Aggregated health risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl acids migrated from convenience food contact materials.

Ingestion of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) via contaminated food contact materials (FCMs) is an important human exposure source. This study adopts a toxicity equivalent approach to evaluate the collective health risk of multiple PFAAs in FCMs. A comprehensive extraction and analysis of 21 PFAAs in FCMs was performed. Among the analyzed substances, 15 PFAAs were detected. Migration experiment using three food simulants revealed the migration range of seven PFAAs from FCMs into the simulant to be 0.47-46.7 ng/cm2. The hazard quotient results suggest minimal health risk, except for 9% of packaged samples where perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) poses a higher risk. Utilizing PFOA toxic equivalent concentrations, comprehensive risk calculations showed ∼77% of samples potentially posing elevated health risks due to PFAA exposure. This emphasizes the substantial contribution of PFAAs beyond PFOA and underscores the importance of considering them in related assessments. The aggregated risk assessment reflects actual exposure circumstances more accurately.

Organophosphorus flame retardants in the Qiantang River of China: occurrence, source and ecological risk assessment.

In recent years, the prevalence and danger of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) have drawn attention from all around the world. This study examined twenty-five OPFRs observed in water and sediment samples from the Qiantang River in eastern China, as well as their occurrence, spatial distribution, possible origins, and ecological hazards. All the 25 OPFRs were detected in water and sediment samples. The levels of Σ25OPFRs in water and sediment were 35.5-192 ng/L and 8.84-48.5 ng/g dw, respectively. Chlorinated OPFRs were the main contributions in water, whereas alkyl-OPFRs were the most common congeners found in sediment. Spatial analysis revealed that sample locations in neighboring cities had somewhat higher water concentrations of OPFRs. Slowing down the river current and making the reservoir the main sink of OPFRs, the dam can prevent OPFRs from moving via the Qiantang River. Positive matrix factorization indicated that plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride, polyester resins, and polyurethane foam made the greatest contributions in water, whereas polyurethane foam and textile were the predominant source in sediment. Analysis of sediment-water exchange of OPFRs showed that twelve OPFRs in sediments can re-enter into the water body. The risk quotients showed the ecological risk was low to medium, but trixylyl phosphate exposures posed high ecological risk to aquatic organisms.

Contaminant occurrence, water quality criteria and tiered ecological risk assessment in water: A case study of antifouling biocides in the Qiantang River and its estuary, Eastern China.

Antifouling biocides may cause adverse effects on non-target species. This study aims to determine the distribution, sources, and ecological risks of antifouling biocides in the surface waters of the Qiantang River and its estuary in eastern China. The concentrations of total antifouling biocides were ranged from 12.9 to 215 ng/L for all water samples. Atrazine, diuron and tributyltin were the major compounds in the water bodies of the study area. The acute and chronic toxicity criteria for tributyltin, diuron and atrazine were derived for freshwater and saltwater, respectively, based on the species sensitivity distribution approach. The freshwater and saltwater criteria were slightly different, and the toxicity to aquatic organisms could be summarized as tributyltin > diuron > atrazine. The graded ecological risk rating showed that the long-term risk of TBT was significant in coastal waters. The pollution of TBT in the Qiantang River deserves further attention.

Water quality criteria derivation and tiered ecological risk evaluation of antifouling biocides in marine environment.

This study provides a comprehensive compilation of published toxicological and environmental data further used to assess the ecological risks of six antifouling biocides, including tributyltin (TBT), Irgarol 1051, Diuron, Chlorothalonil, 4,5-Dichloro-N-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone (DCOIT), and Dichlofluanid. The standard maximum concentration and standard continuous concentration of antifouling biocides were derived by the species susceptibility distribution method. Following that, the ecological risk assessment of antifouling biocides in the aquatic environment was conducted using the hazard quotient, margin of safety, joint probability curve, and Monte Carlo random sampling method. The following is a concise list of the antifouling biocide dangers associated with acute and chronic risks: Irgarol 1051 > TBT > Diuron > DCOIT > Chlorothalonil > Dichlofluanid. It is strongly advised that systematic and ongoing monitoring of these biocides in coastal areas take place, as well as the creation of acceptable and efficient environmental protection measures, to safeguard the coastal environment's services and functions.

Distribution, seasonal trends, and lung cancer risk of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in North China: A three-year case study in Dalian city.

Atmospheric monitoring data of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over a three-year period were collected from an urban site in Dalian, northeast China. The status of PAHs in the atmosphere in Dalian were evaluated by assessing concentration levels, congener profiles, seasonal trends, primary source, inhalation exposure and the risk of developing lung cancer risk. Average concentrations were recorded for 53 PAHs (95 ± 40 ng/m3), 16 EPA priority PAHs (68 ± 33 ng/m3), 26 alkylated PAHs (17 ± 7.6 ng/m3) and 4 high-molecular-weight (302 Da) PAHs (1.3 ± 1.3 ng/m3). Atmospheric PAH concentrations in winter were almost twice as high as those recorded in the summer, possibly due to enhanced local emissions and long-range transport of atmospheric PAHs during the winter. PAH congeners were dominated by phenatherene, fluoranthene, pyrene and fluorene, accounting for 46.0% of total ∑53PAH concentrations. Ship/vehicle emission and mixed combustion were identified as the main sources of PAHs using diagnostic PAH concentration ratios and principal component analysis-multiple linear regression. Benzo(a)pyrene toxicity equivalent concentration had an average content of 32 ± 37 ng/m-3 over the sampling period, with dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (50.7%) and dibenzo(a,l)pyrene (26.4%) being the largest contributors. The risk of developing lung cancer due to inhalation exposure to outdoor PAHs was calculated at 12.0‰ using the overall population attributable fraction (PAF). Our results estimate that, due to PAH exposure in Dalian, the average excess lung cancer risk during a person's lifetime is 35.7 cancer cases per one million inhabitants.

Soil concentrations and soil-air exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in five Asian countries.

The Asia Soil and Air Monitoring Program (Asia-SAMP) is a large-scale monitoring program spanning China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India. 47 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 169 concurrently collected surface soil samples across the five study regions. Total PAH concentrations (∑47PAHs) ranged from 13.1 to 7310 ng/g dry weight, with a median value of 272 ng/g dry weight. Higher concentrations of ΣPAHs were recorded in soils from urban areas, followed by soils from rural areas and background soils. Low correlation coefficients were found between PAHs concentrations with population density, surface air temperature and soil organic content. A trend of depleting high molecular weight PAHs and enrichment of low molecular weight PAHs occurred from east to west in Chinese soils. Based on atmospheric PAHs detected in almost the same sampling sites, the equilibrium status of PAHs in the atmosphere and on the ground was investigated. Sample sites with a soil-air equilibrium status for different PAH congeners recorded differences, and differences were recorded between seasons. 2-ring PAHs were mainly volatilized, and 5- & 6-ring PAHs were mainly deposited in all seasons and across all study regions. 3- & 4-ring PAHs were more affected by soil-air transfer, showing a tendency to accumulate in soils in cold regions/seasons and to be re-volatilized into the atmosphere in warm regions/seasons. Partitioning and exchange of PAHs among soil and air were significantly affected by the air temperature.

Uptake, depuration, bioaccumulation, and selective enrichment of dechlorane plus in common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Dechlorane plus (DP) is a chlorinated flame retardant with high production volume (HPV) and is widely used in our daily necessities. In the present study, a laboratory-scale microcosm was built up to simulate the uptake, depuration, bioaccumulation, and stereoselective enrichment of DP in a lower concentration and equilibration condition. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were used for 32 days exposure and 32 days depuration. The concentration ratios of syn-DP to total DP (fsyn values) in fish examined were lower than that in commercial products. Rate constants of uptake (kS) and elimination (ke) for the syn- and anti-DP were calculated using a first-order kinetic model. The uptake rate constants of syn- and anti-DP were 0.63 and 0.89 day-1, respectively. The depuration rate constants of syn-DP (0.11 day-1) were similar to anti-DP (0.096 day-1), suggesting that anti-DP is absorbed faster than syn-DP by common carp. The estimated bioconcentration factors for both syn-DP (5700 L/kg) and anti-DP (9300 L/kg) were higher than the bioconcentration hazard criteria outlined in the Stockholm Convention, suggesting the bioconcentration potential to aquatic organisms for DP.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) Version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS-P) in Subacute Poststroke Patients without Neglect.

BACKGROUND: Oxford Cognitive Screen is designed for assessing cognitive functions of poststroke patients. This study was aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen-Putonghua (OCS-P) for use among poststroke patients without neglect. METHODS: Expert review panel evaluated content validity of the Chinese-translated items. After pilot tested the translated items, the patients and healthy participants completed the OCS-P as well as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-ChiB) and Goldenberg's test. A group of patients completed OCS-P for the second time within seven days. Data analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, item difficulty and item-total correlation, inter- and intrarater reliability, internal consistency, and between-group discrimination. RESULTS: One hundred patients and 120 younger (n = 60) or older (n = 60) healthy participants completed all the tests. Modifications were required for items in the "Picture Naming", "Orientation", and "Sentence Reading" subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure for the OCS-P subscales. The internal consistency coefficients for the three identified test dimensions were 0.30 to 0.52 (Cronbach's alpha). Construct validity coefficients between the OCS-P and MoCA-ChiB subscales were 0.45 < r < 0.79 (p < 0.001) and the "Praxis" subscale of OCS-P and Goldenberg's test was r = 0.72 (p < 0.001). The interrater reliability coefficients for the subscales were in general higher than the intrarater reliability coefficients. The "Picture Naming" and "Numerical Cognition" subscales were the most significant (p = 0.003) for differentiating patient participants from their older healthy counterpart. CONCLUSION: This study generated satisfactory evidence on the content validity, substantive validity, construct validity, inter- and intrarater reliability, and known-group discrimination of the OCS-P. They support its application among poststroke patients who speak Putonghua. Future studies could review the existing five-dimension domains for improving its structural validity and internal consistency as well as generate evidence of the OCS-P for use among the poststroke patients with neglect.

Temporal and spatial distributions of PBDEs in atmosphere at Shanghai rural regions, China.

Atmospheric samples were collected using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air sampling device for every 3 months from June 2012 to May 2013 in Shanghai rural regions in order to investigate the concentrations, profiles, spatial distributions, and seasonal variations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Twelve PBDE congeners (BDE-17, BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-49, BDE-66, BDE-85, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-138, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183) were measured and analyzed by GC-MS. The results showed that detectable PBDEs were examined in all air samples, which indicated that these pollutants are widespread in the research areas. The ∑12PBDE concentrations in Shanghai rural air ranged from 4.49 to 77.5 pg m-3, with mean value up to 26.7 pg m-3. The highest concentration was found at Jinshan sampling site in summer (from June to August in 2012). Furthermore, among the PBDE compounds investigated, the most frequently detected and the major congeners were BDE-17, BDE-28, BDE-47, and BDE-99. And the lower brominated diphenyl ethers (accounting for 75.0%) were the majority of the PBDE congeners. Finally, the result of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the lower and higher brominated diphenyl ethers in Shanghai rural regions were emitted from different pollutant sources.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Surface Soils across Five Asian Countries: Levels, Spatial Distribution, and Source Contribution.

A total of 23 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in soil samples collected in areas with no known point source [urban/rural/background (U/R/B) sites] and in areas with known point source [brominated flame retardant (BFR)-related industrial sites (F sites) and e-waste recycling sites (E sites)] across five Asian countries. The highest PBDE concentrations were found in BFR-related industrial and e-waste recycling sites. The concentrations of PBDEs in U/R/B sites decreased in the following order: urban > rural > background sites. Total PBDE concentrations were dominated by BDE-209, while BDE-17, -85, -138, -191, -204, and -205 were the least abundant compounds. In both urban sites and rural sites, the mean concentrations of total PBDEs (∑23BDEs) in soils decreased in the following order: Japan > China > South Korea > India > Vietnam. The concentrations of PBDEs in soils were comparable with those reported in other studies. Among the three commercial PBDE mixtures, relatively large contributions of commercial penta-BDE were observed in Vietnam, whereas deca-BDE was the dominant form in mixtures contributing from 55.8 ± 2.5 to 100.0 ± 1.2% of the total PBDEs in soils collected from other four countries. Regression analysis suggested that local population density (PD) is a good indicator of PBDEs in soils of each country. Significant and positive correlation between soil organic content and PBDE level was observed in Chinese soil for most nondeca-BDE homologues with their usage stopped 10 years ago, indicating its important role in controlling the revolatilization of PBDEs from soil and changing the spatial trend of PBDE in soil from the primary distribution pattern to the secondary distribution pattern, especially when primary emission is ceased.

Distribution, Fate, Inhalation Exposure and Lung Cancer Risk of Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Some Asian Countries.

A large-scale monitoring program, the Asia Soil and Air Monitoring Program (Asia-SAMP), was conducted in five Asian countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and India. Air samples were collected using passive air samplers with polyurethane foam disks over four consecutive 3-month periods from September 2012 to August 2013 to measure the seasonal concentrations of 47 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including 21 parent and 26 alkylated PAHs, at 176 sites (11 background, 83 rural, and 82 urban). The annual concentrations of total 47 PAHs (∑47PAHs) at all sites ranged from 6.29 to 688 ng/m(3) with median of 82.2 ng/m(3). Air concentrations of PAHs in China, Vietnam, and India were greater than those in Japan and South Korea. As expected, the air concentrations (ng/m(3)) were highest at urban sites (143 ± 117) followed by rural (126 ± 147) and background sites (22.4 ± 11.4). Significant positive correlations were found between PAH concentrations and atmosphere aerosol optical depth. The average benzo(a)pyrene equivalent concentration (BaPeq) was 5.61 ng/m(3). It was estimated that the annual BaPeq concentrations at 78.8% of the sampling sites exceeded the WHO guideline level. The mean population attributable fraction (PAF) for lung cancer due to inhalation exposure to outdoor PAHs was on the order 8.8‰ (0.056-52‰) for China, 0.38‰ (0.007-3.2‰) for Japan, 0.85‰ (0.042-4.5‰) for South Korea, 7.5‰ (0.26-27‰) for Vietnam, and 3.2‰ (0.047-20‰) for India. We estimated a number of lifetime excess lung cancer cases caused by exposure to PAHs, which the concentrations ranging from 27.8 to 2200, 1.36 to 108, 2.45 to 194, 21.8 to 1730, and 9.10 to 720 per million people for China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and India, respectively. Overall, the lung cancer risk in China and Vietnam were higher than that in Japan, South Korea, and India.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs in the coastal seawater, surface sediment and oyster from Dalian, Northeast China.

A total of 46 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 21 parent and 25 alkylated) were determined in seawater, surface sediment and oyster from coastal area of Dalian, North China. The concentration of Σ46PAHs in seawater, sediment, and oyster were 136-621 ng/L, 172-4700 ng/g dry weight (dw) and 60.0-129 ng/g wet weight (ww) in winter, and 65.0-1130 ng/L, 71.1-1090 ng/g dw and 72.8-216 ng/g ww in summer, respectively. High PAH levels were found in industrial area both in winter and summer. Selected PAH levels in sediments were compared with Sediments Quality Guidelines (ERM-ERL, TEL-PEL indexes) for evaluation probable toxic effects on marine organism and the results indicate that surface sediment from all sampling sites have a low to medium ecotoxicological risk. Daily intake of PAHs via oyster as seafood by humans were estimated and the results indicated that oyster intake would not pose a health risk to humans even 30 days after a oil spill accident near by. Water-sediment exchange analysis showed that, both in winter and summer, the fluxes for most high molecular weight PAHs were from seawater to sediment, while for low molecular weight PAHs, an equilibrium was reached between seawater and sediment.

Trophic transfer of methyl siloxanes in the marine food web from coastal area of Northern China.

Methyl siloxanes, which belong to organic silicon compounds and have linear and cyclic structures, are of particular concern because of their potential characteristic of persistent, bioaccumulated, toxic, and ecological harm. This study investigated the trophic transfer of four cyclic methyl siloxanes (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), and tetradecamethylcycloheptasiloxane (D7)) in a marine food web from coastal area of Northern China. Trophic magnification of D4, D5, D6, and D7 were assessed as the slope of lipid equivalent concentrations regressed against trophic levels of marine food web configurations. A significant positive correlation (R = 0.44, p < 0.0001) was found between lipid normalized D5 concentrations and trophic levels in organisms, showing the trophic magnification potential of this chemical in the marine food web. The trophic magnification factor (TMF) of D5 was estimated to be 1.77 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41-2.24, 99.8% probability of the observing TMF > 1). Such a significant link, however, was not found for D4 (R = 0.14 and p = 0.16), D6 (R = 0.01 and p = 0.92), and D7 (R = -0.15 and p = 0.12); and the estimated values of TMFs (95% CI, probability of the observing TMF > 1) were 1.16 (0.94-1.44, 94.7%), 1.01 (0.84-1.22, 66.9%) and 0.85 (0.69-1.04, 48.6%) for D4, D6, and D7, respectively. The TMF value for the legacy contaminant BDE-99 was also estimated as a benchmark, and a significant positive correlation (R = 0.65, p < 0.0001) was found between lipid normalized concentrations and trophic levels in organisms. The TMF value of BDE-99 was 3.27 (95% CI: 2.49-4.30, 99.7% probability of the observing TMF > 1), showing the strong magnification in marine food webs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the trophic magnification of methyl siloxanes in China, which provided important information for trophic transformation of these compounds in marine food webs.

Distribution, source, fate and bioaccumulation of methyl siloxanes in marine environment.

Studies have shown that some cyclic methyl siloxanes were identified as characterized of persistent, bioaccumulated, toxic, and potential to ecological harm. In this study, we determined methyl siloxanes in seawater, sediment and bottom fish samples collected from marine environment in Northeast China. The mean concentrations of total methyl siloxanes were 46.1 ± 27.2 ng/L, 12.4 ± 5.39 ng/g dry weight (dw) and 5.10 ± 1.34 wet weight (ww) in seawater, sediment and fish, respectively. Very strong and significant correlations (r = 0.94, p < 0.0001) were found in compositions of methyl siloxanes between seawater and sewage, indicating that sewage was the main source of methyl siloxanes in the marine area studied. It was found that the mean value of biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) was.0.716 ± 0.456 for D4, 0.103 ± 0.0771 for D5, 1.06 ± 0.528 for D6 and 0.877 ± 0.530 for D7.