1
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Zhao T, Carroll K, Craven CB, Wawryk NJP, Xing S, Guo J, Li XF, Huan T. HDPairFinder: A data processing platform for hydrogen/deuterium isotopic labeling-based nontargeted analysis of trace-level amino-containing chemicals in environmental water. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 136:583-593. [PMID: 37923467 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.02.033] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The combination of hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) formaldehyde-based isotopic methyl labeling with solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) is a powerful analytical solution for nontargeted analysis of trace-level amino-containing chemicals in water samples. Given the huge amount of chemical information generated in HPLC-HRMS analysis, identifying all possible H/D-labeled amino chemicals presents a significant challenge in data processing. To address this, we designed a streamlined data processing pipeline that can automatically extract H/D-labeled amino chemicals from the raw HPLC-HRMS data with high accuracy and efficiency. First, we developed a cross-correlation algorithm to correct the retention time shift resulting from deuterium isotopic effects, which enables reliable pairing of H- and D-labeled peaks. Second, we implemented several bioinformatic solutions to remove false chemical features generated by in-source fragmentation, salt adduction, and natural 13C isotopes. Third, we used a data mining strategy to construct the AMINES library that consists of over 38,000 structure-disjointed primary and secondary amines to facilitate putative compound annotation. Finally, we integrated these modules into a freely available R program, HDPairFinder.R. The rationale of each module was justified and its performance tested using experimental H/D-labeled chemical standards and authentic water samples. We further demonstrated the application of HDPairFinder to effectively extract N-containing contaminants, thus enabling the monitoring of changes of primary and secondary N-compounds in authentic water samples. HDPairFinder is a reliable bioinformatic tool for rapid processing of H/D isotopic methyl labeling-based nontargeted analysis of water samples, and will facilitate a better understanding of N-containing chemical compounds in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Kristin Carroll
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Caley B Craven
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Nicholas J P Wawryk
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Shipei Xing
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Jian Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Xing-Fang Li
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada.
| | - Tao Huan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada.
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2
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Selwe KP, Sallach JB, Dessent CEH. Nontargeted Screening of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Glen Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant, Botswana. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024; 43:52-61. [PMID: 37877782 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5775] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
There is growing concern about the prevalence and impact of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The environmental monitoring of CECs has, however, been limited in low- and middle-income countries due to the lack of advanced analytical instrumentation locally. In the present study we employed a nontargeted and suspect screening workflow via liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to identify known and unknown pollutants in the Glen Valley wastewater treatment plant, Botswana, complemented by analysis of groundwater samples. The present study represents the first HRMS analysis of CECs in water samples obtained in Botswana. Suspect screening of 5942 compounds qualitatively identified 28 compounds, including 26 pharmaceuticals and two illicit drugs (2-ethylmethcathinone and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Nontargeted analysis tentatively identified the presence of 34 more compounds including (5ξ)-12,13-dihydroxypodocarpa-8,11,13-trien-7-one, 12-aminododecanoic acid, atenolol acid, brilliant blue, cyclo leucylprolyl, decanophenone, DL-carnitine, N,N'-dicyclohexylurea, N4-acetylsulfamethoxazole, NP-003672, and 24 polyethylene glycol polymers. The highest number of detections were in influent wastewater (26 CECs) followed by effluent wastewater (10 CECs) and, lastly, groundwater (4 CECs). Seventeen CECs detected in the influent water were not detected in the effluent waters, suggesting reduced emissions due to wastewater treatment. Two antiretroviral compounds (abacavir and tenofovir) were detected in the influent and effluent sources. This suggests that wastewater treatment plants are a major pathway of chemical pollution to the environment in Botswana and will help inform prioritization efforts for monitoring and remediation that is protective of these key ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:52-61. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kgato P Selwe
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - J Brett Sallach
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
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3
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Han BC, Liu JS, Bizimana A, Zhang BX, Kateryna S, Zhao Z, Yu LP, Shen ZZ, Meng XZ. Identifying priority PBT-like compounds from emerging PFAS by nontargeted analysis and machine learning models. Environ Pollut 2023; 338:122663. [PMID: 37783416 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122663] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
As traditional per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are phased out, emerging PFAS are being developed and widely used. However, little is known about their properties, including persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (PBT). Screening for emerging PFAS relies on available chemical inventory databases. Here, we compiled a database of emerging PFAS obtained from nontargeted analysis and assessed their PBT properties using machine learning models, including qualitative graph attention networks, Insubria PBT Index and quantitative EAS-E Suite, VEGA, and ProTox-II platforms. Totally 282 homologues (21.8% of emerging PFAS) were identified as PBT based on the combined qualitative and quantitative prediction, in which 140 homologues were detected in industrial and nonbiological/biological samples, belong to four categories, i.e. modifications of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, perfluoroalkane sulfonamido substances, fluorotelomers and modifications of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. Approximately 10.1% of prioritized emerging PFAS were matched to chemical vendors and 19.6% to patents. Aqueous film-forming foams and fluorochemical factories are the predominant sources for prioritized emerging PFAS. The database and screening results can update the assessment related to legislative bodies such as the US Toxic Substances Control Act and the Stockholm Convention. The combined qualitative and quantitative machine learning models can provide a methodological tool for prioritizing other emerging organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao-Cang Han
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, 1994 Linggongtang Road, Jiaxing, 314051, Zhejiang Province, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Jin-Song Liu
- College of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jiaxing Nanhu University. 572 South Yuexiu Road, Jiaxing, 314001, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Aaron Bizimana
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Bo-Xuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, 1994 Linggongtang Road, Jiaxing, 314051, Zhejiang Province, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Sukhodolska Kateryna
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD), College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Zhen Zhao
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Li-Ping Yu
- Suzhou Jingtian Lover Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Suzhou, 215228, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhong-Zeng Shen
- Suzhou Jingtian Lover Environmental Technology Co. Ltd., Suzhou, 215228, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang-Zhou Meng
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, 1994 Linggongtang Road, Jiaxing, 314051, Zhejiang Province, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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4
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Stack ME, Hollman K, Mladenov N, Harper B, Pinongcos F, Sant KE, Rochman CM, Richardot W, Dodder NG, Hoh E. Micron-size tire tread particles leach organic compounds at higher rates than centimeter-size particles: Compound identification and profile comparison. Environ Pollut 2023; 334:122116. [PMID: 37394053 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122116] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Tire tread particles (TTP) are environmentally prevalent microplastics and generate toxic aqueous leachate. We determined the total carbon and nitrogen leachate concentrations and chemical profiles from micron (∼32 μm) and centimeter (∼1 cm) TTP leachate over 12 days. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were used to measure the concentration of leached compounds. Nontargeted chemical analysis by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOF-MS) was used to compare the chemical profiles of leachates. After leaching for 12 days, DOC was 4.0 times higher in the micron TTP leachate than in the centimeter TTP leachate, and TDN was 2.6 times higher. The total GC×GC/TOF-MS chromatographic feature peak area was 2.9 times greater in the micron TTP leachate than the centimeter TTP leachate, and similarly, the total relative abundance of 54 tentatively identified compounds was 3.3 times greater. We identified frequently measured tire-related chemicals, such as 6PPD, N-cyclohexyl-N'-phenylurea (CPU), and hexa(methoxymethyl)melamine (HMMM), but nearly 50% of detected chemicals were not previously reported in tire literature or lacked toxicity information. Overall, the results demonstrate that smaller TTP have a greater potential to leach chemicals into aquatic systems, but a significant portion of these chemicals are not well-studied and require further risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Stack
- San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - K Hollman
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - N Mladenov
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - B Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - F Pinongcos
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - K E Sant
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - C M Rochman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - W Richardot
- San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - N G Dodder
- San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - E Hoh
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA.
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5
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Qi Y, Zhang J, Shan W, Zhang W, Sun J, Zhang L, Jin Y, Shao B. Magnetic amino-rich hyper-crosslinked polymers for fat-rich foodstuffs pretreatment in nontargeted analysis of chemical hazards. Food Chem 2023; 425:136467. [PMID: 37270884 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136467] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Nontargeted analysis for chemical hazards is highly desirable in controlling food safety to ensure human health. As the dominating interference in fat-rich foodstuffs, lipids removal is a great challenge in sample pretreatment. Herein, diverse lipids from both animal and vegetable oils are effectively removed and 565 chemical hazards with various physicochemical properties are used for method validation. These benefits are from the designed magnetic amino-rich hyper-crosslinked core-shell polymeric composites (Fe3O4@poly(MAAM-co-EGDMA)) and the application of an auto extraction system. Among them, the amino groups are the key factors for lipid removal. Theoretical calculations, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and functional monomer replacement demonstrated that the mechanisms to universally capture free fatty acids (FFAs) and triglycerides (TGs) are electrostatic interaction and supplemented by hydrogen bonding. Overall, this work highlights the great application potentials of polymeric adsorbents as sample pretreatment materials for nontargeted analysis in food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Qi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China
| | - Wenchong Shan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Weichunbai Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China
| | - Jing Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Li Zhang
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yushen Jin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China.
| | - Bing Shao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Traceability Technologies for Food Poisoning, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100013, China.
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6
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Gong Y, Yang D, Barrett H, Sun J, Peng H. Building the Environmental Chemical-Protein Interaction Network (eCPIN): An Exposome-Wide Strategy for Bioactive Chemical Contaminant Identification. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:3486-3495. [PMID: 36827403 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c02751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although advancements in nontargeted analysis have made it possible to detect hundreds of chemical contaminants in a single run, the current environmental toxicology approaches lag behind, precluding the transition from analytical chemistry efforts to health risk assessment. We herein highlighted a recently developed "top-down" bioanalytical method, protein Affinity Purification with Nontargeted Analysis (APNA), to screen for bioactive chemical contaminants at the "exposome-wide" level. To achieve this, a tagged functional protein is employed as a "bait" to directly isolate bioactive chemical contaminants from environmental mixtures, which are further identified by nontargeted analysis. Advantages of this protein-guided approach, including the discovery of new bioactive ligands as well as new protein targets for known chemical contaminants, were highlighted by several case studies. Encouraged by these successful applications, we further proposed a framework, i.e., the environmental Chemical-Protein Interaction Network (eCPIN), to construct a complete map of the 7 billion binary interactions between all chemical contaminants (>350,000) and human proteins (∼20,000) via APNA. The eCPIN could be established in three stages through strategically prioritizing the ∼20,000 human proteins, such as focusing on the 48 nuclear receptors (e.g., thyroid hormone receptors) in the first stage. The eCPIN will provide an unprecedented throughput for screening bioactive chemical contaminants at the exposome-wide level and facilitate the identification of molecular initiating events at the proteome-wide level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Gong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Diwen Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Holly Barrett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Jianxian Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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7
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Li J, Yu S, Liu Q, Wang D, Yang L, Wang J, Zuo R. Screening of hazardous groundwater pollutants responsible for microbial ecological consequences by integrated nontargeted analysis and high-throughput sequencing technologies. J Hazard Mater 2023; 445:130516. [PMID: 36463738 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic contaminants, especially hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), pose potential ecological threats even at environmental concentrations. Characterization of HOC profiles and identification of key environmental stressors are vital but still challenging in groundwater quality management. In this study, a strategy for identifying the key environmental stressors among HOCs in groundwater based on integrated chemical monitoring technologies and microbial ecology analysis methods was proposed and applied to typical groundwater samples. Specifically, the characteristics of HOCs were systematically analyzed based on nontargeted and targeted approaches, and microbial community assembly and specific biomarker analysis were combined to determine the major ecological processes and key environmental stressors. The results showed that a total of 234 HOCs were detected in groundwater collected from Tongzhou, Beijing; among them, phthalate esters (PAEs) were screened out as key environmental stressors, considering that they made relatively higher microbial ecology contributions. Furthermore, their influences on the structure and function of the groundwater microbial community were evaluated by adopting high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis technologies. These findings confirmed PAEs as vital determinants driving microbial assembly, shifting community structure, and regulating community function in groundwater; in addition, the findings validated the feasibility and suitability of the proposed strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Shihang Yu
- Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Quanzhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Donghong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Lei Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jinsheng Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Rui Zuo
- Engineering Research Center of Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Ministry of Education, College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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8
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Wu X, Nguyen H, Kim D, Peng H. Chronic toxicity of PFAS-free AFFF alternatives in terrestrial plant Brassica rapa. Sci Total Environ 2022; 850:158100. [PMID: 35987222 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158100] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fluorine (F)-free firefighting foams will be replacing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-containing aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) at U.S. military installations imminently, yet the environmental impacts of F-free foams are largely unknown. Ecotoxicity assessment of F-free foams is urgently needed to avoid replacement regret. In this study, we comparatively assessed phytotoxicity of six F-free formulations and one current short-chain fluorinated AFFF in terrestrial plant Brassica rapa. Five of six F-free formulations exerted higher toxicity than the short-chain AFFF to the growth and reproduction of B. rapa, with 8-51 times and > 10 times lower EC50 values, respectively. Nontargeted analysis indicated the occurrence of transformation products of the test formulations in the above-ground plant tissues. In agreement with their phytotoxicity, the five highly toxic F-free formulations generated more transformation products with higher peak intensities in plant tissues than the two weakly toxic formulations. The most abundant transformation products detected in plant extracts were suspect transformation products derived from diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, a common ingredient of the five toxic formulations. This study provides ecotoxicological data that, combined with data from all related ongoing research, should be used in decision making regarding recommendations for manufacturing and use of candidate F-free foams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqin Wu
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Helen Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Damian Kim
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada; School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
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Chen W, Gong Y, McKie M, Almuhtaram H, Sun J, Barrett H, Yang D, Wu M, Andrews RC, Peng H. Defining the Chemical Additives Driving In Vitro Toxicities of Plastics. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:14627-14639. [PMID: 36173153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Increases in the global use of plastics have caused concerns regarding potential adverse effects on human health. Plastic products contain hundreds of potentially toxic chemical additives, yet the exact chemicals which drive toxicity currently remain unknown. In this study, we employed nontargeted analysis and in vitro bioassays to identify the toxicity drivers in plastics. A total of 56 chemical additives were tentatively identified in five commonly used plastic polymer pellets (i.e., PP, LDPE, HDPE, PET, and PVC) by employing suspect screening and nontargeted analysis. Phthalates and organophosphates were found to be dominant in PVC pellets. Triphenyl phosphate and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate accounted for a high amount (53.6%) of the inhibition effect of PVC pellet extract on human carboxylesterase 1 (hCES1) activity. Inspired by the high abundances of chemical additives in PVC pellets, six different end-user PVC-based products including three widely used PVC water pipes were further examined. Among them, extracts of PVC pipe exerted the strongest PPARγ activity and cell viability suppression. Organotins were identified as the primary drivers to these in vitro toxicities induced by the PVC pipe extracts. This study clearly delineates specific chemical additives responsible for hCES1 inhibition, PPARγ activity, and cell viability suppression associated with plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanzhen Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Yufeng Gong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Michael McKie
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Husein Almuhtaram
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Jianxian Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Holly Barrett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Diwen Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Menghong Wu
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Robert C Andrews
- Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, 35 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A4, Canada
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, 80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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10
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Liu L, Lu M, Cheng X, Yu G, Huang J. Suspect screening and nontargeted analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in representative fluorocarbon surfactants, aqueous film-forming foams, and impacted water in China. Environ Int 2022; 167:107398. [PMID: 35841727 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Massive usage of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing fluorocarbon surfactants (FS) is one of the major sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, which poses negative environmental and health effects. However, there is a critical knowledge gap regarding PFAS chemical compositions in high consumption FS products which were used in AFFFs on the Chinese market and in water impacted by such products. This study firstly applied a comprehensive suspect screening and nontargeted analysis (NTA) workflow to investigate the main ionic and neutral PFAS in FS products from the largest Chinese vendor and compared with two international brands to unveil the PFAS used in AFFF. Overall, 24 classes of PFAS, including 69 compounds, were tentatively identified in FS products, and high concentrations of neutral PFAS were found in polymer-based products, indicating potential environmental risk. In addition, we applied a simplified data mining process to capture 36 PFAS from the impacted water, and the relationship among FS, AFFF concentrates and impacted water was explored. This study parsed the PFAS characteristics in AFFF-related industrial products and impacted water in China, which is instrumental for managing and controlling prioritized PFAS in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liquan Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies (BLEFT), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Meiling Lu
- Agilent Technologies (China) Co. Ltd, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Xue Cheng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies (BLEFT), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Gang Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies (BLEFT), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jun Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), Beijing Laboratory for Environmental Frontier Technologies (BLEFT), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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11
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Wang M, Kinyua J, Jiang T, Sedlak M, McKee LJ, Fadness R, Sutton R, Park JS. Suspect Screening and Chemical Profile Analysis of Storm-Water Runoff Following 2017 Wildfires in Northern California. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1824-1837. [PMID: 35512679 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The combustion of structures and household materials as well as firefighting during wildfires lead to releases of potentially hazardous chemicals directly into the landscape. Subsequent storm-water runoff events can transport wildfire-related contaminants to downstream receiving waters, where they may pose water quality concerns. To evaluate the environmental hazards of northern California fires on the types of contaminants in storm water discharging to San Francisco Bay and the coastal marine environment, we analyzed storm water collected after the northern California wildfires (October 2017) using a nontargeted analytical (NTA) approach. Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis was completed on storm-water samples (n = 20) collected from Napa County (impacted by the Atlas and Nuns fires), the city of Santa Rosa, and Sonoma County (Nuns and Tubbs fires) during storm events that occurred in November 2017 and January 2018. The NTA approach enabled us to establish profiles of contaminants based on peak intensities and chemical categories found in the storm-water samples and to prioritize significant chemicals within these profiles possibly attributed to the wildfire. The results demonstrated the presence of a wide range of contaminants in the storm water, including surfactants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and chemicals from consumer and personal care products. Homologs of polyethylene glycol were found to be the major contributor to the contaminants, followed by other widely used surfactants. Nonylphenol ethoxylates, typically used as surfactants, were detected and were much higher in samples collected after Storm Event 1 relative to Storm Event 2. The present study provides a comprehensive approach for examining wildfire-impacted storm-water contamination of related contaminants, of which we found many with potential ecological risk. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1824-1837. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Wang
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Juliet Kinyua
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, Berkeley, California, USA
- Section of Forensic Chemistry, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ting Jiang
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Meg Sedlak
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lester J McKee
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Richard Fadness
- North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Rosa, California, USA
| | - Rebecca Sutton
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - June-Soo Park
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency, Berkeley, California, USA
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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12
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Phillips AL, Williams AJ, Sobus JR, Ulrich EM, Gundersen J, Langlois-Miller C, Newton SR. A Framework for Utilizing High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nontargeted Analysis in Rapid Response and Emergency Situations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1117-1130. [PMID: 34416028 PMCID: PMC9280853 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Unknown chemical releases constitute a large portion of the rapid response situations to which the US Environmental Protection Agency is called on to respond. Workflows used to address unknown chemical releases currently involve screening for a large array of known compounds using many different targeted methods. When matches are not found, expert analytical chemistry knowledge is used to propose possible candidates from the available data, which generally includes low-resolution mass spectra and situational clues such as the location of the release, nearby industrial operations, and other field-reported facts. The past decade has witnessed dramatic improvements in capabilities for identifying unknown compounds using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and nontargeted analysis (NTA) approaches. Complementary developments in cheminformatics tools have further enabled an increase in NTA throughput and identification confidence. Together with the expanding availability of HRMS instrumentation in monitoring laboratories, these advancements make NTA highly relevant to rapid response scenarios. In this article, we introduce the concept of NTA as it relates to rapid response needs and describe how it can be applied to address unknown chemical releases. We advocate for the consideration of HRMS-based NTA approaches to support future rapid response scenarios. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1117-1130. Published 2021. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison L. Phillips
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Antony J. Williams
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Jon R. Sobus
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Elin M. Ulrich
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
| | - Jennifer Gundersen
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Christina Langlois-Miller
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Land and Emergency Management, Office of Emergency Management, Washington D.C. 20460
| | - Seth R. Newton
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
- Corresponding author contact information: Seth R. Newton, , Mail: 109 T.W. Alexander Drive E205-05, RTP, NC 27711
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13
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Nason SL, Lin E, Godri Pollitt KJ, Peccia J. Changes in Sewage Sludge Chemical Signatures During a COVID-19 Community Lockdown, Part 2: Nontargeted Analysis of Sludge and Evaluation with COVID-19 Metrics. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1193-1201. [PMID: 34729807 PMCID: PMC8652773 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Sewage sludge and wastewater include urine and feces from an entire community, and it is highly likely that this mixture contains chemicals whose presence is dependent on levels of SARS-CoV-2 in the community. We analyzed primary sewage sludge samples collected in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry and performed an exploratory investigation of correlations between chemical features and COVID-19 metrics including concentrations of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in the sludge and local COVID-19 case numbers and hospital admissions. Inclusion of all chemical features in this analysis is key for discovering potential indicator compounds for COVID-19, whose structures may not be known. We found correlations with COVID-19 metrics for several identified chemicals as well as many unidentified features in the data, including three potential indicator molecules that are recommended for prioritization in future studies on COVID-19 in wastewater and sludge. These features have molecular weights of 108.0935, 318.1214, and 331.1374. While it is not possible to achieve prediction of COVID-19 epidemiological metrics from the one data set used in the present study, advances in this research area are important to share as scientists worldwide work on discovering efficient methods for tracking SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and the environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1193-1201. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara L. Nason
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment StationNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Elizabeth Lin
- Department of Environmental HealthYale School of Public HealthNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | | | - Jordan Peccia
- Department of Chemical and Environmental EngineeringYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
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14
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Ng B, Quinete N, Gardinali P. Differential Organic Contaminant Ionization Source Detection and Identification in Environmental Waters by Nontargeted Analysis. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1154-1164. [PMID: 34913511 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The development of nontargeted analysis (NTA) methods to assess environmental contaminants of emerging concern, which are not commonly monitored, is paramount, especially when no previous knowledge on the identity of the pollution source is available. We compared complementary ionization techniques, namely electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), in the detection and identification of organic contaminants in tap and surface waters from South Florida. Furthermore, the performance of a simple rationalized NTA method was assessed by analyzing 10 complex mixtures as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Non-targeted Analysis Collaborative Trial interlaboratory study, where limitations of the NTA approach have been identified (e.g., number of employed databases, false positives). Different water bodies displayed unique chemical features that can be used as chemical fingerprints for source tracking and discrimination. The APCI technique detected at least threefold as many chemical features as ESI in environmental water samples, corroborating the fact that APCI is more energetic and can ionize certain classes of compounds that are traditionally difficult to ionize by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Kendrick mass defect plots and Van Krevelen diagrams were applied to elucidate unique patterns and theoretical chemical space regions of anthropogenic organic compounds belonging to homologous series or similar classes covered by ESI and APCI. Overall, APCI and ESI were established as complementary, expanding the detected NTA chemical space which would otherwise be underestimated by a single ionization source operated in a single polarity setting. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1154-1164. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Ng
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Natalia Quinete
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Piero Gardinali
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biscayne Bay Campus, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida, USA
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15
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Cao QQ, Fu YQ, Liu YY, Qin Y, Chen JX, Yin JF, Xu YQ. A targeted and nontargeted metabolomics study on the oral processing of epicatechins from green tea. Food Chem 2022; 378:132129. [PMID: 35042106 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.132129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Oral processing (OP), referring to the whole process of food digestion in human mouth, has a major influence on food flavor perception. This study focused on the compositional changes of the four green tea epicatechins (viz., EC, EGC, ECG, EGCG) during OP, based on targeted and nontargeted metabolomics. It was found that the four epicatechins were all extensively lost through transformation undergoing OP, among which EC was the most stable one, whereas EGCG the least. EGCG was further revealed to be susceptible to human oral cavity in the simulated OP in vitro. It could be converted physically by precipitating with mucin in saliva, and chemically through hydrolysis and dimerization, mediated mainly by the neutral pH condition. The OP of epicatechins also caused salivary composition changes possibly involving health benefits of green tea. These findings could raise awareness of the interactions between epicatechins, or any other food materials, with human mouth.
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16
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Bendik J, Kalia R, Sukumaran J, Richardot WH, Hoh E, Kelley ST. Automated high confidence compound identification of electron ionization mass spectra for nontargeted analysis. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1660:462656. [PMID: 34798444 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462656] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Nontargeted analysis based on mass spectrometry is a rising practice in environmental monitoring for identifying contaminants of emerging concern. Nontargeted analysis performed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOF-MS) generates large numbers of possible analytes. Moreover, the default spectral library similarity score-based search algorithm used by LECO® ChromaTOF® does not ensure that high similarity scores result in correct library matches. Therefore, an additional manual screening is necessary, but leads to human errors especially when dealing with large amounts of data. To improve the speed and accuracy of the chemical identification, we developed CINeMA.py (Classification Is Never Manual Again). This programming suite automates GC×GC/TOF-MS data interpretation by determining the confidence of a match between the observed analyte mass spectrum and the LECO® ChromaTOF® software generated library hit from the NIST Electron Ionization Mass Spectral (NIST EI-MS) library. Our script allows the user to evaluate the confidence of the match using an algorithmic method that mimics the manual curation process and two different machine learning approaches (neural networks and random forest). The script allows the user to adjust various parameters (e.g., similarity threshold) and study their effects on prediction accuracy. To test CINeMA.py, we used data from two different environmental contaminant studies: an EPA study on household dust and a study on stormwater runoff. Using a reference set based on the analysis performed by highly trained users of the ChromaTOF and GC×GC/TOF-MS systems, the random forest model had the highest prediction accuracies of 86% and 83% on the EPA and Stormwater data sets, respectively. The algorithmic approach had the second-best prediction accuracy (82% and 79%), while the neural network accuracy had the lowest (63% and 67%). All the approaches required less than 1 min to classify 986 observed analytes, whereas manual data analysis required hours or days to complete. Our methods were also able to detect high confidence matches missed during the manual review. Overall, CINeMA.py provides users with a powerful suite of tools that should significantly speed-up data analysis while reducing the possibilities of manual errors and discrepancies among users, and can be applicable to other GC/EI-MS instrument based nontargeted analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Bendik
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Richa Kalia
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jeet Sukumaran
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92104, USA
| | - William H Richardot
- San Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA; School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Eunha Hoh
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Scott T Kelley
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92104, USA.
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17
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Kutlucinar KG, Hann S. Comparison of preconcentration methods for nontargeted analysis of natural waters using HPLC-HRMS: Large volume injection versus solid-phase extraction. Electrophoresis 2021; 42:490-500. [PMID: 33332608 PMCID: PMC7898308 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202000256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nontargeted analysis of water samples using liquid chromatography combined with high‐resolution mass spectrometers is an emerging approach for surface water monitoring and evaluation of water treatment processes. In this study, sample preconcentration via direct, large volume injection with 500 μL and 1000 μL injection volumes was compared to SPE regarding analytical performance parameters in targeted and nontargeted workflows. In targeted analysis, the methods were evaluated in terms of LOD and intrabatch precision of the selected compounds, whereas in nontargeted analysis, the number of detected unknown compounds, the method's intra‐batch precision, and the retention time versus molecular mass pattern of the detected unknowns were evaluated. In addition, a novel intensity drift correction method was developed that is not based on quality control samples and makes use of the signals obtained for continuously infused reference compounds, which are conventionally utilized for online mass drift correction. It could be demonstrated that the new correction method significantly reduced the bias introduced by instrumental drift and is important for the reliable intercomparison of different nontargeted methods. Intercomparison of results showed that the 1000 μL large volume injection method revealed the best performance in terms of precision under repeatability conditions of measurement as well as lower LODs for targeted compound analysis. In nontargeted analysis, the SPE method detected a higher number of unknown compounds but exhibited also a higher uncertainty of measurement caused by matrix effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaan Georg Kutlucinar
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan Hann
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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18
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Jiang P, Qiu J, Gao Y, Stefan MI, Li XF. Nontargeted identification and predicted toxicity of new byproducts generated from UV treatment of water containing micropollutant 2-mercaptobenzothiazole. Water Res 2021; 188:116542. [PMID: 33128979 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive identification of byproducts including intermediate transformation products (TPs) of micropollutants in source water is challenging and paramount for assessment of drinking water quality and treatment technologies. Here, we have developed a nontargeted analysis strategy coupled with computational toxicity assessment to identify indistinguishable TPs including isomers with large differences in toxicity. The new strategy was applied to study the UV treatment of water containing micropollutant 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT), and it enabled successful identification of a total of 22 organic TPs. Particularly, the structures of nine new TPs were identified for the first time; in addition, three isomers (P2, P3, and P4) were distinguished from the toxic contaminant 2-hydroxybenzothiazole (2-OH-BT). Computational assessments indicate that estrogenic activity of the three isomers (P2-P4) is higher than that of 2-OH-BT. Mass balance study shows that the 22 organic products accounted for 70% of the 2-MBT degraded, while 30% may degrade to inorganic products. Most TPs are resistant to UV photolysis. Computational toxicity assessment predicted the TPs to increase inhibition of human thyroperoxidase activity although they have lower aquatic toxicity compared to original 2-MBT. This study emphasizes the importance of monitoring the 2-MBT photodegradation products and the overall toxicity of finished water whose production included a UV light-based treatment process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Jiang
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Junlang Qiu
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Yanpeng Gao
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Guangzhou Key Laboratory Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Mihaela I Stefan
- Trojan Technologies, 3020 Gore Road, London, ON, N5V 4T7, Canada
| | - Xing-Fang Li
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada.
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19
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Wawryk NJP, Craven CB, Blackstock LKJ, Li XF. New methods for identification of disinfection byproducts of toxicological relevance: Progress and future directions. J Environ Sci (China) 2021; 99:151-159. [PMID: 33183692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) represent a ubiquitous source of chemical exposure in disinfected water. While over 700 DBPs have been identified, the drivers of toxicity remain poorly understood. Additionally, ever evolving water treatment practices have led to a continually growing list of DBPs. Advancement of analytical technologies have enabled the identification of new classes of DBPs and the quantification of these chemically diverse sets of DBPs. Here we summarize advances in new workflows for DBP analysis, including sample preparation, chromatographic separation with mass spectrometry (MS) detection, and data processing. To aid in the selection of techniques for future studies, we discuss necessary considerations for each step in the strategy. This review focuses on how each step of a workflow can be optimized to capture diverse classes of DBPs within a single method. Additionally, we highlight new MS-based approaches that can be powerful for identifying novel DBPs of toxicological relevance. We discuss current challenges and provide perspectives on future research directions with respect to studying new DBPs of toxicological relevance. As analytical technologies continue to advance, new strategies will be increasingly used to analyze complex DBPs produced in different treatment processes with the aim to identify potential drivers of toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J P Wawryk
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Caley B Craven
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Lindsay K Jmaiff Blackstock
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Xing-Fang Li
- Division of Analytical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada.
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20
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Cruz MB, Place BJ, Wood LJ, Urbas A, Wasik A, de Carvalho Rocha WF. A nontargeted approach to determine the authenticity of Ginkgo biloba L. plant materials and dried leaf extracts by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and chemometrics. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020; 412:6969-6982. [PMID: 32757063 PMCID: PMC7953348 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-02830-2] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The lack of stringent regulations regarding raw materials for herbal supplements used for medicinal purposes has been a constant challenge in the industry. Ginkgo biloba L. leaf extracts attract consumers because of the supposed positive effect on mental performance and memory. Supplements are produced using dried leaf materials and standardized leaf extracts such as EGb 761. Adulteration of Ginkgo biloba L. plants and extracts are becoming more and more common practice due to economically driven motivation from increasing demand in the market and the high cost of raw materials and production. Reinforcement in quality control (QC) to avoid adulterations is necessary to ensure the efficacy of the supplements. In this study, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used with principal component analysis (PCA) as an unsupervised exploratory method to analyze, identify, and evaluate the adulterated Ginkgo biloba L. plant materials and dried leaf extracts using the PCA scores and loadings obtained and compound identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meryl B Cruz
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Benjamin J Place
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA.
| | - Laura J Wood
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA
| | - Aaron Urbas
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA
| | - Andrzej Wasik
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
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21
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Fallaise D, Konzuk J, Cheyne C, Mack EE, Longstaffe JG. Nontargeted Analysis of a Non-Aqueous-Phase Liquid From a Chemical Manufacturing Site Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019; 38:947-955. [PMID: 30779381 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Non-aqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs), composed primarily of organic solvents and other immiscible liquids, can be found in the subsurface at many industrial sites. The chemical composition of NAPLs is often complex and, in many instances, difficult to fully characterize using conventional analytical techniques based on targeted compound analysis. Incomplete characterization of NAPLs leaves gaps in the understanding of the chemical profile at an impacted site. Previous work has shown that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy may be able to assist in the improved characterization of complex NAPL samples. In general, NMR spectroscopy provides an unbiased approach for the analysis of organic compounds because different classes of compounds are all treated and analyzed using the same methods. In addition, NMR spectroscopy provides unique structural information that can be used to elucidate unknowns. The present study describes the use of NMR spectroscopy as a nontargeted tool to characterize the composition of NAPLs collected from an impacted site. It is shown that NMR spectroscopy can be a complementary tool to be used in site assessments to help provide improved understanding of NAPL chemistry, leading to the development of improved conceptual site models and improved strategies for remedial and managerial activities at impacted sites. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;00:1-9. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darcy Fallaise
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julie Konzuk
- Geosyntec Consultants International, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carol Cheyne
- Geosyntec Consultants International, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - E Erin Mack
- EI DuPont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - James G Longstaffe
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Washington JW, Rosal CG, Ulrich EM, Jenkins TM. Use of carbon isotopic ratios in nontargeted analysis to screen for anthropogenic compounds in complex environmental matrices. J Chromatogr A 2018; 1583:73-79. [PMID: 30455052 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2018.11.013] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Analytical data for ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), nontargeted, high-resolution, mass-spectrometry (HR/MS) molecular features from a wide array of samples are used to calculate 13C112C(n-1)/12Cn isotopologue ratios. These ratios increase with molecular carbon number roughly following a trend defined by atmospheric carbon. When the effective source reservoir 13C/12C ratio is calculated from the isotopologue ratio (assuming a fractionation factor of unity), features in biotic samples uniformly are tightly grouped, proximate to atmospheric 13C/12C ratio. In contrast, features in soil natural organic matter (NOM), dust NOM and anthropogenic compounds range from proximate to relatively divergent from atmospheric 13C/12C. For the NOM, 13C/12C ratios are consistent with an expected preferential volatilization of 12C, rendering features in soil NOM 13C-enriched and some features in dust NOM 13C-depleted. Anthropogenic compounds tend to diverge most dramatically from atmospheric 13C/12C, generally toward 13C-depletion, but pesticides we tested tended toward 13C-enriched. This pattern is robust and evident in: i) anthropogenic vs natural features in dust; ii) perfluorinated compounds in standards and as soil contaminants; and iii) sunscreen compounds in commercial products and wastewater. Considering the observed wide 13C/12C range for anthropogenic compounds, we suggest Rayleigh distillation during synthetic processes commonly favors one isotope over the other, rendering a source reservoir that is progressively depleted as synthesis proceeds and, consequently, generates a wide variation in 13C/12C for man-made products. However, kinetic-isotopic effects and/or synthesis from petroleum/natural gas might contribute to the anthropogenic isotopic signature as well. Regardless of cause, 13C/12C can be used to cull HR/MS molecular features that are more likely to be of anthropogenic or non-biotic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Washington
- USEPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA, 30605, United States.
| | - Charlita G Rosal
- USEPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 944 East Harmon Avenue, Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States.
| | - Elin M Ulrich
- USEPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 109 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, United States
| | - Thomas M Jenkins
- Senior Environmental Employee Program, USEPA, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA, 30605, United States
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McEachran AD, Hedgespeth ML, Newton SR, McMahen R, Strynar M, Shea D, Nichols EG. Comparison of emerging contaminants in receiving waters downstream of a conventional wastewater treatment plant and a forest-water reuse system. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:12451-12463. [PMID: 29460251 PMCID: PMC6739829 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1505-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Forest-water reuse (FWR) systems treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastewaters via land application to forest soils. Previous studies have shown that both large-scale conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and FWR systems do not completely remove many contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) before release of treated wastewater. To better characterize CECs and potential for increased implementation of FWR systems, FWR systems need to be directly compared to conventional WWTPs. In this study, both a quantitative, targeted analysis and a nontargeted analysis were utilized to better understand how CECs release to waterways from an FWR system compared to a conventional treatment system. Quantitatively, greater concentrations and total mass load of CECs was exhibited downstream of the conventional WWTP compared to the FWR. Average summed concentrations of 33 targeted CECs downstream of the conventional system were ~ 1000 ng/L and downstream of the FWR were ~ 30 ng/L. From a nontargeted chemical standpoint, more tentatively identified chemicals were present, and at a greater relative abundance, downstream of the conventional system as well. Frequently occurring contaminants included phthalates, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. These data indicate that FWR systems represent a sustainable wastewater treatment alternative and that emerging contaminant release to waterways was lower at a FWR system than a conventional WWTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D McEachran
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Melanie L Hedgespeth
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Seth R Newton
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Rebecca McMahen
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research Participation Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Mark Strynar
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC, 27711, USA
| | - Damian Shea
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth Guthrie Nichols
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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