| 1. |
- Ahrens, Lutz, et al.
(författare)
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Screening av perfluoralkylerade ämnen och flamskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med projektet var att studera förekomst av perfluoralkylerade ämnen (PFASs) samt relativt nya flamskyddsmedel (FRs) i svenska vattendrag. Vi provtog på 44 platser (totalt 41 vattendrag) och bestämde innehållet av PFASs (alla platser) och FRs (25 platser). Av de 12 utvalda FRs, kunde 3 kvantifieras. TCIPP var det klart dominerade ämnet med en halt på upp till 3900 ng L-1 (Fyrisån). 2,4,6-TBP uppvisade högre halter i åar i södra Sverige. Vattendragen med de högsta av σFRs var Fyrisån och Norrström. Den totala belastningen på östersjön av σFRs uppskattades till 38 kg dag-1, där ångermanlandsälven och Norrström stod för de största bidragen. Det ska noteras att i dessa belastningssiffror ingår inte äldre FRs med omfattande historisk användning, t.ex. PBDE. Totalt 13 av 25 de analyserade PFASs kunde kvantifieras. Medelvärdet av σPFASs i alla vattendrag var 9,5 ng L-1, och de högsta medelhalterna uppmättes för PFBS och PFHxS (~2 ng L-1). Det sammanlagda utflödet av σPFASs uppgick till 3,2 kg dag-1. PFOS överskred miljökvalitetsnormen på 0,65 ng L-1 (årligt medelvärde; AA-EQS; 2013/39/EU) på 12 av 44 platser.Den här fältstudien baseras på en provtagningskampanj med ögonblicksprovtagning, och därför ska alla rapporterade värden tolkas med försiktighet. Verifikation av höga resultat och mer detaljerade studier på platser med förhöjda värden rekommenderas. Studien pekar också på att uppströmsmätningar är nödvändiga för att finna viktiga föroreningskällor.
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| 2. |
- Ahrens, Lutz, et al.
(författare)
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Screening of perfluoroalkyl substances and organic flame retardants in Swedish Rivers : Screening av perfluoralkylerade ämnen och flamskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag
- 2013
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The occurrence and effects of ubiquitously present persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment is one of the challenges the society is facing today. Two categories of chemicals that have gained increased public attention during the last decades are organic flame retardants (FRs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Many representatives from these compound groups have bioaccumulative, persistent and toxic properties. This has led to a ban of some of these compounds based on international agreements.FRs and PFASs end up in surface waters and sometimes also in ground water due to their widespread distribution, disinclination of getting removed at wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and persistence. However, the knowledge of the occurrence, fate, and effect in the environment of FRs and PFASs is still in great need of research, especially for recently introduced compounds (such as novel FRs). The objective of this project was to provide a snapshot of the current pollution situation of PFASs and selected novel FRs in Swedish surface waters. We sampled at 44 sites (representing 41 rivers and streams) along the whole coastline of Sweden and analysed their content of PFASs (all sites) and FRs (25 sites representing 23 rivers).Among the 12 target FRs, 3 could be quantified (2,4,6-TBP, TCIPP, and TPHP). TCIPP was the predominant compound with a level up to 3 900 ng L-1. The 2,4,6-TBP showed higher levels in southern rivers. The river with highest levels of ΣFRs was Fyrisån, and the total riverine input of the targeted FRs into the Baltic Sea was estimated to 38 kg day-1 with Ångermanlandsälven and Norrström as major contributors. It should be noted that these values only include the targeted, relatively novel FRs, while historically more important FRs such as the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are not included.In total 13 PFASs were detected (PFBA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA, FOSA, PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS) among the 25 target compounds. The mean ΣPFAS level of all sampled rivers was 9.5 ng L-1 and the median 4.2 ng L-1, and the highest mean values were found for PFBS and PFHxS (~2 ng L-1 for each compound). Streams in the north (e.g. Alterälven, Öre älv, Gide älv, Lögde älv and Ljungan) showed generally higher fractions of the longer chained perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs; i.e. PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFDoDA, PFTeDA) whereas in the south the fractions of PFHpA and PFOA were higher. The total riverine input of all PFASs into recipient seas was estimated to 3.2 kg day-1 (1150 kg yr-1).PFOS exceeded the annual average Environmental Quality Standard (AA-EQS; 2013/39/EU) of 0.65 ng L-1 at 12 of 44 sampling sites, which are located in all parts of Sweden (Ume älv at Gubböle, Ångermanälven, Delångersån, Fyrisån, Norrström, Nyköpingsån, Emån, Lyckebyån, Rönneån, Nissan, Viskan and Göta älv at Alelyckan).As this study was a one-time grab sampling campaign for screening purposes, all values should be interpreted with care. A screening study like the current may, however, reveal hot spots. Verification and more detailed studies over a longer time period are recommended for sites with elevated levels. Our study also suggests that upstream monitoring is necessary to reveal important pollution sources.
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| 3. |
- Bergström, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Health system context and implementation of evidence-based practices-development and validation of the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool for low- and middle-income settings
- 2015
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Ingår i: Implementation Science. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1748-5908. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The gap between what is known and what is practiced results in health service users not benefitting from advances in healthcare, and in unnecessary costs. A supportive context is considered a key element for successful implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP). There were no tools available for the systematic mapping of aspects of organizational context influencing the implementation of EBPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, this project aimed to develop and psychometrically validate a tool for this purpose. Methods: The development of the Context Assessment for Community Health (COACH) tool was premised on the context dimension in the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework, and is a derivative product of the Alberta Context Tool. Its development was undertaken in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Uganda, South Africa and Nicaragua in six phases: (1) defining dimensions and draft tool development, (2) content validity amongst in-country expert panels, (3) content validity amongst international experts, (4) response process validity, (5) translation and (6) evaluation of psychometric properties amongst 690 health workers in the five countries. Results: The tool was validated for use amongst physicians, nurse/midwives and community health workers. The six phases of development resulted in a good fit between the theoretical dimensions of the COACH tool and its psychometric properties. The tool has 49 items measuring eight aspects of context: Resources, Community engagement, Commitment to work, Informal payment, Leadership, Work culture, Monitoring services for action and Sources of knowledge. Conclusions: Aspects of organizational context that were identified as influencing the implementation of EBPs in high-income settings were also found to be relevant in LMICs. However, there were additional aspects of context of relevance in LMICs specifically Resources, Community engagement, Commitment to work and Informal payment. Use of the COACH tool will allow for systematic description of the local healthcare context prior implementing healthcare interventions to allow for tailoring implementation strategies or as part of the evaluation of implementing healthcare interventions and thus allow for deeper insights into the process of implementing EBPs in LMICs.
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| 4. |
- Draptchinskaia, Natalia, et al.
(författare)
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The gene encoding ribosomal protein S19 is mutated in Diamond-Blackfan anaemia
- 1999
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Ingår i: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 21:2, s. 169-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diamond-Blackfan anaemia (DBA) is a constitutional erythroblastopenia characterized by absent or decreased erythroid precursors. The disease, previously mapped to human chromosome 19q13, is frequently associated with a variety of malformations. To identify the gene involved in DBA, we cloned the chromosome 19q13 breakpoint in a patient with a reciprocal X;19 chromosome translocation. The breakpoint occurred in the gene encoding ribosomal protein S19. Furthermore, we identified mutations in RPS19 in 10 of 40 unrelated DBA patients, including nonsense, frameshift, splice site and missense mutations, as well as two intragenic deletions. These mutations are associated with clinical features that suggest a function for RPS19 in erythropoiesis and embryogenesis.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Gustavsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Development and comparison of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques for analysis of flame retardants
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Chromatography A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9673 .- 1873-3778. ; 1481, s. 116-126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The restrictions on the use of legacy flame retardants (FRs) have increased the need of alternative FRs to comply with fire safety legislations. In this study, the feasibility of three different gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC MS) techniques were investigated for the analysis of 102 legacy and alternative FRs including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, n =27), halogenated FRs (HFRs, containing bromine and/or chlorine, n = 46), and organophosphorous FRs (OPFRs, n = 29). The tested techniques included GC-single MS with (i) electon impact (EI) ionization and (ii) negative chemical ionization (NCI), and (iii) GC-tandem MS (MS/MS) with EI ionization. Out of the tested FRs, 90 could be detected under the used conditions on at least one of the three instrument setups. Later experiments included a selection of these FRs. For the majority of tested PBDEs (5 out of 6) and HFRs (24 out of 26), El-MS/MS provided the highest detectability (i.e. the lowest detection limits), while for most tested OPFRs (8 out of 13), El-MS performed better. The influence of matrix components on the analysis of FRs (n = 45) was investigated by analyzing a fortified surface water sample with the technique with the lowest selectivity, El-MS. Both peak enhancement and suppression were observed, and significant correlations between matrix effects and several physico-chemical properties (e.g., retention time and boiling point) were found for PBDEs. In a separate clean-up experiment using natural water spiked with legacy and alternative FRs (n = 30), alumina provided the highest mean recovery (90%) in comparison to acidified silica (67%) and Florisil (78%). This study provides new knowledge on analysis of FRs including a wide range of alternative FRs, and it will aid in the efforts of FR monitoring in the environment. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
- Gustavsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Influence of natural organic matter on the extraction efficiency of flame retardants from surface waters
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Chromatography A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0021-9673 .- 1873-3778. ; 1524, s. 74-86
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of natural organic matter (NOM) on the solid-phase extraction (SPE) efficiency was investigated for legacy and emerging flame retardants (FRs; n =26) in surface water. Three different groups of FRs were analyzed: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), and organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs). In addition, five sorbents (Amberlite XAD-2, Amberlite IRA-743, Oasis HLB, Chromabond HR-P, and Chromabond HR-X) were evaluated for the extraction of FRs (n=33) in water, of which Oasis HLB eluted with dichloromethane and acetone:n-hexane (1:1, v/v) provided the highest overall recoveries. In subsequent NOM experiments, where FRs were extracted from water containing different NOM concentrations, both increased and decreased extraction efficiency with increasing NOM level were observed. Physicochemical and semi-empirical quantum chemistry properties were calculated for the FRs and used for analyzing relations between FRs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed that the FRs separated into four different groups based on their properties. The FRs within each group responded similarly to increasing NOM, while differences in behavior were observed between the groups. This suggests that the structural properties of micropollutants highly influence NOM-FR interaction mechanisms. For instance, at high NOM levels, recoveries decreased substantially for FRs containing a moiety that can form strong hydrogen bonds (such as the double-bonded oxygen in e.g., OPFRs). Many of the compounds showed maximum extraction efficiency at higher levels of NOM. This suggests that binding of NOM to the sorbent and subsequent interaction between sorbent-bound NOM and FRs is an important mechanism for extraction of micropollutants from surface waters. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Gustavsson,, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Omanalys av flamskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med den här studien var att få en ögonblicksbild av halterna av flamskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag. Provtagningen ägde rum i oktober 2013, och resultaten från den provtagningen har rapporterats tidigare (Ahrens et al. 2014). Analysmetodiken har sedan dess förbättrats och det beslutades därför att provextrakten från den tidigare studien skulle analyseras på nytt. Resultaten från omanalysen presenteras i denna rapport.Totalt analyserades 61 flamskyddmedel i denna studie. Det högsta antalet ämnen detekterades i Nyköpingsån (22) och Indalsälven (16). De mest frekvent förekommande ämnena var ΣTDCIPP/TEHP (kvantifierade som en totalhalt tillsammans) som detekterades i alla 25 proverna från norr till söder, följt av TCEP (detekterad i 15 prover) och TBBPA (detekterad i 11 prover). Högst sammanlagd koncentration av flamskyddsmedel uppmättes i Nyköpingsån (240 ng L-1), Fyrisån (230 ng L-1) och Indalsälven (140 ng L-1). Generellt var koncentrationerna av flamskyddsmedel högre i södra Sverige än i norra vilket sannolikt kan förklaras av den högre populationstätheten i söder. Den dagliga tillförseln av flamskyddsmedel från vattendragen till Östersjön uppskattades. Indalsälven och Nyköpingsån uppvisade de högsta värdena med 5,2 och 4,9 kg/dag. Båda dessa vattendrag hade en likartad fördelning av flamskyddsmedel med TEBP-Anh (~30% av ΣFRs), TCBPA (~23% av ΣFRs) och TBBPA (~30% av ΣFRs) som dominerande ämnen. Detta indikerar att det främst är dessa tre flamskyddsmedel som transporteras till Östersjön via svenska vattendrag.Eftersom denna studie ger en ögonblicksbild av mängden flamskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag måste resultaten tolkas med försiktighet. Denna typ av studie är dock användbar för att få en generell uppfattning om föroreningsnivåer och för att upptäcka platser med förhöjd förorening, s.k. hot-spots. För att få en bättre insikt i föroreningssituationen krävs ytterligare studier med en annan provtagningsstrategi, t.ex. provtagning under längre tidsperioder (och under olika årstider) och mer frekvent provtagning alternativt tids- /flödesproportionell provtagning.
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| 9. |
- Gustavsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Re-analysis of organic flame retardants in Swedish rivers
- 2016
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Flame retardants (FRs) are used in everyday products such as furniture and electronics to provide fire protection. The intensive use of FRs has led to their wide spread in the environment. Many chemicals have been found to have bioaccumulative, persistent and toxic properties which have led to a ban of some of these FR compounds based on international agreements. For example, Penta- and octa-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) have been included in the Stockholm Convention. However, most FRs are not restricted, and in many cases it is not known to which extent they are used or to which degree they are polluting the environment. The aim of this study was to provide a snapshot of the current FR pollution in Swedish rivers and streams. In total, 25 rivers and streams were sampled along the east coast of Sweden from north to south. The sampling was done in October 2013 and results from this pre-study were presented previously (Ahrens et al. 2014). Since then, the analytical method for FRs has been improved, and here we report on the re-analysis of the extracts from the previous study. In total 61 (including 7 PBDEs, 35 AFRs, 19 OPFRs), mainly novel FRs, were included in the analytical method. The highest number of FRs was detected in Nyköpingsån (22) and Indalsälven (16). The most frequently detected FRs were ∑tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate/tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate) (ΣTDCIPP/TEHP, quantified as the sum of both) detected in all 25 samples from north to south, followed by tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) (detected in 15 samples) and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) (detected in 11 samples). The highest FR concentrations were observed in Nyköpingsån, Fyrisån and Indalsälven with ∑FR concentrations of 240, 230 and 140 ng L-1, respectively. It is evident that FR concentrations in general are higher in the south than in the north, likely explained by the higher population density in the south. Daily loads of ∑FRs transported from Swedish rivers into the Baltic Sea were estimated to be in total 15 kg/day. Indalsälven and Nyköpingsån showed highest total daily loads with 5.2 and 4.9 kg/day, respectively. The composition profiles of these two rivers showed a similar pattern with 3,4,5,6-Tetrabromophthalic anhydride (TEBP-Anh, ~30% of the ∑FR), Tetrachlorobisphenol-A (TCBPA, ~23% of the ∑FR) and TBBPA (~30% of the ∑FR) as the major FRs indicating that these are the three main FRs transported into the Baltic Sea from Swedish rivers. Since this study only provides a snapshot of current conditions, care needs to be taken in the interpretation of the results. This type of screening study is, however, useful for getting a general idea on pollution levels and revealing of tentative hot spots. For better insight into the pollution situation, another sampling strategy is neded, e.g. covering longer time periods (and different seasons) and using more frequent sampling or time/flow-proportional sampling.
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| 10. |
- Gustavsson, Jakob, et al.
(författare)
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Screening of organic flame retardants in Swedish river water
- 2018
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 625, s. 1046-1055
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alternative flame retardants (FRs) have now replaced legacy FRs (such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs), but little is known about their fate in the aquatic environment. In this study, a range of legacy FRs (0 = 10) and alternative FRs, including halogenated FRs (HFRs, n = 32) and organophosphorus FRs (OPFRs, n = 19), were screened in water samples collected from 23 rivers covering the whole latitudinal range of Sweden. Of the 61 targeted ERs, 26 were detected in at least one of the river samples, with Sigma FR concentrations ranging up to 170 ng L-1 (mean 31 +/- 45 ng L-1). In general, higher concentrations and a larger variety of FRs were detected in southern Sweden (Sigma ER = 60 +/- 56 ng L-1) compared with the north (3 ER 9.0 +/- 16 ng L-1). In the south, HFRs were dominant, constituting on average 59% of Sigma Rs, whereas in the north, OPFRs were dominant, constituting on average 82% of 11, Sigma Rs. This difference was best explained by higher population density in the south. The total daily flux of FRs into the Baltic Sea was estimated to be similar to 31 kg and comprised mainly tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), 3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalic anhydride (TEBP-Anh), and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of environmental occurrence of TEBP-Anh, which was detected in two rivers and is suggested to originate from airports located near the sampling sites. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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