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Oral ingestion is the main exposure pathway through which humans ingest trace metals in the soil, particularly for children. Metals in different soil particle size fractions may vary in terms of concentration and properties. Urban school/kindergarten soil samples were collected from three cities: Lanzhou in northwest China, Wuhan in central China, and Shenzhen in southeast China. Soil samples were classified according to particle size (<63 μm, 63-150 μm, 150-250 μm, and 250-2000 μm) to estimate the effects of soil particle size on the total content and bioaccessibility of metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Based on the results, we assessed whether the standard size <150 μm (containing < 63 μm and 63-150 μm), recommended by the Technical Review Workgroup (TRW) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and <250 μm (containing < 63 μm, 63-150 μm, and 150-250) recommended by the Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE), are suitable where the largest proportion adhering to hands is the finest soil (<63 μm). The results showed that different metals exhibited different relationships between soil particle size and content and between soil particle size and bioaccessibility. Pb and Zn generally exhibited the greatest bioaccessibility in the coarsest particle sizes (250-2000 μm); whereas the highest Ni bioaccessibility occurred in the finest sizes (<63 μm); the bioaccessibility of other metals did not exhibit any obvious relationships with particle size. When assessing health risks using bioaccessible metal content in the recommended soil particle size ranges (<150 μm and <250 μm) and in finer particles (<63 μm), the results for noncarcinogenic risks to children exhibited no obvious difference, while the actual carcinogenic risks may be underestimated with the use of soil particle size ranges < 150 μm and <250 μm. Therefore, when choosing an optimal particle size fraction to evaluate the health risk of oral soil ingestion, we recommend the use of the bioaccessible metal content in <63 μm soil fraction., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Tier 1 exposure tools recommended for use under REACH are designed to easily identify situations that may pose a risk to health through conservative exposure predictions. However, no comprehensive evaluation of the performance of the lower tier tools has previously been carried out. The ETEAM project aimed to evaluate several lower tier exposure tools (ECETOC TRA, MEASE, and EMKG-EXPO-TOOL) as well as one higher tier tool (STOFFENMANAGER®). This paper describes the results of the external validation of tool estimates using measurement data., Methods: Measurement data were collected from a range of providers, both in Europe and United States, together with contextual information. Individual measurement and aggregated measurement data were obtained. The contextual information was coded into the tools to obtain exposure estimates. Results were expressed as percentage of measurements exceeding the tool estimates and presented by exposure category (non-volatile liquid, volatile liquid, metal abrasion, metal processing, and powder handling). We also explored tool performance for different process activities as well as different scenario conditions and exposure levels., Results: In total, results from nearly 4000 measurements were obtained, with the majority for the use of volatile liquids and powder handling. The comparisons of measurement results with tool estimates suggest that the tools are generally conservative. However, the tools were more conservative when estimating exposure from powder handling compared to volatile liquids and other exposure categories. In addition, results suggested that tool performance varies between process activities and scenario conditions. For example, tools were less conservative when estimating exposure during activities involving tabletting, compression, extrusion, pelletisation, granulation (common process activity PROC14) and transfer of substance or mixture (charging and discharging) at non-dedicated facilities (PROC8a; powder handling only). With the exception of STOFFENMANAGER® (for estimating exposure during powder handling), the tools were less conservative for scenarios with lower estimated exposure levels., Conclusions: This is the most comprehensive evaluation of the performance of REACH exposure tools carried out to date. The results show that, although generally conservative, the tools may not always achieve the performance specified in the REACH guidance, i.e. using the 75th or 90th percentile of the exposure distribution for the risk characterisation. Ongoing development, adjustment, and recalibration of the tools with new measurement data are essential to ensure adequate characterisation and control of worker exposure to hazardous substances., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.)

Human biomonitoring (HBM) is an effective tool for assessing actual exposure to chemicals that takes into account all routes of intake. Although hair analysis is considered to be an optimal biomarker for assessing mercury exposure, the lack of harmonization as regards sampling and analytical procedures has often limited the comparison of data at national and international level. The European-funded projects COPHES and DEMOCOPHES developed and tested a harmonized European approach to Human Biomonitoring in response to the European Environment and Health Action Plan. Herein we describe the quality assurance program (QAP) for assessing mercury levels in hair samples from more than 1800 mother-child pairs recruited in 17 European countries. To ensure the comparability of the results, standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sampling and for mercury analysis were drafted and distributed to participating laboratories. Training sessions were organized for field workers and four external quality-assessment exercises (ICI/EQUAS), followed by the corresponding web conferences, were organized between March 2011 and February 2012. ICI/EQUAS used native hair samples at two mercury concentration ranges (0.20-0.71 and 0.80-1.63) per exercise. The results revealed relative standard deviations of 7.87-13.55% and 4.04-11.31% for the low and high mercury concentration ranges, respectively. A total of 16 out of 18 participating laboratories the QAP requirements and were allowed to analyze samples from the DEMOCOPHES pilot study. Web conferences after each ICI/EQUAS revealed this to be a new and effective tool for improving analytical performance and increasing capacity building. The procedure developed and tested in COPHES/DEMOCOPHES would be optimal for application on a global scale as regards implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The German Working Group on Indoor Guidelines of the Indoor Air Hygiene Committee and of the Supreme State Health Authorities is issuing indoor air guide values to protect public health. No reliable human studies are available for health evaluation of 2-butanone oxime in indoor air. In a well documented chronic inhalation animal study with rats and mice assessed as reliable, degenerative changes in the olfactory epithelium were observed, which led to a dose related increased incidence and severity, especially in mice. Using a benchmark approach the Working Group assessed a BMD10 of 13.8 mg 2-butanone oxime/m(3) for continuous exposure for the endpoint degeneration of the olfactory epithelium. For interspecies differences a reduced factor of 1 was applied due to the same susceptibility of rodents than human for this endpoint. By applying a factor of 10 for interindividual variability, and a factor of 2 to account for the higher respiratory rate of children compared to adults, a health hazard guide value (RW II) of 0.06 mg 2-butanone oxime/m(3) indoor air is obtained. A precautionary guide value of 0.02 mg 2-butanone oxime/m(3) indoor air is recommended.

This article discusses the effect of chromium(VI) (Cr(VI)) on human health under conditions of acute and chronic exposure in the workplace. Chromium(VI) compounds as carcinogens and/or mutagens pose a direct danger to people exposed to them. If carcinogens cannot be eliminated from the work and living environments, their exposure should be reduced to a minimum. In the European Union the proposed binding occupational exposure limit value (BOELV) for chromium(VI) of 0.025 mg/m³ is still associated with high cancer risk. Based on the Scientific Commitee of Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) document chromium(VI) concentrations at 0.025 mg/m³ increases the risk of lung cancer in 2-14 cases per 1000 exposed workers. Exposure to chromium(VI) compounds expressed in Cr(VI) of 0.01 mg Cr(VI)/m3; is responsible for the increased number of lung cancer cases in 1-6 per 1000 people employed in this condition for the whole period of professional activity., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)

Lee et al. (Evaluation of pump pulsation in respirable size-selective sampling: part I. Pulsation measurements. Ann Occup Hyg 2014a;58:60-73) introduced an approach to measure pump pulsation (PP) using a real-world sampling train, while the European Standards (EN) (EN 1232-1997 and EN 12919-1999) suggest measuring PP using a resistor in place of the sampler. The goal of this study is to characterize PP according to both EN methods and to determine the relationship of PP between the published method (Lee et al., 2014a) and the EN methods. Additional test parameters were investigated to determine whether the test conditions suggested by the EN methods were appropriate for measuring pulsations. Experiments were conducted using a factorial combination of personal sampling pumps (six medium- and two high-volumetric flow rate pumps), back pressures (six medium- and seven high-flow rate pumps), resistors (two types), tubing lengths between a pump and resistor (60 and 90 cm), and different flow rates (2 and 2.5 l min(-1) for the medium- and 4.4, 10, and 11.2 l min(-1) for the high-flow rate pumps). The selection of sampling pumps and the ranges of back pressure were based on measurements obtained in the previous study (Lee et al., 2014a). Among six medium-flow rate pumps, only the Gilian5000 and the Apex IS conformed to the 10% criterion specified in EN 1232-1997. Although the AirChek XR5000 exceeded the 10% limit, the average PP (10.9%) was close to the criterion. One high-flow rate pump, the Legacy (PP=8.1%), conformed to the 10% criterion in EN 12919-1999, while the Elite12 did not (PP=18.3%). Conducting supplemental tests with additional test parameters beyond those used in the two subject EN standards did not strengthen the characterization of PPs. For the selected test conditions, a linear regression model [PPEN=0.014+0.375×PPNIOSH (adjusted R2=0.871)] was developed to determine the PP relationship between the published method (Lee et al., 2014a) and the EN methods. The 25% PP criterion recommended by Lee et al. (2014a), average value derived from repetitive measurements, corresponds to 11% PPEN. The 10% pass/fail criterion in the EN Standards is not based on extensive laboratory evaluation and would unreasonably exclude at least one pump (i.e. AirChek XR5000 in this study) and, therefore, the more accurate criterion of average 11% from repetitive measurements should be substituted. This study suggests that users can measure PP using either a real-world sampling train or a resistor setup and obtain equivalent findings by applying the model herein derived. The findings of this study will be delivered to the consensus committees to be considered when those standards, including the EN 1232-1997, EN 12919-1999, and ISO 13137-2013, are revised., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society 2014.)

COPHES/DEMOCOPHES has its origins in the European Environment and Health Action Plan of 2004 to "develop a coherent approach on human biomonitoring (HBM) in Europe". Within this twin-project it was targeted to collect specimens from 120 mother-child-pairs in each of the 17 participating European countries. These specimens were investigated for six biomarkers (mercury in hair; creatinine, cotinine, cadmium, phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A in urine). The results for mercury in hair are described in a separate paper. Each participating member state was requested to contract laboratories, for capacity building reasons ideally within its borders, carrying out the chemical analyses. To ensure comparability of analytical data a Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) was established which provided the participating laboratories with standard operating procedures (SOP) and with control material. This material was specially prepared from native, non-spiked, pooled urine samples and was tested for homogeneity and stability. Four external quality assessment exercises were carried out. Highly esteemed laboratories from all over the world served as reference laboratories. Web conferences after each external quality assessment exercise functioned as a new and effective tool to improve analytical performance, to build capacity and to educate less experienced laboratories. Of the 38 laboratories participating in the quality assurance exercises 14 laboratories qualified for cadmium, 14 for creatinine, 9 for cotinine, 7 for phthalate metabolites and 5 for bisphenol A in urine. In the last of the four external quality assessment exercises the laboratories that qualified for DEMOCOPHES performed the determinations in urine with relative standard deviations (low/high concentration) of 18.0/2.1% for cotinine, 14.8/5.1% for cadmium, 4.7/3.4% for creatinine. Relative standard deviations for the newly emerging biomarkers were higher, with values between 13.5 and 20.5% for bisphenol A and between 18.9 and 45.3% for the phthalate metabolites. Plausibility control of the HBM results of all participating countries disclosed analytical shortcomings in the determination of Cd when using certain ICP/MS methods. Results were corrected by reanalyzes. The COPHES/DEMOCOPHES project for the first time succeeded in performing a harmonized pan-European HBM project. All data raised have to be regarded as utmost reliable according to the highest international state of the art, since highly renowned laboratories functioned as reference laboratories. The procedure described here, that has shown its success, can be used as a blueprint for future transnational, multicentre HBM projects., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The European Union Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) provides for the designation and management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and requires that impacting activities are subject to 'an appropriate assessment' of their implications for the 'integrity' of the site. We define the term 'site integrity' from a legal and an ecological perspective. We demonstrate that 'site integrity' is the maintenance of ecological processes and functions that support the wider delivery of ecosystem services. 'Site integrity' can be influenced by SAC management. Management that seeks to support 'site integrity' may include the use of buffer zones or connecting areas that extend beyond the SAC site's designated features. We conclude that 'site integrity' and 'favourable conservation status' are powerful legal terms that if fully transposed into the law and policy of Member States can enable the achievement of broader European and International goals for marine conservation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The EUNIS (European Union Nature Information System) habitat classification system aims to provide a common European reference set of habitat types within a hierarchical classification, and to cover all terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats of Europe. The classification facilitates reporting of habitat data in a comparable manner, for use in nature conservation (e.g. inventories, monitoring and assessments), habitat mapping and environmental management. For the marine environment the importance of a univocal habitat classification system is confirmed by the fact that many European initiatives, aimed at marine mapping, assessment and reporting, are increasingly using EUNIS habitat categories and respective codes. For this reason substantial efforts have been made to include information on marine benthic habitats from different regions, aiming to provide a comprehensive geographical coverage of European seas. However, there still remain many concerns on its applicability as only a small fraction of Europe's seas are fully mapped and increasing knowledge and application raise further issues to be resolved. This paper presents an overview of the main discussion and conclusions of a workshop, organised by the MeshAtlantic project, focusing upon the experience in using the EUNIS habitats classification across different countries and seas, together with case studies. The aims of the meeting were to: (i) bring together scientists with experience in the use of the EUNIS marine classification and representatives from the European Environment Agency (EEA); (ii) agree on enhancements to EUNIS that ensure an improved representation of the European marine habitats; and (iii) establish practices that make marine habitat maps produced by scientists more consistent with the needs of managers and decision-makers. During the workshop challenges for the future development of EUNIS were identified, which have been classified into five categories: (1) structure and hierarchy; (2) biology; (3) terminology; (4) mapping; and (5) future development. The workshop ended with a declaration from the attendees, with recommendations to the EEA and European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, to take into account the outputs of the workshop, which identify weaknesses in the current classification and include proposals for its modification, and to devise a process to further develop the marine component of the EUNIS habitat classification., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A multi-residue method for the analysis of semi-volatile organic pollutants in inland groundwater (river water) at ultra-trace levels in compliance with the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) has been developed and validated by stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (SBSE-TD-GC-MS/MS(QqQ)). The method includes various families of compounds included in the WFD and other compounds listed as persistent organic pollutants that are banned in the Stockholm Convention of Persistent Organic Pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatics hydrocarbons, and other pesticides not included in the WFD. The method also can be applied for compliance with regional environmental laws. Extraction conditions were optimised in order to analyse simultaneously analytes with very different polarities and octanol-water partition coefficients, which is an important parameter in the optimisation of a SBSE method. The quantification limits (LOQs) obtained ranged from 0.14 to 10 ng L(-1), lower that others presented in previous publications, and complies with the requirement for analytical methods to be used in the analysis of the compounds included in the WFD. Several quality parameters as linearity, trueness and precision were studied with good results, and also uncertainty was estimated. The WFD requires that the level of uncertainty must be lower than 50%, and this requirement was met for all compounds. Precision (in terms of RSD) was lower than 30%, recoveries ranged between 74 and 111%, and determination coefficients were higher than 0.990 for all analytes. Different factors that affect the SBSE procedure were optimised. GC-MS/MS parameters have also been revised. The accuracy of the method was tested participating in a proficiency testing scheme for each group of analytes., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A comparison of various averaging techniques to calculate the Average Exposure Indicator (AEI) specified in European Directive 2008/50/EC for particulate matter in ambient air has been performed. This was done for data from seventeen sites around the UK for which PM(10) mass concentration data is available for the years 1998-2000 and 2008-2010 inclusive. The results have shown that use of the geometric mean produces significantly lower AEI values within the required three year averaging periods and slightly lower changes in the AEI value between the three year averaging periods than the use of the arithmetic mean. The use of weighted means in the calculation, using the data capture at each site as the weighting parameter, has also been tested and this is proposed as a useful way of taking account of the confidence of each data set.

Historical records show that the A.D. 1783-1784 Laki eruption in Iceland caused severe environmental stress and posed a health hazard far beyond the borders of Iceland. Given the reasonable likelihood of such an event recurring, it is important to assess the scale on which a future eruption could impact society. We quantify the potential health effects caused by an increase in air pollution during a future Laki-style eruption using a global aerosol model together with concentration-response functions derived from current epidemiological studies. The concentration of particulate matter with diameters smaller than 2.5 µm is predicted to double across central, western, and northern Europe during the first 3 mo of the eruption. Over land areas of Europe, the current World Health Organization 24-h air quality guideline for particulate matter with diameters smaller than 2.5 µm is exceeded an additional 36 d on average over the course of the eruption. Based on the changes in particulate air pollution, we estimate that approximately 142,000 additional cardiopulmonary fatalities (with a 95% confidence interval of 52,000-228,000) could occur in Europe. In terms of air pollution, such a volcanic eruption would therefore be a severe health hazard, increasing excess mortality in Europe on a scale that likely exceeds excess mortality due to seasonal influenza.

Over the last few years, the interest in using benthic indicators to assess marine environments has increased dramatically after a rather long period of relative stagnation, mostly due to the need to assess the status of coastal marine waters required by North American and European regulations. Numerous papers on this topic have been published in the domain of ecology, using a variety of different terms to refer to two categories of information: benthic species and the status of benthic communities. Nowadays, the abundant literature on these two categories makes it possible to comment on (1) the definition of the different terms used by benthic researchers, (2) the current increase of papers of rising complexity about benthic indicators, and (3) the subjectivity and objectivity involved in using benthic indicators. Faced with the increase in the number of methods, we recommend pragmatism and thus the transfer of simple methods to the research consultancies that are responsible for assessing benthic quality in numerous impact studies. Using certain procedures, such as the "sentinel species", the best professional judgement (BPJ) and taxonomic sufficiency (TS), should clearly be encouraged., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) occurs mainly when humans ingest finfish contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). The complexity and variability of such toxins have made it difficult to develop reliable methods to routinely monitor CFP with specificity and sensitivity. This review aims to describe the methodologies available for CTX detection, including those based on the toxicological, biochemical, chemical, and pharmaceutical properties of CTXs. Selecting any of these methodological approaches for routine monitoring of ciguatera may be dependent upon the applicability of the method. However, identifying a reference validation method for CTXs is a critical and urgent issue, and is dependent upon the availability of certified CTX standards and the coordinated action of laboratories. Reports of CFP cases in European hospitals have been described in several countries, and are mostly due to travel to CFP endemic areas. Additionally, the recent detection of the CTX-producing tropical genus Gambierdiscus in the eastern Atlantic Ocean of the northern hemisphere and in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the confirmation of CFP in the Canary Islands and possibly in Madeira, constitute other reasons to study the onset of CFP in Europe [1]. The question of the possible contribution of climate change to the distribution of toxin-producing microalgae and ciguateric fish is raised. The impact of ciguatera onset on European Union (EU) policies will be discussed with respect to EU regulations on marine toxins in seafood. Critical analysis and availability of methodologies for CTX determination is required for a rapid response to suspected CFP cases and to conduct sound CFP risk analysis.

In recent years, the extensive use of chromium in industrial processes has led to the promotion of several directives and recommendations by the European Union, that try to limit and regulate the presence of Cr(VI) in the environment and to protect industrial workers using chromium and end-users of manufactured products. As a consequence, new standard methods and analytical procedures have been published at the EU level for Cr(VI) determination in soil, sludge, sediment, and similar waste materials, workplace atmospheres, cement, packaging materials, industrially produced samples, and corrosion-protection layers on some components of vehicles and electrical and electronic equipment. The objective of this article is to summarize the different directives and recommendations and to critically review the currently existing standard methods and the methods published in the literature for chromium speciation in the above mentioned solid matrices, putting the emphasis on the different extraction procedures which have been developed for each matrix. Particular attention has been paid to Cr(III) and Cr(VI) inter-conversions that can occur during extraction and efforts to minimize these unwanted reactions. Although the use of NaOH-Na(2)CO(3) solutions with hot plate extraction seems to be the more widespread procedure, species transformation can still occur and several studies suggest that speciated isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (SIDMS) could be a suitable tool for correction of these interconversions. Besides, recent studies have proved the role of Cr(III) in chromium toxicology. As a consequence, the authors suggest an update of standard methods in the near future.

Benthic indices are typically developed independently by habitat, making their incorporation into large geographic scale assessments potentially problematic because of scaling inequities. A potential solution is to establish common scaling using expert best professional judgment (BPJ). To test if experts from different geographies agree on condition assessment, sixteen experts from four regions in USA and Europe were provided species-abundance data for twelve sites per region. They ranked samples from best to worst condition and classified samples into four condition (quality) categories. Site rankings were highly correlated among experts, regardless of whether they were assessing samples from their home region. There was also good agreement on condition category, though agreement was better for samples at extremes of the disturbance gradient. The absence of regional bias suggests that expert judgment is a viable means for establishing a uniform scale to calibrate indices consistently across geographic regions., ((c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Working Group 25 of the European Committee for Standardisation's (CEN) Technical Committee 264 'Air Quality' is currently finalising a standard method for the measurement of total gaseous mercury (TGM) in ambient air, in response to the requirements of the European Union's Fourth Air Quality Daughter Directive (4(th) DD). We report the results of a programme of field measurements and the statistical analysis performed to assess the uncertainty of the proposed standard method, define its working range and determine its compliance with the required data quality objectives of the Fourth Air Quality Daughter Directive. The statistical analysis has shown that the maximum relative expanded uncertainty of 50% allowed by the 4(th) DD is met down to a mercury mass concentration of approximately 0.75 ng m(-3), and that the dominant contribution to this uncertainty is systematic bias between instruments, mainly arising from the uncertainty in the calibration of the instruments.

A sustainable society and a healthy society are major goals for European policymakers. Although most Europeans live a longer healthy life than ever, there is growing concern and anxiety about unknown health risks and threats of chemicals and a strong demand for more knowledge and more control. European legislation is responding to these demands. An example is the program on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), which came into force in 2007. It is a gigantic task for industry and for administrators to evaluate safety files of thousands of chemicals in a period of 12 years and to collect new data for chemicals not yet evaluated. Costs, number of toxicity tests, and number of animals that are needed are already well documented. REACH uses strict guidelines and focuses on apical endpoints that have been covered in the past by animal tests. Animal tests are slow, use unrealistic high doses, and have been shown to not always predict human toxicity correctly. The REACH program has made a clear opening for reduction of in vivo animal tests. Sharing toxicity data is a major improvement. For low tonnage levels, no further in vivo testing is allowed. The combination of scientifically valid information from alternative tests with available animal and human data into a weight-of-evidence approach is part of the integrated test strategy under REACH. Interpretation of this integrated information requires a high degree of expertise, flexibility, and openness toward scientific advances. This will be crucial for the success of the REACH program. It means a shift of attitude and will put a heavy responsibility on scientific experts and regulators, but it is also an opportunity for meeting the safety expectations of our modern society.

Criteria are needed to be able to judge the level of risk associated with dose rates estimated for non-human biota. In this paper, European guidance on the derivation of predicted no-effect chemical concentrations has been applied to appropriate radiation sensitivity data. A species sensitivity distribution fitted to the data for all species resulted in a generic predicted no-effect dose rate of 10 microGy h(-1).Currently, data are inadequate to derive screening values for separate organism groups. A second, higher, benchmark could aid in decision making by putting results into context on the scale of no effect to a risk of 'serious' effect. The need for, meaning and use of such a value needs to be debated by the wider community. This paper explores potential approaches of deriving scientific input to this debate. The concepts proposed in this paper are broadly consistent with the framework for human protection.

The current widespread and diverse use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in consumer products is expected to result in direct and indirect emissions to the aquatic environment. In Europe, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is responsible for maintaining a good chemical and ecological status of surface waters. This review provides an insight to the likely scenarios if an engineered nanoparticle should be considered a "priority substance" in the WFD. Through a brief literature review of the aquatic toxicity of carbon- and metal-containing ENPs and in light of principles to establish environmental quality standards, we conclude that it is impossible to set limit values for ENPs in surface waters now and in the foreseeable future. This is due to the extensive lack of knowledge not only in relation to unknown toxic effects, degradability, and bioaccumulation of ENPs in the aquatic environment, but also due to the questionable validity of test systems and methods to establish environmental quality standards (EQS). From this, we also suggest some paths to follow to compensate for these knowledge gaps which include environmental monitoring and a closer look at the use of ENPs in consumer products.

The measure of airborne particulate matter PM10 is effectively defined for European regulatory purposes by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) standard EN 12341:1998--a gravimetric filter-based method. However, compared with the reference methods written for other pollutants, specifically to address the needs of the Air Quality Directives, EN 12341 falls short in areas such as ongoing Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Also, scientific knowledge about PM has moved on considerably since 1998, so that we now realize that implementations of variations allowed within EN 12341:1998 can lead to substantial differences in results obtained. These issues were partially addressed within the CEN standard for PM2.5, EN 14907:2005, which, for example, included tighter control of the handling of sampled filters to reduce losses of semi-volatile material. CEN Technical Committee 264 Working Group 15 is currently revising EN 12341, and has the opportunity to improve the reference method further, for example by tighter specification of the filter material, or by changing the specification for the humidity at which the filters are brought to equilibrium. Any changes must, however, be considered in the context of the regulatory implications of the standard, so that improvements in scientific quality must be balanced with the effect of a step change in reference method, and with associated costs. The paper outlines the present position of the EN 12341 revision and recent changes to EU Air Quality legislation.

Traffic-related emissions of fine particles represent one of the main sources of air pollution especially in urban areas. In particular, diesel engines are blamed as one of the main contributors for their inherent high particulate emissions. In order to reduce the impact on human health of particulate emissions from vehicles, new stricter emission standards were considered necessary for Europe. The introduction of very low particulate emission limits has required the development of an improved measurement procedure for particulate mass and a new measurement procedure for particle number. The Particle Measurement Programme (PMP) was established in 2001 on the initiative of some European states to achieve this target. The interlaboratory comparison exercise for light duty vehicles, co-managed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the UK Department of Transport, was completed in 2007, and the results have provided the scientific basis for the new Euro 5/6 limits for particle number and particulate mass. The heavy-duty interlaboratory exercise was started in the second half of 2007 with an exploratory work carried out at the JRC and is still on-going.

The technical standard for dynamic olfactometry EN13725:2003 is now widely applied in testing of odours for environmental management purposes. Many laboratories working in this field apply QA/QC systems according to ISO17025 and are accredited under international accreditation, e.g. European Accreditation and NATA (Australia). One of the key elements of the EN13725 standard is the requirement to attain defined levels of statistical performance parameters, in particular Precision under repeatability conditions r and Accuracy A. For the reference odour n-butanol laboratories can establish these performance characteristics in-house, through internal QA/QC measurements. However, the real proof of the pudding is to demonstrate compliance with the requirements in externally organised blind proficiency testing. Proficiency testing for olfactometry has been used since the mid 1980s in the Netherlands and Germany. Currently international proficiency tests are organised by private firm Olfatec, under EN ISO/IEC 17020:2004 accreditation. In 2007 the most recent test was held, with 29 laboratories participating in the extended proficiency test using n-butanol. Of the participating laboratories 12 fully complied with the statistical performance criteria of EN13725. This result confirms that the EN13725 performance criteria are attainable in practice. It also shows that the majority of laboratories claiming to work according to EN13725 actually fail to do so on the key issue of the performance characteristics, a key element of the EN13725 standard. Even more worrying is that among the laboratories that fail to attain the required performance, many are accredited under ISO17025. Of 36 accredited laboratories for olfactometry in Europe only 12 have demonstrated compliance in 2007. This situation may create a false sense of security among users of the data produced, trusting that they can apply uncertainties according to EN13725 while in fact the uncertainty can be larger. It is therefore very important that corrective actions are implemented, and that the accreditation organisations monitor the implementation and also ensure that all laboratories claiming to work according to EN13725 under ISO17025 accreditation actually are able to attain the minimum criteria for precision and accuracy in successive proficiency tests. For users of olfactometry results it must be absolutely clear that a laboratory working according to EN13725 under ISO17025 accreditation will deliver results with a defined and satisfactory uncertainty. Such laboratories must be able to consistently pass proficiency tests for olfactometry. Accreditation bodies are the key guardians of this reasonable expectation..

Sixty-four percent of the 56 raptor and owl species that occur in Europe have an unfavorable conservation status. As well as requiring conservation measures in their own right, raptors and owls function as useful sentinels of wider environmental "health," because they are widespread top predators, relatively easy to monitor, and sensitive to environmental changes at a range of geographical scales. At a time of global acknowledgment of an increasing speed of biodiversity loss, and new, forward-looking and related European Union biodiversity policy, there is an urgent need to improve coordination at a pan-European scale of national initiatives that seek to monitor raptor populations. Here we describe current initiatives that make a contribution to this aim, particularly the current "MEROS" program, the results of a questionnaire survey on the current state of national raptor monitoring across 22 BirdLife Partners in Europe, the challenges faced by any enhanced pan-European monitoring scheme for raptors, and some suggested pathways for efficiently tapping expertise to contribute to such an initiative.

This paper outlines the importance of the policy context for monitoring with and for raptors, and, conversely, of the importance of such monitoring for policy. It then outlines two key areas of European Union (EU) environmental policy most relevant to monitoring for and with raptors, namely biodiversity policy and pollution policy. For each of the policy areas, the pertinent objectives and actions of the current EU policy are identified, and their relevance for raptor monitoring is discussed. The potential contribution of raptor monitoring to the further development of these policy areas is also addressed.

Since the last decade the WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality Management and Air Pollution Control, Berlin, Germany, operates a quality assurance and control (QA/QC) programme on air quality monitoring in the WHO European Region. As main activity Intercomparison workshops have been established for air monitoring network laboratories on a regular basis to harmonise air quality measurements, analysis and calibration techniques. 36 air hygiene laboratories of public health and environmental institutions of 24 countries participated in twelve Intercomparisons between 1994 and 2004. The majority was carried out for NO, NO(2), SO(2) and O(3). The results were predominantly satisfactory for automatic methods. The results of manual methods were mainly in a good, and for several concentration levels partly very good accordance with the data obtained by the monitors.

Official frameworks for soil monitoring exist in most member states of the European Union. However, the uniformity of methodologies and the scope of actual monitoring are variable between national systems. This review identifies the differences between existing systems, and describes options for harmonising soil monitoring in the Member States and some neighbouring countries of the European Union. The present geographical coverage is uneven between and within countries. In general, national and regional networks are much denser in northern and eastern regions than in southern Europe. The median coverage in the 50 km x 50 km EMEP cells applied all over the European Union, is 300 km(2) for one monitoring site. Achieving such minimum density for the European Union would require 4100 new sites, mainly located in southern countries (Italy, Spain, Greece), parts of Poland, Germany, the Baltic countries, Norway, Finland and France. Options are discussed for harmonisation of site density, considering various risk area and soil quality indicator requirements.

Sediment is an essential, integral and dynamic part of our river basins. A healthy river needs sediment as a source of life. Unfortunately, sediment also acts as a potential sink for many hazardous chemicals. Above a certain level of contamination this will result in negative impacts such a loss of biodiversity. This is deemed intolerable by society and hence the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) was developed. The WFD aims to achieve a good status of all European waters by the year 2015. The WFD does not specifically deal with sediment although it is clear that there is a link between sediment quality and achieving of this WFD objective. However, related to sediment monitoring there are some direct links in the WFD, which are further explained in this paper.

A European standard for the determination of Cr(vi) in solid material has been elaborated in the framework of an international co-operation and finally validated in the course of an interlaboratory comparison. The procedure is based on the alkaline digestion prescribed by EPA method 3060A followed by ion chromatography and determines an operationally defined content of Cr(vi), including water-soluble and insoluble chromates. A preliminary robustness study was carried out in order to compare different extraction methodologies and to study the equivalency of different analytical methods for the determination of Cr(vi) in alkaline extracts of soil and waste materials. During an interlaboratory validation trial with 19 European laboratories a set of 4 samples (2 soil and 2 waste samples) was analysed to determine performance characteristics for different combinations of digestion and detection methods. With the procedures prescribed by the new European standard (EN 15192) acceptable results were obtained for both soil samples and one of the waste samples (sludge). However, for the second waste sample (fly ash) a large deviation in analytical results was observed. This indicates that particularly for waste materials a possible occurrence of strong matrix effects has to be considered and supplementary quality control data are needed in order to assess the validity of analytical results. The accuracy of the determination of Cr(vi) in solid matrices remains a challenging field in terms of maximum extraction efficiency and minimum species interconversion.

An environmental risk assessment (ERA) was made for the common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen. The ERA was performed according to deterministic and probabilistic methods, based on different predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) and measured environmental concentrations (MECs) on the exposure side as well as on published and newly elaborated acute ecotoxicity data on the effects side. Compilation of a large set of MECs allowed a qualification of the various PEC derivations. The European Medicines Evaluation Authority (EMEA) phase I PEC was shown to be far above realistic values, while the refined EMEA phase II (A and B) PECs were not too far from the 95th percentile MEC, in agreement with their nature as local PECs. The western European continental and regional PECs extrapolated based on actual use data, using the European Union system for the evaluation of substances, with the region reconfigured for Germany where most of the available European MECs are from, were in good to very close agreement with the median MECs. No risk to surface waters is apparent by any of the methodologies applied from the current use of naproxen; however, because only insufficient chronic ecotoxicity data are available, this is a preliminary conclusion.

Bias, precision and confidence of the classification framework are crucial elements for decisions to invest large sums to improve the ecological quality. In this study, the statistical principles for classification in relation to WFD are outlined and exemplified. Indicator adjustment to seasonal variation and other significant covariates reduces bias and improves precision. Precision is generally improved using annual means with seasonal adjustment instead of seasonal means. For classification I argue that the balance between costs of monitoring and reduction measures is only fully maintained by the fail-safe approach. The required monitoring efforts to ensure a precise classification are substantially higher than envisaged in WFD, for nutrients and phytoplankton measurements as high as 500 observations to characterise a water body. It must be ensured that sufficient monitoring data become available for classification, while indicator bias and precision is improved through modelling and further development of measurement techniques.

For transitional and coastal waters the Water Framework Directive identifies 5 "General chemical and physiochemical elements supporting the biological elements". The five elements are transparency, thermal conditions, oxygenation conditions, salinity and nutrient conditions. "Supporting" in the context of the directive means that the values of the physicochemical quality elements are such as to support a biological community of a certain ecological status, recognising the fact that biological communities are products of their physical and chemical environment. Physicochemical and hydromophological aspects fundamentally determine the type of water body and habitat, and hence the type specific biological community. The directive does not intended that these supporting elements should be used as surrogates for the biological elements in monitoring. The monitoring and assessment of the physical and physicochemical quality elements will support the interpretation, assessment and classification of the results arising from the monitoring of the biological quality elements. This paper considers the challenges involved in the development of oxygen standards for the directive, their relationship to the biological elements and normative conditions of the directive and to regulatory requirements.

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection and improvement of transitional and coastal waters; its final objective is to achieve at least 'good water status' for all waters, by 2015. The WFD requires Member States (MSs) to assess the Ecological Status (ES) of water bodies. This assessment will be based upon the status of the biological, hydromorphological and physico-chemical quality elements, by comparing data obtained from monitoring networks to reference (undisturbed) conditions, and then deriving an Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR). One of the biological quality elements to be considered is the benthic invertebrate component and some structural parameters (composition, diversity and disturbance-sensitive taxa) must be included in the ES assessment. Following these criteria, several approaches to benthic invertebrate assessment have been proposed by MSs. The WFD requires that these approaches are intercalibrated. This contribution describes the comparison of the different methodologies proposed by United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark and Norway. Results show a high consistency between the approaches, both with regard to determining the EQR and boundary settings for the ES.

Within the European intensive forest monitoring programme, the native vegetation on permanent Level II plots has been monitored for visible ozone injuries. The main purpose of the programme is to assess the potential risks for the forest vegetation and the natural ecosystems at the intensive monitoring plots. During the first years of the programme the surveys were qualitative, reporting only the number and the name of the symptomatic species in selected Light Exposed Sampling Site. In 2003 a new plot design was tested, based on the distribution of a number of miniplots along the edge of the forest, so as to obtain quantitative findings about the occurrence and distribution of the symptoms. The problems that still persist are related to: (i) the forest edge assessed for ozone symptoms may have a different floristic composition from the Level II plot itself; (ii) the anthropic pressure and the disturbances affecting the forest edge alters the floristic composition; (iii) the variability of the plant composition in the forest edge, which makes comparability difficult between different sites; and (iv) the evaluation of symptoms in several species that have not yet been experimentally tested. Further difficulties are due to the fact that symptoms observed in the field are often aspecific and cannot, therefore, be attributed solely to the phytotoxic action of ozone. To improve the effectiveness of the European programme, it is necessary: (i) to individualise and select common sensitive plant species for homogeneous ecological regions; (ii) to enhance experimental activities to test the sensitivity of a large number of plant species.

Containers are increasingly used for the worldwide transport of all kinds of goods. Consistent with national and international regulations on pest controls, a growing proportion of these containers undergoes fumigation. Frequently, the prescribed labelling is missing. According to literature, this situation may lead to accidents and represents a significant health risk to dock workers, inspectors and custom workers. Furthermore, warehouse workers and even consumers may come in contact with these toxic fumigants. Presented measurement data underline this health risks due to bromomethane but also due to other fumigants and, surprisingly, due to further noxious gases. So far, no routine method for sensitive and specific measurements on the spot has been available. The consequences of container fumigation should always be carefully weighed up, and alternatives to pesticides, e.g. heat treatment or atmospheres with reduced oxygen and for high CO2 concentrations should be considered. In addition, stringent international controls as well as sanctions if IMO's "Recommendations on the safe use of pesticides in ships" are disregarded are required.

The European Water Framework Directive requires the development of new and accurate methodologies, addressing the assessment of the physico-chemical status of transitional and coastal waters; these are considered by the Directive as the supporting elements for the final evaluation of the Ecological Quality Status. This contribution develops new approaches in the determination of the physico-chemical status, solving some problems detected in previous contributions, i.e.: (a) fitting the classification of water bodies and typologies, by means of the stretching of the typologies, according to the natural salinity gradient of types; (b) defining reference conditions, based upon the new approach to typologies, (c) proposing accurate multivariate methodologies, in determining the physico-chemical status of the transitional and coastal waters, based upon the defined typologies and references; and (d) discussion of the results obtained by reference to methodological aspects and water quality evolution in the Basque Country, Spain (as a case-study), during the last decade.

Target of this paper is to draw the relationship between environmental factors and some impacts due to human activity, in order to outline environmental quality restoring strategies for water bodies, which include among result indicators also biological parameters expected for Italian regulation and European directives. Morphologic equilibrium and correct knowledge of processes regulating fluvial dynamic, as basic factor of ecosystem functionality condition, are highlighted. Statistic evaluation processes of water quality data and implementation and validation of mathematical models are described.

The European Water Framework Directive provides a challenge in the development of new and accurate methodologies. It addresses assessment of Ecological Quality Status within European rivers, lakes, groundwaters, estuaries and coasts. Although this directive is simple and flexible in its concept, it is necessary to develop an approach based upon scientific knowledge; however, at the same time it should be as simple as possible, in order to achieve both requirements and comparability of results throughout European waters. This contribution presents the first methodological approach to the problem, as used for estuaries and coasts of the Basque Country (northern Spain), in: selecting typologies and reference conditions; determining biological quality and ecological status; and identifying some problems in implementing the WFD. As such, the present paper could serve as the basis for a discussion document for other regions and countries, throughout Europe.

Results of performance tests verifying the dosimetric properties of dosimetric systems are published in various reports (e.g. IAEA and EURADOS). However, there is hardly any information in the open literature relating to the uncertainty in a dose measurement or in the annual dose, which is increased by failure of the evaluation or data management system, damage of the dosemeter itself or by the loss of dosemeter. In this article, an attempt is made to estimate the importance of the above-mentioned conditions. This is achieved by sending questionnaires to about 200 approved dosimetric services in Europe. In total 88 questionnaires were returned and analysed. In the questionnaires, the frequency of occurrence of the various error conditions were investigated. Participants were also asked to evaluate the impact of the error condition from a dosimetric point of view and what countermeasures are taken. The article summarises all responses and compares different sources of errors according to their impact on the uncertainty of the resulting dose and gives a comprehensive overview on quality control actions and reliability on reported doses from European dosimetric services.

The COST/IWA benchmark simulation model has been available for seven years. Its primary purpose has been to create a platform for control strategy benchmarking of biological wastewater treatment processes. The fact that the benchmark has resulted in more than 100 publications, not only in Europe but also worldwide, demonstrates the interest for such a tool in the research community. In this paper, an extension of the benchmark simulation model no. 1 (BSM1) is proposed. It aims at facilitating evaluation of two closely related operational tasks: long-term control strategy performance and process monitoring performance. The motivation for the extension is that these two tasks typically act on longer time scales. The extension proposed here consists of 1) prolonging the evaluation period to one year (including influent files), 2) specifying time varying process parameters and 3) including sensor and actuator failures. The prolonged evaluation period is necessary to obtain a relevant and realistic assessment of the effects of such disturbances. Also, a prolonged evaluation period allows for a number of long-term control actions/handles that cannot be evaluated in a realistic fashion in the one week BSM1 evaluation period. In the paper, models for influent file design, parameter changes and sensor failures, initialization procedure and evaluation criteria are discussed. Important remaining topics, for which consensus is required, are identified. The potential of a long-term benchmark is illustrated with an example of process monitoring algorithm benchmarking.

The follow-up of a cohort of adults from 29 European centers of the former European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) I (1989-1992) will examine the long-term effects of exposure to ambient air pollution on the incidence, course, and prognosis of respiratory diseases, in particular asthma and decline in lung function. The purpose of this article is to describe the methodology and the European-wide quality control program for the collection of particles with 50% cut-off size of 2.5 microm aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) in the ECRHS II and to present the PM2.5 results from the winter period 2000-2001. Because PM2.5 is not routinely monitored in Europe, we measured PM2.5 mass concentrations in 21 participating centers to estimate background exposure in these cities. A standardized protocol was developed using identical equipment in each center (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Well Impactor Ninety-Six [WINS] and PQ167 from BGI, Inc.). Filters were weighed in a single central laboratory. Sampling was conducted for 7 days per month for a year. Winter mean PM2.5 mass concentrations (November 2000-February 2001) varied substantially, with Iceland reporting the lowest value (5 microg/m3) and northern Italy the highest (69 microg/m3). A standardized procedure appropriate for PM2.5 exposure assessment in a multicenter study was developed. We expect ECRHS II to have sufficient variation in exposure to assess long-term effects of air pollution in this cohort. Any bias caused by variation in the characteristics of the chosen monitoring location (e.g., proximity to traffic sources) will be addressed in later analyses. Given the homogenous spatial distribution of PM2.5, however, concentrations measured near traffic are not expected to differ substantially from those measured at urban background sites.

The second UN/ECE ICP-Forests Intercalibration Course on the Assessment of Ozone Injury on European Tree Species was carried out in August 2001 at Lattecaldo (Canton Ticino, CH) and Moggio (Lombardy, I). Forty-eight experts from several European countries participated in the exercises and assessed visible symptoms of ozone injury both in open-top chambers (OTC) (Lattecaldo) and under open field (Moggio) conditions. Evaluation of the results indicated a large variability among the teams and call for adequate training of the observers prior to symptom assessment for quality assurance purposes. Highest variability was found for the species developing unclear symptoms which could be confused with senescence processes; such species should not be used in the field. The authors provide suggestions to improve the reliability of the ozone injury assessment on forest plant species.