Multi-residue environmental method for seed treatment insecticides, neonicotinoid degradation products, and fungicides using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with a new ionization source.

Few methods provide simultaneous determination of multiple pesticides and degradation products in environmental samples using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). As LC-MS/MS method performance is significantly influenced by the type and design of the ion source, we compared three ion sources: electrospray ionization (ESI) source, atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source and UniSpray™ ionization source. A gain in sensitivity was observed with UniSpray™ and ESI as compared to APCI source on the same instrument.

Pesticide concentrations in multiple physical and biological stream matrices are impacted by a bioenergy production facility receiving pesticide-coated corn seeds.

Insecticide and fungicide seed coatings have become prevalent in conventional agriculture in recent decades. From 2015-2021, the AltEn bioenergy plant (Mead, Nebraska, USA) generated ethanol from almost 100% unused/expired treated corn seeds. This use of these seeds for ethanol production resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of contaminated wastewater and solid residue, a portion of which was applied to surrounding farmland.

Occurrence and environmental risk assessment of pesticides reveal important threats to aquatic organisms in precordilleran rivers of north-central Chile.

While pesticides are essential for food production, their widespread use poses environmental risks beyond lowland areas. Recent evidence indicates that mountain ecosystems are also vulnerable due to both local agriculture and long-range atmospheric transport. This study assesses pesticide contamination and ecological risks in five mountainous agricultural watersheds of north-central Chile, where pesticides support intensive crop production.

Comparison of salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction to polymeric solid phase extraction for liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry of neonicotinoids insecticides and metabolites in wastewater: Occurrence and aquatic risk assessment.

Neonicotinoids are among the most widely used insecticides worldwide. Many studies have revealed that this class of pesticides, used both in agricultural crops and for insect control in cities, can be metabolized to a variety of different compounds with varying effects in the environment and to human health. Considering the widespread use of neonicotinoids and likely occurrence of metabolites, new methodologies that evaluate the presence of these compounds in water and wastewater are crucial to better understand occurrence, exposure and to develop exposure control strategies.

Aquatic occurrence, fate and potential ecotoxicity of insecticide and fungicide residues originating from a biofuels production facility using pesticide-treated seeds.

Little is known about the potential impact of point source contamination from seed treatment pesticide residues and degradation products in waste products in treated seed. The presence of these pesticides and their degradation products in the environment has been associated with toxic effects on non-target organisms including bees, aquatic organisms and humans. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of twenty-two pesticide residues and their degradation products in two streams receiving runoff from land-applied wet cake, applied and spilled wastewater originating at a biofuels production facility using pesticide-treated seed as a feedstock.

Analysis of interactions between pharmaceuticals and humic acid: Characterization using entrapment and high-performance affinity microcolumns.

The presence of pharmaceuticals as microcontaminants in the environment has become of particular concern given the growing increase in water reuse and recycling to promote global sustainability of this resource. Pharmaceuticals can often undergo reversible interactions with soluble dissolved organic material such as humic acid, which may be an important factor in determining the bioavailability and effects of these compounds in the environment. In this study, high-performance affinity microcolumns containing non-covalently entrapped and immobilized humic acid are used to examine the binding strength and interactions of this agent for tetracycline, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin, all common pharmaceutical microcontaminants known to bind humic acid.

Influence of Four Veterinary Antibiotics on Constructed Treatment Wetland Nitrogen Transformation.

The use of wetlands as a treatment approach for nitrogen in runoff is a common practice in agroecosystems. However, nitrate is not the sole constituent present in agricultural runoff and other biologically active contaminants have the potential to affect nitrate removal efficiency. In this study, the impacts of the combined effects of four common veterinary antibiotics (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, lincomycin, monensin) on nitrate-N treatment efficiency in saturated sediments and wetlands were evaluated in a coupled microcosm/mesocosm scale experiment.

Human Health Risk Assessment of the Photocatalytic Oxidation of BTEX over TiO/Volcanic Glass.

This study demonstrates rapid photocatalytic oxidation of a benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) mixture over TiO/volcanic glass. The assessment of the photocatalytic oxidation of BTEX was conducted under conditions simulating those found in indoor environments affected by aromatic hydrocarbon release. We show, under UV-A intensities of 15 mW/cm and an air flow rate of 55 m/h, that low ppmv levels of BTEX concentrations can be reduced to below detectable levels.

Characterization of Environmental Levels of Pesticide Residues in Household Air and Dust Samples near a Bioenergy Plant Using Treated Seed as Feedstock.

Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides is associated with adverse human health outcomes. There is environmental contamination in Saunders County, Nebraska, due to the accumulation of fungicides and insecticides from a now-closed ethanol plant using seed corn as stock. A pilot study quantified environmental contamination in nearby houses from residual pesticides by measuring dust and air (indoor/outdoor) concentrations of neonicotinoids and fungicides at the study site (households within two miles of the plant) and control towns (20-30 miles away).

Analysis of Wastewater Samples to Explore Community Substance Use in the United States: Pilot Correlative and Machine Learning Study.

Background: Substance use disorder and associated deaths have increased in the United States, but methods for detecting and monitoring substance use using rapid and unbiased techniques are lacking. Wastewater-based surveillance is a cost-effective method for monitoring community drug use. However, the examination of the results often focuses on descriptive analysis.

Dual Activation of Peroxymonosulfate Using MnFeO/g-CN and Visible Light for the Efficient Degradation of Steroid Hormones: Performance, Mechanisms, and Environmental Impacts.

Single activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in a homogeneous system is sometimes insufficient for producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) for water treatment applications. In this work, manganese spinel ferrite and graphitic carbon nitride (MnFeO/g-CN; MnF) were successfully used as an activator for PMS under visible light irradiation to remove the four-most-detected-hormone-contaminated water under different environmental conditions. The incorporation of g-CN in the nanocomposites led to material enhancements, including increased crystallinity, reduced particle agglomeration, amplified magnetism, improved recyclability, and increased active surface area, thereby facilitating the PMS activation and electron transfer processes.

Reaction Steps in Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Oxidation of Toluene in Gas Phase-A Review.

A review of the current literature shows there is no clear consensus regarding the reaction mechanisms of air-borne aromatic compounds such as toluene by photocatalytic oxidation. Potential oxidation reactions over TiO or TiO-based catalysts under ultraviolet and visible (UV/VIS) illumination are most commonly considered for removal of these pollutants. Along the pathways from a model pollutant, toluene, to final mineralization products (CO and HO), the formation of several intermediates via specific reactions include parallel oxidation reactions and formation of less-reactive intermediates on the TiO surface.

Occurrence and persistence of antibiotics administered to cattle in a newly established feedlot.

The practice of using therapeutic and prophylactic veterinary antibiotics in livestock farming is a worldwide phenomenon. Over the last decade, there has been a growing concern of antibiotic residues entering the environment via animal manure. Similar studies have focused on the occurrence and biological effects of antibiotics in land-applied animal feedlots; however, limited research has been conducted on the occurrence and persistence of antibiotics in animal feedlots.

Adsorptive-Photocatalytic Performance for Antibiotic and Personal Care Product Using CuMnFeO.

The amount of antibiotics and personal care products entering local sewage systems and ultimately natural waters is increasing and raising concerns about long-term human health effects. We developed an adsorptive photocatalyst, CuMnFeO nanoparticles, utilizing co-precipitation and calcination with melamine, and quantified its efficacy in removing paraben and oxytetracycline (OTC). During melamine calcination, CuMnFeO recrystallized, improving material crystallinity and purity for the adsorptive-photocatalytic reaction.

Interplay of legacy irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer inputs to spatial variability of arsenic and uranium within the deep vadose zone.

The vadose zone is a reservoir for geogenic and anthropogenic contaminants. Nitrogen and water infiltration can affect biogeochemical processes in this zone, ultimately affecting groundwater quality. In this large-scale field study, we evaluated the input and occurrence of water and nitrogen species in the vadose zone of a public water supply wellhead protection (WHP) area (defined by a 50-year travel time to groundwater for public supply wells) and potential transport of nitrate, ammonium, arsenic, and uranium.

Enhanced degradation of herbicides in groundwater using sulfur-containing reductants and spinel zinc ferrite activated persulfate.

A challenge to successfully implementing an injection-based remedial treatment in aquifers is to ensure that the oxidative reaction is efficient and lasts long enough to contact the contaminated plume. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of zinc ferrite nanocomposites (ZnFeO) and sulfur-containing reductants (SCR) (i.e.

Labile carbon and soil texture control nitrogen transformation in deep vadose zone.

Understanding transient nitrogen (N) storage and transformation in the deep vadose zone is critical for controlling groundwater contamination by nitrate. The occurrence of organic and inorganic forms of carbon (C) and nitrogen and their importance in the deep vadose zone is not well characterized due to difficulty in sampling and the limited number of studies. We sampled and characterized these pools beneath 27 croplands with different vadose zone thicknesses (6-45 m).

Importance of snowmelt on soil nitrate leaching to groundwater - A model study.

The movement of nitrate to surface water bodies during snow accumulation and melting has been extensively studied, but there are only limited studies on the influence of snow processes on nitrate leaching to groundwater. The present study investigated the impact of snow processes on nitrate leaching to groundwater based on a simulation modeling approach using HYDRUS-1D. HYDRUS-1D model has a temperature threshold-based snow model in addition to water, solute, and heat simulation components.

Nitrate-Stimulated Release of Naturally Occurring Sedimentary Uranium.

Groundwater uranium (U) concentrations have been measured above the U.S. EPA maximum contaminant level (30 μg/L) in many U.

Preparation of entrapment-based microcolumns for analysis of drug-humic acid interactions by high-performance affinity chromatography.

Reversible interactions between drugs and humic acid in water can be an important factor in determining the bioavailability and effects of these pharmaceuticals as micropollutants in the environment. In this study, microcolumns containing entrapped humic acid were used in high-performance affinity chromatography (HPAC) to examine the binding of this agent with the drugs tetracycline, carbamazepine, ciprofloxacin, and norfloxacin. Parameters that were varied to optimize the entrapment of humic acid within HPLC-grade porous silica included the starting concentration of humic acid, the mass ratio of humic acid vs silica, and the method of mixing the reagents with the support for the entrapment process.

Photodegradation of a mixture of five pharmaceuticals commonly found in wastewater: Experimental and computational analysis.

Photochemical transformation of pharmaceuticals plays an important role in their natural attenuation, especially in lagoon-based wastewater treatment plants and surface waters receiving substantial sunlight. In this study, the photodegradation of five important pharmaceuticals was studied in samples obtained from a wastewater treatment plant and surface water sources. Batch photodegradation studies for a mixture of pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole, acetaminophen, carbamazepine and gemfibrozil) were carried out in a photochemical reactor.

Targeted Method for Quantifying Air-Borne Pesticide Residues from Conventional Seed Coat Treatments to Better Assess Exposure Risk During Maize Planting.

Agricultural seed-coat treatments are prone to drift as seed coatings may scuff off and become incorporated into field particles during planting. Vacuum planters release exhaust and kick up field dust, laden with systemic pesticides that blow across the landscape, is taken up, and later expressed in the nectar and pollen of surrounding plants. Offsite movements and nontarget exposure to systemic pesticides need attention and determining how and at what exposure levels pollinators are exposed is of critical importance.

Population Health Metrics During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Correlative Pilot Study.

Background: COVID-19 has caused nearly 1 million deaths in the United States, not to mention job losses, business and school closures, stay-at-home orders, and mask mandates. Many people have suffered increased anxiety and depression since the pandemic began. Not only have mental health symptoms become more prevalent, but alcohol consumption has also increased during this time.