Publications by authors named "Gijs D Breedveld"

Article Synopsis
  • A study examines how to identify bioactive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental samples, as only a few of these compounds are regularly monitored.
  • It combines toxicity testing, targeted chemical analyses, and suspect screening to find unknown substances in PFAS-contaminated sediments, particularly looking at their interaction with the thyroid hormone distributor protein, transthyretin (TTR).
  • The researchers determined that certain PFAS, like PFHpS and PFOS, have varying potencies for TTR binding, but not all observed bioactivity in sediment samples was linked to the known PFAS, leading to the identification of five additional candidates through suspect screening.
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The extensive use of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has resulted in many environmental point and diffuse sources. Identifying the source responsible for a pollution hot spot is vital for assessing remediation measures, however, as there are many possible sources of environmental PFAS pollution, this can be challenging. Chemical fingerprinting has been proposed as an approach to identify contamination sources.

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In situ soil washing at the field scale has not yet been investigated as a remediation strategy for soils impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This remediation strategy is a promising low-cost alternative to other costlier remediation options like excavating, transporting and landfilling large amounts of PFAS contaminated soil. However, it is unclear if it is effective at the field scale, where large areas of heterogenous soil can be challenging to saturate with infiltration water and then pump to a treatment facility.

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Although poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous in the Arctic, their sources and fate in Arctic marine environments remain unclear. Herein, abiotic media (water, snow, and sediment) and biotic media (plankton, benthic organisms, fish, crab, and glaucous gull) were sampled to study PFAS uptake and fate in the marine food web of an Arctic Fjord in the vicinity of Longyearbyen (Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic). Samples were collected from locations impacted by a firefighting training site (FFTS) and a landfill as well as from a reference site.

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The entirety of the sediment bed in lake Tyrifjorden, Norway, is contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). A factory producing paper products and a fire station were investigated as possible sources. Fire station emissions were dominated by the eight carbon perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid (PFSA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), from aqueous film forming foams.

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The environmental behavior of perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAA) and their precursors was investigated in lake Tyrifjorden, downstream a factory producing paper products coated with per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Low water concentrations (max 0.18 ng L linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, L-PFOS) compared to biota (mean 149 μg kg L-PFOS in perch livers) resulted in high bioaccumulation factors (L-PFOS BAF: 8.

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Article Synopsis
  • PCBs, which have been banned in Western countries since the 1980s, were still found in waste in Norway as of 2013, particularly in plastic, electronic waste, and vehicle fluff.
  • Concentrations of seven indicator-PCBs were highest in plastic waste at 3700 μg/kg while lowest in glass and ash waste (0.3 to 65 μg/kg).
  • PCB emissions from waste handling facilities primarily occurred as vapor in the air or as particles in leachate water, with significant differences observed in how PBDEs (brominated flame retardants) associate with air particles compared to PCBs.
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The use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) has resulted in hot spots polluted with poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs). The phase out of long-chained perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from AFFFs resulted in the necessity for alternatives, and short-chained PFAAs and fluorotelomer-based surfactants have been used. Here, the distribution of PFAS contamination in the marine environment surrounding a military site in Norway was investigated.

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The contaminant situation at a Norwegian firefighting training facility (FTF) was investigated 15 years after the use of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) based aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) products had ceased. Detailed mapping of the soil and groundwater at the FTF field site in 2016, revealed high concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFOS accounted for 96% of the total PFAS concentration in the soil with concentrations ranging from <0.

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The analysis of undisturbed sediment cores is a powerful tool for understanding spatial and temporal impacts of anthropogenic emissions from the energy and transport sectors at a regional scale. The spatial and vertical distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and black carbon (BC) were determined in 12 cores of recent (up to 20cm long) sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk in Poland, and Oslofjord/Drammensfjord in Norway. The Σ12PAHs levels in individual sediment layers varied from 250 to 4500ng/g d.

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Hazardous substances entering the sea, and ultimately deposited in bottom sediments, pose a growing threat to marine ecosystems. The present study characterized two coastal areas exposed to significant anthropogenic impact - Gulf of Gdańsk (Poland), and Oslofjord/Drammensfjord (Norway) - by conducting a multi-proxy investigation of recent sediments, and comparing the results in light of different available thresholds for selected contaminants. Sediment samples were analyzed for benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nonylphenols (NPs), organotin compounds (OTs), toxic metals (Cd, Hg, Pb), as well as mutagenic, genotoxic and endocrine-disrupting activities (in CALUX bioassays).

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Antimony, which has damaging effects on the human body and the ecosystem, can be released into soils, ground-, and surface waters either from ore minerals that weather in near surface environments, or due to anthropogenic releases from waste rich in antimony, a component used in batteries, electronics, ammunitions, plastics, and many other industrial applications. Here, we show that dissolved Sb can interact with calcite, a widespread carbonate mineral, through a coupled dissolution-precipitation mechanism. The process is imaged in situ, at room temperature, at the nanometer scale by using an atomic force microscope equipped with a flow-through cell.

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Nitramines are potentially carcinogens that form from the amines used in post-combustion CO capture (PCCC). The soil sorption characteristics of monoethanol (MEA)- and dimethyl (DMA)-nitramines have been assessed using a batch experimental setup, and defined indirectly by measuring loss of nitramine (LC-MS/MS) from the aqueous phase (0.01 M CaCl and 0.

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The recovery of the confined aquatic disposal (CAD) facility located at Malmøykalven in Oslofjord, Norway, has been assessed using an array of field measurement techniques. These methods were used prior to the disposal of dredged sediments as well as during 3 annual postdisposal monitoring campaigns. Traditional sampling to assess chemical recovery indicates that an immediate reduction in total sediment concentrations and surface sediments can be characterized as having good quality.

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Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) containing poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used for firefighting have led to the contamination of soil and water at training sites. The unique physicochemical properties of PFAS results in environmental persistency, threatening water quality and making remediation of such sites a necessity. This work investigated the role of sorbent amendment to PFAS contaminated soils in order to immobilise PFAS and reduce mobility and leaching to groundwater.

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An integrative approach across disciplines is needed for sustainable lagoon and estuary management as identified by integrated coastal zone management. The ARCH research project (Architecture and roadmap to manage multiple pressures on lagoons) has taken initial steps to overcome the boundaries between disciplines and focus on cross-disciplinary integration by addressing the driving forces, challenges, and problems at various case study sites. A model was developed as a boundary-spanning activity to produce joint knowledge and understanding.

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The European Union (EU) has taken the lead to promote the management of coastal systems. Management strategies are implemented by the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), as well as the recent Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) Directive. Most EU directives have a strong focus on public participation; however, a recent review found that the actual involvement of stakeholders was variable.

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Small-arm shooting ranges often receive a significant input of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and antimony (Sb) from ammunition. The goal of the present study was to investigate the mobility, distribution and speciation of Pb and Sb pollution under field conditions in both untreated and sorbent-amended shooting range soil. Elevated Sb (19-349μgL(-1)) and Pb (7-1495μgPbL(-1)) concentrations in the porewater of untreated soil over the four-year test period indicated a long-term Sb and Pb source to the adjacent environment in the absence of remedial measures.

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Per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been attracting increasing attention due to their considerable persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Here, we studied the sorption behavior of three PFCs, viz. perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanecarboxylic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), on one activated carbon (AC) and two biochars from different feedstocks, viz.

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Antimony (Sb) in lead bullets poses a major environmental risk in shooting range soils. Here we studied the effect of iron (Fe)-based amendments on the mobility of Sb in contaminated soil from shooting ranges in Norway. Untreated soil showed high Sb concentrations in water extracts from batch tests (0.

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Antimony (Sb) in air pollution control (APC) residues from municipal solid waste incineration has gained increased focus due to strict Sb leaching limits set by the EU landfill directive. Here we study the chemical speciation and solubility of Sb at the APC treatment facility NOAH Langøya (Norway), where iron (Fe)-rich sulfuric acid (∼3.6M, 2.

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Biochar amendment to soil is a potential technology for carbon storage and climate change mitigation. It may, in addition, be a valuable soil fertility enhancer for agricultural purposes in sandy and/or weathered soils. A life cycle assessment including ecological, health and resource impacts has been conducted for field sites in Zambia to evaluate the overall impacts of biochar for agricultural use.

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A large-scale field experiment on in situ thin-layer capping was carried out in the polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) contaminated Grenlandsfjords, Norway. The main focus of the trial was to test the effectiveness of active caps (targeted thickness of 2.5 cm) consisting of powdered activated carbon (AC) mixed into locally dredged clean clay.

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We collected urban soil samples impacted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a sorbent-based remediation field trial to address concerns about unwanted side-effects of 2% powdered (PAC) or granular (GAC) activated carbon amendment on soil microbiology and pollutant biodegradation. After three years, total microbial cell counts and respiration rates were highest in the GAC amended soil. The predominant bacterial community structure derived from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) shifted more strongly with time than in response to AC amendment.

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In situ amendment of contaminated sediments using activated carbon (AC) is a recent remediation technique, where the strong sorption of contaminants to added AC reduces their release from sediments and uptake into organisms. The current study describes a marine underwater field pilot study in Trondheim harbor, Norway, in which powdered AC alone or in combination with sand or clay was tested as a thin-layer capping material for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated sediment. Several novel elements were included, such as measuring PAH fluxes, no active mixing of AC into the sediment, and the testing of new manners of placing a thin AC cap on sediment, such as AC+clay and AC+sand combinations.

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