Leached Compounds from Smoked Cigarettes and Their Potential for Bioaccumulation in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

Cigarette butts are one of the most prevalent forms of litter worldwide and may leach toxic compounds when deposited in aquatic environments. Previous studies demonstrated that smoked cigarette leachate is toxic toward aquatic organisms. However, the specific bioavailable chemicals from the leachate and the potential for human and wildlife exposure through the food chain were unknown. Using a nontargeted analytical approach based on GC×GC/TOF-MS, 43 compounds were confirmed to leach from smoked cigarettes when exposed to a water source. Additionally, the bioaccumulation potential of organic contaminants in an edible fish, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), was assessed through direct exposure to the leachate of smoked cigarettes at 0.5 CB/L for 28 days. There was a significant reduction in fish mass among the exposed rainbow trout vs the control group (χ2 (1) = 5.3, p = 0.021). Both nontargeted and targeted chemical analysis of representative fish tissue identified four tobacco alkaloids, nicotine, nicotyrine, myosmine, and 2,2′-bipyridine. Their average tissue concentrations were 466, 55.4, 94.1, and 70.8 ng/g, respectively. This study identifies leached compounds from smoked cigarettes and demonstrates the uptake of specific chemicals in rainbow trout, thus suggesting a potential for accumulation in food webs, resulting in human and wildlife exposure.

Inventory of aqueous and sediment-associated organic pollutants released by the 2021 flood in the Vicht–Inde catchment, Germany

“…The drug-related compounds are caffeine and myosmine (closely related to nicotine). They have been documented in urban effluents and are afflicted with significant environmental concerns [58], and references therein; [57,81]. These compounds indicate flood-related urban effluents from households or industrial effluents from flood-affected chemical plants (e.g., in Stolberg: Grünethal GmbH, West Pharmaceutical Services GmbH & Co. KG, and others) entering the aqueous environment and entrapment in urban households and basements.…”