| 1. |
- Mohammed Taha, Hiba, et al.
(författare)
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The NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE) : facilitating European and worldwide collaboration on suspect screening in high resolution mass spectrometry
- 2022
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Ingår i: Environmental Sciences Europe. - : Springer. - 2190-4707 .- 2190-4715. ; 34:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The NORMAN Association (https://www.norman-network.com/) initiated the NORMAN Suspect List Exchange (NORMAN-SLE; https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/) in 2015, following the NORMAN collaborative trial on non-target screening of environmental water samples by mass spectrometry. Since then, this exchange of information on chemicals that are expected to occur in the environment, along with the accompanying expert knowledge and references, has become a valuable knowledge base for “suspect screening” lists. The NORMAN-SLE now serves as a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) chemical information resource worldwide.Results: The NORMAN-SLE contains 99 separate suspect list collections (as of May 2022) from over 70 contributors around the world, totalling over 100,000 unique substances. The substance classes include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, pesticides, natural toxins, high production volume substances covered under the European REACH regulation (EC: 1272/2008), priority contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and regulatory lists from NORMAN partners. Several lists focus on transformation products (TPs) and complex features detected in the environment with various levels of provenance and structural information. Each list is available for separate download. The merged, curated collection is also available as the NORMAN Substance Database (NORMAN SusDat). Both the NORMAN-SLE and NORMAN SusDat are integrated within the NORMAN Database System (NDS). The individual NORMAN-SLE lists receive digital object identifiers (DOIs) and traceable versioning via a Zenodo community (https://zenodo.org/communities/norman-sle), with a total of > 40,000 unique views, > 50,000 unique downloads and 40 citations (May 2022). NORMAN-SLE content is progressively integrated into large open chemical databases such as PubChem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) and the US EPA’s CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard/), enabling further access to these lists, along with the additional functionality and calculated properties these resources offer. PubChem has also integrated significant annotation content from the NORMAN-SLE, including a classification browser (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/classification/#hid=101).Conclusions: The NORMAN-SLE offers a specialized service for hosting suspect screening lists of relevance for the environmental community in an open, FAIR manner that allows integration with other major chemical resources. These efforts foster the exchange of information between scientists and regulators, supporting the paradigm shift to the “one substance, one assessment” approach. New submissions are welcome via the contacts provided on the NORMAN-SLE website (https://www.norman-network.com/nds/SLE/).
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| 2. |
- Cornelissen, Gerard, et al.
(författare)
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Sorption of Pure N2O to Biochars and Other Organic and Inorganic Materials under Anhydrous Conditions
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:14, s. 7704-7712
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Suppression of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil is commonly observed after amendment with biochar. The mechanisms accounting for this suppression are not yet understood. One possible contributing mechanism is N2O sorption to biochar. The sorption of N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2) to four biochars was measured in an anhydrous system with pure N2O. The biochar data were compared to those for two activated carbons and other components potentially present in soils-uncharred pine wood and peat-and five inorganic metal oxides with variable surface areas. Langmuir maximum sorption capacities (Q(max)) for N2O on the pine wood biochars (generated between 250 and 500 degrees C) and activated carbons were 17-73 cm(3) g(-1) at 20 degrees C (median 51 cm(3) g(-1)), with Langmuir affinities (b) of 2-5 atm(-1) (median 3.4 atm(-1)). Both Q(max) and b of the charred materials were substantially higher than those for peat, uncharred wood, and metal oxides [Q(max) 1-34 cm(3) g(-1) (median 7 cm(3) g(-1)); b 0.4-1.7 atm(-1) (median 0.7 atm(-1))]. This indicates that biochar can bind N2O more strongly than both mineral and organic soil materials. Q(max) and b for CO2 were comparable to those for N2O. Modeled sorption coefficients obtained with an independent polyparameterlinear free-energy relationship matched measured data within a factor 2 for mineral surfaces but underestimated by a factor of 5-24 for biochar and carbonaceous surfaces. Isosteric enthalpies of sorption of N2O were mostly between -20 and -30 kJ mol(-1), slightly more exothermic than enthalpies of condensation (-16.1 kJ mol(-1)). Q(max) of N2O on biochar (50000-130000 mu g g(-1) biochar at 20 degrees C) exceeded the N2O emission suppressions observed in the literature (range 0.5-960 mu g g(-1) biochar; median 16 mu g g(-1)) by several orders of magnitude. Thus, the hypothesis could not be falsified that sorption of N2O to biochar is a mechanism of N2O emission suppression.
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| 3. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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INFLUENCE OF HISTORICAL INDUSTRIAL EPOCHS ON PORE WATER AND PARTITIONING PROFILES OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS IN OSLO HARBOR, NORWAY, SEDIMENT CORES
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 30:4, s. 843-851
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Contaminant levels in urban harbor sediments vary with contaminant emission levels, sedimentation rates, and sediment resuspension processes such as propeller wash. Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are decreasing in many urban harbors, as heavily contaminated sediments that accumulated during past decades are being buried by less-contaminated sediments. However, PAHs and PCBs remain a concern in areas where burial is slow or resuspension processes re-expose heavily contaminated older layers. Chronostratigraphic sediment core studies typically characterize contaminant level histories by using total sediment concentrations, C(sed), and do not determine the freely dissolved porewater concentrations, C(pw), which provide a better measure of bioavailability. Here both C(sed) and C(pw) profiles were established for PAHs and PCBs in dated sediment cores from diverse areas of Oslo Harbor, Norway. Sediment-porewater partitioning profiles were established alongside profiles of various sorbing carbonaceous phases, including total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon, and diverse carbonaceous geosorbents identified by petrographic analysis. Stratigraphic trends in carbonaceous phases and C(sed) could be associated with different industrial epochs: hydropower (post- 1960, approximately), manufactured gas (similar to 1925-1960), coal (similar to 1910-1925), and early industry (similar to 1860-1910). Partitioning was highly variable and correlated best with the TOC. Hydropower-epoch sediments exhibit decreasing C(sed) with time and a relatively strong sorption capacity compared with the manufactured-gas epoch. Sediments from the manufactured-gas epoch exhibit substantial PAH and metal contamination, large amounts of coke and char, and a low sorption capacity. Reexposure of sediments of this epoch increases risks to local benthic species. Implications on natural recovery as a sediment management strategy are discussed.
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| 4. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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Native Oxy-PAHs, N-PACs, and PAHs in historically contaminated soils from Sweden, Belgium, and France : their soil-porewater partitioning behavior, bioaccumulation in Enchytraeus crypticus, and bioavailability
- 2014
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 48:19, s. 11187-11195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil quality standards are based on partitioning and toxicity data for laboratory-spiked reference soils, instead of real world, historically contaminated soils, which would be more representative. Here 21 diverse historically contaminated soils from Sweden, Belgium, and France were obtained, and the soil-porewater partitioning along with the bioaccumulation in exposed worms (Enchytraeus crypticus) of native polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) were quantified. The native PACs investigated were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and, for the first time to be included in such a study, oxygenated-PAHs (oxy-PAHs) and nitrogen containing heterocyclic PACs (N-PACs). The passive sampler polyoxymethylene (POM) was used to measure the equilibrium freely dissolved porewater concentration, C-pw, of all PACs. The obtained organic carbon normalized partitioning coefficients, K-TOC, show that sorption of these native PACs is much stronger than observed in laboratory-spiked soils (typically by factors 10 to 100), which has been reported previously for PAHs but here for the first time for oxy-PAHs and N-PACs. A recently developed K-TOC model for historically contaminated sediments predicted the 597 unique, native K-TOC values in this study within a factor 30 for 100% of the data and a factor 3 for 58% of the data, without calibration. This model assumes that TOC in pyrogenic-impacted areas sorbs similarly to coal tar, rather than octanol as typically assumed. Black carbon (BC) inclusive partitioning models exhibited substantially poorer performance. Regarding bioaccumulation, C-pw combined with liposome-water partition coefficients corresponded better with measured worm lipid concentrations, C-lipid (within a factor 10 for 85% of all PACs and soils), than C-pw combined with octanol-water partition coefficients (within a factor 10 for 76% of all PACs and soils). E. crypticus mortality and reproducibility were also quantified. No enhanced mortality was observed in the 21 historically contaminated soils despite expectations from PAH spiked reference soils. Worm reproducibility weakly correlated to C-lipid of PACs, though the contributing influence of metal concentrations and soil texture could not be taken into account. The good agreement of POM-derived C-pw with independent soil and lipid partitioning models further supports that soil risk assessments would improve by accounting for bioavailability. Strategies for including bioavailability in soil risk assessment are presented.
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| 5. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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Predicting Pore Water EPA-34 PAH Concentrations and Toxicity in Pyrogenic-Impacted Sediments Using Pyrene Content
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 45:12, s. 5139-5146
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sediment and freely dissolved pore water concentrations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of 34 alkyl and parent PAHs (EPA-34) were measured in 335 sediment samples from 19 different sites impacted by manufactured gas plants, aluminum smelters and other pyrogenic sources. The total EPA-34 freely dissolved pore water concentration, C(pw,EPA-34), expressed as toxic units (TU) is currently considered one of the most accurate measures to assess risk at such sites; however, it is very seldom measured. With this data set, we address how accurately C(pw,EPA-34) can be estimated using limited 16 parent PAH data (EPA-16) commonly available for such sites. An exhaustive statistical analysis of the obtained data validated earlier observations that PAHs with more than 3 rings are present in similar relative abundances and their partitioning behavior typically follows Raoult's law and models developed for coal tar. As a result, sediment and freely dissolved pore water concentrations of pyrene and other 3- and 4-ring PAT-Is exhibit good log log correlations (r(2) > 0.8) to most individual EPA-34 PAHs and also to C(pw,EPA,34). Correlations improve further by including the ratio of high to low molecular weight PAHs, as 2-ring PAT-Is exhibit the most variability in terms of their relative abundance. The most practical result of the current work is that log Cpw,EPA-34 estimated by the recommended pyrene-based estimation techniques was similarly well correlated to % survival of the benthic amphipods Hyalella azteca and Leptocheirus plumulosus as directly measured log Cpw, (EPA-34) values (n = 211). Incorporation of the presented C(pw,EPA-34) estimation techniques could substantially improve risk assessments and guidelines for sediments impacted by pyrogenic residues, especially when limited data are available, without requiring any extra data or measurement costs.
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| 6. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H, et al.
(författare)
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Presence and partitioning properties of the flame retardants pentabromotoluene, pentabromoethylbenzene and hexabromobenzene near suspected source zones in Norway
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. - : RSC Publishing. - 1464-0325 .- 1464-0333. ; 13:3, s. 505-513
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The brominated flame retardants (BFRs), pentabromotoluene (PBT), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB) and hexabromobenzene (HBB), exhibit physical-chemical properties similar to other persistent organic pollutants, and have been in use as flame retardants for several decades. Data on these BFRs in diverse environmental samples can be found in studies from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as in recent years, though very little in the years in between. Due to a lack of data, the cause for the apparent re-emergence of these BFRs in recent studies is unclear, and could reflect changes in production volumes, accumulation of transformation products from BFR precursors, improved analytical techniques or simply a re-emergence in concern. Very little data are available on their environmentally relevant partitioning properties, which could help to explain the occurrence and fate of these BFRs. In this study we analysed for the presence of HBB, PBT, and PBEB in diverse environmental samples from potential Norwegian BFR source zones. Additionally, environmental partitioning properties of these BFRs as well as brominated benzenes were estimated and validated using experimental data for brominated benzenes. Of the three BFRs, HBB was identified in detectable quantities at most source zones, PBEB only near a metal recycling factory, and PBT only in a few additional locations from where PBEB was detected. Data from this study show that HBB is likely widely distributed, as verified both by chemical analysis and estimated properties. Measured HBB levels in wastewater treatment plants indicate that the treatment practices used in the study locations are not effective at lowering HBB levels, perhaps due to association with low density suspended solids (e.g. microplastics).
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| 7. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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Review of polyoxymethylene passive sampling methods for quantifying freely dissolved porewater concentrations of hydrophobic organic contaminants
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 34:4, s. 710-720
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Methods involving polyoxymethylene (POM) as a passive sampler are increasing in popularity to assess contaminant freely dissolved porewater concentrations in soils and sediments. These methods require contaminant-specific POM-water partition coefficients, K-POM. Certain methods for determining K-POM perform reproducibly (within 0.2 log units). However, other methods can give highly varying K-POM values (up to 2 log units), especially for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To account for this variation, the authors tested the influence of key methodological components in K-POM determinations, including POM thickness, extraction procedures, and environmental temperature and salinity, as well as uptake kinetics in mixed and static systems. All inconsistencies in the peer-reviewed literature can be accounted for by the likelihood that thick POM materials (500m or thicker) do not achieve equilibrium (causing negative biases up to 1 log unit), or that certain POM extraction procedures do not ensure quantitative extraction (causing negative biases up to 2 log units). Temperature can also influence K-POM, although all previous literature studies were carried out at room temperature. The present study found that K-POM values at room temperature are independent (within 0.2 log units) of POM manufacture method, of thickness between 17m and 80m, and of salinity between 0% and 10%. Regarding kinetics, monochloro- to hexachloro-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were within 0.2 log units of equilibrium after 28d in the mixed system, but only dichloro-PCBs achieved near equilibrium after 126d in the static system. Based on these insights, recommended methods and K-POM values to facilitate interlaboratory reproducibility are presented.
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| 8. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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The presence, emission and partitioning behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls in waste, leachate and aerosols from Norwegian waste-handling facilities
- 2020
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : ELSEVIER. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 715, s. 1-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Even though production and open use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been phased out in Western industrialised countries since the 1980s, PCBs were still present in waste collected from different waste handling facilities in Norway in 2013. Sums of seven indicator-PCBs (I-PCB7:PCB-28, -52, -101, -118, -138, -153 and -180) were highest in plastic waste (3700 +/- 1800 mu g/kg, n=15), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (1300 +/- 400 mu g/kg, n=12) and fine vehicle fluff (1800 = 1400 mu g/kg, n=4) and lowest in glass waste, combustibles, bottom ash and fly ash (0.3 to 65 mu g/kg). Concentrations in leachate water varied from 1.7 to 2900 ng/L, with higher concentrations found at vehicle and WEEE handling facilities. Particles in leachate water exhibited similar PCB sorption properties as solid waste collected on site, with waste-water partitioning coefficients ranging from 10(5)to 10(7) .I-PCB7 in air samples collected at the sites were mostly in the gas phase (100-24000 pg/m(3)), compared to those associated with particles (9-1900 pg/m(3)). In contrast, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in the same samples were predominantly found associated with particles (e.g. sum of 10 brominated diethyl ethers, Sigma BDE10, associated with particles 77-194,000 pg/m(3)) compared to the gas phase (Sigma DE10 6-473 pg/m(3)). Measured gas-phase I-PCB7 concentrations are less than predicted, assuming waste-air partitioning in equilibrium with predominant waste on site. However, the gas-particle partitioning behavior of PCBs and BFRs could be predicted using an established partitioning model for ambient aerosols. PCB emissions from Norwegian waste handling facilities occurred primarily in the form of atmospheric vapor or leachate particles.
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| 9. |
- Arp, Hans Peter H., et al.
(författare)
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Weathering Plastics as a Planetary Boundary Threat : Exposure, Fate, and Hazards
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:11, s. 7246-7255
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We described in 2017 how weathering plastic litter in the marine environment fulfils two of three criteria to impose a planetary boundary threat related to chemical pollution and the release of novel entities: (1) planetary-scale exposure, which (2) is not readily reversible. Whether marine plastics meet the third criterion, (3) eliciting a disruptive impact on vital earth system processes, was uncertain. Since then, several important discoveries have been made to motivate a re-evaluation. A key issue is if weathering macroplastics, microplastics, nanoplastics, and their leachates have an inherently higher potential to elicit adverse effects than natural particles of the same size. We summarize novel findings related to weathering plastic in the context of the planetary boundary threat criteria that demonstrate (1) increasing exposure, (2) fate processes leading to poorly reversible pollution, and (3) (eco)toxicological hazards and their thresholds. We provide evidence that the third criterion could be fulfilled for weathering plastics in sensitive environments and therefore conclude that weathering plastics pose a planetary boundary threat. We suggest future research priorities to better understand (eco)toxicological hazards modulated by increasing exposure and continuous weathering processes, to better parametrize the planetary boundary threshold for plastic pollution.
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| 10. |
- Cornelissen, Gerard, et al.
(författare)
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Freely Dissolved Concentrations and Sediment-Water Activity Ratios of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in the Open Baltic Sea
- 2008
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 42:23, s. 8733-8739
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aqueous concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs) as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the open sea have heretofore been measured by filtering. and extracting large amounts of water. Measurement of freely dissolved concentrations with this technique is difficult because of corrections for sorption to dissolved organic matter. In this study we use a novel, more economic technique using equilibrium passive samplers consisting of 17-mu m thin polyoxymethylene (POM-17), capable of measuring freely dissolved aqueous concentrations (C-W) in pristine (i.e., background) locations. POM-17 was employed in an extensive field campaign at five stations in the open Baltic sea to obtain C-W at two depths (1 m above the seafloor and 25 m below the surface). Median C-W in the overlying water was 2.3 pg toxic equivalents (TEQ)/m(3) PCDD/Fs and 15 pg/L sum 7-PCB, with generally less than a factor two variation among sites and depths. Also freely dissolved concentrations of native compounds in the surface sediment porewater (C-PW) were determined in laboratory batch experiments. The data were used to derive sediment-water activity ratios, which indicate the diffusive flux direction. It was found that the PCDD/Fs and PCBs were in close equilibrium between the sediment porewater and the overlying water. Comparison of C-PW with total sediment concentrations indicated that more than 90% of the compounds were sorbed to sedimentary black carbon.
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| 11. |
- Cornelissen, Gerard, et al.
(författare)
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Remediation of Contaminated Marine Sediment Using Thin-Layer Capping with Activated Carbon-A Field Experiment in Trondheim Harbor, Norway
- 2011
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 45:14, s. 6110-6116
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In situ amendment of contaminated sediments using activated carbon (AC) is a recent remediation technique, where the strong sorption of contaminants to added AC reduces their release from sediments and uptake into organisms. The current study describes a marine underwater field pilot study in Trondheim harbor, Norway, in which powdered AC alone or in combination with sand or clay was tested as a thin-layer capping material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated sediment. Several novel elements were included, such as measuring PAH fluxes, no active mixing of AC into the sediment, and the testing of new manners of placing a thin AC cap on sediment, such as AC+clay and AC+sand combinations. Innovative chemical and biological monitoring methods were deployed to test capping effectiveness. In situ sediment-to-water PAH fluxes were measured using recently developed benthic flux chambers. Compared to the reference field, AC capping reduced fluxes by a factor of 2-10. Pore water PAH concentration profiles were measured in situ using anew passive sampler technique, and yielded a reduction factor of 2-3 compared to the reference field. The benthic macrofauna composition and biodiversity were affected by the AC amendments, AC + clay having a lower impact on the benthic taxa than AC-only or AC + sand. In addition, AC + clay gave the highest AC recoveries (60% vs 30% for AC-only and AC + sand) and strongest reductions in sediment-to-water PAH fluxes and porewater concentrations. Thus, application of an AC-clay mixture is recommended as the optimal choice of the currently tested thin-layer capping methods for PAHs, and more research on optimizing its implementation is needed.
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| 12. |
- Enell, Anja, et al.
(författare)
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Combining Leaching and Passive Sampling To Measure the Mobility and Distribution between Porewater, DOC, and Colloids of Native Oxy-PAHs, N-PACs, and PAHs in Historically Contaminated Soil
- 2016
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 50:21, s. 11797-11805
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Different methods to quantify soil porewater concentrations of contaminants will provide different types of information. Passive sampling measurements give freely dissolved porewater concentrations (C-pw,C-free), while leaching tests provide information on the mobile concentration (C-pw,C-leach), including contaminants associated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particles/colloids in the porewater. This study presents a novel combination of these two measurements, to study the sorption and mobility of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) to DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) in 10 historically contaminated soils. The PACs investigated were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxygenated-PAHs, and nitrogen containing heterocyclic PACs. Observed C-pw,C-leach was up to 5 orders of magnitude higher than C-pw,C-free; implying large biases when C-pw,C-leach is used to assess bioavailability or soil partitioning. Sorption of PACs to DOC and POC was important for the mobility of compounds with log K-OW > 4. Average DOC/water-partitioning coefficients (K-DOC) correlated well with KOW (log K-DOC = 0.89 x log K-OW +1.03 (r(2) = 0.89)). This relationship is likely more accurate for historically contaminated soils than previously published data, which suffer from artifacts caused by problems in measuring C-pw,C-free correctly or not using historically contaminated soils. POC/water-partitioning coefficients (K-POC) were orders of magnitude larger than corresponding K-DOC, suggesting sorption to mobile particles/colloids is the dominant mechanism for PAC mobility.
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| 13. |
- Groh, Ksenia J., et al.
(författare)
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Assessing and managing environmental hazards of polymers : historical development, science advances and policy options
- 2023
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Ingår i: Environmental Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2050-7887 .- 2050-7895. ; 25:1, s. 10-25
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polymers are the main constituents of many materials and products in our modern world. However, their environmental safety is not assessed with the same level of detail as done for non-polymeric chemical substances. Moreover, the fundamentals of contemporary regulatory approaches for polymers were developed in the early 1990s, with little change occurring since then. Currently, the European Commission is working on a proposal to initiate registration of polymers under the European Union's (EU) chemicals legislation REACH. This provides a unique opportunity for regulation to catch up on recent scientific advances. To inform this process, we here critically appraise the suggested regulatory approaches to the environmental assessment and management of polymers against the latest scientific findings regarding their environmental fate, exposure, and effects, and identify the remaining critical knowledge gaps. While we use the EU draft proposal as an example, our findings are broadly applicable to other polymer legislations worldwide, due to the similarity of polymer assessment criteria being used. We emphasize four major aspects that require more attention in the regulation of polymers: (i) increased transparency about chemical identities, physical characteristics and grouping approaches for in-use polymers; (ii) improved understanding of the environmental fate of polymers and materials composed of polymers across size and density categories and exposure profiles; (iii) comprehensive assessment of the environmental hazards of polymers, considering the effects of degradation and weathering and taking into account the actual uptake, long-term toxicity, and geophysical impacts; and (iv) consideration of the production volume and use/release patterns in determining regulatory data and testing requirements. Transitioning toward a toxic-free and sustainable circular economy will likely require additional policy instruments that will reduce the overall complexity and diversity of in-use polymers and polymeric materials.
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| 14. |
- Hale, Sarah E., et al.
(författare)
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A synthesis of parameters related to the binding of neutral organic compounds to charcoal
- 2016
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 144, s. 65-74
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sorption strength of neutral organic compounds to charcoal, also called biochar was reviewed and related to charcoal and compound properties. From 29 studies, 507 individual Freundlich sorption.coefficients were compiled that covered the sorption strength of 107 organic contaminants. These sorption coefficients were converted into charcoal-water distribution coefficients (K-D) at aqueous concentrations of 1 ng/L, 1 mu g/L and 1 mg/L. Reported log K-D values at 1 mu g/L varied from 0.38 to 8.25 across all data. Variation was also observed within the compound classes; pesticides, herbicides and insecticides, PAHs, phthalates, halogenated organics, small organics, alcohols and PCBs. Five commonly reported variables; charcoal production temperature T, surface area SA, H/C and 0/C ratios and organic compound octanolwater partitioning coefficient, were correlated with K-D values using single and multiple-parameter linear regressions. The sorption strength of organic compounds to charcoals increased with increasing charcoal production temperature T, charcoal SA and organic pollutant octanol-water partitioning coefficient and decreased with increasing charcoal O/C ratio and charcoal H/C ratio. T was found to be correlated with SA (r(2) = 0.66) and O/C (r(2) = 0.50), particularly for charcoals produced from wood feedstocks (r2 = 0.73 and 0.80, respectively). The resulting regression: log K-D = (0.18 +/- 0.06) log K-ow + (5.74 +/- 1.40) log T + (0.85 +/- 0.15) log SA + (1.60 +/- 0.29) log OC + (-0.89 +/- 0.20) log HC + (-13.20 +/- 3.69), r(2) = 0.60, root mean squared error = 0.95, n = 151 was obtained for all variables. This information can be used as an initial screening to identify charcoals for contaminated soil and sediment remediation.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Hale, Sarah E., et al.
(författare)
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Quantifying the Total and Bioavailable Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Dioxins in Biochars
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - Washington, DC : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 46:5, s. 2830-2838
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biochar soil amendment is advocated to mitigate climate change and improve soil fertility. A concern though, is that during biochar preparation PAHs and dioxins are likely formed. These contaminants can possibly be present in the biochar matrix and even bioavailable to exposed organisms. Here we quantify total and bioavailable PAHs and dioxins in a suite of over 50 biochars produced via slow pyrolysis between 250 and 900 degrees C, using various methods and biomass from tropical, boreal, and temperate areas. These slow pyrolysis biochars, which can be produced locally on farms with minimum resources, are also compared to biochar produced using the industrial methods of fast pyrolysis and gasification. Total concentrations were measured with a Soxhlet extraction and bioavailable concentrations were measured with polyoxymethylene passive samplers. Total PAH concentrations ranged from 0.07 mu g g(-1) to 3.27 mu g g(-1) for the slow pyrolysis biochars and were dependent on biomass source, pyrolysis temperature, and time. With increasing pyrolysis time and temperature, PAH concentrations generally decreased. These total concentrations were below existing environmental quality standards for concentrations of PAHs in soils. Total PAH concentrations in the fast pyrolysis and gasification biochar were 0.3 mu g g(-1) and 45 mu g g(-1), respectively, with maximum levels exceeding some quality standards. Concentrations of bioavailable PAHs in slow pyrolysis biochars ranged from 0.17 ng L-1 to 10.0 ng L-1 which is lower than concentrations reported for relatively clean urban sediments. The gasification produced biochar sample had the highest bioavailable concentration (162 +/- 71 ng L-1). Total dioxin concentrations were low (up to 92 mu g g(-1)) and bioavailable concentrations were below the analytical limit of detection. No clear pattern of how strongly PAHs were bound to different biochars was found based on the biochars' physicochemical properties.
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| 17. |
- Hale, Sarah E., et al.
(författare)
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Sorption of the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and limonene to carbonaceous geosorbents including biochar
- 2015
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 119, s. 881-888
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sorption of two monoterpenes, alpha pinene and limonene to the carbonaceous geosorbents graphite, bituminous coal, lignite coke, biochar and Pahokee peat was quantified. Polyethylene (PE) passive samplers were calibrated for the first time for these compounds by determining the PE-water partitioning coefficients and used as a tool to determine sorption to the carbonaceous geosorbents. Log KPE-water values were 3.49 +/- 0.58 for alpha pinene and 4.08 +/- 0.27 for limonene. The sorption of limonene to all materials was stronger than that for a pinene (differences of 0.2-13 log units between distribution coefficients for the monoterpenes). Placing K-d values in increasing order for a pinene gave biochar approximate to Pahokee peat approximate to bituminous coal approximate to lignite coke < graphite. For limonene the order was: Pahokee peat approximate to biochar approximate to bituminous coal < graphite approximate to lignite coke. Micropore (defined as pores <1.5 nm) and nanopore surface area (defined as pores 1.5 nm to 50 nm) normalised carbonaceous geosorbent-water distribution coefficients were also calculated. There was no clear correlation of these distribution coefficients with SA. Elemental composition was used to assess the degree of condensation (or alteration) of the carbonaceous geosorbents. The degree of carbonisation increased in the order; Pahokee peat < lignite coke < bituminous coal < biochar < graphite, however this was not correlated with an increase in the experimental distribution coefficients.
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| 18. |
- Jahnke, Annika, et al.
(författare)
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Reducing Uncertainty and Confronting Ignorance about the Possible Impacts of Weathering Plastic in the Marine Environment
- 2017
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2328-8930. ; 4:3, s. 85-90
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic in the global oceans fulfills two of the three conditions for pollution to pose a planetary boundary threat because it is causing planetary-scale exposure that is not readily reversible. Plastic is a planetary boundary threat if it is having a currently unrecognized disruptive effect on a vital Earth system process. Discovering possible unknown effects is likely to be aided by achieving a fuller understanding of the environmental fate of plastic. Weathering of plastic generates microplastic, releases chemical additives, and likely also produces nanoplastic and chemical fragments cleaved from the polymer backbone. However, weathering of plastic in the marine environment is not well understood in terms of time scales for fragmentation and degradation, the evolution of particle morphology and properties, and hazards of the chemical mixture liberated by weathering. Biofilms that form and grow on plastic affect weathering, vertical transport, toxicity, and uptake of plastic by marine organisms and have been underinvestigated. Laboratory studies, monitoring, and models weathering on plastic debris are needed to reduce uncertainty in hazard and risk assessments for known and field of the impact of suspected adverse effects. However, scientists and decision makers must also recognize that plastic in the oceans may have unanticipated effects about which we are currently ignorant. Possible impacts that are currently unknown can be confronted by vigilant monitoring of plastic in the oceans and discovery-oriented research related to the possible effects of weathering plastic.
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| 19. |
- Josefsson, Sarah, et al.
(författare)
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Determination of polyoxymethylene (POM) - water partition coefficients for oxy-PAHs and PAHs
- 2015
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Ingår i: Chemosphere. - : Elsevier BV. - 0045-6535 .- 1879-1298. ; 119, s. 1268-1274
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (oxy-PAHs) are a class of ubiquitously occurring pollutants of which little is known. They can be co-emitted with PAHs or formed from PAHs in the environment. The environmental fate and risk of oxy-PAHs are difficult to assess due to a lack of methods to quantify their pore water concentrations. One sampler that can be used to determine freely dissolved concentrations of organic contaminants is polyoxymethylene (POM). In this study, POM - water partition coefficients (K-POM) were determined for 11 oxy-PAHs. K-POM values of 8 PAHs with similar hydrophobicities as the oxy-PAHs were determined for comparison. Results showed that log K-POM values ranged from 2.64 to 4.82 for the PAHs (2-4 rings), similar to previously determined values. LogK(pom) values for investigated oxy-PAHs ranged from 0.96 to 5.36. The addition of carbonylic oxygen on a parent PAH generally lowered K-POM by 0.5 to 1.0 log units, which is attributable to the presence of carbonylic oxygens increasing water solubility. The K-POM values presented here will facilitate simultaneous assessments of freely dissolved water concentrations of oxy-PAHs and PAHs in environmental media.
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| 20. |
- Kumpiene, Jurate, et al.
(författare)
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Roads with underlying tar asphalt - spreading, bioavailability and toxicity of their polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 289
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Some of the older Swedish roads contain road tar underneath a surface layer of bituminous asphalt. This road tar, also known as tar asphalt, contains large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). There is concern about PAHs spreading from the bottom layers of these older roads to the surrounding environment, and that because of this spreading road tar asphalt should not be recycled but rather placed in landfills. However, a risk assessment of PAH spreading below roads has not yet been conducted. The first aim of this study was to assess this potential spreading of PAHs from underlying tar asphalt to the sand beneath, the soil next to the roads, as well as nearby groundwater. The second aim was to measure the bioavailability and estimate the toxicity of PAHs in all relevant media using polyoxymethylene (POM) passive samplers. Four road sections and nearby groundwater in northern Sweden were investigated, including a control road without tar asphalt. PAHs were detected in all analysed solid media at varying concentrations: in asphalt from 2.3 to 4800 mg kg−1, in underlying sand from <1.5 to 460 mg kg−1 and in slope soil from <1.5 to 36 mg kg−1. However, the spread of PAHs from the asphalt to roadside soil and groundwater was very limited. Groundwater at most of the road sections contained very low or non-detectable levels of PAHs (<0.08–0.53 μg L−1, excluding one site where fuel contamination is hypothesized). The PAHs generally showed low bioavailability. Only asphalt with PAH content >1200 mg kg−1 exhibited bioavailable concentrations that exceeded threshold concentrations for serious risk. The most PAH contaminated sand and soil samples exhibited low toxicity when considering bioavailability, only in some cases exceeding chronic toxicity threshold concentrations. These results were compared with the Swedish EPA's guideline values for PAH in contaminated soil, which is shown to overpredict toxicity for these sites. Further research on the leaching and transportation processes of PAHs from subsurface tar asphalt is recommended for developing risk analysis approaches.
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| 21. |
- MacLeod, Matthew, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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The global threat from plastic pollution
- 2021
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 373:6550, s. 61-65
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic pollution accumulating in an area of the environment is considered “poorly reversible” if natural mineralization processes occurring there are slow and engineered remediation solutions are improbable. Should negative outcomes in these areas arise as a consequence of plastic pollution, they will be practically irreversible. Potential impacts from poorly reversible plastic pollution include changes to carbon and nutrient cycles; habitat changes within soils, sediments, and aquatic ecosystems; co-occurring biological impacts on endangered or keystone species; ecotoxicity; and related societal impacts. The rational response to the global threat posed by accumulating and poorly reversible plastic pollution is to rapidly reduce plastic emissions through reductions in consumption of virgin plastic materials, along with internationally coordinated strategies for waste management.
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| 22. |
- Morales, Marjorie, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-toxicological and climate change effects of sludge thermal treatments: Pathways towards zero pollution and negative emissions
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - 1873-3336 .- 0304-3894. ; 470
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The high moisture content and the potential presence of hazardous organic compounds (HOCs) and metals (HMs) in sewage sludge (SS) pose technical and regulatory challenges for its circular economy valorisation. Thermal treatments are expected to reduce the volume of SS while producing energy and eliminating HOCs. In this study, we integrate quantitative analysis of SS concentration of 12 HMs and 61 HOCs, including organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), with life-cycle assessment to estimate removal efficiency of pollutants, climate change mitigation benefits and toxicological effects of existing and alternative SS treatments (involving pyrolysis, incineration, and/or anaerobic digestion). Conventional SS treatment leaves between 24 % and 40 % of OPFRs unabated, while almost no degradation occurs for PFAS. Thermal treatments can degrade more than 93% of target OPFRs and 95 % of target PFAS (with the rest released to effluents). The different treatments affect how HMs are emitted across environmental compartments. Conventional treatments also show higher climate change impacts than thermal treatments. Overall, thermal treatments can effectively reduce the HOCs emitted to the environment while delivering negative emissions (from about −56 to −111 kg CO2-eq per tonne of sludge, when pyrolysis is involved) and producing renewable energy from heat integration and valorization.
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| 23. |
- Morin, Nicolas A. O., et al.
(författare)
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The presence and partitioning behavior of flame retardants in waste, leachate, and air particles from Norwegian waste-handling facilities
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Sciences(China). - : Science Press. - 1001-0742 .- 1878-7320. ; 62, s. 115-132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flame retardants in commercial products eventually make their way into the waste stream. Herein the presence of flame retardants in Norwegian landfills, incineration facilities and recycling sorting/defragmenting facilities is investigated. These facilities handled waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), vehicles, digestate, glass, combustibles, bottom ash and fly ash. The flame retardants considered included polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑ BDE-10) as well as dechlorane plus, polybrominated biphenyls, hexabromobenzene, pentabromotoluene and pentabromoethylbenzene (collectively referred to as ∑ FR-7). Plastic, WEEE and vehicles contained the largest amount of flame retardants (∑ BDE-10: 45,000–210,000 μg/kg; ∑ FR-7: 300–13,000 μg/kg). It was hypothesized leachate and air concentrations from facilities that sort/defragment WEEE and vehicles would be the highest. This was supported for total air phase concentrations (∑ BDE-10: 9000–195,000 pg/m3 WEEE/vehicle facilities, 80–900 pg/m3 in incineration/sorting and landfill sites), but not for water leachate concentrations (e.g., ∑ BDE-10: 15–3500 ng/L in WEEE/Vehicle facilities and 1–250 ng/L in landfill sites). Landfill leachate exhibited similar concentrations as WEEE/vehicle sorting and defragmenting facility leachate. To better account for concentrations in leachates at the different facilities, waste-water partitioning coefficients, Kwaste were measured (for the first time to our knowledge for flame retardants). WEEE and plastic waste had elevated Kwaste compared to other wastes, likely because flame retardants are directly added to these materials. The results of this study have implications for the development of strategies to reduce exposure and environmental emissions of flame retardants in waste and recycled products through improved waste management practices.
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| 24. |
- Morin, Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
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Bisphenol A in Solid Waste Materials, Leachate Water, and Air Particles from Norwegian Waste-Handling Facilities : Presence and Partitioning Behavior
- 2015
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 49:13, s. 7675-7683
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA) is commonly found in landfill leachate at levels exceeding acute toxicity benchmarks. To gain insight into the mechanisms controlling BPA emissions from waste and waste-handling facilities, a comprehensive field and laboratory campaign was conducted to quantify BPA in solid waste materials (glass, combustibles, vehicle fluff, waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE), plastics, fly ash, bottom ash, and digestate), leachate water, and atmospheric dust from Norwegian sorting, incineration, and landfill facilities. Solid waste concentrations varied from below 0.002 mg/kg (fly ash) to 188 125 mg/kg (plastics). A novel passive sampling method was developed to, for the first time, establish a set of waste-water partition coefficients, K-D,K-waste, for BPA, and to quantify differences between total and freely dissolved concentrations in waste-facility leachate. Log-normalized K-D,K-waste (L/kg) values were similar for all solid waste materials (from 2.4 to 3.1), excluding glass and metals, indicating BPA is readily leachable. Leachate concentrations were similar for landfills and WEEE/vehicle sorting facilities (from 0.7 to 200 mu g/L) and dominated by the freely dissolved fraction, not bound to (plastic) colloids (agreeing with measured K-D,K-waste values). Dust concentrations ranged from 2.3 to 50.7 mg/kg(dust). Incineration appears to be an effective way to reduce BPA concentrations in solid waste, dust, and leachate.
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| 25. |
- Nybom, Inna, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Organic Carbon Origin on Hydrophobic Organic Contaminant Fate in the Baltic Sea
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:19, s. 13061-13071
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transport and fate of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in the marine environment are closely linked to organic carbon (OC) cycling processes. We investigated the influence of marine versus terrestrial OC origin on HOC fluxes at two Baltic Sea coastal sites with different relative contributions of terrestrial and marine OC. Stronger sorption of the more than four-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and penta-heptachlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was observed at the marine OC-dominated site. The site-specific partition coefficients between sediment OC and water were 0.2–1.0 log units higher at the marine OC site, with the freely dissolved concentrations in the sediment pore-water 2–10 times lower, when compared with the terrestrial OC site. The stronger sorption at the site characterized with marine OC was most evident for the most hydrophobic PCBs, leading to reduced fluxes of these compounds from sediment to water. According to these results, future changes in OC cycling because of climate change, leading to increased input of terrestrial OC to the marine system, can have consequences for the availability and mobility of HOCs in aquatic systems and thereby also for the capacity of sediments to store HOCs.
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| 26. |
- Nyholm Rattfelt, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Environmental occurrence of emerging and legacy brominated flame retardants near suspected sources in Norway
- 2013
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 443, s. 307-314
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The environmental occurrence of potentially emerging brominated flame retardants (BFRs) was investigated near suspected source zones in Norway, within seepage water, sewage waste water, sewage sludges, and sediments. Analyzed emerging BFRs included 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl) cyclohexane (TBECH), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE), ethylene bis(tetrabromophthalimide) (EBTPI), tetrabromobisphenol A diallyl ether (TBBPA AE), and tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dipropyl ether) (TBBPA DBPE). In addition selected polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) were analyzed, so that findings could be compared to legacy BFRs. An analytical method based on liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometry was developed for analysis of EBTPI, TBBPA AE, and TBBPA DBPE. The legacy BFRs were in general found in higher levels and abundances than the studied emerging BFRs. However, BTBPE was detected in most of the studied matrices (sewage sludge, seepage water and sediment). DBDPE was detected in sewage sludge, waste water, seepage water and in sediment taken close to a combined metal recycling and car dismantling site. TBECH was found in seepage water, waste water and sewage sludge. EBTPI was identified in one seepage water sample; TBBPA AE was detected both in seepage water and sediment, and TBPPA DBPE in waste water and seepage water. Of the emerging BFRs, the highest levels in water samples were quantified for TBBPA DBPE (81ng/L, seepage water from a combined metal recycling and car dismantling site) and in sediment for BTBPE (6.5ng/g, taken close to landfill). The findings of current-use BFRs in seepage water, sediment and in sewage suggest that further investigations are needed of the environmental fate and effects of these flame retardants.
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| 27. |
- Rummel, Christoph D., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Leachates from UV-Weathered Microplastic in Cell-Based Bioassays
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 53:15, s. 9214-9223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Standard ecotoxicological testing of microplastic does not provide insight into the influence that environmental weathering by, e.g., UV light has on related effects. In this study, we leached chemicals from plastic into artificial seawater during simulated UV-induced weathering. We tested largely additive-free preproduction polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene and two types of plastic obtained from electronic equipment as positive controls. Leachates were concentrated by solid-phase extraction and dosed into cell-based bioassays that cover (i) cytotoxicity; (ii) activation of metabolic enzymes via binding to the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR gamma); (iii) specific, receptor-mediated effects (estrogenicity, ER alpha); and (iv) adaptive response to oxidative stress (AREc32). LC-HRMS analysis was used to identify possible chain-scission products of polymer degradation, which were then tested in AREc32 and PPAR gamma. Explicit activation of all assays by the positive controls provided proof-of-concept of the experimental setup to demonstrate effects of chemicals liberated during weathering. All plastic leachates activated the oxidative stress response, in most cases with increased induction by UV-treated samples compared to dark controls. For PPAR gamma, polyethylene-specific effects were partially explained by the detected dicarboxylic acids. Since the preproduction plastic showed low effects often in the range of the blanks future studies should investigate implications of weathering on end consumer products containing additives.
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| 28. |
- Smith, Sanne J., et al.
(författare)
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Electrochemical Oxidation for Treatment of PFAS in Contaminated Water and Fractionated Foam─A Pilot-Scale Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: ACS - ES & T Water. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2690-0637. ; 3:4, s. 1201-1211
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic contaminants that are present globally in water and are exceptionally difficult to remove during conventional water treatment processes. Here, we demonstrate a practical treatment train that combines foam fractionation to concentrate PFAS from groundwater and landfill leachate, followed by an electrochemical oxidation (EO) step to degrade the PFAS. The study combined an up-scaled experimental approach with thorough characterization strategies, including target analysis, PFAS sum parameters, and toxicity testing. Additionally, the EO kinetics were successfully reproduced by a newly developed coupled numerical model. The mean total PFAS degradation over the designed treatment train reached 50%, with long- and short-chain PFAS degrading up to 86 and 31%, respectively. The treatment resulted in a decrease in the toxic potency of the water, as assessed by transthyretin binding and bacterial bioluminescence bioassays. Moreover, the extractable organofluorine concentration of the water decreased by up to 44%. Together, these findings provide an improved understanding of a promising and practical approach for on-site remediation of PFAS-contaminated water.
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| 29. |
- Sobek, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Aerosol-Water Distribution of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in the Baltic Sea Region
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 47:2, s. 781-789
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Atmospheric deposition is a major pathway of PCDD/Fs to the Baltic Sea. We studied the aerosol-water distribution for aerosols collected close to the Baltic Sea in order to investigate the availability of pollutants sorbed to aerosols deposited on water. Aerosols were analyzed for both total concentration (Soxhlet extraction) and the freely dissolved water concentration (extraction with 17-mu m polyoxymethylene equilibrium passive samplers). Concentrations of PCDD/F and sum PCB-7 in aerosols were 65-1300 pg/g dw TEQ and 22-100 ng/g dw, respectively. Organic carbon (OC)-normalized aerosol water distribution ratios (K-aer-water,K-OC) were consistently lower (factor 2-60) than previously determined sediment organic carbon water distribution ratios (K-sed,K-OC). Hence PCDD/Fs and PCBs entering the Baltic Sea through aerosol deposition seem to be more available for desorption to the water phase than PCDD/Fs and PCBs sorbed to sediment. Further, we investigated whether aerosol water distribution may be predicted from the air aerosol partitioning constant multiplied by the Henry's Law constant. This proposed model for aerosol water distribution underestimated measured values for PCBs by factors of 1-17 and for PCDD/Fs by more than a factor 10. These findings can be used to improve future fate modeling of PCBs and PCDD/Fs in marine environments and specifically the Baltic Sea.
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| 30. |
- Zheng, Ziye, et al.
(författare)
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Combining in Silico Tools with Multicriteria Analysis for Alternatives Assessment of Hazardous Chemicals: A Case Study of Decabromodiphenyl Ether Alternatives
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 53:11, s. 6341-6351
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alternatives assessment is applied for minimizing the risk of unintentionally replacing a hazardous chemical with another hazardous chemical. Central challenges are the diversity of properties to consider and the lack of high-quality experimental data. To address this, a novel alternatives assessment procedure was developed based on in silico data and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. As a case study, 16 alternatives to the flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether were considered. The hazard properties included persistence (P), bioaccumulation potential (B), toxicities (T), and mobility in water (M). Databases were consulted and 2866 experimental data points were collected for the target chemicals; however, these were mostly replicate data points for some hazard criteria for a subset of alternatives. Therefore, in silico data and three MCDA strategies were tested including heat mapping, multiattribute utility theory (MAUT), and Elimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité (ELECTRE III). The heat map clearly showed that none of the target chemicals are hazard-free, whereas MAUT and ELECTRE III agreed on ranking the "least worst" choices. This study identified several challenges and the complexity in the alternatives assessment processes motivating more case studies combining in silico and MCDA approaches.
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| 31. |
- Zheng, Ziye, et al.
(författare)
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Combining in Silico Tools with Multicriteria Analysis for Alternatives Assessment of Hazardous Chemicals: Accounting for the Transformation Products of decaBDE and Its Alternatives
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5851 .- 0013-936X. ; 55:2, s. 1088-1098
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transformation products ought to be an important consideration in chemical alternatives assessment. In this study, a recently established hazard ranking tool for alternatives assessment based on in silico data and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods was further developed to include chemical transformation products. Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) and five proposed alternatives were selected as case chemicals; biotic and abiotic transformation reactions were considered using five in silico tools. A workflow was developed to select transformation products with the highest occurrence potential. The most probable transformation products of the alternative chemicals were often similarly persistent but more mobile in aquatic environments, which implies an increasing exposure potential. When persistence (P), bioaccumulation (B), mobility in the aquatic environment (M), and toxicity (T) are considered (via PBT, PMT, or PBMT composite scoring), all six flame retardants have at least one transformation product that can be considered more hazardous, across diverse MCDA. Even when considering transformation products, the considered alternatives remain less hazardous than decaBDE, though the range of hazard of the five alternatives was reduced. The least hazardous of the considered alternatives were melamine and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate. This developed tool could be integrated within holistic alternatives assessments considering use and life cycle impacts or additionally prioritizing transformation products within (bio)monitoring screening studies.
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