Schadstoffbelastete Erzeugnisse im Verbraucherbereich: Wird REACH zu Verbesserungen führen?

Aim and Background Currently, the protection from hazardous substances occurring in consumer articles is often insufficient. In this paper, we discuss whether this situation will improve relevantly in the course of the implementation of the new European regulation on chemical substances (REACH). Changes under REACH may be heterogeneous. Therefore, differential effects depending on the tonnage as placed on the market, on the amount of substances contained in an article, and depending on timelines and exemptions for meeting the legal requirements, are discussed in this paper, together with a presentation of some uses of substances serving as examples. Discussion and Conclusions If substances are adequately registered, all identified and supported uses including their use in articles should be assessed. Therefore, where the full implementation of the registration conditions applies a substantial improvement may be expected due to REACH. Usually, producers or importers of articles are not required to register substances contained in these articles. Instead, the manufacturer or importer of the respective substance is usually responsible for registration, if exposure to the substance cannot be excluded and emission of the substance from an article is not the intended purpose. This may differ for substances intentionally released from articles. Additional obligations for substances not intentionally released mainly apply to substances of very high concern (SVHC). For the latter, the producer or importer of articles has to notify the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the occurrence of the respective SVHC in articles. This information is important, especially because substances in imported articles may not be registered in advance. Authorisation within REACH is a very far reaching and effective tool of the legislation. However, authorisation is not required for SVHC imported as components of articles. Therefore, one main effect intended by REACH, i.?e. the substitution of SVHC, may possibly be undermined by importers of SVHC in articles. Restrictions, as specified in Annex XVII of REACH, offer a powerful opportunity to improve health and environmental safety with respect to hazardous substances. We support an extended understanding of what is defined as a “substance of concern” in the context of restrictions. This definition should be broader than just what is currently covered by the term SVHC. Consequences of restrictions may equally apply to European producers and importers of articles from outside of Europe, which contain such substances of concern. Another instrument currently closely linked to SVHC (in its more restricted definition), is the obligation of the producer or importer of articles to provide information according to article 33 (REACH). The downstream recipient of an article has to be informed on the content of SVHC in this article and how its safe use is ensured. Warehouses, wholesalers and other traders may therefore be aware of the SVHC contained in articles and may look for substitutes without such ingredients. Also, consumers may request this information on SVHC (just provided on demand) and are thus enabled to decide to buy other articles with less hazardous properties.     

Multiple signals in the palmate newt: ornaments help when courting

There is increasing evidence that female mate choice is often based on the assessment of multiple male traits, involving both morphology and behavior. We investigated female mate choice for multiple male traits in the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus, including male tail filament length, hind foot web size, crest development, body size, ventral coloration, and courtship display activity. Observations of courtship display in the field revealed that females spent more time in front of males with longer tail filaments. Laboratory experiments revealed a more detailed relationship between filament length and courtship display. We found that females took more sperm masses from males with both longer filaments and greater display activity. Experimental shortening of the tail filament length substantially decreased the number of male sperm masses transferred. However, when we experimentally reversed relative filament length between two males in mating trials, male mating success was explained by courtship activity and not by filament length. Our results show that female palmate newts value multiple traits during mate choice, including both morphological ornaments and reproductive behaviors in males. Our results further suggest that, when filament length is below a certain threshold, females may value the information content of courtship activity over that of filament length.     

Evidence of nitrification and denitrification in high and low microbial abundance sponges

Aerobic and anaerobic microbial key processes were quantified and compared to microbial numbers and morphological structure in Mediterranean sponges. Direct counts on histological sections stained with DAPI showed that sponges with high microbial abundances (HMA sponges) have a denser morphological structure with a reduced aquiferous system compared to low microbial abundance (LMA) sponges. In Dysidea avara, the LMA sponge, rates of nitrification and denitrification were higher than in the HMA sponge Chondrosia reniformis, while anaerobic ammonium oxidation and sulfate reduction were below detection in both species. This study shows that LMA sponges may host physiologically similar microbes with comparable or even higher metabolic rates than HMA sponges, and that anaerobic processes such as denitrification can be found both in HMA and LMA sponges. A higher concentration of microorganisms in the mesohyl of HMA compared to LMA sponges may indicate a stronger retention of and, hence, a possible benefit from associated microbes.     

Regional and global climate projections increase mid-century yield variability and crop productivity in Belgium

The impact of mid-century climatic changes on crop productivity of winter wheat, maize, potato and sugar beet was assessed for a temperate maritime climate in the Flemish Region, Belgium. Climatic projections of multiple regional and global climate models (RCMs from the EU-ENSEMBLES project and GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3) were stochastically downscaled by the LARS-WG weather generator for use in the crop models AquaCrop and Sirius. Primarily positive effects on mean yield were simulated. Crops benefitted from elevated CO₂, and from more radiation interception if the cropping period was adapted in response to higher temperatures. However, increased productivity was linked with increased susceptibility to water stress and greater inter-annual yield variability, particularly with adapted management. Impacts differed among and within ensembles of climate models, and among crops and environments. Although RCMs may be more suitable for local impact assessments than GCMs, inter-ensemble differences and contingent wider ranges of impacts with GCM projections found in this study indicate that applying RCMs driven by a limited number of GCMs alone would not give the full range of possible impacts. Further, this study suggests that the simulated intermodel variation can be larger than spatial variation within the region. These findings advocate the use of both GCM and RCM ensembles in assessments where temperature and precipitation are central, such as for crop production.     

Probabilistic approaches in the effect assessment of toxic chemicals. What are the benefits and limitations?

There is an ongoing discussion whether in the environmental risk assessment for chemicals the so called 'deterministic' approach using point estimates of exposure and effect concentrations is still appropriate. Instead, the more detailed and scientifically sounder probabilistic methods that have been developed over the last years are widely recommended. Here, we present the results of a probabilistic effect assessment for the aquatic environment performed for the pesticide methyl parathion and compare them with the results obtained with the common deterministic approach as described in the EU Technical Guidance Document. Methyl parathion was chosen because a sufficient data set (acute toxicity data for about 70 species) was available. The assumptions underlying the probabilistic effect assessment are discussed in the light of the results obtained for methyl parathion. Two important assumptions made by many studies are: (i) a sufficient number of ecologically relevant toxicity data is available, (ii) the toxicity data follow a certain distribution such as log-normal. Considering the scarcity of data for many industrial chemicals, we conclude that these assumptions would not be fulfilled in many cases if the probabilistic assessment was applied to the majority of industrial chemicals. Therefore, despite the well-known limitations of the deterministic approach, it should not be replaced by probabilistic methods unless the assumptions of these methods are carefully checked in each individual case, which would significantly increase the effort for the assessment procedure.     

Heavy metals in seaducks and mussels from misty fjords national monument in Southeast Alaska

Quartz Hill, in Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan, Alaska, is the site of a proposed molybdenum-producing mine. To provide baseline data for use in post-development comparisons, we analyzed tissues of Barrow's goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica), common mergansers (Mergus merganser), and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) for seven heavy metals that could potentially be released into the environment as a result of mining operations. Specimens were collected in 1980, 1981, and 1982 from two fjords likely to be used for discharge of tailings from the proposed mine and from two control fjords. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, molybdenum, lead, and zinc were measured in soft tissues of mussels and in kidney, liver, and muscle of birds. The highest mean concentrations of metals found in bird tissues were 55.7 ppm dry weight cadmium in kidneys and 154 ppm dry weight zinc in livers of Barrow's goldeneyes. Concentrations of several metals in blue mussels differed among seasons and locations, but the most significant finding in mussels was a maximum mean cadmium concentration of 9.6 ppm dry weight, a level higher than normally found in undisturbed areas. With the exception of 104 ppm dry weight cadmium in the kidney of one common merganser and 12.7 ppm dry weight lead in the kidney of another, concentrations of other metals in seaduck and mussel tissues were low, consistent with what would be expected for a pre-development environment. Molybdenum was found in low concentrations (<10 ppm dry weight) in all avian kidney samples and most liver samples, but was not detected in blue mussels.THE U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHT TO RETAIN A NON-EXCLUSIVE, ROYALTY FREE LICENCE IN AND TO ANY COPYRIGHT IS ACKNOWLEDGED.     

Ein Indikator für den Einsatz gefährlicher Stoffe in Produkten und Prozessen: Monoethylenglykol-Äquivalente

In order to quantify hazardous substance use in production processes, a special methodology has been designed within the context of the EcoGrade integrated environmental assessment method developed by the Öko-Institut, Institute for Applied Ecology. This methodology uses monoethylene glycol (MEG) equivalents as an indicator value for hazardous substance use. MEG equivalents permit direct, noxious-substance-focussed comparison of processes and products (Bunke 2001). The assessment is based upon the standardized risk phrases assigned to the component substances. The MEG equivalent methodology is a refinement and application of the potency factor model (Wirkfaktorenmodell) of the German Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances (Technische Regel für Gefahrstoffe, TRGS) 440 (AGS 2001). The data required for the assessment procedure are available within companies (safety data sheets) or are readily accessible publicly (hazardous substance databanks). A further benefit is that inventory analysis of hazardous substances using the method presented here makes it possible to take hazardous substance use into account in a systematic manner within life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies. The methodology has been tested for the example of residential buildings. Note: The terms ‘hazardous substance’, ‘noxious substance’ and ‘hazardous constituent’ are used in this paper in the sense of substances that have one of the hazard attributes set out in Article 3 of the German Chemicals Act (Chemikaliengesetz).     

来自印度Adayar河的重金属:渗透进入相邻的地下水含水层

引言 Adayar河是一条很短的河流(40km长),向西南方向流去,流经Chennai(北纬13°05',东经80°15'),从这里蜿蜒曲折大约13km后汇入孟加拉湾(图1).在河口地带它变得很宽,河口宽达2km.汇水面积约有800km2,其中大多数地方地势平坦,有岩层的露头.     

Impact of crystalline and amorphous iron- and aluminum hydroxides on mechanisms of phosphate adsorption and desorption

Fourier-transform infrared(FT-IR) spectroscopic experiments were carried out during phosphate adsorption on highly crystalline gibbsite, poorly crystalline 2-line-ferrihydrite and amorphous iron–aluminum–hydroxide mixtures in the molar ratio 1:0, 10:1, 5:1, 1:1, 1:5, 1:10 and 0:1. The OH stretching vibrational bands were utilized to analyze changes in structural and surface OH groups during adsorption, because the position of characteristic P\O vibrational bands can shift depending on reaction conditions, pH or adsorbed phosphate content.Adsorption and desorption kinetics were studied at pH6 and different initial phosphate concentrations to achieve varying phosphate coverage on the mineral surfaces. For gibbsite the formation of AlHPO_4 and Al_2HPO_4 can be assumed, while for ferrihydrite, a FeHPO_4 or Fe_2PO_4 complex and the precipitation of FePO_4 with longer equilibration time were proposed.Fe_2HPO_4 or a Fe_2PO_4 surface complex was deduced for Fe-hydroxides, an AlH_2PO_4 surface complex was identified for Al-hydroxide, and both displayed either hydrogen bonds to neighboring hydroxyl groups or hydrogen bonds to outer-sphere complexes. Fe:Al-hydroxide mixtures with high Al ratios showed a low phosphate desorption rate, while ferrihydrite and the Fe:Al-hydroxide mixtures with high Fe ratios had almost negligible desorption rates. It was concluded that within the weakly associated amorphous FeO(OH) materials, FePO_4 precipitated, which was bound by outer-sphere hydrogen bonds. With high Al ratios, desorption increased, which indicated weaker phosphate binding of both inner-sphere and outer-sphere complexes and hence, either no or minor quantities of precipitate. Ferrihydrite showed a more rigid structure and a lower extent of precipitation compared to amorphous Fe-hydroxide.     

Comparison of the flower scent of the sexually deceptive orchid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophrys iricolor</Emphasis> and the female sex pheromone of its pollinator <Emphasis Type="Italic">Andrena morio</Emphasis>

Summary. Ophrys flowers mimic the female produced sex pheromone of their pollinator species to attract males for pollination. The males try to copulate with the putative female and thereby pollinate the flower. Using electrophysiological and chemical analyses, floral volatiles released by O. iricolor as well as the female sex pheromone of its pollinator species, Andrena morio are investigated. Overall, 38 peaks comprising 41 chemical compounds, were found to release reactions in the antennae of male A. morio bees. Analyses using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of alkanes and alkenes with 20 to 29 carbon atoms, aldehydes (C9 to C24) and two esters. Almost all of those compounds were found in similar proportions in both, the floral extracts of O. iricolor and cuticle surface extracts of A. morio females. The pattern of biologically active volatiles described here is very similar to that used by other Ophrys species pollinated by Andrena males.