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Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices

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A special issue of Pollutants (ISSN 2673-4672). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Monitoring".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 17163

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Barreca

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 25, 20131 Milan, Italy
2. ARPA Lombardia, UOC Lab Milano, Sede Lab Monza & Brianza, Via Solferino 16, I-20900 Monza, MB, Italy
Interests: analytical chemistry; environmental chemistry; HPLC; mass spectrometry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Santino Orecchio

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Guest Editor

Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Interests: analytical chemistry; environmental chemistry; chemistry of cultural heritage; environmental impact assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the last few years, assessment of pollutants in complex matrices has received an increasing attention from scientific and governmental organizations.

The continuous development of industrial societies and the increasing needs of the population worldwide have led to the extensive and intensive use of new substances and materials, which have given rise to widespread pollution phenomena. Understanding the transfer, accumulation, and fate of toxic substances in matrices is necessary to assess risks to ecosystems and human health.

For these reasons, researchers have developed and validated analytical methods that can identify and quantify different trace pollutants in often complex matrices, such as food and environmental matrices.

The development of analytical techniques has involved the use of different types of extraction procedures and tools, in relation to the organic or inorganic nature of the pollutant.

This Special Issue of pollutants, “Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices“, aims to illustrate the latest research and advances in the analysis of pollutants in different matrices.

This Special Issue accepts contributions covering all aspects of research related to analytical chemistry and may also include several scientific macro-areas, such as food chemistry or environmental chemistry.

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Barreca
Prof. Dr. Santino Orecchio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pollutants is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

pollutants
complex matrices
trace levels
food
environment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

8 pages, 653 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantification of Platinum in Edible Mushrooms Using Voltammetric Techniques

by Diana Amorello and Santino Orecchio

Pollutants 2021, 1(4), 270-277; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants1040021 - 20 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2235

Abstract

Edible mushrooms are a food source with interesting nutritional values. The chief objective of this research was to develop a consistent method for the quantitative ultra-trace analysis of Pt in mushrooms, which is complex because it cannot be readily quantified by common analytical procedures. This research is one of the first analytical methods to establish Pt amount in these vegetables. In this research, 28 different edible mushroom samples from Italy were investigated. Determination of Pt in mushrooms was completed using Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV). In this study, we applied the standard addition method because there are no certified reference mushrooms containing platinum group elements on the market. The platinum quantification limit was 0.03 µg kg⁻¹ d.w. In the analyzed samples, platinum amount was in the range of 0.03–73 µg kg⁻¹. Our mushroom samples had a Pt content lower than the concentrations recommended by international establishments for other foodstuffs. In the future, the optimized method could be used for the analysis of plant and animal matrices intended for food supply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices)

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10 pages, 243 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of Antibiotics, Pesticides, Herbicides, Fungicides and Hormones in Water Bodies in Italy in Occurrence with European Watch List Mechanism by Using an UHPLC-MS/MS System: Method Validation, Quantification and Evaluations

by Salvatore Barreca, Maddalena Busetto, Carola Forni, Luisa Colzani, Laura Clerici, Daniela Daverio, Stefania Balzamo, Elisa Calabretta, Massimo Peleggi and Pierluisa Dellavedova

Pollutants 2021, 1(4), 207-216; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants1040017 - 25 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2862

Abstract

In recent years, the quality of aquatic ecosystems has received increasing attention from European institutions. The Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/840 drafted a Watch List (WL) of compounds to be monitored in Europe. In this study, we report a method based on solid phase extraction with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) to analyze the whole water sample. The method was developed and validated for the determination of 12 listed compounds. The employment of solid-phase extraction by a horizon system ensures the analysis of the entire body of samples and minimizes sample manipulation. Different ng L⁻¹ detection limits (from 2 to 50 ng L⁻¹), linearities (from 2 to 500 ng L⁻¹), accuracy (from 70 to 130%) and levels of precision (RSD less 20% at LOQs levels) were assessed to be satisfactory for quantification and confirmation at the levels of interest. The developed method was applied for quantitative analysis for Watch List compounds (with the exception of hormones) in surface water samples from different Italian sites during monitoring activities by the Regional Environmental Protection Agencies in the years 2019 and 2020. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices)

13 pages, 4621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bisphenol A: Quantification in Complex Matrices and Removal by Anaerobic Sludges

by Justus Hardegen, Patrick Braeutigam, Christian Abendroth and Thomas Wichard

Pollutants 2021, 1(4), 194-206; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants1040016 - 14 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3226

Abstract

The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most commonly found micropollutants in the environment. However, the biodegradation of BPA under anaerobic (methanogenic) conditions is still an understudied process in wastewater treatment systems. The current study thus addresses the need for a simple and user-friendly analytical method for the rapid and accurate quantification of BPA in complex matrices such as digested and co-digester sludges. We established a microwave-assisted extraction method, followed by derivatization and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to quantify BPA by comparing it with a deuterated internal standard. The BPA removal capabilities of three digester sludges and three co-digester sludges were examined under mesophilic methanogenic conditions in biogas plants. The endogenous BPA concentration (dry weight) ranged from 1596 to 10,973 µg kg⁻¹ in digested sewage sludges, and from below the limit of quantification to 9069 µg kg⁻¹ in co-digester sludges. When BPA was added to the sludges, the removal capabilities ranged from not significant to 50% after 21 days of incubation. Biogas production was unaffected by the addition of BPA (228 µg kg⁻¹) to the aqueous sludge. The study demonstrated that BPA could be removed under anaerobic conditions in accustomed inoculates. The findings have far-reaching implications for understanding BPA persistence and detoxification under anaerobic conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices)

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8 pages, 241 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Trace Metal Levels and Nutrient Characteristics of Crude Oil-Contaminated Soil Amended with Biochar–Humus Sediment Slurry

by Nnanake-Abasi O. Offiong, Edu J. Inam, Helen S. Etuk, Godwin A. Ebong, Akwaowo I. Inyangudoh and Francis Addison

Pollutants 2021, 1(3), 119-126; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants1030010 - 23 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3071

Abstract

Biochar utilization for environmental remediation applications has become very popular. We investigated the trace metal levels and soil nutrient characteristics of a biochar–humus sediment slurry treatment of a simulated crude oil-contaminated soil in the present work. The results revealed that biochar prepared at moderate pyrolysis temperature (500 °C) could still retain a significantly higher nutrient content than those prepared at high temperatures (700 and 900 °C). Despite the suitability for soil treatment, one-pot treatment studies seem not to be very effective for monitoring trace metal sorption to biochar because trace metals do not biodegrade and remain in the system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 2029 KiB

Open AccessReview

An Overview of the Glucocorticoids’ Pathways in the Environment and Their Removal Using Conventional Wastewater Treatment Systems

by Munshi Md. Shafwat Yazdan, Md Tanvir Ahad, Zayed Mallick, Synthia Parveen Mallick, Ishrat Jahan and Mozammel Mazumder

Pollutants 2021, 1(3), 141-155; https://doi.org/10.3390/pollutants1030012 - 5 Jul 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4606

Abstract

Numerous micropollutants, especially endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), can pollute natural aquatic environments causing great concern for human and ecosystem health. While most of the conversation revolves around estrogen and androgen, glucocorticoids (GCs) are also prevalent in natural waters. Despite the fact that GCs play a crucial role in both inflammatory and immunologic development activities, they are also detected in natural waters and considered as one of the EDCs. Although many researchers have mentioned the adverse effect of GCs on aquatic organisms, a complete management technology to remove these pollutants from surface and coastal waters is yet to be established. In the current study, six glucocorticoids (prednisone, prednisolone, cortisone, cortisol, dexamethasone, and 6R-methylprednisolone) have been selected according to their higher detection frequency in environmental waters. The concentration of selected GCs ranged from 0.05 ng/L to 433 ng/L and their removal efficiency ranged from 10% to 99% depending on the water source and associated removal technologies. Although advanced technologies are available for achieving successful removal of GCs, associated operational and economic considerations make implementation of these processes unsustainable. Further studies are necessary to resolve the entry routes of GCs compounds into the surface water or drinking water permanently as well as employ sustainable detection and removal technologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Trace Pollutants in Complex Matrices)

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