| 1. |
- Angelov, Christo, et al.
(författare)
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High-mountain monitoring of persistent organic pollutants at the basic environmental observatory moussala
- 2014
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Ingår i: Comptes Rendus de l'Academie Bulgare des Sciences / Proceedings of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. - : Publishing House Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. - 1310-1331 .- 2367-5535. ; 67:8, s. 1129-1136
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we present the performance of the equipment for passive air sampling installed at Basic Environmental Observatory (BEO) Moussala, together with the first results obtained during the campaigns conducted in the period March 2009 March 2011 within the framework of the network for POP monitoring (MONET EU Project).The advantage of sampling at BEO Moussala is that the observatory is located at a high altitude (Moussala Peak, 2925 m above sea level), away from industrial polluters and large transportation fluxes. This unique location allows one to gather data from a large region subjected to the influence of transboundary Mediterranean and continental air masses. This would further open possibilities for studying the pollutants' levels and their correlation with the local climatic factors, the latter being well known in this region.
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| 2. |
- Roots, Ott, et al.
(författare)
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Measurements of persistent organic pollutants in Estonian ambient air (1990-2013)
- 2015
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. - Tallinn, Estonia : Estonian Academy Publishers. - 1736-6046 .- 1736-7530. ; 64:2, s. 184-199
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Central and Eastern Europe is a region that is expected to need more data on the concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the ambient air in the future. Passive air sampling is a cheap screening method for comparison of contamination on various sites or for verification of information obtained by active samplers. Passive air samplers are sensitive enough to mirror even small-scale differences, which makes them capable of monitoring spatial, seasonal, and temporal variations. Different passive air samplers were employed between 1990 and 2013 from time to time in six Estonian air monitoring stations. The concentrations of PCB and its congeners, HCB, PeCB, HCH, and DDT (the same for PBDE, PCN, PCDD/F) in Estonian ambient air were very low, but they allow tracking transboundary air pollution. The main aim of this article is analysis of changes in the ambient air pollution in Estonia during a long period of time (1990-2013). Also, selection of Lahemaa background station for monitoring POPs in the European area is addressed.
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| 3. |
- Assefa, Anteneh, et al.
(författare)
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Tracing the sources of PCDD/Fs in Baltic Sea air by using metals as source markers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Science. - Cambridge : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7887 .- 2050-7895. ; 20:3, s. 544-552
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The atmosphere is the major contributor of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in the Baltic Sea environment. In this study, we investigated the potential of using metals along with PCDD/Fs as markers of important emission sources of PCDD/Fs in air. The air concentrations of PCDD/F congeners (n = 17), other persistent organic pollutants (n = 8) and metals (n = 16) were determined in summer and winter air using high volume samplers at a rural field station (Aspvreten, Sweden) located close to the Baltic Sea coast. During winter, PCDD/F levels were on average 20 times higher than in summer (5.1 +/- 5.8 fg toxicity equivalents (TEQ) m-3 and 0.26 +/- 0.18 fg TEQ m-3, respectively) mostly due to a higher fraction of PCDFs. The increased levels of PCDD/Fs were pronounced mainly in air masses that had travelled from southern (S) and eastern (E) compass sectors. A principal component analysis (PCA) of metal levels in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles sampled to reflect various air emission source types helped to identify potential marker metals for selected known atmospheric emission sources of PCDD/Fs and to rank among the candidate source types. Brown coal burning, domestic burning and heavy oil burning appeared to be the source types that contribute most of the PCDD/Fs in Baltic Sea air. The current study demonstrates a successful approach for source tracing of PCDD/Fs in air, where integrated indices from seasonal and spatial patterns of PCDD/Fs as well as metal source markers were used to trace and rank sources.
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| 4. |
- Barouki, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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The COVID-19 pandemic and global environmental change : Emerging research needs
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environment International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0160-4120 .- 1873-6750. ; 146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The outbreak of COVID-19 raised numerous questions on the interactions between the occurrence of new infections, the environment, climate and health. The European Union requested the H2020 HERA project which aims at setting priorities in research on environment, climate and health, to identify relevant research needs regarding Covid-19. The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be related to urbanization, habitat destruction, live animal trade, intensive livestock farming and global travel. The contribution of climate and air pollution requires additional studies. Importantly, the severity of COVID-19 depends on the interactions between the viral infection, ageing and chronic diseases such as metabolic, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and obesity which are themselves influenced by environmental stressors. The mechanisms of these interactions deserve additional scrutiny. Both the pandemic and the social response to the disease have elicited an array of behavioural and societal changes that may remain long after the pandemic and that may have long term health effects including on mental health. Recovery plans are currently being discussed or implemented and the environmental and health impacts of those plans are not clearly foreseen. Clearly, COVID-19 will have a longlasting impact on the environmental health field and will open new research perspectives and policy needs.
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| 5. |
- Bohlin, Pernilla, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation and guidelines for using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers in double-dome chambers to assess semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in non-industrial indoor environments
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7887 .- 2050-7895. ; 16:11, s. 2617-2626
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Indoor air pollution has been recognized as an important risk factor for human health, especially in areas where people tend to spend most of their time indoors. Many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) have primarily indoor sources and are present in orders of magnitude higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Despite this, awareness of SVOCs in indoor air and assessment of the link between indoor concentrations and human health have tagged behind those of outdoor air. This is partially related to challenges associated with indoor sampling of SVOCs. Passive air samplers (PASs), which are widely accepted in established outdoor air monitoring networks, have been used to fill the knowledge gaps on indoor SVOCs distribution. However, their applicability for indoor environments and the assessment of human health risks lack sufficient experimental data. To address this issue, we performed an indoor calibration study of polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS deployed in a double-dome chamber, covering both legacy and new SVOC classes. PUF-PAS and a continuous low-volume active air sampler (AAS) were co-deployed for a calibration period of twelve weeks. Based on the results from this evaluation, PUF-PAS in a double-bowl chamber is recommended for indoor sampling and health risk assessment of gas phase SVOCs, including novel brominated flame retardants (nBFR) providing sufficient exposure time is applied. Data for particle associated SVOCs suffered from significant uncertainties caused by low level of detection and low precision in this study. A more open chamber design for indoor studies may allow for higher sampling rates (R-s) and better performance for the particle associated SVOCs.
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| 6. |
- Bosch, Carme, et al.
(författare)
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Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Central European Soils with Compound-Specific Triple Isotopes (delta C-13, Delta C-14, and delta H-2)
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 49:13, s. 7657-7665
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports the first study applying a triple-isotope approach for source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The C-13/C-12, and H-2/H-1 isotope ratios of PAHs were determined in forest soils from mountainous areas of the Czech Republic, European Union. Statistical modeling applying a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework to the environmental triple isotope PAR data and an end-member PAR isotope database allowed comprehensive accounting of uncertainties and quantitative constraints on the PAR sources among biomass combustion, liquid fossil fuel combustion, and coal combustion at low and high temperatures. The results suggest that PAHs in this central European region had a clear predominance of coal combustion sources (75 +/- 6%; uncertainties represent 1 SD), mainly coal pyrolysis at low temperature (similar to 650 degrees C; 61 +/- 8%). Combustion of liquid fossil fuels and biomass represented 16 +/- 3 and 9 + 3% of the total PAR burden (Sigma PAH(14)), respectively. Although some soils were located close to potential PAR point sources, the source distribution was within a narrow range throughout the region. These observation-based top-down constraints on sources of environmental PARS provide a reference for both improved bottom-up emission inventories and guidance for efforts to mitigate PAR emissions.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Brudzinska-Kosior, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in herbaceous Centaurium erythraea affected by various sources of environmental pollution
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1093-4529 .- 1532-4117. ; 50:13, s. 1369-1375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent xenobiotics with harmful effects on humans and wildlife. Their levels in the environment and accumulation in biota must be carefully controlled especially in species harvested from wild populations and commonly used as medicines. Our objective has been to determine PBDE concentrations (BDEs 28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100, 153, 154, 183 and 209) in Centaurium erythraea collected at sites with various levels of environmental pollution. PBDE congener profiles in C. erythraea were dominated by BDE209, which accounted for 47-89% of the total PBDE burden in the plants. Principal Component and Classification Analysis, which classifies the concentration of PBDEs in C. erythraea, allowed us to distinguish the pattern of these compounds characteristic for the origin of pollution: BDEs 28, 47, 66, 85, 99, 100 for lignite and general chemical industry and the vicinity of an expressway and BDEs 183 and 209 for a thermal power plant and ferrochrome smelting industry. Careful selection of sites with C. erythraea for medicinal purposes is necessary as this herb can accumulate PBDEs while growing at polluted sites.
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| 9. |
- Degrendele, Celine, et al.
(författare)
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Multiyear levels of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs and PAHs in background air in central Europe and implications for deposition
- 2020
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 240
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents four years ambient monitoring data of seventeen 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted poly-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), twelve dioxin-like poly-chlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) and sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) designed by the US EPA at a background site in central Europe during 2011-2014. The concentrations expressed as toxic equivalents (TEQs) using the WHO2005-scheme for PCDD/Fs (0.2 fg m(-3)-61.1 fg m(-3)) were higher than for dl-PCBs (0.01 fg m(-3)-2.9 fg m(-3)), while the opposite was found in terms of mass concentrations. Sigma PAHs ranged from 0.20 ng m(-3) to 134 ng(-3). The mass concentration profile of PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs and PAHs was similar throughout the four years. PCDD/Fs and PAHs concentrations were dominated by primary sources peaking in winter, while those of dl-PCBs were controlled by secondary sources characterized by a spring-summer peak. During 2011-2014, no significant decrease in the atmospheric levels of Sigma PCDD/Fs was observed. On the other hand, the concentrations of Sigma dl-PCBs and Sigma PAHs were decreasing, with halving times of 5.7 and 2.7 years, respectively. We estimated that 422 pg m(-2) year pg m(-2) year TEQ PCDD/Fs and 3.48 pg m(-2) year(-1)-15.8 pg m(-2) year(-1) TEQ dl-PCBs were transferred from the air to the ground surfaces via dry particulate deposition during 2011-2014.
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| 10. |
- Degrendele, Céline, et al.
(författare)
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Size specific distribution of the atmospheric particulate PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs and PAHs on a seasonal scale : Implications for cancer risks from inhalation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Environment. - : Elsevier. - 1352-2310 .- 1873-2844. ; 98, s. 410-416
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study presents the seasonal size distribution of particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the atmosphere. Particles were sampled from October 2009 to October 2010 on a seasonal basis using a cascade impactor collecting six size fractions at a rural and urban site in the Brno area, Czech Republic. Higher concentrations of PAHs, PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs were observed in cold seasons at both sites, attributed to the seasonality of the gas-particle partitioning, the increase of emissions and the lower boundary mixing layer in winter. All of the compounds showed a strong accumulation in the fine fraction, with, on average, 71% of Sigma PAHs, 73% of Sigma PCDD/Fs and 60% of Sigma dl-PCBs associated with particles <0.95 mu m. The human risk assessment via inhalation was addressed and followed the same pattern as for concentrations, with 41 and 7 times higher risk in winter compared to summer at the rural and urban sites, respectively. More than 70% of cancer risks of PAHs, PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs was associated with particles <0.95 mu m. Moreover, an overestimation of the cancer risk via inhalation of up to 50% occurred when the size distribution of related compounds was not considered.
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