Triclocarban and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are listed as high production volume synthetic chemicals, used extensively in personal care products. Many of these chemicals persist in ...the aquatic environment as micropollutants. Knowledge on their fate in freshwater ecosystems is still lacking, especially in the Indian Rivers. Our intention is to study the seasonal distribution, hazard quotient, risk assessment, and bioaccumulation of triclocarban and BUVSs (UV-9, UV-P, UV-326, UV-327, UV-328, and UV-329) during wet and dry seasons in water, sediment and fish from the Kaveri, Vellar, and Thamiraparani rivers in Tamil Nadu State, India. Triclocarban and BUVSs were identified in all matrices analysed. Triclocarban was found in water, sediment, and fish up to 1119ng/L, 26.3ng/g (dry wt.), and 692ng/g (wet wt.), respectively. Among BUVSs, UV-329 was found up to 31.3ng/L (water samples), UV-327 up to 7.3ng/g (sediment samples), and UV-9 up to 79.4ng/g (fish samples). The hazard quotient (HQenv.) for triclocarban in surface water was found to be at risk level (HQenv. >1) in the Kaveri, and Thamiraparani rivers during dry season. Bioaccumulation factors indicate that target compounds (triclocarban and BUVSs) could bio-accumulate in organisms.
•This study is the first report on emerging contaminants and its risk in Indian environment.•We determined the concentrations of Triclocarban and BUVSs in surface-water, sediment and fish.•We established a single fraction method to extract multi-residues of PCPs.•A measurable amount of Triclocarban and BUVSs was detected in all the study matrices.•Triclocarban and UV-9 were found predominant in the study matrices during wet and dry season.
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The ubiquitous distribution of microplastics (MP) is a serious environmental issue in Asian countries. In this study, 54 open-dumping site soils collected from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, the ...Philippines, and Vietnam were analyzed for MP. Soil samples were also divided into light (floating) and heavy (sedimentation) fractions by density separation and analyzed for plastic additives. The highest abundance of MP was found in a soil from Cambodia at 218,182 pieces/kg. The median of MP in soils ranged from 1411 pieces/kg in India to 24,000 pieces/kg in the Philippines, suggesting that dumping sites are a major source of MP into the environment. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate were dominant polymers in soil samples analyzed. This indicates that daily-used plastic products are main sources of MP in dumping site soils in Asian countries. The high concentrations and burdens of phthalates and an antioxidant were detected in floating fraction accounting for 40 to 60% of the total additives in soils. Previous studies on soil pollution have assumed that the organic hydrophobic chemicals analyzed are adsorbed on the surface of soil particles. However, this result indicates that approximately half of the additives in dumping site soils were derived from MP, not soil particle. Monitoring study on soil pollution should be considered the occurrence of MP in the matrices.
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•Microplastics (MP) was analyzed in 54 dumping site soils from 6 Asian countries.•The highest abundance of MP was identified in Cambodian samples at 218,182 pieces/kg.•PE and PP were dominant polymers, suggesting daily-used plastics are main sources of MP.•Soil samples were divided into floating and sedimentation fractions for additive analysis.•The half amount of plastic additives in dumping site soils are derived from MP.
In Asian developing countries, undeveloped and ineffective sewer systems are causing surface water pollution by a lot of contaminants, especially pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). ...Therefore, the risks for freshwater fauna need to be assessed. The present study aimed at: i) elucidating the contamination status; ii) evaluating the bioaccumulation; and iii) assessing the potential risks of PPCP residues in surface water and freshwater fish from three Asian countries. We measured 43 PPCPs in the plasma of several fish species as well as ambient water samples collected from India (Chennai and Bengaluru), Indonesia (Jakarta and Tangerang), and Vietnam (Hanoi and Hoa Binh). In addition, the validity of the existing fish blood–water partitioning model based solely on the lipophilicity of chemicals is assessed for ionizable and readily metabolizable PPCPs. When comparing bioaccumulation factors calculated from the PPCP concentrations measured in the fish and water (BAFmeasured) with bioconcentration factors predicted from their pH-dependent octanol–water partition coefficient (BCFpredicted), close values (within an order of magnitude) were observed for 58–91 % of the detected compounds. Nevertheless, up to 110 times higher plasma BAFmeasured than the BCFpredicted were found for the antihistamine chlorpheniramine in tilapia but not in other fish species. The plasma BAFmeasured values of the compound were significantly different in the three fish species (tilapia > carp > catfish), possibly due to species-specific differences in toxicokinetics (e.g., plasma protein binding and hepatic metabolism). Results of potential risk evaluation based on the PPCP concentrations measured in the fish plasma suggested that chlorpheniramine, triclosan, haloperidol, triclocarban, diclofenac, and diphenhydramine can pose potential adverse effects on wild fish. Results of potential risk evaluation based on the PPCP concentrations measured in the surface water indicated high ecological risks of carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and triclosan on Asian freshwater ecosystems.
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•Chlorpheniramine and triclosan showed species-specific bioaccumulation factors.•Protein binding may cause high bioaccumulation of chlorpheniramine in tilapia plasma.•High levels of parabens indicated inflows of untreated wastewater into urban rivers.•Carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and triclosan reached high risk levels.
India is of prime interest due to the large past and ongoing use of pesticidal persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Rapid dissipation of POPs to the atmosphere in the tropical climate of India ...infers an atmospheric outflow of these chemicals. Yet data on POPs in the atmosphere of India are sparse. Passive air samplers consisting of polyurethane foam disks were therefore deployed concurrently at 18 locations and exposed for 6 weeks from July 30, 2006, to September 26, 2006, along the coastal length of India to screen for POPs in the atmosphere. The sampling sites were selected to form categories of urban, rural, and background (mangrove/wetlands) locations. Derived air concentrations (pg/m3) ranged as follows: the sum of 28 PCB congeners, 120−1080; DDTs, 16−2950; HCHs, 66−5400; chlordanes, 9−921; endosulfans, 0.45−1120; and the sum of 9 PBDE congeners, 1−181. The highest levels of all the detected POPs (except endosulfan) were observed at the urban sites, indicating the dominant areas of usage and emissions. An urban−rural composition fractionation of PCBs indicates their atmospheric movement. The γ-HCH levels were more than double those of α-HCH, indicating the sporadic use of lindane. DDT concentrations were elevated, at levels comparable to China, but with much higher percentages of p,p′-DDE, reflecting a more ‘weathered’ feature. Although no dicofol use was recorded in India, the o,p′-/p,p′-DDT ratios were observed to be even higher than in China. Chlordanes showed high trans-/cis-chlordane (TC/CC) ratios, indicative of the current use of technical chlordane and a contribution from heptachlor usage.
We determined the contamination status and accumulation profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated PCB congeners (OH-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hydroxylated PBDEs ...(OH-PBDEs), methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), and bromophenols (BPhs) in serum from e-waste recycling workers and residents near a coastal area in India. Residue levels of penta- to octa-chlorinated PCBs, penta- to octa-chlorinated OH-PCBs, 6MeO-BDE47, 6OH-BDE47, and 2,4,6-tri-BPh in serum from residents living near the coastal area were significantly higher than those in serum from e-waste recycling workers. Residue levels of tri- to tetra-chlorinated PCBs, tri- to tetra-chlorinated OH-PCBs, PBDEs, octa-brominated OH-PBDEs, and tetra-BPhs in serum from e-waste recycling workers were higher than those in serum from residents living near the coastal area. Principal component analysis revealed that residents living near the coastal area and e-waste recycling workers had different serum profiles of chlorinated and brominated compounds.
► Analysis of levels of PCBs, PBDEs, and their metabolites in serum of Indians. ► Profiles of chlorinated and brominated compound differed between study populations. ► High PCB, 3Br BPh, 4Br OH-PBDE, and MeO-PBDE levels suggest high fish consumption. ► High 8Br- and 9Br-PBDE, 8Br-OH-PBDE, and 4Br-BPh levels indicate e-waste exposure.
Past studies have reported several persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in different environmental matrices from a tropical coastal site, Parangipettai (PI), located along the bank of the Vellar ...River in Tamil Nadu, south India. Hence to fill the data gap after the strict ban on several POPs, high volume air sampling was conducted in PI to study the variability of atmospheric organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) during summer, pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Emission source regions were tracked by using five days back trajectory analysis. Range of air concentrations in pg/m3 were: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), 13 - 1976; hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), 260–1135, hexachlorocyclobenzene (HCB), 52–135, chlordanes, 36–135 and endosulfans, 66–1013. Six PBDE congeners ranged between 25 and 155 pg/m3 with the highest concentration in summer followed by pre-monsoon and monsoon. Atmospheric DDT and HCH in PI have drastically reduced from the past report thereby showing the strict ban on agricultural use of these compounds. During monsoon, fresh source of o,p′‐DDT, trans‐chlordane and α‐endosulfan was evident. Higher level of endosulphan sulfate in PI seems to be likely affected by the air mass, originating from a neighbouring state Kerela, where endosulfan has been extensively used for cashew plantations. Similarly in summer, the day recorded with the highest level of PBDEs, the sample was concurrently impacted by air parcel comprised of two major clusters, 1 (25%) and 2 (49%) that traversed through the metropolitan cities like Bangalore and Chennai. Dominance of BDE-99 over BDE-47 in PI is in line with the PBDE profile reported from Chennai city during similar time frame. Average concentration of tetra and penta BDE congeners in summer samples were nearly 2–3 folds higher than pre-monsoon or monsoon. Given the fact that strong localised sources for heavier BDE congeners are lacking in PI, regional atmospheric transport from the strong emission source regions in Chennai might have impacted PBDE concentration in PI.
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•In Parangipettai, atmospheric HCH and DDT concentrations have drastically reduced from the past report.•α-Endosulfan, trans-chlordane and o,p′-DDT were high during monsoon suggesting fresh source.•Regional atmospheric transport from the metropolitan cities like Chennai and Bangalore is possibly the major contributor for atmospheric PBDEs in Parangipettai.
This study investigated the status of contamination of organohalogen compounds (OCs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and brominated flame retardant (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ...ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) in human milk samples from several locations in India. The levels of OCs were significantly higher in the milk of mothers living in and near municipal dumping site than other locations indicating that the open dumping sites for municipal wastes act as potential sources of these contaminants in India. The PCB concentrations observed in this study tended to decrease compared to those in the matched locations reported previously, probably due to the restriction of technical PCB usage in India. PBDE levels in human milk were two to three folds lower than those of PCBs in all the sampling locations investigated. Congener profiles of PCBs and PBDEs were different between samples from the dumping site mothers and general populations in other areas suggesting the presence of region-specific sources and pathways. HBCDs were detected in human milk from only two sites, with much lower concentrations and detection frequencies compared to PCBs and PBDEs. When hazard quotients (HQs) of PCBs and PBDEs were estimated for infant health risk, the HQs in some milk samples from the dumping site exceeded the threshold value (HQ
>
1) of PCBs, indicating the potential risk for infants in the specific site.
► Contamination status of organohalogen compounds in human milk samples from India was investigated. ► Significantly high levels in municipal dumping site indicate that the open dumping sites could act as potential sources. ► Different organohalogen profiles between dumping site and general population suggest region-specific sources and pathways. ► Hazard Quotient values for PCBs exceeded one, indicating that infants/mothers living around dumping site are at high risk. ► This is the first comprehensive study on the pollution of BFRs from India.
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