title: Degradation and transformation products of acetaminophen in soil.
abstract: Acetaminophen is the most widely used human medicine. Trace levels of acetaminophen are frequently detected in treated wastewater and the impacted surface or groundwater resources. However, even though soil is a primary receiving compartment, the fate of acetaminophen in soil is poorly known, including in particular the potential for the formation of incomplete degradation products that may have altered biological activity and mobility. In this study, using both (14)C-labeling and LC-MS/MS techniques, we evaluated the dissipation routes and transformation pathways of acetaminophen in soils under a range of conditions. Throughout 120-d aerobic incubation, up to 17.0 ± 0.8% of (14)C-acetaminophen was mineralized, but mineralization was greatly inhibited after sterilization or amendment of biosolids. Immediately after treatment, the majority of (14)C-residue became non-extractable or bound, with the level accounting for 73.4-93.3% of the applied amount at the end of incubation. A total of 8 intermediates were identified, including 3-hydroxyacetaminophen, hydroquinone, 1, 4-benzoquinone, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, p-acetanisidide, 4-methoxyphenol, 2-hexenoic acid, and 1, 4-dimethoxybenzene. Mineralization and rapid conversion to bound residues suggest that acetaminophen is quickly detoxified in soil, decreasing the potential for off-site transport such as leaching or runoff. On the other hand, the formation of a large number of degradation intermediates, and their potential biological activity, may pose unknown risks, such as accumulation into edible plants. This risk warrants further investigation.
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors: Juying
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors: Qingfu
authors: Q
authors: Ye
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. Electronic address: jgan@ucr.edu.
authors: Jay
authors: J
authors: Gan
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000737:chemistry*; D000332:Aerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D008903:Minerals; D012987:Soil; D000082:Acetaminophen
keywords: Acetaminophen; Chemicals of concern; Emerging contaminants; Transformation products; Wastewater