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Perfluorinated compounds are ubiquitous. Approximately 4,700 PFAS have been identified to date. Some examples of these products include carpets, glass, paper, clothing, and other textiles, cookware, food packaging, electronics, and personal care products. PFAS have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s due to their physical and chemical properties. PFAS molecules can include oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, and/or nitrogen atoms, whereas perfluorocarbon molecules contain only carbon and fluorine atoms. Perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) contain a fully fluorinated hydrophobic linear carbon chain attached to one or more hydrophilic head groups. The carbon-fluorine bond is so strong that these chemicals do not degrade in the environment. They are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’. Some PFAS have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, high cholesterol, reproductive disorders, hormonal disruption or endocrine disruption, and weakening of the immune system. Currently, two PFAS are restricted under the international Stockholm Convention on POPs and the EU POPs Regulation. PFOS (perfluoroctanesulfonic acid) and its derivatives have been restricted since 2009/2010. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), its salts, and related compounds are also regulated as of 4th July 2020. Over the past decades, global manufacturers have started to substitute long-chain PFAS with shorter-chain PFAS or with non-fluorinated substances. This trend has been driven by the fact that the undesired effects of long-chain PFAS on human health and the environment were assessed and recognised first by scientists and authorities around the globe. However short-chain PFAS are now thought to have similar or other properties of concern such as fluorinated compounds like Gen X and ADONA. The combined effects of PFAS are not widely studied and relatively unknown. There is also little biological assessment currently done for drinking water and especially marine water. These are both research gaps, by using biological assessment one can study the cumulative and combined effect of various PFAS on marine species which is what we aim to do in this study

According to the Article 17(2) of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Member States have to review and update their marine strategies every six years. This requires updates of the MSFD Articles 8, 9 and 10 by 2018. The current report provides an overview of the substances, matrices and threshold values that Member States intend to use for the assessment of the Descriptor 8 in this MSFD reporting cycle. This compilation aims at evaluating gaps and discrepancies between Member States and identifying aspects that need further harmonization. It also helps understand which issues should be addressed to achieve consistency with the new MSFD Commission Decision (EU 2017/848). The information has been gathered from the contributions of the MSFD Expert Network on Contaminants, an informal network established to support MSFD implementation. This work is part of a process to help regulators to assess relevant contaminants in their jurisdictional area, thus aiming at EU national authorities but also at Regional Sea Conventions in the shared marine basins., JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resources

This report represents the result of the scientific and technical review of Commission Decision 2010/477/EU in relation to Descriptor 9. The review has been carried out by the EC JRC together with experts nominated by EU Member States, and has considered contributions from the GES Working Group in accordance with the roadmap set out in the MSFD implementation strategy (agreed on at the 11th CIS MSCG meeting). The report is one of a series of reports (review manuals) including Descriptor 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 that conclude phase 1 of the review process and, as agreed within the MSFD Common Implementation Strategy, are the basis for review phase 2, towards an eventual revision of the Commission Decision 2010/477/EU. The report presents the state of the technical discussions as of 30 April 2015 (document version 8.0: ComDecRev_D9_V8), as some discussions are ongoing, it does not contain agreed conclusions on all issues. The views expressed in the document do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission., JRC.H.1-Water Resources

The overall aim of this project was to increase Ireland’s capacity for the generation of integrated monitoring of biological effects and chemical measurement data and for the completion of a pilot scale assessment of the quality of the Irish marine environment at a number of selected locations., Sea Change Strategy with the support of the Marine Institute and the Marine Research Sub Programme of the National Development Plan 2007-2013, and funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

MCCIP Science Review 2013, 219-235

This report presents an assessment of hazardous substance contamination in Irish transitional and coastal waters. This was carried out in support of the EPA’s assessment of the quality status of surface waters (2007-2009) as required by the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC)., Funder: Marine Institute

Lead Partner: National University of Ireland Galway. Project Partner: Marine Institute, Ocean pH is a function of the seawater carbonate system, which is a function of both the influx of CO2 from the atmosphere and the resulting concentration of CO2 in the water (i.e. pCO2). Uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is reducing ocean pH; a phenomenon referred to as ocean acidification. It is estimated that there has been a decrease of 0.1 pH units in the surface waters of the world’s oceans since the start of the industrial revolution with a reduction of 0.3 – 0.5 forecast by 2100. There is growing concern over the potential consequences of ocean acidification for marine ecosystems and the services they provide for mankind. This project was aimed at enabling the capability and developing the expertise within Ireland to measure and quantify the flux of CO2 into (or out of) the ocean; to monitor seasonal trends in pCO2 and CO2 fluxes; to determine the current baseline state and variability of the carbonate system; and to evaluate the potential impact of future changes on ecosystems with the ultimate aim of contributing to more informed policy development., This project (Grant-Aid Agreement No. SS/CC/07/001(01)) was carried out under the Sea Change strategy with the support of the Marine Institute and the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013. Support was also provided by NUI Galway College Fellowship and by the EPA Fellowship 2006-PhD-AQ-2., Funder: Marine Institute

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) (MSFD) requires that the European Commis-sion (by 15 July 2010) should lay down criteria and methodological standards to allow consistency in approach in evaluating the extent to which Good Environmental Status (GES) is being achieved. ICES and JRC were contracted to provide scientific support for the Commission in meeting this obligation. A total of 10 reports have been prepared relating to the descriptors of GES listed in Annex I of the Directive. Eight reports have been prepared by groups of independent experts coordinated by JRC and ICES in response to this contract. In addition, reports for two descriptors (Contaminants in fish and other seafood and Marine Litter) were written by expert groups coordinated by DG SANCO and IFREMER respectively. A Task Group was established for each of the qualitative Descriptors. Each Task Group consisted of selected experts providing experience related to the four marine regions (the Baltic Sea, the North-east Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea) and an appropriate scope of relevant scientif-ic expertise. Observers from the Regional Seas Conventions were also invited to each Task Group to help ensure the inclusion of relevant work by those Conventions. This is the report of Task Group 9 Contaminants in Fish and Other Seafood., JRC.DDG.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resources

This report describes the pilot development of an autonomous monitoring station in Dublin Bay and validation of the system. It presents results from initial deployments. Sensors were deployed for testing, including an optical sensor for measuring nitrate and sensors for measurement of salinity, temperature, fluorescence and dissolved oxygen. Automated water samplers enabled periodic, remote triggered and event triggered sampling for nutrient and phytoplankton samples.