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As one of the most widespread plastics in the world, the recycling of diethylhexyl phthalate-rich polyvinyl chloride (DEHP-rich PVC) faces great challenges because of the high levels of Cl and plasticizers. On the other hand, waste copper catalyst (WCC) discharged from various industrial processes is not effectively recycled. In this study, a significant synergistic effect between the DEHP-rich PVC and WCC was found in a subcritical water (SubCW) medium, and a co-treatment of the DEHP-rich PVC and WCC was developed by the SubCW process. The introduction of WCC significantly improved the dechlorination efficiency of the DEHP-rich PVC to 96.03 % at a low temperature of 250 °C. Under the optimal conditions, the leaching of copper from WCC reached a maximum of 81.08 %. Oil products included DEHP (55.7 %, GC peak area%), 3-methyl-3-heptene (37.3 %, GC peak area%), and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (7.0 %, GC peak area%). The dechlorination pathways of the DEHP-rich PVC included hydroxyl substitution and direct dechlorination. HCl released from the DEHP-rich PVC led to a decrease in the pH of the system and significant copper leaching from the WCC. DEHP was decomposed by hydrolysis, dehydration, and rearrangement reaction by the SubCW co-treatment process. The enhancement mechanism of the WCC for the dechlorination of the DEHP-rich PVC was based on that the conversion of copper species in the SubCW promoted the formation of hydroxyl radicals and the hydroxyl substitution for chlorine in PVC molecular chain. The proposed SubCW low-temperature co-treatment could be a prospective strategy for the low-energy and synchronous recovery of the two different wastes of the DEHP-rich PVC and WCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is commonly released from plastics in aqueous environment, which can disrupt endocrine system and cause adverse effects on public health. There is a pressing need to highly sensitive detect DEHP. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) light-driven lab-on-paper cathodic photoelectrochemical aptasensing platform integrated with AgInS 2 /Cu 2 O/FeOOH photocathode and "Y"-like ternary conjugated DNA nanostructure-mediated "ON-OFF" catalytic switching of hemin monomer-to-dimer was established for ultrasensitive DEHP detection. Profiting from the collaborative roles of the effective photosensitization of NIR-response AgInS 2 and the fast hole extraction of FeOOH, the NIR light-activated AgInS 2 /Cu 2 O/FeOOH photocathode generated a markedly enhanced photocathodic signal. The dual hemin-labelled "Y"-like ternary conjugated DNA nanostructures made the hemin monomers separated in space and they maintained highly active to catalyze in situ generation of electron acceptors (O 2 ). The hemin monomers were relocated in close proximity with the help of target-induced allosteric change of DNA nanostructures, which could spontaneously dimerize into catalytically inactive hemin dimers and fail to mediate electron acceptors generation, resulting in a decreased photocathodic signal. Therefore, the ultrasensitive DEHP detection was realized with a linear response range of 1 pM-500 nM and a detection limit of 0.39 pM. This work rendered a promising prototype to construct powerful paper-based photocathodic aptasensing system for sensitive and accurate screening of DEHP in aqueous environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Because of the significant environmental and health hazards imposed by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common plasticizer, developing safe and green techniques to degrade DEHP plasticizer is of huge scientific significance. It has been observed that environmental contamination of DEHP may also induce serious food safety problems because crops raised in plasticizers contaminated soils would transfer the plasticizer into foods, such as Baijiu. Additionally, when plastic packaging or vessels are used during Baijiu fermentation and processing, plasticizer compounds frequently migrate and contaminate the product. In this study, hairpin-like structured peptides with catalytically active sites containing serine, histidine and aspartic acid were found to degrade DEHP. Furthermore, after incorporating caffeic acid molecules at the N-terminus, the peptides could be attached onto foam titanium (Ti) surfaces via enediol-metal interactions to create an enzyme-mimicking flow reactor for the degradation of DEHP in Baijiu. The structure and catalytic activity of peptides, their interaction with DEHP substrate and the hydrolysis mechanism of DEHP were discussed in this work. The stability and reusability of the peptide-modified foam Ti flow reactor were also investigated. This approach provides an effective technique for the degradation of plasticizer compounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a new strain of bacteria, named Rhodococcus sp. KLW-1, was isolated from farmland soil contaminated by plastic mulch for more than 30 years. To improve the application performance of free bacteria and find more ways to use waste biochar, KLW-1 was immobilised on waste biochar by sodium alginate embedding method to prepare immobilised pellet. Response Surface Method (RSM) predicted that under optimal conditions (3% sodium alginate, 2% biochar and 4% CaCl 2 ), di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) degradation efficiency of 90.48% can be achieved. Under the adverse environmental conditions of pH 5 and 9, immobilisation increased the degradation efficiency of 100 mg/L DEHP by 16.42% and 11.48% respectively, and under the high-stress condition of 500 mg/L DEHP concentration, immobilisation increased the degradation efficiency from 71.52% to 91.56%, making the immobilised pellets have strong stability and impact load resistance to environmental stress. In addition, immobilisation also enhanced the degradation efficiency of several phthalate esters (PAEs) widely existing in the environment. After four cycles of utilisation, the immobilised particles maintained stable degradation efficiency for different PAEs. Therefore, immobilised pellets have great application potential for the remediation of the actual environment.

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is one of the most widely used plastics. However, a major challenge in recycling PVC is that there is no economical method to separate and remove its toxic phthalate plasticizers. This research made a breakthrough by extracting PVC with liquefied dimethyl ether (DME) and successfully separating the plasticizer components. Nearly all (97.1 %) of the di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate plasticizer was extracted within 30 min by passing liquefied DME (285 g) through PVC at 25 °C. The compatibility of PVC with organic solvents, including liquefied DME, was derived theoretically from their Hansen solubility parameters (HSP), and actual dissolution experiments were conducted to determine the optimal PVC solvents. A liquefied DME mixture was used to dissolve PVC, and the extract was diluted with ethanol to precipitate the dissolved PVC. We demonstrated that liquefied DME is a promising method for producing high quality recycled products and that the process retains the fundamental properties of plasticizers and PVC without inducing degradation or depolymerization. Because of its low boiling point, DME can be easily separated from the solute after extraction, allowing for efficient reuse of the solvent, extracted plasticizer, and PVC. DME does not require heat and produces little harmful wastewater, which significantly reduces the energy consumption of the plasticizer additive separation process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Emerging organic photoelectrochemical transistors (OPECTs) with inherent amplification capabilities, good biocompatibility and even self-powered operation have emerged as a promising detection tool, however, they are still not widely studied for pollutant detection. In this paper, a novel OPECT dual-mode aptasensor was constructed for the ultrasensitive detection of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). MXene/In 2 S 3 /In 2 O 3 Z-scheme heterojunction was used as a light fuel for ion modulation in sensitive gated OPECT biosensing. A transistor system based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) converted biological events associated with photosensitive gate achieving nearly a thousand-fold higher current gain at zero bias voltage. This work quantified the target DEHP by aptamer-specific induction of CRISPR-Cas13a trans-cutting activity with target-dependent rolling circle amplification as the signal amplification unit, and incorporated the signal changes strategy of biocatalytic precipitation and TMB color development. Combining OPECT with the auxiliary validation of colorimetry (CM), high sensitivity and accurate detection of DEHP were achieved with a linear range of 0.1 pM to 200 pM and a minimum detection limit of 0.02 pM. This study not only provides a new method for the detection of DEHP, but also offers a promising prospect for the gating and application of the unique OPECT., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Persicaria bistorta is a perennial herb used traditionally in treating various ailments, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bleeding. In this study, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to identify the chemical composition of Persicaria bistorta. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of several compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and alkaloids. Among those, the most important from medicinal points of view are ethyl oleate (3%), cyclotetradecane (4.74%), dodecanoic acid (4.69%), hexadecanoic acid (5.61%), tetradecane (5.25%), cis-13-octadecenoic acid (10.91%), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (32%). The GC-MS analysis of ethanolic fraction of Persicaria bistorta involved in antibacterial activity showed about 18 compounds. Among those, the most important from a medicinal and nutritional point of view are bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (42.20%), 6-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, (Z)- (10.37%), ethyl oleate (6.84%), hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (6.67%), and methyl ester and oleic acid (5.27%). Reported biological antibacterial activity has shown that the main compound determined in both extracts was bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, which has higher peak area percentage in ethanolic extract than in ethyl acetate fraction. Some oily compounds important for health because of their cis-conformation were also revealed in the given study like ethyl oleate and oleic acid. Overall, results suggest that Persicaria bistorta may have therapeutic potential and warrant further investigation. Further research is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of Persicaria bistorta as a natural medicine and determine its active compounds' mechanisms of action., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the widely detected plasticizer in foods whose exposure is associated with a myriad of human disorders. The present study focused on identifying Lactobacillus strains with high adsorption potential towards DEHP and further elucidating the mechanism of binding using HPLC, FTIR and SEM. Two strains, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactobacillus plantarum MTCC 25,433, were found to rapidly adsorb more than 85% of DEHP in 2 h. Binding potential remained unaffected by heat treatment. Moreover, acid pre-treatment enhanced the DEHP adsorption. Chemical pre-treatments, such as NaIO 4 , pronase E or lipase, caused reduction in DEHP adsorption to 46% (LGG), 49% (MTCC 25,433) and 62% (MTCC 25,433), respectively, attributing it to cell wall polysaccharides, proteins and lipids. This was also corroborated by stretching vibrations of C = O, N-H, C-N and C-O functional groups. Furthermore, SDS and urea pre-treatment, demonstrated the crucial role of hydrophobic interactions in DEHP adsorption. The extracted peptidoglycan from LGG and MTCC 25,433 adsorbed 45% and 68% of DEHP, respectively, revealing the imperative role of peptidoglycan and its integrity in DEHP adsorption. These findings indicated that DEHP removal was based on physico-chemical adsorption and cell wall proteins, polysaccharides or peptidoglycan played a primary role in its adsorption. Owing to the high binding efficiency, L. rhamnosus GG and L. plantarum MTCC 25,433 were considered to be a potential detoxification strategy to mitigate the risk associated with the consumption of DEHP-contaminated foods., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Plasticizers like Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) are commonly used to enhance plastic properties but pose environmental and health risks. This study successfully derived plasticizers X and Y from rice straws, demonstrating efficacy in chitosan polymer coatings. Chitosan-based polymers exhibit exceptional hardness, with a value of 300 MPa, due to their enriched structure and robust chitosan bonding. This surpasses the hardness of DEHP. Zebrafish exposure over 5 days revealed that X and Y had no significant behavioral impact, while DEHP caused noticeable toxic effects. Maternal DEHP exposure reduced placental cell growth, unlike X and Y, which had no adverse effects on uterine differentiation or placenta formation, suggesting their safety in human pregnancy. The successful development of X and Y represents a crucial step towards greener plasticizers, addressing environmental concerns and promoting safer alternatives in various industries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phthalate esters (PAEs), accompanied by phthalate monoesters as hydrolysis metabolites in humans, have been widely used as plasticizers and exhibited disruptive effects on the endocrine and metabolic systems. The present study aims to investigate the inhibition behavior of PAEs and phthalate monoesters on the activity of the important hydrolytic enzymes, carboxylesterases (CESs), to elucidate the toxicity mechanism from a new perspective. The results showed significant inhibition on CES1 and CES2 by most PAEs, but not by phthalate monoesters, above which the activity of CES1 was strongly inhibited by DCHP, DEHP, DiOP, DiPP, DNP, DPP and BBZP, with inhibition ratios exceeding 80%. Kinetic analyses and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation were conducted, revealing that PAEs have the potential to disrupt the metabolism of endogenous substances catalyzed by CES1 in vivo. Molecular docking results revealed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic contacts formed by ester bonds contributed to the interaction of PAEs towards CES1. These findings will be beneficial for understanding the adverse effect of PAEs and phthalate monoesters., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a complex structure with high toxicity, is a common organic pollutant. This study investigated the effects of fresh biochar (FBC), and freeze-thaw cycled aged biochar (FTC-BC) on DEHP-contaminated soils using a pot experiment. The specific surface area of FBC increased from 145.20 to 303.50 m 2 /g, and oxygen-containing functional groups increased from 1.26 to 1.48 mol/g after freeze-thaw cycles, greatly enhancing the adsorption of DEHP by biochar in the soil. The comprehensive radar chart evaluation showed that FBC and FTC-BC reduced DEHP growth stress and improved the soil properties. Compared with FBC, FTC-BC performed better in protecting the normal growth of pakchoi and improving soil properties. In addition, the application of biochar increased the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the DEHP-contaminated soil and changed the composition of the soil bacterial community. The partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) showed that adding biochar as a soil remediation agent significantly positively impacted soil nutrients and indirectly reduced the DEHP levels in soil and plants by increasing soil microbial diversity. Compared with FBC, FTC-BC creates a more satisfactory living environment for microorganisms and has a better effect on the degradation of DEHP in the soil. This study provides a theoretical basis for future biochar remediation of DEHP-contaminated soils in cold high-latitude regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Medical devices (MD) are often made of plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC). However, plasticizers may leach out into infused solutions and expose the patients to a toxic risk. The aim of the present work is to fluorinate plasticized PVC tubular MDs to create a barrier layer on their internal surface, and to study the impact of such a chemical treatment on the migration of the plasticizers. Following fluorination by pure molecular fluorine, the physico-chemical characterization of these modified MDs was carried out using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques or tensile tests, evidencing the formation of covalent C-F bonds on the surface of the treated samples without modification of their mechanical and optical properties. The migration of plasticizers from fluorinated MDs was assessed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and was found considerably decreased in comparison with the pristine MDs. After 24 h, the amount of tri-octyltrimellitate plasticizer (TOTM) detected in migrates from fluorinated MDs was even lower than the limit of quantification. Complementary cytotoxicity assays were performed according to the ISO EN 10993-5 standard, showing that the new fluorinated material does not cause a cytotoxic effect on L929 cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fe2O3-assisted pyrolysis has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective thermal desorption (TD) technology. Lurgi-Thyssen dust (LTD) is a type of steel slag waste that contains a large amount of Fe2O3. In this study, to reduce energy consumption, LTD was added to contaminated soil to evaluate the feasibility of enhancing the TD removal efficiency of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The DEHP removal rate increased by 22.39% after adding 2% LTD at 200 °C for 20 min. Because of the catalytic pyrolysis of LTD, DEHP was pyrolyzed to form three types of short-chain esters: mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), di (2-methylbutyl) ester, and methyl 2-ethylhexyl phthalate. The pyrolysis products of DEHP were less toxic and did not affect soil reuse. When the DEHP removal rate was 87.10%, LTD addition decreased the temperature and residence time of TD and alleviated the effect of TD on the soil physicochemical properties. Additionally, the desorption of DEHP from soil fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. Thus, the addition of LTD to contaminated soil enhanced the efficiency of TD remediation. Moreover, this study could provide a practical and economical strategy for LTD reuse., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is difficult to dispose diethylhexyl phthalate-rich polyvinyl chloride (DEHP-rich PVC) waste due to the high level of chlorine and plasticizer. On the other hand, the denitrification of urine wastewater with high nitrogen content also faces great challenges. In this study, a synergistic treatment strategy was developed for the DEHP-rich PVC waste and urine wastewater by a subcritical water process. Subcritical urine wastewater (SUW) was used as a reaction medium in the synergistic treatment. PVC dechlorination, DEHP decomposition, and denitrification of urine wastewater were synchronously achieved in the one pot SUW. Under the optimal conditions (300 °C, 15 min, 1:5 g/mL), the PVC dechlorination ratio, urine wastewater denitrification ratio and DEHP decomposition ratio could reach 98.4%, 64.9%, and 99.2%, respectively. The decomposition of DEHP mainly included hydrolysis, nucleophilic substitution, and acylation. DEHP could be converted into phthalic acid crystal at 220 °C with a yield of 66.25% due to the efficient hydrolysis action of SUW. All the removed Cl was transferred from PVC matrix to aqueous phase. Hydroxyl nucleophilic substitution is the principal dechlorination path of PVC. The reactions between N-containing species and DEHP in SUW resulted in the high-efficiency denitrification of urine wastewater, and the N element was fixed in solid residue or transferred to oil phase as amides compounds. It is believed that the proposed SUW process is a promising technology for the synergistic treatment of DEHP-rich PVC waste and urine wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A bacterial strain ASLT-13 was successfully isolated from activated sludge and identified as Pseudomonas amygdali . Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) analysis indicated that strain ASLT-13 could completely mineralize di 2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP). DEHP was first metabolized from the longer side chain of the benzene ring into shorter branches (Phatlalic mono-esters) like Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) under the action of degrading genes. DBP was then converted into di-methyl phthalate (DMP), and then hydrolysed to phthalic acid (PA). PA was eventually converted to CO 2 and H 2 O through the TCA cycle. The optimal conditions for immobilization were the sodium alginate (SA) concentration of 6%, CaCl 2 concentration of 5%, ratio of bacteria and SA of 1:1, crosslinking time of 6 h. Bacterial quantity and community structure in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) was investigated by q-PCR and high-throughput sequencing. The results indicated that DEHP removal efficiency was significantly enhanced by immobilization. Arthrobacter, Acinetobacter , Bacillus and Rhodococcus were the predominant genera for DEHP degradation. This study suggested that the cell immobilization technology had a potential application in DEHP wastewater treatment.

Background and Objectives: Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a toxic plasticizer that is commonly used in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) blood bags. It is well known that DEHP can migrate from a medical device into the blood plasma. For safety reasons, pathogens in plasma must be inactivated; however, this process may increase DEHP migration. Here, we assessed the impact of illumination-based pathogen inactivation on the migration of DEHP from PVC bags into plasma., Materials and Methods: Pairs of native PVC-DEHP plasma bags were pooled. Each pool was then split into a pathogen-inactivated bag and a control bag. After illumination, the plasma concentrations of DEHP and its main metabolite (mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, MEHP) in each bag were assayed and compared using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Concentrations were evaluated in repeated-measures, two-way analyses of variance., Results: The MEHP concentration was significantly associated with storage but not with illumination (p = 0.0001). The DEHP concentration stayed constant throughout the storage period. The DEHP equivalent concentration (corresponding to the overall plasticizer migration rate into plasma) was not significantly associated with illumination (p = 0.3) or storage (p = 0.09; mean ± standard deviation of the mean DEHP concentration for all conditions: 147.9 ± 11.3 μg/ml)., Conclusion: Illumination-based inactivation of pathogens in plasma did not increase the DEHP equivalent concentration, relative to control (non-inactivated) plasma., (© 2022 International Society of Blood Transfusion.)

Phthalates and other plasticizers are detected in high amounts in the indoor environment and therefore house dust can be an exposure source. Especially children have a relatively high unintended uptake of house dust, thus a higher exposure to plasticizers compared to adults may be possible. As accurate as possible exposure assessment data of the oral bioavailability of these compounds are necessary, however only one in vivo study with piglets is available so far. The aim of this study was to examine the oral bioavailability of phthalates and DINCH® in humans, which occur in typical house dust samples. We focused on the high molecular weight phthalates DEHP and DINP and their substitute DINCH®. Eleven volunteers ingested 6 g of house dust sieved to 2 mm. The urine was collected over a period of 36 h. The excreted plasticizers metabolites were quantified by an LC-MS/MS method. The mean recovery of urine metabolites was 51 % ± 20 % for DEHP, 26 % ± 13 % for DINP and 19 % ± 6% for DINCH® based on the parent compounds administered as dust samples. The metabolites of DEHP, DINP and DINCH® reached their maximum concentration after 2-19 hours post dose in urine. The bioavailability of DEHP was in agreement among the different dust samples. For DEHP, we were able to confirm previous findings from the oral bioavailability study with piglets and we could not observe a significant difference between the dust particle size (65 μm vs 2 mm) and the bioavailability. Considering the observed bioavailability, an estimated dust intake of 50 mg/d for toddlers can substantially contribute to the total plasticizer exposure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests, (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) belongs to environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs) and can be rapidly hydrolyzed into the ultimate toxicant mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP). In this study, we used 5-aminofluorescein modified MEHP (MEHP-AF) as a fluorescence tracer to explore the toxicokinetics, including toxicokinetic parameters, absorption and transport across the intestinal mucosal barrier, distribution and pathological changes of organs. While the dose was as lower than 10 mg/kg by intragastric administration, the toxicokinetic parameters obtained by fluorescence microplate method were similar to those with the literatures by chromatography. MEHP-AF can be rapidly absorbed through the intestinal mucosal barrier in rats. In situ organ distribution in mice showed that MEHP-AF was mainly concentrated in the liver, kidney and testis. Our results suggested that the fluorescence tracing technique had the advantages with easy processing, less time-consuming, higher sensitivity for the quantitative determination, In addition, this technology also avoids the interference of exogenous or endogenous DEHP and MEHP in the experimental system. It also can be utilized to the visualization detection of MEHP in situ localization in the absorption organ and the toxic target organ. The results show that this may be a more feasible MEHP toxicological research method., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been widely used for the production of plastics, and the compound has also been found to act as endocrine disruptor. Exposure to DEHP has been found to cause several hormonal problems, including decreased fertility. Due to the environmental and health risks posed by the use of DEHP, the present study employed molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and free energy analyses (MM-GBSA, MM-PBSA, and SIE) aiming at evaluating the action of DEHP and that of two other compounds (ATEC and DL9TH), tested as potential DEHP substitutes, on two hormone receptors (sex hormone-binding globulin - SHBG - and progesterone receptor - PR). The results obtained showed that ATEC may be a good substitute for DEHP in the production of plastics, such as PVC, considering that the compound recorded the greatest free energy values with respect to binding with SHBG (-31.36 kcal/mol obtained from MM-GBSA; -20.28 kcal/mol for MM-PBSA, and -7.40 for SIE) and PR (-36.40 kcal/mol for MM-GBSA; -27.00 kcal/mol for MM-PBSA, and -8.51 kcal/mol for SIE) - this shows that ATEC presented the least activity in the two hormone receptors. The findings of this study provide relevant insights on potential substitutes for DEHP and help shed light on the action of these new efficient substances, which have similar properties to DEHP (ATEC and DL9TH) yet do not act as endocrine disruptors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Purpose: The stability of aprepitant injectable emulsion is evaluated in various admixture bags and solutions, under different storage conditions, and when combined with other antiemetics., Methods: A volume of 18 mL aprepitant injectable emulsion was added to infusion bags (either non-di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [DEHP], polyvinyl chloride [PVC]-containing bags or non-DEHP, non-PVC bags) containing 100, 130, or 250 mL of 0.9% normal saline solution (NSS) or 5% dextrose in water (D5W). Bags were stored at controlled room temperature (20-25°C) for up to 12 hours or refrigerated (2-8°C) for up to 72 hours. Compatibility/stability was also assessed in admixtures combined with either dexamethasone or palonosetron. At specified time points, bags were tested for appearance, pH, assay for aprepitant (ie, percent label claim of aprepitant) and aprepitant-related substances, Z-average particle size, globule size distribution, particulate matter, and DEHP content (PVC bags). In separate analyses to assess microbial burden, bags containing aprepitant were inoculated with seven different organisms and assessed for microbial growth., Results: There was no detectable impact on the physicochemical properties or potential to promote microbial growth of aprepitant when diluted with various amounts of either NSS or D5W and when admixed with either dexamethasone or palonosetron at room temperature for at least 6 hours or during refrigeration for up to 72 hours in either PVC- or non-PVC-containing bags., Conclusion: Aprepitant-containing admixtures are stable under these conditions, a finding that may improve patient and provider convenience and reduce medication wastage., Competing Interests: Thomas Ottoboni and Arlene Santhouse report employment by Heron Therapeutics, Inc. Laura Lerner was an employee for Heron Therapeutics, Inc. at the time the study was conducted. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2021 Ottoboni et al.)

Phthalates are widely used in polymer science and have potential toxicity related to their chemical structures. However, lots of evidence indicate that phthalate derivatives are undoubtedly produced as secondary metabolites by organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. In the present study, Bacillus velezensis strain RP137 was cultured under optimized conditions. Its biomass was extracted with ethyl acetate with one fraction showing cytotoxic properties. A pure compound was isolated from the active fraction using combined silica gel and LH20 size exclusion column chromatography. Structural evaluation including FT-IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, HR-MS and CHN analysis identified the purified compound as di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) with the formula C 24 H 38 O 4 and the molecular weight of 389.29 Da. The microorganism-derived (stereospecific) DEHP was strongly reduced the proliferation and induced cytotoxic effects on various eukaryotic cell lines in compare to the synthetic racemic mixture of the compound when assessed by MTT assay. Furthermore, crystal violet assay and morphological changes confirmed the cytotoxic effect of DEHP. Interestingly, non-malignant SV40-immortalized fibroblast cells were less affected by the purified DEHP. Further evaluation on the antibacterial activity of DEHP documented no effect toward Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) pathogens even at a high concentration of 100 μM. In conclusion, existence of DEHP as byproduct of microorganism's metabolism can seriously be considered as a warning to human health., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In our previous work, the partitions (1 mg/mL) of Ageratum conyzoides (AC) aerial parts and Ixora coccinea (IC) leaves showed inhibitions of 94% and 96%, respectively, whereas their fractions showed IC 50 43 and 116 µg/mL, respectively, toward Matrix Metalloproteinase9 (MMP9), an enzyme that catalyzes a proteolysis of extracellular matrix. In this present study, we performed IC 50 determinations for AC n -hexane, IC n -hexane, and IC ethylacetate partitions, followed by the cytotoxicity study of individual partitions against MDA-MB-231, 4T1, T47D, MCF7, and Vero cell lines. Successive fractionations from AC n -hexane and IC ethylacetate partitions led to the isolation of two compounds, oxytetracycline (OTC) and dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The result showed that AC n -hexane, IC n -hexane, and IC ethylacetate partitions inhibit MMP9 with their respective IC 50 as follows: 246.1 µg/mL, 5.66 µg/mL, and 2.75 × 10 -2 µg/mL. Toward MDA-MB-231, 4T1, T47D, and MCF7, AC n -hexane demonstrated IC 50 2.05, 265, 109.70, and 2.11 µg/mL, respectively, whereas IC ethylacetate showed IC 50 1.92, 57.5, 371.5, and 2.01 µg/mL, respectively. The inhibitions toward MMP9 by OTC were indicated by its IC 50 18.69 µM, whereas DOP was inactive. A molecular docking study suggested that OTC prefers to bind to PEX9 rather than its catalytic domain. Against 4T1, OTC showed inhibition with IC 50 414.20 µM. In conclusion, this study furtherly supports the previous finding that AC and IC are two herbals with potential to be developed as triple-negative anti-breast cancer agents.

Rationale: Several phthalates and bisphenol A are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Recently, their use has been partially restricted and less toxic compounds, such as di-2-ethylhexyl terephthalate (DEHTP), have been placed on the market. The aim of this work was to develop and validate a method for the simultaneous quantitation of bisphenol A and urinary metabolites of phthalates, including DEHTP., Methods: An isotopic dilution high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) method for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate (MECPP), mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl terephthalate (MECPTP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl terephthalate (MEHHTP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), and mono-n/i-butyl phthalates (MnBP/MiBP) in human urine was developed. A complete validation was carried out and the method was applied to 36 non-occupationally exposed adults., Results: Limits of quantitation ranged from 0.02 (MECPP) to 1 μg/L (MnBP and MiBP). Relative standard deviations below 10% indicated a suitable precision; accuracy, evaluated using a standard reference material, ranged from 74.3% to 117.5%; isotopically labelled internal standards were suitable for correcting the matrix effect. The accuracy was confirmed by the successful participation in an external verification exercise. However, for terephthalates, the validation was incomplete due to the lack of reference materials and external verification. Levels of the investigated chemicals in subjects were in line with those previously reported., Conclusions: An LC/MS/MS assay for the simultaneous measurement of BPA and phthalate metabolites in human urine was developed and validated; it is useful to investigate exposure in epidemiological studies involving the general population., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The placenta plays a key role in regulating the maternal-fetal transport but it is a difficult organ to study due to a lack of existing in vitro models. Lipid bilayers inspired by the placenta can provide a facile new in vitro tool with promise for screening molecular transport across this important organ. Here we developed lipid bilayers that mimic the composition of human placental trophoblast cells at different times during the course of pregnancy. Mass spectrometry identified five major lipid classes (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin) present at varying concentrations in trophoblasts representative of the first and third trimesters and full-term placenta. We successfully developed supported and suspended lipid bilayers mimicking these trophoblast lipid compositions and then demonstrated the utility of these synthetic placenta models for investigating molecular interactions. Specifically, we investigated the interactions with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a common plasticizer and environmental toxicant, and amphotericin B, a common yet toxic, antifungal therapeutic. Overall, we observed that DEHP adsorbs and potentially embeds itself within all placental lipid bilayers, with varying levels of interaction. For both amphotericin B and a liposomal formulation of amphotericin B, AmBisome, we noted lower levels of permeation in transport studies with bilayers and trophoblast cells compared with DEHP, likely driven by differences in size. AmBisome interacted less with both the supported and suspended placental lipid bilayers in comparison to amphotericin B, suggesting that drug delivery carriers can vary the impact of a pharmaceutical agent on these lipid structures. We found that the apparent permeability observed in suspended bilayers was approximately an order of magnitude less than those observed for trophoblast monolayers, which is typical of lipid bilayers. Ultimately, these placenta mimetic lipid bilayers can serve as a platform for the rapid initial screening of molecular interactions with the maternal-fetal interface to better inform future testing.

Based on the experimental data of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, an improved artificial neural network was first established to predict the migration of 2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) plasticizer from poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC) into food simulants (ie., heptane, ethanol and water). The sensitivity analysis indicated that temperature acted as a crucial factor influencing the migration values of DEHP. Then, a combined experimental and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was performed to understand the migration kinetics and the mechanism of DEHP. Hansen solubility parameters of three component (δ d , δ p , δ h ) were simplified into two-component solubility parameters (δ vdW , δ e ), and the tuple was successfully applied to describe the interactions between PVDC and food simulants. The MD results showed that high interaction energy and fractional free volume in PVDC/DEHP/food simulant systems accelerated the migration of DEHP. These fundamental studies would provide significant insights into the migration of environmental contaminants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work describes how to utilize the electrochemical technique to determine labetalol hydrochloride (Lab) in pure form and combined pharmaceutical formulation for quality control purposes. Four membrane sensors were developed using two plasticizers, dioctyl phthalate with 2-hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin and ammonium reineckate (RNC) for sensors 1a and 2a, and tributyl phthalate with 2-hydroxypropyl-?-cyclodextrin and ammonium reineckate for sensors 1b and 2b as ionophores in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix. Fast response and stable Nernstian slopes of 59.60, 57.58, 53.00 and 55.00 mV/decade for sensors 1a, 2a, 1b, and 2b, respectively, were obtained by developed sensors within a concentration range 10-4 M-10-2 M over pH range 2.00-5.10. Developed sensors showed good selectivity for Lab in pure form, in the presence of co-administered drugs, many of interfering ions, and excipients present in pharmaceutical formulation. No remarkable difference was detected upon the statistical comparison between the results of proposed sensors and the official method.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most abundant plasticizers in common household products. It leaches from materials, resulting in exposure associated with detrimental health effects. The main objective of this study was to investigate how DEHP and its metabolite, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), interact with and permeate lipid structures, namely vesicles and planar bilayers. Using dynamic light scattering, we observed significant changes in the size and polydispersity of L-α-phosphatidylcholine (egg PC) vesicles when incubated with DEHP but not MEHP at the same concentrations (100 and 200 μM). We demonstrated that these effects are mitigated by pre-treatment with chitosan nanoparticles which adsorb the phthalates. Using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), we observed a concentration dependence on the interaction of DEHP with egg PC supported lipid bilayers (SLBs). QCM-D results suggested lipid removal for 5 and 100 μM DEHP, and adsorption and potential embedment in the bilayer at 50 and 200 μM DEHP. SLB mass decrease was observed for all concentrations of MEHP (5, 50, 100, and 200 μM), suggesting lipid removal. We also investigated the permeability of DEHP and MEHP as well as several small molecules across a 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) suspended lipid bilayer. We found that DEHP and MEHP both had low permeabilities, but only DEHP remained associated with the bilayer. Exposure to DEHP and MEHP influenced how several common small molecules interacted with DOPC bilayers. Ultimately, this work provides insight into mechanisms of phthalate interactions with lipid structures, having implications for human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, subcritical water-NaOH (CW-NaOH) and subcritical water-C 2 H 5 OH (CW-C 2 H 5 OH) processes were developed for diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) degradation and dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste. The introduction of NaOH or C 2 H 5 OH in subcritical water had a noticeable influence on the mechanism of DEHP degradation and dechlorination. For both CW-NaOH and CW-C 2 H 5 OH treatments, the increase in temperature could increase dechlorination efficiency (DE) of PVC. The DE of CW-NaOH is much higher than that of CW-C 2 H 5 OH under the same conditions. The DE of CW-NaOH could exceed 95% at 300 °C. Hydroxyl nucleophilic substitution was the main dechlorination mechanism in CW-NaOH, while nucleophilic substitution and direct dehydrochlorination were equally important in CW-C 2 H 5 OH. In CW-NaOH treatment, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, benzaldehyde, and toluene were obtained by hydrolysis and reduction reactions of DEHP. Acetophenone was produced by the further cyclization, dehydrogenation and rearrangement reactions of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol. Transesterification was the main degradation pathway of DEHP in CW-C 2 H 5 OH at 300 °C. The cyclization and dehydration of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol resulted in producing a high level of ethyl-cyclohexane and 1-ethyl-cyclohexene in CW-C 2 H 5 OH at 350 °C. Furthermore, high concentration of ethyl palmitate and ethyl stearate could be prepared in CW-C 2 H 5 OH system by the strong reactivity of C 2 H 5 OH with the lubricants in PVC., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) pollution is one of the major environmental concerns all over the world. This research aimed at studying the biodegradation kinetics of DEHP by a newly isolated bacterial strain. Water and sediment samples were collected from Wuhan South Lake and potent bacterial isolates were screened for DEHP degradation, characterized by biochemical, physiological, morphological and 16S rDNA gene sequencing, and optimized under suitable pH, temperature, NaCl and DEHP concentrations. DEHP and its metabolites were quantified by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and their degradation kinetics were studied., Results: The newly isolated bacterium was identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi strain L1-W with 99.63% similarity to Ochrobactrum anthropi ATCC 49188. It was capable of utilizing DEHP as the carbon source. The optimum growth temperature, pH, DEHP and NaCl concentration for the strain L1-W were 30 °C, 6, 400 mg/L and 10 g/L respectively. Strain L1-W was capable of degrading almost all (98.7%) of DEHP when the initial concentration was 200 mg/L within a period of 72 h. Besides, it was also found capable of degrading five other phthalates, thus making it a possible candidate for bioremediation of phthalates in the environmental settings.

Concerns regarding the impact of subvisible particulate impurities on the safety and efficacy of therapeutic protein products have led manufacturers to implement strategies to minimize protein aggregation and particle formation during manufacturing, storage, and shipping. However, once these products are released, manufacturers have limited control over product handling. In this work, we investigated the effect of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) nanodroplets generated in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags of intravenous (IV) saline on the stability and immunogenicity of IV immunoglobulin (IVIG) formulations. We showed that PVC IV bags containing saline can release DEHP droplets into the solution when agitated or transported using a pneumatic tube transportation system in a clinical setting. We next investigated the effects of emulsified DEHP nanodroplets on IVIG stability and immunogenicity. IVIG adsorbed strongly to DEHP nanodroplets, forming a monolayer. In addition, DEHP nanodroplets accelerated IVIG aggregation in agitated samples. The immunogenicity of DEHP nanodroplets and IVIG aggregates generated in these formulations were evaluated using an in vitro assay of complement activation in human serum. The results suggested DEHP nanodroplets shed from PVC IV bags could reduce protein stability and induce activation of the complement system, potentially contributing to adverse immune responses during the administration of therapeutic proteins., (Copyright © 2020 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Here, an enzyme mimic inspired by serine proteases was developed for the degradation of PAEs. This enzyme mimic, comprised an active site (SHD), a self-assembling polypeptide (LKLKLKL), a spacer (GGG) and a polymerizable site (DOPA) and showed high activity towards the degradation of DEHP in cells.

Phthalates are micro-pollutants of great concern due to their negative effects on ecosystem functioning and human health. Thanks to its capability in uptake and accumulation of organic pollutants, Populus alba L. "Villafranca" clone could be a good candidate for reducing the impacts derived by the persistence of such compounds in the environment. We investigated plant response and uptake of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) by poplar, grown in hydroponics condition, for 21 days with 0, 40, and 400 μg L -1 of d 4 -DOP. Treated plants, after 21 days of 400 μg L -1 d 4 -DOP, showed an increase in root dry biomass (+ 29%) at the expense of aerial parts (- 8%) compared with control. The root development could be sustained by the increase of Mg uptake by poplar. LC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated the uptake and accumulation in roots of d 4 -DOP starting from day one (3.5 ± 3.29 and 7.1 ± 3.28 in 40 and 400 μg L -1 d 4 -DOP respectively), despite volatilization of d 4 -DOP was observed from nutritive solution. The chemical interaction between d 4 -DOP and Zn occurred in roots of plants treated with the high d 4 -DOP concentration, without limiting the Zn concentration in leaves. Results confirm the high tolerance of "Villafranca" clone to xenobiotic and suggest the poplar capability in d 4 -DOP uptake and accumulation at root level.

The photolysis of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) under simulated sunlight in the presence of the natural water photoreactive constituents was investigated. The presence of nitrate or ferric ions facilitated the photodegradation of DEHP via oxidation by generation of •OH. The fulvic acids (FAs), at low concentrations, promoted the photolysis of DEHP via energy transfer from the photoreaction-generated 3 FA*. However, the DEHP photolysis was inhibited with high concentrations of FAs since the excess FAs at the surface of solution could act as light screening agents to keep FAs in bulk solution from the light irradiation, further reducing the 3 FA* generation. When low concentrations of FAs and chloride ions coexist, the reactive chloride species Cl• and Cl 2 • - could generate via energy transfer from 3 FA* to chloride ions and react with DEHP to enhance its degradation. Furthermore, the direct and •OH-initiated DEHP photodegraded intermediates and end products were identified by HPLC-MS 2 and its corresponding photolysis pathways were proposed.

Soil co-contamination of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and phthalate esters has become prominent due to its potential adverse effect on human food supply. There is limited information on using wood- and animal-derived biochars for the remediation of co-contaminated soils. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted using Brassica chinensis L. as a bio-indicator plant to investigate the effect of P. orientalis biochar and pig biochar application on the bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and on plant physiological parameters (malondialdehyde, proline and soluble sugars). Biochar materials were applied to two soils containing low (LOC) and high (HOC) organic carbon content at rates of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4%. To better understand the influence of biochar, physicochemical properties and X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were characterized. Biochar application increased soil pH, organic carbon content, and available phosphorus content. Increasing biochar application rates decreased DTPA-extractable Cd and extractable DEHP concentrations in both soils. Biochar application reduced the plant uptake of both Cd and DEHP from co-contaminated soils; the maximum reduction of Cd (92.7%) and DEHP (52.0%) was observed in 2% pig biochar-treated LOC soil. The responses of plant physiological parameters to increased biochar applications indicated that less Cd and DEHP were taken up by plants. Pig biochar was more effective (P < 0.05) at reducing the bioavailability of Cd and DEHP in both soils than P. orientalis biochar; therefore, pig biochar had greater potential for improving the quality of the crop. However, the highest application rate (4%) of pig biochar restricted plant seed germination. Key factors influencing the bioavailability of Cd and DEHP in soils were soil organic carbon content, biochar properties (such as surface alkalinity, available phosphorus content and ash content) and biochar application rates., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, we report a double enzyme system to degrade 12 phthalate esters (PAEs), particularly bulky PAEs, such as the widely used bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), in a one-pot cascade process. A PAE-degrading bacterium, Gordonia sp. strain 5F, was isolated from soil polluted with plastic waste. From this strain, a novel esterase ( Go Est15) and a mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate hydrolase ( Go EstM1) were identified by homology-based cloning. Go Est15 showed broad substrate specificity, hydrolyzing DEHP and 10 other PAEs to monoalkyl phthalates, which were further degraded by Go EstM1 to phthalic acid. Go Est15 and Go EstM1 were heterologously coexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), which could then completely degrade 12 PAEs (5 mM), within 1 and 24 h for small and bulky substrates, respectively. To our knowledge, Go Est15 is the first DEHP hydrolase with a known protein sequence, which will enable protein engineering to enhance its catalytic performance in the future.

In this study, we examined the influence of oxygen on the degradation of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), the accumulation of its monoester metabolite mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) and their impact on soil bacterial communities. Soil microcosms artificially contaminated with DEHP (0, 100 and 1000 mg kg -1 ) were incubated under aerobic and anaerobic flooded conditions, and sacrificed after 0, 21 and 42 days. The results indicated that DEHP degradation proceeded at similar rates in aerobic and anaerobic flooded soils, but accumulation of metabolite MEHP was more likely to occur in anaerobic soils. Moreover, MEHP generated from DEHP degradation seemed to be readily released into the water phase, which may arouse health concerns. Illumina Miseq sequencing showed that MEHP had a greater impact on soil bacterial community than DEHP at the same dosage, and a wide range of bacterial phylotypes were inhibited by MEHP under anaerobic conditions. High DEHP contamination (1000 mg kg -1 ) significantly reduced bacterial diversity and altered bacterial community structure under anaerobic conditions, but not under aerobic conditions. Firmicutes was constantly inhibited by DEHP under both aerobic (Bacillus) and anaerobic (unclassified Clostridiales Family&#95;XVIII) conditions. On the other hand, bacterial phylotypes belonging to Actinobacteria, β-Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadaceae were constantly enriched by DEHP in anaerobic soils, however no such a clear pattern existed in aerobic soils. This work greatly expanded our understanding of the fate of DEHP and its modifying effect on bacterial communities under different environmental conditions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP is classified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical. It is used as a plasticizer and pesticide additive. Moreover, it has a half-life of about 150-300 days. Thus, it is present in the soil environment and soil risk assessments for DEHP are needed. However, a number of studies have focused on the effects of DEHP in a single soil species. In this study, we conducted acute and chronic toxicity testing for DEHP using varied soil species, including plants, earthworms, soil algae, Collembola, and soil nematodes. In the plant toxicity test, no effect was observed at very high concentration except at some endpoints, and no effect was observed in the earthworm toxicity test. However, there were adverse effects on soil algae, Collembola, and nematodes. Notably, in the Collembola assays, the survival of adults decreased significantly at very high concentrations, whereas reproduction was hindered at low concentrations. Similar inhibition of reproduction was noted in the soil nematode assay. This suggests that DEHP has a greater influence on fertility than survival in the adult test species. However, besides hindered reproduction, no effect was observed on soil species at environmentally relevant concentrations., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Graphene is the ''new star'' material for electrochemical sensing. It has unique mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, in addition to its ultra light weight. In the present work we combine for the first time the special features offered by graphene and the advantages of ion selective potentiometric sensors in a single study. We propose two types of sensors, a graphene based carbon paste and a poly vinyl chloride (PVC) based membrane sensors for the analysis of Vilazodone hydrochloride in bulk, human plasma and formula milk samples. Electro active agent is an ion- association complex based on coupling of Vilazodone cationic cite with anionic cite of Molybdate ion in a ratio 1:1. Both sensors are evaluated according to the IUPAC recommendation data, revealing linear response in the concentration range 10 -7 - 10 -3 and10 -8 - 10 -3 M with a Nernestian slope 59.89 and 59.91 mV/decade for PVC membrane and Carbon paste sensors, respectively. Both sensors were successfully applied to the analysis of Vilazodone HCl in human plasma and formula milk samples showing good recovery percentage values. Graphene based carbon paste sensor shows several advantages over conventional PVC membrane sensor regarding lower limit of detection, faster response time, longer life time and higher selectivity towards target ion., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant, and finds extensive commercial application as a plasticizer to reduce the rigidity of polyvinyl chloride. Besides numerous negative impacts on environment and public health, the compound exhibits acute bioactivity against microbes and has therapeutic value too. Considering this biochemical significance, searching of its new biogenic sources has become an active area of research. Here, DEHP is identified from the biomass of a toxic strain of Anabaena circinalis, which is quite unobvious, and simultaneously, the in vitro physical conditions are optimized by using a swarm-based multiparameter optimization technique. A purified fraction collected from column chromatography is subjected to gas chromatography (GC) to fetch the compound peak and then subsequent mass analysis for its identification. The mass spectrum describes the molecular weight along with the structure of DEHP with 99.9% experimental accuracy. An experimental observation table has been used to frame a fitness function using the curve fitting approach when temperature (T), light and dark period (LD), and duration of subculture cycle (DSC) are considered as the target parameters to be optimized. The optimum values obtained for T, LD, and DSC are 20°C, 14:10 hour light and dark ratio approximately, and 40 days, respectively. This experimental finding of A. circinalis FSS 124 as a novel source of DEHP and subsequent optimization using soft computing tools might be a benchmark for process optimization in biological research., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Fraction unbound (f u ) is a critical drug distribution parameter commonly utilized for modeling efficacious dosage and safety margin predictions. An over-estimation of f u for 13 chemically diverse small molecule drugs primarily bound to alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) in human plasma was discovered when in vitro results from our screening lab were compared to literature values. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer known to be used in the manufacture of blood collection bags, was extracted from plasma obtained through three common techniques that allowed contact with DEHP, and drug f u values in plasma from each collection method were estimated using the HTDialysis protein binding methodology. Additionally, f u of test compounds in plasma spiked with varying concentrations of DEHP (0-800 μM) was determined, and DEHP extractions were performed from plasma stored in Terumo bags over 7 days. Blood stored in Terumo bags, blood collected in Terumo bags, but immediately transferred to conical vials, and vacutainer-collected blood yielded DEHP concentrations of 300-1000 μM, 1-10 μM, and 0.1-2 μM, respectively. This finding corresponded with the f u of tested drugs in DEHP-spiked plasma increasing between 2- and 5-fold. Additionally, DEHP was discovered to leach from the Terumo bag, with concentrations increasing 10-fold over a 7-day test period. In summary, the presence of DEHP in commercially available blood collection bags confounds in vitro f u estimation for drugs that bind primarily to AAG. It is recommended that vacutainer-collected human plasma, which contains negligible DEHP, be used for the most accurate estimation of f u in human plasma.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a typical endocrine disrupting chemical with relatively high concentrations in agricultural soils of China. Here, a rhizobox experiment was conducted to investigate the variations in microbial community and DEHP dissipation among different soil rhizospheric compartments between low (Fengyousimiao) and high (Peizataifeng) DEHP-accumulating cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in DEHP spiked soil (0, 20, 100 mg/kg). The dissipation rates of DEHP in rhizospheric soils of Peizataifeng were generally significantly higher than those of Fengyousimiao, with the highest removal rate in 0-2 mm rhizosphere. The results of Illumina-HiSeq high-throughput sequencing revealed that both bacterial and fungal diversity and community structure were significantly different in rhizospheric soils of the two cultivars. DEHP dissipation rates in 0-2 mm rhizosphere of Peizataifeng were positively correlated with bacterial and fungal diversity. The relative abundance of DEHP-degrading bacterial genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Bacillus of Peizataifeng was generally higher than those in the same rhizospheric compartment of Fengyousimiao in DEHP treatments, resulting in different rhizospheric DEHP dissipation. Cultivation of Peizataifeng in agricultural soil is promising to facilitate DEHP dissipation and ensure safety of agricultural products., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The emergence of extensive antibiotics resistant bacteria increased the demands for finding out new sources of antimicrobial agents. Marine niches were reported to be rich in many competent producers of significant bioactive compounds. On the course of screening program for new antimicrobials, a Bacillus strain was isolated from Alexandria sea shores, Egypt. According to the morphological, cultural and biochemical characteristics, 16S rRNA sequence analysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), the strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis and designated as B. subtilis AD35. One phthalate derivative namely Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was purified from the crude extract of B. subtilis AD35 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the structural elucidation of this compound was confirmed on the basis of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV spectrum. The results of MIC of the purified DEHP were as follow: 16 μg/ml (Salmonella typhimurium), 32 μg/ml (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), 0.25 μg/ml (Listeria monocytogenes), 0.5 μg/ml (Aeromonas hydrophila), 8 μg/ml (Staphylococcus aureus), 4 μg/ml (Staphylococcus epidermidis), 4 μg/ml (Escherichia coli), and 8 μg/ml (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). DEHP produced by B. subtilis AD35 up to a concentration of 2500 μg/ml exhibited no cytotoxic effect against normal Vero cells. In addition, it did not show an antiviral activity against HAV or a significant growth inhibitory effect toward human colorectal adenocarcinoma and human mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell-lines., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are substances in the environment, food, and consumer products that interfere with hormone homeostasis, metabolism or reproduction in humans and animals. One such EDC, the plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), exerts its function through its principal bioactive metabolite, mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (MEHP). To fully understand the effects of MEHP on cellular processes and metabolism as well as to assess the impact of genetic alteration on the susceptibility to MEHP-induced toxicity, we screened MEHP-sensitive mutations on a genome-scale in the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We identified a total of 96 chemical-genetic interactions between MEHP and gene mutations in this study. In response to MEHP treatment, most of these gene mutants accumulated higher intracellular MEHP content, which correlated with their MEHP sensitivity. Twenty-seven of these genes are involved in the metabolism, twenty-two of them play roles in protein sorting, and ten of them regulate ion homeostasis. Functional categorization of these genes indicated that the biosynthetic pathways of both ergosterol and tryptophan, as well as cell wall integrity and the intracellular pH homeostasis, were involved in the protective response of yeast cells to the MEHP toxicity. Our study demonstrated that a collection of yeast gene deletion mutants is useful for a functional toxicogenomic analysis of EDCs, which could provide important clues to the effects of EDCs on higher eukaryotic organisms., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of medical devices (tubes, probes, bags, primary packaging, etc.). The objective of the present study was to develop a procedure to evaluate the migration potential of nine plastic additives in aqueous infusion bags (NaCl 0.9% and glucose 5%): five phthalates, one adipate, two alkylphenols, and benzophenone. Two types of materials were analyzed: (i) new and outdated plasticized PVC (containing 40% of diethylhexyl phthalate DEHP); and (ii) tri-laminate polyethylene-polyamide-polypropylene, a multilayer material presumably exempt from DEHP. In addition, we evaluated the migration of plasticizers from PVC raw materials (film and grain) under controlled conditions to compare the migration levels according to Regulation 2011/10. Solid phase extraction and liquid-liquid extraction with gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry were used in all tests. The migration of DEHP in PVC grain exceeded the maximum regulated level of 5000 μg/kg, whereas the levels were much lower in films. In new PVC bags, DEHP was the only compound detected at 4.31 ± 0.5 μg/L in NaCl 0.9% and 4.29 ± 0.25 μg/L in glucose 5% serums, whereas the levels increased 10 times in three-year shelf-life bags. In multilayer bags, DEHP was not found but instead, two plasticizers were detected namely dibuthylphthalate (DBP) and diethylphthalate (DEP) at 0.7 ± 0.1 μg/L and 4.14 ± 0.6 μg/L, respectively. These plasticizers are not mentioned as additives allowed in materials intended for parenteral use (European Pharmacopoeia 8.0, 3.1.5. and 3.1.6.). Caprolactam was tentatively identified and could have stemmed from the polyamide of the multilayer composite. The levels of phthalates remained low but not negligible and might constitute a risk to public health in the case of reiterative infusions., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Widespread phthalate exposure has been recently documented and is hypothesized to increase blood pressure (BP) in humans. However, current studies have provided inconclusive evidence for an association between phthalate exposure and BP. Human epidemiologic studies on the topic remain lacking. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association between serum phthalate concentrations and BP in a Chinese population. We measured several parameters of BP (systolic BP, diastolic BP, total cholesterol, and triglyceride) and the concentrations of 16 phthalates (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), bis (2-methoxyethyl) phthalate, bis (4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate, bis (2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate, diamyl phthalate, dihexyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, bis (2-nbutoxyethyl) phthalate (DBEP), dicyclohexyl phthalate, bis (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate, diphenyl phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate) in the serum of 474 adults recruited from a primary health care clinic. The relationship between serum phthalate concentrations and BP parameters was assessed with multivariate linear regressions. DBP was the most ubiquitous and dominant contaminant in the study population. The systolic BP of subjects in the median-exposure DEHP group significantly increased by 2.96 mmHg (p < 0.05) relative to that of subjects in the low-exposure group. Significant positive dose-related associations of DMP and DBEP with the levels of total cholesterol in serum (p for trend < 0.05) were also found. These associations persisted even when considering exposure to multiple phthalates. Our results suggested that phthalate exposure might increase BP in adults. However, our findings warrant further studies in a larger and more general population.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of mariculture on phthalate esters speciation and distribution in sediments and cultured fish in the Hong Kong regions and near mainland China. Concentrations of ∑phthalate esters in mariculture surface sediments (0 to 5 cm) ranged from 0.20 to 54.3 mg/kg dw (mean 10.3 mg/kg dw), with the highest recorded at M2 (20.4 mg/kg dw). Concentrations of phthalate esters were not significantly (p > 0.05) enriched in surface and sediment cores at mariculture sites relative to the reference sediments, 1 to 2 km away in areas without mariculture activities. Among different congeners, only butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) concentrations demonstrated a significant correlation (R 2  = 0.40, p < 0.05) with TOC values of sediments. The median concentrations of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in the sediments were 1.57 and 6.96 times higher than the environmental risk levels (ERL), which may pose environmental risks. Results of health risk assessments revealed that the cultured fish (snubnose pompano, orange-spotted grouper, and red snapper) were safe for consumption, in terms of phthalate esters. This is the first study to assess the differences of phthalate esters contamination between mariculture and natural coastal sediments.

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), a widely used plasticizer, mainly serves as an additive to render polyvinyl chloride (PVC) soft and flexible. PVC plastics have become ubiquitous in our modern society. Yet, the leaching of DEHP from PVC-based consumables ultimately results in the deposition in certain tissues via inadvertent applications. Health risks for human populations exposed to DEHP has been assumed by studies on rodents and other species, including the DEHP-induced developmental dysregulation, reproductive impairments, tumorigenesis, and diseases in a transgenerational manner. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the accumulated literature regarding the multifaceted roles of DEHP in the activation of the nuclear receptors, the alteration of the redox homeostasis, epigenetic modifications and the acquisition of chemoresistance.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), as a plasticizer, is widely used in China, and it is easily released into diverse environments. In this study, we have obtained a stable bacterial consortium (B1) enriched from municipal sewage treatment plant activated sludge. The obtained bacterial consortium B1 was capable of degrading DBP and was mainly composed of Pandoraea sp. and Microbacterium sp. From the initial concentrations of 35-500 mg L -1 , DBP was efficiently degraded by the consortium, with the degradation rates above 92% within 3 days. The optimal temperature for DBP degradation was 30 °C and consortium B1 could adapt to a wide range of pH (5.5-8.5). The analysis of Illumina sequencing further showed that the relative abundance of Pandoraea was increased at the beginning of the degradation, while Microbacterium was decreased. In the later stage of the degradation, the change of the relative abundance of Pandoraea and Microbacterium was opposite. Apart from DBP, consortium B1 could also utilize dimethyl phthalate (DMP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and phthalic acid (PA) as the sole carbon. Moreover, adding B1 to DBP-contaminated soil could greatly improve the removal rate of DBP, suggesting that B1 has a great potential for the bioremediation of DBP-contaminated environments.

Di-(2-ethylehxyl) phthalate (DEHP) is one of the most broadly representative phthalic acid esters (PAEs) used as a plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production, and is considered to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical. DEHP and its monoester metabolites are responsible for adverse effects on human health. An efficient DEHP-degrading bacterial strain Rhodococcus ruber YC-YT1, with super salt tolerance (0⁻12% NaCl), is the first DEHP-degrader isolated from marine plastic debris found in coastal saline seawater. Strain YC-YT1 completely degraded 100 mg/L DEHP within three days (pH 7.0, 30 °C). According to high-performance liquid chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis, DEHP was transformed by strain YC-YT1 into phthalate (PA) via mono (2-ethylehxyl) phthalate (MEHP), then PA was used for cell growth. Furthermore, YC-YT1 metabolized initial concentrations of DEHP ranging from 0.5 to 1000 mg/L. Especially, YC-YT1 degraded up to 60% of the 0.5 mg/L initial DEHP concentration. Moreover, compared with previous reports, strain YC-YT1 had the largest substrate spectrum, degrading up to 13 kinds of PAEs as well as diphenyl, p-nitrophenol, PA, benzoic acid, phenol, protocatechuic acid, salicylic acid, catechol, and 1,2,3,3-tetrachlorobenzene. The excellent environmental adaptability of strain YC-YT1 contributed to its ability to adjust its cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) so that 79.7⁻95.9% of DEHP-contaminated agricultural soil, river water, coastal sediment, and coastal seawater were remedied. These results demonstrate that R. ruber YC-YT1 has vast potential to bioremediate various DEHP-contaminated environments, especially in saline environments., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.