Benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in human urine from several countries: a perspective on occurrence, biotransformation, and human exposure

Metabolic signatures of prenatal exposure to 'Cocktails' of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles and its health implications

Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles (collectively as BTs) was associated with pregnancy complications. Identifying the metabolites associated with prenatal BTs exposure may help elucidate the mechanism and characterize the exposure risk. In this prospective study of 158 pregnant women from Wuhan, China, urinary BTs were repeatedly measured across three trimesters to provide an accurate estimation of exposure during pregnancy. We conducted high-throughput targeted metabolomics with great coverage and high accuracy to characterize the urinary metabolic profile in late pregnancy. We first identified the perturbed metabolites of cocktail BTs exposure and then pinned down to the pairwise associations between individual BTs and the identified metabolites. A total of 44 metabolites were identified as perturbed biomarkers of cocktail BTs exposure based on the variable influence on projection (VIP > 1.2) score. Further pairwise associations analysis showed positive association of BTs with oxidative stress related biomarkers and negative association of BTs with neuronal function metabolites. The shared metabolic signatures among BTs in the co-occurrence network of pairwise association analysis may partially be attributed to the correlation among cocktail BTs exposure. The findings provide the potential mechanisms of BTs-associated pregnancy complications and offer insight into the health implications for prenatal BTs exposure. Furthermore, the framework we employed, which integrates both cocktail exposure and individual exposure, may illuminate future epidemiological research that seeks to incorporate exposure to mixtures and omics scale data.

Exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles in Czech male population and its associations with biomarkers of liver function, serum lipids and oxidative stress

INTRODUCTION

Benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles (BTs) are high-production volume chemicals as well as widely distributed emerging pollutants with potential health risk. However, information about human exposure to BTs and associated health outcomes is limited.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to characterise exposure to BTs among Czech men, including possible occupational exposure among firefighters, its predictors, and its associations with liver function, serum lipids and oxidative stress.

METHODS

165 participants (including 110 firefighters) provided urine and blood samples that were used to quantify the urinary levels of 8 BTs (high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), and 4 liver enzymes, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. Linear regression was used to assess associations with population characteristics and biomarkers of liver function, serum lipids and oxidative stress. Regression models were adjusted for potential confounding variables and false discovery rate procedure was applied to account for multiplicity.

RESULTS

The BTs ranged from undetected up to 46.8 ng/mL. 2-hydroxy-benzothiazole was the most predominant compound (detection frequency 83%; median 1.95 ng/mL). 1-methyl-benzotriazole (1M-BTR) was measured in human samples for the first time, with a detection frequency 77% and median 1.75 ng/mL. Professional firefighters had lower urinary 1M-BTR compared to non-firefighters. Urinary 1M-BTR was associated with levels of γ-glutamyl transferase (β = - 17.54%; 95% CI: - 26.127, - 7.962).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to investigate BT exposure in Central Europe, including potentially exposed firefighters. The findings showed a high prevalence of BTs in the study population, the relevance of 1M-BTR as a new biomarker of exposure, and an urgent need for further research into associated adverse health outcomes.

Associations between urinary concentrations of benzothiazole, benzotriazole, and their derivatives and lung cancer: A nested case-control study

Benzothiazole (BTH), benzotriazole (BTR), and their respective derivatives (BTHs and BTRs) are emerging environmental pollutants with widespread human exposure and oncogenic potential. Studies have demonstrated adverse effects of exposure to certain BTHs and BTRs on the respiratory system. However, no study has examined the associations between exposure to BTHs and BTRs and lung cancer risk. We aimed to examine the associations between urinary concentrations of BTHs and BTRs and the risk of lung cancer in the general population from Quzhou, China. We conducted a nested case-control study in an ongoing prospective Quzhou Environmental Exposure and Human Health (QEEHH) cohort, involving 20, 694 participants who provided urine samples during April 2019-July 2020. With monthly follow-up until November 2022, 212 lung cancer cases were recruited and 1:1 matched with healthy controls based on age and sex. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of lung cancer risk associated with urinary BTHs and BTRs concentrations using conditional logistic regression models after controlling for potential covariates. We also examined effect modification by several covariates, including sex, socioeconomic status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and dietary habit. Creatinine-corrected urinary BTH and 2-hydroxy-benzothiazole (2-OH-BTH) levels were significantly associated with the risk of lung cancer, after adjusting for a variety of covariates. Participants in the highest quartile of BTH had a 95% higher risk of lung cancer, compared with those in the lowest quartile (adjusted OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.08-3.49; p for trend = 0.01). Participants with higher levels of urinary 2-OH-BTH had an 83% higher risk of lung cancer than those with lower levels (adjusted OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.16-2.88; p for trend = 0.01). Exposure to elevated levels of BTH and 2-OH-BTH may be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. These associations were not modified by socio-demographic characteristics.

Insights into the effect of benzotriazoles in liver using integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis

Benzotriazoles (BTRs) are a class of benzoheterocyclic chemicals that are frequently used as metal-corrosive inhibitors, both in industry and daily use. However, the exposure effect information on BTRs remains relatively limited. In this study, an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approach was utilized to evaluate the effect of three BTRs, benzotriazole, 6-chloro-1-hydroxi-benzotriazole, and 1-hydroxy-benzotriazole, in the mouse liver with results showing disrupted basal metabolic processes and vitamin and cofactor metabolism after 28 days. The expression of several genes that are related to the inflammatory response and aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathways, such as Gstt2 and Arntl, was altered by the exposure to BTRs. Exposure to BTRs also affected metabolites and genes that are involved in the immune system and xenobiotic responses. The altered expression of several cytochrome P450 family genes reveal a potential detoxification mechanism in the mouse liver. Taken together, our findings provide new insights into the multilayer response of the mouse liver to BTRs exposure as well as a resource for further exploration of the molecular mechanisms by which the response occurs.

First Evidence of the Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer of Tire Additives and Their Transformation Products in an Estuarine Food Web

The discovery of the significant lethal impacts of the tire additive transformation product N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6PPD-Q) on coho salmon has garnered global attention. However, the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of tire additives and their transformation products (TATPs) within food webs remain obscure. This study first characterized the levels and compositions of 15 TATPs in the Pearl River Estuary, estimated their bioaccumulation and trophic transfer potential in 21 estuarine species, and identified priority contaminants. Our observations indicated that TATPs were prevalent in the estuarine environment. Eight, six, seven, and 10 TATPs were first quantified in the shrimp, sea cucumber, snail, and fish samples, with total mean levels of 45, 56, 64, and 67 ng/g (wet weight), respectively. N,N'-Diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD) and N,N'-bis(2-methylphenyl)-1,4-benzenediamine (DTPD) exhibited high bioaccumulation. Significant biodilution was only identified for benzothiazole, while DPPD and DTPD displayed biomagnification trends based on Monte Carlo simulations. The mechanisms of bioaccumulation and trophodynamics of TATPs could be explained by their chemical hydrophobicity, molecular mass, and metabolic rates. Based on a multicriteria scoring technique, DPPD, DTPD, and 6PPD-Q were characterized as priority contaminants. This work emphasizes the importance of biomonitoring, particularly for specific hydrophobic tire additives.

Spatiotemporal variation, partitioning, and ecological risk assessment of benzothiazoles, benzotriazoles, and benzotriazole UV absorbers in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent area

The distributions and toxicities of the pollutants benzothiazoles (BTHs), benzotriazoles (BTRs), and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVs) have attracted much attention, but most research has focused on freshwater environments and few have examined their levels in marine environments. This study, for the first time, investigated the spatial and temporal variability and ecological risks of BTHs, BTRs and BUVs in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent area, and further elucidated how environmental factors influence the transport of these contaminants. The concentrations of BTHs, BTRs, and BUVs in seawater showed significant seasonal variability, with the highest concentrations in summer, followed by autumn, and then winter-spring. The spatiotemporal variability in BTHs, BTRs and BUVs in the seawater and sediments samples showed decreasing trends from nearshore to offshore, reflecting the influence of river discharge. Marine debris and continuous discharge from cities were responsible for the high detection frequency of these contaminants in the YRE and its adjacent area. Furthermore, the moderate risk from the presence of BTHs, BTRs, and BUVs as they accumulate in sediments should not be ignored. Our study provides new insights into the fate and ecological risk of BTHs, BTRs, and BUVs in the estuary.

Neurobehavioral toxic effects and mechanisms of 2-aminobenzothiazole exposure on zebrafish

2-Aminobenzothiazole (NTH), a benzothiazole derivative, exhibits potent biochemical activities and plays a significant role in modern industry. Widespread and intensive utilization of NTH has led to its detection in aquatic environments, encompassing both groundwater and surface water. Despite its wide usage, the effect of NTH on developmental neurotoxicity in aquatic organisms remains uncharted. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to create exposure models for short- and long-term studies in order to analyze the neurobehavioral toxic impact of NTH (0, 50, 500, and 5000 μg/L) on zebrafish, which includes motor function, anxiety, and memory performance, as well as to examine the mechanism of neurotoxicity. The results revealed a significant suppression of initial embryonic mobility by NTH. However, during short-term exposure experiments, it did not significantly impact the developmental neurobehavioral functions of zebrafish. In addition, significant effects on zebrafish were observed after long-term exposure to 50 and 500 μg/L NTH, mainly impacting locomotion, social behavior, anxiety, and cognitive functions. Moreover, NTH caused oxidative damage in adult zebrafish brain tissue, which was accompanied by abnormal expression of oxidative damage-related genes. Furthermore, the Real-Time PCR results indicated a significant suppression of genes related to exposure to NTH, specifically those in the GABA synthesis pathway (gabrg2, gad2, gad1b, and abat) and the 5-HT synthesis pathway (tph2, tph1b, pet1, and htr1aa). Taken together, this study demonstrates for the first time that chronic exposure to NTH decreases the expression of genes associated with the zebrafish GABA synthesis pathway and the 5-HT synthesis pathway. This suppression is accompanied by oxidative damage, ultimately resulting in neurobehavioral changes related to motor ability, anxiety, and memory performance.

Contaminants of emerging concern in urine: a review of analytical methods for determining diisocyanates, benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, isothiazolinones, fragrances, and non-phthalate plasticizers

Human biomonitoring (HBM) frameworks assess human exposure to hazardous chemicals. In this review, we discuss and summarize sample preparation procedures and analytical methodology for six groups of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs), namely diisocyanates, benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, isothiazolinones, fragrances, and non-phthalate plasticizers, which are increasingly detected in urine, however, are not yet widely included in HBM schemes, despite posing a risk to human health. The sample preparation procedures depend largely on the chemical group; however, solid-phase extraction (SPE) is most often used due to the minimized sample handling, lower sample volume, and generally achieving lower limits of quantification (LOQs) compared to other extraction techniques. In terms of sample analysis, LC-based methods generally achieve lower limits of quantification (LOQs) compared to GC-based methods for the selected six groups of chemicals owing to their broader chemical coverage. In conclusion, since these chemicals are expected to be more frequently included in future HBM studies, it becomes evident that there is a pressing need for rigorous quality assurance programs to ensure better comparability of data. These programs should include the reporting of measurement uncertainty and facilitate inter-laboratory comparisons among the reporting laboratories. In addition, high-resolution mass spectrometry should be more commonly employed to enhance the specificity and selectivity of the applied analytical methodology since it is underrepresented in HBM. Furthermore, due to the scarcity of data on the levels of these CECs in urine, large population HBM studies are necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the associated risks.

Tire wear particles in different water environments: occurrence, behavior, and biological effects-a review and perspectives

As an important source of microplastics, the water ecological risk of tire wear particles (TWPs) has attracted widespread attention worldwide. However, the occurrence and behavior of TWPs and their biological effects in water environments have not been clearly analyzed. For example, most contemporary studies have focused on the evaluation of the aquatic toxicity of TWPs leachate, and little attention has been paid to the behavior process and potential risks of its surface properties in water environments. In addition, most studies rely on preparing TWPs under laboratory conditions or purchasing commercial TWPs for studying their water environmental behavior or exposure. These obviously cannot meet the requirements of accurate assessment of water ecological risks of TWPs. As thus, in addition to describing the occurrence, distribution, and (aging) transformation of TWPs in different water environments, we further tried to explain the potential water environment behavior process and multiple pathways leading to potential adverse impacts of TWPs on aquatic organisms from the perspectives of particle self-toxicity and release toxicity, as well as synergistic effects of TWPs and other substances are also discussed. The existing data, such as studies on the self-characteristics of TWPs, environmental factors, and subjects, are insufficient to comprehensively evaluate the recent changes in essential water ecosystem services and multifunctions caused by TWPs, implying that the impact of TWPs on water environmental health needs to be further evaluated, and the corresponding countermeasures should be recommended. In this context, the current review provides an outlook on future research on TWPs in aquatic environments.

Unraveling the toxicity of tire wear contamination in three freshwater species: From chemical mixture to nanoparticles

Tire wear particle (TWP) contamination is of growing concern as recent studies show the ubiquity and toxicity of this contaminant in various environmental compartments. The multidimensional aspect of TWPs makes it difficult to assess toxicity and predict impacts on ecosystems, as it combines a complex mixture of chemicals and can release micro- and nanoparticles when suspended in water. Our work aimed to shed light on the toxicity of the different components of TWP leachate, namely, the dissolved chemicals and the nanoparticle fractions, on three freshwater model species of different trophic levels: Chlorella vulgaris, Lemna minor, and Daphnia magna. Acute toxicity was observed for all three fractions in D. magna, and an additive effect was observed between the nanoparticles and dissolved chemicals. L. minor experienced phytotoxicity from the dissolved chemicals only with a decrease up to 50% in photosynthesis efficiency parameters. C. vulgaris showed minor signs of toxicity on apical endpoints in response to each of the fractions. Our study highlights that nanoparticles from TWP leachate that were mostly overlooked in several previous studies are as toxic as dissolved chemicals for the filter-feeder species D. magna, and we also show the toxicity to photosynthesis in aquatic plants.

Removal of benzotriazole micropollutants using Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. And Azolla caroliniana Willd

Phytoremediation of benzotriazoles (BTR) from waters by floating macrophytes is not well understood, but it seems to have the potential to be used in conjunction with conventional wastewater treatment plants. The effectiveness of removing four compounds from the benzotriazole group by floating plants Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid. And Azolla caroliniana Willd. From the model solution, was studied. The observed decrease in the concentration of studied compounds was in the range 70.5%-94.5% using S. polyrhiza, and from 88.3% to 96.2% for A. caroliniana. It was determined using chemometric methods that the effectiveness of the phytoremediation process is mainly influenced by three parameters: exposure time to light, pH of the model solution and the mass of plants. Using the design of experiments (DoE) chemometric approach, the optimal conditions for removing BTR were selected: plant weight 2.5 g and 2 g, light exposure 16 h and 10 h, and pH 9 and pH 5 for S. polyrhiza and A. caroliniana, respectively. Studies on the mechanisms of BTR removal have shown that the reduction in concentration is mainly due to the process of plant uptake. Toxicity studies have proved that the tested BTR affected the growth of S. polyrhiza and A. caroliniana and induced changes in the levels of chlorophyllides, chlorophylls as well as carotenoids. More dramatic loss in plant biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents was observed in A. caroliniana cultures exposed to BTR.

The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health

Background

Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted.

Goals

The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives.

Report Structure

This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations.

Plastics

Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked.

Plastic Life Cycle

The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic.

Environmental Findings

Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being.

Human Health Findings

Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life.

Economic Findings

Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation.

Social Justice Findings

The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs.

Conclusions

It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals.

Recommendations

To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs.

Summary

This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.

Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles and child neurodevelopment: A longitudinal study

Benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) are emerging benzo-heterocyclic compounds that may induce neurotoxicity. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to BTs (BTRs and BTHs) on child neurodevelopment has not been elucidated. We aimed to explore the associations between maternal urinary concentrations of BTs in single or in mixture with child neurodevelopment at the age of two. This study recruited 513 mother-child pairs based on a birth cohort from 2014 to 2015 in Wuhan. Maternal urinary concentrations of eight BTs (four BTRs and four BTHs) in the first, second, and third trimesters were measured. The mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) of children, as two indexes of neurodevelopment, were assessed at two years old by the Bayley Scales. In the analyses of single BTs, prenatal average tolyltriazole (TTR) exposure level was associated with decreased boys' MDI scores (β = -2.84, 95 % CI: -5.11, -0.57) and prenatal average 1-H-benzotriazole (1-H-BTR) exposure level was associated with decreased boys' PDI scores (β = -1.44, 95 % CI: -2.70, -0.17), respectively. Maternal urinary concentrations of benzothiazole (BTH) in the 1^st trimester (β = -1.79, 95 % CI: -2.78, -0.80), 2^nd trimester (β = -1.14, 95 % CI: -2.19, -0.09), and the prenatal average exposure (β = -2.15, 95 % CI: -3.69, -0.61) were also negatively associated with boys' PDI scores. However, no significantly negative association was observed among girls. In the further mixture analysis, the quantile g-computation model found a significant negative association between prenatal average concentrations of BTs in mixture and boys' PDI scores [β = -4.80 (95 % CI: -9.08, -0.52)], and BTH weighted the highest in the negative association. As far as we know, this is the first research to estimate the effect of prenatal exposure to BTs on child neurodevelopment. The findings showed that prenatal exposure to BTs was negatively associated with neurodevelopment among boys, suggesting that the associations may be modified by infant sex.

Mulch film: An overlooked diffuse source of organic ultraviolet absorbers in agricultural soil

Ultraviolet absorbers (UVAs) are emerging pollutants of concern owing to their environmental persistence and endocrine-disrupting effects. UVAs are added to agricultural films to prevent UV-induced degradation, potentially leading to the release of UVAs into the soil. In this study, the occurrence of four frequently used UVAs (UV-324, UV-326, UV-328, and UV-531) in film-mulched agricultural soils (using conventional polyethylene films and biodegradable films) was investigated. Results showed that the UVA concentrations were several orders of magnitude higher in film-mulched soil (mean 91.4 μg/kg) than in unmulched soil (mean 0.08 μg/kg), indicating that mulch films are important sources of UVAs released into agricultural soil. Notably, the mean UVA concentration was up to 10 times higher in biodegradable-film-mulched soils than in polyethylene (PE) film-mulched soils; this result is consistent with our finding that the mean UVA concentration was 448 times higher in commercial biodegradable films than in PE films. In simulated migration experiments, UVAs migrated more readily into the soil from the biodegradable film than from the PE film. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that the use of mulch films may cause the accumulation of UVAs in agricultural soils as non-point sources. In particular, biodegradable plastic mulches can release more UVAs into soils.

Suspect Screening of Chemicals in Hospital Wastewaters Using Effect-Directed Analysis Approach as Prioritization Strategy

The increasing number of contaminants in the environment has pushed water monitoring programs to find out the most hazardous known and unknown chemicals in the environment. Sample treatment-simplification methods and non-target screening approaches can help researchers to not overlook potential chemicals present in complex aqueous samples. In this work, an effect-directed analysis (EDA) protocol using the sea urchin embryo test (SET) as a toxicological in vivo bioassay was used as simplified strategy to identify potential unknown chemicals present in a very complex aqueous matrix such as hospital effluent. The SET bioassay was used for the first time here to evaluate potential toxic fractions in hospital effluent, which were obtained after a two-step fractionation using C₁₈ and aminopropyl chromatographic semi-preparative columns. The unknown compounds present in the toxic fractions were identified by means of liquid chromatography coupled to a Q Exactive Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer (LC-HRMS) and using a suspect analysis approach. The results were complemented by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) in order to identify the widest range of chemical compounds present in the sample and the toxic fractions. Using EDA as sample treatment simplification method, the number of unknown chemicals (>446 features) detected in the raw sample was narrowed down to 94 potential toxic candidates identified in the significantly toxic fractions. Among them, the presence of 25 compounds was confirmed with available chemical standards including 14 pharmaceuticals, a personal care product, six pesticides and four industrial products. The observations found in this work emphasize the difficulties in identifying potential toxicity drivers in complex water samples, as in the case of hospital wastewater.

Aquatic environmental fates and risks of benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles, and p-phenylenediamines in a catchment providing water to a megacity of China

Wearing of vehicle parts could release many chemical additives into the environment, such as benzotriazoles (BTRs), benzothiazoles (BTHs), and p-phenylenediamines (PPDs), which are potentially toxic to wildlife and humans. This study investigated the occurrence, source, and risks of BTRs, BTHs, and PPDs in a source catchment providing water to Guangzhou, a megacity in South China, covering groundwater, surface water, and stormwater. The results showed that BTRs and BTHs were predominant in surface water and groundwater. Unexpectedly, the BTR and BTH concentrations were lower in surface water than groundwater in a third of the paired samples. For the first time, 6PPD-quinone, a toxic ozonation product of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (6PPD), was extensively detected in source waters. Stormwater decreased the BTR concentrations but increased the 6PPD-quinone concentrations in surface water owing to their affiliation to suspended particles. From natural to urban segments of Liuxi river, a downstream increasing trend in BTR and BTH concentrations was observed, confirming that they are indicative of urban anthropogenic activities. Strong correlations between industrial activities and BTR or BTH concentrations in surface water indicated that industrial activities were their main sources. Six compounds were prioritized as potentially persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, combing our monitoring results and REACH criterion. This study improves our understanding of the environmental fates and risks of water-soluble tire-wear chemicals, which provides important information for chemical management, and indicates attention should be paid to the risk posed by 6PPD-quinone in the source water.

Study of Photocatalytic Oxidation of Micropollutants in Water and Intensification Case Study

During the last decades, heterogenous photocatalysis has shown as the most promising advanced oxidation process for the removal of micropollutants due to degradation rate, sustainability, non-toxicity, and low-cost. Synergistic interaction of light irradiation, photocatalysts, and highly reactive species are used to break down pollutants toward inert products. Even though titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most researched photocatalyst, to overcome shortcomings, various modifications have been made to intensify photocatalytic activity in visible spectra range among which is modification with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Therefore, photocatalytic oxidation and its intensification by photocatalyst’s modification was studied on the example of four micropollutants (diclofenac, DF; imidacloprid, IMI; 1-H benzotriazole, BT; methylene blue, MB) degradation. Compound parabolic collector (CPC) reactor was used as, nowadays, it has been considered the state-of-the-art system due to its usage of both direct and diffuse solar radiation and quantum efficiency. A commercially available TiO2 P25 and nanocomposite of TiO2 and MWCNT were immobilized on a glass fiber mesh by sol-gel method. Full-spectra solar lamps with appropriate UVB and UVA irradiation levels were used in all experiments. Photocatalytic degradation of DF, IMI, BT, and MB by immobilized TiO2 and TiO2/CNT photocatalysts was achieved. Mathematical modelling which included mass transfer and photon absorption was applied and intrinsic reaction rate constants were estimated: kDF=3.56 × 10−10s−1W−0.5m1.5, kIMI=8.90 × 10−11s−1W−0.5m1.5, kBT=1.20 × 10−9s−1W−0.5m1.5, kMB=1.62 × 10−10s−1W−0.5m1.5. Intensification of photocatalysis by TiO2/CNT was observed for DF, IMI, and MB, while that was not the case for BT. The developed model can be effectively applied for different irradiation conditions which makes it extremely versatile and adaptable when predicting the degradation extents throughout the year using sunlight as the energy source at any location.

Environmental risk assessment of low molecule benzotriazoles in urban road rainwaters in Poland

This study aimed to identify and quantify benzotriazoles (BTRs) emissions from road traffic and paved areas in an urban environment. Heterocyclic organic compounds BTRs are an emerging threat, under-recognized and under-analyzed in most environmental and water legislation. They are hazardous, potentially mutagenic, and carcinogenic micropollutants, not susceptible to effective biodegradation, and they move easily through the trophic chain, contaminating the environment and water resources. Traffic activities are a common source of BTR emissions in the urban environment, directly polluting human habitats through the different routes and numerous vehicles circulating in the cities. Using twelve heterogeneous locations scattered over a metropolitan area in Poland as a case study, this research analyzed the presence of BTRs in water samples from runoff produced from rainwater and snowmelt. 1H-BTR, 4Me-BTR, 5Me-BTR and 5Cl-BTR were detected in the tested runoff water. 5Cl-BTR was present in all samples and in the highest concentrations reaching 47,000 ng/L. Risk quotients calculated on the basis of the determined concentrations indicate that the highest environmental risk is associated with the presence of 5Cl-BTR and the sum of 4Me-BTR and 5Me-BTR, and the most sensitive organisms are bacteria and invertebrates. The results indicate that it is possible to associate the occurrence of these contaminants with the type of cover, traffic intensity, and vehicle type.

Associations of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles with estrogens and androgens among pregnant women: A cohort study with repeated measurements

People are extensively exposed to benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) derivatives, which are environmental pollutants that may possess endocrine-disrupting potential; however, no epidemiological evidence is available on the associations of BTRs and BTHs with estrogens and androgens. This study aimed at investigating the associations of BTRs and BTHs with estrogens and androgens among pregnant women. Based on a prospective cohort study, we included 459 pregnant women who donated a complete serial of urine samples at each trimester and had repeated measurements of four BTRs, four BTHs, three estrogens (estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estrio), and two androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone) in the urine samples. Associations of repeatedly measured BTRs and BTHs with maternal urinary estrogens and androgens were analyzed, and the cross-sectional associations were also analyzed. Tolyltriazole (TTR) (≥59.3%) and benzothiazole (BTH) (≥93.5%) had the highest detection rate among the BTRs and BTHs, respectively. Repeated measurement analysis and cross-sectional analysis consistently found the target BTRs and BTHs were positively associated with 17β-estradiol, estriol, and testosterone, while the trend of the associations with estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone was inconsistent. Among the positive associations with 17β-estradiol, estriol, and testosterone, the percent of change in estriol associated with TTR was the most prominent [28.5% (95% confidential interval: 24.2%, 32.9%) for each doubling in TTR]. The significant associations with estrone, estriol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone were stronger among pregnant women who gave birth to a boy than those who gave birth to a girl. These findings add epidemiological evidence on the endocrine-disrupting potential of BTRs and BTHs and highlight the importance of focusing on the health outcomes of BTRs and BTHs related to disturbed estrogens and androgens. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Removal processes of individual and a mixture of organic micropollutants in the presence of Scenedesmus obliquus

Organic micropollutants (OMPs) need to be removed from wastewater as they can negatively affect aquatic organisms. It has been demonstrated that microalgae-based technologies are efficient in removing OMPs from wastewater. In this study, the removal processes and kinetics of six persistent OMPs (diclofenac, clarithromycin, benzotriazole, metoprolol, carbamazepine and mecoprop) were studied during cultivation of Scenedesmus obliquus in batch mode. These OMPs were added as individual compounds and in a mixture. Short experiments (8 days) were performed to avoid masking of OMP removal processes by light and nutrient limitation. The results show that diclofenac, clarithromycin, and benzotriazole were mainly removed by photodegradation (diclofenac), biodegradation (benzotriazole), or a combination of these two processes (clarithromycin). Peroxidase was involved in intracellular and extracellular biodegradation when benzotriazole was present as individual compound. Carbamazepine, metoprolol and mecoprop showed no biodegradation or photodegradation, and neglectable removal (<5%) by bioadsorption and bioaccumulation. Using an OMP mixture had an adverse effect on the photodegradation of clarithromycin and diclofenac, with reduced first-order kinetic constants compared to the individual compounds. Benzotriazole biodegradation was inhibited by the presence of the OMP mixture. This indicates that the presence of OMPs inhibits the photodegradation and biodegradation of some individual OMPs. These results will improve our understanding of removal processes of individual and mixtures of OMPs by microalgae-based technologies for wastewater treatment.

Equilibrium leaching of selected ultraviolet stabilizers from plastic products

Despite the importance of (micro)plastics in the release of plastic additives, the leaching mechanism of organic plastic additives from various plastic materials is poorly understood. In this study, the equilibrium leaching of five highly hydrophobic ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers (UV326, UV327, UV328, UV329, and UV531) from three plastics (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS)), was investigated employing acetonitrile-water cosolvent systems. Their extrapolated water solubilities were in the 0.15-0.54 μg L^-1 range, limiting their transport as "dissolved" in water and (micro)plastics are likely those particulate carriers. The equilibrium leaching of UV stabilizers from plastics was better explained by the Flory-Huggins model incorporating the nonideal behavior caused by the size disparity between UV stabilizers and polymer materials and their compatibility. Specifically, leaching of UV stabilizers from LDPE showed a positive deviation from Raoult's law, whereas slight negative deviations were observed in PET and PS. In addition, the equilibrium concentration of the benzotriazoles in LDPE increased linearly with the volume fraction up to only 0.4%. These observations could be explained by the unfavorable interactions of UV stabilizers with polyethylene, indicating that polymer type should be also important when evaluating the fate of hydrophobic additives. Because equilibrium distribution of additives between (micro)plastics and water is crucial for evaluating the fate and transport of hydrophobic plastic additives, further studies on the leaching equilibrium of various additives from different plastic materials are necessary.

Pollution characteristics, exposure assessment and potential cardiotoxicities of PM2.5-bound benzotriazole and its derivatives in typical Chinese cities

Benzotriazole and its derivatives (BTRs), classified as high-volume production chemicals, have been widely detected in various environmental media, including the atmosphere, water, soil and dust, as well as organisms. However, studies on the pollution characteristics and health impact of PM_2.5 related BTRs are so far limited. This study is the first to demonstrate the regional scale distribution of PM_2.5-bound BTRs and their potential cardiotoxicities. Optimized methods of extraction, purification and GC-EI-MS/MS were applied to characterize and analyze PM_2.5-bound BTRs from three cities in China during the winter of 2018. The concentration of ∑BTRs in Taiyuan (6.28 ng·m^-3) was more than three times that in Shanghai (1.53 ng·m^-3) and Guangzhou (1.99 ng·m^-3). Benzotriazole (BTR) and 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5TTR) contributed more than 80% of ∑BTRs concentration as the major pollutants among three cities. The correlation analysis indicated that there was a positive correlation between temperature and concentration of BTR and a negative correlation between temperature and concentration of 5TTR. In addition, the risk of BTRs exposure to toddlers should be paid more attention in Taiyuan by the human exposure assessment. Furthermore, toxicity screening by experimental methods indicated that 4-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (4TTR) was the most harmful to cardiomyocytes. The western blot assay showed a ROS-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway was activated after exposure to 4TTR in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs). On the other hand, metabolomics revealed that exposure of 4TTR to NRCMs disturbed mitochondrial energy metabolism by disturbing pantothenate and coenzyme A synthesis pathway. Our study not only clarifies the contamination profiles of PM_2.5-bound BTRs in typical Chinese cities but also reveals their cardiotoxicities associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

Benzotriazole Ultraviolet Stabilizers Promote Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation via Activating Estrogen-Related Receptors α and γ at Human-Relevant Levels

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are ubiquitous emerging pollutants that have been reported to show estrogenic disruption effects through interaction with the classic estrogen receptors (ERs) in the fashion of low activity. The present study aims at revealing the potential disruption mechanism via estrogen-related receptors α and γ (ERRα and ERRγ) pathways. By the competitive binding assay, we first found that BUVSs bond to ERRγ ligand binding domain (ERRγ-LBD) with Kd ranging from 0.66 to 19.27 μM. According to the results of reporter gene assays, the transcriptional activities of ERRα and ERRγ were promoted by most tested BUVSs with the lowest observed effective concentrations (LOEC) from 10 to 100 nM, which are in the range of human exposure levels. At 1 μM, most tested BUVSs showed higher agonistic activity toward ERRγ than ERRα. The most effective two BUVSs promoted the MCF-7 proliferation dependent on ERRα and ERRγ with a LOEC of 100 nM. The molecular dynamics simulation showed that most studied BUVSs had lower binding free energy with ERRγ than with ERRα. The structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that molecular polarizability, electron-donating ability, ionization potential, and softness were the main structural factors impacting the binding of BUVSs with ERRγ. Overall, our results provide novel insights into the estrogenic disruption effects of BUVSs.

A 3D-QSAR model for the comprehensive bioenrichment and biodegradation effect of benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilisers and application of the model in molecular modification

Ultraviolet (UV) absorber, a type of light stabiliser, has received considerable attention because of its high bioenrichment ability and low biodegradability. In this study, benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilisers (BUVSs) were used as the research object, and the bioenrichment and biodegradation data of 13 types of BUVS molecules were subjected to dimensionless processing through quartile data transformation. Additionally, a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model was constructed for the investigation of the comprehensive effect of molecular bioenrichment and biodegradation of BUVSs, and improved derivative molecules were designed. Furthermore, the validity of the model was predicted using EPI simulation software, and finally, the biodegradability of BUVSs and their bioenrichment and biological effect before and after modification in the food chain and in the aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in sewage were analysed through the molecular docking technology. A total of 10 derivatives with reduced enrichment ability and enhanced degradability were designed using the CoMFA model analysis (reduction: combined effect value, 0.32-20.55%; log BCF, 2.37-17.59%; and log HL, 0.47-16.94%). Molecular docking showed that the bioenrichment ability of two derivative molecules in the four organisms was decreased by 1.87-27.67%, and the biodegradation ability of four derivative molecules in the three sewage bacteria was enhanced by 1.60-33.38% compared with those before modification. The molecular modification method of UV absorbent developed in this study provides a new perspective for further studies on environment-friendly UV absorbent and helps reduce the risks of these emerging pollutants on the environment and human body.

Determination of benzotriazole and benzothiazole derivatives in tea beverages by deep eutectic solvent-based ultrasound-assisted liquid-phase microextraction and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Benzotriazole (BTRs) and benzothiazole (BTHs) derivatives are a group of high production volume chemicals with emerging health concern, which found in tea beverages raising potential risks for food safety and human health. The present work describes a simple method using a "green" deep eutectic solvent (DES) based-ultrasound-assisted liquid-phase microextraction (UALPME) to rapidly extract BTRs and BTHs from tea beverages, and then applying UHPLC-electrospray ionization (+)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for detection and quantification. To overcome the challenges related to different experimental conditions, a Factorial Multilevel Categoric Design and a Face Centered Central Composite Design were applied to screen and optimize the parameters for the DES-UALPME procedure, respectively. After optimization, the method was validated and shown to possess low limits of quantification (LOQs; 1.5-12 ng mL^-1), high precision (3-13%), and satisfactory accuracy (65-107%). The developed method was then successfully applied for the analysis of some selected BTRs and BTHs in tea beverages.

Change in the chemical content of untreated wastewater of Athens, Greece under COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly worldwide with unanticipated effects on mental health, lifestyle, stability of economies and societies. Although many research groups have already reported SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in untreated wastewater, only few studies evaluated the implications of the pandemic on the use of chemicals by influent wastewater analysis. Wide-scope target and suspect screening were used to monitor the effects of the pandemic on the Greek population through wastewater-based epidemiology. Composite 24 h influent wastewater samples were collected from the wastewater treatment plant of Athens during the first lockdown and analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A wide range of compounds was investigated (11,286), including antipsychotic drugs, illicit drugs, tobacco compounds, food additives, pesticides, biocides, surfactants and industrial chemicals. Mass loads of chemical markers were estimated and compared with the data obtained under non-COVID-19 conditions (campaign 2019). The findings revealed increases in surfactants (+196%), biocides (+152%), cationic quaternary ammonium surfactants (used as surfactants and biocides) (+331%), whereas the most important decreases were estimated for tobacco (-33%) and industrial chemicals (-52%). The introduction of social-restriction measures by the government affected all aspects of life.

Continuous input of organic ultraviolet filters and benzothiazoles threatens the surface water and sediment of two major rivers in the Pearl River Basin

The extensive usage of organic ultraviolet filters (UV filters) and benzothiazoles (BTs) has caused continuous and widespread pollution in the aquatic environment. This study investigated the occurrence of nine organic UV filters and eight BTs in the surface water and sediment of two major drinking water source rivers in the Pearl River Basin (PRB). The detection frequencies of six organic UV filters and seven BTs were above 50% in surface water, while eight target compounds were as high as 100%. Composition profiles revealed that 2-Hydroxybenzothiazole (2-OH-BTH, 1112 ng/L) and 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole (2-SH-BTH, 426.3 ng/L) were the predominant compounds in surface water, while Octyl 4-methoxycinnamate (OMC, maximum concentration, 68.3 ng/g) and UV-329 (18.8 ng/g) were predominant in sediment. Significant positive correlations were observed between water quality parameters (temperature, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN)) and organic UV filters (UV-327 and UV-P), indicating the domestic discharge. The calculated annual flux of targets compounds indicated that West River (WR) promoted more BTs and UV filters to the PRB than North River (NR) (BTs: WR22, 88,517 kg/year; NR13, 15,660 kg/year; UV filters: WR22, 28,332 kg/year; NR13, 1128 kg/year). Significant relationship between the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and annual flux of BTs (R² = 0.96, p < 0.001), and UV filters (R² = 0.88, p < 0.001) in the rivers were found by regression analysis. UV-329 was detected with medium risk (RQ > 0.1) in all WR surface water samples, and 2-SH-BTH was detected with high risk (RQ > 1) in half of the WR sediment samples. This study provides the first time reports on the organic UV filters and BTs in two major rivers in the Pearl River Basin, and further showed that these two types of contaminants are ubiquitous and with potential risks in surface water and sediment of PRB.

An innovative green protocol for the quantification of benzothiazoles, benzotriazoles and benzosulfonamides in PM10 using microwave-assisted extraction coupled with solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry

Benzothiazoles (BTHs), benzotriazoles (BTRs), and benzenesulfonamides (BSAs) are chemicals used in several industrial and household applications. Despite these compounds are emerging pollutants, there is still a lack of information about their presence in outdoor air samples. In this paper, we developed a new method for the quantification of BTHs, BTRs, and BSAs in airborne particulate matter (PM₁₀). The extraction of fourteen analytes from PM₁₀ was accomplished by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) using an environmentally friendly mixture of water and ethanol. SPME was used to analyze the target compounds from the MAE extract by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS/MS), eliminating additional sample clean-up steps. The best working conditions for MAE and SPME were examined multivariately by experimental design techniques. The target compounds were quantified in selected reaction monitoring acquisition mode. The proposed method was carefully validated, and the achieved results were satisfactory in terms of linearity, lower limit of quantification (picograms per cubic meter), intra- and inter-day accuracy (81-118% and 82-114%, respectively), and precision (repeatability and reproducibility in the range 2.3-17% and 7.4-19%, respectively). The application in a real monitoring campaign showed that the developed protocol is a valuable and eco-friendly alternative to the methods proposed so far.

Determination of benzotriazole and benzothiazole derivatives in human urine by eco-friendly deep eutectic solvent-based ultrasound-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction followed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Benzotriazole (BTRs) and benzothiazole (BTHs) derivatives have been classified as high production volume pollutants of emerging concern. The present work describes a rapid and simple process using an eco-friendly deep eutectic solvent (DES) based-ultrasound-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (DES-UALLME) technique to effectively extract five BTRs and four BTHs in human urine samples, and then applying ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization (+)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI(+)-QTOF-MS) for their detection and quantification. DESs are a group of novel "green" solvents, and their applications in sample pretreatment are appropriate for the requirements for green chemistry, environmental protection and sustainable development. Furthermore, to overcome the challenges related to different experimental conditions, multivariate experimental design approaches conducted by means of a multilevel categorical design and a Box-Behnken Design were applied to screen and optimize parameters that have significant influences on the extraction efficiency of DES-UALLME. After optimization, the method was validated and shown to possess low limits of quantitation (LOQs; 0.4 - 9 ng mL^-1), high precision (3-12%), and high accuracy (mean spiked recoveries; 80-101%). The developed method was then successfully applied for the analysis of BTRs and BTHs in human urine samples. Interestingly, 5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzotriazole (XTR) was detected in almost all of the urine samples, which correlates with its high production and widely applications in industry processes and consumer products in Taiwan. These target analytes could potentially be used as biomarkers to assess exposure of BTRs and BTHs in biomonitoring programs and studies.

A Comparative Test on the Sensitivity of Freshwater and Marine Microalgae to Benzo-Sulfonamides, -Thiazoles and -Triazoles

The evaluation of the ecotoxicological effects of water pollutants is performed by using different aquatic organisms. The effects of seven compounds belonging to a class of widespread contaminants, the benzo-fused nitrogen heterocycles, on a group of simple organisms employed in reference ISO tests on water quality (unicellular algae and luminescent bacteria) have been assessed to ascertain their suitability in revealing different contamination levels in the water, wastewater, and sediments samples. Representative compounds of benzotriazoles, benzothiazoles, and benzenesulfonamides, were tested at a concentration ranging from 0.01 to 100 mg L−1. In particular, our work was focused on the long-term effects, for which little information is up to now available. Species-specific sensitivity for any whole family of pollutants was not observed. On average, the strongest growth rate inhibition values were expressed by the freshwater Raphidocelis subcapitata and the marine Phaeodactylum tricornutum algae. R. subcapitata was the only organism for which growth was affected by most of the compounds at the lowest concentrations. The tests on the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fisheri gave completely different results, further underlining the need for an appropriate selection of the best biosensors to be employed in biotoxicological studies.

A Review of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Insights Into Microplastics as Obesogens

The ubiquitous exposure of humans to microplastics (MPs) through inhalation of particles in air and ingestion in dust, water, and diet is well established. Humans are estimated to ingest tens of thousands to millions of MP particles annually, or on the order of several milligrams daily. Available information suggests that inhalation of indoor air and ingestion of drinking water bottled in plastic are the major sources of MP exposure. Little is known on the occurrence of MPs in human diet. Evidence is accumulating that feeding bottles and medical devices can contribute to MP exposure in newborns and infants. Biomonitoring studies of human stool, fetus, and placenta provide direct evidence of MP exposure in infants and children. MPs <20 µm were reported to cross biological membranes. Although plastics were once perceived as inert materials, MP exposure in laboratory animals is linked to various forms of inflammation, immunological response, endocrine disruption, alteration of lipid and energy metabolism, and other disorders. Whereas exposure to MPs itself is a concern, MPs can also be sources of exposure to plastic additives and other toxicants. Exposure of human cell lines to MP additives such as phthalates, bisphenols, and organotins causes adverse effects through the activation of nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) α, β, and γ, and retinoid X receptor (RXR), leading to oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, thyroid hormone disruption, and altered adipogenesis and energy production. The size, shape, chemical composition, surface charge, and hydrophobicity of MPs influence their toxicity. Maternal transfer of MPs to the developing fetus has been demonstrated in exposed laboratory animals and through the analysis of human placenta. In laboratory animal studies, maternal exposure to MPs altered energy and lipid metabolism in offspring and subsequent generations. Moreover, concomitant with the global increase in plastics production, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in human populations has increased over the past five decades, and there is evidence to support the hypothesis that MPs and their additives are potential obesogens. Even though MP exposures are ubiquitous and toxic effects from such exposures are a concern, systematic studies on this topic remain urgently needed.

Simultaneous determination of low molecule benzotriazoles and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in wastewater by ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction followed by GC-MS detection

A rapid, sensitive, economically and ecologically friendly method based on one-step ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction and in situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for simultaneous determination of low molecular benzotriazoles and benzotriazole-based ultraviolet filters was developed. The optimized method allows quantification of benzotriazole, 4-methylbenzotriazole, 5-methylbenzotriazole; 5-chlorobenzotriazole, 2-(2'-hydroxy-3'-tert-butyl-5'-methylphenyl)-5-chlorobenzortriazole and 2-(2'-hydroxy-5'-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl)benzotriazole in municipal and industrial (dairy) wastewater. The method was validated using real influent and effluent wastewater and samples at various stages of the purification process. Relative recoveries obtained using wastewater as sample matrix were between 77 and 137%, method limits of detection from 0.001 to 0.035 µg/L, method limits of quantification from 0.003 to 0.116 µg/L, the repeatability expressed by the coefficient of variation did not exceed 12%. The use of the method for the determination of tested compounds in municipal and industrial wastewater showed their presence in most of the tested samples, in concentrations from LoD to 6.110 µg/L. The conducted studies of samples from municipal wastewater treatment plant located in north-east Poland showed that the effectiveness of benzotriazole removal by this plant wasfrom 29 to 84%. The load of tested compounds released into the environment by this facility ranges from 2 to 269 mg/day/1000 inhabitants.

Cometabolic biotransformation of benzotriazole in nitrifying batch cultures

Benzotriazole (BT) is a corrosion inhibitor widely distributed in aquatic environments. Little is known about the cometabolic capacity of stabilized nitrifying sludge to biotransform BT. The contribution of the nitrification process in the simultaneous oxidation of ammonium and biotransformation of BT (5 mg/L) was evaluated in 49 d batch cultures inoculated with a sludge produced in steady-state nitrification. The nitrifying sludge could consume BT in the obligate presence of ammonium. A higher cometabolic biotransformation capacity was obtained by increasing the initial ammonium concentration (100-300 mg N/L), reaching 2.3- and 5.8-fold increases for efficiency and specific rate of BT removal. At 300 mg NH₄⁺-N/L, the sludge biotransform 40.8% of BT and 77.6% of ammonium which was completely oxidized into nitrate. In assays with allylthiourea added as specific inhibitor of ammonium monooxygenase (AMO), it was shown that the totality of BT cometabolic biotransformation was associated with the AMO activity. The addition of acetate did not favor heterotrophic biotransformation of BT. BT provoked inhibitory effects on nitrification. This is the first study showing the role of ammonium oxidizing bacteria in the cometabolic biotransformation of BT and their potential use for cometabolism application in treatment of wastewater contaminated with ammonium and BT.

Contamination profiles and health impact of benzothiazole and its derivatives in PM2.5 in typical Chinese cities

Although benzothiazole and its derivatives (BTHs) are considered emerging contaminants in diverse environments and organisms, little information is available about their contamination profiles and health impact in ambient particles. In this study, an optimized method of ultrasound-assisted extraction coupled with the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode of GC-EI-MS/MS was applied to characterize and analyze PM_2.5-bound BTHs from three cities of China (Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Taiyuan) during the winter of 2018. The total BTH concentration (ΣBTHs) in PM_2.5 samples from the three cities decreased in the order of Guangzhou > Shanghai > Taiyuan, independently of the PM_2.5 concentration. Despite the large variation in concentration of ΣBTHs in PM_2.5, 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (OTH) was always the predominant compound among the PM_2.5-bound BTHs and accounted for 50-80% of total BTHs in the three regions. Results from human exposure assessment and toxicity screening indicated that the outdoor exposure risk of PM_2.5-bound BTHs in toddlers was much higher than in adults, especially for OTH. The developmental and reproduction toxicity of OTH was further explored in vivo and in vitro. Exposure of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to OTH for 48 h significantly increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced DNA damage and apoptosis via the functionally activating p53 expression. In addition, the growth and development of zebrafish embryos were found to be severely affected after OTH treatment. An overall metabolomics study was conducted on the exposed zebrafish larvae. The results indicated that exposure to OTH inhibited the phenylalanine hydroxylation reaction, which further increased the accumulation of toxic phenylpyruvate and acetylphenylalanine in zebrafish. These findings provide important insights into the contamination profiles of PM_2.5-bound BTHs and emphasize the health risk of OTH.

Deep eutectic solvent-based ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction for the rapid determination of benzotriazole and benzothiazole derivatives in surface water samples

This work describes a simple and environmental-friendly method for the simultaneous determination of five benzotriazole derivatives (BTRs) and four benzothiazole derivatives (BTs) that are frequently found in surface water. The target analytes were efficiently extracted from water samples using a "green" deep eutectic solvent (DES) as the extraction solvent based- ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction (DES-USAEME), and their determination were performed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization (+)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI(+)-QToF-MS). The DES was composed of a mixture of choline chloride and phenol (molar ratio 1:2). The DES-USAEME factors were optimized by a Box-Behnken Design coupled response surface methodology. The developed method was validated, providing limits of quantitation (LOQs; 02 μg L^-1), high precisions (1-8%), and satisfactory mean spiked recoveries (72-104 %). Relatively high total concentrations of the target analytes were found in samples collected from a reservoir (47.2-101.3 μg L^-1), which may have been released from tire-wear particles and scrap tires from buses and old tires that were strung alongside the shuttle boats to prevent the boats from coming into contact with each other or from impacting against the dock during docking. This is the first study on the occurrence of BTRs and BTs in reservoir samples.

Determination of benzotriazole and benzothiazole derivatives in marketed fish by double-vortex-ultrasonic assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry

Benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTs) are two groups of emerging concern and high production volume contaminants. Via the biomagnification of the food web, they could jeopardize human health. In this work, rapid determining the presence of five BTRs and two BTs in marketed fish was performed by a novel double-vortex-ultrasonic assisted matrix solid-phase dispersion (DVUA-MSPD) and UHPLC-electrospray ionization (+)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection. Unlike traditional MSPD, we simplified the method without the use of mortar/pestle and SPE-column procedures. The DVUA-MSPD factors were screened by a multilevel categorical design, and then optimized by Box-Behnken Design plus with response surface methodology. The limits of quantification were 0.15-2 ng g^-1 (dry weight). The satisfactory average recovery ranged from 70% to 93% with RSDs less than 9%. The developed method was successfully applied for the rapid determination of selected BTRs and BTs in fish samples at trace-level.

Prenatal exposure to benzotraizoles and benzothiazoles in relation to fetal and birth size: A longitudinal study

The presence of benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles (BTs) in maternal urine and amniotic fluid indicated the widespread fetal exposure to the contaminants. We investigated the associations of prenatal BTs exposure with fetal and birth size and explored the window of susceptibility. Participants consisted of 856 mother-infant pairs drawn from a prospective birth cohort between 2014 and 2015 in Wuhan, China. Prenatal BTs exposure were measured in multiple urine samples collected across three trimesters. We observed positive associations between prenatal exposure to specific BTs (e.g., 1-H-benzotriazole, 1-hydroxy-benzotriazole and 2-amino-benzothiazole) and femur length (FL) and birth length z-scores among girls. In boys, a 2-fold increase of averaged concentration of urinary benzothiazole (BTH) was associated with decrement in FL (β = -0.068, p < 0.001) and birth length (β = -0.055, p = 0.005) z-scores. Further analysis indicated that the negative associations between urinary concentrations of BTH and birth length z-score among boys were observed at exposure measurement in 25-35 gestational weeks. This study reported the associations between prenatal exposure to BTs and fetal and birth size, suggests the associations maybe in a sex-specific manner and the window of exposure may influence susceptibility. These findings require replication in future research.

Transcriptional, biochemical and histological alterations in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizer-328

The occurrence of Benzotriazole Ultraviolet Stabilizer-328 (BUV-328) in different environmental and biological matrices is of immediate environmental concern. In the present study, we evaluated the toxicity of BUV-328 in zebrafish liver tissues to understand the role of oxidative damage in hepatotoxicity. Adult zebrafish were exposed to 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/L of BUV-328. At the end of 14, 28 and 42 days, liver tissues were examined for the responses of antioxidant enzymes, gene expression and histopathological alterations. The results indicated that superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were elevated at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mg/L on 14th and 28th day. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were elevated in all the treated groups. The transcriptional levels of genes encoding sod, cat, gpx and gst enzymes were increased at 14th day and then declined (except sod on 28th day). Moreover, transcription of cyp1a and hsp70 were up-regulated throughout the study period. Histopathological lesions such as hypertrophy, cellular and nuclear enlargement, cytoplasmic and nuclear degeneration, necrosis with pyknotic nuclei, lipid and cytoplasmic vacuolization and nuclear displacement to the periphery were found to be increased with the dose and exposure duration. In brief, our findings indicate that even a low dose of BUV-328 is toxic to induce oxidative stress and liver damage in zebrafish over a long period of exposure.

Prenatal exposure to benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles and cord blood mitochondrial DNA copy number: A prospective investigation

BACKGROUND

Mitochondria are sensitive to environmental toxicants due to the limited repair capacity. Exposure to benzotriazoles (BTRs) and benzothiazoles (BTHs) may contribute to adverse health outcomes through oxidative stress, which may interfere with mitochondrial function. However, the mitochondrial effects of exposure to BTs (BTRs and BTHs) have not yet been elucidated, particularly in human investigations.

OBJECTIVES

We examined the associations between trimester-specific urinary BTRs and BTHs concentrations and cord blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in a prospective birth cohort.

METHODS

The present study included 742 mother-infant pairs who participated in a birth cohort between 2014 and 2015 in Wuhan and had data on urinary concentrations of BTRs and BTHs and mtDNAcn in cord blood. Concentrations of BTs were repeatedly measured in maternal urine samples at different trimesters using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Relative mtDNAcn in umbilical cord blood was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the associations between BTs exposure across gestation and mtDNAcn in cord blood.

RESULTS

In the present study, we observed a positive association between urinary 2-methylthio-benzothiazole (2-MeS-BTH) concentrations in the first trimester and cord blood mtDNAcn, with marginal significance [percent changes (%Δ) = 3.97, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.05, 8.16, p = 0.05], while urinary 2-amino-benzothiazole concentrations in the third trimester were significantly negatively associated with cord blood mtDNAcn (%Δ = -5.89, 95% CI: -10.32, -1.24). Similar patterns of associations were demonstrated between urinary 1-H-benzotriazole (1-H-BTR) and xylyltriazole concentrations in the third trimester and cord blood mtDNAcn (%Δ = -4.18 to -3.23). In sex-specific analysis, we identified that maternal urinary 1-H-BTR in the first trimester and 2-MeS-BTH in the third trimester were positively associated with cord blood mtDNAcn among male infants but not female (P for interaction = 0.05 for 1-H-BTR, P for interaction = 0.05 for 2-MeS-BTH, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We found evidence that prenatal exposure to BTRs and BTHs were associated with cord blood mtDNAcn alternation, and these associations were modified by infant gender. Further investigations are needed to corroborate these findings.

Discovery of firefighter chemical exposures using military-style silicone dog tags

Occupational chemical hazards in the fire service are hypothesized to play a role in increased cancer risk, and reliable sampling technologies are necessary for conducting firefighter chemical exposure assessments. This study presents the military-style dog tag as a new configuration of silicone passive sampling device to sample individual firefighters' exposures at one high and one low fire call volume department in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area. The recruited firefighters (n = 56) wore separate dog tags to assess on- and off-duty exposures (n_dogtags = 110), for a total of 30 24 h shifts. Using a 63 PAH method (GC-MS/MS), the tags detected 45 unique PAHs, of which 18 have not been previously reported as firefighting exposures. PAH concentrations were higher for on- compared to off-duty tags (0.25 < Cohen's d ≤ 0.80) and for the high compared to the low fire call volume department (0.25 ≤ d < 0.70). Using a 1530 analyte screening method (GC-MS), di-n-butyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, guaiacol, and DEET were commonly detected analytes. The number of fire attacks a firefighter participated in was more strongly correlated with PAH concentrations than firefighter rank or years in the fire service. This suggested that quantitative data should be employed for firefighter exposure assessments, rather than surrogate measures. Because several detected analytes are listed as possible carcinogens, future firefighter exposure studies should consider evaluating complex mixtures to assess individual health risks.

Multi-residue analysis of several high-production-volume chemicals present in the particulate matter from outdoor air. A preliminary human exposure estimation

A multi-residue method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with pressurised liquid extraction was developed to determine seven organophosphate esters (OPEs), six phthalate esters (PAEs), four benzotriazoles (BTRs), five benzothiazoles (BTHs) and four benzenesulfonamides (BSAs) in particulate matter samples from outdoor air. All of these compounds are among the named high-production volume chemicals (HPVCs) and some of them have shown to be harmful to human, therefore they have been subject for legal regulation in order to control their production and usage. Under optimised conditions, high recovery values (>80%) and low detection limits (pg m-3) were obtained for most of the compounds with accuracy values between 83% and 118%. Some samples from two locations surrounded by different industry activities showed the widespread occurrence of all the PAEs, followed by some OPEs. Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the most abundant compound with concentrations ranging from 1.9 to 97.7 ng m-3. With the concentrations found, estimated daily intakes through outdoor inhalation were calculated for each contaminant and for different population groups classified by age (infants, children and adults) in two possible exposure scenarios (low and high). Then, hazard quotients and carcinogenic risks were estimated for several compounds, those that had toxicological parameters available. This preliminary result showed no significant risks via ambient inhalation for the exposed population, however more research is needed to confirm the present results.

Synchronous degradation of aqueous benzotriazole and bromate reduction in catalytic ozonation: Effect of matrix factor, degradation mechanism and application strategy in water treatment

Ozone-based technologies are used for micro-pollutants removal in wastewater treatment. However, the generation of the toxic by-product bromate (BrO₃^-) is of a great concern. LaCoO₃ (LCO) catalytic ozonation has been used to overcome this significant drawback in the sole ozonation, achieving better BrO₃^- elimination efficiency. However, a key challenge is how to enhance micro-pollutant (benzotriazole, BZA) degradation efficiency and to eliminate formed BrO₃^- synchronously under various water qualities in drinking water or wastewater treatment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to propose a practical strategy of BZA removal and BrO₃^- reduction synchronously in water or wastewater treatment. In this study, important factors influencing BZA removal and BrO₃^- reduction were investigated, including [catalyst], [BZA], initial pH solution, [NH₄⁺-N] and [(bi)carbonate alkalinity]. Based on the performance and mechanism of these effects, a practical strategy for BZA degradation and BrO₃^- elimination with and without Br^- in the influent was developed. Additionally, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation successfully predicted the attack site on BZA by molecular ozone and formed hydroxyl radical (HO·) during LCO catalytic ozonation. Fukui indexes of f⁺ and f⁰ were calculated to forecast direct ozone molecule and HO· attack, respectively. Combination of DFT calculation with intermediates that identified through liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS), BZA degradation pathway was established more accurately. Additionally, four new intermediates were identified in this study. Overall, this study proposes a useful strategy for synchronous micro-pollutants degradation and BrO₃^- elimination, while also suggesting the feasibility of LCO catalytic ozonation for water or wastewater purification.

Piezo-activation of peroxymonosulfate for benzothiazole removal in water

Piezoelectricity, as a kind of physical phenomenon, is a coupling between a material's mechanical and electrical behavior. Herein, the local accumulated charges on the surface of piezoelectric material were used to break OO bond of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to induce its activation for the benzothiazole (BTH) removal. Taking BaTiO₃ as a model piezocatalyst, up to 97 % of BTH was degraded within 30 min in BaTiO₃/PMS/force system, which was respective 40 %, 79 %, 83 % higher than that in BaTiO₃/force piezocatalysis, force/PMS oxidation, and BaTiO₃/PMS adsorption. A significant synergistic effect was observed since the reaction rate constant of BaTiO₃/PMS/force was 3 times higher than the sum of those later three processes. The possible activated mechanism was proposed based on reactive species analysis, DFT calculation and LCMS determination. The stability of the piezocatalyst and the treatment performance for real wastewater were studied to investigate the potential in practical applicability. All the results demonstrated that the BaTiO₃ piezoelectricity can efficiently activate PMS to enhance BTH removal, which is a promising strategy for PMS activation, as well as a valuable insight for the piezoelectrical application in wastewater remediation.

Spatial and seasonal variations of organic corrosion inhibitors in the Pearl River, South China: Contributions of sewage discharge and urban rainfall runoff

While organic corrosion inhibitors are ubiquitous in aquatic environments, knowledge on their occurrence, sources and transport in urban surface water is still scarce. In this study, the spatial and seasonal variations of organic corrosion inhibitors and their potential sources were investigated in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), one of the most highly urbanized watersheds in China. A total of 8 compounds belonging to benzothiazole (BTH) and benzotriazole (BTR) groups respectively, were identified in the Pearl River. In addition, there were clear spatial and temporal differentiations in the concentration profiles. The dry season provided higher concentrations of BTH (213-1082 ng L^-1) and BTR (112-1279 ng L^-1) compared to the wet season (30-574 ng L^-1 for BTH and 23-482 ng L^-1for BTR), indicating a dominant process of dilution. Remarkably higher concentrations and similar composition features of targets were observed in the effluent samples from two sewage treatment plants (STPs). Our study indicated that rainfall runoff from urban traffic roads during wet season may also be an important contributor to the Pearl River water environment. The annual total mass loading of corrosion inhibitors from the main channel of the Pearl River is 53.2 tons and exhibited strong seasonal variation. Effluents discharge from STPs and urban rainfall runoff from traffic roads are main sources of corrosion inhibitors to the Pearl River.

Benzotriazoles and benzothiazoles prevail in indoor dust from an E-waste dismantling area in South China: Elevated concentrations and implication for human exposure

In this study, 6 BTRs and 9 BTHs were detected in indoor dust samples collected from a typical e-waste dismantling area and adjacent residential areas, as well as from a control urban area. The median ∑BTRs (the total concentrations of BTRs) in e-waste dismantling workshop dust (3830 ng/g) was up to about 21 and 17 times higher than those in the local residential house dust (180 ng/g) and the control urban residential house dust (231 ng/g), respectively. Similarly, significantly higher ∑BTHs (the total concentrations of BTHs) were also found in indoor dust from e-waste workshops (median: 2070 ng/g; range: 590-4430 ng/g) compared to the local residential houses (823 ng/g; 268-3350 ng/g) and the control urban residential houses (930 ng/g; 400-3650 ng/g). These results indicate that e-waste dismantling activities contribute to considerable residues of BTRs and BTHs in indoor dust. Benzotriazole (BTR), benzothiazole (BTH) and 2-hydroxy-benzothiazole (2-OH-BTH) were identified as the predominant compounds across three types of dust samples, cumulatively representing over 80% of ∑BTs (the sum of ∑BTRs and ∑BTHs). The different applications of BTRs and BTHs in e-products were clarified based on correlations analysis. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of BTRs and BTHs through dust intake for occupational workers were much higher than those for local and urban residents, implying that a potentially high risk can be posed to occupational workers.