Publications by authors named "Cuiqin Wu"

Article Synopsis
  • - Biofilms in the Pearl River system were found to contain a variety of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including corticosteroids and estrogens, with concentrations less than 1 ng/g to over 2,500 ng/g, suggesting widespread contamination.
  • - The distribution of these EDCs showed no significant seasonal changes and indicated a pattern where levels peaked midstream, then decreased towards the estuary.
  • - The study highlights biofilms as significant environments for accumulating and possibly transporting EDCs, raising concerns about their impact on freshwater ecosystems and emphasizing their role as indicators of pollution.
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Suspended particulate matter (SPM) plays an important role in the geochemical behavior and fate of organic micropollutants in aquatic environments. However, the presence of trace emerging endocrine disruptors such as environmental corticosteroids (ECs) in SPM is less well understood. This study focused on the occurrence, distribution, and partitioning of SPM-associated ECs in the Pearl River system, China.

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Locating underground pipeline leaks can be challenging due to their hidden nature and variable terrain conditions. To sample soil gas, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was employed, and a portable gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to detect the presence and concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbon volatile organic compounds (pH-VOCs), including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). We optimized the extraction method through benchtop studies using SPME.

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Corticosteroids (CSs) are widely used to treat various inflammatory and immune diseases in humans and animals, such as arthritis and lupus. Thus far, CSs have been frequently detected in diverse pollution sources, such as in the influent and effluent of traditional wastewater treatment plants, livestock farms, and aquaculture. Owing to incomplete removal or limited treatment, CSs can enter the water environment and eventually be adsorbed in the sediment.

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We investigated the occurrence and distribution of 24 selected corticosteroids (CSs) in the surface water of the Zhujiang River (ZR) system in Guangzhou, a highly urbanized river system receiving both treated and untreated municipal wastewater effluents. Twenty-two and sixteen CSs were detected in the tributaries and the main stream of the ZR system, and their concentrations ranged from less than the method quantification limit (fluticasone propionate) to 94 ng/L (clobetasone butyrate) and from 0.24 ng/L (cortisol) to 7.

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The occurrence, spatiotemporal distribution, and potential risks of 21 glucocorticoids (GCs) and 3 mineralocorticoids (MCs) in four rivers were studied by investigating the surface waters from the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China. These environmental corticosteroids (ECs) were commonly present in the river surface waters with average concentrations varying from <0.17 ng/L for fluticasone propionate to 5.

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A comprehensive analytical method was developed for simultaneous determination of 28 corticosteroids in surface water based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography- electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). The solid-phase extraction was performed using hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridges, and the chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase C8 column. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed in the dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (DMRM) mode using positive and negative electrospray ionization (ESI±).

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A rapid method for the determination of six phthalates (PAEs) in water samples was established by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) based on solidification of floating organic drop (SFO) coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The influences of the SFO-DLLME parameters on extraction efficiencies were studied. Dodecanol (extraction solvent, 20 μL) was added to the water samples (containing 20 g/L NaCl) at 60℃, and the solution was shaken for 1 min.

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The development of a simple and sensitive analytical approach that combines multiple monolithic fiber solid-phase microextraction with liquid desorption followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection is proposed for the determination of trace levels of seven steroid sex hormones (estriol, 17β-estradiol, testosterone, ethinylestradiol, estrone, progesterone and mestranol) in water and urine matrices. To extract the target analytes effectively, multiple monolithic fiber solid-phase microextraction based on a polymeric ionic liquid was used to concentrate hormones. Several key extraction parameters including desorption solvent, extraction and desorption time, pH value and ionic strength in sample matrix were investigated in detail.

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Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction based on ionic liquid coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and pre-column fluorescent derivatization method (IL-DLLME-HPLC-FL) was developed for the determination of eight sulfonamides (SAs). The influence of IL-DLLME parameters on extraction efficiency and the stability of derivatives of the eight SAs were investigated. The optimized experimental conditions were as follows: 40 µL [C6MIM][PF6] as extraction solvent, 0.

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Typically, the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) technique does not use an analytical model for basic damage identification. However, an accurate model is necessary for getting more information about any damage. In this paper, an EMI model is presented for predicting the electromechanical impedance of a cracked beam structure quantitatively.

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An analytical method involving anion exchange high performance liquid chromatographic determination of vitellogenin (Vtg) in fish plasma after postcolumn fluorescence derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) was developed. The retention time of Vtg was about 11 min. The reagent variables for derivatization were optimized.

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