Determining the effects of the discharge effluent from the Karmøy aluminium smelter using an integrated biological effects approach

Prosjektleder Ailbhe MackenThe report describes a monitoring programme using field transplanted mussels to determine the potential biological effects of the effluent discharge from the Karmøy aluminium smelter operated by Hydro Aluminium in Norway. Chemical body burden (54 PAH and metal concentrations) and a suite of biological effects markers were measured in mussels positioned at known distances and at two depths from the aluminium smelters discharge for a period of 8 weeks. In addition, chemical concentrations of the sediment were also measured within the fjord to evaluate the impact of the aluminium smelter on the local marine environment. The highest PAH and metal contamination of the sediment was observed at station 4, a sheltered lagoon 1-1.5 km south of the smelter (Nordalsvågen), and also elevated at station 3, 500 m south of the smelter. PAH contamination in mussels at the closest stations to the aluminium smelter reflected the PAH profiles of the sediment concentrations at each station. This was not true for metals, which were relatively low in all mussels. The PAH concentration in mussels 2 m above the seafloor (bottom), were higher than mussels 5 m from the surface (top/surface) for three out of the four stations. Despite the accumulation of PAH in the mussels, the five biomarker responses were low and overall did not differentiate significantly between the mussel groups. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) found no clear association between the impact of PAHs and metals with the biological responses in mussels, even in mussels placed closest to the aluminium smelter.Aluminiumindustriens Miljøsekretariat (AMS)publishedVersio

Integrated biological effects assessment of the discharge water into the Sunndals fjord from an aluminium smelter

Prosjektleder: Ailbhe MackenAndre reviderte versjon av rapport 7537-2020. Første revisjon: 7543-2020.The following study describes an integrated biological effects monitoring programme using field transplanted mussels to determine the potential biological effects of the effluent discharge from Hydro’s aluminium smelter in the Sunndals fjord. Chemical body burden (PAH and metals) and a suite of biological effects markers were measured in mussels positioned at known distances (1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 km) from the aluminium smelter for 6 weeks. Overall, the biological responses observed where greater in the mussels positioned closest to the smelters discharge (1 – 5 km), although the chemical concentrations in mussel tissues were low and below the expected threshold levels. The lowest chemical accumulation and biomarker responses were observed in mussels positioned 10 km from the smelter. Mussels located furthest from the smelter exhibited significant biomarker responses, probably associated with a different contaminant source. The integrated biological response index (IBR) reflected the expected level of exposure to the smelters discharge and the Principal component analysis (PCA) differentiated between the mussel groups, with the most impacted located closest to the smelters discharge. Not one chemical factor explained the biological responses in mussels, correlations were found between certain measured contaminants (i.e. PAH, Mn, Ni and Cr) and distance from the smelter, although the concentrations of these contaminants were low and unlikely to have caused the biological effects observed in the mussels (1 and 5 km).Aluminiumindustriens Miljøsekretariat (AMS)publishedVersio

An integrated biological effects assessment of the discharge water into the Sunndalsfjord from an aluminium smelter

An integrated biological effects study using field transplanted mussels was applied to determine the potential biological effects of an effluent discharge from an aluminium smelter into a Norwegian fjord. Chemical body burden and biological effects were measured in mussels positioned downstream (1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 km) from the aluminium smelters discharge for a period of 6 weeks. A suite of biomarkers, from whole organism to subcellular responses were measured. Chemical concentrations in mussel tissues were low; however, a change in the PAC (polyaromatic compound) profile from high to low pyrogenic influence provided evidence of exposure to the smelter's effluent. Overall, the biological responses observed where greater in the mussels positioned closest to the smelter (1–5 km). Lowest chemical accumulation and biomarker responses were observed in mussels positioned 10 km from the smelter and were considered as the reference field population. Mussels located furthest from the smelter (20 km) exhibited significant biomarker responses and suggested a different contaminant source within the fjord. The integrated biological response index (IBR) was applied and reflected the expected level of exposure to the smelters discharge, with highest IBR calculated in mussels positioned closest to the discharge (1–5 km). Principal component analysis (PCA) also differentiated among mussel groups, with the most impacted located closest to the smelter. Not one chemical factor could explain the biological responses observed in mussels, but the presence of PAH16, PAH41 and metals Mn, Ni and Cr were the main contributors measured to the higher stress seen in the mussels from the 1 and 5 km groups.publishedVersio

Karakterisering og kildesporing av polysykliske aromatiske substanser (PAC) i sediment rundt Mongstad

Prosjektleder: Merete GrungPolysykliske aromatiske substanser (PAC) ble målt i sedimentprøver fra 16 stasjoner i Fensfjorden nær Mongstad oljeraffineri. PAC‐konsentrasjoner ble vurdert mot klassegrenser i vannforskriften, både AA‐EQS og MAC‐EQS. Ingen stasjoner overskred klassegrense 3 for sumPAH16, men enkelte PAC overskred klassegrense 3. Ingen PAC overskred MAC‐EQS. Ved en hierarkisk gruppering ble det identifisert 3‐4 hovedgrupper av stasjoner basert på konsentrasjon og PAC‐mønster. Ulike indekser viste statistiske forskjeller mellom noen av gruppene, spesielt med henblikk petrogene og pyrogene PAC. Ved stasjon Mo55 ble det påvist høyt innhold av krysener (C) relativt til andre PAC. En C‐ratio (krysener/andre PAC) viste at ratioen var høy ved Mo55. C‐ratio var lavere i området rundt Mongstad, og lavest for stasjoner på dypet og stasjoner lengre unna Mongstad. Resultatene fra sedimentanalyser antyder at Fensfjorden har en pyrogen bakgrunn av PAC som blandes med et petrogent innslag fra Mongstad. Også i utslippsvann fra Mongstad var krysen dominerende. Lignende ratioer av krysener mot tunge PAC ble gjenfunnet i nærstasjoner av sediment til Mongstad, men ikke fra sedimentstasjoner dypt i Fensfjorden. Dette styrker konklusjonen fra sedimentanalysene med en pyrogen bakgrunn i Fensfjorden som blandes med et petrogent innslag fra Mongstad.Mongstad, Equinor ASApublishedVersio

Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Road Runoff Are an Environmental Risk and Should Be Included in Future Investigations

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and metals are important contaminants in road runoff. Vital mitigation measures against aquatic contamination from road runoff include the use of sedimentation ponds. However, it has been demonstrated that ecosystems in sedimentation ponds might be affected by road runoff. Sediments from six natural ponds and 27 sedimentation ponds were investigated to determine the environmental risk of contaminants. The amount of traffic on the respective roads associated with the sedimentation ponds was correlated with the environmental concentrations. Quantification included seven metals, the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylated PACs, dibenzothiophene, benzo[e]pyrene, and perylene. The environmental risk was assessed according to the European Union Water Framework Directive guidelines. Sedimentation ponds had a higher level of contaminants than natural ponds, and environmental risks were dominated by the concentration of PACs. Alkylated PACs contributed to the environmental risk posed by PACs and should be included in future monitoring. Only Cu and Zn were measured at concentrations above the environmental quality standards (EQSs), while 13 PACs exceeded the EQS. Sediment concentrations of Cu, Zn, and most PACs correlated significantly with the amount of traffic. The sources of PACs were determined by source apportionment ratios between PACs. Alkylation and pyrogenic indices showed that sources in natural ponds were of mostly pyrogenic origin, whereas in sedimentation ponds they were predominantly petrogenic. Asphalt was the probable main source of PACs. A hierarchical clustering technique was used to investigate both the environmental risks and the pattern of PACs in the ponds and revealed that a few sedimentation ponds were not protecting the environment as intended because the upper sediment layers had not been regularly dredged.publishedVersio

The Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Impairs Learning, Locomotor Activity Levels, and Sucrose Solution Consumption in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Bumblebees carry out the complex task of foraging to provide for their colonies. They also conduct pollination, an ecosystem service of high importance to both wild plants and entomophilous crops. Insecticides can alter different aspects of bumblebee foraging behavior, including the motivation to leave the hive, finding the right flowers, handling flowers, and the ability to return to the colony. In the present study, we assessed how the neonicotinoid imidacloprid affects bumblebees' foraging behavior after exposure to four different treatment levels, including field-realistic concentrations (0 [control], 1, 10, and 100 μg/L), through sucrose solution over 9 days. We observed the behavior of several free-flying bumblebees simultaneously foraging on artificial flowers in a flight arena to register the bees' complex behavior postexposure. To conduct a detailed assessment of how insecticides affect bumblebee locomotor behavior, we used video cameras and analyzed the recordings using computer vision. We found that imidacloprid impaired learning and locomotor activity level when the bumblebees foraged on artificial flowers. We also found that imidacloprid exposure reduced sucrose solution intake and storage. By using automated analyses of video recordings of bumblebee behavior, we identified sublethal effects of imidacloprid exposure at field-realistic doses. Specifically, we observed negative impacts on consumption of sucrose solution as well as on learning and locomotor activity level. Our results highlight the need for more multimodal approaches when assessing the sublethal effects of insecticides and plant protection products in general.publishedVersio

Pharmaceutical pollution: Prediction of environmental concentrations from national wholesales data

The regulation and monitoring of pharmaceutical pollution in Europe lag behind that of more prominent groups. However, the repurposing of sales data to predict surface water environmental concentrations is a promising supplement to more commonly used market-based risk assessment and measurement approaches. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has since the 1980s compiled the Drug Wholesale Statistics database - covering all sales of both human and veterinary pharmaceuticals to retailers, pharmacies, and healthcare providers. To date, most similar works have focused either on a small subset of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) or used only prescription data, often more readily available than wholesale data, but necessarily more limited. By using the NIPH’s product wholesale records, with additional information on API concentrations per product from, we have been able to calculate sales weights per year for almost 900 human and veterinary APIs for the period 2016–2019. In this paper, we present our methodology for converting the provided NIPH data from a public health to an ecotoxicological resource. From our derived dataset, we have used an equation to calculate Predicted Environmental Concentration per API for inland surface waters, a key component of environmental risk assessment. We further describe our filtering to remove ecotoxicological-exempt and data deficient APIs. Lastly, we provide a limited comparison between our dataset and similar publicly available datasets for a subset of APIs, as a validation of our approach and a demonstration of the added value of wholesale data. This dataset will provide the best coverage yet of pharmaceutical sales weights for an entire nation. Moreover, our developed routines for processing 2016–2019 data can be expanded to older Norwegian wholesales data (1974–present). Consequently, our work with this dataset can contribute to narrowing the gap between desk-based predictions of exposure from consumption, and empirical but expensive environmental measurement.publishedVersio

Environmental Contaminants in an Urban Fjord, 2022

Prosjektleder: Anders RuusThis report presents data from the second year of a new 5-year period of the Urban Fjord programme. The programme started in 2013 and has since been altered/advanced. In 2022 the programme covers sampling and analyses of sediment, polychaetes, krill, shrimps, blue mussels, herring, cod, eider, and herring gull from the Inner Oslofjord. In addition, samples of Harbour seals from the Outer Oslofjord are analysed. A total of 300 single compounds/isomers were analysed, and frequent detection was found of certain PFAS compounds (such as PFOS) in most matrices, certain QACs in sediment, MCCPs in most matrices (also SCCPs in birds and seals, as well as LCCPs in seals), D5 (siloxane) in all matrices, certain PBDEs (such as BDE 100) in most matrices, PCBs in all matrices, BCPS (phenolic) in seals and certain metals in all matrices. Biomagnification was observed for 28 PCB congeners and 6 PBDEs (lipid wt. basis). Furthermore, biomagnification was observed for 5 PFAS compounds, as well as for the metals As, Ag and Hg (wet wt. basis).MiljødirektoratetpublishedVersio

Monitoring of environmental contaminants in freshwater food webs (MILFERSK), 2023

Prosjektleder: Asle ØkelsrudThis report presents data from the third year of a 5-year period of the MILFERSK program. In 2023 the monitoring program reports on the sampling and analyses of the pelagic food chain in Lake Mjøsa, with the following sample types: zooplankton, Mysis, E. smelt, vendace, and brown trout, in addition to brown trout from Lake Femunden. A total of 205 single compounds/isomers were determined, and frequent detections were found of specific PFAS, PBDEs, Hg and siloxanes through the food chain with biomagnifying properties. Some contaminants, such as octocrylene is found in higher concentrations in the lower trophic levels. A slight downwards trend is observed from 2014 – 2023 for PFOS in Lake Mjøsa. We also observe a lower length adjusted mercury concentration for brown trout in Lake Mjøsa for the period 2014 to 2023, compared to the 9 years prior (2006 – 2014).MiljødirektoratetpublishedVersio

Using a Bayesian Network Model to Predict Risk of Pesticides on Aquatic Community Endpoints in a Rice Field—A Southern European Case Study

Bayesian network (BN) models are increasingly used as tools to support probabilistic environmental risk assessments (ERAs), because they can better account for uncertainty compared with the simpler approaches commonly used in traditional ERA. We used BNs as metamodels to link various sources of information in a probabilistic framework, to predict the risk of pesticides to aquatic communities under given scenarios. The research focused on rice fields surrounding the Albufera Natural Park (Valencia, Spain), and considered three selected pesticides: acetamiprid (an insecticide), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA; a herbicide), and azoxystrobin (a fungicide). The developed BN linked the inputs and outputs of two pesticide models: a process-based exposure model (Rice Water Quality [RICEWQ]), and a probabilistic effects model (Predicts the Ecological Risk of Pesticides [PERPEST]) using case-based reasoning with data from microcosm and mesocosm experiments. The model characterized risk at three levels in a hierarchy: biological endpoints (e.g., molluscs, zooplankton, insects, etc.), endpoint groups (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and community processes), and community. The pesticide risk to a biological endpoint was characterized as the probability of an effect for a given pesticide concentration interval. The risk to an endpoint group was calculated as the joint probability of effect on any of the endpoints in the group. Likewise, community-level risk was calculated as the joint probability of any of the endpoint groups being affected. This approach enabled comparison of risk to endpoint groups across different pesticide types. For example, in a scenario for the year 2050, the predicted risk of the insecticide to the community (40% probability of effect) was dominated by the risk to invertebrates (36% risk). In contrast, herbicide-related risk to the community (63%) resulted from risk to both plants (35%) and invertebrates (38%); the latter might represent (in the present study) indirect effects of toxicity through the food chain. This novel approach combines the quantification of spatial variability of exposure with probabilistic risk prediction for different components of aquatic ecosystems.publishedVersio