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Classic (polybromodiphenyl ethers, PBDEs) and emerging halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) such as hexabromobenzenze (HBB), pentabromoetilbenzene (PBEB), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and halogenated norbornenes (HNs), as well as naturally produced methoxylated-PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), were analyzed in 12 sediment and 30 urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) samples collected from Bizerte Lagoon in northern Tunisia. Levels of HFRs in the sediments ranged from nd to 51.8 ng/g dry weight (dw), while MeO-PBDEs were not detected. As regards levels in urchins, concentrations of PBDEs, HNs and MeO-PBDEs ranged from 3.67 to 56.9, 4.52 to 116 and nd to 364 ng/g lipid weight (lw), respectively. Thus, levels of naturally occurring compounds were higher than those of an anthropogenic origin. As regards HFRs, the highest contribution comes from HNs with levels ranging between 9.98 and 143 ng/g lw. HN and PBDE concentrations in sea urchin are similar or slightly lower than other reports for other species, while total MeO-PBDE concentrations are higher. The comsumption of sea urchins in Bizerte city is not a threat to public health concerning PBDE intakes. © 2018 Elsevier B.V., This work has been funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group Water and Soil Quality Unit 2017 SGR 01404) and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Biotage is acknowledged for providing SPE cartridges.

The principal objective of this study is to generate mathematical regression equations that facilitate the estimation of the extent to which Eichhornia crassipes (C. Mart.) Solms, water hyacinth, absorbs heavy metals (HMs) into four plant organs (laminae, petioles, roots, and stolons). This study considers the absorption of nine HMs (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and the E. crassipes evaluated in this study were located in three irrigation canals in the North Nile Delta in Egypt, with sampling being conducted in both monospecific and homogenous E. crassipes. Samples of both E. crassipes and water were collected on a monthly basis during one growing season. Analysis of the water samples showed that the HM concentrations ranged from 1.1 μg/l for Cd to 2079.8 μg/l for Fe. All HMs were more concentrated in the E. crassipes roots than in any other organ. Typically, there was a significant correlation between the HM levels in the water and the HM levels in the E. crassipes organs. E. crassipes was documented by a bioconcentration factor > 1.0 for all HMs. The translocation factor in this study was, Ebrahem M. Eid extends his appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through Research Group Project under grant number RGP.1/60/42. Aljawhara H. Almuqrin acknowledges the support from the Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University through the Fast-track Research Funding Programme.

In recent years, decline of marine mammals' populations and increased frequency of strandings have arised the interest on the role that pollution may have in these events. The present work aimed at quantifying levels of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and dechloranes (DECs) in tissues of 3 adult females and one foetus of sperm whales stranded in the Southern Adriatic Sea coasts (Italy). Results proved the presence of different flame retardants (FRs) in tissues of sperm whales, including various polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) congeners (47, 99, 100, 154, entering the composition of PentaBDE mixture), hexabromocyclodecanes (HBCDs), Dec 602 and methoxylated polibrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs). In blubber, a target tissue for contaminant accumulation, ΣPBDEs reached values of 160, 158 and 183 ng/g lw, α-HBCD of 5.75 ng/g lw, Dec 602 of 1632 ng/g lw and MeO-BDEs of 563 ng/g lw. The availability of foetal tissues allowed evaluating the potential maternal transfer on many of these compounds, and to discuss the potential adverse effects on foetal health. To the best of our knowledge, obtained data are the first reporting placental transfer of FRs in sperm whales. PBDE levels detected in foetus suggested a potentially long-term exposure to BFRs, which could cause severe damages to the developing organism, likely at the cerebral, endocrine and immunologic levels. Dec 602, which was detected at the highest concentrations among all FRs considered, could potentially cause dysfunctional effects on the immune system of adult females.

There is a lack of data on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in estuaries worldwide, with little understanding of their temporal and spatial variations globally. Ibuprofen, paracetamol, diclofenac, trimethoprim and citalopram were measured in twelve estuaries in the UK. Initially, these compounds were monitored in the Humber Estuary, where samples were taken every two months over a twelve month period in order to assess their spatial and temporal variations. Ibuprofen was found at some of the highest concentrations ever measured in an estuary globally (18–6297 ng l−1), with paracetamol also measured at relatively high concentrations (4–917 ng l−1) in comparison to the other compounds. In terms of spatial distribution, a pattern was observed where the highest concentrations were found at a site at which wastewater is discharged, whilst compound concentrations were often lower upstream and downstream of this site. The downstream profile of pharmaceuticals differed temporally with concentrations highest downstream when input from wastewater effluent was highest. Eleven further estuaries were sampled around the UK in order to put the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the Humber Estuary into a wider context. Pharmaceutical concentrations in the other estuaries sampled were

Owing to the controlled or uncontrolled industrial wastewater disposal, pharmaceutical-based hazardous emerging contaminants (ECs) can be found in the environment all over the world. With ever-increasing socioeconomic aspects and environmental awareness, people are now more concerns about the widespread occurrences of hazardous and persistent contaminants, around the globe. In this context, several studies have already shown that various types of emerging and/or re-emerging contaminants, regardless the source, type and concentration, are of supreme threat to the living system of flora and fauna. Recently, algae-based bioreactors have gained special research interest as a promising way to remove pharmaceuticals-based ECs from the wastewater either partially or completely. This paper covers the progress on the removal of selected pharmaceuticals using bioreactors. In laboratory scale studies, high removal percentages have been reached for most selected pharmaceuticals, but data on full-scale bioreactors is limited. In this paper, two types of bioreactors are discussed, i.e., (1) open pond and (2) bubble column photobioreactor, which are considered sustainable and an effective alternative to remove ECs. In these bioreactors, high removal percentages (>90%) have been found for metoprolol, triclosan, and salicylic acid, moderate (50-90%) for carbamazepine and tramadol and very low (

Levels of particle-phase legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and novel brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, such as decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and Dechlorane Plus (DP), were measured in ambient outdoor air, indoor workplace air and indoor dust, in different locations across Spain. PBDE concentrations were generally higher in outdoor ambient air samples than in indoor air, ranging between 1.18 and 28.6 pg m −3 , while DP was the main flame retardant (FR) in indoor air (2.90–42.6 pg m −3 ). A different behavior of legacy versus novel FRs was observed in all the environments and matrices considered, which seemed to indicate a progressive replacement of the former. Although the emission sources could not be fully identified, certain evidences suggested that high outdoor PBDE concentrations could be associated with old goods in landfills and recycling centers, while high indoor DP concentrations were linked to the presence of new electronic devices. A direct impact of land use on outdoor atmospheric DP concentrations was observed, with DP concentrations correlating with high density of buildings within a city. In addition, DP concentrations outdoors correlated with inorganic species with FR properties (e.g., Cr, Cu). Significant differences in the fraction of anti-DP to the total DP (F anti ratio) were observed between indoor air (PM 2.5 ) and dust (PM 10 ), which could be related with: a) a dependence on particle size, suggesting a higher relative abundance of the anti -isomer in PM 10 than in PM 2.5 , while similar concentrations were recorded for the syn -isomer; b) a higher deposition rate of the anti-isomer compared to the syn-isomer; and/or c) a more accentuated preferential degradation of the anti-isomer linked to artificial light or other agents coexisting in the air. The detectable presence of all the FR families analyzed in indoor air and dust points to the importance of monitoring these compounds in order to minimize human exposure.

The world is heading in the wrong direction on carbon emissions where we are not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C; Ireland is among the countries where overall emissions have continued to rise. The development of wettable peatland products and services (termed 'Paludiculture') present significant opportunities for enabling a transition away from peat-harvesting (fossil fuels) to developing 'green' eco-innovations. However, this must be balanced with sustainable carbon sequestration and environmental protection. This complex transition from 'brown to green' must be met in real time by enabling digital technologies across the full value chain. This will potentially necessitate creation of new green-business models with the potential to support disruptive innovation. This timely paper describes digital transformation of paludiculture-based eco-innovation that will potentially lead to a paradigm shift towards using smart digital technologies to address efficiency of products and services along with future-proofing for climate change. Digital transform of paludiculture also aligns with the 'Industry 5.0 -a human-centric solution'. However, companies supporting peatland innovation may lack necessary standards, data-sharing or capabilities that can also affect viable business model propositions that can jeopardize economic, political and social sustainability. Digital solutions may reduce costs, increase productivity, improve produce develop, and achieve faster time to market for paludiculture. Digitisation also enables information systems to be open, interoperable, and user-friendly. This constitutes the first study to describe the digital transformation of paludiculture, both vertically and horizontally, in order to inform sustainability that includes process automation via AI, machine learning, IoT-Cloud informed sensors and robotics, virtual and augmented reality, and blockchain for cyber-physical systems. Thus, the aim of this paper is to describe the applicability of digital transformation to actualize the benefits and opportunities of paludiculture activities and enterprises in the Irish midlands with a global orientation. EAPA_576/2018 2019 BIM-KGS-008 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion