Elsevier

Chemosphere

Volume 271, May 2021, 129489
Chemosphere

Isoprostanes in wastewater as biomarkers of oxidative stress during COVID-19 pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129489Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Four oxidative stress hormones were determined in wastewater.

  • PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI can be a reliable biomarker of community oxidative anxiety.

  • Average mass load of isoprostanes ranged from 22.9 to 807 mg/d/1000 people.

  • Mass load of isoprostanes increased from the first to second month but decreased in the third month of COVID-pandemic.

Abstract

Isoprostanes are the potential biomarkers of endogenous human metabolism and proven clinically to provide the quantitative measure of systematic oxidative injury. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analytical method capable of determining four biomarkers of oxidative stress (8-iso-PGF2α, 2,3-dinor-iPF2α-III, PGE2, and 5-iPF2α-VI) in wastewater was developed and validated. Isoprostanes were quantified in the range of 31.1–1270 ng/L in raw wastewater samples in two communities in western Kentucky and Tennessee during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent detection of PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI in wastewater suggested that PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI can be a reliable biomarker of community oxidative anxiety. The higher 4-month average mass load of isoprostanes [(ranged from 22.9 mg/d/1000 people to 807 mg/d/1000 people] may be attributed to the elevated community level oxidative anxiety owing COVID-19 uncertainties. The average mass loads of PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI in a community were significantly increased (two-tailed p < 0.001) from the first month of COVID-19 pandemic to the second month; however, significantly decreased (two-tailed p < 0.001) in the third month. Wastewater-based-epidemiological determination of isoprostanes can be a near-real-time and cost-effective approach of a trend in community depression. This is the first report of the quantification of PGE2 and 5-iPF2α-VI in wastewater and estimation of the community level oxidative anxiety.

Keywords

Oxidative stress
Isoprostanes
Wastewater based epidemiology
COVID Pandemic
Ammoniacal nitrogen based population

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