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Hedgespeth ML, Taylor DL, Balint S, Schwartz M, Cantwell MG. Ecological characteristics impact PFAS concentrations in a U.S. North Atlantic food web. Sci Total Environ 2023; 880:163302. [PMID: 37031936 PMCID: PMC10451026 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This is the first comprehensive study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a coastal food web of the U.S. North Atlantic, in which we characterize the presence and concentrations of 24 targeted PFAS across 18 marine species from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and surrounding waters. These species reflect the diversity of a typical North Atlantic Ocean food web with organisms from a variety of taxa, habitat types, and feeding guilds. Many of these organisms have no previously reported information on PFAS tissue concentrations. We found significant relationships of PFAS concentrations with respect to various ecological characteristics including species, body size, habitat, feeding guild, and location of collection. Based upon the 19 PFAS detected in the study (5 were not detected in samples), benthic omnivores (American lobsters = 10.5 ng/g ww, winter skates = 5.77 ng/g ww, Cancer crabs = 4.59 ng/g ww) and pelagic piscivores (striped bass = 8.50 ng/g ww, bluefish = 4.30 ng/g ww) demonstrated the greatest average ∑PFAS concentrations across all species sampled. Further, American lobsters had the highest concentrations detected in individuals (∑PFAS up to 21.1 ng/g ww, which consisted primarily of long-chain PFCAs). The calculation of field-based trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for the top 8 detected PFAS determined that perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) associated with the pelagic habitat biomagnified, whereas perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA) associated with the benthic habitat demonstrated trophic dilution in this food web (calculated trophic levels ranged from 1.65 to 4.97). While PFAS exposure to these organisms may have adverse implications for ecological impacts via toxicological effects, many of these species are also key recreational and commercial fisheries resulting in potential for human exposure via dietary consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie L Hedgespeth
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - David L Taylor
- Department of Marine Biology, Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
| | - Sawyer Balint
- ORISE Research Participant at the US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Morgan Schwartz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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2
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Khan B, Burgess RM, Cantwell MG. Occurrence and Bioaccumulation Patterns of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Marine Environment. ACS ES T Water 2023; 3:1243-1259. [PMID: 37261084 PMCID: PMC10228145 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic compounds used in commercial applications, household products, and industrial processes. The concern around the environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity of this vast contaminant class continues to rise. We conducted a review of the scientific literature to compare patterns of PFAS bioaccumulation in marine organisms and identify compounds of potential concern. PFAS occurrence data in seawater, sediments, and several marine taxa was analyzed from studies published between the years 2000 and 2020. Taxonomic and tissue-specific differences indicated elevated levels in protein-rich tissues and in air-breathing organisms compared to those that respire in water. Long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, particularly perfluoroundecanoic acid, were detected at high concentrations across several taxa and across temporal studies indicating their persistence and bioaccumulative potential. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid was elevated in various tissue types across taxa. Precursors and replacement PFAS were detected in several marine organisms. Identification of these trends across habitats and taxa can be applied towards biomonitoring efforts, determination of high-risk taxa, and criteria development. This review also highlights challenges related to PFAS biomonitoring including (i) effects of environmental and biological variables, (ii) evaluation of protein binding sites and affinities, and (iii) biotransformation of precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Khan
- ORISE Research Participant at the US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-CEMM, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Robert M. Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-CEMM, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-CEMM, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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3
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Burgess RM, Cantwell MG, Dong Z, Grundy JS, Joyce AS. Comparing Equilibrium Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Based on Passive Sampling and Bioaccumulation in Water Column Deployments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023; 42:317-332. [PMID: 36484760 PMCID: PMC10789481 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring at contaminated sites undergoing cleanup, including Superfund sites, often uses bioaccumulation of anthropogenic contaminants by field-deployed organisms as a metric of remedial effectiveness. Bioaccumulation studies are unable to assess the equilibrium status of the organisms relative to the contaminants to which they are exposed. Establishing equilibrium provides a reproducible benchmark on which scientific and management decisions can be based (e.g., comparison with human dietary consumption criteria). Unlike bioaccumulating organisms, passive samplers can be assessed for their equilibrium status. In our study, over a 3-year period, we compared the bioaccumulation of selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by mussels in water column deployments at the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site (New Bedford, MA, USA) to codeployed passive samplers. Based on comparisons to the calculated passive sampler equilibrium concentrations, the mussels were not at equilibrium, and the subsequent analysis focused on evaluating approaches for estimating equilibrium bioaccumulation. In addition, a limited evaluation of metal bioaccumulation by the exposed mussels and a metal passive sampler was performed. In general, mussel and passive sampler accumulation of PCBs was significantly correlated; however, surprisingly, agreement on the magnitude of accumulation was optimal when bioaccumulation and passive sampler uptake were not corrected for nonequilibrium conditions. A subsequent comparison of four approaches for estimating equilibrium mussel bioaccumulation using octanol-water partition coefficients (KOW ), triolein-water partition coefficients (KTW ), and two types of polymer-lipid partition coefficients demonstrated that field-deployed mussels were not at equilibrium with many PCBs. A range of estimated equilibrium mussel bioaccumulation concentrations were calculated, with the magnitude of the KOW -based values being the smallest and the polymer-lipid partition coefficient-based values being the largest. These analyses are intended to assist environmental scientists and managers to interpret field deployment data when transitioning from biomonitoring to passive sampling. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:317-332. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Burgess
- ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Zhao Dong
- Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James S. Grundy
- ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Abigail S. Joyce
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Rosa K, Gardiner CL, Robuck AR, Lohmann R, Kincaid C, Cantwell MG. Transport and fate of aqueous film forming foam in an urban estuary. Environ Pollut 2022; 300:118963. [PMID: 35134426 PMCID: PMC8924856 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The deployment of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) used for firefighting during emergencies and training often releases per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment. In October 2018, first responders in Providence, RI, USA applied an AFFF during a fuel spill. Due to the proximity of the incident to the upper reaches of Narragansett Bay (NB), an unknown quantity of gasoline and AFFF entered the estuary via surface runoff and stormwater drains. Water samples near the spill were collected approximately 15 h after the incident and analyzed for 24 PFAS. Minor increases in measured PFAS concentrations were observed relative to pre- and post-spill samples at monitoring sites near the incident, except 6:2-fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2-FTS) that peaked post-spill (max 311 ng/L). After performing the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay on water samples and the AFFF concentrate, significant increases in perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) were observed. One compound, 6:2 fluorotelomer mercaptoalkylamido sulfonate (6:2-FTSAS), was identified as a major component of the AFFF used. Peak areas of 6:2-FTSAS and the degradation product 6:2-FTSAS-sulfoxide corresponded to observed increases in the TOP assay results and were useful as tracers of AFFF in surrounding waters. Elevated levels of PFAS at the time of sampling were limited to a confined area of the Providence River due to river flow and tidal action. Observed concentrations were also compared to hydrodynamic model results, and results confirmed rapid dissipation of AFFF components with distance from the spill. However, modeled results did not capture possible secondary releases of AFFF from local municipal stormwater and sewer infrastructure, as observational data suggest. The multiple lines of evidence of PFAS present in surface waters permitted a better assessment of the potential environmental impacts from products such as AFFF for which the chemical composition is largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Katz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Atlantic Coastal Ecosystem Sciences Division (AED), 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA.
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Kevin Rosa
- University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Christine L Gardiner
- University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Anna R Robuck
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA; University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Chris Kincaid
- University of Rhode Island - Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Atlantic Coastal Ecosystem Sciences Division (AED), 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
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5
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Pelletier M, Cobb D, Rocha K, Ho KT, Cantwell MG, Perron M, Charpentier MA, Buffum HW, Hale SS, Burgess RM. Benthic macroinvertebrate community response to environmental changes over seven decades in an urbanized estuary in the northeastern United States. Mar Environ Res 2021; 169:105323. [PMID: 33862568 PMCID: PMC8292207 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Narragansett Bay is representative of New England, USA urbanized estuaries, with colonization in the early 17th century, and development into industrial and transportation centers in the late 18th and early 20th century. Increasing nationwide population and lack of infrastructure maintenance led to environmental degradation, and then eventual improvement after implementation of contaminant control and sewage treatment starting in the 1970s. Benthic macroinvertebrate community structure was expected to respond to these environmental changes. This study assembled data sets from the 1950s through 2010s to examine whether quantitative aggregate patterns in the benthic community corresponded qualitatively to stressors and management actions in the watershed. In Greenwich Bay and Providence River, patterns of benthic response corresponded to the decline and then improvement in sewage treatment at the Fields Point wastewater treatment plant. In Mount Hope Bay, the benthos corresponded to changes in bay fish populations due to thermal discharge from the Brayton Point power plant. The benthos of the Upper West Passage corresponded to climatic changes that caused regime shifts in the plankton and fish communities. Future work will examine the effects of further environmental improvements in the face of continued climatic changes and population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marguerite Pelletier
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA.
| | - Donald Cobb
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Kenneth Rocha
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Kay T Ho
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Monique Perron
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Office of Pesticide Programs, Health Effects Division, Arlington, VA, USA
| | | | - Henry W Buffum
- General Dynamics Information Technology, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Stephen S Hale
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Science Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
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6
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Robuck AR, McCord JP, Strynar MJ, Cantwell MG, Wiley DN, Lohmann R. Tissue-specific distribution of legacy and novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in juvenile seabirds. Environ Sci Technol Lett 2021; 8:457-462. [PMID: 34527758 PMCID: PMC8437152 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Of the thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment, few have been investigated in detail. In this study, we analyzed 36 legacy and emerging PFAS in multiple seabird tissues collected from individuals from Massachusetts Bay, Narragansett Bay and the Cape Fear River Estuary. PFOS was the dominant compound across multiple tissues, while long-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) dominated in brain (mean = 44% of total concentrations). Emerging perfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs)-Nafion byproduct-2 and PFO5DoDA - were detected in greater than 90% of tissues in birds obtained from a nesting region downstream from a major fluorochemical production site. Compound ratios, relative body burden calculations, and electrostatic surface potential calculations were used to describe partitioning behavior of PFEAs in different tissues. Novel PFEAs preferentially partition into blood compared to liver, and were documented in brain for the first time. PFO5DoDA showed a reduced preference for brain compared to PFCAs and Nafion BP2. These results suggest future monitoring efforts and toxicological studies should focus on novel PFAS and long-chain PFCAs in multiple tissues beyond liver and blood, while exploring the unique binding mechanisms driving uptake of multi-ether PFEAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Robuck
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882
- Corresponding Author Anna Ruth Robuck, , 215 S Ferry Rd, Narragansett RI 02882 – 610 563 5683
| | - James P. McCord
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Durham, NC 27709
| | - Mark J. Strynar
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Durham, NC 27709
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - David N. Wiley
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, MA 02066
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882
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Robuck AR, Cantwell MG, McCord J, Addison LM, Pfohl M, Strynar MJ, McKinney R, Katz DR, Wiley DN, Lohmann R. Legacy and Novel Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Juvenile Seabirds from the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:12938-12948. [PMID: 32894676 PMCID: PMC7700771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic, globally distributed chemicals. Legacy PFAS, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), have been regularly detected in marine fauna but little is known about their current levels or the presence of novel PFAS in seabirds. We measured 36 emerging and legacy PFAS in livers from 31 juvenile seabirds from Massachusetts Bay, Narragansett Bay, and the Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE), United States. PFOS was the major legacy perfluoroalkyl acid present, making up 58% of concentrations observed across all habitats (range: 11-280 ng/g). Novel PFAS were confirmed in chicks hatched downstream of a fluoropolymer production site in the CFRE: a perfluorinated ether sulfonic acid (Nafion byproduct 2; range: 1-110 ng/g) and two perfluorinated ether carboxylic acids (PFO4DA and PFO5DoDA; PFO5DoDA range: 5-30 ng/g). PFOS was inversely associated with phospholipid content in livers from CFRE and Massachusetts Bay individuals, while δ 13C, an indicator of marine versus terrestrial foraging, was positively correlated with some long-chain PFAS in CFRE chick livers. There is also an indication that seabird phospholipid dynamics are negatively impacted by PFAS, which should be further explored given the importance of lipids for seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna R. Robuck
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - James McCord
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Durham, NC 27709
| | | | - Marisa Pfohl
- University of Rhode Island, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Mark J. Strynar
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Durham, NC 27709
| | - Richard McKinney
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - David R. Katz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - David N. Wiley
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, MA 02066 0
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan J, Kuhn A. Evaluation of the artificial sweetener sucralose as a sanitary wastewater tracer in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Mar Pollut Bull 2019; 146:711-717. [PMID: 31426213 PMCID: PMC6766748 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Narragansett Bay is an urban estuary that historically has been impacted by long-term discharge of sanitary wastewater (WW) effluents. High-density water sampling was conducted in Narragansett Bay, RI, USA, in an effort to understand the distribution and behavior of sucralose, an artificial sweetener that has shown utility as a sanitary wastewater tracer. Water samples were collected at sixty-seven sites and analyzed for sucralose, whose performance was compared to other tracers present in wastewater effluents. Concentrations of sucralose were much higher than the other tracers measured, carbamazepine and caffeine, ranging from 18 to 3180 ng/L and corresponded well with salinity (r2 = 0.88), demonstrating conservative behavior throughout the Bay. Mapped interpolation data using an empirical bayesian kriging model clearly show the spatial trends of WW and how estuarine processes influence dilution and dispersion throughout the Bay. These findings provide further evidence of the efficacy of sucralose as a wastewater tracer in large urban estuaries where continuous high-volume discharge of WW occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Atlantic Ecology Division (AED), 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Atlantic Ecology Division (AED), 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Julia Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Anne Kuhn
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), Atlantic Ecology Division (AED), 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Lyman M. Evaluation of wastewater tracers to predict pharmaceutical distributions and behavior in the Long Island Sound estuary. Chemosphere 2019; 220:629-636. [PMID: 30599320 PMCID: PMC8439013 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Urban estuaries receive large volumes of effluents from municipal wastewater treatment facilities containing numerous contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals residues. Water was sampled for 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals at 17 sites along the Long Island Sound (LIS) estuary located in the Northeastern U.S. Pharmaceutical concentrations were highest in western LIS, ranging from non-detect to 71 ng L-1 and declining steadily eastward, while river samples from four major tributaries ranged from non-detect to 83 ng L-1. Two tracers, sucralose and caffeine, accurately predicted pharmaceutical behavior in LIS while only sucralose was effective at the river sites. Sucralose also tracked well with the salinity gradient in LIS, exhibiting conservative behavior along the transect. Attenuation factors were determined for measurable pharmaceuticals and compared against sucralose to estimate the magnitude of decline in concentrations that may be attributable to in situ degradation and partitioning. The results demonstrate sucralose's effectiveness as a tracer of wastewater-borne contaminants under estuarine conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | | | - Matthew Lyman
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
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Khan B, Burgess RM, Fogg SA, Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Ho KT. Cellular responses to in vitro exposures to β-blocking pharmaceuticals in hard clams and Eastern oysters. Chemosphere 2018; 211:360-370. [PMID: 30077932 PMCID: PMC6158783 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.07.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Increased consumption and improper disposal of prescription medication, such as beta (β)-blockers, contribute to their introduction into waterways and may pose threats to non-target aquatic organisms. There has been rising concern about the impacts of these prescription drugs on coastal ecosystems, especially because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to eliminate them from the discharge. Few studies have characterized the sublethal effects of β-blocker exposures in marine invertebrates. The overall aim of our research is to identify cellular responses of two commercially important filter-feeding marine bivalves, hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) and Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), upon exposures to two β-blocker drugs, propranolol and metoprolol. In vitro exposures with bivalve digestive gland and gill tissues were conducted where tissues were separately exposed to each drug for 24 h. Tissue samples were analyzed for cellular damage (lysosomal membrane destabilization and lipid peroxidation), total antioxidant capacity, and glutathione-s-transferase activity. Elevated damage and changes in enzyme activities were noted in the exposed tissues at environmentally relevant concentrations. Differences in species and tissue sensitivities and responses to exposures were also observed. These studies enhance our understanding of the potential impacts of prescription medication on coastal organisms. Additionally, this work demonstrates that filter-feeders may serve as good model organisms to examine the effects of unintended environmental exposures to β-blockers. These studies are part of our ongoing work aimed at evaluation of sublethal biomarkers of pharmaceutical exposures and identification of key events that can contribute to the development of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bushra Khan
- National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, Narragansett, RI, USA.
| | - Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Sandra A Fogg
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities Student Services, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - David R Katz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Kay T Ho
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD-NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
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Parks AN, Cashman MA, Perron MM, Portis L, Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Ho KT, Burgess RM. Magnitude of acute toxicity of marine sediments amended with conventional copper and nanocopper. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018; 37:2677-2681. [PMID: 30024047 PMCID: PMC6192042 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that copper (Cu) is toxic to marine organisms. We measured and compared the acute toxicity of several forms of Cu (including nanoCu) amended into a marine sediment with mysids and amphipods. For all the forms of Cu tested, toxicity, measured as the median lethal concentration, ranged from 708 to > 2400 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for mysids and 258 to 1070 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for amphipods. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2677-2681. © 2018 SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Parks
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
| | - Michaela A Cashman
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Geosciences, Kingston, RI, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education c/o U.S. EPA, ORD/NRMRL/LMMD, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Monique M Perron
- U.S. EPA, OCSPP, Office of Pesticides Programs, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lisa Portis
- Lifespan Ambulatory Care Center, East Greenwich, RI, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Kay T Ho
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
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12
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Parks AN, Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Cashman MA, Luxton TP, Clar JG, Perron MM, Portis L, Ho KT, Burgess RM. Assessing the release of copper from nanocopper-treated and conventional copper-treated lumber into marine waters II: Forms and bioavailability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018; 37:1969-1979. [PMID: 29575127 PMCID: PMC6038930 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
One application of nanocopper is as a wood-preserving pesticide in pressure-treated lumber. Recent research has shown that pressure-treated lumber amended with micronized copper azole (MCA), which contains nanosized copper, releases copper under estuarine and marine conditions. The form of copper released (i.e., ionic, nanocopper [1-100 nm in size]) is not fully understood but will affect the bioavailability and toxicity of the metal. In the present study, multiple lines of evidence, including size fractionation, ion-selective electrode electrochemistry, comparative toxicity, and copper speciation were used to determine the form of copper released from lumber blocks and sawdust. The results of all lines of evidence supported the hypothesis that ionic copper was released from MCA lumber and sawdust, with little evidence that nanocopper was released. For example, copper concentrations in size fractionations of lumber block aqueous leachates including unfiltered, 0.1 μm, and 3 kDa were not significantly different, suggesting that the form of copper released was in the size range operationally defined as dissolved. These results correlated with the ion-selective electrode data which detects only ionic copper. In addition, comparative toxicity testing resulted in a narrow range of median lethal concentrations (221-257 μg/L) for MCA lumber blocks and CuSO4 . We conclude that ionic copper was released from the nanocopper pressure-treated lumber under estuarine and marine conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1969-1979. Published 2018 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Parks
- National Research Council c/o U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Michaela A Cashman
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Geosciences, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Todd P Luxton
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NRMRL, Land and Materials Management Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Justin G Clar
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education c/o U.S. EPA, ORD/NRMRL/LMMD, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Monique M Perron
- US EPA, OCSPP, Office of Pesticides Programs, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lisa Portis
- Lifespan Ambulatory Care Center, East Greenwich, RI USA
| | - Kay T Ho
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
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13
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Parks AN, Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Cashman MA, Luxton TP, Ho KT, Burgess RM. Assessing the release of copper from nanocopper-treated and conventional copper-treated lumber into marine waters I: Concentrations and rates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018; 37:1956-1968. [PMID: 29575152 PMCID: PMC6040830 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the release of metal engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) from consumer goods, including lumber treated with micronized copper. Micronized copper is a recent form of antifouling wood preservative containing nanosized copper particles for use in pressure-treated lumber. The present study investigated the concentrations released and the release rate of total copper over the course of 133 d under freshwater, estuarine, and marine salinity conditions (0, 1, 10, and 30‰) for several commercially available pressure-treated lumbers: micronized copper azole (MCA) at 0.96 and 2.4 kg/m3 , alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) at 0.30 and 9.6 kg/m3 , and chromated copper arsenate (CCA) at 40 kg/m3 . Lumber was tested as blocks and as sawdust. Overall, copper was released from all treated lumber samples. Under leaching conditions, total release ranged from 2 to 55% of the measured copper originally in the lumber, with release rate constants from the blocks of 0.03 to 2.71 (units per day). Generally, measured release and modeled equilibrium concentrations were significantly higher in the estuarine conditions compared with freshwater or marine salinities, whereas rate constants showed very limited differences between salinities. Furthermore, organic carbon was released during the leaching and demonstrated a significant relationship with released copper concentrations as a function of salinity. The results indicate that copper is released into estuarine/marine waters from multiple wood treatments including lumber amended with nanoparticle-sized copper. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1956-1968. Published 2018 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Parks
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Michaela A Cashman
- University of Rhode Island, Department of Geosciences, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Todd P Luxton
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NRMRL, Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division, Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kay T Ho
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- U.S. EPA, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
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14
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Markham E, Brault EK, Khairy M, Robuck AR, Goebel ME, Cantwell MG, Dickhut RM, Lohmann R. Time Trends of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Antarctic Biota. ACS Omega 2018; 3:6595-6604. [PMID: 30023953 PMCID: PMC6045470 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are "emerged" contaminants that were produced and used as flame retardants in numerous consumer and industrial applications for decades until banned. They remain ubiquitously present in the environment today. Here, a unique set of >200 biotic samples from the Antarctic was analyzed for PBDEs, including phytoplankton, krill, fish, and fur seal milk, spanning several sampling seasons over 14 years. PBDE-47 and -99 were the dominant congeners determined in all samples, constituting >60% of total PBDEs. A temporal trend was observed for ∑7PBDE concentrations in fur seal milk, where concentrations significantly increased (R2 = 0.57, p < 0.05) over time (2000-2014). Results for krill and phytoplankton also suggested increasing PBDE concentrations over time. Trends of PBDEs in fur seal milk of individual seals sampled 1 or more years apart showed no clear temporal trends. Overall, there was no indication of PBDEs decreasing in Antarctic biota yet, whereas numerous studies have reported decreasing trends in the northern hemisphere. Similar PBDE concentrations in perinatal versus nonperinatal milk implied the importance of local PBDE sources for bioaccumulation. These results indicate the need for continued assessment of contaminant trends, such as PBDEs, and their replacements, in Antarctica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Markham
- Graduate
School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, 215 South Ferry
Road, Narragansett, Rhode
Island 02882, United
States
| | - Emily K. Brault
- Virginia
Institute of Marine Science, 1208 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, United
States
| | - Mohammed Khairy
- Graduate
School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, 215 South Ferry
Road, Narragansett, Rhode
Island 02882, United
States
| | - Anna R. Robuck
- Graduate
School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, 215 South Ferry
Road, Narragansett, Rhode
Island 02882, United
States
| | - Michael E. Goebel
- Antarctic
Ecosystem Research Division, NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- Atlantic
Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, United States
| | - Rebecca M. Dickhut
- Virginia
Institute of Marine Science, 1208 Greate Road, Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, United
States
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- Graduate
School of Oceanography, University of Rhode
Island, 215 South Ferry
Road, Narragansett, Rhode
Island 02882, United
States
- E-mail: .
Phone: 401-874-6612. Fax: 401-874-6811
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15
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Shapley D, Lipscomb J, Epstein J, Juhl AR, Knudson C, O'Mullan GD. Spatial patterns of pharmaceuticals and wastewater tracers in the Hudson River Estuary. Water Res 2018; 137:335-343. [PMID: 29571111 PMCID: PMC6582947 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The widespread use of pharmaceuticals by human populations results in their sustained discharge to surface waters via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, 16 highly prescribed pharmaceuticals were quantified along a 250 km transect of the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor to describe their sources and spatial patterns. Sampling was conducted over two dry weather periods in May and July 2016, at 72 sites which included mid-channel and nearshore sites, as well as locations influenced by tributaries and WWTP outfalls. The detection frequency of the study pharmaceuticals was almost identical between the May and July sampling periods at 55% and 52%, respectively. Six pharmaceuticals were measurable at 92% or more of the sites during both sampling periods, illustrating their ubiquitous presence throughout the study area. Individual pharmaceutical concentrations were highly variable spatially, ranging from non-detect to 3810 ng/L during the study. Major factors controlling concentrations were proximity and magnitude of WWTP discharges, inputs from tributaries and tidal mixing. Two compounds, sucralose and caffeine, were evaluated as tracers to identify wastewater sources and assess pharmaceutical behavior. Sucralose was useful in identifying wastewater inputs to the river and concentrations showed excellent correlations with numerous pharmaceuticals in the study. Caffeine-sucralose ratios showed potential in identifying discharges of untreated wastewater occurring during a combined sewage overflow event. Many of the study pharmaceuticals were present throughout the Hudson River Estuary as a consequence of sustained wastewater discharge. Whereas some concentrations were above published effects levels, a more complete risk assessment is needed to understand the potential for ecological impacts due to pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River Estuary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | | | - Daniel Shapley
- Riverkeeper Inc., 20 Secor Road, Ossining, NY 10562, USA
| | - John Lipscomb
- Riverkeeper Inc., 20 Secor Road, Ossining, NY 10562, USA
| | | | - Andrew R Juhl
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Carol Knudson
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Gregory D O'Mullan
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA
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16
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Katz DR, Cantwell MG, Sullivan JC, Perron MM, Burgess RM, Ho KT. Particle-bound metal transport after removal of a small dam in the Pawtuxet River, Rhode Island, USA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017; 13:675-685. [PMID: 27567128 PMCID: PMC6088376 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Pawtuxet River in Rhode Island, USA, has a long history of industrial activity and pollutant discharges. Metal contamination of the river sediments is well documented and historically exceeded toxicity thresholds for a variety of organisms. The Pawtuxet River dam, a low-head dam at the mouth of the river, was removed in August 2011. The removal of the dam was part of an effort to restore the riverine ecosystem after centuries of anthropogenic impact. Sediment traps were deployed below the dam to assess changes in metal concentrations and fluxes (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from the river system into Pawtuxet Cove. Sediment traps were deployed for an average duration of 24 days each, and deployments continued for 15 months after the dam was removed. Metal concentrations in the trapped suspended particulate matter dropped after dam removal (e.g., 460 to 276 mg/kg for Zn) and remained below preremoval levels for most of the study. However, particle-bound metal fluxes increased immediately after dam removal (e.g., 1206 to 4248 g/day for Zn). Changes in flux rates during the study period indicated that river volumetric flow rates acted as the primary mechanism controlling the flux of metals into Pawtuxet Cove and ultimately upper Narragansett Bay. Even though suspended particulate matter metal concentrations initially dropped after removal of the dam, no discernable effect on the concentration or flux of the study metals exiting the river could be associated with removal of the Pawtuxet River dam. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:675-685. Published 2016. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Katz
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Monique M Perron
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, Washington, DC
| | - Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island
| | - Kay T Ho
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island
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17
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Ho K, Burgess RM. Temporal and spatial behavior of pharmaceuticals in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, United States. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:1846-1855. [PMID: 27943442 PMCID: PMC6089368 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The behavior and fate of pharmaceutical ingredients in coastal marine ecosystems are not well understood. To address this, the spatial and temporal distribution of 15 high-volume pharmaceuticals were measured over a 1-yr period in Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) to elucidate factors and processes regulating their concentration and distribution. Dissolved concentrations ranged from below detection to 313 ng/L, with 4 pharmaceuticals present at all sites and sampling periods. Eight pharmaceuticals were present in suspended particulate material, ranging in concentration from below detection to 44 ng/g. Partitioning coefficients were determined for some pharmaceuticals, with their range and variability remaining relatively constant throughout the study. Normalization to organic carbon content provided no benefit, indicating other factors played a greater role in regulating partitioning behavior. Within the upper bay, the continuous influx of wastewater treatment plant effluents resulted in sustained, elevated levels of pharmaceuticals. A pharmaceutical concentration gradient was apparent from this zone to the mouth of the bay. For most of the pharmaceuticals, there was a strong relationship with salinity, indicating conservative behavior within the estuary. Short flushing times in Narragansett Bay coupled with pharmaceuticals' presence overwhelmingly in the dissolved phase indicate that most pharmaceuticals will be diluted and transported out of the estuary, with only trace amounts of several compounds sequestered in sediments. The present study identifies factors controlling the temporal and spatial dynamics of dissolved and particulate pharmaceuticals; their partitioning behavior provides an increased understanding of their fate, including bioavailability in an urban estuary. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1846-1855. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G. Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA
- Address correspondence to:
| | - David R. Katz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA
| | - Julia C. Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA
| | - Kay Ho
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA
| | - Robert M. Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA
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18
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Hubeny JB, Kristiansen E, Danikas A, Zhu J, McCarthy FM, Cantwell MG, Warren B, Allen D. Multi-century record of anthropogenic impacts on an urbanized mesotidal estuary: Salem Sound, MA. Estuaries Coast 2017; 41:404-420. [PMID: 31595167 PMCID: PMC6781240 DOI: 10.1007/s12237-017-0298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Salem, MA, located north of Boston, has a rich, well-documented history dating back to settlement in 1626 CE, but the associated anthropogenic impacts on Salem Sound are poorly constrained. This project utilized dated sediment cores from the sound to assess the proxy record of anthropogenic alterations to the system and compared the proxy records to the known history. Proxies included bulk stable isotopes of organic matter, magnetic susceptibility, and trace metal concentrations. Our data reveal clear changes in organic matter composition and concentration associated with land use changes and twentieth century sewage disposal practices. Further, metals data correspond with local industrial activity, particularly the historic tanning industry in Peabody, MA. Although conservation practices of past decades have improved the state of Salem Sound, the stratigraphic record demonstrates that the environment is still affected by anthropogenic influences, and has not attained conditions consistent with pre-anthropogenic baseline. The approach and results of this study are applicable to coastal embayments that are being assessed for remediation, especially those with scant historic or monitoring data.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Bradford Hubeny
- Department of Geological Sciences, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970
| | - Ellen Kristiansen
- Department of Geological Sciences, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970
| | - Andrew Danikas
- Department of Geological Sciences, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970
| | - Jun Zhu
- Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, 320 4 St, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90013
| | | | - Mark G. Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Barbara Warren
- Salem Sound Coastwatch, 12 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970
| | - Douglas Allen
- Department of Geological Sciences, Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970
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19
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Ho K, Burgess RM, Cashman M. Selected pharmaceuticals entering an estuary: Concentrations, temporal trends, partitioning, and fluxes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016; 35:2665-2673. [PMID: 27062058 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In many coastal watersheds and ecosystems, rivers discharging to estuaries receive waters from domestic wastewater-treatment plants resulting in the release and distribution of pharmaceuticals to the marine environment. In the present study, 15 active pharmaceutical ingredients were measured regularly over 1 yr in the dissolved and particulate phases as they entered Narragansett Bay from the Pawtuxet River in Cranston (Rhode Island, USA). Of the active pharmaceutical ingredients measured, 14 were consistently present in the dissolved phase, with concentrations ranging from below detection to >310 ng/L, whereas 8 were present in the particulate phase (0.2-18 ng/g). Partition coefficients (Kd s and KOC s) were determined, and organic carbon normalization reduced variability associated with Kd s for the active pharmaceutical ingredients evaluated. Flux estimates based on river flow were calculated for both dissolved and particulate-phase active pharmaceutical ingredients, with particulate fluxes being low (1-12 g/yr) and dissolved fluxes of active pharmaceutical ingredients being 155 g/yr to 11 600 g/yr. Results indicate that the pharmaceuticals measured in the present study reside primarily in the dissolved phase and thus are likely bioavailable on entering the estuarine waters of Narragansett Bay. This long-term temporal study provides important information on seasonal and annual dynamics of pharmaceuticals in an urban estuarine watershed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2665-2673. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kay Ho
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Michaela Cashman
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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20
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Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Sullivan JC, Borci T, Chen RF. Caffeine in Boston Harbor past and present, assessing its utility as a tracer of wastewater contamination in an urban estuary. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 108:321-324. [PMID: 27085595 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sites throughout Boston Harbor were analyzed for caffeine to assess its utility as a tracer in identifying sources of sanitary wastewater. Caffeine ranged from 15ng/L in the outer harbor to a high of 185ng/L in the inner harbor. Inner harbor concentrations were a result of combined sewage overflow (CSO) events as well as illicit discharge of sanitary sewage into municipal storm drains. Comparing current results to data from 1998 to 1999 shows reductions in caffeine levels. Reductions are attributed to termination of effluent discharge to the harbor, declines in the number of CSOs and discharge volume along with efforts to eliminate illicit discharges. Spatial distributions of caffeine identified CSOs as major contemporary sources to the inner harbor. The findings further establish the utility of caffeine as a tracer for sanitary wastewater contamination in urban estuaries and demonstrate the efficacy of pollution reduction strategies undertaken in recent decades in Boston Harbor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Todd Borci
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, Boston, MA 02109, USA
| | - Robert F Chen
- University of Massachusetts, Boston School for the Environment, Boston, MA 02125, USA
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21
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Cantwell MG, Sullivan JC, Katz DR, Burgess RM, Bradford Hubeny J, King J. Source determination of benzotriazoles in sediment cores from two urban estuaries on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Mar Pollut Bull 2015; 101:208-218. [PMID: 26561444 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Benzotriazoles (BZTs) are used in a broad range of commercial and industrial products, particularly as metal corrosion inhibitors and as ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizer additives in plastics and polymers. In this study, dated sediment cores from two east coast estuaries were analyzed for commonly used BZTs. In Narragansett Bay, UV stabilizing BZTs (UV-BZTs) were present at high levels from 1961 on, reflecting their patent date, local production and long-term preservation in sediment. In Salem Sound, UV-BZTs were present at concentrations consistent with other coastal marine locations not influenced by BZT production. Anticorrosive BZTs (AC-BZTs) were found in both cores, with the highest levels reported to date present in Narragansett Bay, indicating sorption to, and preservation in, sediments. This study revealed that both classes of BZTs have remained structurally intact over time in coastal sediment cores, demonstrating their resistance to degradation and persistence in environmental compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
| | - Julia C Sullivan
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - David R Katz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Robert M Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - J Bradford Hubeny
- Salem State University, Department of Geological Sciences, Salem, MA 01970, USA
| | - John King
- University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
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22
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Burgess RM, Lohmann R, Schubauer-Berigan JP, Reitsma P, Perron MM, Lefkovitz L, Cantwell MG. Application of passive sampling for measuring dissolved concentrations of organic contaminants in the water column at three marine superfund sites. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015; 34:1720-33. [PMID: 26039657 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there is an effort under way to encourage remedial project managers at contaminated sites to use passive sampling to collect freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree ) of hydrophobic organic contaminants to improve site assessments. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of passive sampling for measuring water column Cfree for several hydrophobic organic contaminants at 3 US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites. Sites investigated included New Bedford Harbor (New Bedford, MA, USA), Palos Verdes Shelf (Los Angeles, CA, USA), and Naval Station Newport (Newport, RI, USA); and the passive samplers evaluated were polyethylene, polydimethylsiloxane-coated solid-phase microextraction fibers, semipermeable membrane devices, and polyoxymethylene. In general, the different passive samplers demonstrated good agreement, with Cfree values varying by a factor of 2 to 3. Further, at New Bedford Harbor, where conventional water sample concentrations were also measured (i.e., grab samples), passive sampler-based Cfree values agreed within a factor of 2. These findings suggest that all of the samplers were experiencing and measuring similar Cfree during their respective deployments. Also, at New Bedford Harbor, a strong log-linear, correlative, and predictive relationship was found between polyethylene passive sampler accumulation and lipid-normalized blue mussel bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (r(2) = 0.92, p < 0.05). The present study demonstrates the utility of passive sampling for generating scientifically accurate water column Cfree values, which is critical for making informed environmental management decisions at contaminated sediment sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development/National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Rainer Lohmann
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Joseph P Schubauer-Berigan
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development/National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Pamela Reitsma
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
- Narragansett Bay Commission, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Monique M Perron
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention/Office of Pesticide Programs, Washington DC, USA
| | - Lisa Lefkovitz
- Battelle, Duxbury Operations, Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development/National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
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23
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Cantwell MG, Fernandez LA. Evaluating cost when selecting performance reference compounds for the environmental deployment of polyethylene passive samplers. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2015; 11:256-265. [PMID: 25234621 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A challenge in environmental passive sampling is determining when equilibrium is achieved between the sampler, target contaminants, and environmental phases. A common approach is the use of performance reference compounds (PRCs) to estimate target contaminant sampling rates and indicate degree of sampler equilibrium. One logistical issue associated with using PRCs is their sometimes exorbitant cost. To address PRC expense, this investigation 1) compared the performance of inexpensive PRCs (deuterated PAHs) and expensive PRCs ((13) C-labeled PCBs) to estimate dissolved PCB concentrations in freshwater and marine deployments, and 2) evaluated the use of smaller quantities of PRC relative to regular amounts used for estimating dissolved PAH and PCB concentrations. Saltwater and freshwater site average differences between total dissolved PCB concentrations calculated using the 2 classes of PRCs was 34 pg/L (20%) and 340 pg/L (51%), respectively, and in some deployments, statistical differences in PCB concentrations generated by the 2 types of PRCs were detected. However, no statistical differences were detected between total dissolved PAH and PCB for the 3 quantities of PRCs. In both investigations, individual dissolved PCB congeners and PAH compounds demonstrated comparable behavior as those expressed as total PCB or PAH dissolved concentrations. This research provides evidence that in some applications passive sampling using inexpensive and smaller quantities of PRCs can yield cost savings of approximately 75%. This approach appears most promising in the marine water column and when focusing on dissolved concentrations of low and medium molecular weight congeners or total PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, Office of Pesticides Programs, Washington, DC
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24
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Wang H, Ho KT, Scheckel KG, Wu F, Cantwell MG, Katz DR, Horowitz DB, Boothman WS, Burgess RM. Toxicity, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation of silver nanoparticles in marine organisms. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:13711-13717. [PMID: 25369427 DOI: 10.1021/es502976y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation of citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated silver nanoparticles (NPs) (AgNP-citrate and AgNP-PVP) in marine organisms via marine sediment exposure was investigated. Results from 7-d sediment toxicity tests indicate that AgNP-citrate and AgNP-PVP did not exhibit toxicity to the amphipod (Ampelisca abdita) and mysid (Americamysis bahia) at ≤75 mg/kg dry wt. A 28-d bioaccumulation study showed that Ag was significantly accumulated in the marine polychaete Nereis virens (N. virens) in the AgNP-citrate, AgNP-PVP and a conventional salt (AgNO3) treatments. Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) results showed the distribution of Ag species in marine sediments amended with AgNP-citrate, AgNP-PVP, and AgNO3 was AgCl (50–65%) > Ag2S (32–42%) > Ag metal (Ag0) (3–11%). In N virens, AgCl (25–59%) and Ag2S (10–31%) generally decreased and, Ag metal (32–44%) increased, relative to the sediments. The patterns of speciation in the worm were different depending upon the coating of the AgNP and both types of AgNPs were different than the AgNO3 salt. These results show that the AgNP surface capping agents influenced Ag uptake, biotransformation, and/or excretion. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the bioaccumulation and speciation of AgNPs in a marine organism (N. virens).
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhua Wang
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NHEERL/Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, United States
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25
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Cantwell MG, Perron MM, Sullivan JC, Katz DR, Burgess RM, King J. Assessing organic contaminant fluxes from contaminated sediments following dam removal in an urbanized river. Environ Monit Assess 2014; 186:4841-4855. [PMID: 24729181 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-3742-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In this study, methods and approaches were developed and tested to assess changes in contaminant fluxes resulting from dam removal in a riverine system. Sediment traps and passive samplers were deployed to measure particulate and dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the water column prior to and following removal of a small, low-head dam in the Pawtuxet River, an urbanized river located in Cranston, RI, USA. During the study, concentrations of particulate and dissolved PAHs ranged from 21.5 to 103 μg/g and from 68 to 164 ng/L, respectively. Overall, temporal trends of PAHs showed no increases in either dissolved or particulate phases following removal of the dam. Dissolved concentrations of PCBs were very low, remaining below 1.72 ng/L at all sites. Particulate PCB concentrations across sites and time showed slightly greater variability, ranging from 80 to 469 ng/g, but with no indication that dam removal influenced any increases. Particulate PAHs and PCBs were sampled continuously at the site located below the dam and did not show sustained increases in concentration resulting from dam removal. The employment of passive sampling technology and sediment traps was highly effective in monitoring the concentrations and flux of contaminants moving through the river system. Variations in river flow had no effect on the concentration of contaminants in the dissolved or particulate phases, but did influence the flux rate of contaminants exiting the river. Overall, dam removal did not cause measurable sediment disturbance or increase the concentration or fluxes of dissolved or particulate PAHs and PCBs. This is due in large part to low volumes of impounded sediment residing above the dam and highly armored sediments in the river channel, which limited erosion. Results from this study will be used to improve methods and approaches that assess the short- and long-term impacts ecological restoration activities such as dam removal have on the release and transport of sediment-bound contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA,
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26
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Wang H, Burgess RM, Cantwell MG, Portis LM, Perron MM, Wu F, Ho KT. Stability and aggregation of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles in seawater: role of salinity and dissolved organic carbon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014; 33:1023-1029. [PMID: 24464618 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The behavior and fate of nanoparticles (NPs) in the marine environment are largely unknown and potentially have important environmental and human health implications. The aggregation and fate of NPs in the marine environment are greatly influenced by their interactions with seawater and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In the present study, the stability and aggregation of 30-nm-diameter silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) capped with citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP; AgNP-citrate and AgNP-PVP) and 21-nm-diameter titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) NPs as affected by seawater salinity and DOC were investigated by measuring hydrodynamic diameters and zeta potentials. The added DOC (in humic acid form) stabilized the 3 types of NPs when the seawater salinities were ≤5 parts per thousand (ppt), but the stabilizing effect of DOC was reduced by a higher salinity (e.g., 30 ppt). In addition, AgNP-PVP was more stable than AgNP-citrate in seawater, indicating that surface capping agents and stabilization mechanisms govern the stability and aggregation of NPs. Statistical analysis showed that salinity is the most dominant influence on the stability and aggregation of AgNPs and TiO(2) NPs, followed by DOC. These findings expand our knowledge on the behavior of AgNPs and TiO2 NPs in seawater and indicate that the fate of these NPs will be primarily to aggregate in the water column, precipitate, and accumulate in sediments following release into the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhua Wang
- National Research Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, Rhode Island; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Chariton AA, Ho KT, Proestou D, Bik H, Simpson SL, Portis LM, Cantwell MG, Baguley JG, Burgess RM, Pelletier MM, Perron M, Gunsch C, Matthews RA. A molecular-based approach for examining responses of eukaryotes in microcosms to contaminant-spiked estuarine sediments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014; 33:359-369. [PMID: 24399368 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Ecotoxicological information for most contaminants is limited to a small number of taxa, and these are generally restricted to comparatively hardy organisms that are readily extractable from test media and easily identifiable. Advances in DNA sequencing can now provide a comprehensive view of benthic invertebrate diversity. The authors applied 454 pyrosequencing to examine the responses of benthic communities in microcosms exposed to sediments with elevated concentrations of triclosan, the endpoint being eukaryl communities that have successfully vertically migrated through the manipulated sediments. The biological communities associated with the 3 treatments (control triclosan, low triclosan [14 mg/kg], and high triclosan [180 mg/kg]) clustered into 3 groups: control/low (n = 6 controls and 4 low), moderate (n = 2 low), and high (n = 5 high). One sample was discarded as an outlier. The most pronounced change as a response to triclosan was the loss of number of metazoan operational taxonomic units (OTUs), indicative of the control/low and moderate groups, with this being most evident in the range of taxa associated with the classes Chromadorea and Bivalvia and the phylum Kinorhyncha. The authors also describe a range of other taxa that aided discrimination between the groups; compare findings with traditionally obtained meio- and macrofaunal communities obtained from the same experiment; and illustrate some of the advantages and limitations associated with both the molecular and traditional approaches. The described approach illustrates the capacity for amplicon sequencing to provide ecologically relevant information that can be used to strengthen an understanding of how sedimentary communities respond to a range of environmental stressors.
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28
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Parks AN, Chandler GT, Portis LM, Sullivan JC, Perron MM, Cantwell MG, Burgess RM, Ho KT, Ferguson PL. Effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes on the bioavailability of PCBs in field-contaminated sediments. Nanotoxicology 2013; 8 Suppl 1:111-7. [DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2013.858794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Parks
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
| | - G. Thomas Chandler
- Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA,
| | - Lisa M. Portis
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory – Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA,
| | - Julia C. Sullivan
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory – Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA,
| | - Monique M. Perron
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticides Program – Health Effects Division, Arlington, VA, USA,
| | - Mark G. Cantwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory – Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA,
| | - Robert M. Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory – Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA,
| | - Kay T. Ho
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory – Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI, USA,
| | - P. Lee Ferguson
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA, and
- Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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29
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Suuberg EM, Cantwell MG, Pennell KG. Performance of passive samplers for monitoring estuarine water column concentrations: 1. Contaminants of concern. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013; 32:2182-9. [PMID: 23832638 PMCID: PMC3979968 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/02/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Contaminants enter marine and estuarine environments and pose a risk to human and ecological health. Recently, passive sampling devices have been utilized to estimate dissolved concentrations of contaminants of concern (COCs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In the present study, the performance of 3 common passive samplers was evaluated for sampling PAHs and PCBs at several stations in the temperate estuary Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. Sampler polymers included polyethylene (PE), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers, and polyoxymethylene (POM). Dissolved concentrations of each contaminant were calculated using measured sampler concentrations adjusted for equilibrium conditions with performance reference compounds (PRCs) and chemical-specific partition coefficients derived in the laboratory. Despite differences in PE and POM sampler concentrations, calculated total dissolved concentrations ranged from 14 ng/L to 93 ng/L and from 13 pg/L to 465 pg/L for PAHs and PCBs, respectively. Dissolved concentrations of PAHs were approximately 3 times greater based on POM compared to PE, while dissolved concentrations of PCBs based on PE were approximately 3 times greater than those based on POM. Concentrations in SPME were not reported due to the lack of detectable chemical in the amount of PDMS polymer deployed. Continued research is needed to improve and support PE and POM use for the routine monitoring of COCs. For example, a better understanding of the use of PRCs with POM is critically needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- National Research Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NHEERL, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Suuberg EM, Cantwell MG, Pennell KG. Performance of passive samplers for monitoring estuarine water column concentrations: 2. Emerging contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013; 32:2190-6. [PMID: 23595851 PMCID: PMC4006789 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Measuring dissolved concentrations of emerging contaminants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and triclosan, can be challenging due to their physicochemical properties resulting in low aqueous solubilities and association with particles. Passive sampling methods have been applied to assess dissolved concentrations in water and sediments primarily for legacy contaminants. Although the technology is applicable to some emerging contaminants, the use of passive samplers with emerging contaminants is limited. In the present study, the performance of 3 common passive samplers was evaluated for sampling PBDEs and triclosan. Passive sampling polymers included low-density polyethylene (PE) and polyoxymethylene (POM) sheets, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-coated solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers. Dissolved concentrations were calculated using measured sampler concentrations and laboratory-derived partition coefficients. Dissolved tri-, tetra-, and pentabrominated PBDE congeners were detected at several of the study sites at very low pg/L concentrations using PE and POM. Calculated dissolved water concentrations of triclosan ranged from 1.7 ng/L to 18 ng/L for POM and 8.8 ng/L to 13 ng/L for PE using performance reference compound equilibrium adjustments. Concentrations in SPME were not reported due to lack of detectable chemical in the PDMS polymer deployed. Although both PE and POM were found to effectively accumulate emerging contaminants from the water column, further research is needed to determine their utility as passive sampling devices for emerging contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- National Research Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NHEERL, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
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31
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Ho KT, Chariton AA, Portis LM, Proestou D, Cantwell MG, Baguley JG, Burgess RM, Simpson S, Pelletier MC, Perron MM, Gunsch CK, Bik HM, Katz D, Kamikawa A. Use of a novel sediment exposure to determine the effects of triclosan on estuarine benthic communities. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013; 32:384-392. [PMID: 23161706 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Revised: 07/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan (5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]phenol) is a relatively new, commonly used antimicrobial compound found in many personal care products. Triclosan is toxic to marine organisms at the micrograms per liter level, can photodegrade to a dioxin, can accumulate in humans, and has been found to be stable in marine sediments for over 30 years. To determine the effects of triclosan on marine benthic communities, intact sediment cores were brought into the laboratory and held under flowing seawater conditions. A 2-cm layer of triclosan-spiked sediment was applied to the surface, and after a two-week exposure the meio- and macrofaunal communities were assessed for differences in composition relative to nonspiked cores. A high triclosan treatment (180 mg/kg dry wt) affected both the meio- and the macrobenthic communities. There were no discernible differences with a low-triclosan treatment (14 mg/kg dry wt). This exposure method is effective for testing the benthic community response to sediment contaminants, but improvements should be made with regard to the amount and method of applying the overlying sediment to prevent smothering of fragile benthic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay T Ho
- Atlantic Ecology Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA.
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Perron MM, Ho KT, Cantwell MG, Burgess RM, Pelletier MC. Effects of triclosan on marine benthic and epibenthic organisms. Environ Toxicol Chem 2012; 31:1861-6. [PMID: 22605471 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Revised: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan is an antimicrobial compound that has been widely used in consumer products such as toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo. Because of its widespread use, triclosan has been detected in various environmental media, including wastewater, sewage sludge, surface waters, and sediments. Triclosan is acutely toxic to numerous aquatic organisms, but very few studies have been performed on estuarine and marine benthic organisms. For whole sediment toxicity tests, the sediment-dwelling estuarine amphipod, Ampelisca abdita, and the epibenthic mysid shrimp, Americamysis bahia, are commonly used organisms. In the present study, median lethal concentration values (LC50) were obtained for both of these organisms using water-only and whole sediment exposures. Acute 96-h water-only toxicity tests resulted in LC50 values of 73.4 and 74.3 µg/L for the amphipod and mysid, respectively. For the 7-d whole sediment toxicity test, LC50 values were 303 and 257 mg/kg (dry wt) for the amphipod and mysid, respectively. Using equilibrium partitioning theory, these whole sediment values are equivalent to interstitial water LC50 values of 230 and 190 µg/L for the amphipod and mysid, respectively, which are within a threefold difference of the observed 96-h LC50 water-only values. Triclosan was found to accumulate in polychaete tissue in a 28-d bioaccumulation study with a biota-sediment accumulation factor of 0.23 kg organic carbon/kg lipid. These data provide some of the first toxicity data for triclosan with marine benthic and epibenthic species while also indicating a need to better understand the effects of other forms of sediment carbon, triclosan ionization, and organism metabolism of triclosan on the chemical's behavior and toxicity in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- Brown University, School of Engineering, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
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Friedman CL, Cantwell MG, Lohmann R. Passive sampling provides evidence for Newark Bay as a source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans to the New York/New Jersey, USA, atmosphere. Environ Toxicol Chem 2012; 31:253-261. [PMID: 22095897 DOI: 10.1002/etc.742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2011] [Revised: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Freely dissolved and gas phase polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in the water column and atmosphere at five locations within Newark Bay (New Jersey, USA) from May 2008 to August 2009 with polyethylene (PE) passive samplers. Mono- to octa-CDDs and mono- to hepta-CDFs were detected in bottom and surface waters at ≤ 20 pg/L with no clear gradient between sampling locations, suggesting freely dissolved PCDD/Fs are well mixed in Newark Bay. The most concentrated, freely dissolved gas phase congener was 2,7/2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,7/2,8-DiCDD), likely originating from photochemical conversion of triclosan in Newark Bay. Air-surface water gradients strongly favored net volatilization of PCDD/PCDFs from Newark Bay. Water-to-air fluxes of 2,7/2,8-DiCDD and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), the most concentrated and the most toxic PCDD/PCDFs, respectively, were approximately 60 ng/m(2) per month and 14 to 51 pg/m(2) per month. Significant decreases in freely dissolved 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations with increasing freshwater near the Passaic River and conservative behavior during the summer of 2009 suggested Passaic sediments as a likely source of 2,3,7,8-TCDD to Newark Bay. Mass balance calculations implied that almost 50% of freely dissolved 2,3,7,8-TCDD delivered to Newark Bay from the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers was lost to volatilization in the summer of 2009.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carey L Friedman
- University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA
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Burgess RM, Hawthorne SB, Perron MM, Cantwell MG, Grabanski CB, Miller DJ, Ho KT, Pelletier MA. Assessment of supercritical fluid extraction use in whole sediment toxicity identification evaluations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2011; 30:819-827. [PMID: 21194177 DOI: 10.1002/etc.457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Revised: 09/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/08/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with pure CO(2) was assessed as a confirmatory tool in phase III of whole sediment toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs). The SFE procedure was assessed on two reference sediments and three contaminated sediments by using a combination of toxicological and chemical measurements to quantify effectiveness. Sediment toxicity pre- and post-SFE treatment was quantified with a marine amphipod (Ampelisca abdita) and mysid (Americamysis bahia), and nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in sediments, overlying waters, and interstitial waters. In general, use of SFE with the reference sediments was successful, with survival averaging 91% in post-SFE treatments. Substantial toxicity reductions and contaminant removal from sediments and water samples generated from extracted sediments of up to 99% in two of the contaminated sediments demonstrated SFE effectiveness. Furthermore, toxicological responses for these SFE-treated sediments showed comparable results to those from the same sediments treated with the powdered coconut charcoal addition manipulation. These data demonstrated the utility of SFE in phase III of a whole sediment TIE. Conversely, in one of the contaminated sediments, the SFE treatments had no effect on sediment toxicity, whereas sediment concentrations of PCBs and PAHs were reduced. We propose that, for some sediments, the SFE treatment may result in the release of otherwise nonbioavailable cationic metals that subsequently cause toxicity to test organisms. Overall, SFE treatment was found to be effective for reducing the toxicity and concentrations of NOCs in some contaminated sediments. However, these studies suggest that SFE treatment may enhance toxicity with some sediments, indicating that care must be taken when applying SFE and interpreting the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, Rhode Island.
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Ho KT, Pelletier MC, Friedman CL, Cantwell MG, Shine JP. Limitations of reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) for evaluating toxicity of field contaminated sediments. Chemosphere 2011; 83:247-254. [PMID: 21239040 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.12.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2010] [Revised: 12/20/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Passive samplers are used to measure dissolved nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) in environmental media. More recently, reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) have been used with spiked sediments to recreate interstitial water exposure concentrations and observed toxicity. In the present study, RePES were used with field contaminated sediments. The RePES was not capable of recreating the pattern of toxicity with the amphipod and mysid observed with intact field sediments. Decreased survival in the RePES exposures as compared to the whole sediment exposures was most likely caused by an overexposure to NOCs due to a lack of surrogate black carbon in the RePES system. As an alternative, aqueous phase studies were performed in which polyethylene was allowed to equilibrate with slurries of intact sediments for 3 weeks. Three weeks was found to be an insufficient amount of time for the polyethylene to equilibrate with the sediment. An additional study demonstrated 3 months was sufficient for lower contaminant concentrations, but might not be an adequate amount of time for more highly contaminated sediments. The aqueous phase transfer approach may be useful if equilibration is sufficiently long, although this length of time may be impractical for use in certain applications, such as toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 677 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Friedman CL, Lohmann R, Burgess RM, Perron MM, Cantwell MG. Resuspension of polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated field sediment: release to the water column and determination of site-specific K DOC. Environ Toxicol Chem 2011; 30:377-384. [PMID: 21082715 DOI: 10.1002/etc.408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Sediments from the New Bedford Harbor (NBH) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Superfund site (Massachusetts, USA), contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were resuspended under different water column redox conditions: untreated, oxidative, and reductive. The partitioning of PCBs to the overlying water column was measured with polyethylene samplers and compared to partitioning without resuspension. Greater concentrations of total aqueous (freely dissolved + dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-associated) PCBs were found in all resuspended treatments for PCBs with mid-range K(OW)s, but no difference was observed in total aqueous concentrations among different redox conditions. The magnitude of increased concentrations depended on resuspension time and congener K(OW), but ranged from approximately one to eight times those found without resuspension. In a parallel study, DOC was flocculated and removed from smaller-scale NBH sediment resuspensions. In situ K(DOC)s were determined and used to calculate freely dissolved and DOC-associated fractions of the increase in total aqueous PCB concentrations due to resuspension. The importance of DOC-associated PCBs increased with increasing K(OW). In situ K(DOC)s were approximately one to two orders of magnitude greater than those calculated with a commonly used linear free energy relationship (LFER). The present study demonstrates that resuspension of contaminated sediments releases PCBs to the water column, of which a significant fraction are DOC-associated (e.g., 28, 65, and 90% for PCBs 28, 66, and 110, respectively). Results also imply that site-specific PCB K(DOC)s are superior to those calculated with generic LFERs.
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Ho KT, Pelletier MC, Cantwell MG, Shine JP. Bioavailability assessment of a contaminated field sediment from Patrick Bayou, Texas, USA: toxicity identification evaluation and equilibrium partitioning. Environ Toxicol Chem 2010; 29:742-750. [PMID: 20821502 DOI: 10.1002/etc.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Contaminated sediments are commonly found in urbanized harbors. At sufficiently high contaminant levels, sediments can cause toxicity to aquatic organisms and impair benthic communities. As a result, remediation is necessary and diagnosing the cause of sediment toxicity becomes imperative. In the present study, six sediments from a highly industrialized area in Patrick Bayou (TX, USA) were subjected to initial toxicity testing with the mysid, Americamysis bahia, and the amphipod, Ampelisca abdita. All sediments were toxic to the amphipods, while sites PB4A, PB6A, and PB9 were the only sites toxic to mysids. Due to its toxicity to both test organisms, site PB6A was chosen for a marine whole sediment phase I toxicity identification evaluation (TIE). Results of the TIE found toxicity to amphipods was primarily due to nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs), rather than cationic metals or ammonia. Causes of mysid toxicity in the TIE were less clear. An assessment of metal bioavailability using equilibrium partitioning (EqP) approaches supported the results of the TIE that cationic metals were not responsible for observed toxicity in PB6A for either organism. Toxic units (TU) calculated on measured concentrations of NOCs in the sediment yielded a total TU of 1.25, indicating these contaminants are contributing to the observed sediment toxicity. Using a combination of these TIE and EqP assessment tools, this investigation was capable of identifying NOCs as the likely class of contaminants causing acute toxicity to amphipods exposed to Patrick Bayou sediment. The cause of mysid toxicity was not definitively determined, but unmeasured NOCs are suspected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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Cantwell MG, Wilson BA, Zhu J, Wallace GT, King JW, Olsen CR, Burgess RM, Smith JP. Temporal trends of triclosan contamination in dated sediment cores from four urbanized estuaries: evidence of preservation and accumulation. Chemosphere 2010; 78:347-352. [PMID: 20006371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2009] [Revised: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent added to a wide array of consumer goods and personal care products. Through its use, it is introduced into municipal sewer systems where it is only partially removed during wastewater treatment. In this study, triclosan was measured in dated sediment cores from four urbanized estuaries in order to reconstruct temporal and spatial trends of accumulation. Measurable concentrations of triclosan first appeared in each of the sediment cores near 1964, which corresponds with the US patent issuance date of triclosan. The presence of triclosan at each of the study sites at or near the patent date indicates that long-term preservation is occurring in estuarine sediments. Temporal trends of triclosan at each location are unique, reflecting between site variability. Concentrations at one site climbed to as high as 400ngg(-1), due in part, to local commercial production of triclosan. At two locations, levels of triclosan rise towards the surface of each core, suggesting increasing usage in recent years. One location adjacent to a major combined sewer overflow had high sediment concentrations of triclosan, confirming their potential as a source of triclosan to estuaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health Effects Environmental Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States.
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Friedman CL, Burgess RM, Perron MM, Cantwell MG, Ho KT, Lohmann R. Comparing polychaete and polyethylene uptake to assess sediment resuspension effects on PCB bioavailability. Environ Sci Technol 2009; 43:2865-2870. [PMID: 19475963 DOI: 10.1021/es803695n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene sampler uptake was compared to polychaete uptake to assess bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from resuspended sediments. New Bedford Harbor (MA, U.S.) sediment contaminated with PCBs, was resuspended under four different water column oxidation conditions: resuspension alone, resuspension under aeration, resuspension under helium, and no resuspension (control). Residuals were tested for differences in PCB availability to the marine polychaete Nereis virens and to polyethylene (PE) passive samplers. Few significant differences between the four resuspension treatments were observed: under aeration, three of 23 PCBs analyzed showed significant increases in polychaete accumulation, while resuspension alone showed increased concentrations in PE samplers for nine of 23 PCBs. Otherwise, no differences were observed and overall we concluded that resuspension had no effect on residual PCB availability. The relationship between disequilibrium-corrected PE and lipid-normalized polychaete PCB concentrations was nearly 1:1 with a strong linear correlation (r2 = 0.877), demonstrating PCBs are taken up similarly into PE and lipid. On average, PE samplers suggested dissolved PCB concentrations 3.6 times greater than those calculated with lipid-water partitioning, though on a congener-specific basis this was only observed for lower chlorinated PCBs; for higher chlorinated PCBs, PE-water partitioning suggested lower dissolved concentrations than those based on lipid. Organic carbon (OC)-water and OC and black carbon combined (OC+BC)-water partitioning suggested average dissolved concentrations 29 and 10 times greater, respectively, than those estimated with lipid-water partitioning. This demonstrates that PE-measured porewater concentrations can provide a more reliable estimate of bioavailability than sediment geochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carey L Friedman
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NHEERL, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA.
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Perron MM, Burgess RM, Ho KT, Pelletier MC, Friedman CL, Cantwell MG, Shine JP. Development and evaluation of reverse polyethylene samplers for marine phase II whole-sediment toxicity identification evaluations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2009; 28:749-758. [PMID: 19006439 DOI: 10.1897/08-229.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2008] [Accepted: 10/27/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Marine and estuarine sediments accumulate contaminants and act as a sink for a wide range of toxic chemicals. As a result, the sediments themselves can become a source of contamination. At sufficient levels, contaminated sediments can cause benthic impairments and toxicity to marine organisms. Among the wide range of contaminants, nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) are a primary cause of toxicity in marine sediments. Toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs) are used to characterize and identify chemicals causing toxicity in effluents, interstitial waters, and whole sediments using whole-organism endpoints. Phase I whole-sediment TIE methods for NOCs exist, but the development of phase II TIE methods for NOCs is a current research challenge. In the present study, the use of reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) for phase II methods is examined. Various RePES designs were evaluated in an experimental design study with NOC chemical solutions. Based on equilibration time and proximity of measured NOC water concentrations in the reconstituted system to theoretical concentrations, a nontriolein design with loading of chemical solutions on the inside of the polyethylene tubing was chosen as most effective. A partitioning study demonstrated NOCs partitioned between the RePES and water as well as between the water and air, as expected using this nontriolein RePES design. Finally, a sediment toxicity study comparing the nontriolein RePES to contaminant-spiked sediments was conducted. The nontriolein RePES design was capable of successfully recreating the toxicity and water concentrations observed with the intact sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique M Perron
- Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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Burgess RM, Perron MM, Friedman CL, Suuberg EM, Pennell KG, Cantwell MG, Pelletier MC, Ho KT, Serbst JR, Ryba SA. Evaluation of the effects of coal fly ash amendments on the toxicity of a contaminated marine sediment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2009; 28:26-35. [PMID: 18717615 PMCID: PMC3640504 DOI: 10.1897/08-050.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2008] [Accepted: 07/08/2008] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Approaches for cleaning up contaminated sediments range from dredging to in situ treatment. In this study, we discuss the effects of amending reference and contaminated sediments with coal fly ash to reduce the bioavailability and toxicity of a field sediment contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Six fly ashes and a coconut charcoal were evaluated in 7-d whole sediment toxicity tests with a marine amphipod (Ampelisca abdita) and mysid (Americamysis bahia). Fly ashes with high carbon content and the coconut charcoal showed proficiency at reducing toxicity. Some of the fly ashes demonstrated toxicity in the reference treatments. It is suspected that some of this toxicity is related to the presence of ammonia associated with fly ashes as a result of postoxidation treatment to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Relatively simple methods exist to remove ammonia from fly ash before use, and fly ashes with low ammonia content are available. Fly ashes were also shown to effectively reduce overlying water concentrations of several PAHs. No evidence was seen of the release of the metals cadmium, copper, nickel, or lead from the fly ashes. A preliminary 28-d polychaete bioaccumulation study with one of the high-carbon fly ashes and a reference sediment was also performed. Although preliminary, no evidence was seen of adverse effects to worm growth or lipid content or of accumulation of PAHs or mercury from exposure to the fly ash. These data show fly ashes with high carbon content could represent viable remedial materials for reducing the bioavailability of organic contaminants in sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA.
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Cantwell MG, Burgess RM, King JW. Resuspension of contaminated field and formulated reference sediments Part I: Evaluation of metal release under controlled laboratory conditions. Chemosphere 2008; 73:1824-1831. [PMID: 18805563 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2008] [Revised: 08/07/2008] [Accepted: 08/07/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic systems where metal contaminated sediments are present, the potential exists for metals to be released to the water column when sediment resuspension occurs. The release and partitioning behavior of sediment-bound heavy metals is not well understood during resuspension events. In this study, the release of Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn from sediments during resuspension was evaluated using reference sediments with known physical and chemical properties. Sediment treatments with varying quantities of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), total organic carbon (TOC), and different grain size distributions were resuspended under controlled conditions to evaluate their respective effects on dissolved metal concentrations. AVS had the greatest effect on limiting release of dissolved metals, followed by grain size and TOC. Predictions of dissolved concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn were developed based on the formulated sediment Sigma(metal)/AVS ratios with Sigma(metal) being the total sediment metal concentration. Predicted values were compared to measured dissolved metal concentrations in contaminated field sediments resuspended under identical operating conditions. Metal concentrations released from the field sediments were low overall, in most cases lower than predicted values, reflecting the importance of other binding phases. Overall, results indicate that for sulfidic sediments, low levels of the study metals are released to the dissolved phase during short-term resuspension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- Atlantic Ecology Division, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health Effects Environmental Research Laboratory, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
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Cantwell MG, King JW, Burgess RM, Appleby PG. Reconstruction of contaminant trends in a salt wedge estuary with sediment cores dated using a multiple proxy approach. Mar Environ Res 2007; 64:225-46. [PMID: 17328947 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2007.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2006] [Revised: 01/10/2007] [Accepted: 01/13/2007] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Taunton River is a partially mixed tidal estuary in southeastern Massachusetts (USA) which has received significant contaminant inputs, yet little information exists on the history of discharge and the subsequent fate of these contaminants. Three sediment cores taken along a transect were analyzed, reconstructing the spatial and temporal trends of pollution in the estuary. A combination of radiometric dating, contaminant markers, and storm layers from major hurricanes were used to establish age models and sedimentation rates. Age estimates obtained from the different dating methods compared well, establishing an accurate history of contaminant release to the estuary. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were present in one core at depths corresponding to the early 1860s, earlier than previously established dates of introduction. Temporal and spatial trends of Cr, Cu, Hg and Pb indicated multiple sources of varying input to the river. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were present in each of the cores from the 1930s onward, with elevated levels still present in surficial sediments at several sites. A unique organic compound, Topanol, which was produced locally was used as a tracer to track contaminant transport in the river. Tracer data indicates that contaminants are still being transported and deposited to surficial sediments at high concentrations well after their discharge. This reconstruction demonstrates the utility of using multiple dating proxies where often the sole use of radiometric dating techniques is not an option and provides insights into the fate of contaminants discharged decades ago but continue to represent environmental risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health Effects Environmental Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
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Burgess RM, Perron MM, Cantwell MG, Ho KT, Pelletier MC, Serbst JR, Ryba SA. Marine sediment toxicity identification evaluation methods for the anionic metals arsenic and chromium. Environ Toxicol Chem 2007; 26:61-7. [PMID: 17269460 DOI: 10.1897/06-014r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine sediments accumulate a variety of contaminants and, in some cases, demonstrate toxicity because of this contamination. Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) methods provide tools for identifying the toxic chemicals causing sediment toxicity. Currently, whole-sediment TIE methods are not available for anionic metals like arsenic and chromium. In the present paper, we describe two new anion-exchange resins used in the development of whole-sediment TIE methods for arsenic and chromium. Resins were shown to reduce whole-sediment toxicity and overlying water concentrations of the anionic metals. Sediment toxicity, expressed as the median lethal concentration, was reduced by a factor of two to a factor of nearly six between amended sediment treatments containing resin and those without resin. Aqueous concentrations of arsenic and chromium in the toxicity exposures decreased to less than the detection limits or to concentrations much lower than those measured in treatments without resin. Interference studies indicated that the anion-exchange resins had no significant effect on concentrations of the representative pesticide endosulfan and minimal effects on concentrations of ammonia. However, the anion-exchange resins did significantly reduce the concentrations of a selection of cationic metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). These data demonstrate the utility of anion-exchange resins for determining the contribution of arsenic and chromium to whole-sediment toxicity. The present results also indicate the importance of using TIE methods in a formal TIE structure to ensure that results are not misinterpreted. These methods should be useful in the performance of marine whole-sediment TIEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development/National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory-Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA.
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Cantwell MG, King J, Burgess RM. Temporal trends of Aroclor 1268 in the Taunton River estuary: evidence of early production, use and release to the environment. Mar Pollut Bull 2006; 52:1105-11. [PMID: 16837013 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2006] [Revised: 05/17/2006] [Accepted: 05/18/2006] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Cantwell
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health Effects Environmental Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA.
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Burgess RM, Ryba SA, Cantwell MG, Gundersen JL, Tien R, Perron MM. Interaction of planar and nonplanar organic contaminants with coal fly ash: effects of polar and nonpolar solvent solutions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2006; 25:2028-37. [PMID: 16916021 DOI: 10.1897/05-567r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Coal fly ash has a very high sorption capacity for a variety of anthropogenic contaminants and has been used to cleanse wastewater of pollutants for approximately 40 years. Like other black carbons, the planar structure of the residual carbon in fly ash results in elevated affinities for planar organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and some polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The present study was performed to understand better the mechanisms affecting the strong interaction between planar contaminants and coal fly ash. The removal of 10 PCBs and 10 PAHs by several fly ashes and other sorbents was evaluated under different experimental conditions to highlight the intermolecular forces influencing adsorption. Varying fly ash concentration and solvent system composition indicated that dispersive interactions were most prevalent. For the PCBs, empirical results also were compared to molecular modeling estimates of the energy necessary for the PCB molecule to assume a planar conformation (PCe). The PCe levels ranged from 8 to 25 kcal/mol, depending on the degree of ortho-substituted chlorination of the PCB. A significant correlation between PCe and PCB removal from solution was observed for the fly ashes and activated carbon, whereas the nonplanar sorbent octadecyl (C18) indicated no relationship. These findings demonstrate the strong interaction between black carbon fly ash and planar organic contaminants. Furthermore, as exemplified by the PCBs, these results show how this interaction is a function of a contaminant's ability to assume a planar conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development/National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory-Atlantic Ecology Division, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA.
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Voparil IM, Burgess RM, Mayer LM, Tien R, Cantwell MG, Ryba SA. Digestive bioavailability to a deposit feeder (Arenicola marina) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with anthropogenic particles. Environ Toxicol Chem 2004; 23:2618-2626. [PMID: 15559276 DOI: 10.1897/03-357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Marine sediments around urban areas serve as catch basins for anthropogenic particles containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using incubations with gut fluids extracted from a deposit-feeding polychaete (Arenicola marina), we determined the digestive bioavailability of PAHs from fly ashes, coal dusts, diesel soots, tire tread materials, and urban particulates. We found that gut fluids solubilize significant concentrations of PAHs from two tire treads, two diesel soots, and the urban particulates. However, PAHs in fly ashes and coal dusts were not available to the digestive agents in gut fluid. Potential digestive exposure to PAHs is much greater than that predicted to be available from these materials using equilibrium partitioning theory (EqP). Amending an already-contaminated sediment with fly ash decreased phenanthrene solubilization by gut fluid. In contrast, addition of tire tread to the sediment resulted in increased solubilization of four PAHs by gut fluid. Therefore, addition of certain types of anthropogenic particles to sediments may result in an increase in bioavailable PAHs rather than a net decrease, as predicted by EqP. Difficulty in predicting the amount of change due to amendment may be due to interactions occurring among the mixture of compounds solubilized by gut fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Voparil
- Darling Marine Center, University of Maine, Walpole, Maine 04573, USA.
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Burgess RM, Ryba SA, Perron MM, Tien R, Thibodeau LM, Cantwell MG. Sorption of 2,4'-dichlorobiphenyl and fluoranthene to a marine sediment amended with different types of black carbon. Environ Toxicol Chem 2004; 23:2534-2544. [PMID: 15559266 DOI: 10.1897/03-349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrate that sedimentary black carbon (BC) affects the sorption of some hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to a greater extent than sedimentary organic carbon (OC). Among HOC, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to interact extensively with BC. Currently, data on the sorption of various kinds of HOCs to different types of BC are limited. In this study, we amended a marine sediment with BC from several different sources, humic acid, and inert sand. Equilibration studies with 14C fluoranthene and the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 3H 2,4'-dichlorinated biphenyl were performed to determine the magnitude of sorption as a function of contaminant and BC type. The magnitude of sorption to the BC-amended sediments was greater for the PAH than the PCB as compared to the sediment alone, humic acid, and sand. For example, differences between the log partition coefficient (K(P)) for the PAH and PCB ranged from 0.41 to 0.69 log units for humic acid and sand treatments, while differences ranged from 0.88 to 1.57 log units for the BC-amended sediments. As a result, BC-normalized partition coefficients (log K(BC)) for the PAH averaged 6.41, whereas the PCB log K(BC) values averaged 5.33. These results demonstrate that PAH sorption and most likely bioavailability are influenced strongly by the presence of BC of different types, while sorption of a nonplanar PCB was affected to a lesser degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/NHEERL Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882, USA.
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Rust AJ, Burgess RM, McElroy AE, Cantwell MG, Brownawell BJ. Influence of soot carbon on the bioaccumulation of sediment-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by marine benthic invertebrates: an interspecies comparison. Environ Toxicol Chem 2004; 23:2594-2603. [PMID: 15559273 DOI: 10.1897/03-355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to soot carbon in marine sediments has been hypothesized to reduce PAH bioavailability. This hypothesis was tested for eight species of marine benthic invertebrates (four polychaete worms, Clymenella torquata, Nereis virens, Cirriformia grandis, and Pectinaria gouldii, and four bivalve mollusks, Macoma balthica, Mulinia lateralis, Yoldia limatula, and Mya arenaria) that span a wide range of feeding behavior, ability to metabolize PAHs, and gut chemistry. Organisms were exposed for 20 d to two PAH-spiked sediments, one with soot and one without soot. The soot treatment generally resulted in lower bioaccumulation than the no soot treatment, though the differences between treatments were not significant for all species. All but one species accumulated significant PAH concentrations in their tissues from the soot treatment, indicating that soot-bound PAH cannot be dismissed as unavailable to infaunal benthic biota. Bioaccumulation factors were correlated negatively to both the organisms' ability to metabolize PAHs and the gut fluid contact angle, supporting the hypotheses that high PAH metabolism results in lower bioaccumulation factors and bioavailability of PAHs may be limited partially by PAH solubilization in the gut lumen. The variability in bioaccumulation due to the soot treatment was much less than the variability between species and between PAH analytes. Comparatively low bioaccumulation was observed in Nereis virens, a species commonly used in bioaccumulation tests. These results suggest that more effort is needed in understanding the salient characteristics of species present in a threatened environment, rather than focusing solely on the sediment geochemistry (e.g., soot and organic carbon content) and contaminant characteristics when predicting ecological risk of PAH-contaminated sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Rust
- Marine Sciences Research Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11790-5000, USA
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Lohmann R, Burgess RM, Cantwell MG, Ryba SA, MacFarlane JK, Gschwend PM. Dependency of polychlorinated biphenyl and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioaccumulation in Mya arenaria on both water column and sediment bed chemical activities. Environ Toxicol Chem 2004; 23:2551-62. [PMID: 15559268 DOI: 10.1897/03-400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by the filter-feeding soft-shell clam Mya arenaria was evaluated at three sites near Boston (MA, USA) by assessing the chemical activities of those hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the sediment bed, water column, and organisms. Polyethylene samplers were deployed to measure the activities of HOCs in the water column. Sediment activities were assessed by normalizing concentrations with sediment-water sorption coefficient values, including adsorption to black carbon in addition to absorption by organic carbon. Likewise, both lipids and proteins were considered in biota-water partition coefficients used to estimate chemical activities in the animals. Chemical activities of PAHs in M. arenaria were substantially less than those of the corresponding bed sediments in which they lived. In contrast, chemical activities of PCBs in M. arenaria often were greater than or equal to activities in the corresponding bed sediments. Activities of PAHs, such those of pyrene, in the water column were undersaturated relative to the sediment. However, some PCBs, such as congener 52, had higher activities in the water column than in the sediment. Tissue activities of pyrene generally were in between the sediment and water column activities, whereas activity of PCB congener 52 was nearest to water column activities. These results suggest that attempts to estimate bioaccumulation by benthic organisms should include interactions with both the bed sediment and the water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Lohmann
- Ralph M Parsons Laboratory, 48-415, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
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