Tracking Aromatic Amines from Sources to Surface Waters

Abstract

This review examines the environmental occurrence and fate of aromatic amines (AAs), a group of environmental contaminants with possible carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. AAs are known to be partially responsible for the genotoxic traits of industrial wastewater (WW), and AA antioxidants are acutely toxic to some aquatic organisms. Still, there are gaps in the available data on sources, occurrence, transport, and fate in domestic WW and indoor environments, which complicate the prevention of adverse effects in aquatic ecosystems. We review key domestic sources of these compounds, including cigarette smoke and grilled protein-rich foods, and their presence indoors and in aquatic matrices. This provides a basis to evaluate the importance of nonindustrial sources to the overall environmental burden of AAs. Appropriate sampling techniques for AAs are described, including copper-phthalocyanine trisulfonate materials, XAD resins in solid-phase extraction, and solid-phase microextraction methods, which can offer insights into AA sources, transport, and fate. Further discussion is provided on potential progress in the research of AAs and their behavior in an aim to support the development of a more comprehensive understanding of their effects and potential environmental risks.