Assessment of baby disposable diapers application for urine collection and determination of phthalate metabolites.

The baby disposable diapers were investigated as a sampling material for urine collection and validated for the evaluation of the exposure of children to xenobiotics. Phthalate metabolites detected in urine samples were chosen as proof-of-concept analytes. For the determination of phthalate metabolites in children's urine samples, high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used. Two sampling approaches were compared, namely sterile containers and baby disposable diapers. Thirty urine samples from infants and toddlers were analyzed by both methods in parallel and the results were compared. It was found that for diaper sampling, lower concentrations of the metabolites were observed, however, the general distribution for particular metabolites remains the same for both methods. For most of the metabolites high determination coefficients were obtained, namely 0.9929 for MEHHP, 0.9836 for MMP, 0.9796 for MECPP, and 0.9784 for 2-cx-MMHP. For MEOHP the determination correlation coefficient was 0.9154, while for MBP was - 0.7771 and MEHP was - 0.5228. In general, for diaper sampling an underestimation for 2-cx-MMHP and MEOHP was observed, while for MMP diaper-based approach provides overestimation. However, the proposed procedure confirms the possibility of using baby disposable diapers as a material for the collection of urine samples for biomonitoring purposes and fast screening of phthalates exposure.

Exposure scenario and risk assessment of infants and newborns to bisphenols and their derivatives from diapers.

Newborns and infants are more sensitive to harmful compounds such as bisphenols and their derivatives because of their not fully developed detoxification mechanism. Exposure to these substances can lead to developmental problems and health consequences in adulthood. Since disposable baby diapers are used from the first days of life and remain in contact with the baby skin, it seems important to monitor the levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in such products. Ultrasound assisted solvent microextraction of porous membrane-packed solid sample (UASE-PMSS) was used in sample preparation. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used at determination step. Bisphenol A was quantified with the highest frequency at 81 % of samples tested, ranging from 5.0 to 520 ng/g. BADGE·2HCl was also quantified in high concentrations (from 6.8 to 530 ng/g), but was found in only 15 % of the tested samples. The daily exposure dose (DED) of bisphenols was calculated. In addition health risk assessment was conducted using previous (4 µg/kg BW) and actual (0.2 ng/kg BW) values of tolerable daily intake (TDI) of bisphenol A recommended by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Profiling of polar ionogenic metabolites in Polish wines by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry.

The composition of wine is determined by a complex interaction between environmental factors, genetic factors (i.e., grape varieties), and winemaking practices (including technology and storage). Metabolomics using NMR spectroscopy, GC-MS, and/or LC-MS has shown to be a useful approach for assessing the origin, authenticity, and quality of various wines. Nonetheless, the use of additional analytical techniques with complementary separation mechanisms may aid in the deeper understanding of wine's metabolic processes. In this study, we demonstrate that CE-MS is a very suitable approach for the efficient profiling of polar ionogenic metabolites in wines. Without using any sample preparation or derivatization, wine was analyzed using a 10-min CE-MS workflow with interday RSD values for 31 polar and charged metabolites below 3.8% and 23% for migration times and peak areas, respectively. The utility of this workflow for the global profiling of polar ionogenic metabolites in wine was evaluated by analyzing different cool-climate Polish wine samples.

A hierarchical porous composite magnetic sorbent of reduced graphene oxide embedded in polyvinyl alcohol cryogel for solvent-assisted-solid phase extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

A hierarchical porouscomposite magnetic sorbent was fabricated and applied to the dispersive solvent-assisted solid-phase extraction of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A sorbent was first prepared by incorporating graphene oxide, calcium carbonate, and magnetite nanoparticles into a polyvinyl alcohol cryogel. The graphene oxide was converted to reduced graphene oxide using ascorbic acid and a hierarchical porous structure was produced by reacting hydrochloric acid with incorporated calcium carbonate to generate carbon dioxide bubbles which created a second network. Before extracting the target analytes, the extraction solvent was introduced into the hierarchical pore network of the sorbent. The extraction was based on the partition between the analytes and introduced extraction solvent and the adsorption of analytes on reduced graphene oxide.The extraction efficiency was enhanced through π-π and hydrophobic interactions between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and reduced graphene oxide and extraction solvent. The extracted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector. The developed method was applied to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in disposable diaper, coffee, and tea samples and recoveries from 84.5 to 99.4% were achieved with relative standard deviations below 7%. The developed sorbent exhibited good reproducibility and could be reused for 10 cycles.The developed sorbent exhibited good reproducibility and could be reused for 10 cycles.The developed sorbent exhibited good reproducibility and could be reused for 10 cycles.

Nanosorbents as Materials for Extraction Processes of Environmental Contaminants and Others.

The aim of this work focuses on the application of nanomaterials (NMs) in different sorptive extraction techniques for the analysis of organic contaminants from environmental samples of distinct matrix compositions. Without any doubt, the integration of specific NMs such as carbonaceous nanomaterials, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), silica nanoparticles, and ion-imprinted NPs with solid-phase extraction techniques counting d-SPE, solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) impact on the improvements in analytical performance. The application of NMs as sorbents in the extraction of organic pollutants in environmental samples allows for providing better sensitivity, repeatability, reproducibility, and reusability.

Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Mutual Dependence Assessment of Selected Polyphenols, Organic Acids and Metals in Cool-Climate Wines.

Polyphenols, organic acids and metal ions are an important group of compounds that affect the human health and quality of food and beverage products, including wines. It is known that a specific correlation between these groups exist. While wines coming from the New World and the Old World countries are extensively studied, wines coming from cool-climate countries are rarely discussed in the literature. One of the goals of this study was to determine the elemental composition of the wine samples, which later on, together as polyphenols and organic acids content, was used as input data for chemometric analysis. The multivariate statistical approach was applied in order to find specific correlations between the selected group of compounds in the cool-climate wines and the features that distinguish the most and differ between red and white wines and rosé wines. Moreover, special attention was paid to resveratrol and its correlation with selected wine constituents.

Multicriteria Decision Analysis and Grouping of Analytical Procedures for Phthalates Determination in Disposable Baby Diapers.

This study presents the application of one of the tools from the multicriteria decision analysis set (MCDA), the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Selected green analytical chemistry metrics were used to rank analytical procedures for the phthalate determination in disposable baby diapers. Nine analytical procedures were assessed in order to find one that has the lowest environmental impact and the best analytical figures of merit. Nine different criteria, where weighting was based on the experts' evaluation, were used in the procedures' assessment. With the use of TOPSIS, an easy and straightforward technique, selection of the most appropriate procedure was made.

Prediction of the Biogenic Amines Index of Poultry Meat Using an Electronic Nose.

The biogenic amines index of fresh chicken meat samples during refrigerated storage was predicted based on the headspace analysis using an electronic nose equipped with an array of electrochemical sensors. The reference biogenic amines index values were obtained using dispersive liquid⁻liquid microextraction⁻gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry. A prototype electronic nose with modular construction and a dedicated sample chamber was used to rapidly analyze the volatile fraction of chicken meat samples, with a single measurement time of five minutes. Back-propagation artificial neural network was used to estimate the biogenic amines index of the samples with a determination coefficient of 0.954 based on ten-fold stratified cross-validation. The results indicate that the determination of the biogenic amines index is a good reference method for studies in which the freshness of meat products is assessed based on headspace analysis and fingerprinting, and that the described electronic device can be used to assess poultry meat freshness based on this value with high accuracy.

Organic Acids and Polyphenols Determination in Polish Wines by Ultrasound-Assisted Solvent Extraction of Porous Membrane-Packed Liquid Samples.

In the near future, Poland is going to have more and more favorable conditions for viticulture. Organic acids and polyphenols are among the most commonly analyzed compounds due to their beneficial properties for human health and their importance in the winemaking process. In this work, a new technique involving ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed liquid samples (UASE-PMLS) was for the first time described and applied for real samples. The methodology based on UASE-PMLS for organic acids and polyphenols in wine samples was optimized and validated. Using the new technique coupled to GC-MS, organic acids and polyphenols were evaluated in Polish wine samples. Extraction solvent, extraction temperature, derivatization time and sample pH were optimized. Chemometric tools were used for data treatment. Good linearity was obtained for the concentration ranges evaluated with r values between 0.9852 and 0.9993. All parameters of method validation (intra- and inter-day precision and matrix effect) were over 80% with coefficient of variation (CV) up to 17%. Recovery was between (92.0 ± 8.5)% and (113 ± 16)%. Finally, green assessment was evaluated using Analytical Eco-Scale and Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI). The UASE-PMLS is characterized by many advantages, e.g., the extraction process is fast and easy coupled to GC-MS. Regarding other extraction techniques, the amount of used solvent is minimum, and no waste is generated. Therefore, it is an environmentally friendly technique.

Evaluation of the Impact of Storage Conditions on the Biogenic Amines Profile in Opened Wine Bottles.

A survey of biogenic amine (BA) profiles in opened wine bottles has been established to monitor the level of biogenic amines (BAs) in opened bottles against time and other conditions. Bottles of red and white wine were submitted to different temperatures, stopper type (screw cap, cork), and use of vacuum devices. A total of six wines made from a variety of grapes were obtained from vineyards from regions across Poland. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DLLME-GC-MS) procedure for BAs determination was validated and applied for wine sample analysis. The total content of BAs from the set of immediately opened wine samples ranged from 442 to 929 µg/L for white wines, and 669 to 2244 µg/L for red wines. The most abundant BAs in the analysed wines were histamine and putrescine. Considering the commercial availability of the analysed wines, there was no relationship between the presence of BAs in a given wine and their availability on the market. However, it was observed and confirmed by chemometric analysis that the different storage conditions employed in this experiment affect not only the BAs profile, but also the pH.

Determination of Metals Content in Wine Samples by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.

Knowledge about the metal content of wine is very important, for many reasons. Depending on the element, its quantity varies in wine from ng/L to mg/L. Despite the fact that metals are not directly connected to the taste and aroma of the wine, their content should be determined and controlled, because excess is undesirable, and in some cases prohibited, due to potential toxicity. Several analytical procedures for metal determination are applied. However, due to sensitivity, low limit of detection and speed of analysis, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is one of the most frequently used techniques. The aim of this study was to reveal specific relationships between the wine samples or between the chemical variables in order to classify the wines according to their metal content by application of chemometric analysis. For metals content determination, two techniques, ICP-MS and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), were applied. Data obtained showed that none of the wine samples surpassed the toxic levels reported for metals in the literature, thus, these wines appeared to be safe as regards the risk associated with the potentially toxic metals intake. However, specific correlations between metals and specific aspects of the wines themselves have been found.

A magnetic stir bar sorbent of metal organic frameworks, carbon foam decorated zinc oxide and cryogel to enrich and extract parabens and bisphenols from food samples.

A porous composite magnetic stir bar adsorbent was fabricated for the extraction and enrichment of parabens and bisphenols from selected beverage samples. The adsorbent comprised a metal organic framework, carbon foam decorated zinc oxide and magnetic nanoparticles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol cryogel. The porous composite stir bar adsorbent could adsorb parabens and bisphenols via hydrogen bonding, π-π and hydrophobic interactions. In the best conditions, linearity was good from 5.0 to 200.0 µg/L for methyl paraben, ethyl paraben and bisphenol A and from 10.0 to 200.0 µg/L for bisphenol B and butyl paraben. Limits of detection ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 µg/L. The developed composite stir bar was successfully applied to extract and determine parabens and bisphenols in fruit juice, beer and milk. Recoveries ranged from 89.5 to 99.5 % with RSDs lower than 6 %. The developed sorbent and new methodology were evaluated in terms of its green character with satisfactory results.

A magnetic imprinted polymer nano-adsorbent with embedded quantum dots and mesoporous carbon for the microextraction of triazine herbicides.

A magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) adsorbent incorporating amino-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles, nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots and mesoporous carbon (MIP@MPC@N-GQDs@Fe3O4NH2) was fabricated to extract triazine herbicides from fruit juice. The embedded magnetite nanoparticles simplified the isolation of the adsorbent from the sample solution. The N-GQDs and MPC enhanced adsorption by affinity binding with triazines. The MIP layer provided highly specific recognition sites for the selective adsorption of three target triazines. The extracted triazines were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with diode-array detection (DAD). The developed method exhibited linearity from 1.5 to 100.0 µg L-1 with a detection limit of 0.5 µg L-1. Recoveries from spiked fruit juice samples were in the range of 80.1- 108.4 %, with a relative standard deviation of less than 6.0 %. The developed MMIP adsorbent demonstrated good selectivity, high extraction efficiency, ease of fabrication and use, and good stability.

Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Made and Industrial-Made Sewage Sludge Ash: Implications for Effective Management Strategy Development.

In the pursuit of environmentally and economically sustainable sewage sludge ash (SSA) management methods, researchers often employ laboratory-made SSA (L-SSA) as a substitute for industrial-made SSA (I-SSA) produced in fluidized bed furnaces. To check whether L-SSA is a material that imitates I-SSA well, the fractionation of metals whose presence is a significant problem during SSA management was performed. In addition, the grain distribution, specific surface area, and textural properties of the tested materials were examined. Differences in total Pb and Hg content and mobility of Cu, Ni, Mn, and Zn were observed between I-SSA and L-SSA. Larger particle sizes of L-SSA compared to I-SSA were confirmed, while comparable textural properties and specific surface area of both types of materials were maintained. Based on the results, it was concluded that L-SSA is chemically different compared to I-SSA, and that L-SSA should not be used as a reference in research focused on the design of SSA management methods. Moreover, fractionation of metals was performed in disposed fluidized beds (FBs), which are diverted to non-hazardous waste landfills without prior analysis. It has been proven that studied metals are present in FBs as abundantly as in SSA, while Cu, Mn, and Ni may show higher mobility than in I-SSA.

Deep eutectic solvent-based shaking-assisted extraction for determination of bioactive compounds from Norway spruce roots.

Polyphenolic compounds play an essential role in plant growth, reproduction, and defense mechanisms against pathogens and environmental stresses. Extracting these compounds is the initial step in assessing phytochemical changes, where the choice of extraction method significantly influences the extracted analytes. However, due to environmental factors, analyzing numerous samples is necessary for statistically significant results, often leading to the use of harmful organic solvents for extraction. Therefore, in this study, a novel DES-based shaking-assisted extraction procedure for the separation of polyphenolic compounds from plant samples followed by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis was developed. The DES was prepared from choline chloride (ChCl) as the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and fructose (Fru) as the hydrogen bond donor (HBD) at various molar ratios with the addition of 30% water to reduce viscosity. Several experimental variables affecting extraction efficiency were studied and optimized using one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) and confirmed by response surface design (RS). Nearly the same experimental conditions were obtained using both optimization methods and were set as follows: 30 mg of sample, 300 mg of ChCl:Fru 1:2 DES containing 30% w/w of water, 500 rpm shaking speed, 30 min extraction time, 10°C extraction temperature. The results were compared with those obtained using conventional solvents, such as ethanol, methanol and water, whereby the DES-based shaking-assisted extraction method showed a higher efficiency than the classical procedures. The greenness of the developed method was compared with the greenness of existing procedures for the extraction of polyphenolic substances from solid plant samples using the complementary green analytical procedure index (ComplexGAPI) approach, while the results for the developed method were better or comparable to the existing ones. In addition, the practicability of the developed procedure was evaluated by application of the blue applicability grade index (BAGI) metric. The developed procedure was applied to the determination of spruce root samples with satisfactory results and has the potential for use in the analysis of similar plant samples.

Migration of trace elements and radioisotopes to various fractions of solid wastes generated as a result of the sewage sludge incineration process.

The research was aimed at providing new knowledge in the field of chemical characteristics of solid waste generated in the process of combustion of sewage sludge in fluidized bed furnaces. The research material consisted of disposed fluidized beds (DFB), sewage sludge ash (SSA) and air pollution control residues (APC) from three Polish installations for the thermal treatment of sewage sludge. Natural radionuclides as well as anthropogenic isotope 137Cs were determined in the tested materials and the migration of a wide spectrum of trace elements to various waste fractions generated in the process of sewage sludge combustion was examined. It was observed that both radioisotopes and most of the trace elements determined accumulate in SSA and DFB, while the APC fraction contains a much smaller amount of them. The exceptions are mercury and selenium, whose volatile compounds migrate to the exhaust gas dedusting system and accumulate in the APC fraction (up to 40 mg/kg and 13 mg/kg, respectively). A potential threat from the 226Ra isotope in SSA is identified in the context of the management of this waste in the production of building materials because the typical activity of 226Ra in SSA collected from areas with very low Ra content in natural environment exceeds 1.5-6 times the activity of this isotope in conventional cement mixtures. When managing SSA and DFB, special attention should be paid to the content of metalloids such as As, B and Se, due to the high content of mobile forms of these elements in the mentioned materials.

Insights into baby disposable diapers sustainable application.

The sustainable use of baby disposable diapers is one of the issues currently being discussed to reduce the undesirable impact on the environment and improve the public's understanding of the proper use of diapers. This issue is a step toward promoting a cleaner, greener, and waste-less environment. In this article, the authors discuss options for a viable future for both people and the planet. We believe that it inspire others in the field of sustainable use of diapers as well as future education in this area. In addition, we believe that it will be a motivation for a researchers working in industry to be focused on the production of new, biodegradable baby diapers as well as on recycling baby diapers waste (for example as composite material for a structural and architectural component of the building).

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in disposable baby diapers: A facile determination method via salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In this paper we demonstrate the development of the extraction procedure of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from baby diapers along with their quantification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Apart from covering plastic foil, disposable baby diapers contain sorbents intended to absorb urine and feces. A hygroscopic, adsorptive, and tough-to-homogenize fibrous sorbent, represents an analytical challenge to analytical chemists. To address this issue we optimized and validated a novel extraction protocol including cryogenic homogenization, liquid-liquid extraction and further preconcentration by evaporation. By using deuterated internal standards in conjunction with matrix-matched calibration, high precision and accuracy were achieved. The limit of detection is estimated in the range of 0.041-0.221 ng/g (for fluorene and fluoranthene, respectively), which is far below the concentration currently assumed to be dangerous for children. The method was successfully applied to real samples available on the Polish market, and it was found that the amount of PAH compounds varies between manufacturers. Most diapers do not have all 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in their composition, but there is no diaper that is free of these compounds. The most abundant in diapers was acenaphthalene, where the concentration ranged from 1.6 ng/g diaper up to 362.4 ng/g. The lowest concentration in diapers is chrysene, which is not detected in most diapers. The article is a response to the lack of a harmonized analytical method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in disposable sanitary products for children.

How pesticides affect neonates? - Exposure, health implications and determination of metabolites.

This review covers key information related to the effects of pesticides on fetal and child health. All humans are exposed to environmental toxicants, however child's health, due to their high vulnerability, should be of special concern. They are continuously exposed to environmental xenobiotics including a wide variety of pesticides, and other pollutants. These compounds can enter the child's body through various routes, both during fetal life, in the first days of life with breast milk, as well as during environmental exposure in later years of life. Consequently, in the body, some of them are metabolized and excreted with urine or faces, while others accumulate in tissues causing toxic effects. This review will provide information on the types of pesticides, their pathways of uptake and metabolism in children's bodies. Determination of the impact of them on children's organism performance is possible through effective identification of these compounds and their metabolites in children's tissues and biofluids. Therefore, the main procedures for the determination of pesticides are reviewed and future trends in this field are indicated. We believe that this comprehensive review can be a good starting place for the future readers interested in the impact of environmental xenobiotics on the health of children as well as the aspects relates with the analytical methods that can be used for analysis and monitoring of these pollutants in children's tissues and biofluids.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in the baby's world - A harmful environment to the health of babies.

Globally, there has been a significant increase in awareness of the adverse effects of chemicals with known or suspected endocrine-acting properties on human health. Human exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) mainly occurs by ingestion and to some extent by inhalation and dermal uptake. Although it is difficult to assess the full impact of human exposure to EDCs, it is well known that timing of exposure is of importance and therefore infants are more vulnerable to EDCs and are at greater risk compared to adults. In this regard, infant safety and assessment of associations between prenatal exposure to EDCs and growth during infancy and childhood has been received considerable attention in the last years. Hence, the purpose of this review is to provide a current update on the evidence from biomonitoring studies on the exposure of infants to EDCs and a comprehensive view of the uptake, the mechanisms of action and biotransformation in baby/human body. Analytical methods used and concentration levels of EDCs in different biological matrices (e.g., placenta, cord plasma, amniotic fluid, breast milk, urine, and blood of pregnant women) are also discussed. Finally, key issues and recommendations were provided to avoid hazardous exposure to these chemicals, taking into account family and lifestyle factors related to this exposure.