Amniotic fluid pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) in fetal developmental disorders

Concentration of pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) was studied in second and third trimester amniotic fluid from pregnancies with various fetal developmental disorders. The material consisted of 26 cases with chromosomal disorders and 19 cases with nonchromosomal fetal malformations. The SP1 concentration was elevated in two cases of Meckel's syndrome (mean + 2.7–4.0 S.D.) as well as in one case of fetal triploidy (mean + 22 S.D.), while it was normal in all other 14 different fetal disorders.     

Lipid-Filled semipermeable membrane devices and mussels as samplers of organochlorine compounds in lake water

Semipermeable membrane sampling devices (SPMDs) and caged lake mussels (Anodonta piscinalis) were simultaneously deployed at four lake watercourse sites in Central Finland four weeks in August 1992. This study was part of the regular annual monitoring of the organochlorine compounds (OCC) in pulp-mill recipient watercourses of Finland with bivalves. Chlorohydrocarbons (CHCs), chlorophenol compounds (PCPs), chloroanisoles (PCAs) and chloroveratroles (PCVs) were analyzed from lipid extract of mussels and from the synthetic triolein lipid of the SPMDs. Hexane-diethyl ether (9:1, v/v) dialysis using polyethylene membrane was applied in dean up of the SPMD lipids and, for comparison, to six sets of the mussel fat. Dialysis recovered CHCs but not PCPs from the mussel fat. CHCs, PCPs, PCAs and PCVs were all recovered in dialysis of the SPMD lipid. Handling of SPMDs in the transport and deployment operations caused significant OCC contamination for the blank SPMDs. Similar trends were revealed in the OCC profiles for mussels ans SPMDs. An exception was the lack of PCPs appearing in SPMDs that did appear in mussels and in a complementary manner the appearance of the PCAs and PCVs in SPMDs.     

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments. IV. Dioxins, furans and related chloroaromatic compounds

Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychloronaphthalenes (PCNs) and coplanar PCBs were measured in surface sediments from 18 lake areas in Central Finland. Toxic 2, 3, 7, 8-substituted PCDD and PCDF congeners occurred at low levels (<20 − 230 pg/g dw). PCNs appeared at few ng/g (total PCNs) levels. Pulp mills or any other local sources could not be associated with the sedimented PCDDs, PCDFs and PCNs. Coplanar PCB congeners 77 and 105 (IUPAC Nr) were generally found at 20–550 pg/g levels. The most toxic congener 126 was measured (110 pg/g) only at one area near a local PCB leakage. Pulp mill originated aromatic chlorocompounds which coelute with PCDDs and PCDFs in clean up, probably alkyl polychlorobibenzyls (R-PCBBs) appeared at ng/g levels and showed a clear gradient dowstreams from pulp mill effluent points.     

Co-utilisation of CO2 and steelmaking slags for production of pure CaCO3 – legislative issues

The steel industry is characterised by large amounts of CO₂ emissions, but there is no easy means to reduce these emissions. One interesting option for the reduction of CO₂ emissions could be the utilisation of steelmaking slags for carbon dioxide mineralisation. In this option CO₂ is bound with the calcium of the slag material, producing stable carbonate as an end product. The utilisation of steelmaking slags as the raw material for carbon dioxide mineralisation will change the quality of the slags. If, however, this change degrades the slags it could prevent the use of slags in carbon dioxide mineralisation or make it very expensive.The purpose of the research presented here is to evaluate this issue with the help of a case study where the quality of the residual slag from the recently suggested carbonation method was experimentally investigated. The CO₂ mineralisation method, based on steelmaking slags and ammonium salt solutions, was found to change the quality of the slags: the calcium content was reduced, the CaO and Ca(OH)₂ phases were completely dissolved, and the solubility of the V and Cr increased notably. This residual slag would presumably have to be handled as waste. Currently, the steelmaking slag used in the case study is defined as a by-product, but if it is used for CO₂ mineralisation instead of liming its legal status will be re-evaluated. Subsequently, the CO₂ mineralisation process could possibly be defined as an end-of-waste procedure.     

Comparison of extraction methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon determination in sediments

Different sample preparation methods for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in lake and river sediments were compared and evaluated. Freeze‐dried sediment materials were extracted using Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic agitation and digestion with various solvents and solvent mixtures. Similarly, clean‐up methods using various types of sorbents for separation of PAHs tested.

The following method gives the best results for the determination of PAHs: freeze‐dried sediment samples were extracted using Soxhlet extractor with dichloromethane (6 hr, dark), extracts were cleanup using Silica gel and a mixture of n‐hexa‐ne‐dichloromethane was used for the elution of PAHs.

This method was used for the determination of 7 selected PAHs in sediment samples from Finnish lakes and Czech streams.     

Polybrominated methoxy diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) in fish and guillemot of Baltic, Atlantic and Arctic environments

Arctic cod liver samples from Vestertana Fjord at the Arctic coast of Norway, salmon and guillemot samples from the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and salmon and lamprey larva samples from Kymijoki River in southern Finland were analysed for the occurrence of tri-, tetra- and pentabromomethoxy diphenyl ethers and their concentration levels were estimated. These compounds have previously been identified by other research groups in salmon, seal and dolphin samples. The aim of this study was to find out a possible temporal trend in the concentrations of these compounds in the cod liver samples from years 1987-1998 and to investigate the possible spatial differences in the concentrations in biota samples from the Baltic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Sea and contaminated freshwater river. Two most abundant methoxy-tetrabromo diphenyl ether congeners occurred in the same statistically significant ratio in 14 sea biota samples. Levels in lamprey larvae were below detection limit. The origin of these methoxylated bromodiphenyl ethers in biota samples remained unknown. They may be metabolites of polybrominated diphenyl ethers used as flame retardants or compounds of natural origin.     

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments. V. Bottom of Baikal near a pulp mill

Organically bound chlorine (OCl) together with inorganic chloride (Cl⁻) was measured from bottom surface samples of the Lake Baikal near a pulp mill and compared to organic matter contents (OM). Although total contents of OCl, Cl⁻ and OM were much lower than, the ratio of OCl to OM was of the same order of magnitude as in pulp mill recipients of Finland.     

Food chain enrichment of organochlorine compounds and mercury in clean and polluted lakes of Finland

Lakes polluted by pulp mill and urban wastes including chlorobleaching of pulp, semipolluted lakes and reference lakes in nearly natural condition in Central Finland were studied for contents of mercury, methyl mercury and organochlorine compounds in sediment, plankton, roach and pike. Chlorobleaching had caused a 30-fold concentration of Hg in bottom sediment related to that of the purest reference lake. This was not reflected to the mercury levels in fish which were highest at one natural condition (humic) lake and rather high also at semipolluted lake Päijänne. Mercury in fish was shown to be mostly methylated but not completely and its time trends could be estimated. Chloroform showed no but carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene and chlorinated cymenes significant bioaccumulation in fish. Levels of chlorophenols from bleaching had strongly decreased but pentachlorophenol and 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorphenol levels remained related to earlier results. Using fat basis attenuated the power of estimation of food chain enrichment by a three throphic level model for lipohilic biocides and a strong proof was obtained of the enrichment of hexachlorobenzene. The time trends at Päijänne were decreasing for mercury and DDE but increasing for PCB.     

Intake fraction distributions for benzene from vehicles in the Helsinki metropolitan area

The intake fraction (iF) gives a measure of the portion of a source's emissions that is inhaled by an exposed population over a defined period of time. This study examines spatial and population-based iF distributions of a known human carcinogen, benzene, from a ubiquitous urban source, local vehicular traffic, in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area using three computational methods. The first method uses the EXPAND model (EXPosure to Air pollution, especially to Nitrogen Dioxide and particulate matter), which incorporates spatial and temporal information on population activity patterns as well as urban-scale and street canyon dispersion models to predict spatial population exposure distributions. The second method uses data from the personal monitoring study EXPOLIS (Air Pollution Exposure Distributions of Adult Urban Populations in Europe) to estimate the intake fractions for individuals in the study. The third method, a one-compartment box model provides estimates within an order-of-magnitude or better for non-reactive agents in an urban area. Population intake fractions are higher using the personal monitoring data method (median iF 30 per million, mean iF 39 per million) compared with the spatial model (annual mean iF 10 per million) and the box model (median iF 4 per million, mean iF 7 per million). In particular, this study presents detailed intake fraction distributions on several different levels (spatial, individual, and generic) for the same urban area.