Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by LC-QToF MS wide-scope target analysis

Bibliographic Details
Title: Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by LC-QToF MS wide-scope target analysis
Authors: Georgios Gkotsis, Maria-Christina Nika, Varvara Nikolopoulou, Nikiforos Alygizakis, Erasmia Bizani, Reza Aalizadeh, Alexander Badry, Elizabeth Chadwick, Alessandra Cincinelli, Daniela Claßen, Sara Danielsson, René Dekker, Guy Duke, Wiebke Drost, Natalia Glowacka, Bernd Göckener, Hugh A.H. Jansman, Monika Juergens, Burkhard Knopf, Jan Koschorreck, Oliver Krone, Tania Martellini, Paola Movalli, Sara Persson, Elaine D. Potter, Simon Rohner, Anna Roos, Emily O' Rourke, Ursula Siebert, Gabriele Treu, Nico W. van den Brink, Lee A. Walker, Rosie Williams, Jaroslav Slobodnik, Nikolaos S. Thomaidis
Source: Environment International, Vol 170, Iss , Pp 107623- (2022)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2022.
Publication Year: 2022
Collection: LCC:Environmental sciences
Subject Terms: Pan-European biomonitoring, Contaminants of emerging concern, Top predator & prey specimens, Liquid Chromatography (LC), High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS), Environmental sciences, GE1-350
More Details: Apex predators are good indicators of environmental pollution since they are relatively long-lived and their high trophic position and spatiotemporal exposure to chemicals provides insights into the persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties of chemicals. Although monitoring data from apex predators can considerably support chemicals’ management, there is a lack of pan-European studies, and longer-term monitoring of chemicals in organisms from higher trophic levels. The present study investigated the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 67 freshwater, marine and terrestrial apex predators and in freshwater and marine prey, gathered from four European countries. Generic sample preparation protocols for the extraction of CECs with a broad range of physicochemical properties and the purification of the extracts were used. The analysis was performed utilizing liquid (LC) chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), while the acquired chromatograms were screened for the presence of more than 2,200 CECs through wide-scope target analysis. In total, 145 CECs were determined in the apex predator and their prey samples belonging in different categories, such as pharmaceuticals, plant protection products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, their metabolites and transformation products. Higher concentration levels were measured in predators compared to prey, suggesting that biomagnification of chemicals through the food chain occurs. The compounds were prioritized for further regulatory risk assessment based on their frequency of detection and their concentration levels. The majority of the prioritized CECs were lipophilic, although the presence of more polar contaminants should not be neglected. This indicates that holistic analytical approaches are required to fully characterize the chemical universe of biota samples. Therefore, the present survey is an attempt to systematically investigate the presence of thousands of chemicals at a European level, aiming to use these data for better chemicals management and contribute to EU Zero Pollution Ambition.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 0160-4120
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005505; https://doaj.org/toc/0160-4120
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107623
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/2f55dfc5a00643b1af49d2909a23c30e
Accession Number: edsdoj.2f55dfc5a00643b1af49d2909a23c30e
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:01604120
DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2022.107623
Published in:Environment International
Language:English