Predicting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal in pilot-scale granular activated carbon adsorbers from rapid small-scale column tests.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occur widely in drinking water, and consumption of contaminated drinking water is an important human exposure route. Granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption can effectively remove PFAS from water. To support the design of GAC treatment systems, a rapid bench-scale testing procedure and scale-up approach are needed to assess the effects of GAC type, background water matrix, and empty bed contact time (EBCT) on GAC use rates.

Residential Garden Produce Harvested Near a Fluorochemical Manufacturer in North Carolina Can Be An Important Fluoroether Exposure Pathway.

Dietary intake can be an important exposure route to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Little is known about the bioaccumulation of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs) in garden produce from PFAS-impacted communities and the associated dietary exposure risk. In this study, 53 produce samples were collected from five residential gardens near a fluorochemical manufacturer.

Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in fixed bed anion exchange reactors: Factors determining PFAS uptake capacity and models predicting PFAS breakthrough.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread contaminants with adverse environmental and public health effects. Anion exchange (IX) processes can effectively remove many PFAS from water. Objectives of this research were to (1) quantify the effects of PFAS structure and background water matrix constituents [dissolved organic matter (DOM) and major inorganic anions (bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate)] on PFAS uptake capacity of IX resins (K), and (2) develop models that predict PFAS breakthrough in packed bed IX columns from PFAS structure and background water matrix characteristics.

Forecasting and Hindcasting PFAS Concentrations in Groundwater Discharging to Streams near a PFAS Production Facility.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known to be highly persistent in groundwater, making it vital to develop new approaches to important practical questions such as the time scale for future persistence of PFAS in contaminated groundwater. In the approach presented here, groundwater from beneath streambeds was analyzed for PFAS and age-dated using SF and H/He. The results were coupled with groundwater flux measurements in a convolution approach to estimate past and future PFAS concentrations in groundwater discharge to the streams.

Machine Learning Models to Predict Early Breakthrough of Recalcitrant Organic Micropollutants in Granular Activated Carbon Adsorbers.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption is frequently used to remove recalcitrant organic micropollutants (MPs) from water. The overarching aim of this research was to develop machine learning (ML) models to predict GAC performance from adsorbent, adsorbate, and background water matrix properties. For model calibration, MP breakthrough curves were compiled and analyzed to determine the bed volumes of water that can be treated until MP breakthrough reaches ten percent of the influent MP concentration (BV10).

Evaluating Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking (SPATT) for passive monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (IMS-MS).

Detection and monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aquatic environments has become an increasingly higher priority of regulatory agencies as public concern for human intake of these chemicals continues to grow. While many methods utilize active sampling strategies ("grab samples") for precise PFAS quantitation, here we evaluate the efficacy of low-cost passive sampling devices (Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking, or SPATTs) for spatial and temporal PFAS assessment of aquatic systems. For this study, passive samplers were initially deployed in North Carolina along the Cape Fear River during the summer and fall of 2016 and 2017.

Association of atrial mechanical dispersion with atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation: results of the ASTRA-AF pilot study.

Aims: For patients with symptomatic drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF), catheter ablation to achieve rhythm control is an important therapeutic option. The atrial mechanical dispersion measured as standard deviation of the time to peak strain (SD-TPS) is associated with the risk of AF recurrence following catheter ablation.

Methods: The study cohort prospectively enrolled n = 132 consecutive patients with paroxysmal (n = 88) or persistent AF (n = 44) presenting for de novo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and followed for 1 year.

Commercial compost amendments inhibit the bioavailability and plant uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil-porewater-lettuce systems.

Compost is widely used in agriculture as fertilizer while providing a practical option for solid municipal waste disposal. However, compost may also contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), potentially impacting soils and leading to PFAS entry into food chains and ultimately human exposure risks via dietary intake. This study examined how compost affects the bioavailability and uptake of eight PFAS (two ethers, three fluorotelomer sulfonates, and three perfluorosulfonates) by lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in commercial organic compost-amended, PFAS spiked soils.

Streptococcal quorum sensing peptide CSP-7 contributes to muscle inflammation and wasting.

Muscle wasting diseases, such as cancer cachexia and age-associated sarcopenia, have a profound and detrimental impact on functional independence, quality of life, and survival. Our understanding of the underlying mechanisms is currently limited, which has significantly hindered the development of targeted therapies. In this study, we explored the possibility that the streptococcal quorum sensing peptide Competence Stimulating Peptide 7 (CSP-7) might be a previously unidentified contributor to clinical muscle wasting.

Evaluation of proline-rich antimicrobial peptides as potential lead structures for novel antimycotics against .

Background: Cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis, caused by infections, lead to approximately 180,000 deaths per year, primarily in developing countries. Individuals with compromised immune systems, e.g.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids in well water and blood serum from private well users residing by a fluorochemical facility near Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Background: A fluorochemical facility near Fayetteville, North Carolina, emitted per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), a subgroup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), to air.

Objective: Analyze PFAS in private wells near the facility and in blood from well users to assess relationships between PFEA levels in water and serum.

Methods: In 2019, we recruited private well users into the GenX Exposure Study and collected well water and blood samples.

Protocolized Natriuresis-Guided Decongestion Improves Diuretic Response: The Multicenter ENACT-HF Study.

Background: The use of urinary sodium to guide diuretics in acute heart failure is recommended by experts and the most recent European Society of Cardiology guidelines. However, there are limited data to support this recommendation. The ENACT-HF study (Efficacy of a Standardized Diuretic Protocol in Acute Heart Failure) investigated the feasibility and efficacy of a standardized natriuresis-guided diuretic protocol in patients with acute heart failure and signs of volume overload.

Heart Rate Reduction and Outcomes in Heart Failure Outpatients.

Pharmacologic reduction in heart rate with beta-blockers (BB) or ivabradine is associated with improved survival in heart failure (HF) with sinus rhythm. We analyzed the association of different heart rate-reducing drug treatments on outcomes in HF outpatients. Consecutive patients with HF in sinus rhythm referred to a specialized tertiary service were prospectively enrolled from August 2015 until March 2018.

Interlaboratory Comparison of Extractable Organofluorine Measurements in Groundwater and Eel (): Recommendations for Methods Standardization.

Research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) frequently incorporates organofluorine measurements, particularly because they could support a class-based approach to regulation. However, standardized methods for organofluorine analysis in a broad suite of matrices are currently unavailable, including a method for extractable organofluorine (EOF) measured using combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Here, we report the results of an international interlaboratory comparison.

Estimation of the Half-Lives of Recently Detected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Ethers in an Exposed Community.

To estimate half-lives for novel fluoroethers, the GenX Exposure Study obtained two serum measurements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for 44 participants of age 12-86 years from North Carolina, collected 5 and 11 months after fluoroether discharges into the drinking water source were controlled. The estimated half-lives for these compounds were 127 days (95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 86, 243 days) for perfluorotetraoxadecanoic acid (PFO4DA), 296 days for Nafion byproduct 2 (95% CI = 176, 924 days), and 379 days (95% CI = 199, 3870 days) for perfluoro-3,5,7,9,11-pentaoxadodecanoic acid (PFO5DoA). Using these estimates and the literature values, a model was built that predicted PFAS half-lives using structural properties.

Factors associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations in residents of New Hanover County, North Carolina: The GenX exposure study.

In 2017, people living in New Hanover County, North Carolina, learned that for ∼40 years they were unknowingly exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water sourced by the Cape Fear River. Using data from the GenX Exposure Study, which measured serum PFAS levels in county residents, we aimed to understand questionnaire-measured factors associated with serum PFAS levels. Because most residents were served by the same municipal water source, we focused on surrogate factors of drinking water exposure that may contribute to variability in PFAS levels.

Oxidation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Ether Acids and Other Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances by Sulfate and Hydroxyl Radicals: Kinetic Insights from Experiments and Models.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used anthropogenic chemicals. Because of the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond, PFAS are not destroyed in typical water treatment processes. Sulfate (SO) and hydroxyl (OH) radicals can oxidize some PFAS, but the behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs) in processes involving SO and OH is poorly understood.