TY - JOUR
T1 - Occurrence of N-nitrosamines in U.S. freshwater sediments near wastewater treatment plants
AU - Gushgari, Adam J.
AU - Halden, Rolf
AU - Venkatesan, Arjun K.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported in part by Award Number R01ES020889 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and by award LTR 05/01/12 of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsors. We would like to thank Erin Driver for her assistance in sediment sample collection. We would also like to thank Andrea Molina Pineda for her help in sample analysis during her internship at Arizona State University.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2017/2/5
Y1 - 2017/2/5
N2 - In the present study, 40 freshwater sediments collected near 14 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the United States were analyzed for eight N-nitrosamines by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Three N-nitrosamines were detected for the first time in freshwater sediments in units of ng/g dry weight at the specified detection frequency: N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA; 0.2–3.3; 58%), N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA; 0.2–4.7; 50%), and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR; 3.4–19.6; 18%). At least one N-nitrosamine was detected in 70% (28/40) of sediments analyzed. Non-detect values in units of ng/g dw were obtained for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA; <10.2), N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA; <1.7), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA; <3.9), N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine (NDPA; <1.7), and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP; <3.6). Principal component analysis specifically points to two of multiple potential pathways explaining N-nitrosamine occurrences in sediment: NDBA and NDPhA were positively correlated with bulk water ammonia and pH levels, and NPYR with sediment content of organic carbon and iron. Interestingly, N-nitrosamine occurrences up- and downstream of WWTPs were statistically indistinguishable (p > 0.05). This is the first report on the occurrence of the carcinogenic N-nitrosamines NDBA, NDPhA, and NPYR in U.S. freshwater sediments. Discovery of this phenomenon warrants further research on the compounds’ origin, environmental persistence, aquatic toxicity, and risks posed.
AB - In the present study, 40 freshwater sediments collected near 14 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across the United States were analyzed for eight N-nitrosamines by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Three N-nitrosamines were detected for the first time in freshwater sediments in units of ng/g dry weight at the specified detection frequency: N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA; 0.2–3.3; 58%), N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA; 0.2–4.7; 50%), and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR; 3.4–19.6; 18%). At least one N-nitrosamine was detected in 70% (28/40) of sediments analyzed. Non-detect values in units of ng/g dw were obtained for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA; <10.2), N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA; <1.7), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA; <3.9), N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine (NDPA; <1.7), and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP; <3.6). Principal component analysis specifically points to two of multiple potential pathways explaining N-nitrosamine occurrences in sediment: NDBA and NDPhA were positively correlated with bulk water ammonia and pH levels, and NPYR with sediment content of organic carbon and iron. Interestingly, N-nitrosamine occurrences up- and downstream of WWTPs were statistically indistinguishable (p > 0.05). This is the first report on the occurrence of the carcinogenic N-nitrosamines NDBA, NDPhA, and NPYR in U.S. freshwater sediments. Discovery of this phenomenon warrants further research on the compounds’ origin, environmental persistence, aquatic toxicity, and risks posed.
KW - Environmental fate
KW - N-Nitrosamine
KW - Sediment contamination
KW - Wastewater treatment plant
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.091
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.03.091
M3 - Article
C2 - 27067539
AN - SCOPUS:84975514772
VL - 323
SP - 109
EP - 115
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
SN - 0304-3894
ER -