Tissue distribution of legacy and emerging per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in several kinds of edible fishes collected from Meiliang bay of Taihu Lake, China were investigated and the related human health risks were assessed. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester (6:2 diPAP) were the most abundant legacy perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA), PFOS related precursor (PreFOS), and the emerging PFASs in all fish tissues, respectively. Similar to the legacy PFAAs, 6:2 diPAP and 6:6 perfluorophosphinate (6:6 PFPiA) had the highest levels in the fish liver, whereas the highest level of PFOSA was in kidney, which might be due to its intensive transformation in fish liver. The concentrations of PFASs were generally positively correlated with the trophic levels. The profiles of PFASs were significantly different among bitterling, crucian and other fish, which might be related to their different metabolic capacities. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of PreFOSs, 6:2 diPAP, and 6:6 PFPiA were lower than those of PFAAs with the same number of perfluorinated carbons. The calculated hazard ratios (HR) of PFOS (Range: 0.0100–0.655) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (<0.00200) in all fish muscles were less than 1.0. However, the HR of the ∑PFASs in crucian muscle was 1.04, which implied that frequent consumption of crucian collected from Meiliang Bay might pose potential risks to human health.

Phosphorus (P) discharges from human activities result in eutrophication of lakes. We investigated whether the forms of phosphorus (P) in rivers with high effluent loads flowing through urban areas of Sapporo, Japan, were transformed when transported downstream into a eutrophic lake, namely Lake Barato. We hypothesized that the inorganic P supplied from the rivers might be transformed to organic forms in the lake. The results showed that soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and particulate inorganic phosphorus (PIP) dominated in the river discharge to the lake. Suspended solids in the rivers were rich in iron (Fe) so PIP was associated with Fe. A comparison of the concentrations at the river mouth and 4.5 km downstream showed that the concentrations of SRP and PIP were lower at 4.5 km downstream than at the river mouth, whereas the concentrations of organic P (i.e., dissolved organic phosphorus and particulate organic phosphorus) were similar. The results from solution ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of lake water showed that pyrophosphate was only present in the particulate fraction, while orthophosphate diesters (DNA-P) were only present in the dissolved fraction. Riverine samples contained orthophosphate (ortho-P) only, while lake samples contained ortho-P, orthophosphate monoesters, and DNA-P. The results suggest that the P forms, particularly those of dissolved P, shifted from inorganic to organic forms as the water was discharged from the river to the lake.

A substantial increase in the usage of organophosphate esters (OPEs) as flame retardants and plasticizers in rubbers, textiles, upholstered furniture, lacquers, plastics, building materials and electronic equipment has resulted in their increasing concentrations in the environment over time. However, little is known about the concentrations and fate of OPEs and their metabolites (mOPEs) in biota, including chicken eggs. The aim of this study was to understand the spatial variation in the concentrations in chicken eggs and the partitioning between yolk and albumin. In total, 153 chicken eggs were purchased across Australia and analysed for 9 OPEs and 11 mOPE. Most of the compounds were found to be deposited in egg yolk, where diphenyl phosphate (DPHP, 3.8 ng/g wet weight, median) and tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP, 1.8 ng/g wet weight, median) were predominant mOPE and OPE, respectively. Moreover, no spatial differences in concentrations of OPEs and mOPEs in eggs purchased from different locations were found in this study. Although comparable levels of ∑OPEs were detected in egg yolk and albumin, much higher concentrations of ∑mOPEs were found in yolk than albumin. Meanwhile, a negative correlation (R² = 0.964, p = 0.018) was found between the molecular mass of analytes and partitioning coefficient of Cyₒₗₖ/Cyₒₗₖ₊ₐₗbᵤₘᵢₙ (defined as chemical concentration in egg yolk divided by the sum of chemical concentrations in both yolk and albumin). These results indicate that n-octanol/water partition coefficients (log KOW) may not be a crucial factor in the distribution of OPEs and mOPEs between egg yolk and albumin, which is important in understanding distribution of emerging organic contaminants in biota.

The present investigation represents a new approach useful to evaluate the general population risk correlated with environmental exposure to air dispersed inorganic fibers. The used method is based on the evaluation of the respirable inorganic fibers both air dispersed in a big city and contained in lungs of the general population following their respiration. Moreover, these data allow to identify the sources of dispersion (anthropogenic or natural) in air of the inorganic fibers and therefore to apply strategies to improve air quality. To describe this approach, we investigated air samples from a big city in NW Italy and lung inorganic burden of people here lived. This paper reports the data of the airborne inorganic fibers detected in two sampling campaign (2014 and 2016), in 24 districts of Torino (Piemonte - NW Italy), and in some autoptic lungs of general population lived here. The airborne fibers (collected on mixed-cellulose esters membrane) were characterized by SEMEDS. The identified inorganic fiber species were assigned to 5 classes, one of these including 2 types of asbestos. These last are grouped as tremolite/actinolite asbestos. They are dispersed from natural sources (i.e. certain kinds of rocks outcropping in the city surrounding areas). In no-one of the 24 districts of Torino their concentration highlighted a situation of asbestos pollution in place.A correlation with inorganic fibers (collected on mixed-cellulose esters membrane and characterized by SEM-EDS) detected in lung tissue samples of 10 subjects lived in Torino all their life and without professional exposure to asbestos were attempted. The only types of fibers identified as asbestos are tremolite/actinolite asbestos, and they match those detected in air sampling. The number of fibers per 1 g of tissue dry weight is lower than the quantities reported as indicative of significant asbestos exposure. We observed interesting gender differences.

The emission and deposition of global atmospheric phosphorus (P) have long been considered unbalanced, and primary biogenic aerosol particles (PBAP) and phosphine (PH₃) are considered to be the only atmospheric P sources from the ecosystem. In this work, we found and quantified volatile organic phosphorus (VOP) emissions from plants unaccounted for in previous studies. In a greenhouse in which lemons were cultivated, the atmospheric total phosphorus (TP) concentration of particulate matter (PM) was 41.8% higher than that in a greenhouse containing only soil, and the proportion of organic phosphorus (OP) in TP was doubled. ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance tests (³¹P-NMR) of PM showed that phosphate monoesters were the main components contributed by plants in both the greenhouse and at an outside observation site. Atmospheric gaseous P was directly measured to be 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than P in PM but appeared to double during plant growing seasons relative to other months. Bag-sampling and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) tests showed that the gaseous P emitted by plants in the greenhouse was triethyl phosphate. VOP might be an important component of atmospheric P that has been underestimated in previous studies.

The atmospheric concentrations of 14 organophosphate esters (OPEs) were monitored by passive air sampling at 33 sites to determine their spatial distributions, and seasonal variations (summer and winter) in Tianjin, North China. The total concentrations of the OPEs (∑₉OPEs) in the summer ranged from 0.08 to 1113 ng/sample with a median of 98.4 ng/sample, which was non-statistically different from the concentrations obtained in the winter (which ranged from 1.93 to 548 ng/sample with a median of 46.2 ng/sample). Among the observed OPEs, the concentrations of TnBP and TCiPP were statistically higher in the summer compared with the winter (p < 0.05). For grouped OPEs, only a significantly higher level of chlorinated OPEs was found in summer than that in winter. In the winter, spatial differences were found to be significantly different between the concentrations of TnBP, TiBP, TCEP, and TEHP in the suburban and rural areas (p < 0.05). Considering the possible point-sources, in the summer, the concentrations of TDCPP, TCiPP, DPEHP, TEHP, and the total concentration of TCPs (denoted as ∑₃TCP, comprised of the concentrations of TCP, TmCP, and ToCP) in an electronic-waste (e-waste) dismantling area were higher than those obtained at the other sampling sites. ∑₉OPEs at the e-waste site and another site located near a manufacturing plant of organophosphate flame retardants (OFRs) were both higher than the median concentrations obtained at the other sampling sites, and TCiPP was the most abundant pollutant. In the winter, the concentrations of ∑₉OPEs at the e-waste site were still higher than their median concentrations at the other sites. Because OPEs are used in aircraft lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids, an airport was thought to be another important source of TiBP and TPhP in the present study. Therefore, the e-waste site, airport, and OFR manufacturing plant may be the major sources of OPEs in the environment.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely used as flame retardants, plasticizers and defoamers and their exposure are likely associated with a number of adverse effects in humans. In this study, tris(chloroethyl) phosphate and thirteen OPE metabolites including six hydroxylated OPEs (HO-OPEs) were analyzed in 46 urine samples, collected from 8 provinces located across different regions in China. 1-Hydroxy-2-propyl bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPHIPP) and 2-hydroxyethyl bis(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (BBOEHEP) were major metabolites of their parent compounds with detection frequencies of 54.3%–89.1%, which were all higher than their corresponding OPE diesters (2.2%–6.5%). The urine-based estimated daily intake (EDI) of OPEs ranged from 0.06 ng/kg·bw for tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP) to 273 ng/kg·bw for 2-ethylhexyl phenyl phosphate. Analyzed with concentrations in paired dust samples, dust exposure to OPEs and their diesters may explain 0.28%–23.8% of the urine-based EDI of OPEs and the contribution of dust TBOEP was the highest. Although direct exposure to OPE diesters in dust showed a minor contribution, their intake via food and drinking water may account for a larger portion of urinary OPE metabolites. Overall, the hazard quotients of four OPEs indicated no immediate exposure risk for the investigated Chinese residents but the cumulative and long-term chronic effects involving exposure to other OPEs and OPE diesters are worth further concerns.

Inhalation exposure to flame retardants used as additives to minimize fire risk and plasticizers is ubiquitous in human daily activities, but has not been adequately assessed. To address this research gap, the present study conducted an assessment of human health risk for four age groups through inhalation exposure to size fractionated particle-bound and gaseous halogenated flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs)) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) at indoor and outdoor environments (school, office, and residence) in three districts of a megacity (Guangzhou, China). Results demonstrated that OPEs were the dominant components among all targets. Indoor daily intakes of PBDEs and OPEs were 13–16 times greater than outdoor levels for all age groups. Gaseous OPEs contributed significantly greater than particle-bound compounds to daily intakes of all target compounds. Based on the different life scenarios, hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental life cancer risk (ILCR) from adults exposure to PBDEs and OPEs in indoor and outdoor settings were the greatest, followed by adolescents, children, and seniors. The estimated HQ and ILCR for all age groups both indoors and outdoors were lower than the safe level (HQ = 1 and ILCR = 10−6), indicating that the potential health risk for local residents in Guangzhou via inhalation exposure to atmospheric halogenated flame retardants and OPEs was low.

Based on distinct land-use categories, a sampling campaign was carried out at eight locations across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area in 2016–2017. Source sectors’ dependent patterns of atmospheric concentrations of 9 organophosphate esters (OPEs), 9 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 5 novel flame retardants (NFRs) showed dominance of OPEs and PBDEs at highly commercialised urban and traffic sites, while NFRs, were dominant at residential sites. Overall, average concentrations of Σ₉OPEs (1790 pg/m³) were two orders of magnitude higher than Σ₉PBDEs (9.17 pg/m³) and Σ₅NFRs (8.14 pg/m³). The atmospheric concentrations of given chemical classes also showed a general trend of lower levels in winter as compared to summer months. Statistically significant negative correlations between the natural logarithm of concentrations and inverse of temperature for some OPEs and PBDEs highlighted the role of volatilization from local sources at given sites as primarily influencing their atmospheric concentrations. Overall, this study adds to the current knowledge of urban settings as a major emitter of the chemicals of emerging concern and their replacements, as well as the ongoing problem of phased out PBDEs due to their presence in existing inventories of commercial/recycled products. It is recommended that long-term monitoring programs targeting flame retardants (FRs) include urban sites, which provide an early indicator of effectiveness of control measures of targeted FRs, while at the same time providing information on emission sources and trends of replacement FR chemicals.

The role of sediment–bound organic phosphorus (Pₒ) as an additional nutrient source is a component of internal P budgets in lake system that is usually neglected. Here we examined the relative importance of sediment Pₒ to internal P load and the role of bioavailable Pₒ in algal growth in Lake Erhai, China. Lake Erhai sediment extractable Pₒ accounted for 11–43% (27% average) of extractable total P, and bioavailable Pₒ accounted for 21–66% (40%) of Pₒ. The massive storage of bioavailable Pₒ represents an important form of available P, essential to internal loads. The bioavailable Pₒ includes mainnly labile monoester P and diester P was identified in the sequential extractions by H₂O, NaHCO₃, NaOH, and HCl. 40% of H₂O−Pₒ, 39% of NaHCO₃−Pₒ, 43% of NaOH−Pₒ, and 56% of HCl−Pₒ can be hydrolyzed to labile monoester and diester P, suggesting that the bioavailability of Pₒ fractions was in decreasing order as follows: HCl−Pₒ > NaOH−Pₒ > H₂O−Pₒ > NaHCO₃−Pₒ. It is implied that traditional sequential fractionation of Pₒ might overestimate the availability of labile Pₒ in sediments. Furthermore, analysis of the environmental processes of bioavailable Pₒ showed that the stabler structure of dissloved organic matter (DOM) alleviated the degradation and release of diester P, abundant alkaline phosphatase due to higher algal biomass promoted the degradation of diester P. The stability of DOM structure and the degradation of diester P might responsible for the spatial differences of labile monoester P. The biogeochemical cycle of bioavailable Pₒ replenishs available P pools in overlying water and further facilitate algal growth during the algal blooms. Therefore, to control the algal blooms in Lake Erhai, an effective action is urgently required to reduce the accumulation of Pₒ in sediments and interrupt the supply cycle of bioavailable Pₒ to algal growth.