Health impacts of extreme weather events – Cascading risks in a changing climate

Background: Extreme weather events represent one of the most tangible impacts of anthropogenic climate change. They have increased in number and severity and a further increase is expected. This is accompanied by direct and indirect negative consequences for human health. Methods: Flooding events, storms and droughts are analysed here for Germany from a systemic perspective on the basis of a comprehensive literature review. Cascading risks beyond the initial event are also taken into account in order to depict downstream consequences. Results: In addition to the immediate health burdens caused by extreme weather events, such as injuries, long-term consequences such as stress-related mental disorders occur. These stresses particularly affect certain vulnerable groups, e.g. older persons, children, pregnant women or first responders. Conclusions: A look at the cascading risks described in the international literature allows us to develop precautionary measures for adaptation to the consequences of climate change. Many adaptation measures protect against different risks at the same time. In addition to planning measures, these include, above all, increasing the population's ability to protect itself through knowledge and strengthening of social networks. This is part of a series of articles that constitute the German Status Report on Climate Change and Health 2023

Gesundheitliche Auswirkungen von Extremwetterereignissen – Risikokaskaden im anthropogenen Klimawandel

Hintergrund: Extremwetterereignisse stellen eine der greifbarsten Auswirkungen des anthropogenen Klimawandels dar. Sie haben in Zahl und Ausprägung zugenommen und eine weitere Zunahme wird erwartet. Damit gehen unmittelbare und mittelbare negative Folgen für die menschliche Gesundheit einher. Methode: Überschwemmungsereignisse, Stürme und Dürren werden hier für Deutschland aus systemischer Perspektive auf Basis einer umfassenden Literaturrecherche analysiert, wobei über das konkrete Schadensereignis hinausgehende Risikokaskaden in den Blick genommen werden, um auch nachgelagerte Folgen darzustellen. Ergebnisse: Neben den unmittelbaren gesundheitlichen Belastungen durch Extremwetterereignisse, wie Verletzungen, treten langfristige Folgen, wie psychische Belastungsstörungen, auf. Diese Belastungen betreffen bestimmte vulnerable Gruppen, z. B. ältere Menschen, Kinder, Schwangere oder Einsatzkräfte, in besonderem Maße. Schlussfolgerungen: Der Blick auf die in der internationalen Literatur beschriebenen Risikokaskaden erlaubt es, Vorsorgemaßnahmen für die Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels zu entwickeln. Viele Anpassungsmaßnahmen schützen dabei vor unterschiedlichen Risiken gleichzeitig. Neben planerischen Maßnahmen ist dies vor allem auch die Erhöhung der Selbstschutzfähigkeit in der Bevölkerung durch Wissen und die Stärkung sozialer Netzwerke. Dieser Artikel ist Teil der Beitragsreihe zum Sachstandsbericht Klimawandel und Gesundheit 202

Gesundheitliche Auswirkungen von Extremwetterereignissen – Risikokaskaden im anthropogenen Klimawandel

Hintergrund: Extremwetterereignisse stellen eine der greifbarsten Auswirkungen des anthropogenen Klimawandels dar. Sie haben in Zahl und Ausprägung zugenommen und eine weitere Zunahme wird erwartet. Damit gehen unmittelbare und mittelbare negative Folgen für die menschliche Gesundheit einher. Methode: Überschwemmungsereignisse, Stürme und Dürren werden hier für Deutschland aus systemischer Perspektive auf Basis einer umfassenden Literaturrecherche analysiert, wobei über das konkrete Schadensereignis hinausgehende Risikokaskaden in den Blick genommen werden, um auch nachgelagerte Folgen darzustellen. Ergebnisse: Neben den unmittelbaren gesundheitlichen Belastungen durch Extremwetterereignisse, wie Verletzungen, treten langfristige Folgen, wie psychische Belastungsstörungen, auf. Diese Belastungen betreffen bestimmte vulnerable Gruppen, z. B. ältere Menschen, Kinder, Schwangere oder Einsatzkräfte, in besonderem Maße. Schlussfolgerungen: Der Blick auf die in der internationalen Literatur beschriebenen Risikokaskaden erlaubt es, Vorsorgemaßnahmen für die Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels zu entwickeln. Viele Anpassungsmaßnahmen schützen dabei vor unterschiedlichen Risiken gleichzeitig. Neben planerischen Maßnahmen ist dies vor allem auch die Erhöhung der Selbstschutzfähigkeit in der Bevölkerung durch Wissen und die Stärkung sozialer Netzwerke. Dieser Artikel ist Teil der Beitragsreihe zum Sachstandsbericht Klimawandel und Gesundheit 202

Sources and fate of the antiandrogenic fluorescent dye 4-methyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin in small river systems

Recently, the potent antiandrogen 4-methyl-7-diethylaminocoumarin (C47) and its potential transformation products 4-methyl-7-ethylaminocoumarin (C47T1) and 4-methyl-7-aminocoumarin (C47T2) were identified as novel environmental contaminants. We assessed for the first time the sources, distribution, and fate of these compounds in aquatic systems using the Holtemme River (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), which is a hotspot for these contaminants. To this end, wastewater-treatment plant (WWTP) influent and effluent samples, surface water samples over 3 years, and the longitudinal profiles in water, sediment, and gammarids were analyzed. From the longitudinal profile of the river stretch, the WWTP of Silstedt was identified as the sole point source for these compounds in the River Holtemme, and exposure concentrations in the low micrograms per liter range could be recorded continuously over 3 years. Analysis of WWTP influent and effluent showed a transformation of approximately half of the C47 into C47T1 and C47T2 but no complete removal. A further attenuation of the three coumarins after discharge into the river could be largely attributed to dilution, while transformation was only approximately 20%, thus suggesting a significant persistence in aquatic systems. Experimentally derived partitioning coefficients between water and sediment organic carbon exceeded those predicted using the OPERA quantitative structure–activity relationship tools and polyparameter linear free-energy relationships by up to 93-fold, suggesting cation binding as a significant factor for their sorption behavior. Near-equilibrium conditions between water and sediment were not observed close to the emitting WWTP but farther downstream in the river. Experimental and predicted bioaccumulation factors for gammarids were closely matching, and the concentrations in field-sampled gammarids were close to steady state with exposure concentrations in the water phase of the river. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3078–3091. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC

Sources and Fate of the Antiandrogenic Fluorescent Dye 4‐Methyl‐7‐Diethylaminocoumarin in Small River Systems

Recently, the potent antiandrogen 4‐methyl‐7‐diethylaminocoumarin (C47) and its potential transformation products 4‐methyl‐7‐ethylaminocoumarin (C47T1) and 4‐methyl‐7‐aminocoumarin (C47T2) were identified as novel environmental contaminants. We assessed for the first time the sources, distribution, and fate of these compounds in aquatic systems using the Holtemme River (Saxony‐Anhalt, Germany), which is a hotspot for these contaminants. To this end, wastewater‐treatment plant (WWTP) influent and effluent samples, surface water samples over 3 years, and the longitudinal profiles in water, sediment, and gammarids were analyzed. From the longitudinal profile of the river stretch, the WWTP of Silstedt was identified as the sole point source for these compounds in the River Holtemme, and exposure concentrations in the low micrograms per liter range could be recorded continuously over 3 years. Analysis of WWTP influent and effluent showed a transformation of approximately half of the C47 into C47T1 and C47T2 but no complete removal. A further attenuation of the three coumarins after discharge into the river could be largely attributed to dilution, while transformation was only approximately 20%, thus suggesting a significant persistence in aquatic systems. Experimentally derived partitioning coefficients between water and sediment organic carbon exceeded those predicted using the OPERA quantitative structure–activity relationship tools and polyparameter linear free‐energy relationships by up to 93‐fold, suggesting cation binding as a significant factor for their sorption behavior. Near‐equilibrium conditions between water and sediment were not observed close to the emitting WWTP but farther downstream in the river. Experimental and predicted bioaccumulation factors for gammarids were closely matching, and the concentrations in field‐sampled gammarids were close to steady state with exposure concentrations in the water phase of the river. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:3078–3091. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.Helmholtz‐Gemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001656Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/50110000234

A sediment extraction and cleanup method for wide-scope multitarget screening by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry

Previous studies on organic sediment contaminants focused mainly on a limited number of highly hydrophobic micropollutants accessible to gas chromatography using nonpolar, aprotic extraction solvents. The development of liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) permits the spectrum of analysis to be expanded to a wider range of more polar and ionic compounds present in sediments and allows target, suspect, and nontarget screening to be conducted with high sensitivity and selectivity. In this study, we propose a comprehensive multitarget extraction and sample preparation method for characterization of sediment pollution covering a broad range of physicochemical properties that is suitable for LC–HRMS screening analysis. We optimized pressurized liquid extraction, cleanup, and sample dilution for a target list of 310 compounds. Finally, the method was tested on sediment samples from a small river and its tributaries. The results show that the combination of 100 °C for ethyl acetate–acetone (50:50, neutral extract) followed by 80 °C for acetone–formic acid (100:1, acidic extract) and methanol–10 mM sodium tetraborate in water (90:10, basic extract) offered the best extraction recoveries for 287 of 310 compounds. At a spiking level of 1 μg mL-1, we obtained satisfactory cleanup recoveries for the neutral extract—(93 ± 23)%—and for the combined acidic/basic extracts—(42 ± 16)%—after solvent exchange. Among the 69 compounds detected in environmental samples, we successfully quantified several pharmaceuticals and polar pesticides