Found 9794 publications. Showing page 380 of 392:
2024
State of the Climate in 2023: The Arctic
American Meteorological Society (AMS)
2024
Polychlorinated n-alkanes (PCAs) are the main components of chlorinated paraffins (CPs) mixtures, that have been commonly grouped into short-chain (SCCPs, C10–13), medium-chain (MCCPs, C14–17), and long-chain (LCCPs, C18-30) CPs. PCAs pose a significant risk to human health as they are broadly present in indoor environments and are potentially persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. The lack of specific terminology and harmonization in analytical methodologies for PCA analysis complicates direct comparisons between studies. The present work summarizes the different methodologies applied for the analysis of PCAs in indoor dust, air, and organic films. The large variability between the reviewed studies points to the difficulties to assess PCA contamination in these matrices and to mitigate risks associated with indoor exposure. Based on our review of physicochemical properties of PCAs and previously reported sum of measurable S/M/LCCPs levels, the homologue groups PCAs–C10–13 are found to be mostly present in the gas phase, PCAs–C14–17 in particulate matter and organic films, and PCAs–C≥18 in settled dust. However, we emphasized that mapping PCA sources and distribution in the indoors is highly dependent on the individual homologues. To further comprehend indoor PCA distribution, we described the uses of PCA in building materials and household products to apportion important indoor sources of emissions and pathways for human exposure. The greatest risk for indoor PCAs were estimated to arise from dermal absorption and ingestion through contact with dust and CP containing products. In addition, there are several factors affecting indoor PCA levels and exposure in different regions, including legislation, presence of specific products, cleaning routines, and ventilation frequency. This review provides comprehensive analysis of available indoor PCA data, the physicochemical properties, applied analytical methods, possible interior sources, variables affecting the levels, human exposure to PCAs, as well as need for more information, thereby providing perspectives for future research studies.
Elsevier
2024
2024
2024
Active vegetation fires in south-eastern (SE) Europe resulted in a notable increase in the number concentration of aerosols and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) particles at two high latitude locations—the SMEAR IV station in Kuopio, Finland, and the Zeppelin Observatory in Svalbard, high Arctic. During the fire episode aerosol hygroscopicity κ slightly increased at SMEAR IV and at the Zeppelin Observatory κ decreased. Despite increased κ in high CCN conditions at SMEAR IV, the aerosol activation diameter increased due to the decreased supersaturation with an increase in aerosol loading. In addition, at SMEAR IV during the fire episode, in situ measured cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) increased by a factor of ∼7 as compared to non-fire periods which was in good agreement with the satellite observations (MODIS, Terra). Results from this study show the importance of SE European fires for cloud properties and radiative forcing in high latitudes.
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2024
Background
Prioritisation of chemical pollutants is a major challenge for environmental managers and decision-makers alike, which is essential to help focus the limited resources available for monitoring and mitigation actions on the most relevant chemicals. This study extends the original NORMAN prioritisation scheme beyond target chemicals, presenting the integration of semi-quantitative data from retrospective suspect screening and expansion of existing exposure and risk indicators. The scheme utilises data retrieved automatically from the NORMAN Database System (NDS), including candidate substances for prioritisation, target and suspect screening data, ecotoxicological effect data, physico-chemical data and other properties. Two complementary workflows using target and suspect screening monitoring data are applied to first group the substances into six action categories and then rank the substances using exposure, hazard and risk indicators. The results from the ‘target’ and ‘suspect screening’ workflows can then be combined as multiple lines of evidence to support decision-making on regulatory and research actions.
Results
As a proof-of-concept, the new scheme was applied to a combined dataset of target and suspect screening data. To this end, > 65,000 substances on the NDS, of which 2579 substances supported by target wastewater monitoring data, were retrospectively screened in 84 effluent wastewater samples, totalling > 11 million data points. The final prioritisation results identified 677 substances as high priority for further actions, 7455 as medium priority and 326 with potentially lower priority for actions. Among the remaining substances, ca. 37,000 substances should be considered of medium priority with uncertainty, while it was not possible to conclude for 19,000 substances due to insufficient information from target monitoring and uncertainty in the identification from suspect screening. A high degree of agreement was observed between the categories assigned via target analysis and suspect screening-based prioritisation. Suspect screening was a valuable complementary approach to target analysis, helping to prioritise thousands of substances that are insufficiently investigated in current monitoring programmes.
Conclusions
This updated prioritisation workflow responds to the increasing use of suspect screening techniques. It can be adapted to different environmental compartments and can support regulatory obligations, including the identification of specific pollutants in river basins and the marine environments, as well as the confirmation of environmental occurrence levels predicted by modelling tools.
Springer
2024
An AI-Enhanced Systematic Review of Climate Adaptation Costs: Approaches and Advancements, 2010–2021
This study addresses the critical global challenge of climate adaptation by assessing the inadequacies in current methodologies for estimating adaptation costs. Broad assessments reveal a significant investment shortfall in adaptation strategies, highlighting the necessity for precise cost analysis to guide effective policy-making. By employing the PRISMA 2020 protocol and enhancing it with the prismAId tool, this review systematically analyzes the recent evolution of cost assessment methodologies using state-of-the-art generative AI. The AI-enhanced approach facilitates rapid and replicable research extensions. The analysis reveals a significant geographical and sectoral disparity in research on climate adaptation costs, with notable underrepresentation of crucial areas and sectors that are most vulnerable to climate impacts. The study also highlights a predominant reliance on secondary data and a lack of comprehensive uncertainty quantification in economic assessments, suggesting an urgent need for methodological enhancements. It concludes that extending analyses beyond merely verifying that benefits exceed costs is crucial for supporting effective climate adaptation. By assessing the profitability of adaptation investments, it becomes possible to prioritize these investments not only against similar interventions but also across the broader spectrum of public spending.
MDPI
2024
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2024
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2024
2024
Måling av gasser i Statsarkivets lokaler i Trondheim
Målinger av flyktige organiske forbindelser (VOC), maursyre (HCOOH), eddiksyre (CH3COOH) og ammoniakk (NH3) ble gjort i to innendørs lokaliteter ved Statsarkivet i Trondheim. De målte konsentrasjonene var lave og skulle ikke være noen risiko for helse eller skade på materialer. 2,6 ganger forhøyet konsentrasjon (403 µgm-3) av flyktige organiske forbindelser (TVOC) ble funnet i den ene av lokaliteten sammenlignet med den andre. Prøven hadde høyere konsentrasjoner spesielt av forbindelser som oftest har kilde i utslipp og forbrenning av petroleumsderivater som: toluen, o-xylen, benzen- og butan-forbindelser.
NILU
2024
Life starts with plastic: High occurrence of plastic pieces in fledglings of northern fulmars
Plastic pollution threatens many organisms around the world. In particular, the northern fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis, is known to ingest high quantities of plastics. Since data are sparse in the Eurasian Arctic, we investigated plastic burdens in the stomachs of fulmar fledglings from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Fifteen birds were collected and only particles larger than 1 mm were extracted, characterised and analysed with Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy. All birds ingested plastic. In total, 683 plastic particles were found, with an average of 46 ± 40 SD items per bird. The most common shape, colour and polymer were hard fragment, white, and polyethylene, respectively. Microplastics ( 5 mm). This study confirms high numbers of ingested plastics in fulmar fledglings from Svalbard and suggests that fulmar fledglings may be suitable for temporal monitoring of plastic pollution, avoiding potential biases caused by age composition or breeding state.
Elsevier
2024