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Toxics
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Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk...
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Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2023) | Viewed by 7089

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hongkai Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Interests: emerging contaminants; biomonitoring; exposure assessment; bio-availability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Interests: emerging contaminants; persistent organic pollutants; environmental chemistry; environmental behavior; risk assessment
Prof. Dr. Hongwen Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Interests: persistent organic pollutants; environmental chemistry; soil remediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The production of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is relatively recent, dating to the boom in industrial production. It has aroused environmentalists and public concerns. As its name implies, once released into the environment, POPs remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time; some can even last for many years and become widely distributed across the environment due to natural processes involving soil, water and air and may be further transported by wind and water, affecting people and wildlife far from where they are used or released. As a result, POPs can be found virtually everywhere on our planet at measurable concentrations. Additionally, POPs are usually lipophilic and, as such, accumulate by organisms in adipose tissue and pass from one species to the next throughout the food chain, ending in human body. More crucial is that exposure to POPs poses a threat to animals and the environment and has been linked to developmental defects, chronic illnesses and even death to human beings. Of the numerous POPs that are prevalent in our environment, 12 of the most persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals have been identified for priority action under the treaty known as the Stockholm Convention, as well as new ones of global concern that will be added once the treaty is in force.

The aim of this Special Issue on “Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment” is to publish high-quality papers of original research or review articles addressing, but not limited to, the following topics: (i) residual levels and bio-availability of legacy and novel POPs in the environment on the basis of monitoring approach; (ii) long-term monitoring data to evaluate the impact of climate change on environmental behaviors and ecological risk of POPs; and (iii) biomonitoring and epidemiological studies to determine the association between exposure to POPs and human health outcomes. Studies that are designed using a large-scale or long-term framework will be given high priority.

Dr. Hongkai Zhu
Dr. Yu Wang
Prof. Dr. Hongwen Sun
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. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • POPs
  • environmental behaviors
  • bioaccumulation
  • biomonitoring
  • ecotoxicological risk
  • climate change
  • human exposure

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 1244 KiB  
Article
Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in the Sediment of the East China Sea and Yellow Sea: Distribution, Composition, and Ecological Risks
by Xiaoying Li, Haiqiang Guo, Jianyao Hong, Yuan Gao, Xindong Ma and Jiping Chen
Toxics 2023, 11(7), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070558 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1171
Abstract
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a class of complex mixtures synthesized from polychlorinated n-alkanes, are widely used as flame retardants, plasticizers, lubricant additives, coolants, metalworking cutting fluids, and sealants. This study investigated the spatial distribution, the potential pollution sources, and ecological risk of 24 short-chain [...] Read more.
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), a class of complex mixtures synthesized from polychlorinated n-alkanes, are widely used as flame retardants, plasticizers, lubricant additives, coolants, metalworking cutting fluids, and sealants. This study investigated the spatial distribution, the potential pollution sources, and ecological risk of 24 short-chain CPs (SCCPs) and 24 medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) from 29 surface marine sediment samples from the East China Sea and Yellow Sea in September 2019. All of the 48 CPs were detected. The concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs ranged from 0.703 to 13.4 ng/g dw and 0.0936 to 4.19 ng/g dw, respectively. C10 congeners showed the highest abundancy. The median concentrations of the SCCPs and MCCPs declined gradually with carbon atoms and chlorine atoms, except for Cl5 congeners. Spatial variations showed that all CP congeners in the East China Sea were larger than in the Yellow Sea and displayed a point-source-type distribution, which is consistent with the industrial park distribution. Although the potential ecological risk was at a relatively low level, bioaccumulation and trophic magnification could amplify the risk to marine organisms. Our results provide data support and theoretical assistance for SCCP and MCCP pollution control and sewage outlets in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment)
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15 pages, 3277 KiB  
Article
Urinary Levels of 14 Metal Elements in General Population: A Region-Based Exploratory Study in China
by Zining Zhang, Sai Guo, Liting Hua, Beibei Wang, Qiusheng Chen, Lu Liu, Li Xiang, Hongwen Sun and Hongzhi Zhao
Toxics 2023, 11(6), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11060488 - 27 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1448
Abstract
Metal pollution may lead to a variety of diseases; for this reason, it has become a matter of public concern worldwide. However, it is necessary to use biomonitoring approaches to assess the risks posed to human health by metals. In this study, the [...] Read more.
Metal pollution may lead to a variety of diseases; for this reason, it has become a matter of public concern worldwide. However, it is necessary to use biomonitoring approaches to assess the risks posed to human health by metals. In this study, the concentrations of 14 metal elements in 181 urine samples obtained from the general population of Gansu Province, China, were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Eleven out of fourteen target elements had detection frequencies above 85%, namely, Cr, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Al, Fe, Cu and Rb. The concentrations of most metal elements in the urine of our subjects corresponded to the medium levels of subjects in other regional studies. Gender exerted a significant influence (p < 0.05) on the concentrations of Tl, Rb and Zn. The concentrations of Ni, As, Pb, Sr, Tl, Zn, Cu and Se showed significant differences among different age groups and the age-related concentration trends varied among these elements. There were significant differences in the urine concentrations of Zn and Sr between those subjects in the group who were frequently exposed to soil (exposed soil > 20 min/day) and those in the group who were not, indicating that people in regular contact with soil may be more exposed to metals. This study provides useful information for evaluating the levels of metal exposure among general populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment)
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15 pages, 2154 KiB  
Article
Face Mask: As a Source or Protector of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Phthalate Plasticizers?
by Jiong Cao, Yumeng Shi, Mengqi Yan, Hongkai Zhu, Shucong Chen, Ke Xu, Lei Wang and Hongwen Sun
Toxics 2023, 11(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11020087 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5181
Abstract
Wearing masks has become the norm during the Coronavirus disease pandemic. Masks can reportedly interface with air pollutants and release microplastics and plastic additives such as phthalates. In this study, an experimental device was set up to simulate the impact of five kinds [...] Read more.
Wearing masks has become the norm during the Coronavirus disease pandemic. Masks can reportedly interface with air pollutants and release microplastics and plastic additives such as phthalates. In this study, an experimental device was set up to simulate the impact of five kinds of masks (activated-carbon, N95, surgical, cotton, and fashion masks) on the risk of humans inhaling microplastics and phthalates during wearing. The residual concentrations of seven major phthalates ranged from 296 to 72,049 ng/g (median: 1242 ng/g), with the lowest and the highest concentrations detected in surgical (median: 367 ng/g) and fashion masks (median: 37,386 ng/g), respectively. During the whole inhalation simulation process, fragmented and 20–100 μm microplastics accounted for the largest, with a rapid release during the first six hours. After one day’s wearing, that of 6 h, while wearing different masks, 25–135 and 65–298 microplastics were inhaled indoors and outdoors, respectively. The total estimated daily intake of phthalates with indoor and outdoor conditions by inhalation and skin exposure ranged from 1.2 to 13 and 0.43 to 14 ng/kg bw/d, respectively. Overall, surgical masks yield a protective effect, while cotton and fashion masks increase human exposure to microplastics and phthalates both indoors and outdoors compared to no mask wearing. This study observed possible risks from common facemasks and provided suggestions to consumers for selecting suitable masks to reduce exposure risks from microplastics and phthalate acid. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment)
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13 pages, 2376 KiB  
Article
Novel Brominated Flame Retardants in Dust from E-Waste-Dismantling Workplace in Central China: Contamination Status and Human Exposure Assessment
by Xuelin Li, Yu Wang, Wenbin Bai, Qiuyue Zhang, Leicheng Zhao, Zhipeng Cheng, Hongkai Zhu and Hongwen Sun
Toxics 2023, 11(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11010058 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2373
Abstract
Novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) have been widely used as alternatives to legacy BFRs. However, information on the contamination status and human exposure risks of electronic waste (e-waste)-derived NBFRs in the e-waste workplace is limited. In this study, six NBFRs and the legacy [...] Read more.
Novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) have been widely used as alternatives to legacy BFRs. However, information on the contamination status and human exposure risks of electronic waste (e-waste)-derived NBFRs in the e-waste workplace is limited. In this study, six NBFRs and the legacy BFRs, hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), were analyzed in 50 dust samples from an e-waste-dismantling workplace in Central China. The dust concentration of NBFRs in e-waste-dismantling workshops (median, 157–169 ng/g) was found to be significantly higher than those in an outdoor environment (17.3 ng/g) (p < 0.01). Differently, the highest median concentration of HBCDs was found in dust from the dismantling workshop for cellphones and computers (367 ng/g) among studied areas. The bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromo-phthalate (BEHTBP) was the predominant compound, which contributed 66.0–88.0% of measured NBFR concentrations. NBFRs might originate from plastic and rubber materials in wastes based on the correlation and principal component analysis. Moreover, the total estimated daily intakes (average scenario) of NBFRs were calculated at 2.64 × 10−2 ng/kg bw/d and 2.91× 10−2 ng/kg bw/d for the male and female dismantling workers, respectively, via dust ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact pathways, which were lower than the reference dose values, and thus indicated a limited human exposure risk for NBFRs at the current level. Although the dust concentrations and daily intakes of NBFRs were still lower than those of other emerging pollutants (e.g., organophosphate and nitrogenous flame retardants) measured in the same sampling set, the elevated levels of NBFRs suggested the progressive BFR replacement process in China, which deserves more attention regarding their adverse effects on both the environment and human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Persistent Organic Pollutants in Environment: Bioaccumulation, Biomonitoring and Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment)
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