Suchergebnisse

Abstract
A continuous task of the working group "Environmental Monitoring" is the development of methods and guidelines for a systematic and long-term analytical control of the chemical burden of environmental compartments and biota A new recommendation regarding the substance-related environmental monitoring is published in "Environmental Science and Pollution Research" (Rüdel et al., 2009). The "Chemical and Biological Monitoring Series", published in the same journal, originates from the working group or from its individual members also. Some central points of these articles are picked up and updated in this report. Current topics of major concern are the transformation of pharmaceuticals and its consequences for environmental monitoring and the monitoring of biocides and nanoparticles.
Besides other objectives the working group "Soil Chemistry and Soil Ecology" focuses on the development and standardisation of methods for the chemical, physical, and biological characterisation of soil pollution by specific contaminants as well as on the elaboration of methods for the assessment of potential harmful effects on soil, soil ecology, and on other potentially targeted environmental media. Recently the working group has summarized its main outcomes and conclusions in the position paper "Target Orientated Exposition Estimation in Soil Assessment" which is part of this report. Furthermore several other initiatives and activities of the working group are presented.

AbstractBackgroundThe trophic magnification factor (TMF) is a metric that describes the average trophic magnification of a chemical through a food web. TMFs may be used for the risk assessment of chemicals, although TMFs for single compounds can vary considerably between studies despite thorough guidance available in the literature to eliminate potential sources of error. The practical realization of a TMF investigation is quite complex and often only a few chemicals can be investigated due to low sample masses. This study evaluated whether a pragmatic approach involving the large-scale cryogenic sample preparation practices of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) is feasible. This approach could provide sufficient sample masses for a reduced set of samples allowing screenings for a broad spectrum of substances and by that enabling a systematic comparison of derived TMFs. Furthermore, it was assessed whether plausible TMFs can be derived with the 'Food web on ice' approach via a comparison with literature TMF values.ResultsThis investigation at Lake Templin near Potsdam is the first TMF study for a German freshwater ecosystem and aimed to derive TMFs that are appropriate for regulatory purposes. A set of 15 composite biota samples was obtained and analyzed for an extended set of benchmark chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants, mercury and perfluoroalkyl substances. TMFs were calculated for all substances that were present in > 80% of the biota samples. For example, in the case of polychlorinated biphenyls, TMFs from 1.7 to 2.5 were determined and comparisons to literature TMFs determined in other freshwater ecosystems showed similarities. We showed that 32 out of 35 compounds analyzed had TMFs significantly above 1. In the remaining three cases, the correlations were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe derived food web samples allow for an on-demand analysis and are ready-to-use for additional investigations. Since substances with non-lipophilic accumulation properties were also included in the list of analyzed substances, we conclude that the 'Food web on ice' provides samples which could be used to characterize the trophic magnification potential of substances with unknown bioaccumulation properties in the future which in return could be compared directly to the benchmarking patterns provided here.

AbstractCyanide compounds are naturally emitted into the environment in low levels by degradation processes or emitted from anthropogenic sources. In surface water, complex cyanide compounds as well as "free cyanide" are present. The latter term covers hydrogen cyanide and cyanide compounds which easily liberate hydrogen cyanide under slightly acidic conditions. Especially free cyanide may cause adverse effects in the environment. To exclude negative impacts on freshwater systems, in the context of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), preventive regulatory activities for free cyanide are currently under discussion. However, established analytical methods for quantification of free cyanide only obtain limits of quantification (LOQs) in the range of 1 μg L−1. Thus, these methods are not sufficiently sensitive for a potential environmental quality standard (EQS) compliance monitoring at water concentrations below the current predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) level of free cyanide. In the present study, a standardized continuous flow analysis (CFA) method for quantification of low free cyanide concentrations was adapted by applying a special system which allows an ultra-sensitive photometric detection of a colored cyanide derivative. By this means, LOQs in a range of one magnitude below the PNEC are achievable. The method was validated according to ISO/IEC 17025 requirements. Free cyanide concentrations in tested surface water samples from a small river and a barrier lake with low anthropogenic influences were very low and clearly below the PNEC. The results prove that the adapted CFA method is suitable for the analysis of low concentration free cyanide in freshwaters and appropriate for a possible EQS compliance monitoring.

Abstract
Background
Descriptor 8 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) (Directive 2008/56/EC) addresses the good environmental status with regard to pollution of marine waters by chemical contaminants. Commission decision (EU) 2017/848 lays down the criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters. Member States, in regional or subregional cooperation, shall establish lists of relevant contaminants beside those already covered by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). To provide information on emerging contaminants in marine biota, the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) has compiled data of blue mussels and eelpouts from coastal sites in the North and Baltic Seas. Substances identified by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) as of emerging concern for the marine environment have been used as a starting point.

Results and conclusions
The study presents data of 19 emerging flame retardants and degradation products, 40 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and three cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes (cVMS). Among the emerging flame retardants, only Dec 602 was detected in all samples of 2015. Dec 604, Cl10-antiDP, 1,5-DPMA, EH-TBB, PBEB, TBP-AE, BATE, BTBPE and HBBz were constantly < limit of quantification (LOQ). Time trends were barely detected. Legacy PBDE still dominates in most samples. PFAS concentrations were usually higher in samples from the North Sea sites compared to samples from the Baltic Sea. PFOS dominated in most samples. Increasing trends over time were detected for PFNA, PFDA and PFDoDA at the Baltic Sea site and for PFDA at one North Sea site. Concentrations of the cVMS D4, D5 and D6 were below the detection limit at the ESB sampling sites. Based on the results, it should be considered to include the emerging flame retardants DP and Dec 602 and the long-chain perfluoroalkyl substances PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA and PFDoDA in a regular monitoring in the North and Baltic Seas.

Abstract
Background
Bioaccumulating contaminants in surface waters are preferably monitored in fish for assessing the related risks to and via the aquatic environment. Consequently, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires a monitoring of certain priority substances such as mercury, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDD) and polychlorinated dioxins/dioxin-like compounds (dioxins) in freshwater and coastal fish. Tissue levels have to comply with biota environmental quality standards (EQSs) given in Directive 2013/39/EU. EQSs are justified either by risks for human health (assessed on the basis of fillet) or secondary poisoning of wildlife (based on whole fish). To support the practical implementation of the WFD biota monitoring in Germany, comparative investigations of target fish species caught at six sites were performed.

Results
At each site, at least three fish species listed in a national guidance document were sampled (e.g., chub, roach, bream, perch). Beside biometric data, concentrations of seven priority substances were determined in pooled fillet and carcass samples and whole fish data were calculated. The EQSs for PBDE and mercury were exceeded in nearly all fillet and whole fish samples. PFOS was above the EQS at several sites especially in perch, while HCB exceeded the EQS only at one site (Elbe River). All fillet and whole fish samples complied with the EQSs for dioxins and HBCDD. Based on wet weight concentrations of a homogeneous set of 20 composite sample pairs of 3–5 year-old fish, the following fillet-to-whole fish conversion factors were derived: mercury 0.81, PBDE 5.4, HCB 3.6, PFOS 2.7, dioxins 5.3, and HBCDD 1.8.

Conclusions
Recommendations on selection of target fish species, age or tissue given by EU and national guidance documents are practical and feasible. However, further adjustments of the samplings such as the determination of site-specific length–age relationships are required from both ecological and risk assessment perspectives. The derived conversion factors allow the translation of fillet-to-whole fish concentrations (and vice versa), and thus the EQS compliance assessment for the appropriate tissue (fillet for human health, whole fish for wildlife risks) if only one tissue is investigated.