Suchergebnisse

Since the last decades the increasing currency of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and their risk potential for the aquatic life has become an urgent issue. The number of pharmaceuticals detectable in the low μg/L range in the environment is rising each day. Against this background the aim of this project was the development, optimization, validation and comparison of analytical methods for quantification of selected pharmaceuticals in different environmental matrices (water, sediment, suspended particular matter and biota). High sensitive LC-MS-MS methods for determination of extreme polar, polar and hormonal pharmaceuticals in water samples were developed and validated. Using these methods occurrence and distribution of the selected pharmaceuticals in water with different waste water content were determined. For analysis of pharmaceuticals in particular matter and biota samples extraction and clean-up procedures were tested, but method development is still in process. Furthermore a monitoring campaign was set up and water samples, suspended particular matter and biota (fish) samples from six different sampling sites were taken.

Organic contaminants in polar regions have become significant concerns because of their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity potential. Climate change can alter the biogeochemical cycling of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) and amplify their effects on polar ecosystems. Occurrences of POPs and EOCs from long-range transport and local discharge have left impacts on fragile polar ecosystems. Therefore, actions are urgently needed to monitor the temporal trends of POPs and to investigate novel EOCs in polar regions. The data on legacy POPs in environmental media and biota exhibit declining trends in both the Arctic and the Antarctic by virtue of the global endeavor in banning their manufacture and usage. However, the reemission of POPs that previously accumulated in the polar environment has been observed, and these POPs can enter the global cycle again following the processes of ice retreat, glacier melting and permafrost thawing driven by global warming. Therefore, continual monitoring should be conducted for legacy POPs in polar areas. Screening surveys for EOCs in environmental and biological matrices have been carried out through national and regional research programs. The long-range environmental transport of EOCs has been highlighted with their occurrences in ice cores, snow, and lake waters in polar regions. Therefore, the investigation of EOCs in the Antarctic needs to be strengthened through national and international research programs. Glacial ice and snow acted as secondary emission sources in the polar regions and released POPs and EOCs into the atmosphere and ocean. Thus, future research will need to understand the various biogeochemical and geophysical processes under climate change and anthropogenic pressures to be able to predict the environmental fates and toxicity risk of EOCs in polar regions.