South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, PR China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, PR China.
South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, PR China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, PR China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Emerging Contaminants Monitoring, Early Warning and Environmental Health Risk Assessment, Nanning 530029, PR China.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 May 20;926:172030. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172030. Epub 2024 Mar 27.
Anthropogenic Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in marine environments have raised significant concerns. Yet, analyses detailing their origins, fate, and environmental effects are limited. This study employs an integrated non-target screening methodology to elucidate CECs existence across 46 sampling sites in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) of the South China Sea. Assisted by advanced liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, we discovered 208 chemicals in six usage categories, with pesticides (33 %) and pharmaceuticals (29 %) predominating. Several CECs drew attention for their consistent detections, profound abundance, and significant ecotoxicities. The wide detection of them at offshore sites further implies that anthropogenic activities may contribute to large-scale contamination. Meanwhile, distinct distribution patterns of CECs across PRE are evident in semi-quantitative results, indicating regional anthropogenic influences. Identified transformation products may establish a novel and non-negligible negative contribution to ecology through elevated environmental toxicities, exemplified by HMMM and atrazine. Based on the ecological risks, we compiled a prioritized list of 21 CECs warranting intensified scrutiny. Our findings indicate the introduction of various CECs into the South China Sea via PRE, emphasizing the urgent necessity for ongoing surveillance of discharged CECs at estuary areas and assessment of their marine ecological consequences.
人为关注的新兴污染物（CECs）在海洋环境中引起了极大的关注。然而，详细分析它们的来源、归宿和环境影响的研究还很有限。本研究采用综合的非靶向筛选方法，阐明了南海珠江口（PRE）46 个采样点的 CECs 存在情况。在先进的液相色谱-高分辨率质谱的辅助下，我们在 6 个用途类别中发现了 208 种化学物质，其中以农药（33%）和药物（29%）为主。一些 CECs 因其持续检测、丰富程度和显著的生态毒性而受到关注。它们在近海地点的广泛检测进一步表明，人为活动可能导致大规模污染。同时，在 PRE 地区半定量结果中可以明显看出 CECs 的分布模式存在差异，表明存在区域性人为影响。鉴定出的转化产物可能通过提高环境毒性对生态系统产生新的、不可忽视的负面影响，例如 HMMM 和莠去津。根据生态风险，我们编制了一份优先考虑的 21 种 CEC 清单，需要加强审查。我们的研究结果表明，各种 CECs 通过 PRE 进入了南海，强调了对河口地区排放的 CECs 进行持续监测以及评估其对海洋生态后果的迫切需要。
