Hexafluoroisopropanol-based supramolecular solvent for liquid phase microextraction of pesticides in milk.

Residues of pesticides in milk may pose a threat to human health. This study aimed to develop a liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) method using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-based supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS) for the simultaneous extraction and purification of four pesticides (boscalid, novaluron, cypermethrin and bifenthrin) in milk. Pesticides were extracted using SUPRAS prepared with nonanol and HFIP, and the extraction efficiency was analyzed. Results showed satisfactory recoveries ranging from 80.8%-111.0%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of <6.4%. Additionally, satisfactory linearities were observed, with correlation coefficients >0.9952. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 1.8 µg·L-1-14.0 µg·L-1. The established method demonstrated high extraction efficiency with a short operation time (15 mins) and low solvent consumption (2.7 mL). The HFIP-based SUPRAS LPME method offers a convenient and efficient approach for the extraction of pesticides from milk, presenting a promising alternative to conventional techniques.

Enantioselective Behaviors of Chiral Pesticides and Enantiomeric Signatures in Foods and the Environment.

Unreasonable application of pesticides may result in residues in the environment and foods. Chiral pesticides consist of two or more enantiomers, which may exhibit different behaviors. This Review intends to provide progress on the enantioselective residues of chiral pesticides in foods. Among the main chiral analytical methods, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the most frequently utilized. Most chiral pesticides are utilized as racemates; however, due to enantioselective dissipation, bioaccumulation, biodegradation, and chiral conversion, enantiospecific residues have been found in the environment and foods. Some chiral pesticides exhibit strong enantioselectivity, highlighting the importance of evaluation on an enantiomeric level. However, the occurrence characteristics of chiral pesticides in foods and specific enzymes or transport proteins involved in enantioselectivity needs to be further investigated. This Review could help the production of some chiral pesticides to single-enantiomer formulations, thereby reducing pesticide consumption as well as increasing food production and finally reducing human health risks.

Heavy metal levels in milk and dairy products and health risk assessment: A systematic review of studies in China.

Previous studies have indicated that heavy metal levels in milk vary partly depending on environmental metal concentrations. Given the increasing consumption of milk in China, it is essential to pay attention to milk safety. We performed a systematic review of relevant published studies to evaluate the heavy metal levels in milk and dairy products and the associated health risks, discuss environmental sources of heavy metals, and propose future research directions. A literature search was implemented in the Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed using multiple keywords such as "metal," "milk," "dairy products," and "China". A total of 16 published studies that analyzed metal levels in milk and dairy products in 20 provincial administrative regions were included. Most studies detected toxic heavy metals in milk and dairy products samples, including mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic. The lead concentration in milk from these studies did not exceed the Chinese standard for milk. However, three studies detected relatively high lead levels in both commercial and raw milk, exceeding the European Commission standard. The polluted environment surrounding the farm, feed, and packaging materials are likely sources of metals in milk and dairy products. The hazard index for the 11 analyzed metal elements in milk and dairy products was lower than 1, indicating negligible non-carcinogenic health risks from exposure to these metals. Children are at a higher risk than adults. This review illustrates that research in this field is limited to China. More research should be conducted in the future, such as evaluating the contribution of each environmental source of metal in milk and dairy products.

A state-of-the-art review of CO2 enhanced oil recovery as a promising technology to achieve carbon neutrality in China.

Although there are some review papers on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), hardly any of these reviews are focused on the role of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in accelerating carbon neutrality in China. In this review, strategies to achieve carbon neutrality is briefly but critically discussed, followed by a review of CO2-EOR as a promising technology. Especially, data analysis, including the number of publications on China's carbon neutrality, per capita CO2 emissions, China's power generation, and the crude oil production of China's large oilfields, is carried out to make the discussion more comprehensive. Given the large amount of coal consumed in China, the high percent of electricity generated with coal, and the slow penetration of renewables already observed, it seems unlikely that 2060 targets will be met without CCUS. In order to achieve carbon neutrality, both reduction in carbon emissions and increase in carbon sequestration are inevitable. Furthermore, it is concluded that CO2 storage through EOR is likely to have a bright future. However, there are some critical issues to be solved, including the technical issues, leakage and safety issues, cost issues, policy issues, etc. In order to turn CO2-EOR into a reliable and more favorable technology, more research and efforts are needed to solve these issues, including advancing carbon capture technologies, improving storage technologies, developing effective monitoring technologies, deploying government support and incentive policies, etc.

High Ion-Exchange Capacity Semihomogeneous Cation Exchange Membranes Prepared via a Novel Polymerization and Sulfonation Approach in Porous Polypropylene.

Semihomogeneous cation exchange membranes with superior ion exchange capacity (IEC) were synthesized via a novel polymerization and sulfonation approach in porous polypropylene support. The IEC of membranes could reach up to 3 mmol/g because of high mass ratio of functional polymer to membrane support. Especially, theoretical IEC threshold value agreed well with experimental threshold value, indicating that IEC could be specifically designed without carrying out extensive experiments. Also, sulfonate groups were distributed both on membrane surface and across the membranes, which corresponded well with high IEC of the synthesized membranes. In addition, the semifinished membrane showed hydrophobic property because of the formation of polystyrene. In contrast, the final membranes demonstrated super hydrophilic property, indicating the adequate sulfonation of polystyrene. Furthermore, when sulfonation reaction time increased, the conductivity of membranes also showed a tendency to increase, revealing the positive relationship between conductivity and IEC. Finally, the final membranes showed sufficient thermal stability for electrodialysis applications such as water desalination.