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The emission of SO2 from the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) has been shown to impact the surrounding forest area. Recent studies using aircraft-based measurements have demonstrated that deposition of SO2 to the forest is at a rate many times higher than model estimates. Here we use the flux–gradient method to estimate SO2 deposition rates at two tower sites in the boreal forest downwind of AOSR SO2 emissions. We use both continuous and passive sampler measurements and compare the two techniques. The measurements infer SO2 deposition velocities ranging from 2.1–5.9 cm s−1 (when corrections are applied). There are uncertainties associated with the passive sampler flux–gradient analysis, primarily due to an assumed Schmidt number, a required assumption of independent variables, and potential wind effects. We estimate the total uncertainty as ± 2 cm s−1. Accounting for these uncertainties, the range of measurements is approximately double the previous aircraft-based measurements (1.2–3.4 cm s−1) and more than 10 times higher than model estimates for the same measurement periods (0.1–0.6 cm s−1), suggesting that SO2 in the AOSR has a much shorter lifetime in the atmosphere than is currently predicted by models.

Daily air concentrations of inorganic nitrogen (N) species, including gaseous HNO3 and particulate-bound (p)NH4+ and pNO3-, and sulfur (S) species, including SO2 and pSO42-, and precipitation concentrations of NO3-, NH4+, and SO42-, have been routinely monitored by the Canadian Air and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CAPMoN) since 1983. Data at 15 rural sites from 2000–2018 were used to estimate dry and wet N and S deposition fluxes, which were then used to explore their spatiotemporal trends and assess ecosystem damage through a retrospective analysis of critical loads (CLs) exceedances. Total (dry + wet) N deposition ranged from 1.7–9.5 kgNha-1yr-1 among the 15 sites, though dry deposition of NH3 and some oxidized N species were not included due to lack of monitoring data. Based on additional N measurements in 2010 at one of the sites, annual total N deposition may be underestimated by up to 32 %. Total N deposition was dominated by wet NO3- and wet NH4+ deposition, which together comprised 71 %–95 %. Contributions to dry N deposition were 40 %–74 % by HNO3, 11 %–40 % by pNH4+, and 5 %–25 % by pNO3-. Total S deposition ranged from 1.3–8.5 kgSha-1yr-1 and was dominated by wet deposition of SO42- and dry deposition of SO2. Relative percentages of wet and dry S deposition were 45 %–89 % and 11 %–55 %, respectively. Acidic ion fluxes were greatest in southeastern Canada and were comparable among the west coast, prairie, remote, and eastern Canadian sites. Oxidized N (dry HNO3, dry pNO3-, wet NO3-) deposition was greater than that of reduced N (dry pNH4+, wet NH4+) in the early 2000s. In 2014–2018, reduced N deposition surpassed that of oxidized N in southeastern Canada. Total N and S deposition decreased significantly at a rate of −0.03 to −0.25 kgNha-1yr-1 (−1.1 % yr−1 to −3.3 % yr−1) and −0.08 to −0.66 kgSha-1yr-1 (−3.5 % yr−1 to −6.6 % yr−1), respectively, among the sites. The weak declining trend in total N deposition at the west coast site was consistent with the slower decline in NOx emissions in western Canada. Reductions in total N deposition were driven by its oxidized form as trends in reduced N were non-significant. As a result, reduced N contributions to total N deposition increased on average from 42 % in 2000–2004 to 53 % in 2014–2018. Anthropogenic NOx and SO2 emissions reductions in both eastern Canada and eastern US were highly effective in reducing total oxidized N and total S deposition, respectively, in eastern Canada. Acidic deposition exceeded terrestrial CL at 5 of the 14 sites and aquatic CL at 2 of the 5 sites in the early 2000s. However, exceedances have been trending downwards and acidic deposition fluxes were mostly near or below CL after 2012 for the subset of sites assessed, which support recovery from historical acidification. Further assessments of CL exceedances are required in other Canadian regions susceptible to acidification and affected by elevated or increasing N and S emissions.

Estimates of potential harmful effects on ecosystems in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan due to acidifying deposition were calculated, using a 1-year simulation of a high-resolution implementation of the Global Environmental Multiscale-Modelling Air-quality and Chemistry (GEM-MACH) model, and estimates of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem critical loads. The model simulation was evaluated against two different sources of deposition data: total deposition in precipitation and total deposition to snowpack in the vicinity of the Athabasca oil sands. The model captured much of the variability of observed ions in wet deposition in precipitation (observed versus model sulfur, nitrogen and base cation R2 values of 0.90, 0.76 and 0.72, respectively), while being biased high for sulfur deposition, and low for nitrogen and base cations (slopes 2.2, 0.89 and 0.40, respectively). Aircraft-based estimates of fugitive dust emissions, shown to be a factor of 10 higher than reported to national emissions inventories (Zhang et al., 2018), were used to estimate the impact of increased levels of fugitive dust on model results. Model comparisons to open snowpack observations were shown to be biased high, but in reasonable agreement for sulfur deposition when observations were corrected to account for throughfall in needleleaf forests. The model–observation relationships for precipitation deposition data, along with the expected effects of increased (unreported) base cation emissions, were used to provide a simple observation-based correction to model deposition fields. Base cation deposition was estimated using published observations of base cation fractions in surface-collected particles (Wang et al., 2015).Both original and observation-corrected model estimates of sulfur, nitrogen, and base cation deposition were used in conjunction with critical load data created using the NEG-ECP (2001) and CLRTAP (2017) methods for calculating critical loads, using variations on the Simple Mass Balance model for terrestrial ecosystems, and the Steady State Water Chemistry and First-order Acidity Balance models for aquatic ecosystems. Potential ecosystem damage was predicted within each of the regions represented by the ecosystem critical load datasets used here, using a combination of 2011 and 2013 emissions inventories. The spatial extent of the regions in exceedance of critical loads varied between 1  ×  104 and 3.3  ×  105 km2, for the more conservative observation-corrected estimates of deposition, with the variation dependent on the ecosystem and critical load calculation methodology. The larger estimates (for aquatic ecosystems) represent a substantial fraction of the area of the provinces examined.Base cation deposition was shown to be sufficiently high in the region to have a neutralizing effect on acidifying deposition, and the use of the aircraft and precipitation observation-based corrections to base cation deposition resulted in reasonable agreement with snowpack data collected in the oil sands area. However, critical load exceedances calculated using both observations and observation-corrected deposition suggest that the neutralization effect is limited in spatial extent, decreasing rapidly with distance from emissions sources, due to the rapid deposition of emitted primary dust particles as a function of their size. We strongly recommend the use of observation-based correction of model-simulated deposition in estimating critical load exceedances, in future work.

Climate-induced drought events have a significant influence on sulphate export from forested catchments in central Ontario, subsequently delaying the recovery of surface waters from acidification. In the current study, a model chain that employed a statistical downscaling model, a hydrological model and two hydrochemical models was used to forecast the chemical recovery of Plastic Lake sub-catchment 1 (PC1) from acidification under proposed deposition reductions and the A2 emission scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Any predicted recovery in stream acid neutralising capacity and pH owing to deposition reductions were clearly offset by large acid effluxes from climate-induced drought events. By 2100, ANC is predicted to show large variations ranging between 10 and −30 μmolc L−1. Similarly, predicted pH in 2100 is lower (>0.05 of a pH unit) than the value simulated for 2000 (pH 4.35). Despite emission reductions, the future scenario paints a bleak picture of reacidification at PC1 to levels commensurate with those of the late 1970s. The principal process behind this reacidification is the oxidation of previously stored (reduced) sulphur compounds in wetlands during periods of low-flow (or drought), with subsequent efflux of sulphate upon re-wetting. Simulated catchment runoff under the A2 emissions scenario predictes increased intensity and frequency of low-flow events from approximately 2030 onwards. The Integrated Catchments model for Carbon indicated that stream DOC concentrations at PC1 will also increase under the future climate scenario, with temperature being the principal driver. Despite the predicted (significant) increase in DOC, pH is not predicted to further decline (beyond the climate-induced oxidation scenario), instead pH shows greater variability throughout the simulation. As echoed by many recent studies, hydrochemical models and model frameworks need to incorporate the drivers and mechanisms (at appropriate time-scales) that affect the key biogeochemical processes to reliably predict the impacts of climate change.

The dynamic hydro-chemical Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments (MAGIC) was used to predict the response of 163 Finnish lake catchments to future acidic deposition and climatic change scenarios. Future deposition was assumed to follow current European emission reduction policies and a scenario based on maximum (technologically) feasible reductions (MFR). Future climate (temperature and precipitation) was derived from the HadAM3 and ECHAM4/OPYC3 general circulation models under two global scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC: A2 and B2). The combinations resulting in the widest range of future changes were used for simulations, i.e., the A2 scenario results from ECHAM4/OPYC3 (highest predicted change) and B2 results from HadAM3 (lowest predicted change). Future scenarios for catchment runoff were obtained from the Finnish watershed simulation and forecasting system. The potential influence of future changes in surface water organic carbon concentrations was also explored using simple empirical relationships based on temperature and sulphate deposition. Surprisingly, current emission reduction policies hardly show any future recovery; however, significant chemical recovery of soil and surface water from acidification was predicted under the MFR emission scenario. The direct influence of climate change (temperate and precipitation) on recovery was negligible, as runoff hardly changed; greater precipitation is offset by increased evapotranspiration due to higher temperatures. However, two exploratory empirical DOC models indicated that changes in sulphur deposition or temperature could have a confounding influence on the recovery of surface waters from acidification, and that the corresponding increases in DOC concentrations may offset the recovery in pH due to reductions in acidifying depositions.

The response of twenty acid-sensitive headwater catchments in Nova Scotia to acidic deposition was investigated for the period 1850–2100 using a dynamic hydrochemical model (MAGIC: Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments). To ensure robust model simulation, MAGIC was calibrated to the long-term chemical trend in annual lake observations (13–20 years). Model simulations indicated that the surface waters of all twenty catchments acidified to the 1970s but showed subsequent recovery (increases in acid neutralising capacity (ANC) and pH) as sulphate deposition decreased. However, under proposed future emissions reductions (approximately 50% of current deposition) simulated ANC and pH will not return to estimated pre-industrial levels by 2100. An ANC of 20 μmolc L−1 and pH of 5.4 were defined as acceptable chemical thresholds (or critical chemical limits) for aquatic organisms in the current study. Under the proposed emissions reductions only one catchment is predicted to remain below the critical limit for ANC by 2100; three additional catchments are predicted to remain below the critical limit for pH. Dynamic models may be used to estimate target loads, i.e., the required deposition reductions to achieve recovery within a given time. Setting target loads at approximately 30% of current depositions would allow three of the four lakes to reach the chemical criteria by 2030. In contrast to the generally good prognosis for surface waters, soils lost an average of 32% of estimated initial base saturation and recovery is estimated to be very slow, averaging 23% lower than pre-acidification levels in 2100.

The dynamic model MAGIC was applied to 25 lakes in south-central Ontario, Canada using a regional modelling methodology. Soil and lake water chemistry for each lake catchment was simulated for the period 1850–2050. Sulphate (SO42–) deposition forecasts were derived from recently proposed emission reductions, which correspond roughly to a 50% reduction in SO42– deposition by 2010 from the 2000 baseline. Changes in SO42– deposition had a significant impact on lake chemistry. Simulated lake water chemistry showed a recovery potential under the current deposition scenario; by 2050 concentration levels recovered to values predicted for the early 1900s. Moreover, simulated future lake water chemistry showed significant recovery compared to 1975 levels. However, although regional simulations predict that base cation losses have decreased in recent years, soils in the region will continue to acidify with Ca2+ losses dominating depletion of the exchangeable pool. Base cation losses from the exchangeable pool are currently buffering lakes against the impacts of acid deposition; ultimately base cation inputs into the lakes will decrease as exchangeable base cation pools become depleted. Further emission reductions are necessary to ensure continued recovery from acidification. Keywords: regional dynamic model, sulphate, acid neutralising capacity, critical loads, lake chemistry, soil base saturation

Holt-Oram syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder which is caused by mutations of TBX5 and is characterised by cardiac and skeletal abnormalities. TBX5 is part of the T-box gene family and is thought to upregulate tumour cell proliferation and metastasis when mutated. We report the first clinical case of prostate cancer in an individual with Holt Oram syndrome.

The discovery of tyrosine kinase oncogenic driver mutations, including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), has changed the face of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Whilst the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has improved survival, with their increasing use, it is important to be aware of the risks of rare yet serious adverse events, such as drug-induced pulmonary toxicity. Whilst little is known in regard to drug-induced pneumonitis in the setting of ALK inhibitors, such reactions carry a high morbidity and mortality rate, impacting greatly upon options for further treatment and management. We describe the case of a 73-year-old female with metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC who developed subacute dyspnoea 3 weeks after commencing lorlatinib. She was diagnosed with drug-induced pneumonitis, from which she recovered clinically following the cessation of her targeted therapy. Pneumonitis related to lorlatinib is a rare pulmonary toxicity, and early recognition and intervention is critical to reduce the associated risks of respiratory failure and death.

Abstract Background Guidelines for referral to cancer genetics service for women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer have changed over time. This study was conducted to assess the changing referral patterns and outcomes for women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer across three regional cancer centres during the years 2014–2018. Methods Following ethical approval, a retrospective electronic medical record review was performed to identify those women diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, and whether they were referred to a genetics service and if so, the outcome of that genetics assessment and/or genetic testing. Results There were 2441 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer seen at our cancer services during the years 2014–2018, of whom 237 women were diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Based on age of diagnosis criteria alone, 13% (31/237) of our cohort fulfilled criteria for genetic testing, with 81% (25/31) being referred to a cancer genetics service. Of this group 68% (21/31) were referred to genetics services within our regions and went on to have genetic testing with 10 pathogenic variants identified; 5x BRCA1, 4x BRCA2 and × 1 ATM:c.7271 T > G. Conclusions Referral pathways for women diagnosed with TNBC to cancer genetics services are performing well across our cancer centres. We identified a group of women who did not meet eligibility criteria for referral at their time of diagnosis, but would now be eligible, as guidelines have changed. The use of cross-discipline retrospective data reviews is a useful tool to identify patients who could benefit from being re-contacted over time for an updated cancer genetics assessment.

In this study, the fluxes of microplastics (mp) were quantified during a 12-month period for three rural headwater lake catchments in Muskoka-Haliburton, south-central Ontario, Canada. A novel catchment particle balance approach was used, incorporating inputs from atmospheric deposition and stream inflows against lake outflow and sedimentation. This approach provides the first reported observation-based estimates of microplastic residence time in freshwater lakes. Atmospheric deposition had the highest daily microplastic flux (3.95-8.09 mp/m 2 /day), compared to the inflow streams (2.21-2.34 mp/m 2 /day), suggesting that it is the dominant source of microplastics to rural regions. Approximately 44-71% of the deposited microplastics were retained in the terrestrial catchments and 30-49% of the microplastics in the stream inflows were retained in the study lakes. Given that output fluxes ranged from 0.72-3.76 mp/m 2 /day in the sediment and 1.18-1.66 mp/m 2 /day in the lake outflows, the microplastic residence time was estimated to be between 3 and 12 years, suggesting that lakes are an important reservoir for microplastics. Fibers were the dominant shape in atmospheric deposition, streamwater, and lake water; however, in lake sediment, there was a higher proportion of fragments. Across all media, poly(ethylene terephthalate) was the dominant polymer identified (23%).

Ozone is the most damaging air pollutant to vegetation globally. Metrics of accumulated ozone above a concentration threshold (e.g. AOT40, ppb·h) have been widely used to assess ozone risk. However, there is growing consensus that accumulated Phytotoxic Ozone Dose (POD) above a receptor-specific critical stomatal flux threshold (y; nmol O 3 m -2 s -1 ), expressed per unit of projected leaf area, provides a more reliable risk assessment, as it considers ozone entering the leaf (PODy, mmol m -2 leaf area). Few studies have assessed both concentration- and flux-based metrics using site-specific observations of ozone and meteorology. In this study we assessed the risk that ozone poses to five vegetation types across eight sites in Ireland during 2005-2021, using AOT40 and PODy risk metrics, and we predicted impacts using dose-response relationships. Long-term trends in both metrics were also assessed. The PODy critical level for vegetation protection was exceeded for all vegetation types, with exceedances most common at Atlantic coastal sites, and for tree species (beech POD 1 15.7-25.7 mmol/m 2 PLA). When PODy and AOT40 results were normalised based on their respective critical levels, predicted impacts were higher for PODy. There were significant increases in PODy for three vegetation types at rural sites during the study period, which also experienced increases in temperature and global solar radiation. The long-term trends were consistent with other European studies that show decreases in AOT40 and increases in PODy. While ozone concentrations in Ireland are relatively low (39-75 μg/m 3 five-year average range), the humid climate and longer growing season may lead to elevated stomatal ozone uptake and thereby a risk to vegetation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Increasing forest cover by regreening mining and smelting degraded landscapes provides an opportunity for global carbon (C) sequestration, however, the reported effects of regreening on soil C processes are mixed. One of the world's largest regreening programs is in the City of Greater Sudbury, Canada and has been ongoing since 1978. Prior to regreening, soils in the City of Greater Sudbury area were highly eroded, acidic, rich in metals, and poor in nutrients. This study used a chronosequence approach to investigate how forest soil C pools and fluxes have changed with stand age in highly "eroded" sites with minimal soil cover (n = 6) and "stable" sites covered by soil (n = 6). Encouragingly, the relationship between stand age and soil C processes (litterfall, litter decomposition, soil respiration, fine root growth) at both stable and eroded sites were comparable to observations reported for jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantations that have not been subject to over a century of industrial impacts. There was a strong "home-field advantage" for local decomposers, where litter decomposition rates were higher using a site-specific pine litter compared with a common pine litter. Higher soil respiration at eroded sites was linked to higher soil temperature, likely because of a more open tree canopy. Forest floor C pools increased with stand age while mineral soil C and aggregate C concentrations decreased with stand age. This loss of soil C is small relative to the substantial increases in aboveground tree and forest floor C pools, leading to a sizeable increase in total ecosystem C pools following regreening., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Here we investigate the suitability of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) leaflets as a novel biomonitor of airborne microplastics (MPs) including tyre wear particles (TWPs). Leaflets were collected from rural roadside locations (ROs, n = 5) and urban parks (UPs, n = 5) in Siena, Italy. MPs were removed by washing, identified by stereomicroscope, and analysed for polymer type by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Daily MP deposition was estimated from leaf area. The mass magnetic susceptibility and the bioaccumulation of traffic-related potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were also analysed. The total number of MPs at ROs was significantly higher at 2962, dominated by TWPs, compared with 193 in UPs, where TWPs were not found. In contrast, total microfibres were significantly higher in UPs compared with ROs (185 vs. 86). Daily MP deposition was estimated to range from 4.2 to 5.1 MPs/m 2 /d across UPs and 29.9-457.6 MPs/m 2 /d across ROs. The polymer types at ROs were dominated by rubber (80%) from TWPs, followed by 15% polyamide (PA) and 5% polysulfone (PES), while in UPs the proportion of PES (44%) was higher than PA (22%) and polyacrylonitrile (11%). The mean mass magnetic susceptibility, a proxy of the bioaccumulation of traffic-related metallic particles, was higher at ROs (0.62 ± 0.01 10 -8 m 3 /kg) than at UPs (-0.50 ± 0.03 10 -8 m 3 /kg). The content of PTEs was similar across sites, except for significantly higher concentrations of Sb, a tracer of vehicle brake wear, at ROs (0.308 ± 0.008 µg/g) compared with UPs (0.054 ± 0.006 µg/g). Our results suggest that the waxy leaflets and easy determination of surface area make Robinia an effective biomonitor for airborne MPs including TWPs.

Microplastics (MPs) have been found in all terrestrial, marine, and riparian environments, including remote regions. This implies that atmospheric transport is an important pathway when considering MP sources and global budgets. However, limited empirical data exist to aid in effective development and parameterization of MP atmospheric transport models. This study measured the atmospheric settling and horizontal drift velocities of various sizes and shapes of MPs in two specially designed settling columns using a laser Doppler anemometer. The settling velocities were generally lower than modeled values, while shape exerted the most significant influence on the rate of settling. Rather than conforming to well-established, power-law models, each class of MP exhibited a linear but different relationship between MP size and settling velocity, with markedly higher slopes for the spheres and cylinders as compared to the films and fibers. Shape also had a substantial influence on particle drift, with the fibers and films exhibiting the greatest horizontal motion, as suggestive of their changing orientation in response to particle interactions and fluid drag. As a consequence, microplastic particles identified within atmospheric deposition samples collected at a single point may derive from entirely different sources representing a wide range in transport distance.

Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally 1 . However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging 2,3 . Here we present a standardized cross-national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris (>250 μm) in freshwater ecosystems. We sample surface waters of 38 lakes and reservoirs, distributed across gradients of geographical position and limnological attributes, with the aim to identify factors associated with an increased observation of plastics. We find plastic debris in all studied lakes and reservoirs, suggesting that these ecosystems play a key role in the plastic-pollution cycle. Our results indicate that two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: lakes and reservoirs in densely populated and urbanized areas and large lakes and reservoirs with elevated deposition areas, long water-retention times and high levels of anthropogenic influence. Plastic concentrations vary widely among lakes; in the most polluted, concentrations reach or even exceed those reported in the subtropical oceanic gyres, marine areas collecting large amounts of debris 4 . Our findings highlight the importance of including lakes and reservoirs when addressing plastic pollution, in the context of pollution management and for the continued provision of lake ecosystem services., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Microplastics (plastic particles <5 mm) were first identified in the environment during the 1970s and have since become ubiquitous across every environmental compartment. However, few studies have focused on atmospheric microplastics, and even fewer have used biological monitoring to assess their atmospheric deposition. Here, we assess the efficacy of moss bags as an active biomonitoring technique for atmospheric microplastic deposition. Moss ( Pleurozium schreberi ) bags were exposed in duplicate at nine deployment sites across a gradient of urban intensity in southern Ontario, Canada. A total of 186 microplastics (mp) were detected in the moss bags, resulting in a mean accumulation of 7.9 mp g -1 dry weight moss across all sites during the exposure period (45 days). The median microplastic length was 0.56 mm (range 0.03-4.51 mm), and the dominant microplastic type was fibres (47%), followed by fragments (39%). Microplastic accumulation significantly increased with urban intensity, ranging from 3.7 mp g -1 in low-density suburban areas to 10.7 mp g -1 in densely populated and trafficked urban areas. In contrast, microfibres by proportion dominated in suburban (62%) compared with urban areas (33%). Microplastic deposition was estimated to range from 21 to 60 mp m -2 day -1 across the nine deployment sites. The results suggest that moss bags may be a suitable technique for the active biomonitoring of atmospheric microplastic deposition in urban environments.

It is well established that persistent organic pollutants are transported long distances in the atmosphere and deposited into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in remote areas, including high altitude lakes. The objective of this research was to evaluate whether compounds of wastewater origin were present in four remote upland headwater lakes in Ireland that primarily receive loadings from atmospheric deposition. Using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS) deployed in the lakes for 60 to 68 days, seven compounds were detected at levels that could be quantified but 25 of the target compounds were not detected. The detected compounds included the cannabinoid metabolite, tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylate (THC-COOH), codeine, acetaminophen (paracetamol), ibuprofen, and the artificial sweeteners, sucralose, and saccharin, which were all present at concentrations estimated to be < 125 ng/L. Caffeine was also present in the lakes at estimated concentrations between 213 and 1320 ng/L. Cocaine and tramadol were detected in POCIS deployed in some of the lakes, but at levels below the limits of quantitation. The highest concentrations of the target analytes were detected in two lakes located in the eastern part of Ireland. These data are consistent with regional atmospheric transport of these compounds originating from wastewater treatment plants in Ireland. However, contaminants from wastewater treatment plants in the United Kingdom may also be a source in these upland lakes that are located far from emissions of urban pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the deposition of airborne microplastics (MPs) in the urban area of Milan across 12 sites and at a background control site (northern Italy) using 3-month transplants of the fruticose lichen species Evernia prunastri (exposed in triplicate). The primary objective was to evaluate the use of lichen transplants for the assessment of MP deposition; as such, the study sites spanned a gradient in vehicular traffic and population density across four concentric land-use zones (i.e., urban parks, centre, semi-periphery, and periphery). A total of 149 MP particles were detected in the exposed lichen samples; 94.6% were classified as fibres and 5.4% as fragments. The control site and urban parks experienced a similar number of MPs per gram of dry lichen (20-26 MP/g), while a higher number of MPs were detected in central and peripheral areas (44-56 MP/g), with a clear increasing gradient from the city centre towards the periphery. We estimated the MP deposition in Milan to be in the range of 43-119 MPs m 2 /d, indicating that people living in Milan are exposed to airborne MPs, with potential health effects. This study suggests that lichens are suitable biomonitors of airborne MPs under a relatively short exposure of three months in urban environments.

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment; however, few studies have examined their abundance in atmospheric deposition in pristine environments, remote from anthropogenic emission sources. In the current study, atmospheric deposition samples were collected for 13 months (February 2019-March 2020) from four precipitation chemistry monitoring stations located in Muskoka-Haliburton, south-central Ontario, Canada. Anthropogenic particles (i.e., synthetic particles but not necessarily plastic) were observed at each station with an average deposition rate of 57 particles/m 2 /day (range from 32 to 73 particles/m 2 /day). Of the anthropogenic particles identified, 12% were plastic resulting in an average microplastic (mp) deposition rate of 7 mp/m 2 /day (range 4-9 mp/m 2 /day). Approximately 85% of the particles were fibres with fragments comprising only 15%. The most common particle colours were blue and red with 50% of the fragments and 84% of fibres being one of these two colours. Raman spectroscopy determined that polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate were the two most abundant polymers at 24% and 19%, respectively. Across the four stations anthropogenic particle concentrations were significantly related to wind speed (r s = 0.32 to 0.62) and temperature (r s = -0.53 to -0.84), with a noticeable increase in particle concentration when wind shifted from the west (average of 7.2 mp/L) to the south-east (average of 11.5 mp/L). Faster wind speed resulted in a larger airshed source area, and the seasonal effect associated with changes in temperature and wind direction led to changes in potential source regions that were contributing microplastics, such as the Greater Toronto Area (>200 km away)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial or personal interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nitrogen (N) emissions and atmospheric deposition have increased significantly during the last century and become a stressor for many N-sensitive plant species. Understanding individual and community herbaceous plant species thresholds to atmospheric N deposition can inform emissions reduction policy. Here, we present results using Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) applied to more than 1200 unique plant species and 24 vegetation communities (i.e., alliances) across the United States (US) to assess vulnerability to N deposition. Alliance-level thresholds (change points) for species decreasing in abundance along the gradient ranged from 1.8 to 14.3 kg N ha ─1  year ─1 and tended to be lower in the west than the east, which suggests that eastern communities, where N deposition has been historically higher, may have already lost many sensitive species. For the species that were present in more than one alliance, over half had a variable response to the N deposition gradient, suggesting that local factors affect vulnerability. Significant progress has been made during the past 30 years to reduce N emissions, which has reduced the percentage of plots at risk to N deposition from 72% to 35%. Nevertheless, over a third of plots remain at risk, and an average reduction of N deposition of 20% would protect half of the plots where N deposition exceeds community thresholds. Furthermore, the alliance- and species-level change points determined in this study may be used to inform N critical loads., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) in north-eastern Alberta, Canada, contains the world's third largest known bitumen deposit. Oil sands (OS) operations produce emissions known to contribute to acidic and alkaline deposition, which can alter the chemistry of the receiving surface waters, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Little is known regarding the natural variability of aquatic DOC among lakes within the AOSR. Surface-water data from 50 lakes were analyzed; variables known to be associated with the light-absorptive properties of DOC (true color [TC]) were evaluated to investigate the potential variability of chromophoric DOC (CDOC). Comparison of TC and DOC revealed two distinct "high" (H) and "low" (L) lake subpopulations, the former being characterized by high relative TC and low DOC, and the latter by the inverse. The H lakes were defined by variables known to be associated with CDOC, while L lakes appeared well-buffered potentially owing to groundwater inputs. The divergent optical properties between subpopulations appeared partially attributable to pH-limited Fe complexation. Trajectory analysis indicated that H lakes most likely to receive atmospheric deposition from OS sources experienced significantly lower pH. These results are contrary to previous studies that found OS emissions to have minimal acidifying effect over lakes throughout the AOSR.

Purpose: Cancer patients are a particularly vulnerable population group, facing an increase in physical, mental, logistical and financial difficulties. This, as well as Ireland's increased focus on primary care with the Sláintecare health plan, led to the development of the Community Oncology Nursing Programme, where community nurses are trained to provide cancer care in the community. This paper sought to explore the lived experiences of the patients and nurses involved in this programme in order to examine its impact as well as determine facilitators and roadblocks for future development., Methods: A qualitative examination of the service was carried out by interviewing cancer patients receiving care as part of the programme as well as the nurses delivering care, both in the community and hospital day-ward. Thematic analysis was used., Results: Themes of improved patient experience, nurse-patient relationship, the importance of location and roadblocks to further implementation of the programme emerged. There was a universal belief that the programme offered benefits to the patient and improved their care in some manner., Conclusions: The Community Oncology Nursing Programme has been well received by both nurses and patients. The service provided by community nurses as part of this programme offers benefits to patients and an improved cancer service., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to assess if lichens (Flavoparmelia caperata) surrounding a landfill dumping site in Italy accumulated higher amounts of microplastics compared with lichens at more distant sites. Lichen samples were collected at three sites along a transect from the landfill: close (directly facing the landfill), intermediate (200 m), and remote (1500 m). Anthropogenic microparticles (fibres and fragments) were determined visually after wet peroxide digestion of the samples, and microplastics were identified based on a hot needle test; the type of plastic was identified by micro-Raman analysis. The results showed that lichens collected in the vicinity of the landfill accumulated the highest number of anthropogenic microfibres and fragments (147 mp/g dw), and consequently microplastics (79 mp/g dw), suggesting that the impact of landfill emissions is spatially limited. The proportion of fibres and fragments identified as microplastics was 40% across all sites and the most abundant polymer type was polyester or polyethylene terephthalate (68%). These results clearly indicated that lichens can effectively be used to monitor the deposition of microplastics.

Purpose: Ireland's Sláintecare health plan is placing an increased focus on primary care. A community oncology nursing programme was developed to train community nurses to deliver care in the community. While the initial pilot was proven to be clinically safe, no cost evaluation was carried out. This study aims to compare the costs of providing cancer support services in a day-ward versus in the community., Methods: 183 interventions (40 in day-ward and 143 in community) were timed and costed using healthcare professional salaries and the Human Capital method., Results: From the healthcare provider perspective, the day-ward was a significantly cheaper option by an average of €17.13 (95% CI €13.72 - €20.54, p < 0.001). From the societal perspective, the community option was cheaper by an average of €2.77 (95% CI -€3.02 - €8.55), although this was a non-significant finding. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the community service may be significantly cheaper from the societal perspective., Conclusions: Given the demand for cost-viable options for primary care services, this programme may represent a national option for cancer care in Ireland when viewed from the societal perspective., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to assess the current chemistry of trace elements in upland headwater lakes in Ireland and determine their trends during the last decade in response to decreasing emissions. Twenty-nine upland lakes were sampled in 2017-2018; 19 were previously sampled in 2007-2008. The 2017-2018 samples were analyzed for conductivity, pH, DOC, and 18 trace elements. The lakes had low element concentrations; only 7 of 18 trace elements were > 1 µg/L (Fe, Al, Zn, Mn, B, Sr and Ba). Nine elements were assessed for significant decadal changes; four elements decreased (B, Co, Mn, and Sr) and one increased (Pb). Their correlation with conductivity, pH, and DOC and the associated changes in those variables partially explained the observed trends. In general, elements that were correlated with DOC did not decrease, while those that were not correlated decreased between the two periods. Despite decreased anthropogenic emissions, ecosystem recovery and climate perturbations can confound or mask the benefits of emissions reductions.

Microfibers (mf) are the most common type of microplastic in the environment. Few studies have focused on their abundance in atmospheric deposition in background environments. In the current study, we collected wet-only and bulk rainfall from four precipitation chemistry monitoring stations, primarily located in coastal areas around Ireland. Anthropogenic mf were observed in all samples; the average deposition across the four study sites was 80 mf m -2 day -1 . Wet-only mf deposition was 70 mf m -2 day -1 compared with bulk deposition of 100 mf m -2 day -1 . The wet-only collectors were estimated to capture ∼70% of the bulk collectors, suggesting that dry deposition makes up at least 30% of total deposition. Meteorological variables, i.e., relative humidity, rainfall volume, wind speed, and wind direction, were significantly related to mf abundance, suggesting that rainfall washout and air mass movement are important predictors of mf deposition in background regions. In total, 15% of all anthropogenic mf were identified as plastic. The most abundant polymer type was polyester or polyethylene terephthalate at 71%, followed by polyacrylonitrile at 11%, polyethylene at 11%, and polypropylene at 4%. The average deposition of plastic mf was 12 mf m -2 day -1 .

Microplastics, which are plastic particles < 5 mm, have been found throughout the environment. However, few studies have focused on their transport via atmospheric deposition. Bryophytes have been used as biomonitors for the atmospheric deposition of trace elements, persistent organic pollutants and particulate matter, and may potentially be used to monitor the atmospheric deposition of microplastics or anthropogenic microfibres (mf). Hylocomium splendens was collected from three lake catchments, which are remote from anthropogenic disturbance and emissions sources. Anthropogenic mf were observed in all moss samples; the average number was 24 mf g -1 dry weight (range: 15-30 mf g -1 ) across the three study sites. The average length of mf was 1.02 mm (range: 0.83-1.20 mm). Plastic mf were identified using five rigorous visual criteria; 27% of the observed mf passed four criteria and 13% passed all five, suggesting at most a quarter of the mf may be plastic. Annual average atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic mf across the three lake catchments was estimated at ~47,700 mf m -2 (~12,000 plastic mf m -2 ), based on a moss biomass of 2 kg dry weight m -2 . These preliminary findings suggest that moss may be a useful biomonitor for the atmospheric deposition of mf (and microplastics)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The target load concept is an extension of the critical load concept of air pollution inputs to ecosystems. The advantage of target loads over critical loads is that one can define the deposition and the point in time (target year) when the critical (chemical) limit is no longer violated. This information on the timing of recovery requires dynamic modeling. Using a well-documented dynamic model, target loads for acidic deposition were determined for 848 surface waters across Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom for the target year 2050. In the majority of sites ( n = 675), the critical ANC-limit was predicted to be achieved by 2050; however, for 127 sites, target loads were determined. In addition, 46 sites were infeasible, i.e., even a reduction of anthropogenic deposition to zero would not achieve the limit by 2050. The average maximum target load for sulfur was 38% lower than the respective critical load across the study lakes ( n = 127). Target loads on a large regional scale can inform effects-based emission reduction policies; the current assessment suggests that reductions beyond the Gothenburg Protocol are required to ensure surface water recovery from acidification by 2050.

Biomonitoring with mosses is a common method widely used to assess the spatial and temporal trends of atmospheric deposition in Europe since its introduction in the 1970s. Based on previous investigations, certain moss species provide the most accurate reflection of atmospheric deposition. However, sampling of just one species across large areas can pose a challenge, therefore the ability to use multiple moss species interchangeably is integral to an effective moss biomonitoring survey. In this study, biomonitoring abilities of two common species (Hylocomium splendens [Hs] and Pleurozium schreberi [Ps]) were compared to a potential new biomonitoring species endemic to North America (Isothecium stoloniferum [Is]). Thirteen metal concentrations were analyzed (Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, and Pb) in moss tissue from 20 sites with co-located species (Ps/Hs, Is/Hs) Five metals (Al, V, Fe, Ni, and Pb) showed significant and strong correlations (Spearman correlation, r ≥ 0.7 α = 0.05) for all three species, reflecting the established deposition gradient in the region. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in observations (and moderate correlation) for Cr, which suggests that all species exhibited similar uptake abilities for these six metals (Al, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Pb). Four metals (Co, As, Se, and Cd) exhibited concentrations below detection at a number of sites, which may have influenced the assessment of interspecies relationships. It is recommended that interspecies calibration be carried out under all surveys that employ multiple moss species.

Sulphur emissions associated with increased anthropogenic activity, such as resource extraction and marine shipping, may lead to the acidification of aquatic freshwater systems in the Arctic. In the current study, acid sensitivity (based on a critical load (CL(Ac)) approach) of 1138 lakes and ponds in the Canadian Arctic was quantified using the Steady-State Water Chemistry (SSWC) model. Ecosystem protection was based on an Acid Neutralising Capacity limit (ANC limit ) for Arctic Char. Acidification risk was estimated under modelled sulphur deposition for the year 2010 (two scenarios). Overall, surface water CL(Ac) values for the Canadian Arctic were low (median = 35.8 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , mean = 96.3 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 ), with approximately 40% (n = 455) of sites estimated to be sensitive to acidification (CL(Ac) < 20 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 ). Higher CL(Ac) values were found in Yukon (434.5 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 40), Ellesmere Is. (262.2 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 143), and Southampton Is. (251.5 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 35), while lower CL(Ac) values were found in Melville Is. (5.5 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 48), Banks Is. (18.4 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 45), and Bylot Is. (20.4 meq·m -2 ·yr -1 , n = 36). Under modelled deposition for 2010, 12-12.5% (n = 136-142) of all sites were exceeded. The highest proportion of exceeded sites were observed in Ellef Ringnes Is. (48-60%; n = 12-15), Melville Is. (38-44%; n = 18-21), and Northwest Territories (24-26%; n = 23-26)., (Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Current climate warming is expected to continue in coming decades, whereas high N deposition may stabilize, in contrast to the clear decrease in S deposition. These pressures have distinctive regional patterns and their resulting impact on soil conditions is modified by local site characteristics. We have applied the VSD+ soil dynamic model to study impacts of deposition and climate change on soil properties, using MetHyd and GrowUp as pre-processors to provide input to VSD+. The single-layer soil model VSD+ accounts for processes of organic C and N turnover, as well as charge and mass balances of elements, cation exchange and base cation weathering. We calibrated VSD+ at 26 ecosystem study sites throughout Europe using observed conditions, and simulated key soil properties: soil solution pH (pH), soil base saturation (BS) and soil organic carbon and nitrogen ratio (C:N) under projected deposition of N and S, and climate warming until 2100. The sites are forested, located in the Mediterranean, forested alpine, Atlantic, continental and boreal regions. They represent the long-term ecological research (LTER) Europe network, including sites of the ICP Forests and ICP Integrated Monitoring (IM) programmes under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), providing high quality long-term data on ecosystem response. Simulated future soil conditions improved under projected decrease in deposition and current climate conditions: higher pH, BS and C:N at 21, 16 and 12 of the sites, respectively. When climate change was included in the scenario analysis, the variability of the results increased. Climate warming resulted in higher simulated pH in most cases, and higher BS and C:N in roughly half of the cases. Especially the increase in C:N was more marked with climate warming. The study illustrates the value of LTER sites for applying models to predict soil responses to multiple environmental changes., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Atlantic old sessile oak woodlands are of high conservation importance in Europe, listed in the European Union (EU) Habitats Directive Annex I, and known for their rich bryophyte communities. Their conservation status ranges from unfavourable to bad across their known distribution, which is predominantly within the UK and Ireland, but also extends into Iberia and Brittany. The objectives of this study were to determine if nitrogen (N) deposition, a known driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss, was a significant predictor of community composition in old sessile oak woodlands (i.e., EU Habitats Directive Annex I class: 91A0), and to identify significant changes in individual plant species and community-level abundance (i.e., change points) along an N deposition gradient. Relevé data from 260 Irish oak woodland plots were evaluated using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN). Nitrogen deposition accounted for 14% of the explainable variation in the dataset (inertia = 0.069, p < 0.005). A community scale change point of 13.2 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) was indicated by TITAN, which falls within the current recommended critical load (CL) range for acidophilous Quercus-dominated (oak) woodlands (10-15 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)). The results suggest that the current CL is sufficient for maintaining a core group of indicator species in old sessile oak woodlands, but many nutrient sensitive species may disappear even at the CL range minimum., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)