Exposure to environmental airborne manganese (Mn) can lead to neurotoxic disorders and cognitive deficits. The degree of exposure can be assessed by personal sampling of particulate matter (PM) or through biomarkers of exposure. The aim of this work was to characterise the personal exposure to airborne Mn and other trace metals by measuring their bioaccessibility in PM filters taken from personal samplers in an environmentally exposed adult population living in the vicinity of a ferromanganese alloy plant in Santander Bay (northern Spain). Concentrations of bioaccessible and non-bioaccessible Mn and other metals associated with coarse (PM10-2.5) and fine (PM2.5) modes were quantified from 24 h personal samplers in 130 participants divided into two groups according to their Mn exposure: highly (n = 65) and moderately (n = 65) exposed. Gastric fluid and artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) were used in the bioaccessibility tests as surrogate agents for the body fluids that can come into contact with coarse and fine particles, respectively. The mean air Mn levels in PM10-2.5 and PM2.5 were 127.2 and 126.2 ng/m3, respectively, in the highly exposed group, and 18.6 and 31.7 ng/m3 in the moderately exposed group. The bioaccessibility (%) of Mn in gastric fluid and ALF was also found to be greater in the highly exposed group. The results indicate that people living near Mn alloy plants have an increased potential health risk for Mn exposure due to higher total air Mn concentrations and bioaccessibility. | This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through Project CTM 2017-82636-R. Bohdana Markiv also thanks the same Ministry for her PhD grant, PRE 2018-085152.

peer reviewed | We found plastic debris in the stomach of an Arctic seal pup for the first time. Debris consisted of two pieces of light single-use plastic. Newborns of Arctic seals are at risk of exposure to plastic directly after weaning. Ecotoxicological investigations of plastic exposure to Arctic wildlife are needed.

Dilution of the water chemistry caused by reduced acidification has lately received increased attention, both in Europe and North America. There has also been a declining trend in the supply of sea salts. Several studies have predicted detrimental effects on aquatic life due to dilution. A population of brook trout living in River Hunnedal in southwestern Norway was studied for 14 years (2006–2019).Despite acceptable water chemistry with respect to pH and inorganic Al, limited reproduction was found. With median conductivity, Ca and Na of 7.1– 8.6 μScm−1, and 0.17–0.19 and 0.9–1.0 mgL−1, respectively, the water at the study sites was found to be extremely dilute. We detected a significant positive effect of Na on the densities of brook trout fry, while a less distinct effect of Ca was found. However, due to the correlation between Ca and Na we cannot conclude that Ca is unimportant. For all samplings without catch of fry (n = 13), Na was 0.86 ± 0.15 mgL−1, suggesting a critical limit for Na slightly below 1 mgL−1.We suggest that the reproduction of brook trout was restricted by the highly dilute water and the subsequent scarcity of essential ions. Acidification recovery . Water chemistry . Dilution . Calcium. Sodium. Mountain streams . Brook trout | publishedVersion

peer reviewed | Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are still globally distributed and can exert different effects on ecosystems. Little is known about the occurrence of these contaminants in terrestrial birds from South America. In this study, POPs were assessed for the first time in a flightless herbivorous species from the Pampas grasslands, the Greater rhea (Rhea americana). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), were determined in 18 samples of feathers from free-ranging and captive individuals inhabiting four sites with different land use in central Argentina. Among the 16 POPs tested in those feathers, 6 PCBs (28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) and 8 OCPs (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDT and HCB) were quantified. No PBDEs were detected. Total concentration of POPs was higher in populations living in an intensive crop production area (Agriculture: 159 ng.g-1 and Farm: 97.53 ng.g-1) compared to the population in an urban area (Zoo: 45.86 ng/g) and an agroecosystem with extensive rearing of livestock (Cattle rearing: 36.77 ng.g-1). PCBs were the most abundant pollutants in all the populations studied. Lower chlorinated CB 52 and CB 101 were the principal PCB congeners detected, representing at least 70% of the total quantified. All populations studied showed a DDE + DDD / DDT ratio > 1, indicating a historical application of this insecticide. This study provides a new contribution to the scarce data on POP concentrations in South American bird species. Further investigations are needed to evaluate their potential effects on the health individuals and populations.

On-site small-scale sanitation is common in rural areas and areas without infrastructure, but the treatment of the collected fecal matter can be inefficient and is seldom directed to resource recovery. The aim of this study was to compare low-technology solutions such as composting and lactic acid fermentation (LAF) followed by vermicomposting in terms of treatment efficiency, potential human and environmental risks, and stabilization of the material for reuse in agriculture. A specific and novel focus of the study was the fate of native pharmaceutical compounds in the fecal matter. Composting, with and without the addition of biochar, was monitored by temperature and CO2 production and compared with LAF. All treatments were run at three different ambient temperatures (7, 20, and 38°C) and followed by vermicomposting at room temperature. Materials resulting from composting and LAF were analyzed for fecal indicators, physicochemical characteristics, and residues of ten commonly used pharmaceuticals and compared to the initial substrate. Vermicomposting was used as secondary treatment and assessed by enumeration of Escherichia coli, worm density, and physicochemical characteristics. Composting at 38°C induced the highest microbial activity and resulted in better stability of the treated material, higher N content, lower numbers of fecal indicators, and less pharmaceutical compounds as compared to LAF. Even though analysis of pH after LAF suggested incomplete fermentation, E. coli cell numbers were significantly lower in all LAF treatments compared to composting at 7°C, and some of the anionic pharmaceutical compounds were detected in lower concentrations. The addition of approximately 5 vol % biochar to the composting did not yield significant differences in measured parameters. Vermicomposting further stabilized the material, and the treatments previously composted at 7°C and 20°C had the highest worm density. These results suggest that in small-scale decentralized sanitary facilities, the ambient temperatures can significantly influence the treatment and the options for safe reuse of the material. | publishedVersion

The sedimentary environment is a repository and carrier for a variety of pollutants, and sediment transport from land to coastal areas is an important environmental process. In the present study, we use 210Pb/226Ra and 137Cs in sediment cores to assess sediment supply rates at four sites within the Vefsnfjord in Nordland county, Norway. This area was highly affected by fallout from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and inventories of 137Cs in the fjord are much higher than in many other Norwegian fjords. Sedimentation rates between 0.042 and 0.25 g cm−2 y−1 (0.060 and 0.38 cm y−1) were determined using a combination of the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) and Constant Flux:Constant Sedimentation rate (CF:CS) models. Well-defined 137Cs concentration peaks were used as a supplementary tool to the 210Pb dating methods. | publishedVersion

Rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) are critical elements for a wide range of applications and consumer products. Their growing extraction and use can potentially lead to REY and anthropogenic-REY chemical complexes (ACC-REY) being released in the marine environment, causing concern regarding their potential effects on organisms and ecosystems. Here, we critically review the scientific knowledge on REY sources (geogenic and anthropogenic), factors affecting REY distribution and transfer in the marine environment, as well as accumulation in- and effects on marine biota. Further, we aim to draw the attention to research gaps that warrant further scientific attention to assess the potential risk posed by anthropogenic REY release. Geochemical processes affecting REY mobilisation from natural sources and factors affecting their distribution and transfer across marine compartments are well established, featuring a high variability dependent on local conditions. There is, however, a research gap with respect to evaluating the environmental distribution and fate of REY from anthropogenic sources, particularly regarding ACC-REY, which can have a high persistence in seawater. In addition, data on organismal uptake, accumulation, organ distribution and effects are scarce and at best fragmentary. Particularly, the effects of ACC-REY at organismal and community levels are, so far, not sufficiently studied. To assess the potential risks caused by anthropogenic REY release there is an urgent need to i) harmonise data reporting to promote comparability across studies and environmental matrices, ii) conduct research on transport, fate and behaviour of ACC-REY vs geogenic REY iii) deepen the knowledge on bioavailability, accumulation and effects of ACC-REY and REY mixtures at organismal and community level, which is essential for risk assessment of anthropogenic REY in marine ecosystems. | publishedVersion

Microplastic fibres (MPFs) often make up the largest fraction of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, yet little is known about their degradative fate and persistence. This study investigates the environmentally relevant photodegradation of common MPFs: polyester (PET), polyamide (PA) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), their respective additive chemical profile, together with their potential for additive leaching. MPFs were subject to ultraviolet (UV) exposure in seawater and freshwater media over 10 months. PET and PA MPFs showed significant fragmentation and surface changes following UV exposure, additionally PA showed evidence of chemical changes. PAN did not undergo significant photodegradation in the same exposure period. Chemicals tentatively identified in MPFs and aqueous leachates via non-target gas chromatography-mass spectrometry include monomers, UV stabilisers and degradation products. Characterisation of several bisphenols (BPs) and benzophenones (BzPs) was performed via ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Bisphenol A, bisphenol S and benzophenone-3 were quantified in all MPFs and wool at concentrations between 4.3 - 501 ng/g, with wool displaying the highest sum concentration of BPs and BzPs at 863 and 27 ng/g, respectively. | publishedVersion