Smoked meat is widely consumed in many areas, particularly in rural southwest China. High concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoked meat could lead to adverse dietary exposure and health risks. In this study, 27 parent PAHs (pPAHs), 12 nitrated PAHs (nPAHs), and 4 oxygenated PAHs (oPAHs) were measured in coal- and wood-smoked meats. The median concentrations of pPAHs, nPAHs, and oPAHs were as high as 1.66 × 10³, 4.29, and 20.5 ng/g in the coal-smoked meat and 2.54 × 10³, 7.32, and 9.26 ng/g in the wood-smoked meat, respectively. Based on the relative potency factors of individual PAHs, the calculated toxic equivalent (TEQ) values of all pPAHs were 22.1 and 75.1 ng TEQ/g for the wood- and coal-smoked meats, respectively. The highest concentrations of PAHs can be found in the surface layer of skin and decrease exponentially with depth. Surface PAH concentrations correlated with concentrations of PAHs in household air and with the concentration in emission exhaust. Migration of PAHs from surface to interior portions of meat is faster in lean than in fat or skin, and oPAHs and pPAHs can penetrate deeper than pPAHs. The penetration ability of PAHs is negatively correlated with the molecular weight.

To collect a complete dataset regarding the occurrence of organic substances in groundwater, this study presents the examination of 66 organic contaminants in the groundwater of overseas departments, including pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, hormones and some industrial substances. The selective and sensitive analytical methods are described. These techniques begin with solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by analysis using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-ToF-MS). The paper summarises the analytical results from 40 sampling points collected during two campaigns in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte and Guiana, representing 80 samples. Of the 66 target substances, 36 were determined at least once. Among the most frequently detected are bisphenol A (frequency, 96 %; max., 7,400 ng/L), caffeine (frequency, 91 %; max., 1,240 ng/L), pentachlorophenol (frequency, 55 %; max., 418 ng/L), and carbamazepine (frequency, 56 %; max., 22 ng/L). The results do not put in evidence that the origin of the sample or climatic characteristics of these regions influence the dilution and release of micropollutants.

Lake Al-Asfar (Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia) is under threat from contaminants released through human activities such as agriculture and urban and industrial developments. In the present study, histopathologic and ultrastructural changes in liver of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were analyzed to monitor the possible impact of pollution in Al-Asfar estuary. Heavy metals such as Ni, Fe, Zn, Co, Ba, Pb, and Cd were predominant in the lake water and far exceeded the international permissible limits. In fish samples, high prevalences of preneoplastic changes (50 %) and one case of cholangiocarcinoma were revealed in liver tissues. Cytological damage in fish hepatocytes included glycogen exhaustion, deformation of nuclear envelope, heterochromatin condensation, mitochondrial degeneration, vesiculation of rough endoplasmic reticulum, augmentation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomal proliferation. In conclusion, the observed biomarker responses were potential indicators of health impairment or disease in field fish populations, although there was no direct proof of a simple cause–effect relationship. This is the first biological effect assessment in Lake Al-Asfar using tilapia as suitable target species.

Prenatal exposure to trace metals, whether they are essential, non-essential, or toxic, must be assessed for their potential health effects in the offspring. Herein is reported an approach to this end which involved collection of urine samples during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy from 489 mothers from Sabadell (Catalonia, Spain), a highly industrialized town. These samples were analyzed for cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), antimonium (Sb), cesium (Cs), thallium (Tl), and lead (Pb). An acid digestion method was developed and validated for inductively coupled plasma quadruple mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS) analysis of these 12 metals. The median concentrations of metals ranged from 0.13 to 290 μg/g creatinine, the highest levels were found for Zn and the lowest for Th. The mean concentrations of most metals except As, Ni, Th, and Pb showed statistically significant differences between both trimesters. The concentrations of Mo, Se, Cd, Cs, and Sb were higher in the first than in the third trimester, whereas the opposite was found for Co, Cu, and Zn. The concentrations of all metals in both sampling periods showed statistically significant correlations (p < 0.01 for Mo and Cu, p < 0.001 for the others). The significant correlations of metal urine concentrations in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy suggest that the observed differences between both periods are related to physiological changes. Accordingly, the measured urine concentrations during either the first or third trimesters can be used as estimates of exposure during pregnancy and can serve as markers for prenatal intake of these metals in the studied cohort.

The accumulation of heavy metals in farmland has become an important issue related to food security and environmental risk. The annual inputs of heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn) to agricultural soil for a full year in Hainan Island have been studied. Three fluxes through the cultivated horizon were considered: (1) atmospheric depositions, (2) fertilization, and (3) irrigation water. The corresponding samples were collected and analyzed on a large regional scale. The total input fluxes show obvious spatial variability among different regions. The inventory of heavy metal inputs to agricultural land demonstrates that agricultural soil is potentially at risk of heavy metal accumulation from irrigation water. The potential at risk of heavy metal accumulation from atmospheric deposition and fertilizer is relatively low compared to irrigation. The results indicate that Hg is the element of prior concern for agricultural soil, followed by Cd and As, and other heavy metal elements represent little threat to the environment in the study area. This work provides baseline information to develop policies to control and reduce toxic elements accumulated in agricultural soil.

The environmental occurrence and concentrations of cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins) were investigated in the Czech Republic. Concentrations of microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsin (CYN) or saxitoxins (STXs) were determined immunochemically by ELISA assays in 30 water samples collected from the surface layers of 19 reservoirs during the summer season of 2010. MCs were detected in 18 reservoirs and 83 % of samples, with median and maximal concentration being 1.5 and 18.6 μg/L, respectively. The high frequency of MC occurrence coincided with prevalence of cyanobacterium Microcystis sp., which was detected in 87 % samples, followed by Dolichospermum (Anabaena) sp. observed in 33 % samples. CYN was detected by ELISA only in one sample at a concentration of 1.2 μg/L. STXs presence was indicated for the first time in Czech water reservoirs when the toxins were found at low concentrations (0.03–0.04 μg/L) in two samples (7 %) collected from two different reservoirs, where STXs co-occurred with MCs and eventually also with CYN. In both STX-positive samples, the phytoplankton community was dominated by Microcystis sp., but Dolichospermum sp. and/or Aphanizomenon sp. were also present as putative producers of STX and/or CYN. Cyanotoxins commonly occurred in Czech water reservoirs, and MCs frequently at concentrations possibly associated with human health risks. MCs were the most prevalent and abundant cyanotoxins, but also other cyanotoxins were detected, though sporadically. Further research and regulatory monitoring of cyanotoxins other than MCs is therefore required.

The effects of the organic loading rate (OLR) on the performance and the granular sludge characteristics of an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor used for treating real traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) wastewater were investigated. Over 90 % of the COD removal by the EGSB reactor was observed at the OLRs of 4 to 13 kg COD/(m³ day). However, increasing the OLR to 20 kg COD/(m³ day) by reducing the hydraulic retention time (HRT 6 h) reduced the COD removal efficiency to 78 %. The volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration was 512.22 mg/L, resulting in an accumulation of VFAs, and propionic acid was the main acidification product, accounting for 66.51 % of the total VFAs. When the OLR increased from 10 to 20 kg COD/(m³ day), the average size of the granule sludge decreased from 469 to 258 μm. There was an obvious reduction in the concentration of Ca²⁺and Mg²⁺in the granular sludge. The visible humic acid-like peak was identified in the three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra of the soluble microbial products (SMPs). The fatty acid bond, amide II bond, amide III bond, and C–H bond bending were also observed in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the SMPs. Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanococcus, and Bacteria populations exhibited significant shifts, and these changes were accompanied by an increase in VFA production. The results indicated that a short HRT and high OLR in the EGSB reactor caused the accumulation of polysaccharides, protein, and VFAs, thereby inhibiting the activity of methanogenic bacteria and causing granular sludge corruption.

The effect of repeated chlorothalonil applications on its persistence and soil microbial activities were investigated in planted soil under greenhouse conditions. The results revealed that suppressed dissipation of chlorothalonil and the consequent accumulation of chlorothalonil and its toxic metabolite, 4-hydroxychlorothalonil, resulted from four successive applications at rates of 2, 4, and 10 kg a.i./ha. Soil respiration for 7 h (SR7) was slightly affected by chlorothalonil applications at all three levels, whereas soil respiration for 24 h (SR24) at 10 kg a.i./ha was reduced by 17.6–59.1 %, depending upon the frequency. This harmful effect of chlorothalonil on SR24 persisted throughout the experiment although it gradually weakened with time. A persistent inhibitory effect on soil dehydrogenase activity was also observed with repeated applications of chlorothalonil at 10 kg a.i./ha. This study indicated that repeated chlorothalonil applications may lead to the accumulation of chlorothalonil and its metabolite in soil under greenhouse conditions and thereby alter soil microbial activity.

Marine environments have been subjected to an increase in heavy metal pollution. Investigations were conducted in the bioaccumulation of heavy metals for both a benthic (Mullus barbatus) and a benthopelagic fish species (Pagellus erythrinus). The aim of this study was to examine the concentration levels of four metals in the body tissue of two fish species, in Pagasitikos Gulf in Greece, and to determine if metal concentration levels were affected by season, size, and species. Fish samples were collected monthly from September 2009 to August 2010. Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Cadmium (Cd) concentrations were measured in muscle, gills, vertebral column, and in the “remaining fish sample.” Statistical analysis pinpointed substantial differences in metal concentration levels between some size classes. Significant differences were observed between two fish species’ tissues concerning Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations. Cu and Zn concentrations varied amongst red mullet tissues as did Zn and Cd concentrations in common pandora. Ample variations were found seasonally in metal concentration levels; however, nonsignificant statistical differences were found among sexes.

In this report, we refer to pharmaceuticals that are widespread in the urban aquatic environment and that mainly originate from wastewater treatment plants or non-point source sewage as “wastewater-marking pharmaceuticals” (WWMPs). To some extent, they reflect the condition or trend of water contamination and also contribute to aquatic environmental risk assessment. The method reported here for screening typical WWMPs was proposed based on academic concerns about them and their concentrations present in the urban aquatic environment, as well as their properties of accumulation, persistence, eco-toxicity and related environmental risks caused by them. The screening system consisted of an initial screening system and a further screening system. In the former, pharmaceuticals were categorised into different evaluation levels, and in the latter, each pharmaceutical was given a normalised final evaluation score, which was the sum of every score for its properties of accumulation, persistence, eco-toxicity and environmental risk in the aquatic environment. The system was applied to 126 pharmaceuticals frequently detected in the aquatic environment. In the initial screening procedure, five pharmaceuticals were classified into the “high” category, 16 pharmaceuticals into the “medium” category, 15 pharmaceuticals into the “low” category and 90 pharmaceuticals into the “very low” category. Subsequently, further screening were conducted on 36 pharmaceuticals considered as being of “high”, “medium” and “low” categories in the former system. We identified 7 pharmaceuticals with final evaluation scores of 1–10, 10 pharmaceuticals with scores of 11–15, 15 pharmaceuticals with scores from 16 to 20 and 4 pharmaceuticals with scores above 21. The results showed that this screening system could contribute to the effective selection of target WWMPs, which would be important for spatial-temporal dynamics, transference and pollution control of pharmaceuticals in the urban aquatic environment. However, there remains a number of pharmaceutical parameters with measured data gaps, such as organic carbon adsorption coefficients and bioconcentration factors, which, if filled, would improve the accuracy of the screening system.