Environmental fate of alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates--a review

Over 6 billion pounds per year of the estrogenic monomer bisphenol A (BPA) are used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic products, in resins lining metal cans, in dental sealants, and in blends with other types of plastic products. The ester bond linking BPA molecules in polycarbonate and resins undergoes hydrolysis, resulting in the release of free BPA into food, beverages, and the environment, and numerous monitoring studies now show almost ubiquitous human exposure to biologically active levels of this chemical. BPA exerts estrogenic effects through the classical nuclear estrogen receptors, and BPA acts as a selective estrogen receptor modulator. However, BPA also initiates rapid responses via estrogen receptors presumably associated with the plasma membrane. Similar to estradiol, BPA causes changes in some cell functions at concentrations between 1 pM and 1 nM, and the mean and median range of unconjugated BPA measured by multiple techniques in human pregnant maternal, fetal, and adult blood and other tissues exceeds these levels. In contrast to these published findings, BPA manufacturers persist in describing BPA as a weak estrogen and insist there is little concern with human exposure levels. Our concern with human exposure to BPA derives from 1) identification of molecular mechanisms mediating effects in human and animal tissues at very low doses, 2) in vivo effects in experimental animals caused by low doses within the range of human exposure, and 3) widespread human exposure to levels of BPA that cause adverse effects in animals.

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Large Effects from Small Exposures. III. Endocrine Mechanisms Mediating Effects of Bisphenol A at Levels of Human Exposure

Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, no control of black carbon (BC) was considered. Here, it is found, through simulations in which 12 identifiable effects of aerosol particles on climate are treated, that any emission reduction of fossil-fuel (f.f.) particulate BC plus associated organic matter (OM) may slow global warming more than may any emission reduction of CO 2 or CH 4 for a specific period. When all f.f. BC + OM and anthropogenic CO 2 and CH 4 emissions are eliminated together, the period is 25-100 years. It is also estimated that historical net global warming can be attributed roughly to greenhouse gas plus f.f. BC + OM warming minus substantial cooling by other particles. Eliminating all f.f. BC + OM could eliminate 20-45% of net warming (8-18% of total warming before cooling is subtracted out) within 3-5 years if no other change occurred. Reducing CO 2 emissions by a third would have the same effect, but after 50-200 years. Finally, diesel cars emitting continuously under the most recent U.S. and E.U. particulate standards (0.08 g/mi; 0.05 g/km) may warm climate per distance driven over the next 100+ years more than equivalent gasoline cars. Thus, fuel and carbon tax laws that favor diesel appear to promote global warming. Toughening vehicle particulate emission standards by a factor of 8 (0.01 g/ mi; 0.006 g/km) does not change this conclusion, although it shortens the period over which diesel cars warm to 13-54 years. Although control of BC + OM can slow warming, control of greenhouse gases is necessary to stop warming. Reducing BC + OM will not only slow global warming but also improve human health.

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Control of fossil‐fuel particulate black carbon and organic matter, possibly the most effective method of slowing global warming

Phenols and their derivatives commonly exist in the environment. These compounds are used as the components of dyes, polymers, drugs and other organic substances. The presence of phenols in the ecosys - tems is also related with production and degradation of numerous pesticides and the generation of industrial and municipal sewages. Some phenols are also formed during natural processes. These compounds may be substituted with chlorine atoms, may be nitrated, methylated or alkylated. both phenols and catechols are harmful ecotoxins. Toxic action of these compounds stems from unspecified toxicity related to hydrophob - ocity and also to the generation of organic radicals and reactive oxygen species. Phenols and catechols re - veal peroxidative capacity, they are hematotoxic and hepatotoxic, provoke mutagenesis and carcinogenesis toward humans and other living organisms.

Phenols - sources and toxicity

Environmental Context. The fate and behaviour of trace pollutants are very strongly modified, and usually dominated, by their physical and chemical interactions with naturally occurring aquatic colloids (defined as solid phase material with one dimension between 1 nm and 1 μm). This review summarises the area and key advances in the field of natural aquatic colloids, including technique development and quantification of colloidal structure and interactions with pollutants. The review also discusses areas in which significant advances are likely to be made or are needed and, as such, provides a framework for further work in the next few years. Abstract. Natural aquatic colloids are materials with one dimension between 1 nm and 1 μm. More informally defined, nanoparticles are materials with at least one dimension less than 100 nm. Both colloids and nanoparticles have significant effects on pollutant, nutrient, and pathogen chemistry, transport and bioavailability, and may themselves be bioavailable. Techniques for their fractionation, characterization and analysis have improved greatly in recent years. Although knowledge of their structure and environmental impact has also increased, it has not done so to the same degree and thus the field awaits the substantial application of new methodologies. This paper reviews the current state of the art in this area and also discusses likely future developments.

Aquatic Colloids and Nanoparticles: Current Knowledge and Future Trends

Characterization of atmospheric trace elements on PM2.5 particulate matter over the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary

Simultaneous measurements of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air and water over Raritan Bay and New York Harbor were taken in July 1998, allowing the first determinations of air−water exchange fluxes for this heavily impacted system. Average gas-phase concentrations of ∑PCBs were 1.0 ng m-3 above Raritan Bay and 3.1 ng m-3 above New York Harbor. A similar gradient was observed for dissolved water concentrations (1.6 and 3.8 ng L-1, respectively). Shallow slopes of log KOC vs log KOW plots indicated a colloidal contribution to the dissolved concentrations, and a three-phase partitioning model was therefore applied. PCBs associated with colloids ranged from 6% to 93% for trichloro- to nonachlorobiphenyls, respectively. Air−water gas exchange fluxes of ∑PCBs exhibited net volatilization for both Raritan Bay at +400 ng m-2 day-1 and New York Harbor at +2100 ng m-2 day-1. The correction for the colloidal interactions decreased the volatilization flux of ∑PCBs by about 15%. Net air−water exchange fluxes...

Dynamic air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, n = 36) were measured in the gas and particle phases in the atmosphere and the dissolved and particle phases in the waters of the New York—New Jersey Harbor Estuary, USA, during a weeklong intensive field campaign in July 1998. Mean total (gas + particulate) phenanthrene and pyrene concentrations were 3.3 and 0.33 ng/m3, respectively, over Raritan Bay, and 14 and 1.1 ng/m3, respectively, over New York Harbor. Similar PAH profiles (p values < 0.01) in the atmospheric gas phase and the dissolved phase in water demonstrate the close coupling of the air and water compartments. Air—water exchange fluxes of PAHs estimated using shore-based air data lead to erroneous flux estimates when compared to those derived using over-water air samples. The gross absorptive air—water flux dominates atmospheric loadings (wet, dry particle, gas absorption) to the estuary for PAHs of molecular weight < 234 g/mol. Dry particle deposition is increasingly more important for the higher-molecular-weight, particle-bound PAH species. Gross volatilization dominates gross absorption for the majority of PAHs in the New York—New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

Air-water exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the New York-New Jersey, USA, Harbor Estuary.

The atmospheric occurrence of nonylphenols and tert-octylphenol has been assessed at three sites in the lower Hudson River Estuary (LHRE). The samples (n = 186) were taken from June to December of ...

Atmospheric Seasonal Trends and Environmental Fate of Alkylphenols in the Lower Hudson River Estuary

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the coastal New Jersey atmosphere as part of the New Jersey Atmospheric Deposition Network (NJADN). PAH results from the first year of atmospheric sampling (Oct 1997−Oct 1998) at a suburban site near New Brunswick, NJ and a coastal site at Sandy Hook, NJ are presented. PAHs (36) were analyzed at both sites including phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene whose concentrations ranged from 0.74 to 20.9 ng/m3 and 0.0020 to 0.62 ng/m3, respectively. PAH concentrations at the suburban site were 2× higher than concentrations measured at the coastal site, consistent with the closer proximity of NB to urban/industrial regions than SH. The seasonal trends of particulate PAH concentrations indicate that PAH sources such as fuel consumption for domestic heating and vehicular traffic drive their seasonal occur rence. While gaseous concentrations of methylated phenanthrenes and pyrene were higher during the winter and similar to high molecular weight P...

Eric D. Nelson

Papers

Characterization of atmospheric trace elements on PM2.5 particulate matter over the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary

Dynamic air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary.

Air-water exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the New York-New Jersey, USA, Harbor Estuary.

Atmospheric Seasonal Trends and Environmental Fate of Alkylphenols in the Lower Hudson River Estuary

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the New Jersey Coastal Atmosphere