Occurrence, spatial variation, seasonal difference, and ecological risk assessment of organophosphate esters in the Yangtze River, China: From the upper to lower reaches

Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances, and Organophosphate Flame Retardants in the Upper Yangtze River: Occurrence, Spatiotemporal Distribution, and Risk Assessment

Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), have raised global concerns due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the occurrence, spatiotemporal distribution, potential sources, and the ecological and human health risks associated with 18 PFASs and 9 OPFRs in the surface waters of the upper Yangtze River, China. The water samples were collected from the main stream and five major tributaries (Min, Jinsha, Tuo, Jialing, and Wu Rivers) in 2022 and 2023. The total concentration of PFASs and OPFRs ranged from 16.07 to 927.19 ng/L, and 17.36 to 190.42 ng/L, respectively, with a consistently higher concentration observed in the main stream compared to the tributaries. Ultra-short-chain PFASs (e.g., TFMS) and halogenated OPFRs (e.g., TCPP) were the predominant compounds, likely originating from industrial discharges, wastewater effluents, and other anthropogenic sources. Ecological risk assessments indicated low-to-moderate risks at most sampling sites, with higher risks near wastewater discharge points. Human health risk evaluations suggested negligible non-carcinogenic risks but identified potential carcinogenic risks from OPFR exposure for adults at specific locations, particularly in Leshan city. This study highlights the importance of understanding the fate and impacts of PFASs and OPFRs in the upper Yangtze River, and provides valuable insights for developing targeted pollution control strategies and risk management measures.

Occurrence of pentachlorophenol in surface water from the upper to lower reaches of the Yangtze River and treated water in Wuhan, China

Pentachlorophenol (PCP), a persistent organic pollutant, has been banned in many countries, but it is still used in China as a wood preservative, molluscicide, or reagent for fish-pond cleaning, which may pose risks to the ecosystem and humans. However, data on the occurrence of PCP in the environment are scarce in the recent decade. The Yangtze River was regarded as a priority area of PCP pollution according to previous documents. This study aimed to examine the spatial distribution of PCP in the Yangtze River water, the differences in dry and wet seasons, the ecological risk for aquatic organisms, and its removal efficiency in tap water treatment plants. The river water samples (n = 144) were collected from the upper, middle, and lower reaches across ten provinces (or municipalities) in December 2020 and June 2021, respectively. PCP was detected in 88.9% of all the samples, ranging from  Collapse

Key Words

• Pentachlorophenol
• Removal
• Seasonal difference
• Spatial variations
• Surface water
• Yangtze River

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MESH Headings

• Humans
• Animals
• Pentachlorophenol/analysis
• Ecosystem
• Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
• Environmental Monitoring
• Rivers
• Cities
• China
• Risk Assessment
• Aquatic Organisms

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Grants

• WJ2019H307 Health Commission of Hubei Province
• WJ2019H303 Health Commission of Hubei Province
• 42277428 National Natural Science Foundation of China
• 21407117 National Natural Science Foundation of China

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Affiliation(s)

Fengting Yang Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
Yanjian Wan Center for Public Health Laboratory Service, Institute of Environmental Health, Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention & Control, Wuhan, Hubei, 430024, People's Republic of China
Yan Wang Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
Shulan Li Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
Shunqing Xu Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
Wei Xia Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.

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Collaborators Collapse

Lipid Metabolic Disorders Induced by Organophosphate Esters in Silver Carp from the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River

The Yangtze River fishery resources have declined strongly over the past few decades. One suspected reason for the decline in fishery productivity, including silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), has been linked to organophosphate esters (OPEs) contaminant exposure. In this study, the adverse effect of OPEs on lipid metabolism in silver carp captured from the Yangtze River was examined, and our results indicated that muscle concentrations of the OPEs were positively associated with serum cholesterol and total lipid levels. In vivo laboratory results revealed that exposure to environmental concentrations of OPEs significantly increased the concentrations of triglyceride, cholesterol, and total lipid levels. Lipidome analysis further confirmed the lipid metabolism dysfunction induced by OPEs, and glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids were the most affected lipids. Hepatic transcriptomic analysis found that OPEs caused significant alterations in the transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism. Pathways associated with lipid homeostasis, including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signal pathway, cholesterol metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and steroid biosynthesis, were significantly changed. Furthermore, the affinities of OPEs were different, but the 11 OPEs tested could bind with PPARγ, suggesting that OPEs could disrupt lipid metabolism by interacting with PPARγ. Overall, this study highlighted the harmful effects of OPEs on wild fish and provided mechanistic insights into OPE-induced metabolic disorders.

Association of Prenatal Exposure to Organophosphate, Pyrethroid, and Neonicotinoid Insecticides with Child Neurodevelopment at 2 Years of Age: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Widespread insecticide exposure might be a risk factor for neurodevelopment of our children, but few studies examined the mixture effect of maternal coexposure to organophosphate insecticides (OPPs), pyrethroids (PYRs), and neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment, and critical windows of exposure are unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to evaluate the association of prenatal exposure to multiple insecticides with children's neurodevelopment and to identify critical windows of the exposure.

METHODS

Pregnant women were recruited into a prospective birth cohort study in Wuhan, China, from 2014-2017. Eight metabolites of OPPs (mOPPs), three metabolites of PYRs (mPYRs), and nine metabolites of NNIs (mNNIs) were measured in 3,123 urine samples collected at their first, second, and third trimesters. Children's neurodevelopment [mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI)] was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 2 years of age (N = 1,041 ). Multivariate linear regression models, generalized estimating equation models, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to estimate the association between the insecticide metabolites and Bayley scores. Potential sex-specific associations were also examined.

RESULTS

Single chemical analysis suggested higher urinary concentrations of some insecticide metabolites at the first trimester were significantly associated with lower MDI and PDI scores, and the associations were more prominent among boys. Each 1-unit increase in ln-transformed urinary concentrations of two mOPPs, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol and 4-nitrophenol, was associated with a decrease of 3.16 points [95% confidence interval (CI): - 5.59 , - 0.74 ] and 3.06 points (95% CI: - 5.45 , - 0.68 ) respectively in boys' MDI scores. Each 1-unit increase in that of trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid (trans-DCCA; an mPYR) was significantly associated with a decrease of 2.24 points (95% CI: - 3.89 , - 0.58 ) in boys' MDI scores and 1.90 points (95% CI: - 3.16 , - 0.64 ) in boys' PDI scores, respectively. Significantly positive associations of maternal urinary biomarker concentrations [e.g., dimethyl phosphate (a nonspecific mOPP) and desmethyl-clothianidin (a relatively specific mNNI)] with child neurodevelopment were also observed. Using repeated holdout validation, a 1-quartile increase in the WQS index of the insecticide mixture (in the negative direction) at the first trimester was significantly associated with a decrease of 3.02 points (95% CI: - 5.47 , - 0.57 ) in MDI scores among the boys, and trans-DCCA contributed the most to the association (18%).

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal exposure to higher levels of certain insecticides and their mixture were associated with lower Bayley scores in children, particularly in boys. Early pregnancy may be a sensitive window for such an effect. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12097.