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This study determined the occurrence, removal and environmental risk assessment of 24 multi-class pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of Jiangsu Province, China. Solid phase extraction was used for pre-concentration of the samples with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analysis following. Results indicated that the maximum concentrations of the PPCPs varied between 2.15 ng/L and 6234 ng/L in influents and effluents. Quinolone antibiotics, macrolide antibiotics, cephalosporin antibiotics, lotions and other drugs were detected more commonly. Above the calculation of the risk quotient, clarithromycin and sulfamethoxazole showed high potential environmental risk for acute toxicity.

Nowadays, the prevalence of metabolic syndromes (MSs) has attracted increasing concerns as it is closely related to overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and overconsumption of energy, making the diagnosis and real-time monitoring of the physiological range essential and necessary for avoiding illness due to defects in the human body such as higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and diseases related to artery walls. However, the current sensing techniques are inconvenient and do not continuously monitor the health status of humans. Alternatively, the use of recent wearable device technology is a preferable method for the prevention of these diseases. This can enable the monitoring of the health status of humans in different health domains, including environment and structure. The use wearable devices with the purpose of facilitating rapid treatment and real-time monitoring can decrease the prevalence of MS and long-time monitor the health status of patients. This review highlights the recent advances in wearable sensors toward continuous monitoring of blood pressure and blood glucose, and further details the monitoring of abnormal obesity, triglycerides and HDL. We also discuss the challenges and future prospective of monitoring MS in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of 12 organophosphate esters (OPEs) were investigated in the sediments collected from Taihu Lake. Compared to the same lake in 2012 (3.4-14 ng/g dw), the concentrations of ∑12 OPEs in sediments ranged from 10.76 to 335.37 ng/g dw and from 8.06 to 425.39 ng/g dw in 2015 and in 2016, respectively, indicating that the OPEs levels in Taihu Lake have aggravated, recently. TEHP was the most abundant compound of the OPEs, which suggested that TEHP was the most widely used around Taihu Lake recently. The positive correlations between some of individual OPEs and the principal components analysis suggested the same potential sources for them. The strong positive correlation between ∑BPs and TOC content indicated that TOC content was one of the factors affected the distribution of ∑OPEs in the sediment. Risk quotient (RQ) for OPEs showed no high eco-toxicity risk in sediment for aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe–ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the analysis of pyraclostrobin residue in rice plants, hulls, soil, and paddy water. Pyraclostrobin residue dynamics and final residues were studied in supervised field trials under Good Agricultural Practice conditions in rice, plants, hulls, soil, and paddy water. The levels of detection of all chemicals in five types of matrices were in the ranges of 2 × 10−7to 1 × 10−5 mg/kg with recoveries in the ranges of 74.1–107.4%. The dissipation experiments showed that the half-lives (T1/2) of pyraclostrobin in the plants, soil, and paddy water were 6.3–13.9, 5.0–34.7, and 6.9–11.6 days, respectively. At pre-harvest intervals (PHIs) of 14, 21, and 28 days, pyraclostrobin residue levels were <0.01–0.19 mg/kg in rice. The residue levels at 35-d PHI were all below 0.1 mg/kg (maximum residue limit of the USA), and all the health risk quotient values calculated were below 0.027. The environment risk of pyraclostrobin in soil and paddy water was also monitored throughout the rice-growing period, and the results showed that the risk level was between low and medium in the soil and high in the paddy water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A method based on high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) with a small homemade mixed column was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven metabolites of organophosphate esters (OPEs) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an DNA oxidative damage marker, in urine. The urine samples were extracted by acetonitrile and enriched by the self-made column. All the samples were separated by gradient elution with acetonitrile-0.2% (v/v) ammonia solution, and then analyzed by an electrospray ionization source in negative ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. The results showed that the eight targets had good linearities in the range of 0.1-200 μg/L. The recoveries of the seven metabolites of OPEs and 8-OHdG in urine samples were in the ranges of 52.36% to 114.56% and 88.63% to 97.72%, respectively. The established method was successfully applied for the determination of the abovementioned eight target compounds in real urine samples, with the mass concentrations of the seven metabolites of OPEs and 8-OHdG being 6.24-46.07 μg/L and 5.90-16.71 μg/L, respectively. In addition, significant correlations were found between 8-OHdG and the total content of the seven metabolites of OPEs. The established method is simple, sensitive, accurate, and reproducible, and it provides reliable technical support for a more comprehensive evaluation of the level of human exposure to OPEs and the resulting health hazards.

Objective: To develop a simple, fast and sensitive analytical method based on isotope dilution-headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of 1, 4-dioxane residue in the aerosol cosmetics., Methods: Sample was successive weighed and dissolved in 1, 3-dimehyl-2-imidazolidinone(DMI)solvent and isotope internal standard was added. Then transfered to a 20 mL headspace vial. The headspace vial was sealed and extracted 15 min by ultrasonic-assisted extraction. After separated by HP-5 MS fused silica capillary column(30 m×25 mm, 0. 25 μm), the compound was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode(GC-MS-SIM) and quantified by internal standard method., Results: There were good linear correlations with R~2 no less than 0. 999 in the range of 1. 0-100 mg/kg. The limit of detection(LOD) of this method was 0. 3 mg/kg. At 0. 3, 1. 0, 5. 0 and 30 mg/kg four added concentration, recovery for five kinds of aerosol cosmetic were all between 91. 4% and 104. 2%. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) were 1. 5%-6. 3% and 1. 7%-6. 4%(n=6), respectively., Conclusion: The developed method has proved convenient, time-saving, accurate and sensitive and suited for determination 1, 4-dioxane in aerosol cosmetic.

A method was developed for the determination of five categories of 40 antibiotics in surface water by using solid-phase extraction-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-HPLC-MS/MS). The water samples were enriched and cleaned-up by filtration and with SPE cartridges. All antibiotics were separated by gradient elution with the mobile phase of 0.2% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile, and then analyzed with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes. The results showed that the 40 antibiotics achieved great linearity in the range of 1-200 μg/L, and the average recoveries ranged from 41.3% to 112.6%. Using the developed method, thirteen antibiotics were identified in surface water from Nanjing section of the Yangtze River. The total antibiotic contents in the real samples ranged from 13.4 ng/L to 780.5 ng/L. The established method is efficient, sensitive and reliable, and is suitable for the determination of different antibiotics in real water samples.

A method for the simultaneous determination of spirotetramat and its four metabolites in citrus was developed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-ion trap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q TRAP MS).The samples were extracted with acetonitrile and purified by QuEChERS pretreatment.The extracts were detected using an electrospray ionization (ESI) positive ion source under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, and quantified by matrix matching external standard method.The results showed that spirotetramat and its four metabolites had good linearities in the range of 2-1000 μg/L with correlation coefficients ( R 2 ) greater than 0.99.The limits of detection (LODs) of spirotetramat and its four metabolites were in the range of 0.08 to 0.49 μg/kg, while the limits of quantification (LOQ) were in the range of 0.26 to 1.62 μg/kg.The average spiked recoveries were in the range of 94.0% to 98.70%, and the relative standard deviations were 1.1%-5.3%.The results from field trials showed that the contents of the final residues of spirotetramat and its four metabolites in the flesh, peel and whole fruit samples were 5.93-14.20, 11.30-17.86 and 1.30-16.51 μg/kg with the highest recommended dose of 60 mg/kg (active ingredient).The residues in harvested citrus were lower than the national standard maximum residue limit (1.00 mg/kg).The method is simple, rapid and accurate, with a high sensitivity and good separation effect, and the effect of matrix interference can be effectively reduced.The accuracy and precision of this method can meet the requirements of quantitative analysis.The method is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative detection of spirotetramat and its four metabolites in citrus.

A method for the simultaneous determination of 34 pesticides in rice, proso millet and wheat by QuEChERS coupled with on line gel permeation chromatography-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GPC-GC-MS) was developed. The effects of the sample weight, extraction solvent, sorbent for purification were investigated. The matrix effect and the usefulness of analyte protectant were also studied. The identification and quantification were performed by GPC-GC-MS in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode and exrternal standard method. The calibration curves of the 34 pesticides showed good linearity in th range of 0.0125-0.2 mg/L with thea correlations coefficients (r2) between 0.968 and 0.999. The average recoveries were 94.5%-117.1%, 83.1%-121.7% and 93.1%-120.2% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) no more than 14.5%, 15.1% and 15.2% in rice, proso millet and wheat samples, respectively. The LODs of this method were 0.0281-5.31, 0.0282-4.82 and 0.0273 -5.13 microg/kg (S/N = 3) for rice, proso millet and wheat samples, respectively. The low cost and less consumption of reagents of this method are in accordance with the concept of green chemistry. The convenient operation and versatility of this method are suitable for the fast screening and detection of the 34 pesticide residues in rice, proso millet and wheat.