From Arctic Science to International Law: The Road towards the Minamata Convention and the Role of the Arctic Council

The Minamata Convention, which entered into force on 16 August 2017, is a global, legally binding instrument on mercury. The initiative on the Minamata Convention was mainly driven by research showing negative effects on human health and the environment in the Arctic. The Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation on Arctic issues, and its Working Group, AMAP, played an important role in the process leading up to international negotiations on the Minamata Convention. This paper elucidates the evolutionary process in which scientific knowledge, herded by an intergovernmental, regional forum, is involved and forms the basis for a legally binding agreement. The paper provides new insight on multilevel governance of the mercury issue and unravels the role that AMAP has played in this dynamic process.publishedVersio

En Casestudie som baserer seg på prestasjonsbasert belønning og innovasjon

Mastergradsoppgave i innovasjon, med fordypning i ledelse og organisasjonSalg er en bransje som er preget av prestasjonsbasert belønning og det varierer ofte i bruk av individuell og kollektiv belønning. Salgsbransjen er ofte preget av ytre motivasjon, og enkle-, målbare- og individuelle arbeidsoppgaver, samt et høyt arbeidspress som gjør at innovasjon ikke blir et fokus. Likevel ligger det et potensial hos selgere som har direkte kontakt med kunden for å komme med innovative ideer. Tidligere litteratur virker uenige i om individuell og kollektiv belønning er fremmende for innovasjon. Individuell og kollektiv belønning kan ha ulike effekter på jobbdesign, ledelse, sorteringseffekten, motivasjon og samarbeid. Disse organisatoriske variablene kan potensielt ha betydning for om selgerne er innovative, selv om salg ikke blir ansett som den mest innovative bransjen. Gjennom en eksplorerende studie har vi forsøkt å gå dypere i casebedriften for å belyse problemstillingen. Ved innsamling av datamaterialet studere vi teori og funn i casebedriften om hverandre for å være sikker på at vi fikk med de mest sentrale organisatoriske variablene. Innsamlingen av dataene ble gjort gjennom semistrukturerte dybdeintervju. Informantene vi intervjuet besto av ansatte på ulike nivå i casebedriften. Disse dataene ble videre kategorisert og sammenlignet med tidligere litteratur som hovedsakelig baserte seg på andre kontekster. Gjennom datainnhenting og analyse kom vi frem til at jobbdesign, ledelse, sorteringseffekten, motivasjon og samarbeid var sentrale variabler som påvirket relasjonen mellom individuell og kollektiv belønning og innovasjon hos selgerne. Våre funn viser at kollektiv belønning er den belønningsformen som er å foretrekke fremfor individuell belønning når det kommer til å tilrettelegge for innovasjon. Jo større kollektiv belønning selgerne hadde, jo større var den potensielle effekten for innovative selgere. Ved individuell belønning hadde vi ikke noen tydelige funn som virket fremmende for innovasjon. Dette virket å komme av mangelen på et belønningssystem som gav insentiv til innovasjon

Plastic bans in India – Addressing the socio-economic and environmental complexities

As one of the flagship amendments to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2021, the pan-Indian ban on a group of single-use plastic products (SUPPs) introduced in mid-2022 provided a departure point towards more progressive plastic waste legislation. The amendments have mostly been welcomed, yet challenges persist to facilitate its implementation, assess potential environmental impacts of alternative materials, and socio-economic concerns raised by various stakeholders. Considering the recent amendments to the PWM Rules, we critically engage with and highlight key considerations and prevailing challenges with regards to phasing out SUPPs. We argue that to shape sustainable solutions that reduce plastic pollution, uncertainties related to the environmental fate of SUPP alternatives need to be better understood, whilst recognising and accounting for broader socio-economic impacts of SUPP bans, including industry concerns, impacts on socio-economically disadvantaged communities, and the informal recycling sector. A stronger knowledge base on these aspects can mitigate negative social and environmental externalities, including potentially harmful consequences of ambitious plastic pollution reduction measures.publishedVersio

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals used as common plastic additives: Levels, profiles, and human dietary exposure from the Indian food basket

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are the most widely used plastic additives in polymeric materials. These EDCs are ubiquitously distributed in the environment. Hence selected PAEs and BPA were investigated in twenty-five food types and drinking water (supply and packaged) from the metropolitan city, Delhi, and the peri-urban areas of a non-metropolitan city, Dehradun. Except cabbage and orange, the sum of thirteen PAEs (∑13PAEs) and BPA in all the other food types were significantly higher in Delhi over Dehradun (p < 0.01). Highest mean ∑13PAEs (665 ng/g) and BPA (73 ng/g) were observed in cottage cheese and potatoes, respectively followed by fish (PAEs - 477 ng/g, BPA - 16 ng/g). Supply water from the west zone of Delhi was found to contain the highest concentration of BPA (309 ng/L) and ∑13PAEs (5765 ng/L) with the dominance of diethyl phthalate (DEP). Based on the compositional profile and compound-wise principal component analysis, environmental contamination and food processing were attributed as significant sources of most priority PAEs in food samples. Di-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) was over 100-fold higher in the bottled water from local brands than composite bottled water samples. Packaging material was identified as a source for di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) in packaged food. This study observed the highest estimated daily dietary intake (EDI) in the high-fat-containing food products viz., cottage cheese, and fish from north Delhi. High bioaccumulation of BPA can be a possible reason for elevated EDI in vegetables and local fish of Delhi. Unlike Dehradun, EDI for ∑13PAEs and BPA was slightly higher for the non-vegetarian adult when compared to the vegetarian adult. DEHP and DnBP exhibited the highest estimated estrogenic potential for bottled water from local brands. Dietary exposure due to six priority PAEs contamination in food stuffs was two to four-fold higher in Delhi than Dehradun for adult man and woman.acceptedVersio

Unlocking India’s Potential in Managing Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs): Importance, Challenges, and Opportunities

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a prime concern for the environment and health globally. Research shows that in developing countries such as India both the environment and human populations are severely exposed to EDCs and consequently experience rising incidents of adverse health effects such as diabetes and cancers. In this paper, we discuss the current EDC management approach in India, critically assess its limitations, and describe opportunities for potential improvements. Foremost, current EDC management actions and interventions in India are fragmented and outdated, and far behind the modern and comprehensive approaches adopted in the European Union and other developed countries. Strong and well-planned actions are required on various fronts of science, policy, commerce, and public engagement. These actions include the adoption of a dedicated and modern regulatory framework for managing EDCs, enhancing capacity and infrastructure for EDC monitoring in the environment and human population, employing public–private partnership programs for not only managing EDCs but also in the sectors that indirectly contribute toward the mismanagement of EDCs in the country, and raising awareness on EDCs and promoting health-preserving consumption habits among the public. As India hosts a large proportion of the global human population and biodiversity, the success or failure of its actions will substantially affect the direction of global efforts to manage EDCs and set an example for other developing countries.publishedVersio

Implementing the Minamata Convention on Mercury: Will China Deliver?

China has undertaken a major shift in its position on mercury as an environmental problem over the last decade and a half. It ratified the Minamata Convention (MC) in 2016 and by doing so has committed to implement the treaty objectives. This article asks: How do we explain China’s will and ability to implement its MC obligations? There is little systematic knowledge about the main factors underlying implementation of international mercury objectives in China, hence this article contributes new research on this important topic. We examine the implementation process, focusing on the coal sector and differentiate between indirect effects from other policies and direct efforts to implement obligations. We find that China has moved toward stricter regulation of mercury emissions and direct implementation of the Minamata Convention in the coal sector. However, our study shows that local implementation capacity needs improvement.Implementing the Minamata Convention on Mercury: Will China Deliver?acceptedVersio

Granulocyte and monocyte CD11b expression during plasma separation is dependent on complement factor 5 (C5) – an ex vivo study with blood from a C5-deficient individual

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Hardersen, R., Enebakk, T., Christiansen, D., Bergseth, G., Brekke, L.-O., Mollnes, T.E., ... Hovland, A.W. (2018). Granulocyte and monocyte CD11b expression during plasma separation is dependent on complement factor 5 (C5) ? an ex vivo study with blood from a C5-deficient individual. Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS), 126(4), 342-352, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/apm.12821. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.The aim of the study was to investigate the role of complement factor 5 (C5) in reactions elicited by plasma separation using blood from a C5‐deficient (C5D) individual, comparing it to C5‐deficient blood reconstituted with C5 (C5DR) and blood from healthy donors. Blood was circulated through an ex vivo plasma separation model. Leukocyte CD11b expression and leukocyte–platelet conjugates were measured by flow cytometry during a 30‐min period. Other markers were assessed during a 240‐min period. Granulocyte and monocyte CD11b expression did not increase in C5D blood during plasma separation. In C5DR samples granulocytes CD11b expression, measured by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), increased from 10481 ± 6022 (SD) to 62703 ± 4936, and monocytes CD11b expression changed from 13837 ± 7047 to 40063 ± 713. Granulocyte–platelet conjugates showed a 2.5‐fold increase in the C5DR sample compared to the C5D sample. Monocyte–platelet conjugates increased independently of C5. In the C5D samples, platelet count decreased from 210 × 109/L (201–219) (median and range) to 51 × 109/L (50–51), and C3bc increased from 14 CAU/mL (21–7) to 198 CAU/mL (127–269), whereas TCC formation was blocked during plasma separation. In conclusion, up‐regulation of granulocyte and monocyte CD11b during plasma separation was C5‐dependent. The results also indicate C5 dependency in granulocyte–platelet conjugates formation

A comprehensive assessment of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in an Indian food basket: Levels, dietary intakes, and comparison with

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in diet are a health concern and their monitoring in food has been introduced in the European Union. In developing countries, EDC dietary exposure data are scarce, especially from areas perceived as pollution hotspots, including industrialized countries like India. Several persistent organic pollutants (POPs) act as EDCs and pose a pressure to human health mainly through dietary exposure. In the present study, a range of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), dioxins and furans were measured in several food items collected from Indian urban (Delhi) and peri-urban (Dehradun) areas. Food basket contamination data were used to estimate EDC dietary exposure and compare it with that of the average European population estimated from available monitoring data. All the target contaminants were found in most food items, especially in dairies and meat products. OCPs were the main contributers to the measured EDC contamination. Food supplied to Delhi's markets had higher EDC contamination than that supplied to the peri-urban market in Dehradun. Despite lax compliance and control measures, Indian dietary exposure of OCPs and PBDEs were comparable with that of Europe and were lower for PCBs and dioxins. Higher meat consumption in Europe only partly explained this pattern which was driven also by the higher EDC residues in some European food items. A substantial part of endocrine disrupting potential in the diet derives from food and animal feeds internationally traded between developed and developing countries. With increasingly globalized food systems, internationally harmonized policies on EDC content in food can lead to better protection of health in both these contexts

Mercury in the Barents region – River fluxes, sources, and environmental concentrations

Arctic rivers are receiving increased attention for their contributing of mercury (Hg) to the Arctic Ocean. Despite this, the knowledge on both the terrestrial release sources and the levels of Hg in the rivers are limited. Within the Arctic, the Barents region has a high industrial development, including multiple potential Hg release sources. This study presents the first overview of potential Hg release sources on Norwegian and Russian mainland draining to the Barents Sea. Source categories cover mining and metallurgy industry; historical pulp and paper production; municipal and industrial solid waste handling; fossil fuel combustion; and past military activities. Available data on Hg in freshwater bodies near the identified potential release sources are reviewed. Levels of Hg were occasionally exceeding the national pollution control limits, thereby posing concern to the local human population and wildlife. However, the studies were sparse and often unsystematic. Finally, we present new data of Hg measured in five Barents rivers. These data reveal strong seasonality in the Hg levels, with a total annual flux constituting 2% of the panarctic total. With this new insight we aspire to contribute to the international efforts of reducing Hg pollution, such as through the effective implementation of the Minamata Convention. Future studies documenting Hg in exposed Barents freshwater bodies are warranted.publishedVersio