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Mining the chemical information on urban wastewater

Tijdschriftbijdrage - Tijdschriftartikel

Ondertitel:monitoring human exposure to phosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers
At the individual level, exposure to contaminants is generally assessed through the analysis of specific biomarkers m biological matnces. However, these studies are costly and logistically demanding, limiting their applicability to momtor population-wide exposure over time and space. By focusing on a selection of exposure biomarkers to phosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers (PFRs), this study aims to explore the possibility of using wastewater as a complementary source of information about exposure. Wastewater samples were collected from five cities in Europe and analyzed using a previously establised method. Substantial differences in biomarker levels were observed between the investigated catchments, suggesting differences in exposure. Time trends in biomarkers observed between 2013 and 2016 were found to agree with results from human biomonitoring studies and reports about production volumes. Using Monte Carlo simulations, average urinary concentrations were estimated. These were generally higher compared to results from human biomonitoring studies. Various explanations for these differences were formulated (i.e., other excretion routes, external sources and different sampling approaches). Obtained results show that wastewater analysis provides unique information about geographical and temporal differences in exposure, which would be difficult to gather using other monitoring tools.
Tijdschrift: Environmental science and technology
ISSN: 0013-936X
Volume: 52
Pagina's: 6996 - 7005
Jaar van publicatie:2018
Trefwoorden:A1 Journal article
BOF-keylabel:ja
BOF-publication weight:10
CSS-citation score:2
Auteurs:International
Authors from:Higher Education
Toegankelijkheid:Open