| 1. |
- Bergman, Åke, et al.
(författare)
-
Science and policy on endocrine disrupters must not be mixed : a reply to a "common sense" intervention by toxicology journal editors
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Environmental Health. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1476-069X. ; 12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The "common sense" intervention by toxicology journal editors regarding proposed European Union endocrine disrupter regulations ignores scientific evidence and well-established principles of chemical risk assessment. In this commentary, endocrine disrupter experts express their concerns about a recently published, and is in our considered opinion inaccurate and factually incorrect, editorial that has appeared in several journals in toxicology. Some of the shortcomings of the editorial are discussed in detail. We call for a better founded scientific debate which may help to overcome a polarisation of views detrimental to reaching a consensus about scientific foundations for endocrine disrupter regulation in the EU.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Sobek, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Coastal sediments in the Gulf of Bothnia as a source of dissolved PCDD/Fs and PCBs to water and fish
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 487, s. 463-470
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in Baltic Sea biota have been a matter of great concern during the last decades. We measured the freely dissolved concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in sediment pore water and bottom water in eight areas along the Swedish coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, by using state-of-the-art passive samplers. Chemical activity ratios (calculated from freely dissolved concentrations in pore water and bottom water based on chemical activity ratios) for PCDD/Fs were higher than 1 at all stations (PCDD/Fs average 27; stdev 22). High activity ratios suggest that the sediments have a potential to act as a source of dissolved PCDD/Fs to the water column. Activity ratios for PCBs varied between 0.3 and 17 (average 2; stdev 4). The concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in bottom water were significantly correlated with concentrations in sediment pore water (p < 0.00001 to p = 0.03) as well as with concentrations in juvenile perch caught in the same areas (p < 0.00001 to p = 0.02). To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a correlation between in-situ measured freely dissolved PCDD/F concentrations and lipid-normalized contents in stationary fish. Our results confirm that freely dissolved concentrations should be used as chemical predictors of bioaccumulation. The results from this study imply that continued efforts to reduce levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in coastal sediments will have positive effects on concentrations of these contaminants in lower trophic levels of Baltic Sea ecosystems.
|
|
| 4. |
- Gyllenhammar, Irina, et al.
(författare)
-
Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Serum from 2-4-Month-Old Infants : Influence of Maternal Serum Concentration, Gestational Age, Breast-Feeding, and Contaminated Drinking Water
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 52:12, s. 7101-7110
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Little is known about factors influencing infant perfluorinated alkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations. Associations between serum PFAA concentrations in 2-4-month-old infants (n = 101) and determinants were investigated by multiple linear regression and general linear model analysis. In exclusively breastfed infants, maternal serum PFAA concentrations 3 weeks after delivery explained 13% (perfluoroundecanoic acid, PFUnDA) to 73% (perfluorohexanesulfonate, PFHxS) of infant PFAA concentration variation. Median infant/maternal ratios decreased with increasing PFAA carbon chain length from 2.8 for perfluoroheptanoic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to 0.53 for PFUnDA and from 1.2 to 0.69 for PFHxS and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). Infant PFOA, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and PFOS levels increased 0.7-1.2% per day of gestational age. Bottle-fed infants had mean concentrations of PFAAs 2 times lower than and a mean percentage of branched (%br) PFOS isomers 1.3 times higher than those of exclusively breast-fed infants. PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS levels increased 8-11% per week of exclusive breast-feeding. Infants living in an area receiving PFAA-contaminated drinking water had 3-fold higher mean perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) and PFHxS concentrations and higher mean %br PFHxS. Prenatal PFAA exposure and postnatal PFAA exposure significantly contribute to infant PFAA serum concentrations, depending on PFAA carbon chain length. Moderately PFBS- and PFHxS-contaminated drinking water is an important indirect exposure source.
|
|
| 5. |
- Gyllenhammar, Irina, et al.
(författare)
-
Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Children's Serum and Contribution from PFAA-Contaminated Drinking Water
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 53:19, s. 11447-11457
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated associations between serum perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentrations in children aged 4, 8, and 12 years (sampled in 2008-2015; n = 57, 55, and 119, respectively) and exposure via placental transfer, breastfeeding, and ingestion of PFAA-contaminated drinking water. Sampling took place in Uppsala County, Sweden, where the drinking water has been historically contaminated with perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). PFOS showed the highest median concentrations in serum (3.8-5.3 ng g(-1) serum), followed by PFHxS (1.6-5.0 ng g(-1) serum), PFOA (2.0-2.5 ng g(-1) serum), and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) (0.59-0.69 ng g(-1) serum) in children. Including all children, serum PFOA, PFHxS, and PFOS concentrations (adjusted mean), respectively, per unit (ng g(-1) serum) of increase in the maternal serum level (at delivery), the associations being strongest for 4 year-old children. PFHxS and PFOS significantly increased 3.9 and 3.8%, respectively, per month of nursing, with the highest increase for 4 year-olds. PFOA, PFBS, PFHxS, and PFOS increased 1.2, 207, 7.4, and 0.93%, respectively, per month of cumulative drinking water exposure. Early life exposure to PFOA, PFHxS, and PFOS is an important determinant of serum concentrations in children, with the strongest influence on younger ages. Drinking water with low to moderate PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA contamination is an important source of exposure for children with background exposure from other sources.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Apler, Anna, 1980-
(författare)
-
Dispersal and environmental impact of contaminants in organic rich, fibrous sediments of industrial origin in the Baltic Sea
- 2018
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The health of the Baltic Sea is negatively affected by hazardous substances such as metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which include legacy pollutants that were banned decades ago, but still circulate in the ecosystem. Elevated levels of legacy pollutants, identified by HELCOM as key hazardous substances, have been found in accumulations of fibrous sediments, so-called fiberbanks and fiber-rich sediments, which derive from old pulp mills along the Swedish north coast. The fiberbanks are deposited in shallow water and bathymetrical models show evidence of their erosion, potentially caused by propeller wash, submarine landslides and gas ebullition. This thesis addresses the potential dispersal of key substances from three fiberbank sites located in a non-tidal Swedish estuary, in which metals and POPs are present in concentrations that may pose a risk for benthic organisms. Metals and POPs are partitioned to organic material and, as expected, show the highest partitioning coefficients (KD) in fiberbanks that have higher TOC levels compared to adjacent areas with fiber-rich sediments (natural clay sediments mixed up with fibers) or relatively unaffected postglacial clays. However, many analytes were found to be present in quantifiable concentrations in pore water, which indicates diffusion of substances from the solid phase to the aqueous phase. To assess the dispersive influence of an abrupt erosional event on dispersion, metals were measured in undisturbed bottom water and in bottom water disturbed by artificial re-suspension of fibrous sediments. The bioavailable, dissolved fraction of metals decreased in bottom water after re-suspension, probably due to the particle concentration effect. In contrast, the total concentrations of metals and number of quantifiable metals increased with particle concentration caused by re-suspension. At one station, the total concentration of chromium (Cr) was elevated to a level where it may lower the ecological status of the water body during periods of substantial erosion (e.g. spring floods or submarine landslides). Analyses of disturbed bottom water revealed, however, that minerogenic particles were preferentially re-suspended compared to organic. This suggests that physical erosion and re-suspension of fiberbank sediments might have a larger effect on dispersal of metals than on POPs.
|
|
| 8. |
- Josefsson, Sarah, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
-
Capping efficiency of various carbonaceous and mineral materials for in situ remediation of marine sediments contaminated with PCDD/Fs, OCS and HCB
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The efficiency of various thin-layer capping materials in reducing the sediment-to-water flux and benthic organism bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and octachlorostyrene (OCS) was investigated in a boxcosm experiment. The influence of cap layer thickness (0.5-5 cm) and different cap materials were tested using a three-factor experimental design. The capping materials consisted of a passive carrier (coarse or fine limestone material, or a marine clay sediment), and an active material (activated carbon (AC) or kraft lignin) to sequester the contaminants and decrease their bioavailability. Macrofauna was added to the boxes to get a semi-natural bioturbation. The sediment-to-water flux was measured using passive (SPMD) samplers, and the bioaccumulation by the surface-dwelling gastropod Hinia reticulata and the deep-burrowing polychaetes Nereis spp. was determined. Results showed substantial decreases in both flux and bioaccumulation as a result of thin-layer capping. The thickness of the capping layer and the choice of active material were important factors, while the use of different types of passive materials was not statistically significant for any of the observed endpoints. Flux and bioaccumulation decreased with increased cap thickness, and could be further decreased with addition of active material. Activated carbon was more efficient than lignin, and a ~90% reduction of the flux and bioaccumulation, compared to uncapped control sediment, could be achieved with 3 cm caps with 3.3% AC (g C/g ww clay). The reduction was generally larger in the surface-dwelling H. reticulata than in Nereis spp., and the magnitude of the reduction was frequently similar between Nereis spp. and sediment-to-water fluxes. The latter was interpreted to indicate a link between Nereis spp. bioirrigation and sediment-to-water fluxes. Furthermore, the reduction in sediment-to-water flux was dependent on the hydrophobicity of the congeners, with less hydrophobic congeners achieving a larger reduction than more hydrophobic congeners.
|
|
| 9. |
- Holt, Eva, et al.
(författare)
-
Spatiotemporal patterns and potential sources of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles from Europe
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0944-1344 .- 1614-7499. ; 23:19, s. 19602-19612
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using pine needles as a bio-sampler of atmospheric contamination is a relatively cheap and easy method, particularly for remote sites. Therefore, pine needles have been used to monitor a range of semi-volatile contaminants in the air. In the present study, pine needles were used to monitor polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air at sites with different land use types in Sweden (SW), Czech Republic (CZ), and Slovakia (SK). Spatiotemporal patterns in levels and congener profiles were investigated. Multivariate analysis was used to aid source identification. A comparison was also made between the profile of indicator PCBs (ind-PCBs-PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) in pine needles and those in active and passive air samplers. Concentrations in pine needles were 220-5100 ng kg(-1) (a(18)PCBs - ind-PCBs and dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs)) and 0.045-1.7 ng toxic equivalent (TEQ) kg(-1) (dry weight (dw)). Thermal sources (e.g., waste incineration) were identified as important sources of PCBs in pine needles. Comparison of profiles in pine needles to active and passive air samplers showed a lesser contribution of lower molecular weight PCBs 28 and 52, as well as a greater contribution of higher molecular weight PCBs (e.g., 180) in pine needles. The dissimilarities in congener profiles were attributed to faster degradation of lower chlorinated congeners from the leaf surface or metabolism by the plant.
|
|
| 10. |
- Assefa, Anteneh Taye, et al.
(författare)
-
Assessment of PCDD/F Source Contributions in Baltic Sea Sediment Core Records
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851 .- 1086-931X .- 1520-6912. ; 48:16, s. 9531-9539
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spatial and temporal trends of sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the Baltic Sea were evaluated by positive matrix factorization (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA). Sediment cores were sampled at eight coastal, one coastal reference, and six offshore sites covering the northern to the southern Baltic Sea. The cores, which covered the period 1919-2010, were sliced into 2-3 cm disks among which 8-11 disks per core (in total 141 disks) were analyzed for all tetra- through octa-CDD/Fs. Identification and apportionment of PCDD/F sources was carried out using PMF. Five stable model PCDD/F congener patterns were identified, which could be associated with six historically important source types: (i) atmospheric background deposition (ABD), (ii) use and production of pentachlorophenol (PCP), (iii) use and production of tetra-chlorophenol (TeCP), (iv) high temperature processes (Thermal), (v) hexa-CDD-related sources (HxCDD), and (vi) chlorine-related sources (Chi), all of which were still represented in the surface layers. Overall, the last four decades of the period 1920-2010 have had a substantial influence on the Baltic Sea PCDD/F pollution, with 88 +/- 7% of the total amount accumulated during this time. The 1990s was the peak decade for all source types except TeCP, which peaked in the 1980s in the northern Baltic Sea and has still not peaked in the southern part. The combined impact of atmospheric-related emissions (ABD and Thermal) was dominant in the open sea system throughout the study period (1919-2010) and showed a decreasing south to north trend (always >80% in the south and >50% in the north). Accordingly, to further reduce levels of PCDD/Fs in the open Baltic Sea ecosystem, future actions should focus on reducing atmospheric emissions.
|
|
