Adsorption and degradation of 14C-bisphenol A in a soil trench

A comprehensive review on advanced trends in treatment technologies for removal of Bisphenol A from aquatic media

Toxic environmental pollutants are considered to be posed a major threat to human and aquatic systems. The fast advancement of the petrochemical and chemical industries has woken up rising worries concerning the pollution of water by contaminants including phenolic Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). The intermediate BPA used in synthesis of certain plastics, polycarbonate polymers, polysulfone, and epoxy resins of various polyesters. Due to potential health risks, severe toxicity, and widespread distribution, there is an urgent need to develop efficient techniques for the removal of BPA. Therefore, advance management for the active elimination of BPA prior to its release into the water sources is of serious concern. Degradation, membrane separation, adsorption, and biological treatments have been extensively examined as they are easy to operate and cost-effective for effective BPA removal. In this review, we summarized the mechanism and performance for removal of BPA by several sorbents, including natural polymers, natural inorganic minerals, porous and carbon-based materials. Comparative results revealed that composite materials and modified adsorbents have good performances for removal of BPA. Furthermore, kinetic study investigating adsorption mechanisms was also discussed. Hazardous quantities of such types of chemicals in various samples have thus been the subject of increasing concern of investigation. This review clarified the extensive literature regarding the major health effects of BPA and its advanced treatment technologies including biological treatment by natural and synthetic materials have been discussed briefly. It delivers regulation for future development and research from the aspects of materials functionalization, development of methods, and mechanism investigation that directing to stimulate developments for removal of emerging contaminants.

Environmental fate of microplastics and common polymer additives in non-biodegradable plastic mulch applied agricultural soils

Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of microplastics on soil eco-system, yet little attention has been given to the specific effects of mulch microplastics and the leaching of plastic additives from mulch films. This review inspects the propensity of commonly used plastic additives in mulch films, such as Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), bisphenol A (BPA), and benzophenones (BPs), to migrate into soils and pose potential risks to soil biota. Further, we highlight the degradation of non-biodegradable plastic mulch films over time, which leads to an increase in the release of plastic additives and microplastics into agricultural soils. DEHP has been detected in high concentrations for example 25.2 mg/kg in agricultural soils, indicating a potential risk of uptake, translocation and accumulation in plants, ultimately altering soil physicochemical properties and affecting soil microflora and invertebrates. The review also explores how exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and microbial activities accelerates the weathering of mulch films. Moreover, the resultant plastic additives and mulch microplastics can lead to genotoxicity and growth inhibition in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and negatively impact the soil microbiome. Despite the significant implications, there has been a lack of comprehensive reviews comparing the effects of non-biodegradable mulch film additives on agricultural soil flora and fauna. Therefore, this review addresses the knowledge gaps providing a bibliometric analysis and eco-toxicological evaluation, discussing the challenges and future perspectives regarding mulch plastic additives and microplastics, thus offering a comprehensive understanding of their impact.

Fate and transformation of uniformly 14C-ring-labeled bisphenol S in different aerobic soils

Bisphenol S (BPS), being structurally similar to bisphenol A (BPA), has been widely used as an alternative to BPA in industrial applications. However, in-depth studies on the environmental behavior and fate of BPS in various soils have been rarely reported. Here, 14C-labeled BPS was used to investigate its mineralization, bound residues (BRs) formation and extractable residues (ERs) in three soils for 64 days. Significant differences were found in the dissipation rates of BPS in three soils with different pH values. The dissipation of BPS followed pseudo first-order kinetics with half-lives (T1/2) of 15.2 ± 0.1 d, 27.0 ± 0.2 d, 180.4 ± 5.3 d, and 280.5 ± 3.3 d in the alkaline soil (fluvo-aquic soil, FS), the neutral soil (cinnamon soil, CS), the acidic soil (red soil, RS), and sterilized cinnamon soil (CS-S), respectively. The mineralization and BRs formation contributed the most to the dissipation of BPS in soil. BPS was persistent in acidic soil, and may pose a significant threat to plants grown in acidic soils. Additionally, soil microorganisms played a key role in BPS degradation, and the organic matter content might be a major factor that promotes the adsorption and degradation of BPS in soils. Two transformed products, P-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid and methylated BPS were identified in soils. This study provides new insights into the fate of BPS in various soils, which will be useful for risk assessments of BPS in soil.

Research Progress of Methods for Degradation of Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor widely used in industrial production, is found in various environmental sources. Despite numerous reports on BPA degradation and removal, the details remain unclear. This paper aims to address this gap by providing a comprehensive review of BPA degradation methods, focusing on biological, physical, and chemical treatments and the factors that affect the degradation of BPA. Firstly, the paper uses VOSviewer software (version 1.6.15) to map out the literature on BPA degradation published in the past 20 years, which reveals the trends and research focus in this field. Next, the advantages and limitations of different BPA degradation methods are discussed. Overall, this review highlights the importance of BPA degradation to protect the environment and human health. The paper provides significant insights for researchers and policymakers to develop better approaches for BPA degradation and removal.

Thermal paper as a potential source of bisphenol A for humans and the environment: migration and ecotoxicological impact

The objective of this work was to evaluate thermal paper (TP) tickets used in Argentina as a potential source of bisphenol A (BPA) that could impact humans and the environment. BPA in TP was measured by HPLC ranging from 11.1 to 30.5 mg BPAg^-1. In order to estimate the impact on humans, dermal BPA estimated daily intake was calculated as being 79.3 ± 19.5 μgd^-1 for workers and 1.6 ± 0.4 μgd^-1 for the general population. To evaluate TP's impact on the environment, BPA migration from TP to water and soil was studied. In the case of water, 99.6% of the BPA tickets content migrated in 30 h, while 78.0% moved into the soil in 96 h. BPA degradation kinetics in soil and water were also carried out; while in soil 61.9% of BPA degraded in 120 h, no degradation was observed up to 120 h in tap or river water.Additionally, ecotoxicological effects of BPA on the earthworm Eisenia andrei, a representative terrestrial indicator, were studied performing bioassays on lethality, avoidance, and reproductive and enzymatic activity. BPA showed to be very toxic to E. andrei (LC₅₀ value in contact paper test of 17 μgcm^-2, 95% confidence interval 6-46 μgcm^-2, 24 h exposure) and also caused an increase of total cocoons for earthworms exposed to 10 and 50 mg BPA kg^-1 soil. Evasion response was observed at a concentration of 50 mg BPA kg^-1 soil, while no effect was observed on cholinesterases, carboxylesterases, and glutathione S-transferases activities (1, 10, and 50 mg BPA kg^-1 soil). Finally, a simple BPA degradation technology using water peroxide and radish (Raphanus sativus) tissue as catalyst was explored as a simple and domestic potential treatment to avoid BPA migration to the environment.

Influence of the geophagous earthworm Aporrectodea sp. on fate of bisphenol A and a branched 4-nonylphenol isomer in soil

Large amounts of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol (NP) are released into the soil due to the application of biosolids. Earthworms are the predominant biomass in many terrestrial ecosystems and profoundly influence the physico-chemical and biological properties of soils. However, information about the effects of earthworm activities on the behaviors of EDCs in soil is still limited. Here, the effects of earthworms on mineralization, degradation, and bound residue formation of BPA and NP were investigated using the ¹⁴C tracer technique. The results showed that earthworms did not affect mineralization of BPA, but significantly inhibited bound residue formation of BPA and changed the size distribution of BPA residues within humic substances. Regarding NP, earthworms significantly inhibited mineralization and bound residue formation, and thus significantly promoted the degradation of NP and NP's metabolites in soil. After nine days of incubation, 75% and 46% of the initially applied ¹⁴C-BPA and ¹⁴C-NP were already present in bound residues, respectively, indicating that the major route of degradation of BPA and NP in soil was bound-residue formation. Among total ¹⁴C-BPA or ¹⁴C-NP residues accumulated in earthworms, bound residues were also predominant (>50%), implying that risk assessment of EDCs based on their concentrations of free form in earthworms might be significantly underestimated. Taken together, our results suggest that fate of EDCs in soil not only depended on their physico-chemical properties but also was intensively affected by earthworm activities, underlining that effects of earthworms should be considered when evaluating environmental behavior and potential risk of EDCs in soil.