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Environmental Toxicology and... Apr 2024Endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs) pose significant health risks, including cancer, behavioral disorders, and infertility. In this study, we employed the...
Endocrine disruptors chemicals (EDCs) pose significant health risks, including cancer, behavioral disorders, and infertility. In this study, we employed the photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) technique with optimized tungsten oxide (WO) nanostructures as a photoanode to degrade three diverse EDCs: methiocarb, dimethyl phthalate, and 4-tert-butylphenol. PEC degradation tests were carried out for individual contaminants and a mixture of them, assessing efficiency across different EDC families. Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry was used to control the course of the experiments. For individual solutions, 4-tert-butylphenol and methiocarb were 100% degraded at 1 hour of PEC degradation. Among the tested EDCs, dimethyl phthalate showed the highest resistance to degradation when treated individually. However, when assessed in a mixture with the other EDCs, the degradation efficiency of dimethyl phthalate increased compared to its individual treatment. Furthermore, four degradation intermediates were identified for each contaminant. Finally, toxicity tests revealed that the initial solution was more toxic than the samples treated for all the contaminants tested, except for the phthalate.
Topics: Humans; Endocrine Disruptors; Methiocarb; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Phenols; Phthalic Acids
PubMed: 38499263
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2024.104420 -
Environmental Research May 2024This study investigates for the first time the contamination of water and sediment of the Venice Lagoon by twenty Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs): three...
This study investigates for the first time the contamination of water and sediment of the Venice Lagoon by twenty Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs): three hormones, six pharmaceutical compounds (diclofenac and five antibiotics, three of which are macrolides), nine pesticides (methiocarb, oxadiazon, metaflumizone, triallate, and five neonicotinoids), one antioxidant (BHT), and one UV filter (EHMC). Water and sediment samples were collected in seven sites in four seasons, with the aim of investigating the occurrence, distribution, and possible emission sources of the selected CECs in the studied transitional environment. The most frequently detected contaminants in water were neonicotinoid insecticides (with a frequency of quantification of single contaminants ranging from 73% to 92%), and EHMC (detected in the 77% of samples), followed by BHT (42%), diclofenac (39%), and clarithromycin (35%). In sediment the highest quantification frequencies were those of BHT (54%), estrogens (ranging from 35% to 65%), and azithromycin (46%). Although this baseline study does not highlight seasonal or spatial trends, results suggested that two of the major emission sources of CECs in the Venice Lagoon could be tributary rivers from its drainage basin and treated wastewater, due to the limited removal rates of some CECs in WWTPs. These preliminary results call for further investigations to better map priority emission sources and improve the understanding of CECs environmental behavior, with the final aim of drawing up a site-specific Watch List of CECs for the Venice Lagoon and support the design of more comprehensive monitoring plans in the future.
Topics: Geologic Sediments; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Italy; Environmental Monitoring; Pesticides; Pharmaceutical Preparations
PubMed: 38331156
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118401 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024The presence of pesticides in aquatic ecosystems poses significant risks to non-target organisms, necessitating monitoring and environmental risk assessment. This study...
The presence of pesticides in aquatic ecosystems poses significant risks to non-target organisms, necessitating monitoring and environmental risk assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics and environmental risk of pesticides in a hydro-agricultural area with intensive agricultural practices, in the Mediterranean region (South of Portugal). Seasonality and location influenced pesticide numbers and concentrations, with the highest levels observed during the dry season. Triazines, phenylureas, and organophosphates were the predominant pesticide classes, with terbuthylazine, bentazone, terbutryn, diazinon, and metolachlor exhibiting the highest detection frequencies (68 % to 72 %). Notably, 44 % of the quantified pesticides are no longer authorized in Portugal, with 33 % posing a high environmental risk. Some insecticides, including imidacloprid, methiocarb, and malathion, were occasionally detected at concentrations that posed high risks to the aquatic ecosystem (RQ ≥ 1). Irgarol, an algicide used in irrigation canals, presented a high risk in 91 % of the analysed samples. The study's distribution profile of pesticides revealed a significant transportation of these compounds from reservoirs to irrigation hydrants, establishing them as a secondary source of crop and environmental contamination. Additionally, the assessment of spatial distribution and environmental risk allowed for the identification of specific pollutants in different locations, prioritizing them based on their ecotoxicological risk to aquatic ecosystems. These findings reinforce the importance of implementing management measures at the level of hydro-agricultural areas, helping to stop the cycle of pesticide contamination. Only this type of strategy will make it possible to protect water quality, biodiversity and the health of citizens, contributing to the European Union's objectives of improving the condition of freshwater bodies and promoting the sustainable use of pesticides.
Topics: Pesticides; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Agriculture; Water Supply
PubMed: 38278229
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170304