeSH
- regenerace a remediace životního prostředí metody MeSH
- silikony chemie MeSH
- vystavení vlivu životního prostředí prevence a kontrola MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
A passive sampler based on stir bars coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was calibrated for the measurement of time-weighted average concentrations of hydrophobic micropollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides, in water. Stir bar/water partition coefficients were measured by equilibrating bars with sheets made of silicone rubber material for which partition coefficients had been reported previously. Kinetic parameters characterising the exchange of analytes between stir bars and water were determined under controlled exposure conditions using a passive dosing system. The dosing system consisted of silicone rubber sheets with a large surface area, spiked with analytes. During stir bar sampler exposure, analytes partitioned from dosing sheets to water in the exposure tank and maintained constant exposure concentrations. Reversible and isotropic exchange kinetics of analytes between sampler and water was confirmed by measuring the release of a range of performance reference compounds (PRCs) from stir bars. Application of a two-resistance model confirmed that, except for hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, uptake of the test compounds under the experimental conditions was controlled by diffusion in the water boundary layer. This permits the application of PRCs for in situ calibration of uptake kinetics of test compounds to stir bars.
- MeSH
- chemická frakcionace metody MeSH
- chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce * MeSH
- kalibrace MeSH
- kinetika MeSH
- organické látky analýza chemie izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
