Photochemical behavior of dissolved organic matter in environmental surface waters: A review

Mechanisms of reactive intermediates formation in saline-alkali agricultural waters

Reactive intermediates (RIs) are critical in nutrient cycling and pollution mitigation, yet their behavior in salinized agricultural waters remains underexplored. This study investigates RIs formation in rice cultivation water from a typical saline-alkali region in China. Singlet oxygen was more pH-sensitive than hydroxyl radical (•OH), while triplet excited-state dissolved organic matter were more influenced by salinity. Steady-state •OH concentration ([•OH]ss) correlated strongly with concentrations of nitrite ([NO2--N]) and nitrate ([NO3--N]), with photolysis of NO2- and NO3-, and DOM contributing 19.50 %, 6.93 %, and 73.57 % to •OH formation, respectively. [RIs]ss positively correlated with fluorescence index and negatively with autochthonous index, indicating exogenous DOM as a major RIs source. Additionally, [•OH]ss was linked to aromatic content and DOM molecular weight, highlighting the importance of DOM structure in •OH production. These findings clarify the formation pathways of RIs in saline-alkali waters, informing ecological restoration and environmental management.

Occurrence, hydrolysis and photodegradation of phthalate esters in urban atmospheric aqueous aerosol in Wuhan City

A gas chromatography-flame ionization detection method was developed to investigate the occurrence and transformations of phthalate esters (PAEs) in atmospheric aqueous aerosol in Wuhan City. Six of PAEs were detected in collected aerosol samples and their concentrations in atmosphere were followed the order of diallyl phthalate (0.244 μg m-3) > diethyl phthalate (0.235 μg m-3) > di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (0.176 μg m-3) > dimethyl phthalate (0.110 μg m-3) > di-n-octyl phthalate (0.081 μg m-3) > dipropyl phthalate (0.024 μg m-3). The Redundancy analysis results indicated that, compared to humidity and wind speed, temperature had the most important influence on the occurrence of PAEs in aqueous aerosol. The hydrolysis of selected PAEs in aqueous extracts of aerosol samples was examined under different conditions, determining that hydrolysis of PAEs is most susceptible to the ambient temperature at typical atmospheric aqueous pH of 3-5. In addition, photodegradation results suggested that indirect photodegradation played a key role in photodecomposition of PAEs under sunlight irradiation. The photo-generated reactive species including triplet water-soluble organic matter (3WSOM*) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) mainly contribute to the degradation of PAEs in atmospheric aqueous aerosol. This study provides an important reference for better understanding the occurrence and transformations of PAEs in ambient urban atmospheric aqueous aerosol.

Photodegradation of PCB-209 on suspended particles: Discrepancy in mechanism of direct dechlorination and active species-mediated indirect dechlorination reactions

While the reaction mechanism of direct photochemical dechlorination has been extensively studied, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the specific roles of reactive species in governing dechlorination pathways during indirect photodegradation. By integrating mass spectrometry analysis, probe experiments and theoretical calculations, we propose for the first time an indirect dechlorination reaction mechanism for PCB-209 involving active species commonly found in DOM photosensitive systems, which differs significantly from that of direct photodegradation. Due to the lower bond energy of the CCl bond at the position opposite the carbon bridge, PCB-209 primarily yielded PCB-208 in direct dechlorination systems. However, our study revealed that active species (3DOM*, •O2- and 1O2) can specifically weaken the meta-positioned CCl bond at the carbon bridge through electron transfer and cycloaddition mechanisms, thereby fundamentally altering the regioselectivity of dechlorination. Remarkably, our results confirm the indirect degradation of PCB-209 through DOM photosensitization to form dechlorination products dominated by PCB-207, a previously unrecognized transformation pathway in natural photochemical processes. This study refines the mechanism of indirect dechlorination mediated by reactive species and provides a predictive framework for the environmental fate of halogenated pollutants in real complex environmental systems.

In situ self-cleaning removal of emerging organic contaminants with covalent organic framework armed with arylbiguanide

An in situ self-cleaning covalent organic framework featuring arylbiguanide arms (Aryl-BIG-COF) was first developed to remove emerging organic pollutants such as propranolol (PRO) from water. The main breakthroughs addressed the scarcity of functional active sites, the impracticality of ex situ regeneration, and the rapid recombination of electronhole pairs in the application of COFs. Owing to the directional capture ability and electronic structure regulation of the arylbiguanide arms, the adsorption capacity and photocatalytic degradation rate of the newly synthesized COF increased by nearly four and seven times, respectively. Its self-cleaning ability, driven by the photocatalytic regeneration of active sites, enabled in situ removal of PRO and sustained over 90 % removal efficiency after six cycles. Moreover, it demonstrated broad applicability for removing PRO and other emerging pollutants, such as bisphenol A (BPA), tetracycline (TC), and norfloxacin (NOR), across various water matrices with less residual toxicity. The coexisting organic matter and ions in natural water promoted the removal of PRO. The enhancement mechanism involved arylbiguanide arms narrowing the band gap and inducing local charge polarization, thereby increasing the separation efficiency of electronhole pairs. This work provides significant insights into the structural design and practical applications of COFs for purifying water.

Photodegradation of typical psychotropic drugs in the aquatic environment: a critical review

Continuous consumption combined with incomplete removal during wastewater treatment means residues of psychotropic drugs (PDs), including antidepressants, antipsychotics, antiepileptics and illicit drugs, are continuously entering the aquatic environment, where they have the potential to affect non-target organisms. Photochemical transformation is an important aspect to consider when evaluating the environmental persistence of PDs, particularly for those present in sunlit surface waters. This review summarizes the latest research on the photodegradation of typical PDs under environmentally relevant conditions. According to the analysis results, four classes of PDs discussed in this paper are influenced by direct and indirect photolysis. Indirect photodegradation has been more extensively studied for antidepressants and antiepileptics compared to antipsychotics and illicit drugs. Particularly, the photosensitization process of dissolved organic materials (DOM) in natural waters has received significant research attention due to its ubiquity and specificity. The direct photolysis pathway plays a less significant role, but it is still relevant for most PDs discussed in this paper. The photodegradation rates and pathways of PDs are influenced by various water constituents and parameters such as DOM, nitrate and pH value. The contradictory results reported in some studies can be attributed to differences in experimental conditions. Based on this analysis of the existing literature, the review also identifies several key aspects that warrant further research on PD photodegradation. These results and recommendations contribute to a better understanding of the environmental role of water matrixes and provide important new insights into the photochemical fate of PDs in aquatic environments.

Tracking the Changes of DOM Composition, Transformation, and Cycling Mechanism Triggered by the Priming Effect: Insights from Incubation Experiments

The priming effect (PE) is recognized as an important mechanism influencing organic matter transformation in aquatic systems. The land-ocean aquatic continuum (LOAC) has received large quantities of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from various sources, which is an ideal interface for PE research. Here, we investigated the PE process by utilizing such a coastal environment to explore the turnover of DOM in the LOAC system. Suwannee River natural organic matter was selected as the background, and various external environmental samples were introduced to track the changes of organic carbon. The PE process together with the variations of DOM sources, compositions, and structures was characterized. Generally, river and estuary environments exhibited a positive PE, while the offshore zone showed a negative effect. Additionally, nutrients, salinity, and DOM composition all contributed to the PE. After the incubation, the feature of carbon sources transferred from terrestrial to autochthonous. The carbonyl and alcohol functional groups significantly decomposed, while the methyl and methylene groups increased and heteroatoms further accelerated the PE process. The data also shows that special parameters and molecular markers can be utilized to track the carbon response to the PE. This research indicates that the change of carbon flux and the imbalance of its budget in aquatic systems could be partially explained from the perspective of the PE.

Natural Organic Matter Enhances Natural Transformation of Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sunlit Water

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as emerging environmental contaminants exacerbate the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance. Natural organic matter (NOM) is ubiquitous in aquatic environments and plays a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles. However, its impact on the dissemination of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) under sunlight exposure remains elusive. This study reveals that environmentally relevant levels of NOM (0.1-20 mg/L) can significantly enhance the natural transformation frequency of the model bacterium Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 by up to 7.6-fold under simulated sunlight. Similarly, this enhancement was consistently observed in natural water and wastewater systems. Further mechanism analysis revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by NOM under sunlight irradiation, primarily singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radicals, play a crucial role in this process. These ROS induce intracellular oxidative stress and elevated cellular membrane permeability, thereby indirectly boosting ATP production and enhancing cell competence of extracellular DNA uptake and integration. Our findings highlight a previously underestimated role of natural factors in the dissemination of eARGs within aquatic ecosystems and deepen our understanding of the complex interplay between NOM, sunlight, and microbes in environmental water bodies. This underscores the importance of developing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.