RT Journal Article
T1 Wastewater-based epidemiology methodology to investigate human exposure to bisphenol A, bisphenol F and bisphenol S.
A1 Estévez-Danta, Andrea
A1 Montes Goyanes, Rosa
A1 Prieto, Ailette
A1 Santos, Miguel M.
A1 Orive, Gorka
A1 Lertxundi, Unax
A1 Quintana Álvarez, José Benito
A1 Rodil Rodríguez, María del Rosario
K1 Wastewater surveillance
K1 Plastic-related chemicals
K1 Human exposomics
K1 Human health
AB Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has become an invaluable tool for tracking the evolution of use or exposure of/to numerous substances. Bisphenols, commonly utilized in manufacturing plastic goods, have been categorized as endocrine disrupting chemicals, underscoring the critical need for real-time data on their local-level exposure to safeguard public health. In this study, we have developed a novel analytical method and WBE framework for the assessment of population-level exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and its most prominent substitutes, bisphenols F and S (BPF and BPS), through the determination their Phase II metabolites in wastewater by WBE. Stability and exclusivity tests denoted that glucuronides are not stable in sewage, whereas sulfate metabolites are good biomarkers. Therefore, a solid-phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the bisphenols’ monosulfates and BPA bissulfate. The analytical method was validated with three different wastewater matrices, providing trueness (as recovery) in the 79–112 % range with relative standard deviations < 12 %, and method quantification limits below 2 ng L−1 for monosulfates, but higher (35 ng L−1) for BPA bissulfate. Subsequently, the method was applied to 24h-composite raw wastewater samples collected over a week in 4 different locations in Spain and Portugal. BPA bissulfate was not detected, but the three monosulfate metabolites of each bisphenol were positively detected in the samples, being the metabolite of BPA the most prevalent, followed by those of BPF and BPS. Community-wide BPA intake was then estimated to be higher than the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 2 × 10−4 µg kg−1day−1 in all locations. In the case of BPF and BPS, there is not enough metabolism data or even established limit, but they would also surpass safe levels in several locations if a similar metabolism and TDI would be assumed. This innovative method could be used to a larger set of wastewater-treatment plants as an early-warning approach on human exposure to bisphenols.
PB Elsevier
YR 2024
FD 2024-07-08
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/34528
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/34528
LA eng
NO A. Estévez-Danta et al. Wastewater-based epidemiology methodology to investigate human exposure to bisphenol A, bisphenol F and bisphenol S. Water Research 261 (2024) 122016
NO This research was funded by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación – MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (RED2022-134363-T, PID2020-117686RB-C32 and PID2020-117686RB-C31) and Consellería de Cultura de Galicia, Educación e Universidades (ED481A-2020/258 and ED431C 2021/06).
DS Minerva
RD 20 may 2026