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Single enrichment systems possibly underestimate both exposures and biological effects of organic pollutants from drinking water

  • Lan Yang
    ,
  • Ying Zhou
    ,
  • Li Chen
    ,
  • Hanyi Chen
    ,
  • Wenhao Liu
    ,
  • Weiwei Zheng
  • Fudan University
    ,
  • Andersen ToxConsulting LLC
    ,
  • University of Oxford
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Comprehensive enrichment of contaminants in drinking water is an essential step for accurately determining exposure levels of contaminants and testing their biological effects. Traditional methods using a single absorbent for enriching contaminants in water might not be adequate for complicated matrices with different physical-chemical profiles . To examine this hypothesis, we used an integrated enrichment system that had three sequential stages-XAD-2 resin, poly (styrene–divinylbenzene) and activated charcoal to capture organic pollutants and disinfection by-products (DBPs) from drinking water in Shanghai. Un-adsorbed Organic Compounds in Eluates (UOCEs) named UOCEs-A, -B, and-C following each adsorption stage were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectromet ry to evaluate adsorption efficiency of the enrichment system . Meanwhile, biological effects such as cytotoxicity, effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and glutathione (GSH) depletion were determined in human LO2 cells to identify potential adverse effects on exposure to low dose contaminants. We found that poly-styrene–divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) and activated charcoal (AC) could still partly collect UOCEs-A and-B that the upper adsorption column incompletely captured, and that potential carcinogens like 2- naphthamine were present in all eluates. UOCEs-A at (1-4000), UOCEs-B at (1000-4000), and UOCEs-C at (2400-4000) folds of the actual concentrations had significant cytotoxicity to LO2 cells. Additionally, ROS and GSH change in cells treated with UOCEs indicated the potential for long-term effects of exposure to some mixtures of contaminants such as DBPs at low doses . These results suggested that an enriching system with a single adsorbent would underestimate the exposure level of pollutants and the biological effects of organic pollutants from drinking water. Effective methods for pollutants’ enrichment and capture of drinking water should be given priority in future studies on accurate evaluation of biological effects exposed to mixed pollutants via drinking water.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Article number

133496

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 133496

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Chemosphere (Volume 292)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 29/12/2021
  • Published - 03/01/2022

Publication status

Published - 03/01/2022

ISSN

0045-6535

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/625286
  • Scopus: 85122293358

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