Rubber-derived chemicals in urban sewer networks and receiving waters: Fingerprints, driving factors and ecological impacts

IF 11.4 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Water Research Pub Date : 2025-04-11 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123629

Shaopeng Xu , Kai Zhang , Jia-Yong Lao , Qi Wang , Yan Jiang , Chen Li , Jun Kin Kwok , Guodong Cao , Chong Chen , Yue Deng , Kenneth M.Y. Leung

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Abstract

Rubber-derived chemicals (RDCs), which include rubber additives (RAs) and their transformation products (TPs), can be released into aquatic environments when rubber products, such as vehicle tires, are in use or discarded. However, RDCs and associated ecological risks have not been thoroughly investigated inside urban sewer networks and their receiving water bodies. To address these issues, we investigated the RDCs in Hong Kong's municipal sewer networks, including sewage and stormwater, as well as their receiving waters, such as rivers and coastal water. Among 45 target RDCs, the vulcanizing agents and corrosion inhibitors were found to be predominant in the water samples, accounting for 26–66 % and 29–72 % of total concentrations of 45 RDCs (∑₄₅RDC), respectively, while antioxidants and their TPs presented in smaller quantities, accounting for 0.21–26 % and 0–15 % of ∑₄₅RDC, respectively. Ten RAs from five classes were additionally identified by suspect screening. An estimated mass load of ∑₄₅RDC amounting to 1690 kg/month is discharged into the coastal marine environment of Hong Kong, with sewage effluent being the primary source. Population density and vehicle-related factors (e.g., traffic load) were the major drivers shaping the spatial distribution of RDCs in surface water. Based on the ecological risk assessment outcomes, 16 out of 45 RDCs exhibited medium to high risks, and lists of candidate contaminants for various water bodies were proposed to support future risk management in water quality. These findings suggest that RDCs in stormwater and rivers should be carefully monitored, and management strategies should be developed to mitigate their risks.

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城市污水管网和接收水中的橡胶衍生化学品：指纹、驱动因素和生态影响

橡胶衍生化学品（RDCs）包括橡胶添加剂（RAs）及其转化产物（TPs），当橡胶制品（如汽车轮胎）被使用或丢弃时，会释放到水生环境中。然而，目前尚未对城市下水道网络及其受纳水体中的 RDC 及其相关生态风险进行深入研究。为了解决这些问题，我们调查了香港市政污水网络中的 RDC（包括污水和雨水）及其受纳水体（如河流和沿岸水域）。在 45 种目标 RDCs 中，我们发现硫化剂和缓蚀剂在水样中占主导地位，分别占 45 种 RDCs 总浓度（∑45RDC）的 26-66% 和 29-72%，而抗氧化剂及其 TPs 的含量较少，分别占∑45RDC 的 0.21-26% 和 0-15%。通过可疑筛选，还发现了来自五个类别的十种 RA。估计每月排入香港沿岸海洋环境的∑45RDC 总量为 1690 千克，主要来源是污水。人口密度和车辆相关因素（如交通负荷）是影响地表水中 RDC 空间分布的主要驱动因素。根据生态风险评估结果，45 种 RDC 中有 16 种表现出中高风险，并提出了各种水体的候选污染物清单，以支持未来的水质风险管理。这些研究结果表明，应仔细监测雨水和河流中的 RDCs，并制定管理策略以降低其风险。

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来源期刊

Water Research 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

20.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1307

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include: •Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management; •Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; •Drinking water treatment and distribution; •Potable and non-potable water reuse; •Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment; •Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions; •Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment; •Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution; •Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation; •Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts; •Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle; •Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.