| 1. |
- Bjurlid, Filip, 1978-
(författare)
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Polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans : from source of emission to human exposure
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are ubiquitous in modern life and the environment, are the major source for polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PBDD/Fs). The knowledge about PBDD/Fs is lim-ited compared to other environmental pollutants, even though PBDD/Fs show similar toxicity as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) which are considered to be among the most toxic man-made substances. The aim of the thesis was to provide a better understanding of PBDD/Fs by investigating the occurrence and distribution of PBDD/Fs in the following matrices: soot and gas from an accidental fire site which is a typical source of emission, blubber from marine mammals living in both far remote areas as well as areas close to anthropogenic sources, and finally in human milk from ten nursing mothers.PBDD/Fs was detected in blubber from pilot whales sampled around Faroe Islands, which proved the occurrence in marine mammals in a far remote area. The findings of PBDD/Fs in blubber from Baltic ringed seals showed slightly higher concentrations compared to the pilot whales, which is expected since the Baltic Sea in among the world’s most contam-inated water areas. In the pilot whales and the ringed seals, the average contribution from PBDD/Fs to the total (PCDD/F+PBDD/F) Total Equiv-alent Quantity (TEQ) was low, (1-8%). In gas and soot samples from the accidental fire site, PBDD/Fs were detected in all samples and the contri-bution of PBDD/Fs to the total TEQ was close to 100%. In the human milk samples, PBDD/Fs were detected in all samples and the average con-tribution of PBDD/Fs to the total TEQ was 40%. The results indicate that PBDD/Fs are of concern for human exposure, and should be monitored together with PCDD/Fs in future studies. Moreover, the occurrence at ac-cidental fire sites indicate that PBDD/Fs are a source for occupational ex-posure for firefighters and other professionals. The impact from PBDD/Fs on marine mammalians seems to be of less concern.
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| 2. |
- Persson, Josefin, 1985-
(författare)
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Indoor air quality and chemical emissions of organic compounds in newly built low-energy preschools
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In 2010, the European Union (EU) introduced the “Energy performance of Buildings” directive, which stipulates that all new buildings must reduce their energy consumption by constructing low-energy buildings. This could be achieved by constructing airtight and energy efficient envelopes with functional building materials such as age-resistant plastic films, insulation and different sealing products. However, functional building materials are known to contain a large amount of man-made chemicals that could be released to the indoor environment and might cause health issues among the occupants. In view of this, the indoor air quality (IAQ) and contamination of selected organic compounds were investigated in newly built low-energy preschools in order to evaluate whether the new building concept, low-energy housing, can have a negative effect to the indoor environment and the occupants. The IAQ was satisfactory in all preschools and the indoor air chemical mixture was heavily influenced by the mechanical heat recovery ventilation system. Furthermore, the levels of formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were lower in the environmental certified low-energy preschools compared to those preschools without environmental certification. Thus, a conscious choice of building materials, interior decoration and chemical products can reduce the occurrence and levels of hazardous organic compounds. Emission tests showed that collected building materials only contributed to a small fraction of the measured indoor chemical levels. Furthermore, preliminary exposure risk estimation of the indoor chemical mixture showed potential health risk from some individual compounds to the occupants, but further investigations are needed for a more complete risk assessment. In conclusion, the comprehensive and unique study design presented in this thesis will contribute to the ongoing work towards a non-toxic environment, further development of the low-energy building concept and the legislative movement on limit values for chemical emissions from building materials.
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