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Synthetic lethality is a genetic interaction that results in cell death when two genetic deficiencies co-occur but not when either deficiency occurs alone, which can be co-opted for cancer therapeutics. Pairs of paralog genes are among the most straightforward potential synthetic–lethal interactions by virtue of their redundant functions. Here, we demonstrate a paralog-based synthetic lethality by targeting vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) in glioblastoma (GBM) deficient of VRK2, which is silenced by promoter methylation in approximately two thirds of GBM. Genetic knockdown of VRK1 in VRK2-null or VRK2-methylated cells resulted in decreased activity of the downstream substrate barrier to autointegration factor (BAF), a regulator of post-mitotic nuclear envelope formation. Reduced BAF activity following VRK1 knockdown caused nuclear lobulation, blebbing, and micronucleation, which subsequently resulted in G2–M arrest and DNA damage. The VRK1–VRK2 synthetic–lethal interaction was dependent on VRK1 kinase activity and was rescued by ectopic expression of VRK2. In VRK2-methylated GBM cell line–derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models, knockdown of VRK1 led to robust tumor growth inhibition. These results indicate that inhibiting VRK1 kinase activity could be a viable therapeutic strategy in VRK2-methylated GBM. Significance: A paralog synthetic–lethal interaction between VRK1 and VRK2 sensitizes VRK2-methylated glioblastoma to perturbation of VRK1 kinase activity, supporting VRK1 as a drug discovery target in this disease.

Supplementary Data from VRK1 Is a Synthetic–Lethal Target in VRK2-Deficient Glioblastoma

Supplementary Figure from VRK1 Is a Synthetic–Lethal Target in VRK2-Deficient Glioblastoma

Synthetic lethality is a genetic interaction that results in cell death when two genetic deficiencies co-occur but not when either deficiency occurs alone, which can be co-opted for cancer therapeutics. Pairs of paralog genes are among the most straightforward potential synthetic–lethal interactions by virtue of their redundant functions. Here, we demonstrate a paralog-based synthetic lethality by targeting vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) in glioblastoma (GBM) deficient of VRK2, which is silenced by promoter methylation in approximately two thirds of GBM. Genetic knockdown of VRK1 in VRK2-null or VRK2-methylated cells resulted in decreased activity of the downstream substrate barrier to autointegration factor (BAF), a regulator of post-mitotic nuclear envelope formation. Reduced BAF activity following VRK1 knockdown caused nuclear lobulation, blebbing, and micronucleation, which subsequently resulted in G2–M arrest and DNA damage. The VRK1–VRK2 synthetic–lethal interaction was dependent on VRK1 kinase activity and was rescued by ectopic expression of VRK2. In VRK2-methylated GBM cell line–derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft models, knockdown of VRK1 led to robust tumor growth inhibition. These results indicate that inhibiting VRK1 kinase activity could be a viable therapeutic strategy in VRK2-methylated GBM.Significance:A paralog synthetic–lethal interaction between VRK1 and VRK2 sensitizes VRK2-methylated glioblastoma to perturbation of VRK1 kinase activity, supporting VRK1 as a drug discovery target in this disease.

Globicephala melas has been harvested in the Faroe Islands for centuries. Given the distances travelled by this species, tissue/body fluid samples represent unique matrices to be considered as an integration of environmental condition and pollution status of their prey. For the first time, bile samples were analysed for presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites and protein content. Concentrations of 2- and 3-ring PAH metabolites ranged from 11 to 25 μg mL−1 pyrene fluorescence equivalents. In total, 658 proteins were identified and 61,5 % were common amongst all individuals. Identified proteins were integrated into in silico software and determined that the top predicted disease and functions were neurological diseases, inflammation, and immunological disorders. The metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was predicted to be dysregulated, which can have consequences to both the protection against ROS produced during dives and contaminant exposures. The obtained data is valuable for understanding metabolism and physiology of G. melas.

Synthetic lethality — a genetic interaction that results in cell death when two genetic deficiencies co-occur but not when either deficiency occurs alone — can be co-opted for cancer therapeutics. A pair of paralog genes is among the most straightforward synthetic lethal interaction by virtue of their redundant functions. Here we demonstrate a paralog-based synthetic lethality by targeting Vaccinia-Related Kinase 1 (VRK1) in Vaccinia-Related Kinase 2 (VRK2)-methylated glioblastoma (GBM). VRK2 is silenced by promoter methylation in approximately two-thirds of GBM, an aggressive cancer with few available targeted therapies. Genetic knockdown of VRK1 in VRK2-methylated GBM cell lines and patient-derived models was lethal and resulted in decreased activity of the downstream substrate Barrier to Autointegration Factor (BAF), a regulator of post-mitotic nuclear envelope formation. VRK1 knockdown, and thus reduced BAF activity, caused nuclear lobulation, blebbing and micronucleation, which subsequently resulted in G2/M arrest and DNA damage. The VRK1-VRK2 synthetic lethal interaction was dependent on VRK1 kinase activity and was rescued by ectopic VRK2 expression. Knockdown of VRK1 led to robust tumor growth inhibition in VRK2-methylated GBM xenografts. These results indicate that inhibiting VRK1 kinase activity could be a viable therapeutic strategy in VRK2-methylated GBM.

Synthetic lethality — a genetic interaction that results in cell death when two genetic deficiencies co-occur but not when either deficiency occurs alone — can be co-opted for cancer therapeutics. A pair of paralog genes is among the most straightforward synthetic lethal interaction by virtue of their redundant functions. Here we demonstrate a paralog-based synthetic lethality by targeting Vaccinia-Related Kinase 1 (VRK1) in Vaccinia-Related Kinase 2 (VRK2)-methylated glioblastoma (GBM). VRK2 is silenced by promoter methylation in approximately two-thirds of GBM, an aggressive cancer with few available targeted therapies. Genetic knockdown of VRK1 in VRK2-null or VRK2-methylated cells results in decreased activity of the downstream substrate Barrier to Autointegration Factor (BAF), a regulator of post-mitotic nuclear envelope formation. VRK1 knockdown, and thus reduced BAF activity, causes nuclear lobulation, blebbing and micronucleation, which subsequently results in G2/M arrest and DNA damage. The VRK1-VRK2 synthetic lethal interaction is dependent on VRK1 kinase activity and is rescued by ectopic VRK2 expression. Knockdown of VRK1 leads to robust tumor growth inhibition in VRK2-methylated GBM xenografts. These results indicate that inhibiting VRK1 kinase activity could be a viable therapeutic strategy in VRK2-methylated GBM.

The purpose of this project is to dig deeper into the data material already generated in the Suspect screening in Nordic countries: Point sources in city areas (TemaNord: 2017:561) to further optimize the benefits of the major work that has already been done. Samples (effluent, sediment, and biota) from all of the Nordic countries were carefully selected, sampled and analysed by a consortium of some of the Nordic region’s most experienced scientific groups in analyses of emerging environmental contaminants. But where perhaps the full potential of the generated data is still to be realized. This project will try to further identify and describe the substances already detected, to be able to better understand what substances we in modern Nordic societies release into the sea via our wastewater.

Mercury is a neurotoxic chemical that represents one of the greatest pollution threats to Arctic ecosystem health. Evaluating the direct neurotoxic effects of mercury in free ranging wildlife is challenging, necessitating the use of neurochemical biomarkers to assess potential sub-clinical neurological changes. The objective of this study was to characterize the distribution and speciation of mercury, as well as exposure-associated changes in neurochemistry, across multiple brain regions (n = 10) and marine mammal species (n = 5) that each occupy a trophic niche in the Arctic ecosystem. We found consistent species differences in mean brain and brain region-specific concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg), with higher concentrations in toothed whales (narwhal, pilot whales and harbour porpoise) compared to fur-bearing mammals (polar bear and ringed seal). Mean THg (μg/g dw) in decreasing rank order was: pilot whale (11.9) > narwhal (7.7) > harbour porpoise (3.6) > polar bear (0.6) > ringed seal (0.2). The higher THg concentrations in toothed whales was associated with a marked reduction in the percentage of MeHg (70 %) that had lower brain THg concentrations. This pattern in mercury concentration and speciation corresponded broadly to an overall higher number of mercury-associated neurochemical biomarker correlations in toothed whales. Of the 226 correlations between mercury and neurochemical biomarkers across brain regions, we found 60 (27 %) meaningful relationships (r>0.60 or p < 0.10). We add to the growing weight of evidence that wildlife accumulate mercury in their brains and demonstrate that there is variance in accumulation across species as well as across distinct brain regions, and that some of these exposures may be associated with sub-clinical changes in neurochemistry.

More than 1000 time-series of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Arctic biota from marine and freshwater ecosystems some extending back to the beginning of 1980s were analyzed using a robust statistical method. The Arctic area encompassed extended from Alaska, USA in the west to northern Scandinavian in the cast, with data gaps for Arctic Russia and Arctic Finland. The aim was to investigate whether temporal trends for different animal groups and matrices were consistent across a larger geographical area. In general, legacy POPs showed decreasing concentrations over the last two to three decades, which were most pronounced for aHCH and least pronounced for HCB and p-HCH. Few lime-series of legacy POPs showed increasing trends and only at sites suspected to be influenced by local source. The brominated flame retardant congener BDE-47 showed a typical trend of increasing concentration up to approximately the mid-2000s followed by a decreasing concentration. A similar trend was found for perfluorooctane sulfonic add (PFOS). These trends are likely related to the relatively recent introduction of national and international controls of hexa- and hepta-BDE congeners and the voluntary phase-out of PFOS production in the USA in 2000. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) was the only compound in this study showing a consistent increasing trend. Only 12% of the long-term time-series were able to detect a 5% annual change with a statistical power of 80% at alpha 20 years monitoring before this requirement would be fulfilled. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All tights reserved.

Flame retardants (FRs) are widely reported in tissues of seabirds including birds sampled from remote areas. There is evidence that FRs can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis in seabirds, although information is limited on thyroid-related mechanisms and effects. This study investigated the associations between concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other FRs, and changes in the HPT axis in northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) from the Faroe Islands (North Atlantic). Plasma concentrations of thyroid hormones (THs), hepatic deiodinase type 1 (D1) activity, and transcription of selected TH-related genes in liver were used as markers of HPT axis changes. Liver concentrations of a certain PBDE congeners and other FRs including pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), dechlorane 602 (Dec-602), and dechlorane plus (DP) were associated with changes in thyroid status. Specifically, liver PBDE, PBEB and Dec-602 concentrations were associated with plasma TH levels (free thyroxine [FT4] and total triiodothyronine [TT3]). Liver DP concentrations were positively correlated with the TT4:FT4 ratios and mRNA levels of UDP-glucuronyltransferase-1, while those of PBEB were negatively associated with TT4:TT3 ratios and D1 activity. D1 activity was also positively associated with the tri-, tetra- and hexa-BDE congeners. Moreover, transcription of ABCC2, a hepatic TH transporter, was associated with certain liver PBDE concentrations. Although PBDEs and other FRs may be potential inhibitors of D1 activity, only a few of the targeted FRs had modest associations with hepatic D1 activity. Regardless, the relationships reported herein indicated that exposure to moderate levels of FRs can be associated with thyroid axis perturbation at the molecular/biochemical levels in this North Atlantic seabird species.

Since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of the exposure to organohalogen compounds (OHCs) in Arctic biota, there has been a considerable number of new Arctic effect studies. Here, we provide an update on the state of the knowledge of OHC, and also include mercury, exposure and/or associated effects in key Arctic marine and terrestrial mammal and bird species as well as in fish by reviewing the literature published since the last AMAP assessment in 2010. We aimed at updating the knowledge of how single but also combined health effects are or can be associated to the exposure to single compounds or mixtures of OHCs. We also focussed on assessing both potential individual as well as population health impacts using population-specific exposure data post 2000. We have identified quantifiable effects on vitamin metabolism, immune functioning, thyroid and steroid hormone balances, oxidative stress, tissue pathology, and reproduction. As with the previous assessment, a wealth of documentation is available for biological effects in marine mammals and seabirds, and sentinel species such as the sledge dog and Arctic fox, but information for terrestrial vertebrates and fish remain scarce. While hormones and vitamins are thoroughly studied, oxidative stress, immunotoxic and reproductive effects need further investigation. Depending on the species and population, some OHCs and mercury tissue contaminant burdens post 2000 were observed to be high enough to exceed putative risk threshold levels that have been previously estimated for non-target species or populations outside the Arctic. In this assessment, we made use of risk quotient calculations to summarize the cumulative effects of different OHC classes and mercury for which critical body burdens can be estimated for wildlife across the Arctic. As our ultimate goal is to better predict or estimate the effects of OHCs and mercury in Arctic wildlife at the individual, population and ecosystem level, there remain numerous knowledge gaps on the biological effects of exposure in Arctic biota. These knowledge gaps include the establishment of concentration thresholds for individual compounds as well as for realistic cocktail mixtures that in fact indicate biologically relevant, and not statistically determined, health effects for specific species and subpopulations. Finally, we provide future perspectives on understanding Arctic wildlife health using new in vivo, in vitro, and in silico techniques, and provide case studies on multiple stressors to show that future assessments would benefit from significant efforts to integrate human health, wildlife ecology and retrospective and forecasting aspects into assessing the biological effects of OHC and mercury exposure in Arctic wildlife and fish. © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Publisher's version (útgefin grein), Wastewater-based epidemiology is an efficient way to assess illicit drug use, complementing currently used methods retrieved from different data sources. The aim of this study is to compare stimulant drug use in five Nordic capital cities that include for the first time wastewater samples from Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. Currently there are no published reports that compare stimulant drug use in these Nordic capitals. All wastewater samples were analyzed using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The results were compared with data published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction based on illicit drugs in wastewater from over 50 European cities. Confirming previous reports, the results showed high amphetamine loads compared with other European countries. Very little apparent abuse of stimulant drugs was detected in Torshavn. Methamphetamine loads were the highest from Helsinki of the Nordic countries, indicating substantial fluctuations in the availability of the drug compared with previous studies. Methamphetamine loads from Oslo confirmed that the use continues to be high. Estimated cocaine use was found to be in the lower range compared with other cities in the southern and western part of Europe. Ecstasy and cocaine showed clear variations between weekdays and weekends, indicating recreational use. This study further demonstrates geographical trends in the stimulant drug market in five Nordic capitals, which enables a better comparison with other areas of the continent., We wish to acknowledgesupport by COST (EuropeanCooperation inScience and Technology) [Grant number ES1307], as well as the Icelan-dic Research Fund [Grant number 163049-051] and the University ofIceland Research Fund [Grant number HI17060092].

Faroe Island pilot whales have been documented to have high body burdens of organohalogen contaminants (OHCs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), but low burdens of their respective hydroxylated metabolites (OH-PCBs and OH-PBDEs). The present study investigated the hepatic expression and/or catalytic activities of phase I and II biotransformation enzymes in relation to hepatic concentrations of target OHCs, including OH-PCBs and OH-PBDEs, in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Northeastern Atlantic. CYP1A, 2B, 2E and 3A protein expressions were identified in juveniles and adult males, but not in adult females. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was significantly lower in adult females than in juveniles and adult males. Using multivariate analyses to investigate relationships between biological responses and OHC concentrations, a positive relationship was identified between EROD and OHCs. The activity levels of phase II conjugating enzymes (uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase [UDPGT], and glutathione S-transferase [GST]) were low. The analyses of mRNA Expression did not show correlative relationships with OHC concentrations, but cyp1a and ahr transcripts were positively correlated with EROD activity. We suggest that the low concentrations of OH-PCBs and OH-PBDEs reported in pilot whales is probably due to the identified low phase I biotransformation activities in the species. © 2017. This is the authors’ accepted and refereed manuscript to the article. Locked until 19.12.2019 due to copyright restrictions. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

In recent decades, naturally growing mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. In 2010, the lowest concentrations of metals and nitrogen in mosses were generally found in northern Europe, whereas the highest concentrations were observed in (south-)eastern Europe for metals and the central belt for nitrogen. Averaged across Europe, since 1990, the median concentration in mosses has declined the most for lead (77%), followed by vanadium (55%), cadmium (51%), chromium (43%), zinc (34%), nickel (33%), iron (27%), arsenic (21%, since 1995), mercury (14%, since 1995) and copper (11%). Between 2005 and 2010, the decline ranged from 6% for copper to 36% for lead ; for nitrogen the decline was 5%. Despite the Europe-wide decline, no changes or increases have been observed between 2005 and 2010 in some (regions of) countries.

Blubber from Faroese pilot whales (Globicephala melas) was analysed for brominated dioxins PBDD/Fs, with a subset also analysed for chlorinated dioxins, PCDD/Fs. The studied individuals were restricted to juvenile male whales sampled in the Faroe Islands during the period 1997-2013. Among the PBDD/Fs, the furans were predominant, although the relative abundance of various congeners differed between samples. Furans accounted for, on average, 79% of the ∑PBDD/Fs in the samples, with 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpBDF the most abundant congener, found in half of the analysed pilot whales. The concentration range for ∑PBDD/Fs among the samples was 0.080-71 pg/g l.w. (lipid weight), and the sum of toxic equivalents ranged from 0.0039 to 4.7 pg TEQ/g l.w. No relationship was found between PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs. In addition, 20 pilot whale samples from the period 2010-2013 were analysed for PBDEs. Several PBDE congeners were found in all of the sampled pilot whales, and at noticeably higher levels than PBDD/Fs and PCDD/Fs. The ∑PBDEs ranged from 140 to 1900 ng/g l.w., with BDE #47 the most abundant congener detected in the samples. Results from the present study were then compared with data from previous studies on pilot wales to investigate temporal trends between 1986 and 2013. The comparison indicated that PBDE concentrations in juvenile males have decreased from 1996 to the latest observations in 2013. No relationship between the concentration levels of PBDD/Fs and PBDEs in the sampled pilot whales could be identified, which indicates possible differences in the metabolism of, or exposure to, PBDEs and PBDD/Fs.

International audience; AbstractKey messageMoss surveys provide spatially dense data on environmental concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen which, together with other biomonitoring and modelling data, can be used for indicating deposition to terrestrial ecosystems and related effects across time and areas of different spatial extension.ContextFor enhancing the spatial resolution of measuring and mapping atmospheric deposition by technical devices and by modelling, moss is used complementarily as bio-monitor.AimsThis paper investigated whether nitrogen and heavy metal concentrations derived by biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition are statistically meaningful in terms of compliance with minimum sample size across several spatial levels (objective 1), whether this is also true in terms of geostatistical criteria such as spatial auto-correlation and, by this, estimated values for unsampled locations (objective 2) and whether moss indicates atmospheric deposition in a similar way as modelled deposition, tree foliage and natural surface soil at the European and country level, and whether they indicate site-specific variance due to canopy drip (objective 3).MethodsData from modelling and biomonitoring atmospheric deposition were statistically analysed by means of minimum sample size calculation, by geostatistics as well as by bivariate correlation analyses and by multivariate correlation analyses using the Classification and Regression Tree approach and the Random Forests method.ResultsIt was found that the compliance of measurements with the minimum sample size varies by spatial scale and element measured. For unsampled locations, estimation could be derived. Statistically significant correlations between concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen in moss and modelled atmospheric deposition, and concentrations in leaves, needles and soil were found. Significant influence of canopy drip on nitrogen concentration in moss was proven.ConclusionMoss surveys should complement modelled atmospheric deposition data as well as other biomonitoring approaches and offer a great potential for various terrestrial monitoring programmes dealing with exposure and effects.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent, bioaccumulative anthropogenic compounds associated with adverse health impacts on humans and wildlife. PFAS production changed in North America and Europe around the year 2000, but impacts on wildlife appear to vary across species and location. Unlike other mammal species, cetaceans lack the enzyme for transforming an important intermediate precursor (perfluorooctane sulfonamide: FOSA), into a prevalent compound in most wildlife (perfluorooctane sulfonate: PFOS). Thus, their tissue burden differentiates these two compounds while other mammals contain PFOS from both direct exposure and precursor degradation. Here we report temporal trends in 15 PFASs measured in muscle from juvenile male North Atlantic pilot whales (Globicephala melas) harvested between 1986 and 2013. FOSA accounted for a peak of 84% of the 15 PFASs around 2000 but declined to 34% in recent years. PFOS and long-chained PFCAs (C9-C13) increased significantly over the whole period (2.8% yr(−1) to 8.3% yr(−1)), but FOSA declined by 13% yr(−1) after 2006. Results from FOSA partitioning and bioaccumulation modeling forced by changes in atmospheric inputs reasonably capture magnitudes and temporal patterns in FOSA concentrations measured in pilot whales. Rapid changes in atmospheric FOSA in polar and subpolar regions around 2000 helps to explain large declines in PFOS exposure for species that metabolize FOSA, including seafood consuming human populations. This work reinforces the importance of accounting for biological exposures to PFAS precursors.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are known to have endocrine disruptive effects, interfering with endogenous steroid hormones. The present study examined nine steroid hormones and their relationships with the concentrations of selected POPs in pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Faroe Islands, NE Atlantic. The different steroids were detected in 15 to all of the 26 individuals. High concentrations of progesterone (83.3–211.7 pmol/g) and pregnenolone (PRE; 4.68–5.69 pmol/g) were found in three adult females indicating that they were pregnant or ovulating. High androgen concentrations in two of the males reflected that one was adult and that one (possibly) had reached puberty. In males a significant positive and strong correlation between body length and testosterone (TS) levels was identified. Furthermore, positive and significant correlations were found between 4-OH-CB107/4’-OH-CB108 and 17β-estradiol in males. In adult females significant positive correlations were identified between PRE and CB149 and t-nonachlor, between estrone and CB138, -149, -187 and p,p’-DDE, between androstenedione and CB187, and between TS and CB-99 and -153. Although relationships between the POPs and the steroid hormones reported herein are not evidence of cause-effect relationships, the positive correlations between steroids and POPs, particularly in females, suggest that POPs may have some endocrine disrupting effects on the steroid homeostasis in this species. © 2017. This is the authors’ accepted and refereed manuscript to the article. LOCKED until 14.9.2019 due to copyright restrictions. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

The four Nordic cities included in the present study form a gradient both in climate, from oceanographic temperate in Tórshavn at 620 N to arctic in Tromsø at 69.70N, and in population, from less than 6000 inhabitants in Sisimiut to close to 120 000 in Reykjavík. The cities are different and far apart but products from the sea has been mainstay to the economy and societal development. Thus, the management of sewage from the municipalities must maintain a clean and healthy marine environment. The wastewater treatment varies, from screening on fine mesh, via septic tank based purification solutions, to no purification at all. We measured the contaminants in wastewater streams and in recipient samples, and with that in hand assessed whether the wastewater treatment appeared sufficient, and if not, which mitigating solutions could be relevant for wastewater purification optimisation.

Diet and drinking water are suggested to be major exposure pathways for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). In this study, food items and water from Faroe Islands sampled in 2011/2012 were analyzed for 11 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and 4 perfluoroalkane sulfonic acids (PFSAs). The food samples included milk, yoghurt, crème fraiche, potatoes, fish, and fish feed, and the water samples included surface water and purified drinking water. In total, nine PFCAs and four PFSAs were detected. Generally, the levels of PFAS were in the lower picogram per gram range. Perfluorobutanoic acid was a major contributor to the total PFASs concentration in water samples and had a mean concentration of 750 pg/L. Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) was predominating in milk and wild fish with mean concentrations of 170 pg/g. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) was most frequently detected in food items followed by PFUnDA, perfluorononanoic acid, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Levels of PFUnDA and PFOA exceeded those of PFOS in milk and fish samples. Prevalence of long-chain PFCAs in Faroese food items and water is confirming earlier observations of their increase in Arctic biota. Predominance of short-chain and long-chain homologues indicates exposure from PFOS and PFOA replacement compounds.

A screening of a broad range of pharmaceuticals and additives in personal care products (PPCPs) in sub-arctic locations of the Faroe Islands (FO), Iceland (IS) and Greenland (GL) was conducted. In total 36 pharmaceuticals including some metabolites, and seven additives in personal care products were investigated in influent and effluent waters as well as sludge of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) and in water and sediment of recipients. Concentrations and distribution patterns for PPCPs discharged via sewage lines (SLs) to the marine environment were assessed. Of the 36 pharmaceuticals or metabolites analysed 33 were found close to or above the limit of detection (LOD) in all or a part of the samples. All of the seven investigated additives in personal care products were detected above the LOD. Some of the analysed PPCPs occurred in every or almost every sample. Among these were diclofenac, ibuprofen, lidocaine, naproxen, metformin, citalopram, venlafaxine, amiloride, furosemide, metoprolol, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and cetrimonium salt (ATAC-C16). Additionally, the study encompasses ecotoxicological risk assessment of 2/3 of the analysed PPCPs in recipient and diluted effluent waters. For candesartan only a small margin to levels with inacceptable risks was observed in diluted effluent waters at two locations (FO). Chronical risks for aquatic organisms staying and/or living around WWTP effluent pipe-outlets were indicated for 17β-estradiol and estriol in the three countries. Additives in PCPs were found to pose the largest risk to the aquatic environment. The surfactants CAPB and ATAC-C16 were found in concentrations resulting in risk factors up to 375 for CAPB and 165 for ATAC-C16 in recipients for diluted effluents from Iggia, Nuuk (GL) and Torshavn (FO) respectively. These results demonstrates a potentially high ecological risk stemming from discharge of surfactants as used in household and industrial detergents as well as additives in personal care products.

A selection of MeO-BDE and BDE congeners were analyzed in pooled blubber samples of pilot whale (Globicephala melas), ringed seal (Phoca hispida), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), and Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), covering a time period of more than 20 years (1986-2009). The analytes were extracted and cleaned-up using open column extraction and multi-layer silica gel column chromatography. The analysis was performed using both low resolution and high resolution GC-MS. MeO-PBDE concentrations relative to total PBDE concentrations varied greatly between sampling periods and species. The highest MeO-PBDE levels were found in the toothed whale species pilot whale and white-sided dolphin, often exceeding the concentration of the most abundant PBDE, BDE-47. The lowest MeO-PBDE levels were found in fin whales and ringed seals. The main MeO-BDE congeners were 6-MeO-BDE47 and 2'-MeO-BDE68. A weak correlation only between BDE47 and its methoxylated analog 6-MeO-BDE47 was found and is indicative of a natural source for MeO-PBDEs.

Pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Faroe Islands, North-East Atlantic, have high body concentrations of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The aim of the present study was to examine if and to what extent blood plasma and liver concentrations of several groups of these OHCs are related to concentrations of relevant nutritional and hormonal biomarkers in pilot whales. Thyroid hormones (THs: total and free thyroxine and total and free triiodothyronine) and vitamin A (retinol), D (25-hydroxyvitamin D3) and E (α-tocopherol) were analysed in plasma (n=27) and vitamin A (total vitamin A, retinol and retinyl palmitate) and E (α- and γ-tocopherol) were analysed in liver (n=37) of Faroe Island pilot whales. Correlative relationships between the biomarkers and OHC concentrations previously analysed in the same tissues in these individuals were studied. The TH concentrations in plasma were significantly higher in juveniles than in adults. Vitamin D concentrations in plasma and α- and γ-tocopherol in liver were higher in adults than in juveniles. Multivariate statistical modelling showed that the age and sex influenced the relationship between biomarkers and OHCs. Some significant positive relationships were found between OHCs and thyroid hormone concentrations in the youngest juveniles (p

A statistically robust method was applied to 83 time-series of mercury in Arctic biota from marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems with the purpose of generating a 'meta-analysis' of temporal trend data collected over the past two to three decades, mostly under the auspices of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP). Sampling locations ranged from Alaska in the west to northern Scandinavia in the east. Information from recently published temporal trend studies was tabulated to supplement the results of the statistical analyses. No generally consistent trend was evident across tissues and species from the circumpolar Arctic during the last 30years or so. However, there was a clear west-to-east gradient in the occurrence of recent increasing Hg trends, with larger numbers and a higher proportion of biotic datasets in the Canadian and Greenland region of the Arctic showing significant increases than in the North Atlantic Arctic. Most of the increasing datasets were for marine species, especially marine mammals. A total of 16 (19%) out of the 83 time-series could be classified as "adequate", where adequate is defined as the number of actual monitoring years in a time-series being equal to or greater than the number of years of sampling required to detect a 5% annual change in Hg concentrations, with a significance level of P

Purpose This study aimed at investigating correlations between heavy metal concentrations in mosses and modelled deposition values as well as other site-specific and regional characteristics to determine which factors primarily affect cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations in mosses. The resulting relationships could potentially be used to enhance the spatial resolution of heavy metal deposition maps across Europe. Materials and methods Modelled heavy metal deposition data and data on the concentration of heavy metals in naturally growing mosses were integrated into a geographic information system and analysed by means of bivariate rank correlation analysis and multivariate decision trees. Modelled deposition data were validated annually with deposition measurements at up to 63 EMEP measurement stations within the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP), and mosses were collected at up to 7, 000 sites at 5-year intervals between 1990 and 2005. Results and discussion Moderate to high correlations were found between cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses and modelled atmospheric deposition of these metals: Spearman rank correlation coefficients were between 0.62 and 0.67, and 0.67 and 0.73 for cadmium and lead, respectively (p

Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Faroe Islands are known to be heavily polluted with contaminants, such as mercury (Hg) and organochlorine compounds (OC). This is postulated to exert adverse health effects on whales as well as the human population who rely on its meat and blubber as food sources. It was therefore decided to conduct a screening pilot study to determine contaminant concentrations and histopathology of liver and renal tissues in a total of 14 specimens from this subpopulation. In blubber, the mean ∑OC concentration was 31,887 ng g−1 lw (range: 18,170–47,425 ng g−1 lw) of which ∑PCB concentration was 23,416 ng g−1 lw (range: 13,947–34,543 ng g−1 lw; n = 3). In liver, mean Hg concentration was 138 µg−1 ww (range: 54–351 µg g−1 ww; n = 7) and mean cadmium (Cd) concentration 15 µg g−1 ww (range: 7–31 µg g−1 ww; n = 7). In the kidney, the mean Cd concentration was 36 µg g−1 ww (range: 23–47 µg g−1 ww; n = 7). Of the liver Hg concentrations, two were at the suggested toxic th...

The brominated flame retardants hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are high-production-volume chemicals. In recent years, their presence has been reported in sediment and biota from the marine environment. In this study, an analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of HBCD, TBBPA, and the possible metabolite dimethyl-TBBPA. The method was applied in a preliminary screening of egg, liver, and adipose tissue of marine biota from Greenland and the Faroe Islands. α-HBCD was detected in 35 of 36 analysed samples from the Arctic, indicating a ubiquitous presence of α-HBCD in the environment. β- and γ-HBCD were found in 10 and 14 samples, respectively. TBBPA and dimethyl-TBBPA were not detected in any of the samples indicating limited or no transport of these compounds to remote areas.

Concentrations of PCBs, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), brominated flame retardants and a suite of relevant metabolites of these POPs, in all 175 different compounds, were determined in liver and plasma of traditionally hunted pilot whales (n=14 males and n=13 females of different age groups) from the Faroe Islands. The main objectives of this study were to determine differences in the presence and concentrations of the compounds in the liver and plasma, how they depend on developmental stage (calves, sub adults, and adult females), and to assess maternal transfer of the compounds to suckling calves. Generally, the lipid weight (lw) concentrations of quantified POPs in the liver and plasma of pilot whales were positively correlated, and lw concentrations of most POPs did not differ between these matrices. However, concentrations of some individual POPs differed significantly (p0.05) between plasma and liver; CB-153 (p=0.044), CB-174 (p=0.027) and BDE-47 (p=0.017) were higher in plasma than in liver, whereas p,p'-DDE (p=0.004) and HCB (p0.001) were higher in liver than in plasma. POP concentrations differed between age/gender groups with lower levels in adult females than in juveniles. The relative distribution of compounds also differed between the age groups, due to the influence of the maternal transfer of the compounds. The results indicated that larger, more hydrophobic POPs were transferred to the offspring less efficiently than smaller or less lipid soluble compounds. Very low levels of both OH- and/or MeSO2-PCB and PBDE metabolites were found in all age groups, with no significant (p0.05) differences between the groups, strongly suggesting a very low metabolic capacity for their formation in pilot whales. The lack of difference in the metabolite concentrations between the age groups also indicates less maternal transfer of these contaminant groups compared to the precursor compounds.

Perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFASs) have been measured in liver samples from terrestrial organisms from Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. Samples from ptarmigan (West Greenland), reindeer (southwest-Greenland), muskox (East Greenland), and land-locked Arctic char from southwest Greenland and the Faroe Islands were analyzed. In addition, PFASs levels in land-locked brown trout from Faroese lakes are reported. Of the 17 PFASs analyzed in the samples the following compounds were detected: PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnA, PFDoA, PFTrA, and PFTeA. PFNA was the compound detected in most samples and in all species. However, the compound detected at highest concentration was dependent on species, with overall highest concentrations of PFTrA and PFUnA being detected in trout liver from Lake á Mýranar (Faroe Islands). In muskox, the PFAS occurring at highest concentrations was PFDA, which was among the PFAS detected at lowest concentrations in freshwater fish, and was only detected in one individual ptarmigan. The concentration of PFOS, PFDoA and PFTrA in Arctic char from Greenland and Faroe Islands were similar, whereas the concentration of PFNA, PFDA and PFUnA were higher in Arctic char than those from Greenland. The opposite was observed for PFTeA. The PFASs occurring at highest concentrations in trout were PFTrA and PFUnA. Arctic char from Lake á Mýranar had much lower concentrations of PFTrA and PFUnA than in trout from the lakes analyzed, but a higher concentration of PFTeA than trout from the same lake. A clear pattern with odd-carbon number homologues concentrations higher than the next lower even homologue was observed in fish samples, which is consistent with the hypothesis of transport of volatile precursors to remote regions.

Eggs from Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) were sampled in the Faroe Islands. The content of the brominated flame retardants tri- to decabromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs) and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) were determined in nine samples in concentrations ranging from non-detectable to 7 ng g− 1(l.w.). The BDE levels were similar as in an earlier study of BDE levels in the fulmar eggs from the Faroe Islands but 10–1000 times lower compared to studies of eggs from seabirds and birds of prey from Europe. The two hexaBDEs #153 and #154 were the most abundant congeners, which represented around 50% of the total mean BDE concentration. The levels of BDE #209 were below the limit of detection (1.24 ng g− 1 l.w.) except for one sample, which showed a concentration of 7.18 ng g− 1 l.w. BTBPE was detected in eight samples and the mean level was 0.11 ng g− 1 l.w. This concentration was 150 times lower than the average total BDE concentration (including BDEs #28, #47, #100, #99, #154, #153, #183, #209). BTBPE has only been detected once before in biota. Also other bromo-containing compounds were detected in the fulmar eggs. One group identified was the polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), but because of the absence of reference standards in the lab, these could not be quantified.

This brochure highlights the work conducted by the Joint Nordic screening group. The activities in the Joint Nordic Screening Group can be divided into three areas: 1) Joint screening studies, 2) S ...

Results of mercury and organochlorine analyses in pooled muscle and blubber samples representing in all 417 long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas ) sampled in 1997 in the Faroe Islands are presented. The 28 pooled muscle samples from (in all) 9 pods were analysed for total mercury and the same number of pooled blubber samples were analysed for PCB (IUPAC CBs no. 28, 52, 99, 101, 105, 118, 128, 138, 153, 170, 180, 183 and 187), p , p′ -DDT and metabolites and o , p ′-DDT and metabolites, cis (α) and trans (γ)-chlordane, cis - and trans -nonachlor, oxychlordane, mirex, hexachlorobenzene, β-HCH and toxaphene (Parlars no. 26 (T2), 32, 50 (T12), 62 (T20) and 69.