Themed collection Halogenated (semi)volatile organic compounds (“X(S)VOCs”)

Guest editors Elizabeth Edwards, Lucy Carpenter, Sarah Blossom and Paul Tratnyek introduce the Halogenated (semi)volatile organic compounds themed issue of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

Prior to the 1960s, knowledge of biological transformations of highly halogenated aliphatic compounds was limited, except in mammalian organisms where enzymatic transformations occurred to rid the body of ingested harmful chemicals.

We propose a framework based on exposure models for semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) to describe the emission and transport of, and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in indoor environments.

Bacteria degrading 1,2,3-trichloropropane were constructed by genetic engineering and may be applicable for groundwater bioremediation, following the example of 1,2-dichloroethane.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an industrial solvent and a common environmental contaminant. Reactive metabolites of TCE disrupt placental cell functions important for pregnancy health.

We present a perspective on how models based on the equilibrium criteria of fugacity and chemical activity can contribute to evaluation of persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity criteria.

A review that highlights the utility of multi-element compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) in halogenated hydrocarbon remediation.

The various types and definitions of efficiency and selectivity that are used to quantitate the performance of organohalide reduction by zerovalent iron are reviewed and compared.

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a common contaminant in both occupational and community settings.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile organic solvent, released into the environment from industrial sites. It contaminates ground water and soil and poses a vapor intrusion hazard for residential and commercial buildings.

Transport of air masses from the subtropics, enriched in trace gases from the oceans, coasts and islands, towards lower latitudes under the trade inversion and uplift to the stratosphere in tropical deep convection.

Classifying all reductive dehalogenase genes from organohalide respiring bacteria, including nine newly closed genomes, predicts function and conserved synteny within species.

In exploration of congenital heart defects produced by TCE, Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 alpha (HNF4a) transcriptional activity was identified as a central component.

A new formation pathway has been identified for dichloroacetonitrile, a halogenated semivolatile drinking water disinfection by-product, from activated aromatic compounds.

There is a lack of vapor intrusion (VI) models that reliably account for weather conditions and building characteristics, especially at sites where active alternative pathways, such as sewer connections and other preferential pathways, are present.

Naturally formed halogenated organic compounds are common in terrestrial and marine environments and play an important role in the halogen cycle.

Loss of purified SVOCs in CH₂Cl₂ occurs at rates much faster than expected.

Stratum-directed correlation between DDT, PAH or PCB levels and TOC or % fines.

Chloromethane (CH₃Cl) is the most abundant long-lived chlorinated organic compound in the atmosphere and contributes significantly to natural stratospheric ozone depletion.

Presented here is a novel approach where passive long-term cometabolic treatment can be achieved by co-encapsulating in a gellan gum hydrogel a pure bacterial culture and a slow release compound that hydrolyses to produce a growth-supporting substrate.

Atrazine is a frequently detected groundwater contaminant. Isotope ratio analysis of three elements (C, N, Cl) provide enhanced insight into its degradation pathways and hold promise for a better source distinction in the field.

Recent studies on the use of controlled sulfur amendment to improve the reactivity and selectivity of zerovalent iron (ZVI) in reductive dechlorination reactions have generated renewed interest in ZVI-based remediation materials.

CH₃Br was generated from dissolved organic matter in the aqueous bromide solution under simulated sunlight irradiation, and was enhanced in the presence of Fe(III).

Embryonic exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations of TCE disrupts development, morphology, heart rate, and behavior in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model system.

This article scrutinizes volatilization isotope effects of chlorinated organic compounds by taking into account all measurable stable isotopes of present elements and the three main kinetic and equilibrium partitioning scenarios.

Lesser halogenated halocarbons such as 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) are persistent under most conditions, but reductive beta-elimination favors complete dechlorination by hydrogenolysis of the allyl chloride intermediate.

Process understanding of microbial communities containing organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) is important for effective bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes.

Smog chamber/FTIR study investigates the atmospheric chemistry and environmental impact of 2,2-dichloroethanol.

Chlorinated natural organic matter (Cl-NOM) can act as an electron acceptor for organohalide-respiring bacteria, stimulating contaminant dechlorination.

Predicted toxicity has been used to determine if a treatment process is either beneficial or detrimental to the overall DBP toxicological profile of water samples. Selection of the DBPs to measure is important and may result in biased conclusions.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is an environmental contaminant associated with immune-mediated inflammatory disorders and neurotoxicity.