| 1. |
- Bogdal, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Emissions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Zurich, Switzerland, determined by a combination of measurements and modeling
- 2014
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 116, s. 15-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used as flame retardants but they are of concern and are currently being phased-out because of their environmentally hazardous properties and their potential to cause adverse health effects. We analyzed PBDEs in Zurich, Switzerland, and applied a multimedia environmental fate model to back-calculate the rate of PBDE emission to air. PBDE concentrations in ambient air were measured in summer 2010 and winter 2011 in the city center of Zurich. Concentrations were higher in summer (sum PBDEs 118-591 pg m(-3)) than in winter (sum PBDEs 17-151 pg m(-3)), and are on the upper end of concentrations reported in literature for urban sites with no point sources of PBDEs. The emissions derived from our measurements (summer: 53-165 mu g capita(-1) d(-1), winter: 25-112 mu g capita(-1) d(-1)) and extrapolated to annual emissions for Switzerland (114-406 kg a(-1)) lie in the middle of ranges reported on the basis of substance flow analyses and emission inventories. The difference between summer and winter emissions is small compared to the difference that would be expected from the temperature dependence of PBDE vapor pressure, which would be consistent with emissions occurring to a large extent from flame-proofed materials located indoors under nearly constant temperature conditions and/or emissions to air occurring by suspension of particles containing PBDEs. Compared to previous studies in Switzerland, concentrations and emissions of PBDEs appear to have increased during the last five years with an increasing contribution of decabromodiphenyl ether, despite the addition of PBDEs to national and international regulations.
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| 2. |
- Bogdal, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Emissions of Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins, and Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans during 2010 and 2011 in Zurich, Switzerland
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 48:1, s. 482-490
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ubiquitous contaminants of environmental and human health relevance, but their emissions into the environment are still poorly known. In this study, concentrations of selected POPs were measured in ambient air in Zurich, Switzerland, and interpreted with a multimedia mass balance model. The aim of the combination of measurements and modeling was to back-calculate atmospheric emission rates of POPs. Measurements were performed in summer 2010 and winter 2011 and target analytes included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). Estimated emissions were higher in summer than in winter. Emission estimates for Zurich can be extrapolated to annual averages for Switzerland of 312 kg·a–1 (39 mg·capita–1·a–1), 53 kg·a–1 (7 mg·capita–1·a–1), and 3 kg·a–1 (0.4 mg·capita–1·a–1, 94 g WHO98-TEQ·a–1, 65 g I-TEQ·a–1) for the six indicator PCBs (iPCBs), the twelve coplanar dioxin-like PCBs (dlPCBs), and the 17 2,3,7,8-chlorosubstituted PCDD/Fs, respectively. The emission rates of iPCBs are in agreement with existing emission inventories, whereas for PCDD/Fs the emissions are five times higher than the estimates from the Swiss national emission inventory. Emissions of dlPCBs in Switzerland are presented here for the first time. Our study also provides the first seasonally resolved emission rates of POPs, which were determined with our combined measurement and modeling approach. These findings highlight the relevance of ongoing sources of POPs, even decades after regulations aiming to reduce or eliminate sources were established.
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| 3. |
- Gualandro, Danielle M. M., et al.
(författare)
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Acute heart failure after non-cardiac surgery: incidence, phenotypes, determinants and outcomes
- 2023
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Ingår i: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : WILEY. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 25:3, s. 347-357
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims Primary acute heart failure (AHF) is a common cause of hospitalization. AHF may also develop postoperatively (pAHF). The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, phenotypes, determinants and outcomes of pAHF following non-cardiac surgery.Methods and results A total of 9164 consecutive high-risk patients undergoing 11 262 non-cardiac inpatient surgeries were prospectively included. The incidence, phenotypes, determinants and outcome of pAHF, centrally adjudicated by independent cardiologists, were determined. The incidence of pAHF was 2.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-2.8%); 51% of pAHF occurred in patients without known heart failure (de novo pAHF), and 49% in patients with chronic heart failure. Among patients with chronic heart failure, 10% developed pAHF, and among patients without a history of heart failure, 1.5% developed pAHF. Chronic heart failure, diabetes, urgent/emergent surgery, atrial fibrillation, cardiac troponin elevations above the 99th percentile, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, anaemia, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and age, were independent predictors of pAHF in the logistic regression model. Patients with pAHF had significantly higher all-cause mortality (44% vs. 11%, p < 0.001) and AHF readmission (15% vs. 2%, p < 0.001) within 1 year than patients without pAHF. After Cox regression analysis, pAHF was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.7 [95% CI 1.3-2.2]; p < 0.001) and AHF readmission (aHR 2.3 [95% CI 1.5-3.7]; p < 0.001). Findings were confirmed in an external validation cohort using a prospective multicentre cohort of 1250 patients (incidence of pAHF 2.4% [95% CI 1.6-3.3%]).Conclusions Postoperative AHF frequently developed following non-cardiac surgery, being de novo in half of cases, and associated with a very high mortality.
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| 4. |
- Stanworth, Simon J, et al.
(författare)
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The EHA Research Roadmap : Transfusion Medicine
- 2022
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Ingår i: HemaSphere. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 2572-9241. ; 6:2, s. 1-6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2016, the European Hematology Association (EHA) published the EHA Roadmap for European Hematology Research1 aiming to highlight achievements in the diagnostics and treatment of blood disorders, and to better inform European policy makers and other stakeholders about the urgent clinical and scientific needs and priorities in the field of hematology. Each section was coordinated by 1–2 section editors who were leading international experts in the field. In the 5 years that have followed, advances in the field of hematology have been plentiful. As such, EHA is pleased to present an updated Research Roadmap, now including eleven sections, each of which will be published separately. The updated EHA Research Roadmap identifies the most urgent priorities in hematology research and clinical science, therefore supporting a more informed, focused, and ideally a more funded future for European hematology research. The 11 EHA Research Roadmap sections include Normal Hematopoiesis; Malignant Lymphoid Diseases; Malignant Myeloid Diseases; Anemias and Related Diseases; Platelet Disorders; Blood Coagulation and Hemostatic Disorders; Transfusion Medicine; Infections in Hematology; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; CAR-T and Other Cell-based Immune Therapies; and Gene Therapy.
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| 5. |
- Boeddinghaus, Jasper, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of age on the performance of the ESC 0/1h-algorithms for early diagnosis of myocardial infarction
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 39:42, s. 3780-3794
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims We aimed to evaluate the impact of age on the performance of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0/1h-algorithms and to derive and externally validate alternative cut-offs specific to older patients. Methods and results We prospectively enrolled patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with symptoms suggestive of and results acute myocardial infarction in three large diagnostic studies. Final diagnoses were adjudicated by two independent cardiologists. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) T and I concentrations were measured at presentation and after 1 h. Patients were stratified according to age [<55 years (young), >= 55 to <70 years (middle-age), >= 70 years (old)]. Rule-out safety of the ESC hs-cTnT 0/1h-algorithm was very high in all age-strata: sensitivity 100% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 94.9-100] in young, 99.3% (95% CI 96.0-99.9) in middle-age, and 99.3% (95% CI 97.599.8) in old patients. Accuracy of rule-in decreased with age: specificity 97.0% (95% CI 95.8-97.9) in young, 96.1% (95% CI 94.5-97.2) in middle-age, and 92.7% (95% CI 90.7-94.3) in older patients. Triage efficacy decreased with increasing age (young 93%, middle-age 80%, old 55%, P <0.001). Similar results were found for the ESC hs-cTnT 0/1h-algorithm. Alternative, slightly higher cut-off concentrations optimized for older patients maintained very high safety of rule-out, increased specificity of rule-in (P< 0.01), reduced overall efficacy for hs-cTnT (P <0.01), while maintaining efficacy for hs-cTnl. Findings were confirmed in two validation cohorts (n = 2767). Conclusion While safety of the ESC 0/1h-algorithms remained very high, increasing age significantly reduced overall efficacy and the accuracy of rule-in. Alternative slightly higher cut-off concentrations may be considered for older patients, particularly if using hs-cTnl.
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| 6. |
- Buser, Andreas M., et al.
(författare)
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Concentrations in Ambient Air and Emissions of Cyclic Volatile Methylsiloxanes in Zurich, Switzerland
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:13, s. 7045-7051
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tens of thousands of tonnes of cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS) are used each year globally, which leads to high and continuous cVMS emissions to air. However, field measurements of cVMS in air and empirical information about emission rates to air are still limited. Here we present measurements of decamethylcyclopentasfloxane (D-5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D-6) in air for Zurich, Switzerland. The measurements were performed in January and February 2011 over a period of eight days and at two sites (city center and background) with a temporal resolution of 6-12 h. Concentrations of Ds and D-6 are higher in the center of Zurich and range from 100 to 650 ng m(-3) and from 10 to 79 ng m(-3), respectively. These values are among the highest levels of D-5 and D-6 reported in the literature. In a second step, we used a multimedia environmental fate model parametrized for the region of Zurich to interpret the levels and time trends in the cVMS concentrations and to back calculate the emission rates of D-5 and D-6 from the city of Zurich. The average emission rates obtained for D-5 and D-6 are 120 kg d(-1) and 14 kg d(-1), respectively, which corresponds to per capita emissions of 310 mg capita(-1) d(-1) for D-5 and 36 mg capita(-1) d(-1) for D-6.
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| 7. |
- Buser, Andreas M., et al.
(författare)
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Emissions of decamethylcyclopentasiloxane from Chicago
- 2014
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 107, s. 473-475
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D-5) is a high-production-volume chemical that is emitted to air in tens of thousands of tonnes each year globally. However, specific information about emission rates to air is still limited. Here we present an estimate of D5 emissions from the city of Chicago based on measurements that have recently been published. We used a multimedia environmental fate model parameterized for Chicago to back-calculate the emission rate of D5 from the measurements. Our estimated average emission rate for D-5 is 500 (2.5-to-97.5-percentile interval: 260-1100) kg d(-1). The corresponding per-capita emissions of 190 (100-420) mg capita(-1) d(-1) agree well with previous estimates for Europe and North America.
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| 8. |
- Buser, Andreas M., et al.
(författare)
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Good modeling practice guidelines for applying multimedia models in chemical assessments
- 2012
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Ingår i: Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. - : Wiley. - 1551-3777 .- 1551-3793. ; 8:4, s. 703-708
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Multimedia mass balance models of chemical fate in the environment have been used for over 3 decades in a regulatory context to assist decision making. As these models become more comprehensive, reliable, and accepted, there is a need to recognize and adopt principles of Good Modeling Practice (GMP) to ensure that multimedia models are applied with transparency and adherence to accepted scientific principles. We propose and discuss 6 principles of GMP for applying existing multimedia models in a decision-making context, namely 1) specification of the goals of the model assessment, 2) specification of the model used, 3) specification of the input data, 4) specification of the output data, 5) conduct of a sensitivity and possibly also uncertainty analysis, and finally 6) specification of the limitations and limits of applicability of the analysis. These principles are justified and discussed with a view to enhancing the transparency and quality of model-based assessments.
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| 9. |
- Buser, Martine, 1967, et al.
(författare)
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From concept to practice: Implementation of circular building as a process of translation
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 37th Annual ARCOM Conference, ARCOM 2021. ; , s. 584-593
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The concept of circular building (CB) proposes to transform the current mode of production in the construction sector to mitigate climate changes and reduce fossil consumption. The concept has gained momentum among politicians and academics; however, it is only slowly penetrating the sector. In the paper, we aim at developing our understanding of how this concept is translated into specific organisational settings. Rather than focusing on the actions to support or prevent its dissemination, we focus on how the concept is brought into life as an organisational practice and through which processes and mechanism. Drawing on qualitative data from primarily interviews, we present a case study of two large Scandinavian contractors' efforts to implement CB. The results point at a diversity of positions and choices in translating CB within a specific organisational context. The concept of translation helps us to analyse the shaping of such processes and may consequently contribute to the development of the CB concept by directing attention to how circular ideas and concepts are translated across different contexts.
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| 10. |
- De Gier, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Categorizing construction waste: Closing the gap between European waste regulation and management practices
- 2024
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Ingår i: Sustainable Futures. - 2666-1888. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract: The European Union has proposed a comprehensive set of legislative measures and action plans aimed at facilitating the shift towards a sustainable future, however, the challenges of waste production and recycling remain an enduring issue, especially within the construction industry, which generates 800 million tons of waste annually in Europe alone. Given that waste management practices depend on how waste is categorized, this study delves into issues of waste categories and categorization processes highlighting their influence on how waste is handled. Drawing on an ethnographic case study and quantitative waste data, conflicting categorization processes that contribute to poor recycling practices and potentially erroneous waste data are uncovered. This includes 1) the existence of a grey zone in waste management for new build projects due to regulations only defining waste fractions for demolition activities, and 2) that the institutional setting has direct influence on waste categorization among different actors, which leads to erroneous waste data. This stresses a potential disparity in the comprehension of waste categories and resource management maintains fragmentation leading to substantial quantities of waste being incinerated rather than recycled.
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