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Cooper A, Cancelada L, Torres RR, Belcher K, Small M, Belda-Ferre P, Morris C, Mitts B, Dinasquet J, Knight R, Slade JH, Prather KA. Identifying wastewater chemicals in coastal aerosols. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2025; 11:eads9476. [PMID: 40435233 PMCID: PMC12118540 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ads9476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2025] [Indexed: 06/01/2025]
Abstract
The Tijuana River, at the US-Mexico border, discharges millions of gallons of wastewater daily-sewage, industrial waste, and runoff-into the Pacific Ocean, making it the dominant source of coastal pollution in this region. This study examines how such wastewater influences coastal aerosols by tracking spatial gradients from near the border northward. Using benzoylecgonine (a nonvolatile cocaine metabolite) as a sewage tracer, we find that wastewater compounds-including a mixture of illicit drugs, drug metabolites, and chemicals from tires and personal care products-become aerosolized and are detectable in both water and air. Spatial analyses confirm that most measured chemicals concentrate in aerosols near the Tijuana River, potentially exposing local populations to tens of nanograms per hour (e.g., octinoxate and methamphetamine) via inhalation. This airborne pathway highlights a largely overlooked source of atmospheric pollution, emphasizing the need to reassess health risks in coastal regions as global water contamination continues to escalate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Cooper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lucia Cancelada
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ralph Riley Torres
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kathryn Belcher
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mallory Small
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Clare Morris
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Brock Mitts
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Julie Dinasquet
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jonathan H. Slade
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Prather
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Li Y, Zhang X, Xu L, Chen L, Wu Y, Ding X, Zhu P, Zhong W. Levels and transport behavior of ionic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the atmosphere of urban pollution scenario: An in-situ investigation of a wastewater treatment plant in Wuxi, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2025; 372:126003. [PMID: 40054566 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2025] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 04/01/2025]
Abstract
The levels of ionic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (iPFASs) in atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5), wastewater, and aqueous aerosol collected at a municipal WWTP in Wuxi were investigated. The concentration of Σ20iPFASs in PM2.5 collected from the WWTP (72.2 pg/m3, monthly average) was slightly higher than that from the control point (58.4 pg/m3). Furthermore, the HYSPLIT model implied that the iPFASs pathways of control point and WWTP were totally different under identical meteorological conditions and that WWTP could be a source of iPFASs in urban environment. A comparison of the levels and compositions of iPFASs in aeration tank wastewater (203 ± 118 ng/L), effluent (392 ± 145 ng/L), and aqueous aerosols (58.5 ± 11.7 ng/L) samples using the t-stochastic neighborhood embedding algorithm revealed similar pollution fingerprints in aqueous aerosols and aeration tank wastewater, which implied that aqueous aerosols could be originating from the aeration tanks of WWTP and that aqueous aerosols may serve as a carrier for the transport of iPFASs from wastewater to atmosphere. Forward trajectory analysis indicated that the priority contaminated areas were more than 200 km southeast of the WWTP source, suggesting that iPFASs emitted from the WWTP were likely to undergo long-range atmospheric transport after entering the atmosphere via aqueous aerosols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Li
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Xuhui Zhang
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Lingling Xu
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Limei Chen
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Yukang Wu
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Xinliang Ding
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China.
| | - Pengfei Zhu
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, PR China
| | - Wenjue Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China.
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Zhu FJ, Lu XM, Jia JW, Zhang X, Xing DF, Cai MH, Kallenborn R, Li YF, Muir DCG, Zhang ZF, Zhang X. Spatial Variations of Atmospheric Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons across the Western Pacific to the Southern Ocean: Unexpected Increasing Deposition. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2025; 59:6736-6744. [PMID: 40025703 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c12147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2025]
Abstract
Spatial variations of atmospheric alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Alk-PAHs) are key to understanding their long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT). However, limited Alk-PAHs data have hindered their LRAT characterizations on a global scale. In this study, 49 Alk-PAHs were measured in the atmospheric samples collected across the Western Pacific to the Southern Ocean. The summed concentration of 39 frequently detected Alk-PAHs (Σ39Alk-PAHs) was 25.8 ± 25.3 ng m-3. The concentrations of Σ39Alk-PAHs significantly declined with the decrease in latitude (°N). Higher concentrations (55.8 ± 33.8 ng m-3) were linked to continental air mass compared to oceanic/Antarctica air mass (17.0 ± 13.6 ng m-3), highlighting continental emissions as the primary source of marine atmospheric Alk-PAHs. An unexpected increase in the G/P partitioning ratio (KP) was found in samples farther away from the continent, which cannot be explained by the influence of temperature on the partitioning process. Deposition analysis suggested that gaseous concentrations and the G/P partitioning largely influenced deposition patterns. Hypothetical scenario analysis indicated that increased KP under snowy conditions could enhance the total Alk-PAH deposition. These findings emphasize the need for accurate characterization of partitioning and deposition processes when studying the global fate of Alk-PAHs, particularly in remote and polar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Jie Zhu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xi-Mei Lu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jing-Wen Jia
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - De-Feng Xing
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Ming-Hong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Polar Science, Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China
| | - Roland Kallenborn
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås NO-1432, Norway
- University of the Arctic (UArctic), Rovaniemi 96300, Finland
| | - Yi-Fan Li
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- IJRC-PTS-NA, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6X9, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Zi-Feng Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xianming Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
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Yu J, Fu Y, Zhu J, Chen X, Zhong Y, Pan Y, Ma Y. Marine Transport Barrier for Traditional and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Southeast Indian Ocean and Antarctic Marginal Seas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2025; 59:5283-5292. [PMID: 40056110 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c13574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2025]
Abstract
Traditional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been observed in the remote Southern Ocean. In contrast, current knowledge about emerging PFASs, such as perfluoroether carboxylic acids (PFECAs), and their transport mechanisms remains ambiguous. In this study, the occurrence and transport of both traditional and emerging PFASs in the surface seawater of the Southeast Indian Ocean and Antarctic marginal seas are comprehensively discussed by integrating hydrological data. Long-chain PFASs were restricted to the north of the thermohaline front in the Southeast Indian Ocean, suggesting a transport barrier effect and the input of terrestrial contamination from low-latitude regions. Conversely, unexpectedly high levels of short-chain perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) were limited to the south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, preventing further northward transport. PFBA showed significant positive correlations with two emerging PFECAs, perfluoro-2-methoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA) and fluoro(heptafluoropropoxy)acetic acid (3:2 H-PFECA), which were also widely detected in Antarctic marginal seas for the first time. This suggests their similar sources and environmental behavior, as they were probably formerly accumulated in Antarctic snow through atmospheric deposition and released into seawater during the summertime melting process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yao Fu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jincai Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yisen Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yitao Pan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yuxin Ma
- Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Polar Life and Environment Sciences, School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
- Key Laboratory of Polar Science, Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, China
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Madsen MH, Møller JJ, Ebbehøj NE, Nielsen F, Severinsen MT, Jensen JF, Lenschow SR, Bønløkke JH. PFAS concentrations in the blood of Danish surfers. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2025; 264:114522. [PMID: 39836987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2024] [Revised: 01/13/2025] [Accepted: 01/14/2025] [Indexed: 01/23/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) have been used for decades in countless households and industrial products. Many PFAS do not degrade and are thus ubiquitous in the environment and within organisms. Humans are primarily exposed to PFAS through ingestion and inhalation, and such exposure has been associated with several health effects. Some PFAS accumulate in the top layer of seawater and in seafoam up to 100,000 times the concentration in bulk seawater. No studies have investigated whether exposure to seafoam or aerosols by surfing or other water activities is associated with a higher PFAS burden. This study aimed to measure PFAS concentrations in the blood of 34 Danish surfers and investigate the effect of annual surfing hours on these concentrations. METHODS A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study of surfers from the West Coast of Denmark was conducted to investigate a possible association between annual surfing hours and serum PFAS concentrations including PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA and PFHxS. FINDINGS All 34 surfers had measurable PFAS concentrations in their blood. However, annual surfing hours were not associated with increased PFAS concentrations. Unadjusted subgroup analyses showed statistically significant associations with male sex and consumption of meat from free-ranging animals with higher PFAS concentrations in blood, although these associations might be driven by other factors. INTERPRETATION This study descriptively explored the distribution of PFAS concentrations in different subgroups based on potential risk factors of higher PFAS exposure. Even though no association between surfing and PFAS concentrations in blood was found, several other factors are suspected to be associated with increased concentrations. To prevent exposures that might lead to adverse health effects, further studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Hyllegaard Madsen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Havrevangen 1, 9000, Aalborg C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Selma Lagerløftsvej 249, 9260, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Janne Julie Møller
- Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, Holbæk University Hospital, Smedelundsgade 60, 4300 Holbæk, Denmark
| | - Niels Erik Ebbehøj
- Department of Occupational and Social Medicine, Holbæk University Hospital, Smedelundsgade 60, 4300 Holbæk, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Marianne Tang Severinsen
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Selma Lagerløftsvej 249, 9260, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jonas Faartoft Jensen
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - Jakob Hjort Bønløkke
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aalborg University Hospital, Havrevangen 1, 9000, Aalborg C, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Selma Lagerløftsvej 249, 9260, Aalborg, Denmark
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Ford AT, Ginley F. Insights into PFAS contaminants before and after sewage discharges into a marine protected harbour. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 366:143526. [PMID: 39395480 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2024] [Accepted: 10/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024]
Abstract
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their degradation products are a concern to human and ecosystem health. Wastewater treatment plants are not efficient at removing PFAS compounds and are thought to be a major source of these compounds to marine environments. The sewerage infrastructure in the UK, has over 20,000 combined stormwater overflows (CSOs). These CSOs are relief values whereby untreated wastewater can discharge under permit from the Environment Agency with exceptional rain/snowfall conditions. CSOs discharged 3.6 million monitored hours of untreated wastewater into English rivers and coasts in 2023. Concerns have been raised about the proximity of these CSO discharges to highly protected marine habitats. This study is the first to determine that PFAS concentrations are elevated in a highly protected marine bay (Langstone Harbour, England) following recent sewage releases compared to an extended period without discharge. Analysis was carried out into a suite of 54 PFAS compounds of which only one (PFHpA) was detectable above LOD prior to discharges but 8 afterwards. These included banned PFOS (Linear and Branched 8.6 ng/L ∓ 0.90) and PFOA (2.9 ng/L ∓ 0.29) which were above annual average EQS for inland and 'other' surface waters. Most of the PFAS compounds detected doubled in concentration above LODs. These two-fold increases we discuss are likely conservative estimates based on the use of LODs and tidal conditions. Additional Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and Seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus) were taken revealing high concentrations of the shorter chain PFBA (6.99μg/kg ∓ 2.42 ww) in seaweed samples. These seaweeds were calculated to have conservative bioaccumulation factors (BAF) > 6000 for PFBA indicating these algae might be an important reservoir of some PFAS contamination. We discuss these results in the context of the largescale discharges of untreated wastewater nationally and globally, and call upon a need for a better understanding of the transfer of PFAS contaminants into marine food chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex T Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO4 9LY, UK.
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Sea spray carries huge amounts of 'forever chemicals' into the air. Nature 2024; 628:477. [PMID: 38600204 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-01030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
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