@article {186, title = {Behaviors and trophodynamics of o,p{\textquoteright}-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT) in the aquatic food web: Comparison with p,p{\textquoteright}-DDT.}, journal = {Sci Total Environ}, year = {2022}, month = {2022 Jan 26}, pages = {153447}, abstract = {

The broad-spectrum insecticide p,p{\textquoteright}-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p{\textquoteright}-DDT) has been banned in most countries since the 1970s on account of its environmental persistence as well as the high biomagnification of its major metabolite 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chorophenyl)ethylene (p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE). However, the information on the bioaccumulation and behavior of p,p{\textquoteright}-DDTs in aquatic organisms is lacking. In this study, all 6 DDT isomers were detected in biota from the food web of the Liaodong Bay, China, and the total concentrations of DDT isomers in Chinese anchovy (Thrissa kammalensis) and Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomrus niphonius) were 223 {\textpm} 42 ng/g ww and 242 {\textpm} 70 ng/g ww, respectively. In biota, o,p{\textquoteright}-DDD dominated among the o,p{\textquoteright}-isomers (80.5 {\textpm} 17.3\%), while p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE dominated among the p,p{\textquoteright}-isomers (61.8 {\textpm} 15.2\%). Contrastingly, sediment from the Liaodong Bay contained similar proportions of o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT and p,p{\textquoteright}-DDTs, suggesting an isomer-specific metabolism of the compounds in biota. A well-controlled laboratory exposure experiment with Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) demonstrated that o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT was more difficult to metabolize to o,p{\textquoteright}-DDE compared with that of p,p{\textquoteright}-DDT. Significantly positive regressions were found between trophic levels and lipid equivalent concentrations for both o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT and o,p{\textquoteright}-DDD, and the trophic magnification factors (TMFs) were estimated as 12.3 and 9.12 (p \< 0.05), respectively. The TMFs of o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT and o,p{\textquoteright}-DDD in the aquatic food web were higher than p,p{\textquoteright}-DDT (7.76), p,p{\textquoteright}-DDD (4.17), and p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE (3.39), which may be explained by the isomer-specific metabolism differences in biota.

}, issn = {1879-1026}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153447}, author = {Sun, Jianxian and Xu, Chenke and Peng, Hui and Wan, Yi and Luo, Kai and Barrett, Holly and Hu, Jianying} } @article {82, title = {Relationship between perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate blood concentrations in the general population and routine drinking water exposure.}, journal = {Environ Int}, volume = {126}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 Feb 15}, pages = {54-60}, abstract = {

In regions with heavily contaminated drinking water, a significant contribution of drinking water to overall human perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) exposure has been well documented. However, the relationship of PFOA/PFOS blood concentrations in the general population to routine drinking water exposure is not well characterized. This study determined the PFOA and PFOS concentrations in 166 drinking water samples across 28 cities in China. For 13 of the studied cities, PFOA and PFOS concentrations were analyzed in 847 human blood samples which were collected in parallel with the drinking water samples. The geometric mean PFOA and PFOS concentrations in drinking water were 2.5 {\textpm} 6.2 ng/L and 0.7 {\textpm} 11.7 ng/L, and population-weighted geometric mean blood concentrations were 2.1 {\textpm} 1.2 ng/mL and 2.6 {\textpm} 1.3 ng/mL, respectively. We found a significant correlation between the PFOA concentration in drinking water and blood (r = 0.87, n = 13, p \< 0.001). The total daily intake of PFOA (0.24-2.13 ng/kg/day) and PFOS (0.19-1.87 ng/kg/day) were back-calculated from the blood concentrations with a one-compartment toxicokinetic model. We estimated relative source contributions (RSCs) of drinking water to total daily intake in China of 23 {\textpm} 3\% for PFOA and 12.7 {\textpm} 5.8\% for PFOS. Using the mean RSCs, we derived the health advisory values of 85 ng/L for PFOA and 47 ng/L for PFOS in China.

}, issn = {1873-6750}, doi = {10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.009}, author = {Zhang, Shiyi and Kang, Qiyue and Peng, Hui and Ding, Mengyu and Zhao, Fanrong and Zhou, Yuyin and Dong, Zhaomin and Zhang, Haifeng and Yang, Min and Tao, Shu and Hu, Jianying} } @article {127, title = {Screening of House Dust from Chinese Homes for Chemicals with Liver X Receptors Binding Activities and Characterization of Atherosclerotic Activity Using an Macrophage Cell Line and Mice.}, journal = {Environ Health Perspect}, volume = {127}, year = {2019}, month = {2019 11}, pages = {117003}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death worldwide, and environmental pollutants are increasingly recognized as risk factors for atherosclerosis. Liver X receptors (LXRs) play a central role in atherosclerosis; however, LXR activity of organic pollutants and associated potential risk of atherosclerosis have not yet been characterized.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore whether LXR-antagonistic chemicals are present in indoor house dust and, if so, to characterize this activity in relation to changes in macrophages and cardiovascular disease indicators in an atherosclerosis mouse model.

METHODS: We used a -down assay and a nontarget high-resolution mass spectrometry method to screen house dust collected from Chinese homes for - and -antagonist activity. A chemical identified in this manner was assessed for its ability to induce cholesterol efflux and foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages, to down-regulate the expression of two LXR-dependent genes, and , and finally to induce atherosclerotic lesions using an mouse model.

RESULTS: We identified the flame retardants triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) in house dust samples and demonstrated their ability to antagonize LXRs. The potency of TPHP was similar to that of the LXR-antagonist SR9238. TPHP could also inhibit cholesterol efflux and promote foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages and mouse peritoneal macrophages and significantly promoted atherosclerotic lesion formation in the mouse model.

CONCLUSIONS: We found LXR-antagonist chemicals in environmental samples of indoor dust from Chinese homes. One of the chemicals, TPHP, was able to promote the development of atherosclerotic lesions in the mouse model. These results highlight the need to assess the LXR-antagonist activities of pollutants in future environmental management programs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5039.

}, keywords = {Air Pollutants, Air Pollution, Indoor, Animals, Atherosclerosis, China, Dust, Liver X Receptors, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, ApoE, RAW 264.7 Cells}, issn = {1552-9924}, doi = {10.1289/EHP5039}, author = {Hu, Wenxin and Jia, Yingting and Kang, Qiyue and Peng, Hui and Ma, Haojia and Zhang, Shiyi and Hiromori, Youhei and Kimura, Tomoki and Nakanishi, Tsuyoshi and Zheng, Lemin and Qiu, Yifu and Zhang, Zhaobin and Wan, Yi and Hu, Jianying} } @article {88, title = {Simultaneous determination of (N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamido ethanol)-based phosphate diester and triester and their biotransformation to perfluorooctanesulfonate in freshwater sediments.}, journal = {Environ Pollut}, volume = {234}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Mar}, pages = {821-829}, abstract = {

While (N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamido ethanol)-based phosphates (SAmPAPs) have been proposed as a group of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) precursors, investigation of their occurrence and fate has been limited to SAmPAP diester. In this study, SAmPAP diester and triester were simultaneously determined in freshwater sediment from Taihu Lake using a newly developed UPLC-MS/MS method, and their biotransformation to PFOS in lake sediment was investigated. SAmPAP diester and triester were detected in sediments with a detection frequency of 56\% and 88\%, and their mean concentrations were 0.24\ {\textpm}\ 0.11\ ng/g dry weight (dw) and 0.12\ {\textpm}\ 0.03\ ng/g dw, respectively. The SAmPAP diester/triester ratio in sediment was 1.1\ {\textpm}\ 4.2, much lower than that (6.7) observed in the technical product, and the positive correlation was found between the concentrations of SAmPAP diester and PFOS in sediments (r\ =\ 0.45, p\ =\ 0.01), suggesting that SAmPAP diester would be biotransformed to PFOS in the lake sediment. The microbial degradation test in the lake sediments further clarified that SAmPAP diester was biodegraded to PFOS, but SAmPAP triester was highly recalcitrant to microbial degradation. This study suggests that the occurrence of SAmPAP diester in freshwater lake sediments may be an important precursor of PFOS.

}, keywords = {Alkanesulfonic Acids, Bacteria, Biodegradation, Environmental, Biotransformation, China, Environmental Monitoring, Fluorocarbons, Geologic Sediments, Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated, Lakes, Organophosphates, Sulfonamides, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1873-6424}, doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.021}, author = {Zhang, Shiyi and Peng, Hui and Mu, Di and Zhao, Haoqi and Hu, Jianying} } @article {91, title = {Detection, Occurrence, and Fate of Fluorotelomer Alcohols in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {51}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Aug 15}, pages = {8953-8961}, abstract = {

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are the most well-known precursors of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), but limited information is available on their occurrence and fate in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The occurrence of FTOHs was investigated in influent, secondary effluent, and sludge of 12 municipal WWTPs in nine cities of China. FTOHs were detected in all WWTPs, and 8:2 FTOH was the predominant congener, with concentrations of 2.10-11.0 ng/L, 3.05-12.4 ng/L, and 0.36-1.91 ng/g dry weight in the influent, secondary effluent, and sludge, respectively. Relatively high proportions of long-chain FTOHs (C) were mainly detected in sludge samples. The mass balance of FTOHs and PFCAs in one of the WWTPs with an anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process was further explored. The decrease of mass loads was observed for 4:2 FTOH (mass change percentage: 21 {\textpm} 3.3\%), 8:2 FTOH (22 {\textpm} 1.5\%), and 10:2 FTOH (29 {\textpm} 7.3\%) through aerobic treatment, while the increase of mass loads was observed for 12 PFCAs from 18 {\textpm} 16\% (perfluorononanoic acid) to 165 {\textpm} 15\% (perfluorobutyric acid)), suggesting the potential biotransformation of FTOHs to PFCAs in the aerobic unit. This work provides the first report on the occurrence of FTOHs in sludge samples of municipal WWTPs and their mass balance and highlights a new emission route to environment via WWTPs.

}, keywords = {Alcohols, China, Cities, Fluorocarbons, Sewage, Waste Water}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/acs.est.7b00315}, author = {Chen, Hongrui and Peng, Hui and Yang, Min and Hu, Jianying and Zhang, Yu} } @article {104, title = {p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE Induces Gonadal Intersex in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes) at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations: Comparison with o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {50}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jan 05}, pages = {462-9}, abstract = {

Previous studies have reported high body burdens of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites in wild fishes worldwide. This study evaluated the adverse effects of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE) and o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT on gonadal development and reproduction by exposing transgenic Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) from hatch for 100 days. While both p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE and o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT induced intersex in male medaka, the lowest observable effective concentration (LOEC) of o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT was 57.7 ng/g ww, about 5-fold lower than that (272 ng/g ww) of p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE. Since LOECs of both chemicals were comparable to the body concentrations in wild fish, DDT contamination would likely contribute to the occurrence of intersex observed in wild fish. Exposure to o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT resulted in much higher expression of vitellogenin in liver of males than p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE, accordant with the higher potency of o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT than p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE to induce intersex. This phenomenon could be partly explained by the significantly elevated levels of 17β-estradiol in plasma of males exposed to o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT, in addition to its estrogenic activity via the estrogen receptor. Significantly lower fertilization (p = 0.006) and hatchability (p = 0.019) were observed in the 13 intersex males. This study for the first time demonstrated the induction of intersex and reproductive effects of p,p{\textquoteright}-DDE and o,p{\textquoteright}-DDT at environmentally relevant concentrations.

}, keywords = {Animals, DDT, Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene, Disorders of Sex Development, Estradiol, Gonads, Male, Oryzias, Vitellogenins, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5b05042}, author = {Sun, Jianxian and Wang, Chen and Peng, Hui and Zheng, Guomao and Zhang, Shiyi and Hu, Jianying} } @article {102, title = {Ubiquitous Occurrence of Fluorotelomer Alcohols in Eco-Friendly Paper-Made Food-Contact Materials and Their Implication for Human Exposure.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {50}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jan 19}, pages = {942-50}, abstract = {

The occurrence of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) was investigated in 94 food-contact materials (FCMs). We detected 6:2 FTOH (\<0.60-1110 ng/g), 8:2 FTOH (\<0.40-8490 ng/g), and 10:2 FTOH (\<0.02-9350 ng/g) in most FCM samples, and four longer-chain C14-20 FTOHs were, for the first time, identified in FCMs with relatively high concentrations (\<0.02-8450 ng/g for 12:2 FTOH, \<0.02-1640 ng/g for 14:2 FTOH, \<0.02-372 ng/g for 16:2 FTOH, and \<0.02-130 ng/g for 18:2 FTOH). There were three typical profiles of FTOHs that were dominated by 6:2 FTOH (95.6 {\textpm} 8.1\% in 9 FCMs), 8:2 FTOH (50.9 {\textpm} 20.8\% in 22 FCMs), and 10:2 FTOH (44.5 {\textpm} 20.9\% in 30 FCMs), indicating the congener-specific usage of FTOHs for different commercial purposes. All nine detectable FCMs produced in the United States were dominated by 6:2 FTOH, which was significantly different from those produced in China. The median concentration of total FTOHs in eco-friendly paper tableware was 2990 ng/g, which was lower than in popcorn bags (18 200 ng/g) but much higher than other FCMs (\<0.55-38.7 ng/g). FTOHs could migrate from paper bowls, with migration efficiencies of 0.004-0.24\% into water, 0.004-0.24\% into 10\% ethanol, 0.009-2.79\% into 30\% ethanol, 0.06-13.0\% into 50\% ethanol (v/v) simulants, and 0.04-2.28\% into oil. Migration efficiencies decreased with increasing carbon chain lengths of FTOHs.

}, keywords = {Alcohols, Biodegradation, Environmental, Fluorocarbons, Food Contamination, Food Packaging, Humans, Paper}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5b03806}, author = {Yuan, Guanxiang and Peng, Hui and Huang, Chong and Hu, Jianying} } @article {108, title = {Isomer-specific trophic transfer of perfluorocarboxylic acids in the marine food web of Liaodong Bay, North China.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {49}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Feb 03}, pages = {1453-61}, abstract = {

Trophic transfers of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) have been well studied in aquatic food webs; however, most studies examined PFCAs as single compounds without differentiating isomers. In this study, an in-port derivatization GC-MS method was used to determine PFCA (perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA; perfluorononanoic acid, PFNA; perfluorodecanoate acid, PFDA; perfluoroundecanoate acid, PFUnDA; perfluorododecanoate acid, PFDoDA; perfluorotridecanoate acid, PFTriDA, and perfluorotetradecanoate acid, PFTeDA) structural isomers in 11 marine species including benthic invertebrates, fishes, and gulls collected in November 2006 from Liaodong Bay in China. The total concentrations of linear PFCAs were 0.35-1.10, 0.93-2.61, and 2.13-2.69 ng/g ww, and the corresponding percentages of branched PFCAs to linear PFCAs were 6.6-15.5\%, 4.2-9.9\%, and 4.5-6.0\% in invertebrates, fishes, and birds, respectively. Except for linear PFOA, significant positive relationships were found between the concentrations of all the target linear PFCAs and trophic levels, and the trophic magnification factors (TMFs) ranged from 1.90 to 4.88. Positive correlations between the concentrations of branched PFCAs isomers and trophic levels were also observed but were without statistical significance. The relatively high biomagnification of linear isomers of PFCAs would lead to low percentages of branched PFCAs to total PFCAs in organisms at high trophic levels. This study for the first time clarified isomer-specific trophic transfers of PFCAs in a marine food web.

}, keywords = {Animals, Bays, Birds, Carboxylic Acids, China, Environmental Monitoring, Fishes, Fluorocarbons, Food Chain, Invertebrates, Isomerism, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/es504445x}, author = {Zhang, Zhong and Peng, Hui and Wan, Yi and Hu, Jianying} } @article {106, title = {Levels of Phthalate Metabolites in Urine of Pregnant Women and Risk of Clinical Pregnancy Loss.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {49}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Sep 01}, pages = {10651-7}, abstract = {

Toxicological studies have shown that phthalate esters (PAEs), a class of widely used and environmentally prevalent chemicals, can increase the abortion rate in animals, but epidemiological evidence is scarce. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the urinary concentration of phthalate metabolites and the risk of clinical pregnancy loss. A total of 132 women who underwent clinical pregnancy loss (cases) and 172 healthy pregnant women (controls) were recruited from Beijing, China. Eight phthalate metabolites in urine were determined by ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Five phthalate metabolites, monomethyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), and mono(2-ethlyhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), were detected in at least 95\% of the urine samples, with the highest median concentration of 51.0 μg/g of creatinine for MnBP of all participants. The differences in urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites between cases and controls were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. The concentrations of MEP (median of 18.7 μg/g of creatinine), MiBP (23.3 μg/g of creatinine), and MnBP (58.2 μg/g of creatinine) detected in the cases were significantly higher than those (15.7 μg/g of creatinine for MEP, 19.4 μg/g of creatinine for MiBP, and 43.9 μg/g of creatinine for MnBP) in the controls (p \< 0.05). Increasing risks of clinical pregnancy loss were observed from the first to fourth quartiles of the MEP, MiBP, and MnBP concentrations (p \< 0.05 for trend). We concluded that exposure to MEP, MiBP, and MnBP was associated with an increased risk of clinical pregnancy loss.

}, keywords = {Adult, Beijing, Case-Control Studies, Embryo Loss, Environmental Monitoring, Esters, Female, Humans, Metabolome, Middle Aged, Odds Ratio, Phthalic Acids, Pregnancy, Risk Factors, Young Adult}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5b02617}, author = {Mu, Di and Gao, Fumei and Fan, Zhanlan and Shen, Huan and Peng, Hui and Hu, Jianying} } @article {112, title = {Isomer-specific accumulation of perfluorooctanesulfonate from (N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamido)ethanol-based phosphate diester in Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes).}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {48}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jan 21}, pages = {1058-66}, abstract = {

While (N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamido)ethanol (FOSE) -based phosphate diester (diSPAP) has been proposed as a candidate precursor of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), its potential biotransformation to PFOS has not been verified. Metabolism of diSPAP was investigated in Japanese medaka ( Oryzias latipes ) after exposure in water for 10 days, followed by 10 days of depuration. Branched isomers of diSPAP (B-diSPAP) were preferentially enriched in medaka exposed to diSPAP, with the proportion of branched isomers (BF) ranging from 0.56 to 0.80, which was significantly greater than that in the water to which the medaka were exposed (0.36) (p \< 0.001). This enrichment was due primarily to preferential uptake of B-diSPAP. PFOS together with perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (NEtFOSA), 2-(perfluorooctanesulfonamido)acetic acid (FOSAA), NEtFOSAA, FOSE, and NEtFOSE were detected in medaka exposed to diSPAP, which indicated the potential for biotransformation of diSPAP to PFOS via multiple intermediates. Due to preferential metabolism of branched isomers, FOSAA and PFOSA exhibited greater BF values (\>0.5) than those of NEtFOSA, NEtFOSAA, and NEtFOSE (\<0.2). Such preferential metabolism of branched isomers along the primary pathway of metabolism and preferential accumulation of B-diSPAP led to enrichment of branched PFOS (B-PFOS) in medaka. Enrichment of B-PFOS was greater for 3-, 4-, and 5-perfluoromethyl PFOS (P3MPFOS, P4MPFOS, and P5MPFOS), for which values of BF were 0.58 {\textpm} 0.07, 0.62 {\textpm} 0.06, and 0.61 {\textpm} 0.05 (day 6), respectively; these values are 5.8-, 7.8-, and 6.4-fold greater than those of technical PFOS. This work provides evidence on the isomer-specific accumulation of PFOS from diSPAP and will be helpful to track indirect sources of PFOS in the future.

}, keywords = {Alkanesulfonic Acids, Animals, Biotransformation, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Environmental Monitoring, Esters, Fluorocarbons, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Half-Life, Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated, Isomerism, Kinetics, Metabolic Networks and Pathways, Organophosphorus Compounds, Oryzias, Phosphates, Reference Standards, Sulfonamides}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/es404867w}, author = {Peng, Hui and Zhang, Shiyi and Sun, Jianxian and Zhang, Zhong and Giesy, John P and Hu, Jianying} } @article {110, title = {Occurrences of three classes of antibiotics in a natural river basin: association with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {48}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Dec 16}, pages = {14317-25}, abstract = {

To investigate the occurrence of antibiotics in urban rivers and their association with antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli, 20 (fluoro)quinolone antibiotics (FQs), 16 tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) and their degradation products, and 25 sulfonamides (SAs) and some degradation products were determined in 45 river samples and 13 discharged wastewater samples collected from Wenyu River and its tributaries and 4 composite effluent samples from sewage treatment plants in Beijing, China. Fifteen FQs, eight TCs, including four degradation chemicals, and sixteen SAs, including four acetylated products, were detected in the river water. The SAs were the dominant antibiotic (total concentrations up to 3164.0 ng/L) in river water, followed by FQs (1430.3 ng/L) and TCs (296.6 ng/L). The sum concentrations for each class of detected antibiotic in the 13 discharge site samples were higher than those in river samples, up to 12326.7 ng/L for SAs, 6589.2 ng/L for FQs, and 730.1 ng/L for TCs, largely contributing to the high concentrations in the river basin. Log-linear regression analysis confirmed that the concentrations of FQs, TCs, and SAs in the Wenyu River basin were strongly correlated with the number of E. coli resistant to FQs (p \< 0.05), TCs (p \< 0.05), and SAs (p \< 0.05), providing evidence for the environmental impacts of antibiotic usage.

}, keywords = {Anti-Bacterial Agents, China, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Environmental Monitoring, Escherichia coli, Fluoroquinolones, Rivers, Sulfonamides, Tetracyclines, Waste Water, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/es503700j}, author = {Zhang, Qinqin and Jia, Ai and Wan, Yi and Liu, Hong and Wang, Kunping and Peng, Hui and Dong, Zhaomin and Hu, Jianying} } @article {111, title = {Trophic transfer of dechloranes in the marine food web of Liaodong Bay, north China.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {48}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 May 20}, pages = {5458-66}, abstract = {

Dechloranes are of particular concern because of their ubiquity in environmental matrices, but little is known about their trophic transfer in aquatic food web. This study investigated the trophic transfer of seven dechloranes in a marine food web from Liaodong Bay, China. Dechloranes were determined in sediments and 15 marine species including benthic invertebrates, fish and gulls collected from Liaodong Bay. Biomagnification factors (BMFTL) of dechloranes in black-headed gulls were calculated to be 6.4, 1.7, 0.45, 0.36, 0.14, and 0.11 for mirex, Dechlorane 602 (Dec 602), Dechlorane 603 (Dec 603), antiundecachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (anti-Cl11DP), syn-dechlorane plus (syn-DP), and anti-DP. Significantly positive relationships were found between lipid equivalent concentrations of mirex, Dec 602, and anti-Cl11DP and trophic levels, and the trophic magnification factors (TMFs) were 13, 3.7, and 5.6, respectively, indicating that these compounds undergo trophic magnification in the aquatic food web. Lipid equivalent concentrations of Dec 603 and DP isomers did not exhibit a statistically significant correlation with trophic levels. The relatively low trophic magnification potentials of Dec 603 and DP isomers were possibly due to their extreme hydrophobicity (logKOW: 11.2-11.3) and subsequent low bioavailabilities compared with mirex (7.0), Dec 602 (8.1) and anti-Cl11DP. The results provided important information for understanding the ecological risk of dechloranes.

}, keywords = {Animals, Aquatic Organisms, Bays, Charadriiformes, China, Environmental Monitoring, Fishes, Food Chain, Geologic Sediments, Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated, Invertebrates, Ontario, Regression Analysis, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/es500229y}, author = {Peng, Hui and Wan, Yi and Zhang, Kun and Sun, Jianxian and Hu, Jianying} } @article {114, title = {Derivatization method for sensitive determination of fluorotelomer alcohols in sediment by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.}, journal = {J Chromatogr A}, volume = {1288}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 May 03}, pages = {48-53}, abstract = {

Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) are the main precursors of environmentally ubiquitous perfluorinated acids, and determination of FTOHs at low concentrations presents significant challenges. In this study, a new liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method in conjunction with low-energy collision dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) was developed by employing an optimized derivatization reaction with dansyl chloride (DNS) in acetonitrile under catalysis of 4-(dimethylamino)-pyridine (DMAP). The instrument detection limits (IDLs) of the newly developed method were 0.014, 0.015, 0.014, 0.0075 and 0.0093μg/L for 4:2 FTOH, 6:2 FTOH, 8:2 FTOH, 10:1 FTOH and 10:2 FTOH respectively, which were 7.5-241 times lower than those without derivatizaiton and 57-357 times lower than previous GC/MS method. The method was successfully applied to analyze FTOHs in sediments combined with WAX and silica cartridges cleanup. The overall method recoveries were from 67{\textpm}6.0\% to 83{\textpm}9.4\% with matrix effects of \<15\%. The limits of quantification for all FTOHs were 0.017-0.060ng/gdry weight (dw). The method was applied to analyze six marine sediment samples from Liaodong Bay, China. All FTOHs except for 10:1 FTOH were detected, and the total concentrations of FTOHs were 0.19-0.52ng/gdw. The developed method provides a new method to sensitively determine FTOHs in environmental matrices.

}, keywords = {Alcohols, China, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Environmental Pollutants, Fluorocarbons, Geologic Sediments, Reproducibility of Results, Sensitivity and Specificity, Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization, Tandem Mass Spectrometry}, issn = {1873-3778}, doi = {10.1016/j.chroma.2013.02.085}, author = {Peng, Hui and Hu, Kejun and Zhao, Fanrong and Hu, Jianying} } @article {113, title = {High-density lipoprotein of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus upregulates cyclooxgenase-2 expression and prostacyclin I-2 release in endothelial cells: relationship with HDL-associated sphingosine-1-phosphate.}, journal = {Cardiovasc Diabetol}, volume = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Jan 30}, pages = {27}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) may have pro-inflammatory effects on the endothelial cells,which causes atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). HDL is a major carrier of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in plasma while S1P exhibits multiple biological activities. However, potential role of HDL and S1P in T2DM remains unexplored. We hypothesized that diabetic HDL with higher contents of S1P exerts beneficial effects on the vascular system.

METHODS: Subjects with T2DM with or without proved large arteries atherosclerosis and normal controls (n=15 for each group) were recruited in the present study. HDL was isolated from the subjects by ultracentrifugation. The levels of HDL-associated S1P were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The protective function of diabetic HDL and S1P was evaluated by measuring cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostacyclin I-2 (PGI-2) release by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.

RESULTS: The S1P levels in isolated HDL were significantly increased in T2DM subjects compared with controls (235.6 {\textpm} 13.4 vs 195.0 {\textpm} 6.4 ng/mg, P\< 0.05). The diabetic HDL exerted greater protective effects on inducing COX-2 expression and PGI-2 release by HUVECs than those of control HDL (p \< 0.05, p \< 0.01, respectively). Pertussis toxin, a common inhibitor of G-couple protein receptors, and VPC 23019, an antagonist of S1P receptor 1 and 3 significantly attenuated HDL-induced COX-2 expression and PGI-2 release.

CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic HDL carries higher level of S1P compared with normal HDL, which has the potential to contribute to protective effects on endothelial cells by inducing COX-2 expression and PGI-2 release. These findings provide a new insight of S1P function in T2DM patients, possibly leading to a new therapeutic target.

}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Cells, Cultured, Cyclooxygenase 2, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Endothelial Cells, Epoprostenol, Female, Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, Humans, Lipoproteins, HDL, Lysophospholipids, Male, Middle Aged, Sphingosine, Up-Regulation}, issn = {1475-2840}, doi = {10.1186/1475-2840-12-27}, author = {Tong, Xunliang and Peng, Hui and Liu, Donghui and Ji, Liang and Niu, Chenguang and Ren, Jun and Pan, Bing and Hu, Jianying and Zheng, Lemin and Huang, Yining} } @article {121, title = {Molecular and physiological characterization of fluoroquinolone resistance in relation to uropathogenicity among Escherichia coli isolates isolated from Wenyu River, China.}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {87}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Mar}, pages = {37-42}, abstract = {

Increasing antibacterial resistance and pathogenicity in the environment is of growing concern due to its potential human risk. In the present study, 236 Escherichia coli isolates were collected from Wenyu River in China on drugless (48 isolates) and quinolone-containing plates (189 isolates). Their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined ranging from 0.125 μg mL(-1) to 128 μg mL(-1). Mutation points related to fluoroquinolone resistance were observed at S83 to L and D87 to N or Y in the GyrA subunit and S80 to R or I and E84 to G in the ParC subunit. Generally, MICs of LEV and GAT are dependent on the patterns of these mutation points. The profile with three mutation points was related to LEV-resistant E. coli isolates, and the (S83L, D87N+S80I) mutation profile was most prevalent (65.7\%) in LEV-resistant isolates, while a large proportion of isolates, even those with three mutation points, were susceptive to GAT. The incidence of virulence factors in LEV-resistant isolates (44.7\%, 59/132) was much higher than in nonresistant isolates (23.1\%, 24/104) (χ(2)=11.925, 1{\textdegree} of freedom, p\<0.001) indicating that fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli would pose a potential risk. A similar distribution was also found in isolates resistant to GAT (χ(2)=7.843, 1{\textdegree} of freedom, p=0.0079).

}, keywords = {Anti-Bacterial Agents, China, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Escherichia coli, Fluoroquinolones, Rivers, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1879-1298}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.11.050}, author = {Sun, Jianxian and Hu, Jianying and Peng, Hui and Shi, Jiachen and Dong, Zhaomin} } @article {116, title = {Simultaneous determination of mono- and disubstituted polyfluoroalkyl phosphates in drinking water by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.}, journal = {J Chromatogr A}, volume = {1227}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Mar 02}, pages = {245-52}, abstract = {

A sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the simultaneous determination of five monosubstituted polyfluoroalkyl phosphates (monoPAPs) and eight disubstituted polyfluoroalkyl phosphates (diPAPs) in drinking water. Complete separation and good retention for 13 polyfluoroalkyls phosphates (PAPs) were achieved with a Waters ACUITY UPLC BEH C8 column using a mixture of methanol/water containing 0.1\% NH$_{4}$OH as the mobile phases. Extraction of drinking water samples was performed on weak anion exchange (WAX) cartridges, and the recoveries of target compounds were from 65 to 110\%. The limits of quantization (LOQs) for 13 analytes were in the range of 0.4-40 ng/L. This method was applied to analyze the PAPs in drinking water samples from three cities in China. Of the 13 PAPs, six PAPs including 6:2 monoPAP (13.0 ng/L), 8:2 monoPAP (3.6 ng/L), 10:1 monoPAP (4.3-70.3 ng/L), 10:2 monoPAP (1.4-5.6 ng/L), 8:2 diPAP (0.10 ng/L), and 10:1 diPAP (0.8-3.8 ng/L) were detected.

}, keywords = {China, Chromatography, Ion Exchange, Drinking Water, Fluorocarbons, Phosphates, Reproducibility of Results, Sensitivity and Specificity, Solid Phase Extraction, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1873-3778}, doi = {10.1016/j.chroma.2012.01.004}, author = {Ding, Huanhuan and Peng, Hui and Yang, Min and Hu, Jianying} } @article {115, title = {Tissue distribution, maternal transfer, and age-related accumulation of dechloranes in Chinese sturgeon.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {46}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Sep 18}, pages = {9907-13}, abstract = {

While dechloranes have been detected in environmental media and wildlife, limited information was available on their tissue distribution in wildlife. Syn-dechlorane plus (syn-DP), anti-DP, syn-undecachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (syn-Cl(11)DP), anti-Cl(11)DP, dechlorane 602, dechlorane 603 and mirex were measured in 13 organs of 17 female Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis). Dechloranes were detected in all tissues and the highest concentrations of total dechloranes were detected in heart (87 pg/g ww, 4.5-645 pg/g ww), followed by adipose (61 pg/g ww, 14-531 pg/g ww) and eggs (57 pg/g ww, 13-261 pg/g ww). The tissue distribution of DP was mainly determined by lipid partition, while Dec 602 and Dec 603 preferred to accumulate in the intestine and stomach. The values of f(anti) (the concentration of anti-DP relative to the sum concentration of DP) in maternal tissues (0.72 {\textpm} 0.03 in muscle) were significantly higher than those found in eggs (0.65 {\textpm} 0.04) (p \< 0.001), while f(anti-Cl11DP) (the concentration of anti-Cl(11)DP relative to the sum concentration of Cl(11)DP) in maternal tissues (0.59 {\textpm} 0.10 in muscle) was significantly lower than that in eggs (0.75 {\textpm} 0.13) (p \< 0.05). High maternal transfer efficiencies of dechloranes were observed in eggs, which accounted for 49\% of the total body burden, and the ratios of concentrations in eggs to maternal tissues (EMR) for mirex, Dec 602, Dec 603, syn-Cl(11)DP, anti-Cl(11)DP, syn-DP, and anti-DP were 18, 8.8, 5.2, 2.6, 5.2, 5.5 and 3.7, respectively, which are dependent on their K(OW) values (r = -0.66, p \< 0.01). Negative age-related trends were observed for mirex, Dec 603, syn-Cl(11)DP and anti-Cl(11)DP in eggs (R(2) = 0.28-0.38, p = 0.02-0.05), which were possibly due to their high transfer efficiencies to eggs from maternal body (49\%).

}, keywords = {Animals, China, Eggs, Environmental Monitoring, Female, Fishes, Flame Retardants, Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated, Polycyclic Compounds, Tissue Distribution, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1520-5851}, doi = {10.1021/es3025879}, author = {Peng, Hui and Zhang, Kun and Wan, Yi and Hu, Jianying} } @article {117, title = {Occurrence and source apportionment of sulfonamides and their metabolites in Liaodong Bay and the adjacent Liao River basin, North China.}, journal = {Environ Toxicol Chem}, volume = {30}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Jun}, pages = {1252-60}, abstract = {

The presence of antibiotics in the environment is of great concern because of their potential for resistance selection among pathogens. In the present study we investigated the occurrence of 19 sulfonamides, five N-acetylated sulfonamide metabolites, and trimethoprim in the Liao River basin and adjacent Liaodong Bay, China, as well as 10 human/agricultural source samples. Within the 35 river samples, 12 sulfonamides, four acetylated sulfonamides, and trimethoprim were detected, with the dominant being sulfamethoxazole (66.6 ng/L), N-acetylsulfamethoxazole (63.1 ng/L), trimethoprim (29.0 ng/L), sulfadiazine (14.0 ng/L), and sulfamonomethoxine (8.4 ng/L); within the 36 marine samples, 10 chemicals were detected, with the main contributions from sulfamethoxazole (25.2 ng/L) and N-acetylsulfamethoxazole (28.6 ng/L). Sulfamethoxazole (25.9\%), N-acetylsulfamethoxazole (46.6\%), trimethoprim (22.9\%), and sulfapyridine (1.4\%) were the main chemicals from human sources, while sulfamonomethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfaquinoxaline, sulfaguanidine, sulfadiazine, sulfanilamide, and sulfamethoxypyridazine were dominant in the animal husbandry sources, specifically, swine and poultry farms, and sulfamethoxazole (91\%) was dominant in the mariculture source. A principal component analysis with multiple linear regression was performed to evaluate the source apportionment of total sulfonamides in Liaodong Bay. It was found that animal husbandry contributed 15.2\% of total sulfonamides, while human sources contributed 28.5\%, and combined human and mariculture sources contributed 56.3\%. In addition, the mariculture contribution was 24.1\% of total sulfonamides into the sea based on mass flux estimation. The present study is the first report that the environmental levels of sulfonamide metabolites were comparable to the corresponding parents; therefore, we should pay attention to their environmental occurrence. Source apportionment showed human discharge (60.7\%) significantly contributed to these antibiotics in Liaodong Bay, which provides important information for environmental management.

}, keywords = {Agriculture, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Aquaculture, China, Environmental Monitoring, Humans, Linear Models, Principal Component Analysis, Rivers, Seawater, Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization, Sulfamethazine, Sulfamethoxazole, Sulfamethoxypyridazine, Sulfamonomethoxine, Sulfapyridine, Sulfaquinoxaline, Sulfonamides, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Trimethoprim, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Water Pollution, Chemical}, issn = {1552-8618}, doi = {10.1002/etc.508}, author = {Jia, Ai and Hu, Jianying and Wu, Xiaoqin and Peng, Hui and Wu, Shimin and Dong, Zhaomin} } @article {118, title = {Determination and occurrence of retinoic acids and their 4-oxo metabolites in Liaodong Bay, China, and its adjacent rivers.}, journal = {Environ Toxicol Chem}, volume = {29}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Nov}, pages = {2491-7}, abstract = {

Retinoic acids (RAs) and their metabolites play an important role in abnormal morphological development and are speculated to be a possible cause for the increased rates of deformities in wild frog populations. In the current study, a method using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneously analyzing all-trans-RA (at-RA), 13-cis-RA (13c-RA), 9-cis-RA (9c-RA), and their 4-oxo metabolites, all-trans-4-oxo-RA (at-4-oxo-RA), 13-cis-4-oxo-RA (13c-4-oxo-RA), and 9-cis-4-oxo-RA (9c-4-oxo-RA) in wastewaters and surface waters. Method detection limits were matrix dependent, ranging from 0.02 to 0.37 ng/L. The method was used to investigate the occurrence of RAs and 4-oxo-RAs in Liaodong Bay and its adjacent rivers. Of these six retinoids, at-RA, 13c-RA, at-4-oxo-RA, and 13c-4-oxo-RA were detected in river waters at detection frequencies of 100\%, 92\%, 48.6\%, and 21.6\%, and concentrations of 0.05 to 1.23 ng/L, less than 0.03 to 0.41 ng/L, less than 0.02 to 1.00 ng/L, and less than 0.06 to 0.81 ng/L, respectively. Retinoic acids were detected for the first time in the aquatic environment and were found to be more persistent than 4-oxo-RAs. The hazard quotient for mortality of frog embryos caused by induction by retinoids detected in the current study was then estimated, and the value was calculated to be 0.09. No retinoid was detected in seawaters.

}, keywords = {China, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Rivers, Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization, Stereoisomerism, Tretinoin, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1552-8618}, doi = {10.1002/etc.322}, author = {Wu, Xiaoqin and Hu, Jianying and Jia, Ai and Peng, Hui and Wu, Shimin and Dong, Zhaomin} } @article {119, title = {Tissue distribution and maternal transfer of poly- and perfluorinated compounds in Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis): implications for reproductive risk.}, journal = {Environ Sci Technol}, volume = {44}, year = {2010}, month = {2010 Mar 01}, pages = {1868-74}, abstract = {

It is critical to investigate the tissue distribution and maternal transfer of poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in wild fish for assessing potential effects on ecosystems. Concentrations of 23 PFCs in nine organs and egg were measured in 16 17- to 25-year-old female Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis, an anadromous fish), that died during propagation. Three polyfluorinated amides were detected in stomach, intestine, and gills and 7:3 FTCA was specifically accumulated in liver. The greatest total concentration of PFCs in egg was 35.1 +/- 10.4 ng/g ww and was predominated by perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorotridecanoate acid (PFTriDA). The longer-chain C(11)-C(14) and C(16) perfluorinated carboxylates were more accumulated in Chinese sturgeon than PFOS, partly due to the increasing trends of PFCAs with fish age. Maternal transfer ratios of PFCs expressed as ratios of concentrations in the egg to those in the liver ranged from 0.79 (perfluorooctanoate) to 5.5 (PFTriDA), depending on their carbon chain lengths or protein-water coefficients. The PFOS equivalent of PFC mixtures, calculated by multiplying the relative potency factor of each PFC to PFOS by the corresponding concentration, ranged from 90.6 to 262 ng/g. The hazard quotient was 0.20, implying potential reproductive effects of PFCs on Chinese sturgeon.

}, keywords = {Alkanesulfonic Acids, Animals, Female, Fertility, Fertilization in Vitro, Fishes, Fluorocarbons, Organ Specificity, Reproduction, Risk Factors, Tissue Distribution}, issn = {0013-936X}, doi = {10.1021/es903248d}, author = {Peng, Hui and Wei, Qiwei and Wan, Yi and Giesy, John P and Li, Luoxin and Hu, Jianying} } @article {120, title = {Malformations of the endangered Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis, and its causal agent.}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, volume = {106}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Jun 09}, pages = {9339-44}, abstract = {

The anadromous Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is endangered and listed among the first class of protected animals in China. The possible causes for the decline of this species are the effects of synthetic chemicals, and loss of critical habitat. Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River have accumulated triphenyltin (TPT) to 31-128 ng/g wet weigh (ww) in liver, which is greater than the concentrations of tributyltin (\<1.0 ng/g ww). Maternal transfer of TPT has resulted in concentrations of 25.5 +/- 13.0 ng/g ww in eggs of wild Chinese sturgeon, which poses a significant risk to the larvae naturally fertilized or hatched in the Yangtze River. The incidence of deformities in fry was 7.5\%, with 1.2\% of individuals exhibiting ocular abnormal development, and 6.3\% exhibited skeletal/morphological deformations. The incidences of both ocular and skeletal/morphological deformations were directly proportional to the TPT concentration in the eggs of both the Chinese sturgeon and the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) in controlled laboratory studies. The rates of deformities in the controlled studies were consistent with the rates caused at the similar concentrations in eggs collected from the field. Thus, TPT is the causal agent to induce the malformation of larvae of Chinese sturgeon. The incidence of deformed larvae of Chinese sturgeon is an indicator of overall population-level effects of TPT on Chinese sturgeon, because TPT at environmentally relevant concentrations can result in significantly decrease both quality and quantity of eggs and spawning frequency of fish.

}, keywords = {Animals, China, Fishes, Organotin Compounds, Trialkyltin Compounds, Water Pollutants, Chemical}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.0809434106}, author = {Hu, Jianying and Zhang, Zhaobin and Wei, Qiwei and Zhen, Huajun and Zhao, Yanbin and Peng, Hui and Wan, Yi and Giesy, John P and Li, Luoxin and Zhang, Bo} }