SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
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2023
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IF 9.8
Guohui Shi,Bao Zhu,Qi Wu,Jiayin Dai,Nan Sheng
Initially considered a “safe” substitute for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) has been extensively used in the production of fluoropolymers for several years, leading to its environmental ubiquity and subsequent discovery of its significant bio-accumulative properties and toxicological effects. However, the specific impact of HFPO-TA on females, particularly those who are pregnant, remains unclear. In the present study, pregnant mice were exposed to 0.63 mg/kg/day HFPO-TA from gestational day (GD) 2 to GD 18. We then determined the potential effects of exposure on gut microbiota and fecal metabolites at GD 12 (mid-pregnancy) and GD 18 (late pregnancy). Our results revealed that, in addition to liver damage, HFPO-TA exposure during the specified window altered the structure and function of cecal gut microbiota. Notably, these changes showed the opposite trends at GD 12 and GD 18. Specifically, at GD 12, HFPO-TA exposure primarily resulted in the down-regulation of relative abundances within genera from the Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla, as well as associated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. With extended exposure time, the down-regulated genera within Proteobacteria became significantly up-regulated, accompanied by corresponding up-regulation of human disease- and inflammation-associated pathways, suggesting that HFPO-TA exposure can induce intestinal inflammation and elevate the risk of infection during late pregnancy. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that disturbances in the gut microbiota were accompanied by abnormal fecal metabolite. Additionally, alterations in hormones related to the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway at both sacrifice time indicated that HFPO-TA exposure might change the steroid hormone level of pregnant mice, but need further study. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying HFPO-TA-induced adverse effects and increases awareness of potential persistent health risks to pregnant females.
研究领域:
毒理学
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微生物学
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代谢组学
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生殖健康
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
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2025
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IF 11.3
Mengbin Gu,Ge Yuxi,Gang Yu,Jun Huang
Ultraviolet-activated persulfate (UV/PS) represents a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the elimination of toxic and bio-refractory organic pollutants in wastewater due to the advantages of SO 4 • - . C7 HFPO-TA, one of the latest alternatives to PFOA in fluoropolymers production, with a unique structural fragment (CF 3 O-CF(CF 3 )-) that has been frequently identified in effluents, surface waters, and sediments in proximity to fluorochemical industrial zone. In this study, we evaluated the degradation of C7 HFPO-TA and co-existing PFHxA in AOPs, mainly focusing on the molecular structure effect on the chemical affinity with different reactive species (RSs). The results showed that >99.9% C7 HFPO-TA and PFHxA could be decomposed after 480 min in UV/PS, significantly outperforming UV/H 2 O 2 (<10%), as the result of the synergistic effect of radical/non-radical (SO 4 • - /HSO 4 •, O 2 • - , HO•, 1 O 2 ) and chain reactions. The degradation mechanism of C7 HFPO-TA was primarily governed by the DHEH mechanism, which facilitated radical chain reactions and resulted in the formation of a new perfluoroalkyl ester intermediate (C 6 F 12 O 3 ), as optimized by Transition State theory. The degradation of five HFPO and three PFCA was highly dependent on their molecular structures. Degradation kinetics and DFT calculations demonstrated the longer branched fluorocarbon chain could diminish the steric hindrance of α-CF 3 in HFPO and made the electron distribution more flexible for the reaction with the RSs. The comprehensive analysis of degradation kinetics, theoretical calculations and intermediates analysis elucidated the transformation mechanisms of C7 HFPO-TA and PFHxA in UV/PS.
研究领域:
环境科学
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化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
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2023
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IF 6.8
Weiqiang Sun,Xuemin Zhang,Ying Qiao,Nathan Griffin,Hongxia Zhang,Li Wang,Hui Liu
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a typical perfluoroalkyl group compound, has received worldwide attention due to its significant environmental toxicity. Following regulatory bans on the production and emission of PFOA, concerns have been raised about the potential health risks and the safety of novel perfluoroalkyl analogues. HFPO-DA (trade name Gen-X) and HFPO-TA are two perfluoroalkyl analogues known to be bioaccumulative, whose level of toxicity and whether they are safe alternatives to PFOA remain unclear. In the following study, the physiological and metabolic effects of exposure to PFOA and its novel analogues were explored in zebrafish using 1/3 LC 50 (PFOA 100 μM, Gen-X 200 μM, HFPO-TA 30 μM). At the same LC 50 toxicological effect, exposure to PFOA and HFPO-TA resulted in abnormal phenotypes such as spinal curvature, pericardial edema and aberrant body length, while Gen-X was little changed. Metabolically, PFOA, HFPO-TA and Gen-X all significantly increased total cholesterol in exposed zebrafish with PFOA and HFPO-TA also increasing total triglyceride levels. Transcriptome analysis showed that the number of differentially expressed genes in PFOA, Gen-X, and HFPO-TA treated conditions compared to control groups were 527, 572, and 3, 933, respectively. KEGG and GO analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed pathways and functions related to lipid metabolism as well as significant activation of the peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPARs) pathway. Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis identified significant dysregulation in the downstream target genes of PPARα, which is responsible for lipid oxidative catabolism, and the SREBP pathway, which is responsible for lipid synthesis. In conclusion, both perfluoroalkyl analogues HFPO-TA and Gen-X exhibit significant physiological and metabolic toxicity to aquatic organisms and their environmental accumulation should be closely regulated.
研究领域:
环境毒理学
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水生生物学
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分子生物学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
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2024
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IF 8.1
Anlin Xu,Zihao Song,Zhiyi Zhou,Pu Yang,Qiqi Zhang,Yunhai Zhang,Yongjun Zhang
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been widely found in water bodies and may generate negative impacts on the ecosystem. Eectrocoagulation (EC) with a zinc anode is an effective technology to remove PFASs but the dominating interaction forces between zinc flocs and PFASs are still not well elucidated. In this study, we used hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA), a new perfluorooctanoic acid substitute, as a model to investigate the influence of EC operational parameters on its removal efficiency, including the current density, the pH value, and the electrolyte type. 99 % removal of 40 μM HFPO-TA were achieved in 3-h at optimal conditions. The extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory was innovatively applied to reveal the interfacial free energies between zinc flocs and HFPO-TA and other PFASs. It was found that the hydrophobic force can significantly promote the adsorption of HFPO-TA on the surface of zinc flocs and a strong correlation may exist between the calculated total interfacial free energies and the pseudo-first-order kinetic constants of removing PFASs. FT-IR spectra indicated the specific interactions occurring between carboxylate head groups and zinc flocs. These findings advance the mechanistic understanding of PFASs removal by metal flocs and could support the development of electrocoagulation for removing PFASs.
研究领域:
环境科学
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化学工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
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2025
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IF 8
Yueshu Lu,Yuqing Li,Wenqiang Yang,Kaiyuan Ma,Yanfeng Zhang,Lingyan Zhu
As a widely used alternative to the conventional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) is of growing concern due to its toxicity and potential risks to human health. Water quality criteria of HFPO-TA for protecting human health were established, and 412 ng/L was set as the maximum concentration level for groundwater ( MCL gw ) to calculate the soil control value to protect groundwater ( CVS pgw ). Utilizing recommended default values for the properties of HFPO-TA and the soil, the generic CVS pgw value of 24.0 μg/kg was obtained. Subsequently, column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport of HFPO-TA in the site soil of a fluorochemical industrial park (FIP) in China. The resulted retardation factor ( R ) was applied to derive the site-specific CVS pgw , and a value of 2.48 μg/kg was obtained. Using the experimentally measured R instead of the default empirical values reduced the uncertainties in deriving the CVS pgw dramatically. The transport of 13 PFAS in the soil as a mixture was investigated and revealing a significant linear correlation between R and organic carbon-water partition coefficient ( K OC ) ( r 2 = 0.991, p < 0.01), which was utilized to predicted R values for PFAS compounds. Comparison to the site-specific CVS pgw , HFPO-TA in the soil near the FIP may pose a risk to the groundwater quality. HFPO-TA concentrations in the groundwater of certain areas around the FIP were higher than MCL gw and not recommended for directly consumption, while HFPO-TA in the tap water was at the safe level.
研究领域:
环境科学
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毒理学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
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