Distribution and Risk Assessment of Organophosphate Esters in Agricultural Soils and Plants in the Coastal Areas of South China.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are frequently used as flame retardants and plasticizers in various commercial products. While initially considered as substitutes for brominated flame retardants, they have faced restrictions in some countries due to their toxic effects on organisms. We collected 37 soil and crop samples in 20 cities along the coast of South China, and OPEs were detected in all of them. Meanwhile, we studied the contamination and potential human health risks of OPEs. In soil samples, the combined concentrations of eight OPEs varied between 74.7 and 410 ng/g, averaging at 255 ng/g. Meanwhile, in plant samples, the collective concentrations of eight OPEs ranged from 202 to 751 ng/g, with an average concentration of 381 ng/g. TDCIPP, TCPP, TCEP, and ToCP were the main OPE compounds in both plant and soil samples. Within the study area, the contaminants showed different spatial distributions. Notably, higher OPEs were found in coastal agricultural soils in Guangdong Province and crops in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The results of an ecological risk assessment show that the farmland soil along the southern coast of China is at high or medium ecological risk. The average non-carcinogenic risk and the carcinogenic risk of OPEs in soil through ingestion and dermal exposure routes are within acceptable levels. Meanwhile, this study found that the dietary intake of OPEs through food is relatively low, but twice as high as other studies, requiring serious attention. The research findings suggest that the human risk assessment indicates potential adverse effects on human health due to OPEs in the soil-plant system along the coast of South China. This study provides a crucial foundation for managing safety risks in agricultural operations involving OPEs.

Occurrence and fate of PPCPs and correlations with water quality parameters in urban riverine waters of the Pearl River Delta, South China.

The occurrence and fate of eight PPCPs was studied in river waters from upstream to downstream of the three rivers in the Pearl River Delta, China. The correlations of PPCP levels and water quality parameters were also investigated. The analytes of the highest concentrations were caffeine, acetaminophen, and ciprofloxacin. Carbamazepine and erythromycin-H2O were detected at the lowest concentrations. The highest concentrations of PPCPs were found in the Shijing River, with 865 ng/L caffeine, 339 ng/L acetaminophen, and 304 ng/L ciprofloxacin. In general, the levels of PPCPs in the Zhujiang River were higher at sites where the metropolitan city Guangzhou is located and decreased from the epicenter along the river. Low levels of PPCPs were generally found in the Beijiang River. Positive correlations were found between PPCP levels, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and cumulative fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) volume. Among the four PPCPs evaluated (caffeine, acetaminophen, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole), caffeine had the best correlations with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.62 to 0.98. The prediction of PPCP concentrations at specified locations can be substantially simplified.