To Örebro University

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are frequently detected in human breast milk. However, there is still limited understanding of the potential health risks associated with PFAS contamination in breast milk. In the present study, we calculated the plasma concentrations and estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of four PFAS, i.e. perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), based on a recently published study on PFAS concentrations in breast milk from five regions of the United Nations, and evaluated the potential health risks of PFAS. Risk assessment based on plasma PFAS concentrations indicated their potential deleterious effects on both mothers and infants, and notably infants were more vulnerable than mothers to PFAS exposure. Moreover, PFHxS and PFNA posed a higher health risk than PFOS and PFOA. Based on the calculation of toxicological data from animal studies using the method proposed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), new minimal risk values (MRVs) proposed herein for infants were 3.35, 2.92, 0.25, and 0.38 ng/kg bw/d for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA, respectively. The comparison of infant MRVs and EDIs further demonstrated the health hazards of PFAS exposure in infants via breast milk. This work indicated the potential maternal and infant health risks from human burden of PFAS, and the newly developed MRVs of four PFAS for infants would be more suitable than the health-based guidance values proposed by the ATSDR, in view of accurate assessment on the health threat to neonates from the exposure of this kind of emerging chemicals via breastfeeding.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale L.) is a widely used spice which beyond nutritional properties exhibit therapeutic properties. It is sold fresh or dried. In order to characterize this food more in detail, the content of 29 elements in ginger was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The either fresh or dry powdered products, were bought in (super)markets in Zagreb (Croatia) and Örebro (Sweden) in either loose form or packaged in plastic or glass. For analysis, all samples were dried and homogenised prior to digestion using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The content of metals and metalloids, grouped according to their orbitals (“block”) and definitions as “toxic”, bioavailability, and Geochem, was assessed. Most abundant element found in all samples was K (2940 mg/kg – 50500 mg/kg), followed by Mg (1080 mg/kg – 3680 mg/kg), Ca (786 mg/kg – 2240 mg/kg), Mn (18.6 mg/kg – 789 mg/kg), Na (52 mg/kg – 987 mg/kg), Al (6.09 mg/kg – 1070 mg/kg), and Fe (32.1 mg/kg – 779 mg/kg). Metals founds in the earth-crust are correlated in the ginger products, which suggests similar uptake pattern. Statistical analysis showed that the origin of the samples as well processing method (drying, grinding) have an impact on the elemental pattern in ginger, whilst no correlation between packaging material (none, glass, plastic) and elemental contents in the products was found.

Developing a honeycomb catalyst that enables the simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxides and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) below 200 degrees C is crucial for enhancing energy efficiency and advancing flue gas purification in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plants. In this study, the removal efficiencies of a newly developed VOx-CeOx-WOx/TiO2(VWCe, 4.00 wt% V2O5, 2.84 wt% WO3, and 2.77 wt% CeO2, supported on TiO2) catalyst were evaluated through a series of pilot-scale experiments. The VWCe catalyst demonstrated excellent performance, achieving RENOx of 78 %-89 % and REPCDD/Fs of 88 %-96 % in the temperature range of 140-180 degrees C. Multiple characterization techniques revealed that the catalyst exhibited a typical mesoporous structure, enhanced redox properties, attributed to a high proportion of Ce3 + (65.9 %), abundant surface-active species, increased oxygen vacancies, and active lattice oxygen. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and in-situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTs) analyses confirmed that CeOx and WOx significantly enhanced the catalyst's acidity, particularly the Br & Oslash;nsted acid sites, which improved its denitrification performance. This study highlights the potential for further improvement of SCR catalysts to achieve efficient simultaneous removal of NOx and PCDD/Fs under low-temperature conditions in real flue gas applications.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) often considered a weed is a highly versatile and beneficial plant that has been used in food, medicine, and as a natural remedy for centuries.

Soil pollution by potentially toxic elements is of concern since they may transfer to the edible parts of the food, especially when collecting wild plants from not cultivated, and thus not controlled soil. As examples, cadmium and lead are heavy metals that can accumulate in the body over time, leading to a range of adverse health outcomes.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stipulated maximum mass fractions of certain metals in food stuff, e.g. 0.05 mg/kg and 0.1 mg/kg for cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), respectively. Cadmium is primarily absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract when ingested through food. It is then distributed throughout the body, where it binds to proteins and accumulates in various tissues, particularly the kidneys, liver, and bones. Lead is absorbed into the body through the gastrointestinal tract and is distributed to the bloodstream, where it can accumulate in various tissues, including the bones, brain, and kidneys.

Dandelion and soil samples were collected at 19 different places in Croatia, divided into different parts (root, stem, leaf, flower); thus, generating a total of 95 samples. The plant parts were washed with diluted nitric acid, dried at 105 °C, and ground for homogenisation prior to acidic microwave assisted digestion. The quantification of selected potentially toxic elements in the clear digest solutions was carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Soil samples were air-dried and pulverized using an agate mortar prior to digestion and analysis. All plant samples had Pb mass fractions above the maximum value, the results ranging from 0.116 mg/kg to 2.39 mg/kg for the flowers, 0.272 mg/kg to 13.9 mg/kg for the leaves, 0.217 mg/kg to 3.56 mg/kg for the stem, and from 0.745 mg/kg to 40.4 mg/kg for the roots. Regarding Cd, all values except for flower and stem in two plants and four flowers exceeded the maximum mass fraction. On the contrast only five soils samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible limit of heavy metals in soil for Cd and only one for Pb.

The elevated levels of Cd and Pb in wild edible plants may pose a public health concern due to the exceedance of recommended limit values. In conclusion of this study, the present dandelion samples cannot be recommended for human consumption.

Cerium is widely used as a modifier to enhance the catalytic performance of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts due to its exceptional low-temperature properties. However, the effects of different cerium precursors on catalytic performance remains unclear. In this study, VOx-WOx/TiO2 catalysts are modified using Ce(NO3)3·6H2O (cata-N), CeO2 (cata-O), and Ce(OH)4 (cata-OH), and their synergistic removal of NOx and chlorobenzene (CB), as well as their resistance to water and sulfur poisoning, were systematically investigated. Among the tested catalysts, cata-N demonstrated superior CB (45.0-93.3 %) and NOx (31.9-90.37 %) removal efficiencies under synergistic conditions, along with excellent water resistance (T90 = 193 °C with 5 % H2O). In contrast, cata-OH exhibited the highest sulfur resistance, maintaining a denitrification efficiency of 20 % after 10 h of sulfur exposure, compared to 9 % for cata-N and 8 % for cata-O. Characterization revealed that Ce(NO3) 3·6H2O improved cerium dispersion, leading to enhanced the redox properties and acidity (especially Brønsted acid sites (BAS)) in cata-N. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and In-situ Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (In-situ DRIFTS) results revealed that the well-dispersed cerium atoms contributed additional BAS in the form of Ce-OH, while also forming Ti-O-Ce bonds. These Ti-O-Ce bonds facilitated the formation of Ti-OH on the TiO2 surface. Ti-OH significantly enhanced the adsorption of NH3 and CB, thereby promoting both the NH3-SCR and CB oxidation processes. This study offers new insights into the role of cerium precursors and provides a practical strategy for tuning BAS of catalysts in multiple pollutants removal.

Many persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human milk present environmental and health concerns, particularly for vulnerable populations such as breastfed infants. This study applied a data exploration dimensionality reduction workflow using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) for POP measurements in human milk. This approach focuses on identifying and comparing the compositional patterns-or 'fingerprints'-of POPs rather than just measuring their concentrations. The UMAP approach revealed detailed variations in POP fingerprints that were not detectable with traditional univariate approaches. UMAP approach also improves upon other multivariate approaches, such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Unlike previous studies focusing solely on concentration differences, UMAP identified distinct regional and economic POP fingerprints. Lower-income countries showed POP fingerprints dominated by DDT-related compounds, while higher-income regions showed distinct fingerprints with greater contributions from PCBs and other legacy pollutants. Temporal analysis captured shifts in POP fingerprints after 2001, corresponding with the expansion from initial focus on PCDD, PCDF, and PCB to the broader group of the original 12 POPs listed under the Stockholm Convention. These results demonstrate how dimensionality reduction techniques, particularly UMAP, can distinguish compositional POP fingerprints across geospatial, temporal, and economic factors, providing a comparative framework for understanding global exposure patterns.

The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in bottled water is still largely unexplored in Croatia. This study fills this gap by analysing six water brands available on the Croatian market, all bottled in either virgin or recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In order to analyse microplastics down to a size of 1 µm, the water from the purchased bottles was filtered with silicon filters with a pore size of 1 µm and then micro-Raman spectroscopy was performed. A significant reduction in analysis time was achieved by using a randomly selected filter area of 12.05 mm2 instead of the conventional 100 mm2. The results showed that polyethylene (PE), PET, and polyamide (PA) were found in all six brands and the blank. The highest detection frequency was found for PE (N = 19), followed by PET (N = 17) and PA (N = 14). Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was found only in one brand, but in all three subsamples, packaged in recycled PET. By far the highest detection frequency of MPs occurred in the smallest fraction at a length < 5 µm. The highest number of MPs was for PET with 45% of the total amount, followed by PE (37%). Although MPs were identified in the blank water sample, the number was 12% of the total. Interestingly, the bottled water in virgin PET containers had more MPs than that in recycled PET. It should be noted that the purification system used to produce ultrapure water produced MPs, which poses an additional analytical challenge. The results should be considered as a snapshot and further monitoring is necessary to assess the extent of MP contamination of drinking water and to characterise the types of polymers and sources of the MPs. The current findings raise concerns about the presence of MPs in bottled water and warrant a thorough risk assessment to evaluate potential long-term health effects on humans.

This paper offers a comparative analysis of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in oceans and freshwater systems. Included are surface water and deep-water samples to provide a snapshot of the occurrence of these substances in a global context. Emphasis is given to the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), which has unique features due to a large land mass at low latitudes. In addition, the WIO is warmer than many other aquatic systems and is characterized by high salinity. The presence of PFAS and its distribution around the globe identified certain activities, like the use of fire-fighting foams in fire training at international airports as a source of contamination even in remote areas such as the Pacific Islands. In Brazil, the industrial area around São Paulo clearly showed much higher contamination with PFAS than the Amazon delta. In the WIO samples, consisting of vertical and horizontal transects, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was more abundant than perfluorosulfonic acid (PFOS) and also had higher concentrations. Overall, PFAS concentrations were much lower in the WIO samples as the majority of samples were below detection limits for PFOS and PFOA. The vast difference in the southern hemisphere marine waters is due to high PFAS concentrations found elsewhere, such as off the coast of South America, contrasting with the low concentrations in the Indian Ocean. This may be due to the South Equatorial Current that traverses thousands of kilometers of ocean with no substantial local inputs but is subject to losses of PFAS to the atmosphere and dilution due to mixing. On the east coast of Africa, only two samples were indicating continental contributions from rivers. The complex oceanic circulation of the Indian Ocean complicates the interpretation of PFAS source and fate, suggesting that patterns elsewhere in the world may not be directly applicable to the WIO.

Calcium oxide (CaO), utilized in semi-dry/dry desulfurization systems at municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plants, demonstrates some capability to remove polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study assessed the gas-phase PCDD/F removal performance of CaO, activated carbon (AC) and CaO-AC mixtures. Alone, CaO achieved removal efficiencies of only 31.9% for mass and 50.8% for I-TEQ concentration. However, CaO-AC mixtures exhibited significantly higher efficiencies, reaching 96.0% and 92.5% for mass and I-TEQ concentrations, respectively, surpassing those of AC alone, which were 74.7% and 58.5%. BET analysis indicated that CaO's limited surface area and pore structure are major constraints on its adsorption performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the π-π electron donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction enhances the adsorption between AC and PCDD/F, with adsorption energies ranging from -1.02 to -1.24 eV. Additionally, the induced dipole interactions between CaO and PCDD/F contribute to adsorption energies ranging from -1.13 to -1.43 eV. Moreover, with increasing chlorination levels, PCDD/F molecules are more predisposed to accept electron transfers from the surfaces of AC or CaO, thereby facilitating adsorption. The calculation for mixed AC and CaO showed that CaO modifies AC's properties, enhancing its ability to adsorb gas phase PCDD/Fs, with the higher adsorption energy and more electrons transfer, aligning with gas phase PCDD/Fs adsorption experiments. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how CaO influences the PCDD/F adsorption performance of AC.

This study discusses the organic and inorganic composition of young inflorescence tissues of seven medical plants from the Prunus, Malus, and Chaenomeles families. These plants contain bioactive compounds with antioxidant and cytotoxic properties, and the study determined 29 elements, including essential and potentially harmful ones, established correlations with inorganic and organic compounds, as well as antioxidative and cytotoxic effects. The elemental patterns show that the plants contribute beneficial essential elements to the human diet. The levels of toxic elements in the plants are within safe limits set by the World Health Organization for medicinal herbs. The results confirmed genus- and species-specific uptake and accumulation. Positive correlations between d-block metals and alkaline earth metals in the inflorescences were found alongside statistically significant differences between analyte categories regarding macro-, micro- and trace elements and bioactive compounds. These correlations need to be considered when giving dietary recommendations or advice for uses as home-remedies.