Investigation of the Aquatic Photolytic and Photocatalytic Degradation of Citalopram

This study investigated the direct and indirect photochemical degradation of citalopram (CIT), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), under natural and artificial solar radiation. Experiments were conducted in a variety of different operating conditions including Milli-Q (MQ) water and natural waters (lake water and municipal WWT effluent), as well as in the presence of natural water constituents (organic matter, nitrate and bicarbonate). Results showed that indirect photolysis can be an important degradation process in the aquatic environment since citalopram photo-transformation in the natural waters was accelerated in comparison to MQ water both under natural and simulated solar irradiation. In addition, to investigate the decontamination of water from citalopram, TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic degradation was carried out and the attention was given to mineralization and toxicity evaluation together with the identification of by-products. The photocatalytic process gave rise to the formation of transformation products, and 11 of them were identified by HPLC-HRMS, whereas the complete mineralization was almost achieved after 5 h of irradiation. The assessment of toxicity of the treated solutions was performed by Microtox bioassay (Vibrio fischeri) and in silico tests showing that citalopram photo-transformation involved the formation of harmful compounds.     

Determination of trace levels of herbicides and their degradation products in surface and ground waters by gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry

A rapid, specific and highly sensitive method is described for the determination of several commonly used herbicides and their degradation products in surface and ground waters by using gas chromatography/ion-trap mass spectrometry. The compounds included atrazine, and its degradation products desethylatrazine and desisopropylatrazine; simazine; cyanazine; metolachlor; and alachlor and its degradation products, 2-chloro-2',6'-diethylacetanilide, 2-hydroxy-2',6'-diethylacetanilide and 2,6-diethylaniline. The method was applied to surface-water samples collected from 16 different stations along the lower Mississippi River and its major tributaries, and ground-water samples beneath a cornfield in central Nebraska. Average recovery of a surrogate herbicide, terbuthylazine, was greater than 99%. Recoveries of the compounds of interest from river water spiked at environmental levels are also presented. Full-scan mass spectra of these compounds were obtained on 1 ng or less of analyte. Data were collected in the full-scan acquisition mode. Quantitation was based on a single characteristic ion for each compound. The detection limit was 60 pg with a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 10:1.     

Modelling the occurrence and reactivity of the carbonate radical in surface freshwater

A model was developed to foresee the degradation kinetics of dissolved compounds for reaction with the carbonate radical in surface waters. It would contribute to the assessment of the environmental persistence of pollutants, therefore, allowing a better definition of the exposure of natural ecosystems and human communities to hazardous substances. The model is a function of the water chemical composition, the water column depth, and the second-order rate constant of the reaction between the relevant compound and the carbonate radical. A comparison between the reactivity of the carbonate and the hydroxyl radical shows that the latter would often play a more important role as reactive species, but the carbonate radical could prevail in carbonate-rich waters, giving the degradation of easily oxidisable molecules.     

A chromatoscopic study of fluorene,indenes and styrene

Summary A molecular-statistical calculation of the retention volumes at zero sample size on graphitized thermal carbon black is carried out for quasi-rigid molecules of fluorene, indene, 1-methylindene, 2-methylindene and three dimethylindenes. A reasonable agreement is observed between the calculated and the available experimental gas chromatographic data. The potential barrier to internal rotation and the torsional angle in styrene molecules are estimated by comparing theoretically calculated and measured retention volumes.     

Analytical method development for the determination of four biocides used in antifouling paints in estuarine waters and sediments by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Summary Irgarol 1051, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid and diuron are biocides utilised in antifouling paints as alternatives to organotin compounds, after restrictions imposed in the use of tributyltin in 1987. Effective analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of these four biocides in waters and sediments have been developed and method performance data are presented. Quantification is by gas chromatography—electron ionisation mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). The method involves the simultaneous extraction of the biocides from water with dichloromethane or from sediments with dichloromethane and acetone. For the determination of diuron the extract was methylated prior to GC analysis to avoid thermal degradation in the instrument. The method was applied to water and sediment samples spiked with the biocides. The highest detection sensitivities were achieved in the selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Recovery studies were performed at 20, 2 and 1 ppb for all biocides in water and 400, 40 and 20 ppb in sediments. The percentage recoveries ranged between 90 and 100% for waters and 80 and 90% for sediments. Seven determinations were made at each concentration level along with a procedural blank. The quantification limit of the method was around 0.2 ppb for water and 5 ppb for sediments depending on the individual compound.     

Degradation study of selected organophosphorus insecticides in natural waters

The degradation of 15 organophosphorus insecticides was studied in drinking, ground, and surface waters under different laboratory-controlled and environmental conditions. Surface waters originated from rivers Savinja (near the city of Celje) and Kamniska Bistrica (at the spring), which both belong to the Danube river basin. Groundwater was collected from wells (70?m deep) in Ljubljana, which are the direct source of drinking water for the capital. These matrices were selected on the basis of their different chemical composition and microbial activity. Major factors influencing the degradation were determined, such as temperature, oxygen, sunlight, pH, and type of water. The degradation of atrazine, present in many water sources in Slovenija, was followed simultaneously as a reference under the same conditions. The degradation kinetics was followed by gas chromatography with mass-selective detection, which also allowed the identification of some degradation by-products, such as oxon analogues paraoxon, dyfoxon, malaoxon, phenyl-methyl sulfoxide, fenthion sulfone, phorate sulfoxide, and phorate sulfone. The results show that the half-lives of the selected organophosphorus insecticides varied from 4 to 192 days or more, depending on the water source and experimental conditions. As a result, kinetically constants and half-lives were calculated for every tested insecticide, and major degradation products were determined.     

Characterization of phenazone transformation products on light-activated TiO2 surface by high-resolution mass spectrometry

The paper examines the transformation of phenazone (2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolin-5-one), a widely used analgesic and antipyretic drug, under simulated solar irradiation in pure water, using titanium dioxide, and in river water. High-resolution mass spectrometry was employed to monitor the evolution of photoinduced processes. Initially, laboratory experiments were performed to simulate drug-transformation pathways in aqueous solution, using TiO(2) as photocatalyst. Thirteen main phenazone transformation products were detected, and full analysis of their MS and MS(n) spectra identified the diverse isobaric species. All these transformation products were themselves easily degraded, and no compounds were recognized to remain until 1h of irradiation. From these findings, a tentative degradation pathway is proposed to account for the photoinduced transformation of phenazone in natural waters. These simulation experiments were verified in the field, seeking phenazone in River Po water samples.     

Identification of New Photodegradation Byproducts of the Antifouling Agent Irgarol in Seawater Samples

Abstract

A photodegradation study for Irgarol was carried out in order to investigate several products of degradation formed in different environmental matrices and under different conditions. Deionized water, groundwater and seawater samples, spiked at 30–100 μg/L with Irgarol, were irradiated using a xenon are lamp and/or sunlight. Aliquots of the spiked water samples were taken at different times of irradiation and compounds were isolated from the water samples by means of solid-phase extraction (SPE) using either C₁₈ or PLRP-s cartridges. Separation and detection of the compounds was accomplished by several analytical methodologies such as liquid chromatography-diode array detection (LC-DAD), liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Four new byproducts, with molecular weights of 167, 197, 207 and 213, were identified in this photodegradation study. When the photolysis was carried out with xenon lamp, half-lives of Irgarol were 103.8, 125.4 and 107.5 minutes in deionized water, groundwater and seawater, respectively. In seawater samples, a 98% of degradation was observed for Irgarol, after 217 hours of solar irradiation, being the main byproduct formed that corresponding to M_w = 213. On the other hand, the use of two different sensitizers -(TiO₂/H₂O₂), (FeCI₃/H₂O₂)- was also evaluated in deionized water samples containing Irgarol. These experiments were carried out in order to evaluate the use of these two sensitizers for decontamination of polluted waters.     

Studying the photochemical fate of methyl parathion in natural waters under tropical conditions

This article discusses the degradation of methyl parathion (MP) in natural and sterilized waters. Experiments were prepared using natural waters gathered in two aquatic systems (Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil), ultra-pure water and humic water solution under different conditions (i.e. in the presence/absence of light, sterilized/no sterilize solutions). The exposition to sunlight was carried out using experimental bottles without headspace immersed in a swimming pool for temperature control. Natural waters results showed that the degradation kinetic of MP is of first order and the half-lives for lake water experiments, under direct sunlight and shade, were 4.41 and 6.89 days, respectively. The kinetic curve for MP degradation in river waters showed that there are no differences when samples were sterilized and placed (or not) under shade conditions, and the half-lives ranged from 5.37 to 2.75 days for sterilized river water/absence of sunlight and natural/presence of sunlight, respectively. Therefore, our results showed that photolysis plays, in addition to bio- and chemical degradation, an important role in the decomposition of MP in aquatic environments.     

Fluoroindenes. 12. Interaction of perfluorinated 3-methyl- and 3-ethylindenes, 1-methylene-, 1-ethylidene-, and 1-vinylindans with ammonia and aliphatic amines

In the reactions with ammonia and alkylamines, perfluoro-3-ethylindene is more reactive than perfluoro-1-ethylideneindan, whereby the last two compounds undergo mutual conversion in the presence of F^–. In the interaction of perfluoro-1-ethylideneindan with aqueous amines, products of the substitution of the vinyl F atom in the initial compound are obtained; in the case of dry amines in the presence of CsF, the products of the substitution of the F atom at the double bond of perfluoro-3-ethylindene are chiefly obtained. The monoamino derivatives, which contain an available atom of H, are converted to the disubstituted derivatives by the action of an excess of the amines. Both the amine and the hydroxy anion may thereby emerge as the nucleophile in the reaction of 2-aminoperfluoro-3-ethylindene, as well as perfluoro-1-ethylideneindan, with aqueous dialkylamines. The perfluoro-1-vinylindan and aqueous NH₃ yield 1-(aminocyanomethylene)octafluoroindan and 2-amino-3-(iminocyanomethyl)hexafluoroindene; and perfluoro-1-methyleneindan yields 2-amino-3-cyanohexafluoroindene. The last is formed together with 2-aminoperfluoro-3-methylindene in the reaction of perfluoro-3-methylindene with aqueous NH₃.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1856–1865, August, 1990.     

Silymarin extraction from milk thistle using hot water

Hot water is attracting attention as an extraction solvent in the recovery of compounds from plant material as the search for milder and “greener” solvents intensifies. The use of hot water as an extraction solvent for milk thistle at temperatures above 100°C was explored. The maximum extraction yield of each of the silymarin compounds and taxifolin did not increase with temperature, most likely because significant compound degradation occurred. However, the time required for the yields of the compounds to reach their maxima was reduced from 200 to 55 min when the extraction temperature was increased from 100 to 140°C. Severe degradation of unprotected (plant matrix not present) silymarin compounds was observed and first-order degradation kinetics were obtained at 140°C.     

Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry determination of organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers in drinking and surface waters

A liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method for analyzing organophophorus flame retardants and plasticizers in drinking and environmental waters was developed. Five alkyl phosphates, three chlorinated alkyl phosphates, two aryl phosphate and triphenylphosphine oxide were selected for this study. These compounds were extracted from water samples by a hydrophilic polymeric solid-phase extraction cartridge. Accuracy and precision were evaluated analyzing 0.5 L of water samples spiked at concentrations of 10 and 100 ng/L for drinking water and at 300 and 1000 ng/L for river water. Except for trimethyl phosphate, analyte recoveries were better than 80%, and were not dependent on the type of aqueous matrix in which they were dissolved. At the spike levels considered, within-day precision was between 3 and 12% for tap water and between 4 and 14% for river water, and estimated method quantification limits ranged from 0.2 to 3.9 ng/L. A short survey conducted by analyzing some river water samples (River Tiber) ascertained the presence of ten organophosphorus compounds at concentration levels ranging from a few nanograms per liter to 323 ng/L for tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate.     

Speciation of trace metals in environmental samples at the fisheries laboratory,Burnham on crouch

The methods used by the MAFF Directorate of Fisheries Research for analysis of organometallic compounds are described. These analytical techniques are used for determination of trace quantities of the compounds in water, sediment and biota in UK estuaries and coastal waters.     

Effect of suppressor current intensity on the determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid by suppressed conductivity ion chromatography

This paper presents the application of ion chromatography with electrolytic eluent generation and mobile phase suppression for the direct conductimetric detection of glyphosate and its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). The compounds were separated on a Dionex AS18 anion exchange column with a 12–40 mM KOH step gradient from 9 to 9.5 min. The effect of the suppressor current intensity on the electrostatic interaction of these amphoteric compounds with the suppressor cation exchange membranes was evaluated. A suppressor current gradient technique was proposed for the limitation of peak broadening and baseline noise, in order to improve method sensitivity and detectability. It was observed that residual sample carbonates co-eluted with AMPA when a large injection loop was installed for the low level determination of both compounds in natural waters. For this reason, glyphosate was isocratically eluted using 33 mM KOH in order to decrease analysis time within 10 min and a column clean up step using 100 mM KOH was used to ensure retention time reproducibility. The developed method was applied to the analysis of drinking and natural water and it was further successfully applied to orange samples with slight modifications. Instrumental LOD for glyphosate was 0.24 μg/L, while method LOD was 0.54 μg/L for spring waters and 0.01 mg/kg for oranges using a 1000 μL direct loop injection of the sample. Intra-day and inter-day precision (as %RSD) for water samples was 4.6% and 12% at a spiking level of 2 μg/L, and the recovery ranged from 64% to 88% depending on sample conductivity. For orange samples, the inter-day precision was 1.4% at a spiking level of 4.4 mg/kg, while overall recovery was 103%. The developed method is direct, fast, sensitive and relatively inexpensive, and could be used as an ideal fast screening tool for the monitoring of glyphosate residues in water and fruit samples.     

On the Mechanism of Polyamide Degradation in Chlorinated Water

Experiments were performed in an attempt to identify the reactive intermediate(s) involved in the degradation of a polyamide, Nylon 66, in chlorinated water. According to previous studies, N‐chlorination is certainly one reaction that ultimately contributes to polyamide degradation. In this case, the intermediates involved could either be Cl₂ or HClO. Available information also indicates that, for many polymers, singlet molecular oxygen (a¹Δ_g), chemically generated from HClO, could likewise be involved as an intermediate in a degradation reaction. Thus, tests were undertaken to specifically address this latter issue with respect to polyamide degradation. The degradation of Nylon 66 was monitored under a variety of conditions by FT‐IR spectroscopy. The rate of degradation was pH‐dependent, and degradation was most pronounced at pH<5. Characteristic tests for the intermediacy of singlet oxygen, however, were negative. Rather, the data strongly pointed to Cl₂ as the key intermediate in the degradation. The presence of compounds capable of being oxidized by Cl₂ arrested the degradation reaction. These results should be pertinent in an attempt to stabilize polymers exposed, e.g., to water that has been chlorinated to kill bacteria (i.e., drinking water).     

Bile acids and sterols in urban sewage treatment plants

The composition of bile acids, sterols and sterones in water and sludge from an urban sewage treatment plant has been examined for assessment of the possible use of these compounds as pollution biomarkers. Samples were solvent-extracted, hydrolysed, and fractionated by column chromatography to separate acids, hydrocarbons, sterones and sterols. These fractions, except hydrocarbons, were methylated (acids only) and silylated for instrumental analysis. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis was performed in the electron-impact mode, using a non-polar capillary column. Lithocholic acids (3alpha- and 3beta-epimers), coprostanone, coprostanol, cholesterol, cholestenone, and cholestanone were found in sludge and all waters. However, the waters after secondary plant treatment contained mainly lithocholic acids epimers and coprostanone, pointing to these compounds as potential markers for urban treatment plant effluents in natural waters courses.     

Hydrochemistry of an ancient traditional irrigation reservoir in Padaviya,Sri Lanka

Padaviya Wewa Reservoir constructed in 2nd century BC is an important traditional reservoir in Sri Lanka. The construction and the use of these traditional Sri Lankan reservoirs are different from modern large-scale hydroelectric and multi-purpose reservoirs in Sri Lanka and the rest of the world. The hydrochemistry of these unique water bodies has been rarely studied and understood. In this study, depth-wise distribution of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, and As and their correlation with pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, BOD, COD, and total phosphate were investigated to identify the mechanisms that drive the water quality in Padaviya Wewa Reservoir. There is a well distinguishable chemical gradient from the surface to the bottom of the water column suggesting that Padaviya is not a well-mixed water body even though the maximum water depth during the study period was 4.75 m. There was a strong negative correlation between Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cd and DO in both surface and bottom waters. In addition, a strong positive correlation between Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, and As, and total phosphate was observed in bottom waters. The suggested driving force behind the depth-wise distribution of chemical species is intense biological activities in the reservoir. The weak thermal stratification is strengthened by photosynthesis at the surface waters and organic matter degradation at bottom of the reservoir. The end-result of these biological activities are oxygen rich surface waters with low concentrations of nutrients and metal ions and oxygen depleted bottom waters with higher concentrations of nutrients and metal ions.     

Application of chemometric methods to the investigation of main microcontaminant sources of endocrine disruptors in coastal and harbour waters and sediments

Identification, resolution and distribution of main microcontaminant sources of endocrine disruptors in Spanish harbours, coastal waters and sediments are investigated using chemometric methods. We investigated eighteen different endocrine disruptor chemical compounds, including non-ionic surfactants, their degradation products and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, found in a total number of 74 samples (35 water samples and 39 sediment samples) over a period of 16 months from March 1999 to July 2000, and in 32 different geographical sites along the Spanish Mediterranean Coast (e.g. Barcelona, Tarragona, Almeria Harbour, Malaga and the Bay of Cadiz). Main environmental contamination sources of these endocrine disruptor compounds were investigated and interpreted according to their chemical composition and according to their resolved geographical distribution profiles.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Evaluation of an automated solid-phase extraction system for the enrichment of organochlorine pesticides from waters

An automatic method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water samples was developed. The analytes are preconcentrated onto a customized RP-C(18) column and subsequently eluted with 80 mul of ethyl acetate. Gas chromatography with electron capture detection is used for their separation and selective detection. Detection limits for 10 ml sample volumes range from 0.01 to 0.1 ng ml(-1), with standard deviations between 4 and 6%. The average recovery at a fortification level of 2 ng ml(-1) is 92%. The method was used to screen OCPs in natural waters collected near agricultural areas and also to tap waters. Positive findings were confirmed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Finally, the adsorption/degradation of OCPs in natural pond water containing a high level of suspended matter was examined; some OCPs were found to be degraded and irreversibly adsorbed on suspended matter present in the water.     

Ultratrace determination of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene in waste water by purge and trap/gas chromatography coupled to different detectors: Flame ionization (FID), electron capture (ECD), and multiple ion detection-mass spectrometry (MID-MS)

High resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) coupled to a “purge and trap” extraction-injection technique is described as a method of determining 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene in water at levels as low as parts-per-trillion (ppt). In order to investigate the interference from other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) several detection systems were compared: flame ionization, electron capture, and mass spectrometry-multiple ion detection. Concentrations ranging from 15 to 600 ng/L were analyzed in 20 ml standard aqueous solutions. The mean accuracy of the method varied from 89 to 103%, and its mean precision varied from ± 0.85 to ± 7.5 % for all detectors. The detection limits were 20 ng/L for FID, 2 ng/L for ECD and 0.5 ng/L for MID-MS detectors. The procedure was successfully applied to the analysis of industrial waste waters. The necessity of an appropriate internal standard to improve the quantitative determination and to determine possible losses or degradation of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene during handling or storage is discussed.