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Planetary functions are destabilized by the releases of large quantities and numbers of anthropogenic chemicals, which go beyond planetary boundaries and threaten the safe operating space for humanity. Here, we call for urgent action to mitigate these threats and identify opportunities for intervention along the impact pathway of anthropogenic chemicals, including plastics.

BackgroundIn response to growing needs for the integration of heterogeneous data on food and nutrition security (FNS), and the current fragmentation of interoperability resources, the ‘FNS-Cloud project’ aims to develop a cross-domain, interoperable data platform that integrates diverse FNS data. Currently, there is insufficient guidance on how to develop such an FNS data platform and integrate a variety of FNS data types that differ in both their syntax and semantics.Scope and approachIn the present study, we propose a generalizable workflow to guide data managers in building interoperable, cross-domain FNS data platforms, which centres around the definition of interoperability criteria that capture standardized data structures, terminologies and reporting formats for key variables across FNS data types. Information technology tools for automating different workflow steps are discussed. Finally, we include an illustrative case study, where we harmonize and link branded food datasets based on pre-defined interoperability criteria to answer an example research question.Key findings and conclusionsOur work highlights the unique harmonization requirements within the FNS field. We provide two examples of how generic and domain-specific interoperability criteria addressing these requirements can be defined. Incoming FNS data must comply with defined criteria in order to enable their (semi-)automated integration into any data platform. Our case study reinforces the importance of semantic annotation of FNS data, and the need for clear mapping rules to be included into platform-internal semantic data models. The proposed workflow can be applied to any setting in which data managers strive towards harmonized and linked FNS data, and, thus, promotes an open-data and open-science environment.

Poster presented to the American Chemical Society Fall meeting August 2020Search for CCTE records in EPA���s Science Inventory by typing in the title at this link.https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_search_results.cfm?advSearch=true&showCriteria=2&keyword=CCTE&TIMSType=&TIMSSubTypeID=&epaNumber=&ombCat=Any&dateBeginPublishedPresented=07/01/2017&dateEndPublishedPresented=&dateBeginUpdated=&dateEndUpdated=&DEID=&personName=&personID=&role=Any&journalName=&journalID=&publisherName=&publisherID=&sortBy=pubDate&count=25

Presentation to International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) annual meeting Aug 2018

We evaluated the exposure to pesticides from the consumption of passion fruits and subsequent human health risks by combining several methods: (i) experimental field studies including the determination of pesticide residues in/on passion fruits (ii) dynamic plant uptake modelling and (iii) human health risk assessment concepts. Eight commonly used pesticides were applied onto passion fruits cultivated in Colombia. Pesticide concentrations were measured periodically (between application and harvest) in whole fruits and fruit pulp. Measured concentrations were compared with predicted residues calculated with a dynamic and crop specific pesticide uptake model namely dynamiCROP. The model accounts for the time between pesticide application and harvest the time between harvest and consumption the amount of spray deposition on plant surfaces uptake processes dilution due to crop growth degradation in plant components and reduction due to food processing (peeling). Measured and modelled residues correspond well (r2 = 0.88–0.99) with all predictions falling within the 90 confidence interval of the measured values. A mean error of 43 over all studied pesticides was observed between model estimates and measurements. The fraction of pesticide applied during cultivation that is eventually ingested by humans is on average 104–106 depending on the time period between application and ingestion and the processing step considered. Model calculations and intake fractions via fruit consumption based on experimental data corresponded well for all pesticides with a deviation of less than a factor of 2. Pesticide residues in fruits measured at recommended harvest dates were all below European Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and therefore do not indicate any violation of international regulatory thresholds.

We evaluate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure-response models to propose a consistent set of global effect factors for product and policy assessments across spatial scales and across urban and rural environments. Relationships among exposure concentrations and PM2.5-attributable health effects largely depend on location, population density, and mortality rates. Existing effect factors build mostly on an essentially linear exposure-response function with coefficients from the American Cancer Society study. In contrast, the Global Burden of Disease analysis offers a nonlinear integrated exposure-response (IER) model with coefficients derived from numerous epidemiological studies covering a wide range of exposure concentrations. We explore the IER, additionally provide a simplified regression as a function of PM2.5 level, mortality rates, and severity, and compare results with effect factors derived from the recently published global exposure mortality model (GEMM). Uncertainty in effect factors is dominated by the exposure-response shape, background mortality, and geographic variability. Our central IER-based effect factor estimates for different regions do not differ substantially from previous estimates. However, IER estimates exhibit significant variability between locations as well as between urban and rural environments, driven primarily by variability in PM2.5 concentrations and mortality rates. Using the IER as the basis for effect factors presents a consistent picture of global PM2.5-related effects for use in product and policy assessment frameworks.

Current farm systems rely on the use of Plant Protection Products (PPP) to secure high productivity and control threats to the quality of the crops. However, PPP use may have considerable impacts on human health and the environment. A study protocol is presented aiming to determine the occurrence and levels of PPP residues in plants (crops), animals (livestock), humans and other non-target species (ecosystem representatives) for exposure modelling and impact assessment. To achieve this, we designed a cross-sectional study to compare conventional and organic farm systems across Europe. Environmental and biological samples were/are being/will be collected during the 2021 growing season, at 10 case study sites in Europe covering a range of climate zones and crops. An additional study site in Argentina will inform the impact of PPP use on growing soybean which is an important European protein-source in animal feed. We will study the impact of PPP mixtures using an integrated risk assessment methodology. The fate of PPP in environmental media (soil, water and air) and in the homes of farmers will be monitored. This will be complemented by biomonitoring to estimate PPP uptake by humans and farm animals (cow, goat, sheep and chicken), and by collection of samples from non-target species (earthworms, fish, aquatic and terrestrial macroinvertebrates, bats, and farm cats). We will use data on PPP residues in environmental and biological matrices to estimate exposures by modelling. These exposure estimates together with health and toxicity data will be used to predict the impact of PPP use on environment, plant, animal and human health. The outcome of this study will then be integrated with socio-economic information leading to an overall assessment used to identify transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection and inform decision makers, practitioners and other stakeholders regarding farming practices and land use policy.

An approach for estimating human exposure to pesticides via consumption of six important food crops is presented that can be used to extend multimedia models applied in health risk and life cycle impact assessment. We first assessed the variation of model output (pesticide residues per kg applied) as a function of model input variables (substance, crop, and environmental properties) including their possible correlations using matrix algebra. We identified five key parameters responsible for between 80% and 93% of the variation in pesticide residues, namely time between substance application and crop harvest, degradation half-lives in crops and on crop surfaces, overall residence times in soil, and substance molecular weight. Partition coefficients also play an important role for fruit trees and tomato (Kow), potato (Koc), and lettuce (Kaw, Kow). Focusing on these parameters, we develop crop-specific models by parametrizing a complex fate and exposure assessment framework. The parametric models thereby reflect the framework's physical and chemical mechanisms and predict pesticide residues in harvest using linear combinations of crop, crop surface, and soil compartments. Parametric model results correspond well with results from the complex framework for 1540 substance-crop combinations with total deviations between a factor 4 (potato) and a factor 66 (lettuce). Predicted residues also correspond well with experimental data previously used to evaluate the complex framework. Pesticide mass in harvest can finally be combined with reduction factors accounting for food processing to estimate human exposure from crop consumption. All parametric models can be easily implemented into existing assessment frameworks.

Current farm systems rely on the use of Plant Protection Products (PPP) to secure high productivity and control threats to the quality of the crops. However, PPP use may have considerable impacts on human health and the environment. A study protocol is presented aiming to determine the occurrence and levels of PPP residues in plants (crops), animals (livestock), humans and other non-target species (ecosystem representatives) for exposure modelling and impact assessment. To achieve this, we designed a cross-sectional study to compare conventional and organic farm systems across Europe. Environmental and biological samples were/are being/will be collected during the 2021 growing season, at 10 case study sites in Europe covering a range of climate zones and crops. An additional study site in Argentina will inform the impact of PPP use on growing soybean which is an important European protein-source in animal feed. We will study the impact of PPP mixtures using an integrated risk assessment methodology. The fate of PPP in environmental media (soil, water and air) and in the homes of farmers will be monitored. This will be complemented by biomonitoring to estimate PPP uptake by humans and farm animals (cow, goat, sheep and chicken), and by collection of samples from non-target species (earthworms, fish, aquatic and terrestrial macroinvertebrates, bats, and farm cats). We will use data on PPP residues in environmental and biological matrices to estimate exposures by modelling. These exposure estimates together with health and toxicity data will be used to predict the impact of PPP use on environment, plant, animal and human health. The outcome of this study will then be integrated with socio-economic information leading to an overall assessment used to identify transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection and inform decision makers, practitioners and other stakeholders regarding farming practices and land use policy.

We evaluate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure-response models to propose a consistent set of global effect factors for product and policy assessments across spatial scales and across urban and rural environments. Relationships among exposure concentrations and PM2.5-attributable health effects largely depend on location, population density, and mortality rates. Existing effect factors build mostly on an essentially linear exposure-response function with coefficients from the American Cancer Society study. In contrast, the Global Burden of Disease analysis offers a nonlinear integrated exposure-response (IER) model with coefficients derived from numerous epidemiological studies covering a wide range of exposure concentrations. We explore the IER, additionally provide a simplified regression as a function of PM2.5 level, mortality rates, and severity, and compare results with effect factors derived from the recently published global exposure mortality model (GEMM). Uncertainty in effect factors is dominated by the exposure-response shape, background mortality, and geographic variability. Our central IER-based effect factor estimates for different regions do not differ substantially from previous estimates. However, IER estimates exhibit significant variability between locationsas well as between urban and rural environments, driven primarily by variability in PM2.5 concentrations and mortality rates. Using the IER as the basis for effect factors presents a consistent picture of global PM2.5-related effects for use in product and policy assessment frameworks.

Els pesticides són àmpliament utilitzats en l'agricultura per protegir els cultius en front de plagues, malalties i males herbes, i millorar, per tant, la productivitat i reduir pèrdues en les etapes de cultiu i emmagatzematge. En els darrers anys, en els estudis d'anàlisi de cicle de vida (ACV) s'han assolit avenços significatius pel que fa a l'avaluació de l'ús de pesticides en agricultura. S’han desenvolupat una gran varietat de metodologies per quantificar els impactes degut a aquest ús sobre la salut humana, així com en els ecosistemes implicats. La inclusió d'impactes de toxicitat degut a l’ús pesticides es troba compromesa per importants inconsistències entre les fases de l'anàlisi d'inventari (ICV) i la d'avaluació d'impactes, comportant un repte en l’ACV per poder avaluar i comparar tractaments fitosanitaris. És així com aquesta tesi busca contribuir, des del marc de l'ACV, en el desenvolupament de metodologies quantitatives per avaluar emissions i impactes en la toxicitat d'ecosistemes ocasionats per l'ús de pesticides. Un dels principals reptes en l’ACVs d’agricultura, és el modelatge de fraccions d'emissió de pesticides per ICVs. En general, existeixen diversos enfocaments i suposicions per estimar dites emissions, però solen ser poc consistents i difícilment comparables entre sí. Aquest tema és abordat en aquest estudi, tot avaluant la influència del model d’emissions seleccionat en la preparació dels inventaris de diferents sistemes de cultiu. A més, es proposa una estimació rutinària simplificada per al càlcul de les fraccions d'emissió de pesticides. Els límits entre l'inventari d'emissions de pesticides i l'avaluació d'impactes tenen una influència considerable en l'estimació dels impactes d’ecotoxicitat. En aquest sentit, aquest estudi contempla una sèrie de recomanacions per la preparació d’inventaris d'emissions de pesticides i d’avaluació d'impactes, per poder emmarcar una interfície apropiada per modelar l'inventari, i caracteritzar l'avaluació d'impactes evitant possibles superposicions temporals. Una altra limitació metodològica, en el marc dels estudis d’ACV, associada als impactes d'ecotoxicitat provocats per l'ús de pesticides, es troba en l’avaluació dels fungicides inorgànics. Aquest problema és abordat amb la quantificació d'impactes d’ecotoxicitat en aigua superficial produïts per l'ús de fungicides cúprics. Aquests, a la vegada, són comparats en un cas d'estudi puntual, front els fungicides sintètics més comuns emprats contra el míldiu. L’ecotoxicitat dels sòls es va estudiar en relació a les característiques químiques i estructurals (textures) d’aquests. Per incorporar la diferenciació espacial (un dels aspectes crítics per descriure els efectes tòxics de substàncies metàl·liques) en l'anàlisi d'ecotoxicitat, es van avaluar tres escenaris d'aplicació en set arquetips d'aigua a Europa considerant més de 15000 sòls. Donada la complexitat i variabilitat dels potencials escenaris d’aplicació de pesticides i amb l’objectiu de simplificar i facilitar llur avaluació s'han establert escenaris agrícoles típics. Per a això, es defineixen combinacions específiques de tipus de pesticides, cultius i mètodes d'aplicació de manera que sigui possible estimar les fraccions d'emissió a nivell global per l'ACV. Aquesta tasca es va desenvolupar en el marc de l'esforç internacional de consens per pesticides. Els resultats d'aquesta tesi demostren la importància de considerar l'ús de pesticides en l'avaluació de l’ecotoxicitat per a producció agrícola. A més, representen una millora significativa pel que fa a les metodologies per quantificar fraccions d'emissió de pesticides, així com en la determinació dels impactes d'aquests sobre diferents ecosistemes dins el marc de l'ACV. Dins de les línies a continuar a partir d'aquesta investigació, es pot considerar la inclusió de metabòlits de pesticides en l'avaluació d'impactes de toxicitat; avançar en el desenvolupament de factors de caracterització per a considerar l'ecotoxicitat en sòls, i una millor avaluació de l’impacte dels metalls pesants existent en les entrades agrícoles (ex. Fertilitzants). Los pesticidas son sustancias ampliamente utilizadas en la agricultura para la protección de los cultivos. En los últimos años, la herramienta de evaluación ambiental, análisis de ciclo de vida (ACV) ha alcanzado avances significativos en cuanto a las estimaciones de impactos de pesticidas y diversas metodologías se han desarrollado para este fin. Sin embargo, existen todavía limitaciones metodológicas e inconsistencias que dificultan una correcta estimación de impactos por el uso de pesticidas en ACV. La inclusión de impactos de toxicidad por el uso de pesticidas se ve afectada por importantes inconsistencias entre el análisis de inventario (ICV) y la evaluación de impactos (EICV), lo cual conlleva un reto en ACV para poder valorar y comparar diferentes sistemas agrícolas. Es así como esta tesis busca contribuir, desde el marco del ACV, a la mejora de metodologías cuantitativas para evaluar emisiones e impactos en la toxicidad de ecosistemas ocasionados por el uso de pesticidas. Uno de los principales retos en ACV respecto a sistemas agrícolas, es la modelización de fracciones de emisión de pesticidas para el ICV. Existe una gran diversidad de enfoques para estimar dichas emisiones, los cuales suelen ser inconsistentes y difícilmente comparables entre sí. Este aspecto es abordado mediante la evaluación de la influencia de diferentes modelos de emisiones en el inventario. Además, se propone una estimación simplificada para el cálculo de las fracciones de emisión de pesticidas aplicados. El delineamiento entre el ICV y EICV han resultado tener una influencia considerable en la estimación de impactos de ecotoxicidad. En este sentido, este estudio toma en cuenta las recomendaciones más recientes sobre ICV y EICV de pesticidas, para proponer una interface apropiada para modelar el inventario, así como para la caracterización de impactos evitando posibles superposiciones temporales. Otra de las limitaciones metodológicas asociadas con impactos de ecotoxicidad provocados por el uso de pesticidas, es la inclusión de fungicidas inorgánicos, principalmente compuestos que incluyen metales. Este problema es abordado con la cuantificación de impactos de ecotoxicidad en agua superficial producidos por el uso de fungicidas a base de cobre. Estos, a su vez, son comparados en un caso de estudio, frente a los fungicidas sintéticos más comunes empleados contra mildiu. La ecotoxicidad del suelo fue caracterizada en relación a las características químicas y texturas de éstos. Para incorporar diferenciación espacial (uno de los aspectos críticos para describir los efectos tóxicos de sustancias metálicas) en el análisis de ecotoxicidad, se evaluaron tres escenarios de aplicación en siete arquetipos de agua y considerando más de 15000 suelos europeos. Dada la complejidad y variabilidad de los escenarios de aplicación de pesticidas y con el objetivo de simplificar y facilitar su evaluación, se han establecido una serie de arquetipos. Para ello, se definen combinaciones de pesticidas, cultivos y métodos de aplicación de modo que sea posible estimar las fracciones de emisión de pesticidas a nivel global para ACV. Esta tarea se desarrolla en el marco del esfuerzo internacional de consenso para pesticidas. Los resultados de esta tesis demuestran la importancia de considerar el uso de pesticidas en la evaluación de ecotoxicidad en agricultura. Representando una mejora significativa en cuanto a las metodologías para cuantificar fracciones de emisión de pesticidas, así como en la determinación de los impactos de éstos sobre distintos ecosistemas enmarcado en ACV. Dentro de las líneas a continuar a partir de esta investigación, se puede considerar la inclusión de metabolitos de pesticidas en la evaluación de impactos de toxicidad; avance en el desarrollo de factores de caracterización para considerar la ecotoxicidad en suelos, y una mejor evaluación de la emisión de metales provenientes de los insumos agrícolas (ej. Fertilizantes). Pesticides are applied to agricultural fields to protect and control crops from pests, disease and undesired weeds, to increase crop productivity and reduce blemishes, and their global use is substantial. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized methodology that can be applied to assess the environmental performance of different product and systems. In LCA, significant advances associated with the evaluation of the agricultural use of pesticides have been made during the past few years, and several approaches have been developed for taking the impacts of pesticide use on human health and ecosystems into account. However, including toxicity-related impacts for pesticide use in LCA is still associated with methodological limitations. Furthermore, considerations for assessing pesticides are currently affected by significant inconsistencies between the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI) and the impact assessment (LCIA) phases of LCA, and this poses as a practical challenge. This thesis, hence, aims to contribute, within the LCA framework, towards the improvement of consistent quantitative methodologies to assess emission fractions and ecosystem toxicity impacts of pesticide use. One of the main challenges in LCA for agriculture is modeling pesticide emission fractions for the inventory analysis; there are very different approaches and assumptions to provide emission estimates, leading to inconsistent and non-comparable results. This challenge is addressed by testing the influence of the inventory model choice on the environmental performance profiles of different cropping systems. Furthermore, a simplified estimation routine for pesticide emission fractions is proposed, allowing practitioners to include the agricultural field on the assessment. The delineation between pesticide emission inventory and impact assessment has shown to have considerable influence on the estimation of ecotoxicity impacts; in this regard, this study takes advantage of the latest recommendations for pesticide emission inventory and impact evaluation, to frame a suitable interface for LCI modeling and LCIA characterization avoiding possible temporal overlaps. Another methodological limitation associated with ecotoxicity impacts of pesticide use is how to account for inorganic fungicides in LCA studies involving agricultural systems. To address this, freshwater ecotoxicity impacts of copper-based fungicides were quantified and compared with the most common synthetic fungicides used against downy mildew on a practical case study. Soil ecotoxicity was characterized for specific soil chemistries and textures. To introduce spatial differentiation (critical aspect to describe the toxic effects of metal-based substances) in the ecotoxicity assessment, 7 European water archetypes and more than 15000 soils in three different application scenarios were evaluated. To capture the complexity and variability of agricultural practices, while simplifying and facilitating the assessment for pesticide application, a series of archetype scenarios was stablished. These define specific combinations of pesticide target classes, crops and application methods, intended to estimate global emission fractions of pesticides in LCA. This task was conducted in the frame of the LCA pesticide consensus building effort. Finally, the consensual recommendations for simplification and aggregation across conditions are presented and illustrated with a practical example conducted as part of the present thesis. Results in this thesis demonstrate the importance of considering pesticide use for ecotoxicity assessment in agricultural production and represents a relevant step towards methodological advances in quantifying pesticide emission fractions and their related potential impacts on ecosystems within the LCA framework. Among important follow-up lines of research, future work should focus on the inclusion of pesticide metabolites in the assessment of toxic impacts, the development of characterization factors to account for soil ecotoxicity and the further inclusion of metal emissions from agricultural practices (e.g., application of pesticides, manure and chemical fertilizers) into LCA.

The call for reclamation of land around Korle Lagoon in Accra, Ghana, where burning of E-waste and cultivation of vegetables takes place, make risk assessment of heavy metal contaminations important. This study aimed at evaluating the levels and risk of heavy metal contamination in soils and vegetation around the Korle lagoon area in Accra. Geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor and pollution load index were determined to assess the risk of contamination. The levels and distribution of nine heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Zn, Sn, Ni, Cu and Cr) in soil (0 – 20 cm) and common vegetation (Panicum maximum, Imperata cylindrica, Lactuca sativa and Hibiscus sabdariffa) from the area using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) were assessed. The area was divided into five sites namely; the e-waste site (S1), gardens area (S2), recreational area (S3), reclaimed area (S4) estuary (S5), and the control (S6) which was about 700 m away. Soil analysis showed that the concentration of Pb (184.44 mg/kg), Cd (103.66 mg/kg), Cu (202.99 mg/kg), Ni (72.00 mg/kg) and Sn (705.32 mg/kg) at S1 exceeded their WHO/FAO thresholds for agricultural soils. Concentrations of heavy metals in soils from the e-waste site was significantly different (p < 0.01) from the other sites. High accumulations of heavy metals were also observed in the plants samples collected from the study sites, with the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd exceeding their acceptable limits. Laws against open burning of e-waste should be enforced and animals should be restricted from grazing on the forage.