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The aquatic environment, linked to the sustainable development of human existence and ecological environment, is influenced comprehensively by anthropogenic and natural activities. In light of the continuously low concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in surface water in plain river networks and the phenomenon of delay in the improvement of surface water quality, this research aims to introduce a method that may be utilized in identifying the critical driving forces of DO in surface water and their lagging characteristics, which will contribute to the assessment and adjustment of water quality drivers and/or policies. The research analyzes a typical small watershed in a river network region of the Yangtze River Delta plain as the study area, collecting 35-year (1986-2020) data on several water quality parameters, decades of anthropogenic activities, and two natural factors. The time series methods of vector autoregressive model, Granger causality tests, forecast error variance decompositions, and impulse response functions (hereinafter referred to as VAR+), which are rarely applied in related research, were employed in this study and proved helpful for screening out pivotal drivers and capturing the lagging responses of DO level to driving forces at each lagged time. Results show that there exists a fluctuating drop in DO level in surface water from 1986 to 2008 and a steady climb from 2008 to 2020, with the lowest DO level being present in 2008. The impulsive perturbations of phosphate fertilizer consumption (PFC), motor vessel number, and precipitation minimally increase DO concentration, while the impulsive perturbation of gross domestic product (GDP) causes the sharpest drop in DO level. With these perturbations, the driving force of PFC persists for approximately seven years, and the driving forces of water temperature, permanent population, and GDP persist for only five years. Future research could be conducted with spatial hysteresis, selection of lag order and variable quantity within the model, as well as intermediate variables between drivers and DO level for exploring driving pathways and mechanisms.

Characterizing the occurrence of organic contaminants (OCs) of environmental health concern in municipal sewage sludges is essential for safe handling and disposal of these abundant materials. This meta-analysis aimed to (i) summarize the extent of studies performed on the chemical composition of sewage sludges from China and the U.S., the world’s two largest chemical producers, (ii) identify chemical groups of priority concern, (iii) quantitatively compare chemical abundance in sludge between nations, (iv) determine longitudinal contaminant accumulation trends in sludge, and (v) identify data gaps with regard to OC concentrations in sludge. A literature search was conducted on concentrations of OCs in U.S. sludges produced during treatment of domestic and industrial wastewater and compared statistically to contaminant levels in Chinese sludge abstracted from a recently established database. Longitudinal trends of OC occurrence were interpreted in the context of national chemical production, usage statistics, and regulations. A total of 105 studies on OCs in U.S. sewage sludge were found, while a total of 159 had been found in China. Among 1,175 OCs monitored for, 23% of all analytes had been monitored in both countries (n = 269), 41% (n = 480) in China only, and the remaining 36% (n = 426) in the U.S. only. On average, concentrations of OCs were 4.0 times higher in U.S. than in Chinese sewage sludge, with the highest detection being observed for alkylphenol ethoxylates. Data from a new binational database on toxic OCs in sewage sludges suggest and reiterates the need for additional chemical monitoring in both countries, risk assessments for emerging OCs contained in sludges destined for application on land, and stronger enforcement of sludge disposal restrictions in China, where as much as 40% of sludge is currently being dumped improperly.

The illegal disposal of industrial sewage sludge has caused serious environmental pollution. To develop identification technology of industrial sewage sludge based on the characteristic fingerprints is a promising method that is helpful to clarify the responsibility of illegal enterprises. In this study, heavy metal profiles of sewage sludge from industries (including printing and dyeing industry and other industries) and municipal sewage treatment plant located in eastern China were determined, and their performance of classification was evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discrimination analysis (LDA). Results showed that heavy metal composition can be an effective tool for distinguishing sewage sludge between printing and dyeing industry and other industries, with an accuracy rate of 82.9%. Meanwhile, heavy metal speciation may be a promising method for identification of printing and dyeing sludge from municipal sewage sludge, the accuracy rate of which reached 100%. Moreover, antimony (Sb) and zinc (Zn) are two indicators, which can be used to identify sewage sludge between printing and dyeing sub-industries, and the accuracy rate was 90%. We concluded that heavy metal profiles may be a precise and promising tool for identification of printing and dyeing sludge. This study developed a potential method for tracing the source of industrial sewage sludge and establishing the identification database of industrial sewage sludge and provided technical support for the government to supervise the illegal dumping and disposal of industrial sewage sludge.

Xiangjiang (XJ) is a typical urban inland river that serves as a drinking water source, which may be affected by the currently used organochlorine pesticides (CUOCPs) originating from agricultural activities in the vicinity. On this basis, this study comprehensively explored the occurrence and distribution characteristics of CUOCPs in surface water and sediments under long-term precipitation and subsequent floods. Considering the low concentration of CUOCPs in water, a technique combining high-throughput organic analysis with high-volume solid phase extraction (High-throat/Hi-volume SPE) was introduced for effective analysis of CUCOPs. The results showed that the concentration of CUOCPs in the water and sediments of XJ ranged from 2.33 to 6.40 ng L

In this study, we investigated the occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the surface water and sediments of the Xiangjiang (XJ) River, a drinking water source of Changsha City. The total concentrations of five detected OPEs (Σ5OPEs) in surface water and tap water were 6.07-25.3 ng L-1 (average 14.9 ± 4.98 ng L-1), and 23.6 ng L-1, respectively, and four detected OPEs (Σ4OPEs) in sediments were 3.74-27.5 ng g-1 dw (average 12.1 ± 6.48 ng g-1 dw). Tris-2-chloroisopropyl phosphate (TCIPP) was the dominant contributor in water and sediment samples, accounting for over 40% of ΣOPEs. A particular flood event during July-August 2020 reduced the level of OPEs in river water, leading to generally uniform OPE concentrations in surface water and sediment samples from the upper, middle, and lower reaches of XJ. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR) results indicated that the main sources of OPEs in the surface water and sediments of XJ were emissions of waste-water treatment plants and anthropocentric activities. The results of ecological and human health risk assessments indicated that all OPEs posed a low or negligible ecological risk for algae, daphnia, and fish, and negligible risk for human health. Interestingly, the concentration and human health risk of OPEs in a composite tap water sample was generally higher than those in river water samples, indicating possible OPE contamination from water treatment processes or transportation through pipe networks.

In this study, we reported the occurrence of eight organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in the East China Sea. Forty samples were collected and analysed with a high volume solid phase extraction method (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) in the early summer of 2020. All the target OPPs were detected in the surface water at one or more stations in the East China Sea, and the concentrations of ΣOPPs were in the range 0.0775–3.09 ng/L (mean: 0.862 ± 0.624 ng/L). Terbufos sulfone and fenthion were the main pollutants in this area, probably resulting from pesticide use in China and other countries. The off-shore input from coastal regions was suggested to be a major source of OPP pollution in the East China Sea, and the movement of ocean currents played an important role in their transportation because around 0.86 t OPPs passed through the Tsushima Strait from the East China Sea each month. An ecological risk assessment showed that these OPPs presented a high risk to species in the East China Sea, whereas they posed no health risk to humans under both the median and high exposure scenario.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are typical industrial additives widely applied in various industrial and household products, but they may pollute drinking water. In the present study, the occurrence of OPEs in drinking water was analyzed. For this purpose, 25 drinking water samples were collected from households in 25 cities in China. The concentrations of OPEs were accurately determined according to a high-throughput organic analysis testing combined with high-volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) technique. Through this technique, nine OPEs were detected, with spiked recoveries from 77% to 101%, and their total concentrations (ΣOPEs) ranging from 46.8 to 251 (average 126) ng L−1. The detection frequencies of the selected OPEs determined via Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE were 88.0%–100%, which are much higher than those previously reported. The limit of detections of the OPEs was low at 20 L). OPEs in drinking water presented a decreasing trend from cities in coastal provinces to inland cities of China. Redundancy analysis showed that the concentrations of OPEs in drinking water were significantly influenced by economic–demographic influencing factors. The non-carcinogenic and lifetime carcinogenic risks (non-CR and CR) of the analyzed OPEs in drinking water were negligible for urban residents in China.

Rapid urbanization created unique urban environment with a characteristic of dramatic modification of land cover, consequently causing profound perturbations in the transport and fate of pollutants in urban ecosystem. Taking a hyper-urbanization city (Shanghai) as an example to reveal the influence of urbanization development on pollutant footprint, this study reconstructed and compared historical evolutions of elemental carbon (EC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) based on two lake sediment cores (DSL: Dianshan Lake; LXL: Luxun Lake) from early- and newly-urbanized areas, respectively. Historical fluxes of EC and total PAH (Σ16PAHs) showed similar and sharply fluctuant increases occurring after the 1950s in the DSL core later than the LXL core after the 1900s. In modern times (after 2000), the mean fluxes of EC and Σ16PAHs in the LXL core were 2.68- and 1.38-fold greater than those in the DSL core, respectively, indicating the stronger influence from more intensive human activities and longer industrial history in early urbanized area. Based on the significant correlations among socioeconomic factors with EC and Σ16PAH fluxes, the extended STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) models were successfully constructed, revealing that significance of these driving factors were in the order of population > the proportion of heavy industry > coal consumption > gross domestic product (GDP) per capita > vehicle amount. In general, the obvious discrepancy in historical stage and intensity of sedimentary EC and PAH accumulations implied that some newly fast-developing cities still have a chance to adjust urban development strategy to avoid more serious pollution.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been found to be ubiquitously disseminated in the environment due to their widespread use in recent decades. In this study, the occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of PFAAs in the surface water of Huangpu River, Shanghai, China were investigated from 2012 to 2014. The total concentration of 14 PFAAs (ΣPFAAs) ranged from 39.8 to 596.2 ng L −1 , with a mean value of 226.3 ng L −1 . Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were dominant, with their mean concentrations of 139.6 and 46.5 ng L −1 , respectively. The concentration of ΣPFAAs increased greatly downstream especially in the lower reach of an industrial and urbanized area. Samples collected in different seasons were used to analyze the seasonal variation. The results showed that higher concentration of ΣPFAAs occurred in the wet season, especially downstream. Therefore, industrial discharges, municipal wastewater and surface runoff were identified as major potential sources. The annual discharge load of ΣPFAAs from Huangpu River to Yangtze River was estimated to be 2263.4 kg yr −1 . The hazard assessment suggested that the contamination of PFAAs in Huangpu River could pose risks to the aquatic environment and drinking water safety, which should draw more attention.

Nanoparticle (NP) assessment in sludge materials, although of growing importance in eco- and biotoxicity studies, is commonly overlooked and, at best, understudied. In the present study, sewage sludge samples from across the mega-city of Shanghai, China were investigated for the first time using a sequential extraction method coupled with single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) to quantify the abundance of metal-containing NPs in the extraction fractions and transmission electron microscopy to specifically identify the nanophases present. In general, most sludges observed showed high concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Pb, exceeding the maximum permitted values in the national application standard of acid soil in China. NPs in these sludges contribute little to the volume and mass but account for about half of the total particle number. Based on electron microscopy techniques, various NPs were further identified, including Ti-, Fe-, Zn-, Sn-, and Pb-containing NPs. All NPs, ignored by traditional metal risk evaluation methods, were observed at a concentration of 10

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) raise public concern as emerging contaminants. The abundance and variation of 11 ARGs, intI1 and 16S rRNA gene were deciphered using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in two drinking water treatment systems that include river, wetland, drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and tap water from the Yangtze River Delta. The influencing factors for ARG abundance in river water were also explored. All investigated genes were detected in river water and there was no significant difference between the two systems, with sulfonamide ARGs occupying the highest abundance. Temperature had a significant effect on the ARG distribution based on permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). Further Spearman analysis demonstrated that temperature was strongly correlated with the abundance of sul1, sul2, tetA and tetC, and these genes were significantly correlated with environmental factors (including temperature, total organic carbon (TOC) and dissolved oxygen (DO)). Considering the frequency and abundance of ARGs, as well as their correlation with other genes, sul1, sul2, tetA and tetC could be used as indicators of ARGs in river water. No significant reduction was noted for the absolute abundance of ARGs from river water to wetland water. Principle coordinates analysis (PCoA) combined with PERMANOVA revealed that drinking water treatment was responsible for reducing 16S rRNA gene and ARG abundance resulting in 3-log reductions. However, it should be noted that after transportation of distribution pipeline, both 16S rRNA gene and ARGs still detected in tap water, which indicated persistence of ARGs and will require further research.

The risk associated with human exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) via dietary intake are of great concern because of the bioaccumulation potential of SCCPs in biota and adverse effects. Fish are an important food source for human beings. However, there is a paucity of studies on human exposure to SCCPs via fish consumption. In this study, SCCPs were measured in frequently consumed river fish from the Pearl River Delta, and farmed freshwater fish and wild sea fish from the Yangtze River Delta. Lipid-normalized SCCP levels in river fish ranged from 3000 to 41,000 ng/g lipid weight (lw), with an average of 16,000 ± 12,000 ng/g lw. SCCP concentrations in farmed fish were significantly lower than those in river fish (p 0.05), but significantly higher than those in sea fish (p 0.05). Homologue patterns of SCCPs in river fish, farmed fish and sea fish were similar, with C

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are ubiquitous and toxic environmental pollutants, and have recently attracted much research attention. However, their occurrence in tapwater and the associated potential health risks have not been thoroughly studied. This work examined 26 household tapwater samples collected in 26 Chinese cities during August and September 2019. Concentrations of 79 SVOCs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polychlorobenzenes (CBs), were determined using an emerging method of high throughput organic analysis testing combined with high volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE). Total concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, and CBs were in the ranges 8.70–103 ng L−1 (average 42.1 ng L−1), 61.6–434 pg L−1 (average 274 pg L−1), 13.1–266 pg L−1 (average 59.8 pg L−1), and 3.5–83.0 pg L−1 (average 13.8 pg L−1), respectively. PAHs were the dominant SVOCs, with concentrations 10–100 times those of PCBs, OCPs, and CBs. All the studied SVOCs had concentrations deemed acceptable by Chinese national tapwater standards. These measured SVOCs displayed little spatial variation across China, but were significantly correlated with the size of the economy and population of each city. The human non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the studied SVOCs in Chinese tapwater are negligible.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, posing potentially serious threats to human health. This study analyzed compositional characteristics, sources, and carcinogenic risks of PAHs in the atmospheric gas phase at an urban site in Shanghai, East China. Seventy-four gas phase samples were collected during the warm months of May–October 2018 using a high-volume solid phase extraction (Hi-volume SPE) technique. The total concentration of sixteen priority PAHs (ΣPAHs) was in the range of 5.54–182.05 ng m−3 (average 34.47 ng m−3) and the total of seven carcinogenic PAHs (ΣCPAHs) was in range of 0.03–1.49 ng m−3 (average 0.48 ng m−3), accounting for 1.47% of ΣPAHs and indicating low carcinogenic potential. Redundancy analyses indicated positive correlations between ΣPAHs and air quality, and ΣCPAHs and average high temperature, and a negative correlation between ΣPAHs and wind speed. Four possible sources, namely petroleum and petrogenic sources, traffic emissions, coal combustion, and mixed gasoline and coal combustion sources, were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), accounting for 62.84%, 19.31%, 10.15%, and 7.69% of ΣPAHs, respectively. The overall lifetime lung cancer risk (LLCR) through inhalation of PAHs was estimated to be at a low risk level of 1.61 × 10−5. The LLCR based on PMF apportionment decreased in the order of mixed gasoline and coal combustion sources (47.07%) > traffic emissions (35.10%) > petroleum and petrogenic sources (11.06%) > coal combustion (6.74%). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Hi-volume SPE in collecting and analyzing atmospheric gas phase PAHs.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are frequently detected in biota from Antarctica, whereas no data are available for their replacements, such as novel flame retardants (N-FRs). This study presented the occurrence of several N-FRs, PBDEs, and PCBs in tissue samples of an Antarctic rock cod (Trematomus bernacchii), a young gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua), and a brown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) collected from King George Island. The total concentrations of N-FRs (ΣN-FRs; mean: 931 pg/g dry weight (dw)) were comparable to PBDEs (Σ8PBDEs; 681 pg/g dw), which were much lower than PCBs (ΣDL-PCBs; 12,800 pg/g dw). Overall, skua contained two to three orders of magnitude higher contamination than penguin and fish. In the future, more attention should be focused on the fate of N-FRs in Antarctica, where usages have increased since PBDEs were banned. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N-FRs in biota from Antarctica.

This study evaluated the levels and spatial distribution of PBDEs in 9 typical offices in Shanghai, China through the sample analysis of air and settled dust (floor dust, desktop dust and dust in computer case). PBDEs in air ranged from 93 to 322 pg/m(3), while the PBDEs levels in dust varied from 247 to 3.3 × 10(4) ng/g. Spatial variability of PBDEs in office dust was evident and likely influenced by air exchange and the use of electronic devices. A significant positive linear correlation was observed between the power usage rate and PBDE levels in both office air (R(2) = 0.81) and settled dust (R(2) = 0.94). The PBDEs exposure via inhalation and dust ingestion were both analyzed to estimate the life-time cancer risk, which is 1.34 × 10(-22) to 7.16 × 10(-22), significantly lower than the threshold level (10(-6)). Non-cancer risk indicated by the hazard index (1) is also low in current exposure conditions.

To explore the influence of rapid urbanization development on the accumulation of 16 priority PAHs in urban environment, thirty-three surface sediments from city lakes in different urbanized areas of Shanghai were collected to evaluate the occurrence characteristic and source apportionment of PAHs. The concentrations of Σ16PAHs in lake surface sediments ranged from 55.7 to 4928 ng g−1 with a mean value of 1131 ng g−1 (standard deviation, 1228 ng g−1), of which 4-, 5- and 6-ring PAHs were the dominant components. Spatial distribution of PAHs in lake surface sediments showed a significantly declining trend along with a decreasing urbanization gradient (one-way ANOVA, p

Pharmaceuticals are heavily used to improve human and animal health, resulting in the frequent contamination of aquatic environments with pharmaceutical residues, which has raised considerable concern in recent years. When inadequately removed from drinking water in water treatment plants, pharmaceuticals can have potential toxic effects on human health. This study investigated the spatial distributions and seasonal variations of five pharmaceuticals, including ibuprofen (IBP), ketoprofen (KEP), naproxen (NPX), diclofenac (DFC), and clofibric acid (CA), in the Huangpu River system (a drinking water source for Shanghai) over a period of almost two years as well as the associated risk to human health for different age groups. All of the targets were ubiquitous in the river water, with levels decreasing in the following order: KEP (mean: 28.6 ng/L)≈IBP (23.3 ng/L)>DFC (13.6 ng/L)≈NPX (12.3 ng/L)>CA (1.6ng/L). The concentrations of all of the investigated compounds were at the low or medium end of the global range. The upstream tributaries contained lower IBP but higher NPX than did the mainstream and downstream tributaries. However, no significant variations were found in the levels of KEP, DFC, or CA at the different sampling sites. Except for CA in the mainstream, significantly higher pharmaceutical levels were observed in the dry season than in the wet season. Overall, a very low risk of the selected pharmaceuticals for human health via drinking water was observed, but future studies are needed to examine the fate and chronic effects of all pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments. To our knowledge, this is the first report to investigate the human health risk of pharmaceuticals in raw drinking water in China.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered an important medium for the transport and transformation of organic pollutants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus (DP). However, limited data on PBDEs and no data on DP were available regarding wastewater and sludge from China, especially in Shanghai, one of the most developed cities in China. This study examined the occurrence of PBDEs and DP in a conventional WWTP in Shanghai for one year. The levels of the total PBDEs in the influent and dewatered sludge ranged from 5.31 to 27.9 ng/L and 31.0 to 99.5 ng/g, respectively, which were at the low end of the global range. DP was reported in wastewater with a mean concentration of 0.46 ng/L (range: 0.05 to 1.40 ng/L) and sludge contained DP in the range of 1.1 to 2.0 ng/g. For both PBDEs and DP, there were no significant seasonal variations observed in the four seasons. Indoor dust and outdoor air could be two main sources of PBDEs and DP in the WWTP. In both the influent and sewage sludge, BDE-209 was the most abundant congener, with contributions to the total PBDE levels ranging from 52.9 to 82.6% and 82.7 to 84.0%, respectively. The fraction of anti-DP was consistently higher than that of syn-DP, and the average of fsyn ranged from 0.16 to 0.33, which fell in the range of two commercial DP mixtures. The annual releases of PBDEs and DP via sewage sludge from WWTPs in Shanghai were estimated to be 6,370 g and 164.8 g, respectively. The fate and risk of these compounds after being released into the environment require further research. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the occurrence of DP in wastewater.

Sewage-based epidemiology was applied for the first time to a number of mainland Chinese megacities. The application monitored influents to 9 sewage treatment plants (STPs) to estimate the use of illicit drugs in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. Altogether, 11.4 million inhabitants were covered during September-October 2012.24-h composite raw sewage samples were collected for 4 consecutive days at each STP. Each collected sample was analyzed for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methylester, methadone, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethy1-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone, 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, ketamine, and norketamine. Through the analysis of these chemical residues, the use of amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, mephedrone, methadone, methamphetamine, methylenedioxypyrovalerone and ketamine among Chinese urban inhabitants was monitored. The results obtained demonstrated in a quantitative way that the drug use patterns of Chinese are different from their European counterparts. Abuse of methamphetamine and ketamine was particularly noteworthy in China, while consumption of cocaine and ecstasy, the most popular drugs in Europe, was very low among the sampled Chinese inhabitants. Further, the use of most drugs demonstrated a geographical trend, since their use was much higher in the southern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou than it was in Beijing and Shanghai. Interestingly, the exclusive, but minor, metabolite of heroin, 6-monoacetylmorphine, was detected only sporadically. This would suggest that the use of heroin among Chinese urban users sampled in the study was low. Further, the patterns of drug use observed during the study are largely consistent with trends reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Overall, our study suggests that sewage-based epidemiology can readily be used to monitor the use of illicit drugs in those countries/regions where traditional means to monitor drug use patterns have only yielded limited or information of questionable reliability. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aquaculture in mangrove wetlands has been developed rapidly, causing various environmental problems (e.g., antibiotic residue). In the present study, the levels and distributions of a well-known class of antibiotics (fluoroquinolones; FQs), including norfloxacin (NOR), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and enrofloxacin (ENR), were examined in sediment and mangrove plant (Aegiceras corniculatum) from a mangrove wetland in the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, South China. NOR and CIP were detected in all sediment samples, with concentrations ranging from 4.3 to 64.2 ng/g and from 7.62 to 68.5 ng/g on a basis of dry weight (dw), respectively, whereas ENR was found with relatively lower frequency (

The production of sewage sludge is increasing in China but with unsafe disposal practices, causing potential risk to human health and the environment. Using literature from the past 30 years (N = 159), we conducted a meta-analysis of organic contaminants (OCs) in Chinese sludge. Most data were available from developed and populated regions, and no data were found for Tibet. Since 1987, 35 classes of chemicals consisting of 749 individual compounds and 1 mixture have been analyzed, in which antibiotics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were the most targeted analytes. For 13 classes of principal OCs (defined as chemicals detected in over five studies) in sludge, the median (expressed in nanograms per gram dry weight) was the highest for phthalate esters (27 900), followed by alkylphenol polyethoxylates (12 000), synthetic musks (5800), antibiotics (4240), PAHs (3490), ultraviolet stabilizers (670), bisphenol analogs (160), organochlorine pesticides (110), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (100), pharmaceuticals (84), hormones (69), perfluorinated compounds (21), and polychlorinated biphenyls (15). Concentrations of PAHs in sludges collected between 1998 and 2012 showed a decreasing trend. Study findings suggest the need for a Chinese national sewage sludge survey to identify and regulate toxic OCs, ideally employing both targeted as well as nontargeted screening approaches.

The concentration and spatial distribution of persistent toxic substances (PTS) in the river sediment in Chaohu City, China were investigated. A total of nine surface sediments were collected and the selected PTS pollutants including six heavy metals and nineteen polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were analyzed. The mean heavy metal concentrations (in mg/kg, dry weight) ranged within 0.18–1.53 (Hg), 50.08–200.18 (Cu), 118.70–313.65 (Zn), 50.77–310.85 (Cr), 37.12–92.72 (Pb) and 13.29–197.24 (As), and Cu, Zn and As have been regarded as the main metal pollutants. The levels of PBDEs (1.2–12.1 ng/g) and BDE-209 (2.4–30.5 ng/g) were at the middle level of the global range. BDE-209 was the predominant congener (67.0%–85.7%), which agrees with the fact that technical deca-BDE mixtures are the dominant PBDE formulation in China. The relative high level of PTS pollutants in the western part of the city is probably owing to the intensive agricultural activities and lack of sewerage system there. The ecological risk assessment with the sediment quality guidelines (SOGs) indicates that the urban river sediments in the city have been heavily contaminated by heavy metals with probable ecotoxicological impacts on freshwater organisms and the main toxic pollutants are Hg and As. The results of current study imply that the city, and perhaps many other small cities in China as well, requires immediate pollution control measures with emphasis on not only conventional organic pollutants but also on PTS such as heavy metals and PBDEs.

The occurrence, behavior, and release of five acidic pharmaceuticals, including ibuprofen (IBP), naproxen (NPX), ketoprofen (KEP), diclofenac (DFC), and clofibric acid (CA), have been investigated along the different units in a tertiary-level domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in hyper-urbanization city of China (Shanghai). IBP was the most abundant chemicals among the measured in raw wastewater. The loads of the acidic pharmaceuticals in the WWTP influent ranged from 7.5 to 414 mg/day/1,000 inh, which were lower than those reported in the developed countries suggesting a less per capita consumption of pharmaceuticals in Shanghai. IBP obtained by highest removal (87 %); NPX and KEP were also significantly removed (69-76 %). However, DFC and CA were only moderately removed by 37-53 %, respectively. Biodegradation seemed to play a key role in the elimination of the studied pharmaceuticals except for DFC and CA. An annual release of acidic pharmaceuticals was estimated at 1,499 and 61.7 kg/year through wastewater and sludge, respectively, from Shanghai. Highest pharmaceuticals concentrations were detected in the effluent discharge point of the WWTP, indicating that WWTP effluent is the main source of the acidic pharmaceuticals to its receiving river. Preliminary results indicated that only DFC in river had a high risk to aquatic organisms. Nevertheless, the joint toxicity effects of these chemicals are needed to further investigate.

Hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) is a concern due to their large usage combining with physico-chemical properties and toxicity to wildlife and human. However, very limited data were reported on HBCDs in soils, especially from rural area. In this study, 22 soil samples were collected from Chongming Island at estuary of the Yangtze River Delta, to investigate the level, diasteroisomer profile, potential sources, and mass inventory of HBCDs. The total concentrations ranged from not detected to 93.8 pg g −1 dry weight (dw) with a mean of 23.3 pg g −1 dw, which was at the low end of the global levels. The wide distribution of HBCDs in soils suggested that the local emissions of HBCD-containing materials and/or the inputs via atmospheric transport from other regions were two possible sources. Variation of HBCDs levels was observed in different types of soils. Woodland, tideland and road soils contained slightly higher HBCDs than those of farmland and grassland. Overall, γ-HBCD was the dominant diasteroisomer in soils, followed by α-HBCD and β-HBCD. Significant but weak correlations were only found between α-HBCD and β-HBCD versus TOC content in soils. Currently, the mass inventory of HBCDs in soils of Chongming Island was 5.3 kg. Based on these data, we gave perspective on human intake of HBCDs via soil ingestion by age. Local resident’s intakes ranged from 15.5 to 97.8 fg kg body weight −1 d −1 , in which children are exposed more than adults.

Little to no information exists for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in marine mammals frequenting the highly urbanized southern California (USA) coast. Fourteen PBDE congeners were determined by GC-ECNI-MS in blubber of pinnipeds stranded locally between 1994 and 2006. Total PBDE concentrations (SigmaPBDE) in California sea lion (n = 63) ranged from 0.04 to 33.7 microg/g wet weight (mean: 5.24 microg/g). To our knowledge, these are the highest reported PBDE levels in marine mammals to date. By comparison, mean SigmaPBDE in Pacific harbor seals (n = 9) and northern elephant seals (n = 16) were 0.96 and 0.09 microg/g, respectively. PBDEs in adult males were higher than for adult females, however, no age class differences or temporal trends were observed. As the first PBDE data reported for marine mammals in this region, the elevated levels underscore the need for additional studies on the sources, temporal trends, and potential effects of PBDEs in highly urbanized coastal zones.

Concentrations of persistent halogenated hydrocarbons (PHHs) were determined in 13 consumer fish species (a total of 390 individuals) collected from a major fish-farming region of China. The potential health risks of PHHs associated with consumption of fish from China was also systematically assessed regionally and globally. In all fish samples, DDTs, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs were the predominant PHH residues, with the median levels (ranges) being 6.0 (0.14-698.9), 0.50 (0.13-24.06), 0.10 (< 0.02-7.65), and 0.15 (< 0.0012-3.85) ng/g wet weight, respectively. The upper-bound (90th percentile) values of estimated daily intakes of DDT, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs via fish consumption were 45.5, 1.35, 0.46, and 0.30 ng/kg bw/d (urban), and 15.9, 0.47, 0.16, and 0.10 ng/kg bw/d (rural). Globally, the upper-bound outflows via fishery exportation of DDT, HCHs, PCBs, and PBDEs were 185, 5.51, 1.86, and 1.22 kg, respectively, in 2005. Japan was the largest recipient of PHHs, followed by Korea and the United States. Fish consumption assessments indicated that consumption of freshwater farmed and wild marine fish generally does not subject consumers to significant health risk as far as PHHs are concerned, while limited consumption of seawater farmed fish is advised.

Freely dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were monitored in seven inland lakes of Antarctica by a polyethylene (PE)-based passive sampling technique, with the objective of tracking human footprints. The measured concentrations of PAHs were in the range of 14-360 ng L(-1) with the highest values concentrated around the Russian Progress II Station, indicating the significance of human activities to the loading of PAHs in Antarctica. The concentrations of PAHs in the inland lakes were in the upper part of the PAHs levels in aquatic environments from remote and background regions across the globe. The composition profiles of PAHs indicated that PAHs in the inland lakes were derived mainly from local oil spills, which was corroborated by a large number of fuel spillage reports from ship and plane crash incidents in Antarctica during recent years. Clearly, local human activities, rather than long-range transport, are the dominant sources of PAH contamination to the inland lakes. Finally, the present study demonstrates the efficacy of PE-based passive samplers for investigating PAHs in the aquatic environment of Antarctica under complex field conditions.

To evaluate risk via inhalation exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in office environment, thirty-six pairs air samples including PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 μm), total suspended particles (TSP) with matching gas phase were collected in office environment in Shanghai, China. The average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and TSP were 20.4, 27.2 and 50.3 μg/m3, respectively. Σ15PBDEs mean concentrations in PM2.5, PM10, TSP and gas phase were 51.8, 110.7, 148 and 59.6 pg/m3, respectively. Much more PBDEs distributed in fine fractions than coarse ones. PBDEs congener profiles found in PM2.5, PM10 and TSP (dominated by BDE-209) were different from that in gas phase (dominated by the tri- to penta-BDEs). Approximately 3.20 pg/kg/d PM2.5 bound PBDEs can be inhaled into the lung; 3.62 pg/kg/d PM10-PM2.5(particles with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5-10 μm) bound PBDEs tended to be deposited in the upper part of respiratory system, and the intake of PBDEs via gas-phase was 2.74 pg/kg/d. The exposure of PBDEs was far below the minimal risk levels (MRLs), indicating lower risk from PBDEs via inhalation in the studied office in Shanghai.

According to the local habit of eating fish, in a total of 68 samples, 8 kinds of different trophic levels of edible fish collected in Shanghai were determined in terms of concentration and distribution profile of short chain chlorinated paraffin (SCCPs) in muscles to investigate the pollution status of SCCPs in edible fish from the Yangtze River Delta region. The results indicated that the concentrations (dw) of SCCPs in edible fish were in the range of 36-801 ng x g(-1). With the increase in carbon chain length, the concentration of SCCPs decreased. In addition, lower chlorinated (Cl6-Cl8) and shorter chain (Cl10, C11) congeners were the dominant chlorine and carbon homologues groups, respectively, contributing a total relative abundance of 61.46%-82.50% to the total abundance of SCCPs. The levels of SCCPs in fish of Shanghai were in the medium level worldwide, and the distribution pattern was in line with those of the domestic and foreign studies.

Rapid urbanization has caused potential pollution of heavy metal in Shanghai. A comprehensive pollution study of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in 35 lake surface sediments from city parks in the four different urbanized areas of Shanghai was conducted. Intensive human activities caused moderate enrichment of the four metals in highly urbanized areas, especially Cd with the significant enrichment in the central urban core area. However, the levels of the four metals in all the sediments were lower than the corresponding consensus-based Probable Effect Concentration, indicating adverse effects not to occur frequently. The integrated pollution assessments of multiple heavy metals also suggested low ecological risk and 15-29 percent probability of toxicity in most of sediments. The metal speciation analysis showed that Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were dominated by the non-residual fractions and thus they have high mobility and bioavailability, indicating significant anthropogenic sources. According to the Risk Assessment Code, Cd had the highest bioavailable fraction and represented high or very high risk, followed by Zn with medium or high risks in most of samples, while no or low risk was found for Cu and Pb at most sites because they were dominated by reducible and residual fractions. Correlation analysis showed that chemical fractions of heavy metals were prone to transform among each other if environmental conditions changed. Therefore, in view of anthropogenic inputs and speciation distribution, heavy metals with very high bioavailability at very low total levels and those with low bioavailability at very high total levels should not be ignored.

Five PPCPs, including clofibric acid (CA), diclofenac (DFC), ibuprofen (IBP), ketoprofen (KEP), and naproxen (NPX) were selected as target compounds to investigate their occurrence and removal efficiency in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of Shanghai. Furthermore, their distribution and potential toxicological risk in the WWTP receiving river water were investigated. The results showed that all targets were detected in WWTP influent, suggesting that domestic sewage discharge is an important source of PPCPs to the WWTP. Lower removal efficiency of these PPCPs was found in the WWTP and the main mechanism of elimination was biodegradation. The pattern of five selected PPCPs in the river was similar to that in WWTP effluent, indicating that WWTP effluent was a main source of PPCPs to the receiving water. Risk assessment showed that diclofenac posed a high risk, while ketoprofen, naproxen, clofibric acid and ibuprofen showed low risks to biota in the receiving river.

Very few data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were available in the electronic waste (e-waste) as one of the most PBDEs emission source. This study reported concentrations of PBDEs in e-waste including printer, rice cooker, computer monitor, TV, electric iron and water dispenser, as well as dust from e-waste, e-waste dismantling workshop and surface soil from inside and outside of an e-waste recycling plant in Shanghai, Eastern China. The results showed that PBDEs were detected in the majority of e-waste, and the concentrations of ΣPBDEs ranged from not detected to 175 g/kg, with a mean value of 10.8 g/kg. PBDEs were found in TVs made in China after 1990. The mean concentrations of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Korea, Japan, Singapore and China were 1.84 g/kg, 20.5 g/kg, 0.91 g/kg, 4.48 g/kg, respectively. The levels of ΣPBDEs in e-waste made in Japan far exceed the threshold limit of RoHS (1.00 g/kg). BDE-209 dominated in e-waste, accounting for over 93%. The compositional patterns of PBDEs congeners resembled the profile of Saytex 102E, indicating the source of deca-BDE. Among the samples of dust and surface soil from a typical e-waste recycling site, the highest concentrations of Σ18PBDEs and BDE-209 were found in dust in e-waste, ranging from 1960 to 340,710 ng/g and from 910 to 320,400 ng/g, which were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than other samples. It suggested that PBDEs released from e-waste via dust, and then transferred to surrounding environment.

The concentrations of 19 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) congeners in a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were determined to investigate the occurrence and fate of PBDEs during wastewater treatment processes. The level of total PBDEs ranged from 1.68 to 4.64 ng/L in wastewater, with BDE209 accounting for the largest proportion, followed by penta- and octa-BDE congeners. PBDEs were found to mainly exist in the particulate phase of wastewater, which rendered sedimentation efficient for the removal of PBDEs, while the removal efficiencies might be varied for congeners with different Br atom numbers. Because of similar congener profiles, in-house dust was considered to be an important source for PBDEs in the WWTP. According to the mass loading estimation, over 60% of total PBDEs entering the WWTP accumulated in the dewatered sludge, resulting in the total PBDE release of 43.8 kg/year via sewage sludge in Shanghai. And the annual release via effluent was estimated to be 5.5 kg, less but shouldn't be neglected.

Perfluorinated acids (PFAs) are the subject of increasingly intense environmental research. In this study, sewage sludge samples were collected from 25 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Shanghai, China to evaluate the levels and profile of C3-C14 PFAs. The results showed a ubiquitous PFAs contamination of sewage sludge in Shanghai with the total PFAs (∑PFAs) range of 126-809 ng g(-1)dw. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was found to be the dominant PFA pollutant and its concentration ranged from 23.2 to 298 ng g(-1)dw, much higher than the levels in other countries. Moreover, concentrations of short-chain PFAs (C6) in sewage sludge were considerable. Following sludge application in agricultural land, the concentrations of PFOA, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are predicted to be 1.08 and 7.53 ng g(-1)dw, respectively, much lower than the corresponding US EPA standards. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to explore the fate of PFAs in sludge-amended soils due to the persistence and bioaccumulation potential of these compounds.

Very few data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were available in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed and urbanized region in China. In this study, Chongming Island, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River, was selected as background area to investigate the occurrence, sources, and inventory of PBDEs.Forty-two PBDE congeners were determined in surface soils from farmland, woodland, grassland, tideland, and road collected in Chongming Island.The mean concentrations of Sigma26PBDE (not including BDE-209) and BDE-209 in soils were 0.76 and 12 ng/g dry weight, respectively. BDE-209 contributed more than 90% of the total of 27 frequently detected BDE congeners, followed by BDE-99 and BDE-47. Weak correlations were found between total organic carbon content and PBDE congeners concentrations in surface soils. PBDE levels varied with land use. Farmland and woodland soils contained higher Sigma26PBDE concentrations. BDE-209 levels were the highest in road soils. The mass inventories of PBDEs in soils of Chongming Island were estimated at 3.1 and 310 kg for Sigma26PBDEs and BDE-209, respectively.The PBDE levels in Chongming Island were similar to those in European background soils, suggesting minimum influence of pollutants from the YRD via air, and wastewater inputs or few PBDE products were used herein. From the standpoint of eco-inland, more studies are needed to explore the reasons of PBDE difference by land use and to assess people intake PBDEs via agriculture products consumption in this region.

1-Chloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethene (p,p'-DDMU), a metabolite of either 1,1-dichloro-22-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDD) or 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethene (p,p'-DDE), which is degraded from 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p'-DDT), was detected in a variety of environmental matrices of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China, including fish, fish feeds, semidigested fish stomach contents, marine surface sediment, surface soil, atmospheric gaseous phase, and particulates, rainwater, and coastal rainwater. Forfish species,the concentrations of p,p'-DDMU were significantly higher in farmed fish than in marine wild fish, with the highest value obtained in seawater farmed fish species (mear/median values of 262/173 ng/g lipid). The relative abundance of p,p'-DDMU to total DDTs (sum of o,p'- and p,p'-DDT, DDD, and DDE) was higher in samples of marine origin (approximately 5%) than in those of terrestrial origin (approximately 2%). Because p,p'-DDD was considerably abundant in all samples and a negative linear correlation was found between p,p'-DDD/(p,p'-DDD + p,p'-DDE) and p,p'-DDMU/DDTs in the marine sediments (r2 = 0.73) and seawater farmed fish (r2 = 0.29) under investigation, it is possible that DDMU was partially dehydrochlorinated from DDD in the environment of the PRD. A fugacity-based assessment suggested that p,p'-DDMU is likely to transport from sediment to seawater and then to air and from soilto air. The ubiquity of p,p'-DDMU in the PRD indicates that it may also be widespread worldwide particularly in countries with large amounts of DDT used currently and/or historically. Given the potential risk of p,p'-DDMU to human health, more efforts should be directed toward to this previously overlooked contaminant

Levels and distribution of polyborminated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, including BDE28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 138, 153, 154, 183,and 209 (sum of which except for BDE 209 is designated as sigma10 PBDEs), in Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) tissues were determined using the method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operating in the negative chemical ionization mode. The highest and lowest mean concentrations of sigma10 PBDEs were 5.71 ng x g(-1) and 0.95 ng x g(-1) (dry weight), found in kidney and muscle tissue, respectively. The concentration ranges of sigma10 PBDEs in kidney, swimming bladder, liver, gills, gonad, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and muscle were 3.04 -12.8, 0.81-6.90, 1.28-8.87, 0.09-6.36, 1.05-5.73, 0.022-5.06, 0.69-5.98, and 0.14-2.61 ng x g(-1) (dry weight), respectively. The tissue concentrations of sigma10 PBDEs followed the sequence of kidney, swimming bladder, livergills, gonadstomach, skin, muscle. BDE47 was the predominant component among the low brominated PBDEs, accounting for 35.7% to 65.6% of sigma10 PBDEs. BDE209 was detected in 45.2% of the samples, and its levels were higher in kidney and gonad than in other organs. These results indicated that PDBEs were bioaccumulated in Mandarin fish from both feeding and gill inhalation, and they particularly preferred to concentrate in tissues with high lipid contents, such as liver, swimming bladder, and gills.

Fish tissues from three different farming types (freshwater farmed, seawater farmed, and seawater wild fish collected from the Pearl River Delta of South China), including skin, gills, gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, and muscle, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). In general, the dry weight based concentrations of Σ10PBDE (sum of BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, and -183) in fish tissues followed the sequence of liver > gill > skin > GIT and muscle. The BDE congener profiles varied with fish species. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was detected in 37.4% of the total 187 samples, and this ratio may actually have been underestimated because the reporting limit for BDE-209 was considerably higher than those for other congeners. Decabrominated diphenyl ether was the dominant BDE congener in skin and GIT, and less abundant in gills, muscle, and liver. Except for skin, no significant difference in BDE-209 lipid-normalized concentrations was observed among fish tissues. These results suggest that BDE-209 can occur abundantly in the fish species under investigation, somewhat inconsistent with the results from most previous studies that reported low bioaccumulative potential of BDE-209. Combined with the likelihood that BDE-209 can be debrominated into lower brominated congeners that tend to be more toxic than BDE-209, the abundant occurrence of BDE-209 could continue to pose prolonged health risk to the ecological environment.

A total of 390 individual fish, including seven species of freshwater-farmed fish, three species of seawater-farmed fish, and three species of wild marine fish, from China were analyzed to determine the concentrations and congener distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The levels of Sigma(10)PBDEs (sum of BDEs 28, 47, 66, 100, 99, 85, 154, 153, 138, and 183) in seawater-farmed fish (median, 13.6 ng/g) were significantly higher than those in freshwater-farmed fish (median, 10.1 ng/g) and in wild marine fish (median, 4.5 ng/g) on a lipid-weight basis. Lipid contents positively correlated with Sigma(10)PBDEs concentration (wet wt) in all fish species except for tilapia, bighead carp, bluntsnout bream, and common mullet; however, no significant relationship was found between fish length or weight and Sigma(10)PBDEs concentration except for one fish species. In general, BDE 47 was the dominant congener, with a mean contribution of 53.2%. Brominated diphenyl ether 209 was only detected in 14 samples, reflecting its low bioavailability or high degree of debromination. In addition, the ratios of BDE 47 to BDE 99 and of BDE 100 to BDE 99 in freshwater-farmed fish were significantly higher than those in seawater-farmed and wild marine fish. Freshwater-farmed fish had a relatively higher proportion of BDE 28, whereas seawater-farmed and wild marine fish contained more abundant BDE 66, BDE 100, and BDE 99. The difference in congener distribution might be indicative of different exposure pathways for PBDEs in three types of fish.