Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sorption and bacterial community composition of biodegradable and conventional plastics incubated in coastal sediments

Resistant to degradation, plastic litter poses a long-term threat to marine ecosystems. Biodegradable materials have been developed to replace conventional plastics, but little is known of their impacts and degradation in marine environments. A 14-week laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to conventional (polystyrene PS and polyamide PA) and bio-based, biodegradable plastic films (cellulose acetate CA and poly-L-lactic acid PLLA), and to examine the composition of bacterial communities colonizing these materials. Mesoplastics (1 cm(2)) of these materials were incubated in sediment and seawater collected from two sites in the Gulf of Finland, on the coast of the highly urbanized area of Helsinki, Finland. PS sorbed more PAHs than did the other plastic types at both sites, and the concentration of PAHs was consistently and considerably smaller in plastics than in the sediment. In general, the plastic bacterial biofilms resembled those in the surrounding media (water and/or sediment). However, in the sediment incubations, the community composition on CA diverged from that of the other three plastic types and was enriched with Bacteroidia and potentially cellulolytic Spirochaetia at both sites. The results indicate that certain biodegradable plastics, such as CA, may harbour potential bioplastic-degrading communities and that PAH sorption capacity varies between polymer types. Since biodegradable plastics are presented as replacements for conventional plastics in applications with risk of ending up in the marine environment, the results highlight the need to carefully examine the environmental behaviour of each biodegradable plastic type before they are extensively introduced to the market. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.peerReviewe

Arkivaikuttavuuden arviointi yhdellä mittarilla

Suomessa kehitetty 15D on jo levinnyt laajaan käyttöön. Kokemukset Husista ja Taysista osoittavat sen käyttökelpoiseksi yleisen elämänlaadun mittariksi arkivaikuttavuuden arviointiin.publishedVersio

Arkivaikuttavuuden arviointi yhdellä mittarilla

Terveystaloustiede.Suomessa kehitetty 15D on jo levinnyt laajaan käyttöön. Kokemukset Husista ja Taysista osoittavat sen käyttökelpoiseksi yleisen elämänlaadun mittariksi arkivaikuttavuuden arviointiin

Suomen puheenjohtajuus Arktisessa neuvostossa (2017-2019) muutoksen ja epävarmuuden aikakaudella

Suomi ottaa vastaan Arktisen neuvoston kaksivuotisen puheenjohtajuuden toukokuussa 2017. Raportti tarjoaa tutkimustietoa tukemaan Suomen Arktisen neuvoston puheenjohtajuuden valmistelua ja toteutusta, Suomen arktisen politiikan painopisteiden määrittelyä sekä julkista keskustelua arktisen alueen kehityskuluista. Suomi valmistautuu Arktisen neuvoston puheenjohtajuuskauteensa tilanteessa, jossa yleinen arktisen politiikan toimintaympäristö on muuttunut entistä epävarmemmaksi erityisesti talouden ja turvallisuustilanteen osalta. Myös alueen hallintajärjestelmä on muutoksen tilassa. Arktisen neuvoston puheenjohtajamaan tehtävä on muuttunut ajan myötä samalla kun Arktinen neuvosto on kehittynyt, ja ulkopuoliset toimijat ovat entistä enemmän kiinnostuneet alueesta ja neuvostosta. Raportissa tarkastellaan arktisen alueen muutosta eri näkökulmista: ympäristön ja ympäristöongelmien kehitystä, yhteiskunnallisia kehityskaaria, poliittisia ja geopoliittisia muutoksia, sekä talouskehitystä ja uusia taloudellisia mahdollisuuksia. Raportti tarkastelee, miten muutoksessa olevan alueen haasteisiin pyritään vastaamaan oikeudellisilla ja poliittisilla keinoilla, keskittyen erityisesti Arktisen neuvoston työhön. Raportissa tarkastellaan myös, mitä Arktisen neuvoston puheenjohtajuus tarkoittaa Suomelle, ja miten Suomi voisi tehokkaasti viedä läpi puheenjohtajuuskautensa

PFASs in Finnish rivers and fish and the loading of PFASs to the Baltic Sea

The concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the Finnish aquatic environment were measured in riverine waters and in inland, coastal and open sea fish. In addition, the PFAS load to the Baltic Sea from 11 rivers was calculated. Measurements show that PFASs, including restricted perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), are widely present in the Finnish aquatic environment. At three out of 45 sampling sites, the concentration of PFOS in fish exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS) of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The annual average (AA) ∑23PFAS concentration in surface waters ranged from 1.8 to 42 ng L−1 and the concentration of PFOS exceeded the AA-EQS in three out of 13 water bodies. In European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras), the ∑PFAS concentration ranged from 0.98 to 1 µg kg−1 f.w. (fresh weight) and from 0.2 to 2.4 µg kg−1 f.w., respectively. The highest concentrations in both surface water and fish were found in waters of southern Finland. The riverine export of ∑10PFAS to the Baltic Sea from individual rivers ranged from 0.4 kg yr−1 to 18 kg yr−1. PFAS concentrations in fish of point-source-polluted sites and coastal sites were higher compared to fish of open sea or diffusely polluted sites. The PFAS profiles in surface waters of background sites were different from other sites. This study shows that PFASs are widely found in the Finnish aquatic environment. Different PFAS profiles in samples from background areas and densely populated areas indicate diverse sources of PFASs. Although atmospheric deposition has a substantial influence on PFAS occurrence in remote areas, it is not the dominant source of all PFASs to the aquatic environment of Finland. Rather, wastewaters and presumably contaminated land areas are major sources of PFASs to this aquatic environment

Results of a Saxitoxin Proficiency Test Including Characterization of Reference Material and Stability Studies

A saxitoxin (STX) proficiency test (PT) was organized as part of the Establishment of Quality Assurance for the Detection of Biological Toxins of Potential Bioterrorism Risk (EQuATox) project. The aim of this PT was to provide an evaluation of existing methods and the European laboratories' capabilities for the analysis of STX and some of its analogues in real samples. Homogenized mussel material and algal cell materials containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were produced as reference sample matrices. The reference material was characterized using various analytical methods. Acidified algal extract samples at two concentration levels were prepared from a bulk culture of PSP toxins producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii. The homogeneity and stability of the prepared PT samples were studied and found to be fit-for-purpose. Thereafter, eight STX PT samples were sent to ten participating laboratories from eight countries. The PT offered the participating laboratories the possibility to assess their performance regarding the qualitative and quantitative detection of PSP toxins. Various techniques such as official Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, immunoassays, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for sample analyses.Peer reviewe