Yihui Zhou

Extensive organohalogen contamination in wildlife from a site in the Yangtze River Delta.

The environmental and human health concerns for organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) extend beyond the 23 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulated by the Stockholm Convention. The current, intense industrial production and use of chemicals in China and their bioaccumulation makes Chinese wildlife highly suitable for the assessment of legacy, novel and emerging environmental pollutants. In the present study, six species of amphibians, fish and birds were sampled from paddy fields in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) were screened for OHCs. Some extensive contamination was found, both regarding number and concentrations of the analytes, among the species assessed. High concentrations of chlorinated paraffins were found in the snake, Short-tailed mamushi (range of 200-340 μg g(-)(1)lw), Peregrine falcon (8-59 μg g(-1)lw) and Asiatic toad (97 μg g(-)(1)lw). Novel contaminants and patterns were observed; octaCBs to decaCB made up 20% of the total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) content in the samples and new OHCs, substituted with 5-8 chlorines, were found but are not yet structurally confirmed. In addition, Dechlorane 602 (DDC-DBF) and numerous other OHCs (DDTs, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexbromocyclododecane (HBCDD), chlordane, heptachlor, endosulfan and Mirex) were found in all species analyzed. These data show extensive chemical contamination of wildlife in the YRD with a suite of OHCs with both known and unknown toxicities, calling for further in-depth studies.

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in a freshwater food web from Dianshan Lake: Occurrence level, congener pattern and trophic transfer

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are new group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention. The Yangtze River Delta is among the industrially most developed areas in China, supporting a large production and consumption of chlorinated paraffins (CPs). Despite this, there is very limited data on the environmental exposure of SCCPs from the region. This study analyzed SCCPs in 14 wild aquatic organisms from Dianshan Lake, Shanghai, China. The concentrations of total SCCPs ranged from 10 to 1300μgg-1 lipid weight, with significantly higher levels (p<0.05) in benthic (benthic fish and invertebrates) than in non-benthic species (pelagic and mesopelagic fish). The abundance of C10 congeners was much higher in the benthic species compared to in the non-benthic species. The calculated trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of SCCP congeners varied from 1.19 (C10H12Cl10) to 1.57 (C13H20Cl8). The TMFs were significantly correlated (p<0.01) with carbon-chain length in a positive linear relationship and with Log Kow in a parabolic curve relationship. Considering the high concentrations of SCCPs in wild aquatic organisms and the trophic magnification observed in the freshwater food web, further studies should be undertaken to assess the environmental fate of SCCPs and the public health risk in the Yangtze River Delta.

Sampling designs for contaminant temporal trend analyses using sedentary species exemplified by the snails Bellamya aeruginosa and Viviparus viviparus

Environmental monitoring typically assumes samples and sampling activities to be representative of the population being studied. Given a limited budget, an appropriate sampling strategy is essential to support detecting temporal trends of contaminants. In the present study, based on real chemical analysis data on polybrominated diphenyl ethers in snails collected from five subsites in Tianmu Lake, computer simulation is performed to evaluate three sampling strategies by the estimation of required sample size, to reach a detection of an annual change of 5% with a statistical power of 80% and 90% with a significant level of 5%. The results showed that sampling from an arbitrarily selected sampling spot is the worst strategy, requiring much more individual analyses to achieve the above mentioned criteria compared with the other two approaches. A fixed sampling site requires the lowest sample size but may not be representative for the intended study object e.g. a lake and is also sensitive to changes of that particular sampling site. In contrast, sampling at multiple sites along the shore each year, and using pooled samples when the cost to collect and prepare individual specimens are much lower than the cost for chemical analysis, would be the most robust and cost efficient strategy in the long run. Using statistical power as criterion, the results demonstrated quantitatively the consequences of various sampling strategies, and could guide users with respect of required sample sizes depending on sampling design for long term monitoring programs.

Short-, medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins in wildlife from paddy fields in the Yangtze River Delta

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) were added to Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in April, 2017. As a consequence of this regulation, increasing production and usage of alternatives, such as medium- and long-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs and LCCPs, respectively), is expected. Little is known about the environmental fate and behavior of MCCPs and LCCPs. In the present study, SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs were analyzed in nine wildlife species from paddy fields in the Yangtze River Delta, China, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. SCCPs, MCCPs, and LCCPs were detected in all samples at concentrations ranging from <91-43 000, 96-33 000, and 14-10 000 ng/g lipid, respectively. Most species contained primarily MCCPs (on average 44%), with the exception of collared scops owl and common cuckoo, in which SCCPs (43%) accumulated to a significantly (i.e., p < 0.05) greater extent than MCCPs (40%). Cl6 groups were dominant in most species except for yellow weasel and short-tailed mamushi, which contained primarily Cl7 groups. Principal components analysis, together with CP concentrations and carbon stable isotope analysis showed that habitat and feeding habits were key factors driving CP accumulation and congener group patterns in wildlife. This is the first report of LCCP exposure in wildlife and highlights the need for data on risks associated with CP usage.

Historical development and future perspectives of Environmental Specimen Bank in China: a mini review

Environmental problems as well as their related ecosystem stress and human health risk in China have raised wide concerns along with the rapid economic development in recent years. Numerous studies with a sharp increase in publication number have addressed the ubiquitous of anthropogenic chemicals in various environmental compartments and human tissues. However, very few data were available to clarify the temporal trend and to give the retrospective analysis of chemical pollution in China. Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) is a system for the systematic collection and long-term storage of specimens, which has been established since the 1970s in developed counties and recognized as a fundamental complement for environmental monitoring and scientific research. Currently, the value of ESB is becoming more broadly recognized globally, and China is still at the early stage. This article described the history and status and put forwarded the future key points of Chinese ESB development for illustrating the intensive environmental changes in China and the world.