Persistent Organic Pesticides Research Articles

Effects of DDT and DDE on placental cholinergic receptors

The placental cholinergic system; known as an important factor in intracellular metabolic activities, regulation of placental vascular tone, placental development, and neurotransmission; can be affected by persistent organic pesticides, particularly organochlorine pesticides(OCPs), which can influence various epigenetic regulations and molecular pathways. Although OCPs are legally prohibited, trace amounts of the persistent dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane(DDT) are still found in the environment, making prenatal exposure inevitable. In this study, the effects of 2,4’-DDT and 4,4’-DDT; and its breakdown product 4,4’-DDE in the environment on placental cholinergic system were evaluated with regards to cholinergic genes. 40 human placentas were screened, where 42,50% (17 samples) were found to be positive for the tested compounds. Average concentrations were 10.44 μg/kg; 15.07 μg/kg and 189,42 μg/kg for 4,4’-DDE; 2,4’-DDT and 4,4’-DDT respectively. RNA-Seq results revealed 2396 differentially expressed genes in positive samples; while an increase in CHRM1,CHRNA1,CHRNG and CHRNA2 genes at 1.28, 1.49, 1.59 and 0.4 fold change were found(p<0028). The increase for CHRM1 was also confirmed in tissue samples with immunohistochemistry. In vitro assays using HTR8/SVneo cells; revealed an increase in mRNA expression of CHRM1, CHRM3 and CHRN1 in DDT and DDE treated groups; which was also confirmed through western blot assays. An increase in the expression of CHRM1,CHRNA1, CHRNG(p<0001) and CHRNA2(p<0,05) were found from the OCPs exposed and non exposed groups.The present study reveals that intrauterine exposure to DDT affects the placental cholinergic system mainly through increased expression of muscarinic receptors. This increase in receptor expression is expected to enhance the sensitivity of the placental cholinergic system to acetylcholine.

Reviewing the interdecadal dynamics of micropollutants in the Tanzanian coastal zone from 2002 to 2022.

The Tanzanian coast is a vastly diversified ecosystem offering ecological, cultural, and economic services. However, anthropogenic and environmental stressors threaten its productivity and sustainability, prompting extensive research to understand the contamination extent, sources, and impacts. This review covers 77 original field research studies published between 2002 and 2022, focusing on the Tanzanian coastal area. A summary of information on the occurrences, levels, distributions, sources, and impacts of organic and inorganic micropollutants in environmental and biological compartments is provided. The studies were further discussed based on their research focus, where seven key areas were identified, which included the types of micropollutants analyzed, the parameters sampled, the locations investigated, and the crucial conclusions reached. The aim was to evaluate the research trends and identify gaps for future investigations. The studies reveal varying contamination levels, from low to severe, encompassing metals, persistent organic pollutants, pesticide residues, nutrients, and microbial contaminants. However, data gaps exist for micropollutant concentrations in ambient air, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and emerging contaminants of concern. With increasing urbanization and socio-economic activities, the review emphasizes the necessity for solution-based research to remove and control micropollutants in the area. Addressing these challenges is crucial for sustaining the diverse ecological nature of this vital coastal system.

Potential of Calabash (Lagenaria siceraria) and Sweet Potato (Solanum tuberosum) for the Remediation of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-Contaminated Soils in Tanzania

A study was conducted to test the potential of calabash, sweet potato, pumpkin, simsim and finger millet to phytoaccumulate dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites from NHC Morogoro- and PPO Tengeru-contaminated sites. Parallel field and screenhouse-potted soil experiments were performed to assess the efficacy with which the test plants phytoaccumulate DDT from the soil. In the screenhouse experiment, treatments were laid out following a split-plot arrangement in a completely randomized design (CRD), with the main plots comprising two DDT concentration levels–low (417 mg kg−1) or high (2308 mg kg−1)—and the plant species Cucurbita pepo, Lagenaria siceraria, Ipomoea batatus, Sesamum indicum and Eleusine coracana were considered as subplots. A field experiment with the same crop species as the treatments was laid out in a randomized complete block design, and both experiments were performed in triplicate. In addition to determining the concentration of persistent organic pesticides in the soil profile, parameters such as the total DDT uptake by plants, shoot weight and shoot height were monitored in both potted soil and open field experiments. Overall, calabash and sweet potato exhibited the highest (4.63 mg kg−1) and second highest (3.45 mg kg−1) DDT concentrations from the high residual DDT potted soil experiment. A similar trend was observed when the two plants were grown in low DDT soil. Sweet potato recorded the highest shoot height and weight in the potted soil experiments, indicating that increasing amounts of DDT had a minimal effect on the plant’s growth. Although sweet potato outperformed calabash in the amounts of DDT concentration in the shoots under open field experiments, the uptake of DDT by calabash was the second highest. Calabash—a wild non-edible plant in Tanzania—presents a potential phytoremediation alternative to edible and much studied pumpkin.

Persistent Organic Pesticides and Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis among National ALS Registry Cases and Matched Controls

Persistent Organic Pesticides and Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis among National ALS Registry Cases and Matched Controls

Validation of a Method Scope Extension for Simple Biomonitoring of 353 Pollutants in Serum Samples

Animals and humans are exposed to various residues that can have a detrimental impact on health, including carcinogenic potential, endocrine disruption, or fatal toxicity. The toxic burden can be evaluated in several biological samples, with serum being one of the preferred and most convenient options. In this study, we have applied and validated a method for detecting several hundred toxins in serum samples. This technique involved a single-step QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) extraction followed by analysis using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. With this methodology, we could detect and quantify up to 353 compounds, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and rodenticides, using just 250 µL of serum. Among them, 92% could be measured at concentrations below 1.25 ng/mL, making it ideal for biomonitoring. We applied this method to samples collected from camels (n = 40) and humans (n = 25). We detected naproxen, ketoprofen, paracetamol, levamisole, and some POPs in these samples. This study validated the ability to simultaneously detect a broad range of compounds in small volumes of serum.

Fish to learn: insights into the effects of environmental chemicals on eye development and visual function in zebrafish.

Vision is the most essential sense system for the human being. Congenital visual impairment affects millions of people globally. It is increasingly realized that visual system development is an impressionable target of environmental chemicals. However, due to inaccessibility and ethical issues, the use of humans and other placental mammals is constrained, which limits our better understanding of environmental factors on ocular development and visual function in the embryonic stage. Therefore, as complementing laboratory rodents, zebrafish has been the most frequently employed to understand the effects of environmental chemicals on eye development and visual function. One of the major reasons for the increasing use of zebrafish is their polychromatic vision. Zebrafish retinas are morphologically and functionally analogous to those of mammalian, as well as evolutionary conservation among vertebrate eye. This review provides an update on harmful effects from exposure to environmental chemicals, involving metallic elements (ions), metal-derived nanoparticles, microplastics, nanoplastics, persistent organic pollutants, pesticides, and pharmaceutical pollutants on the eye development and visual function in zebrafish embryos. The collected data provide a comprehensive understanding of environmental factors on ocular development and visual function. This report highlights that zebrafish is promising as a model to identify hazardous toxicants toward eye development and is hopeful for developing preventative or postnatal therapies for human congenital visual impairment.

Historical biomonitoring of pollution trends in the North Pacific using archived samples from the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey

First started in 1931, the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey is the longest-running and most geographically extensive marine plankton sampling program in the world. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of biomonitoring the spatiotemporal trends of marine pollution using archived CPR samples from the North Pacific. We selected specimens collected from three different locations (British Columbia Shelf, Northern Gulf of Alaska, and Aleutian Shelf) in the North Pacific between 2002 and 2020. Comprehensive profiling of the plankton chemical exposome was conducted using liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC–MS/MS). Our results show that phthalates, plasticizers, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products were present in the plankton exposome, and that many of these pollutants have decreased in amount over the last two decades, which was most pronounced for tri-n-butyl phosphate. In addition, the plankton exposome differed significantly by regional human activities, with the most polluted samples coming from the nearshore area. Exposome-wide association analysis revealed that bioaccumulation of environmental pollutants was highly correlated with the biomass of different plankton taxa. Overall, this study demonstrates that exposomic analysis of archived samples from the CPR Survey is effective for long-term biomonitoring of the spatial and temporal trends of environmental pollutants in the marine environment.

MOF-Based Mycotoxin Nanosensors for Food Quality and Safety Assessment through Electrochemical and Optical Methods.

Mycotoxins in food are hazardous for animal and human health, resulting in food waste and exacerbating the critical global food security situation. In addition, they affect commerce, particularly the incomes of rural farmers. The grave consequences of these contaminants require a comprehensive strategy for their elimination to preserve consumer safety and regulatory compliance. Therefore, developing a policy framework and control strategy for these contaminants is essential to improve food safety. In this context, sensing approaches based on metal-organic frameworks (MOF) offer a unique tool for the quick and effective detection of pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, prohibited food additives, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), toxins, veterinary medications, and pesticide residues. This review focuses on the rapid screening of MOF-based sensors to examine food safety by describing the main features and characteristics of MOF-based nanocomposites. In addition, the main prospects of MOF-based sensors are highlighted in this paper. MOF-based sensing approaches can be advantageous for assessing food safety owing to their mobility, affordability, dependability, sensitivity, and stability. We believe this report will assist readers in comprehending the impacts of food jeopardy exposure, the implications on health, and the usage of metal-organic frameworks for detecting and sensing nourishment risks.

Another one bites the dust: pollutants and pesticides in Garden Dormice found dead

Persistent organic pollutants, pesticides and biocides have a harmful impact on biological diversity. Besides short-term toxic effects on directly exposed organisms, they can have long-term effects resulting in changes of habitats and food chains. Their widespread use makes contact with pesticides and their residues inevitable for some wildlife. However, little is known about the exposure of dormice to pollutants and pesticides. Garden Dormice found dead were collected from all over Germany and toxicological examinations were conducted. Fifty-seven livers were investigated for anticoagulant rodenticides by liquid chromatography, coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, resulting in 28 rodenticide-positive samples. In addition, livers of 110 Garden Dormice were analysed for 209 different persistent organic pollutants and pesticides using gas chromatography, coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. In total, 21 different analytes were found. At least four and up to 15 different analytes were detected per sample. Several studies have showed that pesticide exposure negatively affects the nervous, immune and endocrine systems in other species. Possible consequences might be a higher risk of predation, an impaired resistance against pathogens and a negative impact on reproduction. As many analytes are lipophilic, it seems most likely that species with phases of torpor are especially vulnerable because, during fasting periods, large amounts of toxins might be released from the mobilised fat tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first study of toxins in free-living Garden Dormice. The possible impact on the decline of this species is not yet fully understood.

Metal-Organic Frameworks-Based Sensors for Food Safety.

Food contains a variety of poisonous and harmful substances that have an impact on human health. Therefore, food safety is a worldwide public concern. Food detection approaches must ensure the safety of food at every step of the food supply chain by monitoring and evaluating all hazards from every single step of food production. Therefore, early detection and determination of trace-level contaminants in food are one of the most crucial measures for ensuring food safety and safeguarding consumers’ health. In recent years, various methods have been introduced for food safety analysis, including classical methods and biomolecules-based sensing methods. However, most of these methods are laboratory-dependent, time-consuming, costly, and require well-trained technicians. To overcome such problems, developing rapid, simple, accurate, low-cost, and portable food sensing techniques is essential. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a type of porous materials that present high porosity, abundant functional groups, and tunable physical and chemical properties, demonstrates promise in large-number applications. In this regard, MOF-based sensing techniques provide a novel approach in rapid and efficient sensing of pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals, food illegal additives, toxins, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), veterinary drugs, and pesticide residues. This review focused on the rapid screening of MOF-based sensors for food safety analysis. Challenges and future perspectives of MOF-based sensors were discussed. MOF-based sensing techniques would be useful tools for food safety evaluation owing to their portability, affordability, reliability, sensibility, and stability. The present review focused on research published up to 7 years ago. We believe that this work will help readers understand the effects of food hazard exposure, the effects on humans, and the use of MOFs in the detection and sensing of food hazards.

Sarımsakta Organoklorlu Pestisit Kalıntılarının Tespiti ve Sağlık Risklerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Persistent organic polluting pesticides that have been used extensively historically can still be detected in agricultural products and cause health risks. In this study, banned organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residue levels in 23 garlic samples produced in the fields of different villages located in the potentially polluted area in the center of Kastamonu were determined by GC/MS method combined with QuEChERS extraction and clean-up technique. In our study, at least one OCP was detected in 14 of 23 samples and 20 of the 23 OCPs we examined in our study, were detected in at least one sample. The most frequently detected OCP residue in garlic is dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites. The residue levels of all garlic samples were below their maximum residue levels (MRL), except for sample 16. Eighteen of the OCPs we examined in our study, were determined in sample 16 and 14 of them had very high concentrations. Estimated daily intake levels (EDI) of all samples were calculated to determine whether the acceptable daily intake (ADI) levels were exceeded in order to make a risk assessment. None of the EDI values calculated from the amounts of residues in the sample 16 exceeded the ADI levels. However, it should not be forgotten that samples such as sample 16 may pose a risk of exposure for people whose actual consumption of garlic is higher than the calculated amount.

A Critical Review on the Photo Degradation of Diazinon, A Persistent Organic Pesticides

Broad production, utilization, and scrapping of pesticides worldwide increase the health concern of humans and animals, due to their bio-persistent and bio-accumulating nature. Among the present treatment methods, metaloxide based photocatalysis is the emerging technology for pesticide removal in aqueous medium, and has gained the interest of many researchers in the past years due to its feasibility, cost efficiency and higher degradation rate. This review briefly discusses the mechanism of metaloxide based photocatalytic degradation, reaction kinetics of pesticides degradation, optimization of operational parameters to enhance the degradation process, and different modifications such as binary, ternary or metal/non-metal dopped metaloxide photocatalysts to improve the effectiveness of degradation has also been analyzed. The effect of operational parameters like effect of catalyst dosage, pH, initial pesticide concentration, UV/sunlight, and irradiation time on the photocatalytic degradation of pesticide has been reviewed. The comparison of various photocatalysts for the degradation of diazinon from aqueous medium is summarized. However additional research is required to achieve fast and maximum degradation to keep the environment safe.

Tapping the potential of a glucosamine polysaccharide-diatomaceous earth hybrid adsorbent in the solid phase extraction of a persistent organic pollutant and toxic pesticide 4,4'-DDT from water.

A chitosan (a glucosamine polysaccharide)-diatomaceous earth hybrid was studied for the adsorption of 4,4′-dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (4,4′-DDT), a persistent organic pollutant and organochlorine pesticide compound from water. The diverse adsorption process parameters were studied and the modified adsorbent was characterized through XRD, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, XRF, BET and TGA analysis. The concentration of 4,4′-DDT was measured using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) by adopting a validated analytical procedure. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms ascertained the adsorption capacity. The optimum pH and temperature for 4,4′-DDT adsorption were found to be between 5.0 and 7.0 and 20 and 30 °C respectively. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed that the adsorption of DDT on chitosan modified with diatomaceous earth was an exothermic process. The data obtained from kinetics and intra-particle diffusion showed that the composite material is able to sequester 4,4′-DDT and this is reflected in the Langmuir adsorption capacity of 0.968 mg g−1. The adsorbed 4,4′-DDT was successfully eluted with ethyl acetate and recycling studies showed that the modified chitosan can be used for three cycles with significant adsorption performance and this adsorbent proved its efficacy in removing 4,4′-DDT from farm water.

Simultaneous GC-NCI-MS Determination of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Current-Use Pesticides in Breast Milk Samples

To preserve human health, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) should be monitored in fatty tissues, including breast milk. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize sample preparation conditions using a 32 factorial design for the determination of POPs and CUPs by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with negative chemical ionization (GC-NCI-MS). The method was validated for 57 POP and CUP compounds using hexane:acetone for extraction and clean-up by dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) with Florisil®. The matrix effect was compensated by extracted analytical calibration. Method validation showed satisfactory results with limits of detection of 3 to 13 ng g-1 of fat. The method presented adequate accuracy (recoveries from 72 to 117%) and precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) ≤ 18%) and was applied to breast milk samples from Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil, wherein all samples contained at least one compound. With principal component analysis, it was possible to associate the pesticides detected with the city of origin of the samples and the number of pregnancies of nursing mothers. Additionally, the analytical method was effective for the determination of trace levels of POPs and CUPs in breast milk and can be applied in biomonitoring studies.

Conceptual approaches to rehabilitation of pesticide-polluted soils of Ukraine

The Concept of Rehabilitation of Contaminated Soils has been developed, which substantiates the ways to restore areas contaminated with persistent organic pesticides. The practical implementation of the Concept will contribute to the transfer of existing land use systems to the principles of sustainable agricultural development, as well as the preservation, reproduction and expansion of biodiversity, as well as improving the environmental safety of agro-ecosystems for sustainable development of the Agrosphere. The Concept combines ways of practical implementation of environmentally friendly methods of cleaning pesticide-contaminated areas and further use of rehabilitated land in the process of agricultural activity in Ukraine. The problem of pesticide pollution of agroecosystems is proposed to be solved by using scientifically sound ecologically safe methods of soil remediation with multicomponent pesticide pollution developed at the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of NAAS, in particular using bioremediation methods. The following are proposed for use: methods of agroecological monitoring of areas contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, methods of phytotesting and phytoremediation of soils contaminated with resistant pesticides. For phytoremediation of contaminated soils, it is proposed to use annual cultivated (barley, wheat, beans, soybeans, zucchini, pumpkin) and wild (dandelion, bitter wormwood, common wormwood, wheatgrass) species of plant-mediators, which are suitable for phytostabilation and in the conditions of multicomponent soil pollution. The main stages of the Concept implementation are: complex agroecological monitoring of soils contaminated with residues of persistent organic pollutants (POPs); comprehensive ecotoxicological assessment of soil condition; determining the degree of chemical degradation of soils; adaptation of remediation technologies to the specifics of the area in need of cleaning; introduction of ecologically safe remediation methods into practical use; realization of prospects of further use of rehabilitated soils in various branches of agriculture; taking into account the ecological and economic efficiency of the use of remediation methods. Possibility and ways of using restored areas in the process of agricultural activity, taking into account the main stages of implementation of the Concept are set out in the developed in the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of NAAS «Scientific and methodological recommendations for restoration of soil contaminated with organochlorine pesticides depending on their toxicity» and «Scientific and methodological recommendations for the use of restored areas in the process of agricultural activity».

Early-Life Environmental Exposures and Childhood Obesity: An Exposome-Wide Approach.

Background:Chemical and nonchemical environmental exposures are increasingly suspected to influence the development of obesity, especially during early life, but studies mostly consider single exposure groups.Objectives:Our study aimed to systematically assess the association between a wide array of early-life environmental exposures and childhood obesity, using an exposome-wide approach.Methods:The HELIX (Human Early Life Exposome) study measured child body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, skinfold thickness, and body fat mass in 1,301 children from six European birth cohorts age 6–11 y. We estimated 77 prenatal exposures and 96 childhood exposures (cross-sectionally), including indoor and outdoor air pollutants, built environment, green spaces, tobacco smoking, and biomarkers of chemical pollutants (persistent organic pollutants, metals, phthalates, phenols, and pesticides). We used an exposure-wide association study (ExWAS) to screen all exposure–outcome associations independently and used the deletion-substitution-addition (DSA) variable selection algorithm to build a final multiexposure model.Results:The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was 28.8%. Maternal smoking was the only prenatal exposure variable associated with higher child BMI (z-score increase of 0.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.09, 0.48, for active vs. no smoking). For childhood exposures, the multiexposure model identified particulate and nitrogen dioxide air pollution inside the home, urine cotinine levels indicative of secondhand smoke exposure, and residence in more densely populated areas and in areas with fewer facilities to be associated with increased child BMI. Child blood levels of copper and cesium were associated with higher BMI, and levels of organochlorine pollutants, cobalt, and molybdenum were associated with lower BMI. Similar results were found for the other adiposity outcomes.Discussion:This first comprehensive and systematic analysis of many suspected environmental obesogens strengthens evidence for an association of smoking, air pollution exposure, and characteristics of the built environment with childhood obesity risk. Cross-sectional biomarker results may suffer from reverse causality bias, whereby obesity status influenced the biomarker concentration. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5975

The Impact of Environmental Chemicals on the Gut Microbiome.

Since the surge of microbiome research in the last decade, many studies have provided insight into the causes and consequences of changes in the gut microbiota. Among the multiple factors involved in regulating the microbiome, exogenous factors such as diet and environmental chemicals have been shown to alter the gut microbiome significantly. Although diet substantially contributes to changes in the gut microbiome, environmental chemicals are major contaminants in our food and are often overlooked. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge on major classes of environmental chemicals (bisphenols, phthalates, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and pesticides) and their impact on the gut microbiome, which includes alterations in microbial composition, gene expression, function, and health effects in the host. We then discuss health-related implications of gut microbial changes, which include changes in metabolism, immunity, and neurological function.

The problem of POP pesticides in Kazakhstan and methods for their restoration using the new high-efficient phytoremediant Мiscanthus sinensis (on the example of the Talgar region)

In the article has been shown results of the monitoring the territory of the former storehouse pesticides (vil. Kyzyl-Kairat, Talgar district, Almaty region) and assessing the remediation abilitysoil contaminated with POPs (persistent organic pesticides) of the new bioenergetic species Miscanthussinensis. Established that the soil around the former warehouses contaminated with persistent organicpesticides (HCB, α-HCH, γ-HCH, β-HCH, δ-HCH, DDT, 4.4’DDE, 2.4’DDD, 4.4’DDD, aldrin, heptachlor, hexabromobenzene, heptachloroepoxide, deldrin, dibutylendan, keltan, methoxychlor, endrin,endrin aldehyde, endosulfan sulfate, endosulfan, chlordane, chlorobenzylate), the concentrations ofwhich exceeded MAC up to 120 times. The main soil contaminants were pesticides – α-HCH, β-HCH,δ-HCH, DDT, 4.4’DDE, 2.4’DDD, aldrin, deldrin, endrin, heptachloroepoxide, endosulfan 1 and chlorobenzylate. M. sinensis was grown on the contaminated soil with pesticides was found that the planthas tolerance (tolerance index 0.76) and the ability to extract up to 11 μg of DDT metabolites fromcontaminated soil. Revealed a decrease in the content of chlorophyll a and an increase of auxiliary pigments – chlorophyll b and carotenoids in the leaves, as the adaptive reaction of the photosynthetic apparatus to the action of a xenobiotic. The results obtained indicate on the adaptability of M. sinensis to high concentrations of POPs pesticides in the soil and the prospect of their use for the development ofphytoremediation technology.Key words: POPs pesticides, plant, productivity, photosynthesis, phytoremediation, soil

Dechlorination of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) by Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles: Comparison with nZVI, degradation mechanism, and pathways

In this study, the bimetallic Fe/Pd nanoparticle was synthesized using the catalytic element palladium to increase the effect of nano zero valent iron (nZVI), in the light of the information obtained from our previous study, in which the nZVI synthesis method was modified. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), one of the most widely used persistent organic pollutant pesticides in the world, was investigated in terms of its degradation by Fe/Pd nanoparticles and the difference with nZVI was determined. During the study, the Fe/Pd concentration, initial DDT concentration, and contact time were selected as variables affecting the treatment. The highest possible initial DDT concentration for the treatment with Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticle was investigated to obtain the DDT effluent concentration below the carcinogenesis limit, 0.23 µg/L. The highest concentration that could be treated was found to be 109.95 mg/L with Fe/Pd. It was found that 44.3 min of contact time and 550 mg/L Fe/Pd concentration were needed to achieve this treatment.

Hierarchically micro-mesoporous β-cyclodextrin polymers used for ultrafast removal of micropollutants from water

Persistent organic pollutants, including plasticizers, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupters, have posed a serious threat to water safety and human health. Addressing this problem calls out new materials of purifying water with high efficiency. Here, a series of cross-linked β-cyclodextrin polymers (β-CDPs) with hierarchically micro-mesoporous structure and high surface area were first synthesized by introducing polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) and used for adsorptive removal of organic micropollutants from water. The chemical compositions and porous structures of the obtained β-CDPs were characterized in detail. Adsorption data showed that the quasi-second-order adsorption rate constant and maximal adsorption capacity of β-CDPs towards bisphenol A was up to 3.88 g mg−1 min−1 and 502 mg g−1, almost 2.6 and 5.7 times as large as those of the state-of-the-art porous β-CD polymer, respectively. Further, hierarchically porous β-CDPs also demonstrated ultrafast adsorption rates and high adsorption capacities towards various organic pollutants under the synergistic effect of micropores and mesopores. In addition, β-CDPs were easily regenerated by simple ethanol cleaning and kept high removal ability over 5 cycles. The virtues of extraordinary adsorption ability and convenient regeneration offer β-CDPs potential applications in water purification.