Sucralose screening in European surface waters using a solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method.

An analytical method was developed for the analysis of sucralose, a persistent chlorinated calorie-free sugar substitute, in surface waters. The method is based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) of 400mL water using Oasis HLB (Waters) adsorber material, followed by negative electrospray ionization (ESI) triple quadrupole LC-MS-MS detection. Quantification was performed by external calibration, as well as by isotope dilution with deuterated sucralose d6 internal standard. Extraction with Oasis HLB, a polymeric adsorbent suited for polar compounds, was much more efficient at neutral pH than at pH 3; a recovery of 62+/-9% (n=6; determined at 1microg/L) could be achieved. Strong ion suppression caused by matrix substances was observed for sucralose in the SPE extracts. The analysis of 120 river surface water samples from 27 European countries showed that sucralose, which is in use in Europe since beginning 2005, can be found in the aquatic environment, at concentrations up to 1microg/L. Sucralose was predominately found in samples from the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Norway, and Sweden, suggesting an increased use of the substance in Western Europe.

Physical and monetary ecosystem service accounts for Europe: A case study for in-stream nitrogen retention.

In this paper we present a case study of integrated ecosystem and economic accounting based on the System of Environmental Economic Accounting - Experimental Ecosystem Accounts (SEEA-EEA). We develop accounts, in physical and monetary terms, for the water purification ecosystem service in Europe over a 20-year time period (1985-2005). The estimation of nitrogen retention is based on the GREEN biophysical model, within which we impose a sustainability threshold to obtain the physical indicators of capacity - the ability of an ecosystem to sustainably supply ecosystem services. Key messages of our paper pertain the notion of capacity, operationalized in accounting terms with reference to individual ecosystem services rather than to the ecosystem as a whole, and intended as the stock that provides the sustainable flow of the service. The study clarifies the difference between sustainable flow and actual flow of the service, which should be calculated jointly so as to enable an assessment of the sustainability of current use of ecosystem services. Finally, by distinguishing the notion of 'process' (referred to the ecosystem) from that of 'capacity' (pertaining specific services) and proposing a methodology to calculate capacity and flow, we suggest an implementable way to operationalize the SEEA-EEA accounts.

Application of multi-way models to the time-resolved fluorescence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons mixtures in water.

The time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence of a series of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) and mixtures of these latter in aqueous solution was measured by means of an apparatus equipped with optical fibers, which allows their real time in situ monitoring. The potential of such spectroscopic technique, yielding 4-way fluorescence data arrays, together with the application of multi-way models to the matricized data, was tested for the resolution of complex aqueous mixtures containing low concentrations of PAHs, as typical fluorescent pollutants in aquatic systems. PARAllel FACtors analysis was employed for the qualitative resolution of PAHs mixtures and for calculating the fluorescence lifetimes of single PAHs; n-way partial least squares analysis was applied for evaluating the concentration of the single PAHs in the aqueous mixtures.

Modeling flow and nitrate fate at catchment scale in Brittany (France).

In the intensive pig-farming (Sus scrofa) area of Brittany (western France), many surface and subsurface water resources are contaminated by nitrate (NO3) with concentrations that chronically exceed the European Community 50 mg L(-1) drinking standard. To ensure sustainable water supply, the fate of NO3 must be considered in both surface water and ground water. The fate of N was investigated in a Britain catchment, the Coët-Dan watershed, with an integrated management tool: the hydrological SWAT model coupled with the ground water model MODFLOW, and its companion contaminant and solute transport model MT3DMS. The model was validated with respect to water quantity during a 6-yr period and for the NO3 concentration during a 44-mo period, at two gauging stations in the catchment. The coupled models reproduced accurately the measurements. At the basin outlet, the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients were 0.88 for monthly flow for the entire period and 0.87 for monthly N load. Alternative scenarios were simulated and showed potential benefits of decreasing manure application from 210 to 170 kg N ha(-1) as required by the European Commission Nitrates Directive.

Assessment of riverine load of contaminants to European seas under policy implementation scenarios: an example with 3 pilot substances.

An evaluation of conventional emission scenarios is carried out targeting a possible impact of European Union (EU) policies on riverine loads to the European seas for 3 pilot pollutants: lindane, trifluralin, and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). The policy scenarios are investigated to the time horizon of year 2020 starting from chemical-specific reference conditions and considering different types of regulatory measures including business as usual (BAU), current trend (CT), partial implementation (PI), or complete ban (PI ban) of emissions. The scenario analyses show that the model-estimated lindane load of 745 t to European seas in 1995, based on the official emission data, would be reduced by 98.3% to approximately 12.5 t in 2005 (BAU scenario), 10 years after the start of the EU regulation of this chemical. The CT and PI ban scenarios indicate a reduction of sea loads of lindane in 2020 by 74% and 95%, respectively, when compared to the BAU estimate. For trifluralin, an annual load of approximately 61.7 t is estimated for the baseline year 2003 (BAU scenario), although the applied conservative assumptions related to pesticide use data availability in Europe. Under the PI (ban) scenario, assuming only small residual emissions of trifluralin, we estimate a sea loading of approximately 0.07 t/y. For PFOS, the total sea load from all European countries is estimated at approximately 5.8 t/y referred to 2007 (BAU scenario). Reducing the total load of PFOS below 1 t/y requires emissions to be reduced by 84%. The analysis of conventional scenarios or scenario typologies for emissions of contaminants using simple spatially explicit GIS-based models is suggested as a viable, affordable exercise that may support the assessment of implementation of policies and the identification or negotiation of emission reduction targets.

PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB profiles in soils amended with sewage sludge, compost, farmyard manure, and mineral fertilizer since 1962.

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE: Biowaste contains compounds of agricultural value such as organic carbon, nutrients, and trace elements and can partially replace mineral fertilizer (MIN) and improve the physical properties of the soil. However, the obvious benefits of land spreading need to be carefully evaluated against potential adverse effects on the environment and human health. Environmental contamination resulting from biowaste application is one of the key variables when assessing cost/benefits. This study provides data on the resulting concentration of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in the soil column as a result of the different types of fertilizers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a long-term field experiment established in 1962, we investigated the influence of the application of biowaste-derived fertilizers such as sewage sludge (SSL), compost (COM), and farmyard manure (FYM) to a luvisol derived from loess on the contents of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. Control plots amended only with MIN served as a basis to compare the biowaste-amended soils with soils affected only by atmospheric deposition, thus experimentally separating the two pathways of soil contamination. Samples of the soil column down to a depth of 90 cm were taken in 2001 and analyzed for PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs according to US-EPA methods 1613 and 1668, respectively. RESULTS: Thirty-nine years of experimental SSL and COM applications exceeding four times the maximal amount as laid down in German legislation resulted in a doubling of the international toxicity equivalent (I-TEQ) budget for PCDD/Fs and a threefold increase for DL-PCBs as compared to test plots amended with MIN only. As compared to MIN, the application of FYM had no effect on the PCDD/F and PCB content in soil. The average contribution of the DL-PCBs to the WHO-TEQ was 19% in the MIN and FYM plots and somewhat higher in the COM (23%) and in the SSL (27%) plots. DISCUSSION: Although the test plots received four times the maximum application of SSL as laid down in the German SSL ordinance and the investigated region represents the upper end of the topsoil concentrations typically found in Germany, the soils treated with SSL and COM were still a factor of 4 below the German guideline value of PCDD/Fs for arable land. No enhancement of translocation of PCDD/Fs and PCBs into the corresponding subsoils due to the presence of dissolved humic matter or other surfactants potentially present in the biowaste was observed. The similarity of congener patterns in all soils, irrespective of the type of fertilizer applied, points towards atmospheric deposition of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs as the main intake route in the soils. The higher levels in the SSL- and COM-amended soils can be explained by the fact that both biowastes are subject to atmospheric deposition occurring at their origin. In the case of COM, it is accumulation in the foliage, while in the case of SSL, atmospheric particulate from wet and dry deposition is collected in the wastewater treatment system via urban runoff. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the common practice of SSL applications in Germany does not pose a current threat to the agro-environment with regard to PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. However, time trend data on PCDD/Fs in SSL-amended soils will be needed to obtain a prognosis about the long-term effect of biowaste applications on soil quality.

EU-wide survey of polar organic persistent pollutants in European river waters.

This study provides the first EU-wide reconnaissance of the occurrence of polar organic persistent pollutants in European river waters. More than 100 individual water samples from over 100 European rivers from 27 European Countries were analysed for 35 selected compounds, comprising pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PFOS, PFOA, benzotriazoles, hormones, and endocrine disrupters. Around 40 laboratories participated in this sampling exercise. The most frequently and at the highest concentration levels detected compounds were benzotriazole, caffeine, carbamazepine, tolyltriazole, and nonylphenoxy acetic acid (NPE(1)C). Only about 10% of the river water samples analysed could be classified as "very clean" in terms of chemical pollution. The rivers responsible for the major aqueous emissions of PFOS and PFOA from the European Continent could be identified. For the target compounds chosen, we are proposing "indicative warning levels" in surface waters, which are (for most compounds) close to the 90th percentile of all water samples analysed.