Earthworms take up organic compounds through their skin as well as from their food, but the quantitative contribution of each route is unclear. In this contribution, we experimentally validate an accumulation model containing a separate compartment for the gut. Uptake from the gut is modeled as passive diffusion from the dissolved phase in the gut contents. For the experiments, we exposed Eisenia andrei in artificial soil spiked with tetrachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, and PCB 153. Apart from the standard accumulation and elimination experiments, we ligatured the worm (using tissue adhesive) to prevent feeding. Model fits were good, thus supporting the validity of the model. The contribution of the gut route increased with increasing hydrophobicity of the chemical, and for PCB 153 the gut route clearly dominated. Despite the importance of the gut route, the final steady-state body residues did not exceed equilibrium partitioning predictions by more than 25%. Rate constants for exchange across the skin and the gut wall could be separately identified. The rate constant across the skin decreases with K(ow) but was generally higher than data derived from water-only exposure. The relationship with hydrophobicity was less clear for the rate constant across the gut wall.

LC-MS-MS has been performed with triple-quadrupole (QqQ) and quadrupole-time of flight (Q-ToF) instruments and has been used for screening and confirmation of pharmaceuticals in surface, drinking, and ground water. Screening was based on monitoring of one specific MS-MS ion of the target compounds. Confirmation of the identity of the pharmaceuticals was based either on the monitoring of two specific MS-MS ions and calculation of the ratio of their intensities, or on the exact masses of MS-MS product ions obtained for a molecular ion by use of LC-Q-ToF MS. The set of pharmaceuticals included four analgesics (acetylsalicylic acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and paracetamol), three antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol), five blood-lipid regulators and beta-blockers (fenofibrate, bezafibrate, clofibric acid, bisoprolol, and metoprolol), and the anti-epileptic drug carbamazepine. Limits of quantification ranged from 5 to 25 ng L(-1). Fifty-six samples were analysed and residues of the pharmaceuticals were detected in almost all surface and groundwater and in some drinking water samples. The identity of the compounds could be confirmed by use of both QqQ- and Q-ToF-based LC-MS-MS. However, the latter technique has the distinct advantage that a large number of pharmaceuticals can be screened and confirmed at low concentrations (1-100 ng L(-1)) in one run.

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In this Dutch population, unfavorable meat consumption and preparation habits did not increase colorectal adenoma risk, and these associations were not influenced by relevant genetic polymorphisms.

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h i g h l i g h t s The role of modern analytical chemistry is essential in exposure science. Hyphenation of chromatography and HRMS allows the identification of many organic contaminants in the aquatic environment. Different strategies (target, suspect, non-target) are used for the broad investigation of emerging chemical risks in water. Monitoring programs and risks assessments are normally focused on parent contaminants. Little information exists on occurrence and (eco)toxicological effects of transformation products/metabolites in water.