The presence of trace organic pollutants in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) poses considerable risks to aquatic organisms and human health. A large-scale survey of 302 trace organic pollutants in the effluent of 46 Chinese WWTPs was conducted to gain an improved understanding of their occurrence and ecological risks. The survey data showed that 216 compounds in 11 chemical classes had been detected in effluents. The sum concentrations of the trace contaminants in effluent ranged from 1,392 ng/L to 35,453 ng/L, with the maximum concentration of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) recorded as the highest (30,573 ng/L), which was markedly less than the reported 185,000 ng/L for the 38 American WWTPs. The concentration of bisphenol analogs (BPs) was up to 4,422 ng/L, significantly higher than those reported in France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the U.S. PFASs and BPs were the major pollutants, accounting for 59% of the total pollution. Additionally, a total of 119 contaminants were found to have ecological risks (RQ > 0.01). Among these, 23 contaminants (RQ > 1.0) warrant higher attention and should be prioritized for removal. This study lists valuable information for controlling contaminants with higher priority in WWTP effluent in China.

Herein, we report the facile two-step synthesis of an effective carboxylated cellulose nanofiber/montmorillonite nanocomposite (CMNFs–MMT) adsorbent for levofloxacin hydrochloride (Levo-HCl).

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were extensively investigated in water, sediment, and biota samples collected from Chaohu Lake basin in China. The total concentrations of eight PBDEs (Σ₈PBDEs) were in the ranges of 0.11–4.48 ng/L, 0.06–5.41 ng/g, and 0.02–1.50 ng/g dry weight (dw) in the water, sediment, and biota samples, respectively. The concentrations showed wide variations in the monitoring area, while the congener profiles in all the water, sediment, and biota samples were generally characterized by only a few compounds, such as BDE-47, BDE-99, and/or BDE-209. The spatial analysis depicted a decreasing trend of PBDEs from west to east Chaohu Lake, consistent with regional industrialization degree. The distributions of PBDE congeners in the biota samples were similar to the compositional profiles in the water, which were dominated by BDE-47 and/or BDE-99. Nevertheless, BDE-47 and BDE-153 in the brain tissue showed a higher accumulative potential than PBDEs in other tissues as well as the whole body, with 96% relative contribution of Σ₈PBDEs. The noncarcinogenic risk values estimated for BDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-153 indicated that the specific risk associated with the studied water and foodstuffs is limited. However, there is a potential mixture ecotoxicity at three trophic levels at some sampling points in the water, which should draw considerable attention.

Due to the widespread use of bisphenol analogues (BPs) as alternatives to bisphenol A (BPA), considerable attention for health risk has been shown in aquatic ecosystems. The occurrence and distribution of six BPs were researched in a soluble phase (1 µm) in a water diversion project of Nanjing, China. Except for bisphenol Z, all BPs were detected in two or three phases, where the total concentrations of detected BPs were 161–613 ng/L, 5.19–77.2 ng/L, and 47.5–353 ng/g for the soluble phase, colloidal phase, and SPM, respectively. Among the detected compounds, BPA is still the dominant BPs in the soluble and colloidal phases, which is followed by bisphenol-S , while bisphenol-AF was the major contaminant in SPM, followed by BPA. The mean contribution proportions of colloids were 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than SPM, which suggests that colloids have a clear impact on regulating BPs’ environmental behaviors. In terms of spatial distribution, the water diversion project could reduce the pollution levels of BPs, which might further affect the ecological security of the Yangtze River.