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Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Dong R, Song N, Hong M, Li J, Yu J, Kong D. Emerging and legacy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fluorochemical wastewater along full-scale treatment processes: Source, fate, and ecological risk. J Hazard Mater 2024; 465:133270. [PMID: 38113743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133270] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The increasing applications of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised global concern. However, the release of emerging PFAS from the fluorochemical industry remains unclear. Herein, the occurrence of 48 emerging and legacy PFAS in wastewater from 10 fluorochemical manufacturers and mass flows of PFAS in a centralized wastewater treatment plant were investigated. Their distribution and ecological risk in neighboring riverine water were also evaluated. In wastewater from fluorochemical manufacturers, PFAS concentrations were in the range of 14,700-5200,000 ng/L and 2 H,2 H-perfluorooctanoic acid (6:2 FTCA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamide (N-EtFOSA), and 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorodecanesulfonate (8:2 FTS) were the major PFAS detected. Several PFAS displayed increased mass flows after wastewater treatment, especially PFOA and 6:2 FTCA. The mass flows of PFAS increased from - 20% to 233% after the activated sludge system but decreased by only 0-13% after the activated carbon filtration. In riverine water, PFAS concentrations were in the range of 5900-39,100 ng/L and 6:2 FTCA, 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorodecyl phosphate monoester (8:2 monoPAP), 1 H,1 H,2 H,2 H-perfluorooctyl phosphate monoester (6:2 monoPAP), PFOA, and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were the major PFAS detected. PFOA and 6:2 FTCA exhibited comparable hazard quotients for ecological risk. Current wastewater treatment processes cannot fully remove various PFAS discharged by fluorochemical manufacturers, and further investigations on their risk are needed for better chemical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Yunqiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ruochen Dong
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ninghui Song
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Minghui Hong
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Juying Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Jia Yu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Deyang Kong
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China.
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Wu L, Gu J, Duan X, Ge F, Ye H, Kong L, Liu W, Gao R, Jiao J, Chen H, Ji G. Insight into the mechanisms of neuroendocrine toxicity induced by 6:2FTCA via thyroid hormone disruption. Chemosphere 2023; 341:140031. [PMID: 37660785 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140031] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
6:2 fluorotonic carboxylic acid (6:2 FTCA), a novel substitute for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is being used gradually in industrial production such as coatings or processing aids, and its detection rate in the aqueous environment is increasing year by year, posing a potential safety risk to aquatic systems and public health. However, limited information is available on the effects and mechanism of 6:2 FTCA. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand better the neuroendocrine effects of early exposure to 6:2 FTCA and the underlying mechanisms on zebrafish. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated to varied doses of 6:2 FTCA (0, 0.08 μg/mL, 0.8 μg/mL and 8 μg/mL) at 4 h post-fertilization (hpf) for a duration of six days, which exhibited a pronounced inhibition of early growth and induced a disorganized swim pattern characterized by reduced total swim distance and average swim speed. Simultaneously, the thyroid development of zebrafish larvae was partially hindered, accompanied by decreased T3 levels, altered genes associated with the expression of thyroid hormone synthesis, transformation and transportation and neurotransmitters associated with tryptophan and tyrosine metabolic pathways. Molecular docking results showed that 6:2 FTCA has a robust binding energy with the thyroid hormone receptor (TRβ). Moreover, exogenous T3 supplementation can partially restore the adverse outcomes. Our findings indicated that 6:2 FTCA acts as a thyroid endocrine disruptor and can induce neuroendocrine toxic effects. Furthermore, our results show that targeting TRβ may be a potentially therapeutic strategy for 6:2 FTCA-induced neuroendocrine disrupting effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Wu
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, 214023, China; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Jie Gu
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Jiangwangmiao Street 8, Nanjing, 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Xinjie Duan
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Feng Ge
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Jiangwangmiao Street 8, Nanjing, 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing 210042, China
| | - Heyong Ye
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, 214023, China; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Lingcan Kong
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, 214023, China; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Wenwei Liu
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, 214023, China; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Rong Gao
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Jiandong Jiao
- The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, 214023, China; School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
| | - Huanhuan Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
| | - Guixiang Ji
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Jiangwangmiao Street 8, Nanjing, 210042, China; Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing 210042, China.
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Asadi Zeidabadi F, Banayan Esfahani E, McBeath ST, Dubrawski KL, Mohseni M. Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway. Chemosphere 2023; 315:137743. [PMID: 36608884 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137743] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates an electrochemical approach for the treatment of water polluted with per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), looking at the impact of different variables, contributions from generated radicals, and degradability of different structures of PFAS. Results obtained from a central composite design (CCD) showed the importance of mass transfer, related to the stirring speed, and the amount of charge passed through the electrodes, related to the current density on decomposition rate of PFOA. The CCD informed optimized operating conditions which we then used to study the impact of solution conditions. Acidic condition, high temperature, and low initial concentration of PFOA accelerated the degradation kinetic, while DO had a negligible effect. The impact of electrolyte concentration depended on the initial concentration of PFOA. At low initial PFOA dosage (0.2 mg L-1), the rate constant increased considerably from 0.079 ± 0.001 to 0.259 ± 0.019 min-1 when sulfate increased from 0.1% to 10%, likely due to the production of SO4•-. However, at higher initial PFOA dosage (20 mg L-1), the rate constant decreased slightly from 0.019 ± 0.001 to 0.015 ± 0.000 min-1, possibly due to the occupation of active anode sites by excess amount of sulfate. SO4•- and •OH played important roles in decomposition and defluorination of PFOA, respectively. PFOA oxidation was initiated by one electron transfer to the anode or SO4•-, undergoing Kolbe decarboxylation where yielded perfluoroalkyl radical followed three reaction pathways with •OH, O2 and/or H2O. PFAS electrooxidation depended on the chemical structures where the decomposition rate constants (min-1) were in the order of 6:2 FTCA (0.031) > PFOA (0.019) > GenX (0.013) > PFBA (0.008). PFBA with a shorter chain length and GenX with -CF3 branching had slower decomposition than PFOA. While presence of C-H bonds makes 6:2 FTCA susceptible to the attack of •OH accelerating its decomposition kinetic. Conducting experiments in mixed solution of all studied PFAS and in natural water showed that the co-presence of PFAS and other water constituents (organic and inorganic matters) had adverse effects on PFAS decomposition efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Asadi Zeidabadi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ehsan Banayan Esfahani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sean T McBeath
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01002, United States
| | - Kristian L Dubrawski
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Madjid Mohseni
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, Canada.
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Shi G, Cui Q, Pan Y, Sheng N, Guo Y, Dai J. 6:2 fluorotelomer carboxylic acid ( 6:2 FTCA) exposure induces developmental toxicity and inhibits the formation of erythrocytes during zebrafish embryogenesis. Aquat Toxicol 2017; 190:53-61. [PMID: 28688371 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 06/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Saturated fluorotelomer carboxylic acids (FTCAs) are intermediates in the degradation of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) to perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs). Recent studies have detected FTCAs in precipitation, surface waters, and wildlife, but few studies have focused on their toxicity. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to different concentrations of 6:2 FTCA (0, 4, 8, and 12mg/L) from 6 to 120h post-fertilization (hpf) to investigate its developmental toxicity. Results showed that 6:2 FTCA exposure decreased the hatching and survival percentages, reduced the heart rate, and increased the malformation of zebrafish embryos. The median lethal concentration of 6:2 FTCA was 7.33mg/L at 120 hpf, which was lower than that of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), thus indicating higher toxicity for zebrafish. The most common developmental malformation was pericardial edema, which appeared in the 8 and 12mg/L 6:2 FTCA-exposed embryos from 60 hpf. Using o-dianisidine staining, we found that the hemoglobin content in embryos was reduced in a concentration-dependent manner after 6:2 FTCA exposure at 72 hpf. Based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR) and whole-mount in situ hybridization, the transcriptional levels of hemoglobin markers (hbae1, hbbe1, and hbae3) were down-regulated at 48 and 72 hpf, even though no observed malformation appeared in zebrafish at 48 hpf. Moreover, 6:2 FTCA exposure decreased the protein level of gata1, a principal early erythrocytic marker, in Tg (gata1:DsRed) transgenic zebrafish at 72 hpf. We analyzed the transcriptional level of other erythrocyte-related genes using q-RT-PCR assay. For heme formation, the transcription of alas2, which encodes the key enzyme for heme biosynthesis, was down-regulated after 6:2 FTCA exposure, whereas the transcription of ho-1, which is related to heme degradation, was up-regulated at 48 and 72 hpf. The transcriptional patterns of gata1 and gata2, which are related to erythroid differentiation, differed. At 48 hpf, the mRNA level of gata2 was significantly increased, whereas that of gata1 exhibited no significant changes in any treatment group. At 72 hpf, the expressions of both were down-regulated in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, 6:2 FTCA exposure decreased the erythrocyte number and disrupted erythroid differentiation during zebrafish embryonic development. Our results suggest that 6:2 FTCA can cause developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos, and that FTCAs exhibit greater toxicity than that of PFCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Qianqian Cui
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yitao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Nan Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yong Guo
- Key Laboratory of Organofluorine Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Jiayin Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China.
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