EU-wide Enviromental and Exposure Monitoring of Dioxins, PCBS and Other Persistent Organic Pullutants (POPs) in Butter and Correlations to Published Air Data

The project is a pilot and is aimed at evaluating whether a robust relationship can be established between POPs in commercially available milk products when compared to analytical data on POPs in ambient air. The experimental approach is based on 2 sets of diary product samples: 1. The 2001 milk survey with 88 milk samples from 68 locations in Europe 2. The 2007 organic diary product survey with 85 samples collected directly from farms in Europe. Dioxins, PCB and pesticides are analyzed in all samples and compared to regional air data collected from literature.JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Releases of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PAHs and HCB Through Bottom Ashes from Brick Kilns Operating with Different Kind of Fuels - Results from a Pilot Study in Mexico - A Contribution to the Update and Review of the Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases

The Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases is aimed at supporting the parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in setting up their national implementation plan, which includes the characterization of unintentional releases of POPs (in this case PCDD/Fs, PCBs and HCB) from all relevant sectors. To this end the toolkit combines sector specific activity data with related emission factors for releases to air, land, water, residues and products. In 2007 the Expert Group for updating and improving the Toolkit, chaired by the Secretariat of the SC (SSC) and UNEP, identified priority areas of reasearch. The group highlighted the need for screening POPs sources that so far are poorly characterized in the Toolkit. Among these, brick kilns in developing countries were given highest priority since so far, no data were available. The Expert Group recommended as a first step to measure soil or vegetation samples close to (small) brick kilns in developing countries to obtain preliminary orientation as to the impact from this source. In the fore field of the experimental planning the question in how far different kinds of fuels, in particular waste derived fuels, may impact the formation of POPs was approached through the analyses of bottom ashes from kilns co-incinerating waste in comparison with brick kilns operated with virgin wood. The results from bottom ash reveal a distinct impact on the presence of POPs in the brick making process when waste is co-incinerated, thus suggesting to include the brick kilns operated with waste fuels as a different category into the toolkit and to include the issue of co-incineration of waste into the experimental set up. The emission factors via the bottom ashes itself rangeJRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

HRGC-HRMS Multi-Residual POPs Analysis Method On A Novel Automated Clean Up System

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are toxic, persistent and lipophilic chemicals. A multi-residual method for 29 organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), indicator and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in fish has been developed analyzing reference material on a novel automated clean up system. Through in line gel permeation chromatography, acid silica/neutral silica, basic alumina and active carbon columns clean up steps the method provides distinct fractions for multiple run HRGC-HRMS analysis. The recovery of labelled internal standards was in the range indicated by the official methods. The results were in good agreement with reference values. The automated system is equipped with an autosampler and runs in sequential mode up to 9 samples. The method fits the purpose of multi-residual methods.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

Socs in the River Danube From Germany to The Black Sea: Compliance Checking For Priority Substances Subject to the European Water Framework Directive

Water samples from 23 sites along a transect of the River Danube starting from Germany until the Black sea were collected during August and September 2007. Among the compounds analysed were HCHs (¿ a-, ß- ,¿- ,d- ,e-HCH), HCB, p,p¿-DDT, Total DDT ( ¿p,p¿-DDT, p,p¿-DDE, p,p¿-DDD, o,p-DDT), Cyclodiene pesticides (¿Aldrin, Dierldrin, Endrin, Isodrin), Endosulfan (¿ a-, ß), Chlordane (cis, trans), commercial pentabromodiphenylether (cPenta BDE, ¿BDE- 28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154) , Anthracene, Flouranthene, Benzo(a)Pyrene, ¿Benzo(g,h,i)perylene, Indeno(1,2,3-cd)Pyrene, and ¿Benzo(b)- , Benzo(k)fluoranthene. The concentrations of almost all compounds were below related Annual Average (AA)-EQS, most of them by more than one or two orders of magnitude. HCHs and c-Penta BDE reached the order of magnitude of the AA-EQS. Only the ¿ of Benzo(g,h,i)perylene and Indeno(1,2,3-cd) pyrene, exceeded the limit in 5 sites out of 23. However, the maximal concentration was around 1.6 times the AA-EQS during one day in summer 2007 and the annual average concentration might as well be below the EQS.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource