Search Results (79)

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic fluorine-containing organic compounds that exhibit chemical and thermal stability due to the highly stable carbon–fluorine bonds present in their molecular structures. This characteristic makes them slow to degrade in the natural environment. With the widespread application of these compounds in the industrial and consumer goods sectors, environmental media such as water, air, soil, and food have been severely polluted, posing a range of significant threats to public health. Therefore, the development of efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly PFAS removal technologies has become a current research hotspot. This review systematically summarizes the current technologies for removing PFASs from four perspectives—physical, chemical, biological, and combined treatments—enabling a clear understanding of the existing treatment strategies to be discussed. In addition, suggestions for future research on PFAS removal are provided. Full article

Stormwater runoff from areas with specific industrial, agricultural or logistic land use comprises a significant source of water pollution, yet research on its specific composition remains limited compared to urban stormwater pollution. This review synthesizes findings from different studies to analyze sampling methods, types of pollution parameters and their associated concentration ranges across various non-urban land use types, including industrial and commercial zones, transportation infrastructure (ports, airports, highways, railways) and agricultural areas. Studies differed in sample strategy, investigated phase (water, sediment) and analyzed chemical parameters. The latter can be grouped into sum parameters (e.g., total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD)), metals (e.g., nickel, copper, zinc, lead), nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus), organic micropollutants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA)) and microbial contaminants. Results indicate that pollutant loads vary widely depending on land use, with industrial and railway areas showing the highest metal contamination, while agricultural and livestock farming areas exhibit elevated nutrient and microbial concentrations. The heterogeneity of the sampling, analysis and subsequent data processing hindered the statistical condensation of data from different studies. The findings underscore the need for standardized monitoring methods and tailored stormwater treatment strategies to mitigate pollution impact effectively. Full article

This study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the Daku River, Taoyuan, with a particular focus on source apportionment and associated ecological and human health risks. The total PFAS concentrations ranged from below the detection limits to 185 ng/L, with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) emerging as the predominant compound, followed by perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). Elevated PFAS levels were observed downstream of the confluence between the Daku River and Litouzhou ditch, suggesting contributions from industrial activities. Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were employed to identify important components and factors that explain different compounds. Factor 1 (dominated by PFUnA) was attributed to sources such as food packaging and textiles. Factor 2 (PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS) originated from agricultural inputs and wastewater discharges linked to the semiconductor and photonics industries. Factor 3 (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA) was primarily associated with fluoropolymer manufacturing, electronics, chemical engineering, machinery, and coating production. Ecological risk assessments showed no significant threats (RQ < 0.1) for PFBS, PFPA, PFNA, PFOS, and PFDA. Human health risk evaluations based on the Health Risk Index (HRI < 1), likewise, indicated negligible risk from crop and vegetable consumption in the Daku River area. These findings underscore the importance of continued monitoring and targeted pollution management strategies to safeguard environmental quality and public health. Full article

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals characterized by exceptional stability and potential for bioaccumulation. Ubiquitous in the environment, PFAS can enter the human body through water, air, and dietary sources. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to various adverse health effects, including cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive and developmental toxicities. Emerging evidence suggests potential interactions between PFAS exposure and vitamin levels in the human body. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the associations between PFAS and various vitamins, elucidates potential underlying mechanisms, and offers insights for the development of targeted nutritional interventions. Full article

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals”, are a class of highly stable chemical compounds that slowly contaminate waterbodies and soil. The widespread presence of PFAS is associated with adverse human health effects and is a major environmental concern. The conventional, highly sensitive methods used for PFAS detection are LC-MS/MS and solid phase extraction, but they are very complex and expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need for sensitive, low-cost, and fast methods for the detection and removal of PFAS compounds from water and soil resources. The advancement of nanotechnology has significantly impacted advanced disease diagnosis and treatment in the last few decades. Currently, these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been exploited for the development of advanced nano-enabled techniques for the detection and removal of environmental pollutants. Nano-enabled techniques also offer improved performance over conventional methods. In this review, the details of the detection and removal of PFAS, as well as their optimization and limitations, and future perspectives are discussed. We focused on the implementation of nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanorods, and nano*filtration membranes for efficient PFAS detection and removal. We also included the recent literature and global guidelines for PFAS use and the effect of PFAS exposure on human health. Full article

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a critical complication of pregnancy that affects 3% to 5% of all pregnancies and has been linked to aberrant placentation, causing severe maternal and fetal illness and death. Objectives: This systematic review aims to elucidate the association of in-utero endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure and microRNAs and their imprinted genes from prenatal and maternal circulation of PE patients. Methods: Databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar were utilized to search for articles that investigate the relationships between selected EDCs and epigenetic events such as DNA methylation and microRNAs that are associated with PE. Results: A total of 29 studies were included in the database search. Altered expression of microRNAs (miR-15a-5p, miR-142-3p, and miR-185) in the placenta of PE patients was positively associated with the urinary concentration of phthalates and phenols in the development of the disease in the first trimester. EDCs such as phenols, phthalates, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFOAs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine phosphates (OCPs) have been reported to be associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. miRNA-31, miRNA-144, miRNA-145, miRNA-210, placental specific clusters (C14MC, and C19MC) may be used as possible targets for PE because of their potential roles in the onset and progression of PE. Conclusions: Prenatal EDC exposure, including exposure to BPA, showed association with signaling pathways including estrogen, sFlt-1/PlGF, ErbB, MAPK/ERK, and cholesterol mechanisms with placental hemodynamics. Even low EDC exposures leave altered epigenetic marks throughout gestation, which might cause PE complications. Full article

Background: Folate is critical for many physiological processes, and low folate levels have been associated with a wide range of health outcomes, including chronic diseases and developmental outcomes. Many environmental chemicals are suspected to contribute to the etiology of health outcomes related to folate deficiency. However, little is known about how these pollutants influence folate levels as potential mechanistic pathways. Objective: To investigate the individual and joint associations between a mixture of 39 pollutants and red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations in the U.S. population. Methods: We used available data on 27,938 participants, aged 18–80 from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (2007–2016), with available RBC folate concentrations and 39 environmental pollutants’ concentrations. We estimated covariate-adjusted independent and joint associations between environmental pollutants and RBC folate, and compared evidence from two complimentary mixture approaches: exposome-wide association study (ExWAS) and quantile-based g computation (Q-gcomp). Results: In the ExWAS analysis, 12 environmental chemicals, including metals (cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury), perfluoroalkyl substances, phthalates, phenols and parabens, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, were inversely associated with RBC folate, whereas four environmental pollutants, including metals (manganese and selenium) and two phthalate metabolites, were positively associated with RBC folate. Q-gcomp showed convergent results with the ExWAS analysis; a quartile increase in the metal and PFAS mixtures was significantly associated with a decrease of −38.4 ng/mL (95%CI: −52.3, −24.4) and −48.9 ng/mL (95%CI: −57.6, −39.6) in RBC folate concentrations, respectively. Conclusion: The present study shows that higher exposure to PFASs, metals, and PAHs are associated with lower RBC folate concentrations. However, given the cross-sectional design, we cannot make inferences about the directionality of the observed associations. Full article

This study evaluates the reasons and factors making soil pollution by poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) a wicked problem, reflecting upon the nature, persistence, mobility, and bioaccumulative properties of these compounds. The current regulation trends in the production and use of such substances are also explored. This study highlights the conflict between the need for phasing out the use of PFASs and their indispensable role in many strategic applications. We summarize the knowledge on the complex chemical properties and to the highly variable properties of the soils, mechanisms of partitioning and transport of PFASs in soil, and the exposure pathways to humans. In particular, we focus on the mechanisms that lead to PFAS accumulation in the edible parts of cultivated plants and present some potential sustainable management practices that could result in risk mitigation and environmental remediation actions. We present potential management practices stemming from the merging of theoretical considerations and pragmatic approaches for mitigating the problems related to the PFAS pollution of agricultural soils. We also highlight the importance of co-creation processes for the adoption of solutions for vast polluted areas that make the impacted populations discouraged, like being in front of an ‘untameable beast’, leading to protests and irrational behavior. In our opinion, this might engage the impacted population in more optimistic strategies to tackle this problem, soliciting authorities and stakeholders to implement strategies beyond the actual management practice and also supporting new policy development. Full article

Nowadays, nucleic acid derivatives capable of modulating gene expression at the RNA level have gained widespread recognition as promising therapeutic agents. A suitable degree of biological stability of oligonucleotide therapeutics is required for in vivo application; this can be most expeditiously achieved by the chemical modification of the internucleotidic phosphate group, which may also affect their cellular uptake, tissue distribution and pharmacokinetics. Our group has previously developed a strategy for the chemical modification of the phosphate group via the Staudinger reaction on a solid phase of the intermediate dinucleoside phosphite triester and a range of, preferably, electron deficient organic azides such as sulfonyl azides during automated solid-phase DNA synthesis according to the conventional β-cyanoethyl phosphoramidite scheme. Polyfluoro compounds are characterized by unique properties that have prompted their extensive application both in industry and in scientific research. We report herein the synthesis and isolation of novel oligodeoxyribonucleotides incorporating internucleotidic perfluoro-1-octanesulfonyl phosphoramidate or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanesulfonyl phosphoramidate groups. In addition, novel oligonucleotide derivatives with fluorinated zwitterionic phosphate mimics were synthesized by a tandem methodology, which involved (a) the introduction of a carboxylic ester group at the internucleotidic position via the Staudinger reaction with methyl 2,2-difluoro-3-azidosulfonylacetate; and (b) treatment with an aliphatic diamine, e.g., 1,1-dimethylethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane. It was further shown that the polyfluoro oligonucleotides obtained were able to form complementary duplexes with either DNA or RNA, which were not significantly differing in stability from the natural counterparts. Long-chain perfluoroalkyl oligonucleotides were taken up into cultured human cells in the absence of a transfection agent. It may be concluded that the polyfluoro oligonucleotides described here can represent a useful platform for designing oligonucleotide therapeutics. Full article

Background: Congenital heart diseases are among the most common birth defects, significantly impacting infant health. Recent evidence suggests that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may contribute to the incidence of congenital heart diseases. This study systematically reviews and analyzes the association between maternal endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure and congenital heart diseases. Methodology: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA guidelines. We included studies assessing the link between maternal exposure to various endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the incidence of congenital heart diseases without restricting the study design or exposure assessment methods. Data were extracted from four databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, up to June 2024. Quality assessment of observational studies was conducted using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan software version 5.3, presenting results as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Fifty-nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed a significant association between maternal endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure and the incidence of congenital heart diseases when measured using human samples (odds ratio = 1.63, 95% confidence interval [1.35–1.97], p < 0.00001). Notably, exposure to heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and perfluoroalkyl compounds was strongly associated with congenital heart diseases. However, non-sample-based methods showed no significant overall correlation (odds ratio = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [0.93–1.26], p = 0.30), except for housing renovation compounds, which were linked to a higher incidence of congenital heart diseases. Conclusions: Maternal exposure to specific endocrine-disrupting chemicals, particularly heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, significantly increases the risk of congenital heart diseases. These findings underscore the need for preventive measures to reduce endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure during pregnancy and further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Full article

Food quality and safety are critical public health concerns, with approximately 600 million people worldwide being affected by foodborne diseases each year due to contamination. These diseases not only lead to a notable number of deaths but also impose substantial economic burdens, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Given the severe health risks posed by food contaminants, developing advanced, sensitive analytical methods to detect such contaminants is essential. Contemporary food safety challenges include detecting contaminants at trace levels and managing cumulative risks from simultaneous exposure to multiple chemicals. Liquid chromatography, particularly in combination with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC/MS), has proven indispensable for detecting key contaminants such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, veterinary residues, packaging-derived contaminants, mycotoxins, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids in various food matrices. The present article reviews recent studies on the subject published between 2020 and 2023. Full article

The modification of carborane anion monocarba-closo-dodecaborate (1) with perfluoroalkyl groups enhances its solubility in fluorinated ethers. This novel approach achieves a degree of solubility that is unattainable by using traditional lipophilic modifications or boro–vertex functionalizations of 1. A spectroscopic analysis in combination with DFT calculations confirmed that these new anions retain their weakly coordinating nature and exhibit moderate chemical stability. Full article

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent compounds characterized by stable C−F bonds giving them high thermal and chemical stability. Numerous studies have highlighted the presence of PFASs in the environment, surface waters and animals and humans. Exposure to these chemicals has been found to cause various health effects and has necessitated the need to develop methods to remove them from the environment. To date, the use of photocatalytic degradation and membrane separation to remove PFASs from water has been widely studied; however, these methods have drawbacks hindering them from being applied at full scale, including the recovery of the photocatalyst, uneven light distribution and membrane fouling. Therefore, to overcome some of these challenges, there has been research involving the coupling of photocatalysis and membrane separation to form photocatalytic membrane reactors which facilitate in the recovery of the photocatalyst, ensuring even light distribution and mitigating fouling. This review not only highlights recent advancements in the removal of PFASs using photocatalysis and membrane separation but also provides comprehensive information on the integration of photocatalysis and membrane separation to form photocatalytic membrane reactors. It emphasizes the performance of immobilized and slurry systems in PFAS removal while also addressing the associated challenges and offering recommendations for improvement. Factors influencing the performance of these methods will be comprehensively discussed, as well as the nanomaterials used for each technology. Additionally, knowledge gaps regarding the removal of PFASs using integrated photocatalytic membrane systems will be addressed, along with a comprehensive discussion on how these technologies can be applied in real-world applications. Full article

This study aimed to prepare a facile hierarchical aluminium surface using a two-step process consisting of chemical etching in selected concentrations of CuCl₂ solution and surface grafting through immersion in an ethanol solution containing 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane. The goal was to achieve superhydrophobic characteristics on the aluminium surface, including enhanced corrosion resistance, efficient self-cleaning ability, and improved anti-icing performance. The surface characterisation of the untreated aluminium and treated in CuCl₂ solutions of different concentrations was performed using contact profilometry, optical tensiometry, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy to determine the surface topography, wettability, morphology, and surface composition. The corrosion properties were evaluated using potentiodynamic measurements in simulated acid rain solution and salt-spray test according to ASTM B117-22. In addition, self-cleaning and anti-icing tests were performed on superhydrophobic surfaces prepared under optimal conditions. The results showed that the nano-/micro-structured etched aluminium surface with an optimal 0.5 M concentration of CuCl₂ grafted with a perfluoroalkyl silane film achieved superhydrophobic characteristics, with water droplets exhibiting efficient corrosion protection, self-cleaning ability, and improved anti-icing performance with decreased ice nucleation temperature and up to 545% increased freezing delay. Full article

The increasing disposal of emerging contaminants in the environment is a worldwide concern due to environmental impacts, such as toxicity, hormonal disorders, and bioaccumulation. The persistence of these pollutants in water bodies makes conventional pollutant removal techniques inefficient or partial, thus requiring the development of new, more effective, sustainable remediation technologies. Therefore, chitosan-based materials have emerged as a promising alternative for application in catalysis and contaminant removal. The biopolymer has functional properties that make it an excellent adsorbent capable of removing more specific pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, agricultural pesticides, and perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, which are increasingly in evidence today. Therefore, this review of recent and advanced research into using chitosan to manufacture catalytic and adsorption materials offers an innovative approach to treating contaminants in aqueous environments, significantly reducing their presence and impact. It discusses the advantages of using chitosan as an adsorbent and catalyst and its role as a support for catalysts and biocatalysts. In addition, the review highlights the diversity of the physical forms of chitosan, such as particles, membranes, and hydrogels, and its possible chemical modifications, highlighting its effectiveness in catalytic applications and the removal of a wide range of emerging contaminants. Full article