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Indoor window film samples were collected in buildings during 2014-2015 for the determination of six phthalate diesters (PAEs). Linear regression analysis suggested that the film mass was positively and significantly correlated with the duration of film growth (from 7 to 77 days). PAEs were detected in all window film samples (n = 64). For all the samples with growth days ranged from 7 to 77 days, the median concentrations of total six PAEs (∑6PAEs) in winter and summer window film samples were 9900 ng/m² film (2000 µg/g film) and 4700 ng/m² film (650 µg/g film), respectively. Among PAEs analyzed, di-2-ethyl-hexyl phthalate (DEHP) was the major compound (71 ± 9.7%), followed by di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP; 20 ± 7.4%) and diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP; 5.1 ± 2.2%). Positive correlations among PAEs suggested their common sources in the window film samples. Room temperature and relative humidity were negatively and significantly correlated with PAEs concentations (in ng/m²). Poor ventilation in cold winter in Noreastern China significantly influenced the concentrations of PAEs in window film which suggested higher inhalation exposure dose in winter. The median hazard quotient (HQ) values from PAEs exposure were below 1, suggesting that the intake of PAEs via three exposure pathways was considered as acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (PFIC2) is a severe autosomal recessive liver disorder of childhood that can cause cholestasis and progress to end-stage liver disease. ABCB11 gene mutations causing PFIC2 have been reported in some population groups, but not in mainland Chinese. Aims: To elucidate the existence of and characterize ABCB11 gene mutations in mainland Chinese with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low γ glutamyltransferase (GGT). Methods: Twenty-four children presenting with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low GGT were admitted to a tertiary paediatric hospital in eastern China from January 2004 to July 2007. All encoding exons and flanking areas of the ABCB11 gene were sequenced. Hepatic histopathology results were obtained by review of the medical record. Results: Twelve novel mutations of ABCB11 gene were found in seven patients: three nonsense mutations, six missense mutations, two splicing mutations and one intronic mutation. Giant cell transformation of hepatocytes was demonstrated in all the four patients with ABCB11 mutations and four of 12 patients without mutations in coding sequences of ABCB11 gene who received liver needle biopsy. Conclusions: ABCB11 gene mutations play an important role in Chinese patients with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low GGT. The characteristics of ABCB11 gene mutations in Chinese are different from other population groups. Histological examination may be helpful in diagnosis of PFIC2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of technical HCH (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-hexachlorocyclohexane), DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and lindane in Heilongjiang River Basin (HRB) of China was studied. Between 1952 and 1984 the total usage in the HRB was 108900 t for technical HCH, and 4900 t for DDT, respectively, and the use of DDT due to dicofol application in the HRB was 220 t from 1984 to 2003. The usage of lindane in HRB was 109 t from 1991 to 2000. The results show that the highest technical HCH use (41800 t) in HRB was on maize, accounting for 38.3% of the total usage on all crops, followed by the use on wheat (28000 t, 25.7%) and on soybean (26600 t, 24.4%). The highest DDT use (2300 t) was on soybean, accounting for 46.8% of the total usage on all crops, followed by the use on maize (1500 t, 31.3%) and on sorghum (600 t, 13.2%). The major use of lindane was mainly on wheat. Gridded usage inventories of these three OCPs (organochlorine pesticides), in HRB with a 1/6 ° latitude by 1/4 ° longitude resolution have been created by using different gridded cropland as surrogates. Some soil samples have also been collected in HRB. Data of usage and soil concentrations of Σ HCH in HRB match quite well to those in Shanghai region, and much higher soil concentration of Σ DDT in Shanghai region could be due to much heavier dicofol use in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first comprehensive survey of 19 novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in soil samples collected among five Asian countries. High variability in concentrations of all NBFRs was found in soils with the geometric mean (GM) values ranging from 0.50 ng/g dry weight (dw) in Vietnam to 540 ng/g dw in the vicinity of a BFR manufacturer in China. In urban, rural, and background locations, the GM concentrations of Σ19NBFRs decreased in the order of Japan > South Korea > China > India > Vietnam. Correlations among different NBFR compounds were positive and statistically significant (p < 0.05), suggesting that they originate from similar sources. Evidence for simultaneous application between polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and NBFRs were also noted. Principal component analysis of NBFR concentrations revealed specific pollution sources for different NBFRs coming from urban, BFR-related industrial, and e-waste sites. For the first time, this study demonstrates a "point source fractionation effect" for NBFRs and PBDEs. The concentrations of all NBFRs and PBDEs were negatively and significantly correlated with the distance from BFR-related industrial and e-waste regions. Positive and significant correlation between population density and NBFR concentrations in soils was identified. Our study revealed that the primary sources effects were stronger than the secondary sources effects in controlling the levels and distribution of NBFRs and PBDEs in soils in these five Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air samples were concurrently collected using high volume air samplers for 24 h every week from September 2008 to August 2009 at 15 sites (11 urban, 1 suburban, and 3 background/rural) across China. Twelve polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners (BDE-17, -28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, -183, and -209) were measured. Total PBDE concentrations (Σ12PBDEs) in air (gas + particle phases) were in the range of 11.0-838 pg m-3 with a mean of 232 ± 72 (mean ± SE) pg m-3. The site with the highest concentration was Guangzhou (838 ± 126 pg m-3), followed by Beijing (781 ± 107 pg m-3). Significant positive correlations were found between PBDEs levels and urban population (R = 0.69, P < 0.05) and gross industrial output values (R = 0.87, P < 0.001) as well. BDE-209 was the dominating congener with the contribution of 64 ± 23% to Σ12PBDEs, followed by BDE-47(8 ± 8%) and -99(6 ± 5%) at all urban and suburban sites. At background/rural sites, however, BDE-47 was the dominating congener, followed by BDE-99, together accounting for 52 ± 21% of Σ12PBDEs, while BDE-209 was only 11 ± 2%. It was found that PBDEs at the 15 sites showed a primary distribution and fractionation pattern. This study produced more than 700 pairs of air samples in gaseous and particulate phases with a wide temperature range of ∼60 °C, providing a good opportunity to investigate gas–particle partitioning for individual PBDE congeners. The results of gas–particle partitioning analysis for PBDEs using both subcooled-liquid–vapor pressure (PL)-based and octanol-air partition coefficient (KOA)-based models indicated that PBDEs in air at all sampling sites had not reached equilibrium because the slope values (mO) in the KOA-based equation and the opposite slope values (mP) in the PL-based equation at all 15 sampling sites were less than 1. It also found that both mO and –mP were significantly and positively correlated with the annual average temperatures of sampling sites and also significantly and negatively correlated with the mole masses of PBDE congeners, indicating a general trend that the higher the temperature at the sampling site and the lower the mole mass of the PBDE congeners are, the closer to the equilibrium the congeners approach and vice versa. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the correlations of the slope values for both the KOA-based and PL-based equations with temperatures at sampling sites and mole masses for individual PBDE congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]