Jiabao Li,Haifeng Zhang,Juan Wang,Zhiyong Yu,Hongyan Li,Min Yang
Although disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water have been suggested as a cancer causing factor, the causative compounds have not yet been clarified. In this study, we used liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight spectrometry (LC-QTOF MS) to identify the unknown disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water produced from Taihu Lake source water, which is known as a convergence point for the anthropogenic pollutants discharged from intensive industrial activities in the surrounding regions. In total, 91 formulas of DBPs were discovered through LC-QTOF MS nontarget screen, 81 of which have not yet been reported. Among the 91 molecules, 56 only contain bromine, 15 only contain chlorine and 20 DBPs have both bromine and chlorine atoms. Finally, five DBPs including 2,4,6-tribromophenol, 2,6-dibromo-4-chlorophenol, 2,6-dichloro-4-bromophenol, 4-bromo-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol and 3,6-dibromocarbazole were confirmed using standards. The former three compounds mainly formed in the predisinfection step (maximum concentration, 0.2-2.6 µg/L), while the latter two formed in the disinfection step (maximum concentration, 18.2-33.6 ng/L). In addition, 19 possible precursors of the discovered DBPs were detected, with the aromatic compounds being a major group. 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol as the precursor of 4-bromo-2,6-di-tert-butylphenol was confirmed with standard, with a concentration of 20.3 µg/L in raw water. The results of this study show that brominated DBPs which are possibly formed from industrial pollutants are relevant DBP species in drinking water produced form Taihu source water, suggesting protection of Taihu Lake source water is important to control the DBP risks.
Xueyao Chen,Yaoming Ge,Wei Shi,Mengting Yang,Qing Zhou,Yang Pan
Drinking water halogenated disinfection byproducts (DBPs) have become an increasing health concern. However, the endocrine-disrupting effects of DBPs have not been well evaluated, and the limited available data have inhibited a comprehensive understanding of their health risks. In this study, a total of 43 DBPs were evaluated for their estro-androgenic effects using two types of human breast cancer cells. Among the tested DBPs, 16 exhibited estrogenic/antiestrogenic/androgenic/antiandrogenic effects, and the effects could be observed even at concentrations typically detected in drinking water. Iodinated and polyhalogenated DBPs generally showed higher effects than other species. For a broader comparison, DBP endocrine-disrupting effect data from this study and previous studies were summarized. It was found that the endocrine disruption efficacy of DBPs followed the rank order of iodinated > brominated > chlorinated species, and halophenolic DBPs were potential endocrine-disrupting compounds. Moreover, molecular docking results demonstrated that the binding of DBPs to estro-androgenic receptors was dominated by hydrophobic bonding, hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, and van der Waals forces. The force strength and molecular volume were related to the magnitude of the estro-androgenic effects. Iodinated DBPs and polyhalogenated DBPs tended to have larger binding forces than other analogues and thus exhibited stronger effects.