The science-policy interfaces of the European network for observing our changing planet : From Earth Observation data to policy-oriented decisions

This paper reports on major outcomes of the ERA-PLANET (The European network for observing our changing planet) project, which was funded under Horizon 2020 ERA-net co-funding scheme. ERA-PLANET strengthened the European Research Area in the domain of Earth Observation (EO) in coherence with the European partici-pation to Group on Earth Observation and the Copernicus European Union's Earth Observation programme. ERA -PLANET was implemented through four projects focused on smart cities and resilient societies (SMURBS), resource efficiency and environmental management (GEOEssential), global changes and environmental treaties (iGOSP) and polar areas and natural resources (iCUPE). These projects developed specific science-policy workflows and interfaces to address selected environmental policy issues and design cost-effective strategies aiming to achieve targeted objectives. Key Enabling Technologies were implemented to enhancing 'data to knowledge' transition for supporting environmental policy making. Data cube technologies, the Virtual Earth Laboratory, Earth Observation ontologies and Knowledge Platforms were developed and used for such applications.SMURBS brought a substantial contribution to resilient cities and human settlements topics that were adopted by GEO as its 4th engagement priority, bringing the urban resilience topic in the GEO agenda on par with climate change, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction linked to environmental policies. GEOEssential is contributing to the development of Essential Variables (EVs) concept, which is encouraging and should allow the EO community to complete the description of the Earth System with EVs in a close future. This will clearly improve our capacity to address intertwined environmental and development policies as a Nexus.iGOSP supports the implementation of the GEO Flagship on Mercury (GOS4M) and the GEO Initiative on POPs (GOS4POPs) by developing a new integrated approach for global real-time monitoring of environmental quality with respect to air, water and human matrices contamination by toxic substances, like mercury and persistent organic pollutants. iGOSP developed end-user-oriented Knowledge Hubs that provide data repository systems integrated with data management consoles and knowledge information systems.The main outcomes from iCUPE are the novel and comprehensive data sets and a modelling activity that contributed to delivering science-based insights for the Arctic region. Applications enable defining and moni-toring of Arctic Essential Variables and sets up processes towards UN2030 SDGs that include health (SDG 3), clean water resources and sanitation (SDGs 6 and 14).Peer reviewe

Legacy and emerging organohalogenated compounds in feathers of Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) in Norway: Spatiotemporal variations and associations with dietary proxies (δ13C and δ15N)

The occurrence of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) in wildlife has received considerable attention over the last decades. Among the matrices used for OHCs biomonitoring, feathers are particularly useful as they can be collected in a minimally or non-invasive manner. In this study, concentrations of various legacy OHCs –polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)–, as well as emerging OHCs –per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPEs)– were determined in feathers of 72 Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) from Norway, with the goal of studying spatiotemporal variation using a non-invasive approach. Molted feathers were collected at nest sites from northern, central and southern Norway across four summers (2013–2016). Additionally, two museum-archived feathers from 1979 to 1989 were included. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) were used as dietary proxies. In total, 11 PFAS (sum range 8.25–215.90 ng g− 1), 15 PCBs (4.19–430.01 ng g− 1), 6 OCPs (1.48–220.94 ng g− 1), 5 PBDEs (0.21–5.32 ng g− 1) and 3 OPEs (4.49–222.21 ng g− 1) were quantified. While we observed large variation in the values of both stable isotopes, suggesting a diverse diet of the eagle owls, only δ13C seemed to explain variation in PFAS concentrations. Geographic area and year were influential factors for δ15N and δ13C. Considerable spatial variation was observed in PFAS levels, with the southern area showing higher levels compared to northern and central Norway. For the rest of OHCs, we observed between-year variations; sum concentrations of PCBs, OCPs, PBDEs and OPEs reached a maximum in 2015 and 2016. Concentrations from 1979 to 1989 were within the ranges observed between 2013 and 2016. Overall, our data indicate high levels of legacy and emerging OHCs in a top predator in Norway, further highlighting the risk posed by OHCs to wildlife. Keywords: Bird of prey Feathers Isotopes OPE POP PFASpublishedVersio

The challenge of plastic management for waste electrical and electric equipment recycling in the Global South: a case comparison between Europe and Latin America

Countries with emerging legislation on the waste electrical and electric equipment (WEEE), but limited infrastructure, may find in other, more robust, systems the tools to develop adaptable and socioeconomically viable management schemes. Additives found in the plastics in electronic goods, such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), are components of a safety system, but introduce characteristics that result in their waste being hazardous. Established and emerging regulatory systems need to implement legislation that impacts the management of WEEE, to reduce risks to human health and the environment, while maximising opportunities for resource recovery from widely varying materials. To assess the context of developed and emerging regulatory systems, a baseline study was undertaken of WEEE plastics in Scotland and Uruguay. For the identification of BFRs in plastics, an internationally validated screening methodology using X-ray fluorescence was adopted at different processing operations. It was observed that, using a threshold of 830 mg/kg for Br as a BFR tracer, in Scotland, more than 70% of the plastics would be recyclable, while, in Uruguay, that fraction dropped to 50%. These results, and the wider literature discussion, highlight the impact that regulatory frameworks have on the quality and recyclability of recovered material. We identify future actions to be considered by policy-makers for a more sustainable regulatory approach

Rebuilding fish-human relationships by quantifying combined toxicity and evaluating policy related to legacy contamination

The central theme of this dissertation is relationships – building relationships as research partnerships, disrupting relationships through chemical contamination, and upholding existing relationships (i.e., responsibilities) to address industrial legacies. In partnership with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians (KBIC), this dissertation focuses on rebuilding fish-human relationships within the context of chemical contamination. By quantifying combined toxicity and evaluating the efficacy of cleaning up contamination, conclusions from this work help empower people to maintain practices and knowledges related to fish. In chapter 1, I positioned myself, a white, American settler scholar, within the context of Indigenous research grounded in Anishinaabe philosophies. My research is predicated on knowledge being a collection of practices that builds and maintains relationships with people and the environment. Being an indigenist researcher means being accountable to those relationships. In chapter 2, I co-created a research guidance document with KBIC to provide holistic guidance and specify support that enriches their efforts to protect and restore land and life. Our guidance uses the Medicine Wheel to illustrate an interconnected system of partnership teachings that include systems of mutual expectations and responsibilities. The guidance aims for balance between and among four seasons of research: relationship building, planning and prioritization, knowledge exchange, and synthesis and application. In chapter 3, I used a national database of fish tissue contaminant concentrations to evaluate frameworks for quantifying toxicity, spatial distributions of the components of toxicity, and variations in relative importance of chemicals in different fish types. Based on the results, I argue for using the most sensitive endpoint for components of a chemical mixture rather than the current framework that expects a shared toxic pathway. Research results show that the former is more protective and therefore represents a more appropriate strategy for protecting human health and the environment. In chapter 4, I compared PCB trends in the Great Lakes basin to evaluate the efficacy of Canada’s 2008 PCB reduction policy. My results show that local reductions of PCB stocks significantly reduced atmospheric PCB concentrations, but a comparable response was not seen in fish tissue. I suggest that fish tissue, as the primary exposure pathway, should be the medium monitored to evaluate policy efficacy

Sublethal effects of environmental pollutant exposure in birds of prey: Evaluating biomarkers of health as indicators of contaminant-mediated effects in two sentinel raptor species

Environmental pollution emerged as a major concern in the mid-20th century primarily due to the unrestricted release of industrial chemicals and pesticides. Among wildlife species, apex predators, like raptors, have been heavily exposed to environmental pollutants such as organo-halogenated contaminants (OHCs) and metals (e.g., mercury). Due to their high trophic position, harmful levels of these pollutants ensued through biomagnification and resulted in drastic population declines during the 1950s/60s. Following a series of regulative efforts that began in the 1970s, exposure to acutely toxic and lethal doses of OHCs and metals has become rare. However, chronic exposure to lower levels of contaminants can also be harmful by triggering sublethal health effects that may ultimately affect individuals’ survival and fitness. In this context, biological endpoints that act as early warning indicators of adverse health effects, that is, biomarkers, can prove useful. This thesis aimed to study contaminant-mediated health effects in two wild raptor species, the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (WTE) and the tawny owl Strix aluco, over interannual to decadal time series. The selected biomarkers were leukocyte coping capacity (LCC; indicator of immunocapacity), telomere length (proxy of genotoxicity), and feather corticosterone (fCORT; measure of physiological stress). We observed that higher OHC concentrations in Norwegian WTE nestlings were associated with lower LCC, suggesting a reduced immune system capacity following OHC exposure. By contrast, telomere lengths in Swedish nestlings did not correlate with OHC concentrations. Our findings therefore suggest that telomere length is not a useful proxy for contaminant-mediated effects in WTE nestlings. Additionally, no links were found between fCORT and OHCs in adult Swedish WTEs, despite the population experiencing contrasting OHC levels throughout the study period. In Norwegian adult tawny owls, a positive relationship between fCORT and aluminium and cadmium was observed, along with a negative association with mercury, suggesting that these metals may influence long-term stress physiology. This thesis provides further evidence that the relationships between biomarkers and contaminants can be complex and species-specific. A strength of this thesis was the inclusion of long-term studies, which can help minimize the influence of confounding environmental stressors and thus reduce the chance of reporting spurious relationships. In summary, this thesis demonstrates that some biomarkers can offer valuable insights into potential physiological consequences of contamination in wild animals in their natural environment. Namely, LCC stands out as a potential new tool to evaluate contaminant-mediated health effects in wildlife ecotoxicology. Future research should continue to prioritize non-destructive and preferably non-invasive biomarkers, which are invaluable when working with protected species such as the WTE and the tawny owl.Miljøforurensning ble et betydelig bekymringspunkt på midten av 1900-tallet, hovedsakelig på grunn av den ubegrensede utslipp av industrielle kjemikalier og plantevernmidler. Toppredatorer, som rovfugler, har blitt spesielt påvirket av forurensning på grunn av sin høye trofiske posisjon, noe som resulterer i høye nivåer av miljøgifter som organo-halogenerte forbindelser (OHC-er) og giftige metaller. Selv om OHC-er og metaller kan være dødelige i høye doser, er slike eksponeringer sjeldne i dag. Imidlertid kan kronisk eksponering for lavere nivåer av forurensende stoffer også være problematisk ved å utløse sublethale helseeffekter som til slutt kan påvirke individuell overlevelse og tilpasningsevne. Denne avhandlingen hadde som mål å studere forurensningsmedierte effekter på to rovfuglarter, havørn og kattugle, over tiår og en studie over to påfølgende år. Forurensningsmedierte effekter ble studert ved bruk av biomarkører, som er biologiske markører (eller endepunkter) som fungerer som tidlige advarselsignaler om ugunstige effekter på fysiologiske funksjoner. De studerte biomarkørene var leukocyte coping capacity (LCC; indikator for immunokapasitet), telomerlengde (proxy for genotoksisitet) og fjærkortikosteron (fCORT; mål for fysiologisk stress). Vi observerte at høyere konsentrasjoner av OHC i norske havørnunger var assosiert med lavere LCC, men telomerlengder hos svenske havørnunger viste ingen korrelasjon med OHC-konsentrasjoner. I tillegg ble det ikke identifisert noen koblinger mellom fCORT og OHC-konsentrasjoner hos voksne svenske havørner, til tross for at populasjonen opplevde sterk variasjon i nivåer av OHC-konsentrasjoner gjennom studien. Hos kattugler i Norge observerte vi et positivt forhold mellom fCORT og aluminium og kadmium, sammen med en negativ sammenheng med kvikksølv, noe som antyder at metaller påvirker langsiktig stressfysiologi. Denne avhandlingen viser at visse biomarkører kan relatere til sublethale effekter som skyldes forurensningseksponering hos ville rovfugler. Dessuten utmerker LCC seg som et potensielt nytt verktøy i økotoksikologi for å evaluere forurensningsmedierte effekter. Mens forholdene mellom biomarkører og forurensende stoffer er komplekse og artsspesifikke, kan langsiktige studier bidra til å minimere påvirkningen fra andre miljøstressfaktorer og dermed redusere sjansen for å rapportere tilfeldige sammenhenger. Oppsummert gir biomarkører verdifulle innsikter i potensielle fysiologiske konsekvenser av forurensning hos ville dyr som ikke lett kan studeres i det naturlige miljøet. Vårt pågående fokus bør prioritere søket etter ikke-destruktive og helst ikke-invasive biomarkører, noe som er viktig når man arbeider med beskyttede arter som havørn og kattugle

From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution

This assessment describes the far-reaching impacts of plastics in our oceans and across the planet. Plastics are a marker of the current geological era, the Anthropocene (Zalasiewicz et al. 2016). They have given their name to a new microbial habitat known as the plastisphere (Amaral-Zettler et al. 2020; see Glossary). Increased awareness of the negative impacts of microplastics on marine ecosystems and human health has led them to be referred to as a type of "Ocean PM2.5" akin to air pollution (i.e. particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres [?m] in diameter) (Shu 2018). With cumulative global production of primary plastic between 1950 and 2017 estimated at 9,200 million metric tons and forecast to reach 34 billion metric tons by 2050 (Geyer 2020) (Figure i), the most urgent issues now to be addressed are how to reduce the volume of uncontrolled or mismanaged waste streams going into the oceans (Andrades et al. 2018) and how to increase the level of recycling. Of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated globally so far, less than 10 per cent has been recycled (Geyer 2020)

Recycling plastics from WEEE:a review of the environmental and human health challenges associated with brominated flame retardants

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) presents the dual characteristic of containing both hazardous substances and valuable recoverable materials. Mainly found in WEEE plastics, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are a component of particular interest. Several actions have been taken worldwide to regulate their use and disposal, however, in countries where no regulation is in place, the recovery of highly valuable materials has promoted the development of informal treatment facilities, with serious consequences for the environment and the health of the workers and communities involved. Hence, in this review we examine a wide spectrum of aspects related to WEEE plastic management. A search of legislation and the literature was made to determine the current legal framework by region/country. Additionally, we focused on identifying the most relevant methods of existing industrial processes for determining BFRs and their challenges. BFR occurrence and substitution by novel BFRs (NBFRs) was reviewed. An emphasis was given to review the health and environmental impacts associated with BFR/NBFR presence in waste, consumer products, and WEEE recycling facilities. Knowledge and research gaps of this topic were highlighted. Finally, the discussion on current trends and proposals to attend to this relevant issue were outlined

Persistent environmental pollutants and risk of cardiovascular disease

Persistent chemicals emitted in the environment can have a considerable impact on ecosystems and human health, now and in the future. One notorious group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Since their production in 1940s for household and consumer products, they have accumulated in the environment and in humans via consumption of contaminated drinking water and food. They are hypothesized to induce metabolic disturbances, due to shared chemical similarities with fatty acids. Consequently, PFAS may have high societal and economic impact by increasing risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, reports on these associations are scarce, and the underlying molecular pathways are still unclear. Therefore, in this PhD project, we aimed to i) investigate associations between PFAS and risk of several cardiometabolic diseases and ii) explore potential underlying pathways. In Paper I, we investigated cross-sectional associations between PFAS mixtures and body mass index (BMI) in European teenagers using meta-regression. Results showed a tendency for inverse associations between PFAS and BMI and indicated a potential for diverging contributions between PFAS compounds. In Paper II, using a nested casecontrol study on T2D including metabolomics data in Swedish adults, we found that PFAS correlated positively with glycerophospholipids and diacylglycerols. But whilst glycerophospholipids associated with lower T2D risk, diacylglycerols associated with higher T2D risk. This indicates a potential for diverging effects on disease risk. In Paper III, we investigated whether genetic polymorphisms in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PPARGC1A), which encodes a master regulator of pathways potentially disrupted by PFAS exposure, associated with secondary cardiovascular events in a large consortium study. However, we did not find clear evidence for such associations. In Paper IV, we assessed associations of PFAS with blood lipids and incident CVD using case-control studies nested in two Swedish adult cohorts. We observed overall null associations with stroke, but a tendency for inverse associations with myocardial infarction as well as associations with higher HDL-cholesterol and lower triglycerides, but also with higher LDL-cholesterol. In Paper V, we included OMICs data (metabolites, proteins and genes), which linked PFAS to lower myocardial infarction risk via lipid and inflammatory pathways. Likewise, a group of ‘old POPs’, the organochlorine compounds (OCs), were linked to higher myocardial infarction risk via the same pathways and to higher stroke risk via mitochondrial pathways. Thus, although we found no evidence for associations between PFAS and increased cardiometabolic disease risk, the overall findings indicate associations of PFAS with metabolic disturbances, particularly lipid metabolism. This is a potential adverse effect on human physiology and warrants further attention

Transitioning to Sustainable Life below Water

The ocean plays a central role in the life and development of human kind. Besides space for navigation and trade (roughly 10 billion tons of commodities are transported across the oceans each year), the provision of biological and non-living resources is the most important service of the marine ecosystems. Yet, these ecosystems are increasingly impeded by human activities and interventions. Human and naturally induced changes in climate are buffered by the ocean, but its capacity to compensate the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is at its limit. The increase of global temperatures and the decrease of oxygen concentration and pH are severe stressors for aquatic species and thus for the whole ecosystem. Urbanisation and population growth at the coast, along with severe levels of pollution, are stressing coastal environments and hampering or interrupting life cycles of species as well as the well established and naturally balanced internal interconnections within and between ecosystems. Mining for oil and gas is interfering with fisheries, competing for space with other sectors and increasing the risks for large scale pollution. The result is a decline in ecosystem services and a negative feedback into the socio-economic systems. The recent reports by IPBES and IPCC underline the degrading conditions in which the ecosystems are situated today. The IPBES report evaluates a number of direct and indirect drivers. Population increase, technical development, malfunctioning of governance and spreading of conflicts affect direct drivers such as sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution, invasive species and others. Following a series of summits and conventions that prompted the United Nations in recent decades, Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Johannesburg in 2002 and Rio+20 in 2012, all of which were rather land-based, the Sustainable Development Goals 2015 set a new landmark in which the ocean, too, was finally acknowledged as significant to global development. The Ocean Conference in New York in June 2017 led the international community to formulate clear goals for the development of the ocean. The volume Transitioning to Sustainable Life below Water will address critical issues in ocean use and reflect against goals and targets of SDG 14 and other relevant SDGs. Transitioning to Sustainable Life below Water is part of MDPI's new Open Access book series Transitioning to Sustainability. With this series, MDPI pursues environmentally and socially relevant research which contributes to efforts toward a sustainable world. Transitioning to Sustainability aims to add to the conversation about regional and global sustainable development according to the 17 SDGs. Set to be published in 2020/2021, the book series is intended to reach beyond disciplinary, even academic boundaries. *The chapters listed below, are pre-publication chapters and the final page numbers will be assigned once the book is published as a whole. For citation purposes, cite each article independently as indicated below:(Author 1, and Author 2. 2021. Chapter Title in Transistioning to Sustainable Life below Water. Edited by Werner Ekau and Anna-Katharina Hornidge