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The solid product of wastewater treatment plants is commonly used as a fertiliser to increase sustainability and waste reuse. It has undergone extensive treatment to remove high nutrient loads, pathogens and heavy metals but the extensive matrix of household chemicals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals remains, untargeted by most treatment technologies. These compounds, particularly pharmaceuticals, have been detected in biosolids with there being evidence of uptake by plants. With the current opioid pandemic in North America and overprescription, a simple method is required for the extraction of opioids from a solid medium as to ascertain the concentrations the environment is exposed to. A sonication-liquid-liquid extracted method was developed where biosolids were suspended in water and extracted using ethyl acetate before analysis on LC MS/MS. Sodium and potassium chloride were compared along with acidic and alkaline conditions. The optimised method utilised NaCl at a pH of 12 and was validated for 17 opioids, achieving linearity >0.987, 86–113% matrix effect and 0.1–10 μg/kg limits of detection. Upon analysis of biosolids destined for agriculture, 14 opioids were detected across all samples in a concentration range of 1–289 μg/kg. [Display omitted] • An efficient LLE method was validated for 17 opioids from biosolids. • Opioids in biosolids reached levels as high as 289 μg/kg. • Opioid treatment in wastewater catchments may impact the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brominated flame retardants (BFR) are molecules added to consumer products to reduce fire hazards. They were banned in North America and Europe because of their persistence and biomagnification. However, BFR are still released in the environment due to continued use of products manufactured before restriction, and from waste and recycling processes of those products. As a result, they remain sources of chronic environmental and human exposure worldwide. BFR are well-characterized endocrine disruptors. They have been associated with a wide range of alterations in endocrine and reproductive systems both in humans and experimental models in vivo and in vitro. Paradoxically, the effects of BFR on mammary glands, whose development and carcinogenesis are mainly under hormonal dependency are poorly known. There is increasing weight of evidence that exposure to endocrine disruptors promotes breast cancer, especially if the exposure occurs during sensitivity windows. For the mammary gland, these windows include the perinatal life, puberty, and pregnancy, as important remodeling of the organ happens during those periods. The peak of exposure to BFRs happened during late 1990s and beginning of 2000s in most countries. Women who were pregnant at that time are reaching menopause while their daughters are 20–30 years old. It is thus important to better understand the effects of BFRs on mammary gland development and breast cancer to determine whether these women are more at risk. Thus, this review aims to propose a comprehensive review of data reporting the effects of exposure to BFR on female endocrine and reproductive systems, with a particular focus on mammary gland development and of a potential increased risk of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilient design requires information about a structure's response to a variety of exposures such that systems can be implemented to prevent unacceptable losses. For the case of critical infrastructure like bridges, losses associated with structural damage and traffic closures from fire events can be substantial. Despite this, there are no specific code requirements for bridge fire safety in different national jurisdictions, particularly in North America and Europe, and only minimal guidance available for establishing the fire resistance requirements of bridges. Research into the fire safety of bridges is ongoing but knowledge gaps persist that limit practitioners' ability to conduct performance-based fire designs using the latest state of existing research. This paper provides a first-stage state of the art review of bridge fire research conducted to date in effort to summarize key findings and make available the most relevant information for researcher and practitioner use. The key research themes considered as subdivisions are fire hazard and risk assessment, bridge fire scenario modelling, and the structural response of steel and composite steel-concrete, cable-supported, concrete, and fiber reinforced polymer bridges to fire. The authors conclude the study with identified knowledge gaps and priority research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth worldwide are regularly exposed to pollutants and chemicals (i.e., toxicants) that may interfere with healthy brain development, and a surge in MRI research has begun to characterize the neurobiological consequences of these exposures. Here, a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on developmental MRI studies of toxicants with known or suspected neurobiological impact. Associations were reviewed for 9 toxicant classes, including metals, air pollution, and flame retardants. Of 1264 identified studies, 46 met inclusion criteria. Qualitative synthesis revealed that most studies: (1) investigated air pollutants or metals, (2) assessed exposures prenatally, (3) assessed the brain in late middle childhood, (4) took place in North America or Western Europe, (5) drew samples from existing cohort studies, and (6) have been published since 2017. Given substantial heterogeneity in MRI measures, toxicant measures, and age groups assessed, more research is needed on all toxicants reviewed here. Future studies should also include larger samples, employ personal exposure monitoring, study independent samples in diverse world regions, and assess toxicant mixtures. • We conducted a systematic review of MRI studies on toxicant exposure and youth brain structure and function. • 9 toxicant classes were reviewed, including air pollution, metals, pesticides, flame retardants, phthalates, and bisphenols. • Most studies examined air pollution or metals, assessed exposures prenatally, and conducted imaging in late middle childhood. • Most studies took place in Europe or North America, drew samples from existing cohort studies, and were published since 2017. • More research on all toxicant classes reviewed here is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardant chemicals that are persistent organic pollutants. Animal experiments and some human studies indicate that PBDEs may adversely affect male reproductive function. Objectives To assess the association between PBDE exposure and reproductive hormones (RHs) in a North American male adult cohort. Methods From 2010-11, we collected three serum samples from 27 healthy adult men. We assessed associations between PBDEs and RHs using mixed effect regression models. Results PBDEs were inversely associated with inhibin-B. In older men, increased concentrations of BDE-47 and BDE-100 were significantly associated with a decrease in inhibin-B, and an increase in follicular stimulating hormone (FSH). Conclusions These findings suggest PBDE exposure may affect RHs in older men. We did not measure other parameters of male reproductive function and therefore these results are preliminary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organohalogen chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) have attracted much attention during the past decade and are of special importance for the Great Lakes of North America, which are together the largest surface freshwater resource on the earth. In this paper we review and summarize detection and levels of legacy contaminants in Great Lakes fish, lessons learned from legacy contaminants in advancing the analytical detection of CECs, progress and challenges in measuring CECs, and levels of CECs in Great Lakes fish reported to date. The CECs considered include chlorinated paraffins, polychlorinated naphthalenes and other chlorinated aromatics, halogenated flame retardants, and perfluorinated compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the course of our studies of in-use chlorinated flame retardants, such as Dechlorane Plus® and Dechloranes 602 and 604, blubber of beluga whales from the Canadian Arctic and lake trout and whitefish from the North American Great Lakes were found to contain two novel dechlorination products of Dechlorane 602 (Dec602). The structures of these compounds were characterized by experiments performed using both gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and Fourier transform mass spectrometry with a prepared technical mixture of monohydro and dihydroDec602 derivatives. These Dec602 derivatives are analogous to the well-known monohydro and dihydro photochemical degradation products of Mirex. The ratio of the two monohydroDec602 diastereomers varied between Lake Ontario fish and those from the upper lakes, but only one isomer was found in Arctic beluga, indicating that one isomer is either more stable or more bioaccumulative. Dechlorane Plus®, Dec603, and Dec 604 were not detected in Arctic beluga, but Dec602 and its monohydroDec602 derivative were measured in approximately equal concentrations, ranging from 25 to 300 pg/g lipid. In Great Lakes fish, concentrations of the monohydroDec602 derivatives were also close to those of Dec602, ranging from 2 to 67 ng/g lipid and were greatest in Lake Ontario. This study reports on the first measurements of dechlorane-related compounds in Arctic biota and the first detection of monohydroDec602 degradation products and their accumulation in biota. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of 13 currently used brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were analyzed in 16 sediment cores collected from the North American Great Lakes. Among them, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH), and hexachlorocyclopentadienyl dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO) were more frequently detected than others. In general, these emerging BFRs have much lower concentrations than polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechloranes. Inventories of the five BFRs named above, given on a logarithm basis, were found to decrease linearly with the increasing latitude of the sampling locations, but with weaker statistics than those previously reported for the dechloranes. Logarithm of surface fluxes, on the other hand, was found to be a better parameter in correlating with the longitude. With regard to time trends, the exponential increases in concentrations of these BFRs, particularly DBDPE and BTBPE, in recent years are particularly disturbing. The sediment concentration of DBDPE doubles every 3-5 years in Lake Michigan, and approximately every 7 years in Lake Ontario. The corresponding doubling times for BTBPE are about 5 and 7 years in Lakes Ontario and Michigan, respectively, although declines or leveling off were observed in the top sediment layers in Lake Ontario. In contrast to PCBs, PBDEs, and most dechloranes, the correlations between the surface concentration of emerging BFRs and the latitude or longitude of the sampling sites were not strengthened by normalization of the concentration based on the organic matter content of the sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two relatively new flame retardants, 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), were identified and quantitated in gas and particle-phase air samples collected from six sites near the shores of the Great Lakes. TBB and TBPH were detected in more than half of the samples collected from 2008 to 2010. Urban areas, such as Chicago and Cleveland, showed the highest concentrations (0.36-290 pg/m³), while remote areas, such as Eagle Harbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes, exhibited the lowest levels (0.050-32 pg/m³). The atmospheric concentrations of TBB and TBPH increased rapidly and significantly over this time period, perhaps indicating that these compounds are replacing the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been removed or soon will be removed from the marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air (vapor and particle) and precipitation samples were collected at five sites (two urban, one rural, and two remote) on the shores of the Great Lakes from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 as a part of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN). The concentrations of the syn and anti isomers of Dechlorane Plus (DP), a highly chlorinated flame retardant, were measured in these samples. The highest concentrations of these compounds were generally observed at the rural site at Sturgeon Point, New York, which is located near DP's manufacturing facility in Niagara Falls, New York, and at the urban site at Cleveland, Ohio. A multiple linear regression model was applied to the concentrations of these compounds in the vapor phase, particle phase, precipitation, and for the three phases combined. This regression resulted in an overall (three phases combined) doubling time for the anti-DP isomer of 9.5 ± 3.6 years, but for the syn- and total DP (syn + anti) concentrations, the overall regression was not statistically significant. These results suggest that there has been no significant change in the atmospheric concentrations of these compounds over the 2005-2009 time period. The effect of distance from the source in Niagara Falls was highly significant; for example, doubling the distance from Niagara Falls decreased the DP concentrations by about 30%. The effect of the number of people living and working within a 25-km radius of the sampling site (population density) was also highly significant but small; for example if this population doubled or halved, then the atmospheric DP concentrations would increase or decrease by only a few percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dechlorane Plus (DP) is a chlorinated flame retardant (FR) comprised of two major structural isomers, syn and anti. For the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America, reports on DP have been limited to sediment and fish, not known for birds, and regardless temporal trends in Great Lakes wildlife is unknown. In the present study, syn- and anti-DP isomers were detected in egg pools spanning 1982–2006 of a Great Lakes biomonitoring species, the herring gull (Larus argentatus), from seven colonies in the five Laurentian Great Lakes. The sum (Σ) of syn- and anti-DP concentrations were generally <15ngg−1 wet weight (ww) and variable depending on the colonial site and year, although Σ-DP concentrations were generally higher post mid-1990s for all sites. Syn- and anti-DP concentrations ranged from 3.1×102 to 1.4×103 pgg−1 ww and 1.3×102 to 4.4×103 pgg−1 ww, respectively. There was a weak but significant (r S =−0.31, p <0.001) negative relationship between the Σ-DP concentration and the distance for the only DP production facility in North America at Niagara Falls, New York. However, the fraction of the anti-DP to the Σ-DP concentration (fanti ) was 0.69±0.08 (for all seven colonies and years, n =101 pools), and there was no significant (r S =−0.18, p =0.07) negative relationship of fanti with increasing distance from the production facility at Niagara Falls, New York, which indicated that there was no temporal or spatial enrichment of either isomer relative to the commercial DP mixture. Over the past 25 years, it is clear that DP isomers have accumulated in the food web of female herring gulls with subsequent transfer during ovogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Brominated flame retardants were measured in 87 tree bark samples from 29 locations in North America. The concentrations of total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) ranged from 2.3 to 5700 ng/g lipid weight, with the highest concentrations found near or in Arkansas. A simple radial dilution model nicely describes the distribution of total PBDE concentrations in these samples and indicates the likely sources of these chemicals are emissions from the two brominated flame retardant manufacturing facilities, operated by Great Lakes Chemicals and Albemarle, located in southern Arkansas. The congener profiles of PBDEs are similar for all the tree bark samples and can be described by a mixture of the congener profiles of the penta- and deca-BDE commercial products combined in a ratio of 1:2. Two unusual BFRs, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane and decabromodiphenyl ethane, were also detected in tree bark samples collected in Arkansas, suggesting the two manufacturing facilities are the sources of these compounds as well. A polybrominated biphenyl congener (BB-153) was present in most tree bark samples at low levels relative to the PBDEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used as flame retardants in plastics of soft furnishings, TV sets and computers, and insulation in the indoor environment The penta-BDEs--now banned in most parts of Europe but still used in North America--are additive flame retardants that may be released to the indoor environment via volatilization or as dusts. In this study, to investigate general population PBDE exposure, air was sampled in 74 randomly selected homes in Ottawa, Canada and at seven outdoor sites during the winter of 2002-3, using polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers. The passive sampling rate (2.5 m³ day-1) was determined through a pilot study employing active and passive samplers side-by-side at selected indoor locations. Indoor air concentrations of PBDEs were log-normally distributed with a geometric mean of 120 pg m-3 and a median of 100 pg m-3, approximately 50 times higher than the range of outdoor air concentrations (<0.1-4.4 pg m-3). The maximum daily human exposure via the inhalation pathway based on median PBDE levels found in this survey was estimated to be 1.9ng day-1 (female) and 2.0 ng day-1 (male), representing 4.1% (f) and 4.4% (m) of overall daily intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North America consumes over half of the world''s production of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. About 98% of global demand for the Penta-BDE mixture, the constituents of which are the most bioaccumulative and environmentally widespread, resides here. However, research on the environmental distribution of PBDEs in North America has lagged behind that in Northern Europe. Examination of available governmentally maintained release data suggests that Deca-BDE use in the US substantially exceeds that in Canada. Penta-BDE use probably follows a similar pattern. PBDE demand in Mexico is uncertain, but is assumed to be comparatively modest. Recent research examining air, water, sediment, sewage sludge and aquatic biota suggests that Penta-BDE constituents are present in geographically disparate locations in the US and Canada. The less brominated congeners have been observed in areas distant from their known use or production, e.g. the Arctic. PBDEs have been detected in low concentrations in North American air, water and sediment, but much higher levels in aquatic biota. Increased burdens as a function of position in the food web have been noted. PBDE concentrations in US and Canadian sewage sludges appear to be at least 10-fold greater than European levels and may be a useful barometer of release. In general, PBDE concentrations in environmental media reported in North America are comparable or exceed those observed elsewhere in the world. In contrast to Europe, environmental burdens are increasing over time here, consistent with the greater consumption of the commercial mixtures. However, data remain relatively scarce. Deca-BDE in the North American environment appears largely restricted to points of release, e.g. urban areas and those where PBDE-containing sewage sludges have been applied. This lack of redistribution is likely due to its extremely low volatility and water solubility. Penta-BDE and Deca-BDE products are used in different applications and this may also be a factor controlling their environmental release. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plastics going into the electrical and electronics (E&E) market are used in a variety of applications, including wire and cable, connectors, electronic housings and packaging for electronic components. Additives such as stabilizers, colorants, flame retardants and conductive materials are key to meeting demanding performance requirements for plastics in these applications. Jennifer Markarian reports for Plastics Additives & Compounding on some of the trends in North America in this key market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) were quantified in passive air samplers in gull. • Daily sampling rates in passive air samplers were highest for Penta and DecaBDE. • Air was shown to be a significant exposure source for HFRs in urban-adapted gulls. • Landfills were shown to represent important hotspots of exposure to HFRs in gulls. Halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) are contaminants that are abundantly emitted from waste management facilities (WMFs) and that became ubiquitous in air of urbanized regions. Urban birds including gulls have adapted to exploiting human food resources (refuse) in WMFs, and have thus experienced population explosions worldwide. However, foraging in WMFs for birds may result in exposure to HFRs that have been shown to be toxic for animals. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of foraging near or in various WMFs on the atmospheric exposure of birds to HFRs, and to localize other sources of HFRs at the regional scale in a highly urbanized environment. We measured the atmospheric exposure to HFRs in one of the most abundant gull species in North America, the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), breeding in the densely-populated Montreal area (Canada) using a novel approach combining bird-borne GPS dataloggers and miniature passive air samplers (PASs). We determined concentrations of 11 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and three emerging HFRs of high environmental concern in PASs carried by gulls. We show that the daily sampling rates (pg/day) of PBDEs in PASs were highest in gulls foraging in or around landfills, but were not influenced by meteorological variables. In contrast, the daily sampling rates of emerging HFRs were lower compared to PBDEs and were not influenced by the presence of gulls in or near WMFs. This study demonstrates that atmospheric exposure to HFRs and perhaps other semi-volatile contaminants is underestimated, yet important for birds foraging in landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, the demand for flame retardant additives will rise by 6.1% annually, from 1.7 million tonnes in 2009 to 2.2 million tonnes in 2014, according to a new study published by the Freedonia Group, World Flame Retardants (#2709). The Asia/Pacific region will enjoy the fastest growth rates until 2014 with the mature markets of North America, Western Europe and Japan experiencing growth at a more modest pace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brominated flame retardant (BFR) industry recently published the 2007 annual report of the Voluntary Emissions Control Action Programme (VECAP), providing ‘transparent and concise’ information on the programme''s progress, and incorporating feedback and comments from regulators, industry and the public. Major achievements for this initiative in the past year include the roll-out of the programme beyond the European Union to include North America and Japan, and the extension of the emissions monitoring and reduction measures from deca-BDE to other BFRs, such as HBCD and TBBPA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the increasing levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) fire retardants in North America, according to data presented at Dioxin 2000 in August 2000. Global market for PBDE; Negative health effects of PBDE exposure.

The article reports on a study by Kellyn Betts published in a 2008 issue of "Environmental Science & Technology" which found that new flame retardants were detected in dust in homes in North America.