Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Background
Globally, 2-Ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) is one of the most commonly used UV filters in sunscreen and personal care products. Due to its widespread usage, the occurrence of EHMC in the aquatic environment has frequently been documented. In the EU, EHMC is listed under the European Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) as suspected to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and as a potential endocrine disruptor. It was included in the first watch list under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) referring to a sediment PNEC of 200 µg/kg dry weight (dw). In the light of the ongoing substance evaluation to refine the environmental risk assessment, the objective of this study was to obtain spatio-temporal trends for EHMC in freshwater.
We analyzed samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM) retrieved from the German environmental specimen bank (ESB). The samples covered 13 sampling sites from major German rivers, including Rhine, Elbe, and Danube, and have been collected since mid-2000s.

Results
Our results show decreasing concentrations of EHMC in annual SPM samples during the studied period. In the mid-2000s, the levels for EHMC ranged between 3.3 and 72 ng/g dw. The highest burden could be found in the Rhine tributary Saar. In 2017, we observed a maximum concentration ten times lower (7.9 ng/g dw in samples from the Saar). In 62% of all samples taken in 2017, concentrations were even below the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 2.7 ng/g dw.

Conclusions
The results indicate a general declining discharge of EHMC into German rivers within the last 15 years and correspond to the market data. Although the measured levels are below the predicted no-effect level (PNEC) in sediment, further research should identify local and seasonal level of exposure, e.g., at highly frequented bathing waters especially in lakes. In addition, possible substitutes as well as their potentially synergistic effects together with other UV filters should be investigated.

AbstractBackgroundEuropean chemicals management aims to protect human health and the environment from legacy and emerging contaminants. The plasticizer market changed in response to the restriction of low molecular weight (LMW) phthalate plasticizers such as Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) due to their hazardous properties. We investigated patterns and trends of 19 regulated and emerging plasticizers in house dust from German homes and in suspended particulate matter (SPM) from major German rivers. The samples were used from the mid-2000s and late 2010s from two governmental long-term monitoring programs in Germany.ResultsWhile the sum of the respective plasticizer levels hardly changed over the study period, we observed a significant decrease of LMW phthalates in both house dust (2003/06, 80% of the ∑plasticizer concentration; 2014/17, 31%) and SPM (2005, 48%; 2017, 28%). This was accompanied by their substitution with high molecular weight (HMW) phthalates and non-phthalates. HMW phthalates increased from 19% of the ∑plasticizer concentration to 46% between the mid-2000s and the late 2010s in house dust, and from 50% to 63% in SPM samples. Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) replaced DEHP as the dominant plasticizer in both compartments. A significant tenfold increase (p < 0.05) was observed in SPM samples for Di (2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) (1–13%), compared to low levels in house dust (2014/17, 1%). Non-phthalates increased to 23% of the ∑plasticizer concentration in house dust but only to 9% in SPM (mid-2000s: house dust, < 1%; SPM, 1.5%). In recent house dust samples, Di (2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT) had the third highest concentration of all plasticizers and contributed 18% to the total load, whereas Tris (2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (TOTM) was one of the major non-phthalates in SPM samples.ConclusionsUnlike in the indoor environment, the substitution of LMW phthalates in the aquatic environment was characterized by a significant shift towards plasticizers with potentially hazardous properties. DPHP and TOTM were identified by European chemical regulation as potentially endocrine disrupting compounds and persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds. Our data document the need for integrated chemicals management to safeguard the transition to a non-toxic environment.

Dieser Bericht fasst die wesentlichen Arbeiten der Umweltprobenbank des Bundes im Jahr 2021 zusammen. Die Umweltprobenbank des Bundes unterstützt die Umsetzung des Vorsorgeprinzips mit einer wissenschaftlichen Infrastruktur, einer umfassende Datenbasis zur Bestimmung und Bewertung des Ist-Zustandes der Umwelt und einer langfristigen Beobachtung der in der Umwelt stattfindenden chemischen, physikalischen und biologischen Entwicklungsprozesse. Dafür sammeln Fachleute Humanproben ausgewählter Standorte gemeinsam mit ökologisch repräsentativen Umweltproben, archivieren sie bei tiefkalten Temperaturen und führen Untersuchungen auf gesundheits- und umweltrelevante Stoffe durch. Auf diese Weise wird auch eine Kontrolle der Wirksamkeit umweltpolitischer Maßnahmen möglich, beispielsweise bei Beschränkungen der Verwendung von Stoffen.

Dieser Bericht fasst die wesentlichen Arbeiten der Umweltprobenbank des Bundes im Jahr 2020 zusammen. Die Umweltprobenbank des Bundes unterstützt die Umsetzung des Vorsorgeprinzips mit einer wissenschaftlichen Infrastruktur, einer umfassende Datenbasis zur Bestimmung und Bewertung des Ist-Zustandes der Umwelt und einer langfristigen Beobachtung der in der Umwelt stattfindenden chemischen, physikalischen und biologischen Entwicklungsprozesse. Dafür sammeln Fachleute Humanproben ausgewählter Standorte gemeinsam mit ökologisch repräsentativen Umweltproben, archivieren sie bei tiefkalten Temperaturen und führen Untersuchungen auf gesundheits- und umweltrelevante Stoffe durch. Auf diese Weise wird auch eine Kontrolle der Wirksamkeit umweltpolitischer Maßnahmen möglich, beispielsweise bei Beschränkungen der Verwendung von Stoffen.