Li Jingjing, Lin Yongfeng, Yu Lihua, Gao Wei, Wang Bing, Zheng Yuxin
Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Biomedical Centre, Qingdao University, 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao, 266071, China.
Environ Sci Process Impacts. 2025 May 6. doi: 10.1039/d5em00040h.
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used as active ingredients in cleaning products and personal care products, which could enter domestic wastewater through various daily human activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, elevated usage of QACs was reported; however, whether the increase could pose potential risks to the environment and human health is still unknown. To evaluate the population exposure and risks of QACs, influent and effluent wastewater samples were collected from December 15, 2022, to January 31, 2023, in a wastewater treatment plant. QACs were detected at mean ΣQAC concentrations of 711 ng L in influent and 50.4 ng L in effluent. Dialkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (DADMACs) and benzylalkyldimethyl ammonium compounds (BACs) accounted for the largest mean proportion of 48.5% and 66.1% in influent and effluent, respectively. The evaluated daily ΣQAC exposure ranged from 0.309 to 2114 mg per 1000 residents during the sampling period. Most QACs could be removed, with mean removal efficiency in the range of 62.6-100%. DADMAC-14:14, DADMAC-16:16 and BAC-C12 in effluent displayed higher risks to aquatic organisms based on risk quotient calculation. The estimated daily intakes of QACs were below the reference dose, suggesting negligible health concerns. The environmental occurrence and physico-chemical properties were further integrated in the toxicological priority index approach to rank the monitored QACs. DADMAC-16:16 exhibited the highest score, indicating its priority in further environmental and toxicological research.
季铵化合物（QACs）作为清洁产品和个人护理产品的活性成分被广泛使用，它们可通过各种日常人类活动进入生活污水。在新冠疫情期间，据报道QACs的使用量有所增加；然而，这种增加是否会对环境和人类健康构成潜在风险仍不清楚。为评估QACs对人群的暴露情况和风险，于2022年12月15日至2023年1月31日在一家污水处理厂采集了进水和出水污水样本。检测到进水和出水中QACs的平均总浓度分别为711纳克/升和50.4纳克/升。二烷基二甲基铵化合物（DADMACs）和苄基烷基二甲基铵化合物（BACs）在进水和出水中的平均占比最大，分别为48.5%和66.1%。在采样期间，评估得出的每日QACs总暴露量为每1000名居民0.309至2114毫克。大多数QACs能够被去除，平均去除效率在62.6%至100%之间。根据风险商数计算，出水中的DADMAC-14:14、DADMAC-16:16和BAC-C12对水生生物显示出较高风险。QACs的估计每日摄入量低于参考剂量，表明对健康的影响可忽略不计。在毒理学优先指数方法中进一步综合考虑了环境存在情况和理化性质，以对监测到的QACs进行排名。DADMAC-16:16得分最高，表明其在进一步的环境和毒理学研究中具有优先性。
