Source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of PAHs in surface sediments from the Liaodong Bay,northern China

The sources and ecological risk from sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediment in the Liaodong Bay were investigated from 2014 to 2015.The total concentrations of PAHs ranged from 88.5 to 347.1 ng/g,and the high value occurred in the central region of the Liaodong Bay.Cluster analysis identified two site clusters representing the coastal region affected by land-based pollution and the central region of the Liaodong Bay.Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression and diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs contaminants originated from a mixture of combustion and petroleum sources,and the major was combustion sources.Based on sediment quality guideline,naphthalene,acenaphthylene,acenaphthene,phenanthrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene may occasionally cause adverse biological effects in some stations.The toxic equivalent concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs indicated low carcinogenic risk for the Liaodong Bay.The ecological risk and toxic pollution levels of PAHs were higher in the central region than in the coastal region along the Liaodong Bay.

Perfluoroalkyl substances and organochlorine pesticides in sediments from Huaihe watershed in China

Twelve perfluoroalkyl substances （PFASs） and nine organochlorine pesticides （OCPs） were quantified in surface sediments from the Huaihe River, China, along which there are intensive industrial and agricultural activities. Concentrations of PFASs ranged from 0.06 to 0.46 ng/g dry weight （dw）, and concentrations of OCPs ranged from 1.48 to 32.65 ng/g dw. Compared with other areas in China, concentrations of PFASs were lesser than the national mean value, while concentrations of OCPs were moderate. Concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid （PFOA） and perfluorooctane sulfonate （PFOS） ranged from n.d. （not detected） to 0.03 and n.d. to 0.10 ng/g dw, respectively. Among the three groups of OCPs, mean concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexane and its isomers （HCHs）, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites （DDTs） and hexachlorobenzene （HCB） were 5.62 ± 4.35, 2.43 ± 3.12 and 1.55 ± 4.17 ng/g dw, respectively. Concentrations of HCHs and DDTs decreased from upstream to downstream along the mainstream of the Huaihe River. When compared to sediment quality guidelines （SQGs）, concentrations of HCHs, DDTs and HCB would pose adverse biological effects. In general, contamination by PFASs in the upstream of the Huaihe River was more severe than that in the downstream, which was mainly caused by interception from dams, locks and industrial emissions. And OCPs from tributaries, especially the Yinghe River and Wohe River, were higher than those from Huaihe mainstream, and primarily came from historical inputs.

Determination of hexabromocyclododecanes in sediments from the Haihe River in China by an optimized HPLC–MS–MS method

Hexabromocyclododecanes（HBCDs）,a new type of persistent organic pollutants widely used as brominated flame retardants,have attracted wide attention due to their increasing level and toxicity. A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry（HPLC–MS–MS）in electrospray ionization mode has been developed by optimization of various parameters,which effectively improved the separation degree and responsive intensity of α-,β-and γ-HBCD isomers. The concentrations and distribution profiles of three HBCD isomers were investigated in sediments from the Haihe River in China.It was observed that the concentrations of HBCDs varied in the range of 0.4–58.82 ng/g,showing a decreasing trend along the flow direction,possibly due to attenuation and biodegradation along the flow direction of the Haihe River. The distribution profile of α-,β-,γ-HBCD was 7.91%–88.6%,0–91.47%,and 0.62%–42.83%,respectively. Interestingly,α-HBCD dominated in most sample sites. This was different from the distribution profile in commercial industrial products,which might be attributed to the inter-transformation and different degradation rates of the three HBCD isomers. The potential ecological risk of HBCDs in sediment was characterized under the two-tiered procedure of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency for environmental risk assessment. Although the HBCDs in the selected section of the Haihe River presented ＂no risk＂ in the sediment compartment,its risk in sediment cannot be neglected since sediment is one of the important sinks and reservoirs of pollutants.

Recent advances in pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the surface water and sediments in China

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products （PPCPs） have been regarded as an emerging problem in the surface water environment in the past few decades. In China, although related studies were initiated several years ago, an increasing number of studies on this topic have been conducted in recent years. These studies have expanded knowledge of their occurrence, behavior and associated risk in the surface water environment in China. This review compiles the most recent literature related to the studies of PPCPs in the surface water environment in China. It includes PPCP occurrence in surface water and sediments, their geographical distribution, and outcomes of the associated risk assessment. It shows that antibiotics have received much more attention in both surface water and sediments than other PPCPs. Compared to other countries; most antibiotics in the collected sediments in China showed higher contamination levels. Many more study areas have been covered in recent years; however, attention has been given to only specific areas. Environmental risk assessment based on risk quotients indicated that sulfamethoxazole presents the most significant environmental risk to relevant aquatic organisms; followed by ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, 17α-ethynylestradiol, ibuprofen and diclofenac. Despite limited research on the environmental risk assessment of PPCPs in sediments, higher risks posed by PPCPs in the sediments rather than surfhce water were identified highlighting the need for further risk assessment of PPCPs in sediment samples.