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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are everywhere around us in society, found in commercial and industrial products, the atmosphere, waste, water (waste, surface, drinking, and ground), soil, plants, animals, and even in our bodies. The use and spread of PFAS is a global societal challenge, affecting even the most remote places on Earth. One of the reasons why PFAS has been an attractive component in many products and industrial applications is their extreme chemical and thermal stability. However, these same properties allow for the persistence of PFAS in the environment, whereby even low PFAS emissions over time can be accumulated and pose a high risk of negative health and environmental effects. Today there are thousands of known and unknown PFAS with widely varying properties and toxicity, which makes both risk assessments and management of this growing environmental problem difficult. According to a national mass balance for PFAS emissions from products and atmospheric deposition are the major sources of PFAS in Sweden. The amount of PFAS which are environmentally dispersed via wastewater and sewage sludge can be considered a minor part. However, due to the persistence of PFAS, measures to minimize their addition via these pathways may be necessary to reduce the total environmental load. Due to their toxicity and persistence, PFAS have recently become heavily regulated, with many regulatory agencies lowering the accepted PFAS environmental level ranges. Many PFAS have already been banned in Sweden or the EU and assessment grounds or action limits have been defined for various PFAS (e.g., surface water bodies, groundwater and drinking water) to initiate measures to reduce the spread of the substances. Already announced and stricter regulations will further increase the need for measures to minimize human exposure to PFAS and their dispersal in the environment. Regardless of which measures are implemented, PFAS will remain in the environment for a long ti

Vid tre av de största avloppsreningsverken i Sundsvall kommun har IVL genomfört en förstudie med syftet att utreda förutsättningar för en fullskaleinstallation för rening av läkemedelsrester från avloppsvatten. Förstudien visade att det framför allt var hormoner som utgjorde den största risken för negativ påverkan på vattenförekomsten. Eftersom Sundsvall kommun har planer för en framtida utbyggnad med kväverening vid Fillan ARV, föddes en tanke om huruvida en sådan utbyggnad även skulle kunna bidra till att hormonhalterna i utgående avloppsvatten minskar till icke-detekterbara nivåer. Detta mot bakgrund av att minskade hormonhalter observerats vid avloppsreningsverk med kväverening i södra Sverige. Om motsvarande minskning av utgående hormonhalter skulle observeras vid en utbyggd kväverening i Sundsvall kommun, skulle detta leda till att de observerade miljöriskerna i recipienten eliminerades.Med ekonomiskt stöd från Naturvårdsverket, och med hjälp av en befintlig pilotanläggning för studier av kväverening i kalla klimat via rörliga biofilmsreaktorer med bärare (MBBR), genomfördes under åren 2021 och 2023 en kompletterande förstudie vars resultat presenteras i denna rapport. Projektet har fokuserat på rening av hormoner och hormonstörande effekter vid implementering av kväverening i kalla klimat. Det övergripande målet har varit att öka kunskapen om kväverening och nedbrytning av hormoner vid låga temperaturer och att identifiera kunskapsluckor. Denna kunskap ska stödja planering och implementering av reningsprocesser vid höga hormonhalter i avloppsvatten i kalla klimat.Föreliggande rapport sammanställer dels kunskap om rening av hormoner och hormonstörande ämnen vid avloppsreningsverk utifrån i huvudsak en svensk kontext, dels resultat från genomförda pilottester vid Fillan ARV i Sundsvall. Genomgående under projektperioden observerades att kväve kunde reduceras med mer än 70 % i genomsnitt. Veckovisa analyser av hormoner och hormonstörande effekter, samt månadsvis, Other commissioner: Sundsvall Vatten AB.

In this study, emission of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the use of cosmetics in the European Economic Area (EEA; not including Lichtenstein and Iceland) was estimated for the first time. Using the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients (CosIng) ∼170 structures containing at least –CF2– or –CF3 were identified as ingredients in cosmetics on the European market. These structures were then cross referenced against the Cosmetic Database “CosmEthics” to identify PFAS-containing products. Among these products, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and C9-15 fluoroalcohol phosphate were the most frequently listed PFAS ingredients. Thereafter, a sample of 45 cosmetics spanning 5 product categories was purchased in Sweden and characterized for total fluorine (TF), extractable organofluorine (EOF), and target PFAS. Using measured concentrations, the share of PFAS-containing products in each product category, sales data from Cosmetics Europe, as well as other parameters and assumptions, the annual emission of PFAS from cosmetics after use was estimated. Annual EEA-wide TF and EOF-based emissions ranged from ∼17–38 000 kg F per year and 37–5100 kg F per year, respectively, representing combined emission to wastewater and solid waste (low to high emission scenario). Sum perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (PFCA) emissions were considerably lower (21 kg ∑PFCAs per year; high scenario). While TF- and EOF-based emissions are significant, they are considerably lower than estimates of TF emission from washing of PFAS-coated textiles in the EU. This work provides the first estimate of PFAS emissions from cosmetics and highlights the importance of using a multi-platform analytical approach for PFAS emission estimates.

PFAS (Per- och polyfluorerade alkylsubstanser) finns överallt omkring oss i samhället; i produkter, atmosfären, avfall, avloppsvatten, ytvatten, dricksvatten, grundvatten, mark, växter, djur och i våra kroppar. Användning och spridning av PFAS är en global samhällsutmaning och inte ens de mest avlägsna platserna på jorden är längre opåverkade av PFAS-ämnen. En av anledningarna till att PFAS har varit attraktiva i många produkter och industriella applikationer är ämnenas extrema kemiska och termiska stabilitet. Samma egenskaper skapar dock utmaningar i miljön då persistensen av PFAS medför att även låga utsläpp över tid kan anrikas i olika miljöer med stor risk för negativa hälso- och miljöeffekter. Det finns idag tusentals kända och okända PFAS med väldigt varierande egenskaper och toxicitet, vilket försvårar både en riskbedömning och hantering av detta växande miljöproblem. En nationell massbalans för PFAS visar att emissioner från produkter och atmosfärisk deposition är de största källorna till PFAS-spridning i miljön i Sverige. De mängder som sprids till miljön via avloppsvatten och avloppsslam kan anses utgöra en mindre del. På grund av PFAS-ämnenas persistens kan dock åtgärder för att minimera tillskottet via dessa spridningsvägar vara aktuellt för att nationellt minska den totala miljöbelastningen. Med tanke på toxiciteten och persistensen hos PFAS har användningen av kemikalierna reglerats kraftigt under senare tid och vilka halter som anses acceptabla i miljön har sänkts. Många PFAS har redan förbjudits i Sverige eller EU och bedömningsgrunder eller åtgärdsgränser har definierats för olika PFAS i t.ex. ytvattenförekomster, grundvatten och dricksvatten för att initiera åtgärder för att minska spridningen av ämnena. Redan aviserade och kommande strängare regelverk kommer ytterligare öka behovet av åtgärder för att minimera mänsklig exponering av PFAS och deras spridning i miljön. Oavsett vilka åtgärder som genomförs kommer dock PFAS finnas kvar länge i miljö, PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are everywhere around us in society; in products, the atmosphere, waste, wastewater, surface water, drinking water, groundwater, soil, plants, animals and in our bodies. The use and spread of PFAS is a global societal challenge and even the most remote places on earth are no longer unaffected by PFAS substances. One of the reasons why PFAS has been attractive in many products and industrial applications is the substances' extreme chemical and thermal stability. However, the same properties create challenges in the environment as the persistence of PFAS implies that even low emissions over time can be accumulated in different environments with a high risk of negative health and environmental effects. Today there are thousands of known and unknown PFAS with widely varying properties and toxicity, which makes both risk assessments and management of this growing environmental problem difficult. A national mass balance for PFAS shows that emissions from products and atmospheric deposition are the major sources of PFAS to Sweden. The PFAS-amounts that are spread to the environment via wastewater and sewage sludge can be considered a minor part. However, due to the persistence of PFAS substances, measures to minimize the addition via these pathways may be relevant in order to reduce the total environmental load. Considering the toxicity and persistence of PFAS, their use has been heavily regulated in recent times and the levels that are considered acceptable in the environment have been lowered. Many PFAS have already been banned in Sweden or the EU and assessment grounds or action limits have been defined for various PFAS in e.g. surface water bodies, groundwater and drinking water to initiate measures to reduce the spread of the substances. Already announced and upcoming stricter regulations will further increase the need for measures to minimize human exposure to PFAS and their dispersal in the environment. Regardless of which

Within the Swedish National Monitoring Programme for Contaminants in marine biota, a selection of the wide array of contaminants that can be found in the environment is analysed. Analysing the samples for all possible contaminants would hardly be feasible, however, screening for different substance groups is a way to investigate if and where new substances arise and may pose a threat to wildlife and humans. In this report, data from a spatial screening study is presented, which aimed to densify the ongoing Swedish National Monitoring Programme for Contaminants in marine biota with regard to pharmaceuticals, phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The study includes 16 sampling sites along the Swedish coast, from where two different species of bivalves, Limecola balthica and Mytilus edulis, were collected. All applied sampling material in this screening study originates from the Swedish Environmental Specimen Bank of the Swedish Museum of Natural History. The screening included a total of 100 pharmaceuticals, out of which 17 were detected and quantified in at least one sampling site. Risperidone was the pharmaceutical detected at most sites (10 of 13). The only detected phthalate was di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which was found in the samples from 3 of 13 sampling sites. Among the PAHs, Benzo(a)pyrene was the substance quantified at most sites (14 out of 16). No geographical patterns could be identified for the detected contaminants, besides for the PAHs. However, this pattern could also be due to a difference in species rather than due to location. PAHs could be detected in the Bothnian Sea and the Sea of Åland, where to date no mussel sampling sites exist within the Swedish National Monitoring Programme for Contaminants in marine biota. The Baltic clam might be a good additional monitoring species besides the Blue mussel, due to their difference in feeding strategy and the potential higher PAH uptake from contaminated sediments rather than the

Within the Swedish National Monitoring Programme for Contaminants in Freshwater Biota, perch, pike and Arctic char are being analysed from 32 lakes distributed all over Sweden. One of the main objectives of the monitoring has been to detect temporal trends in different areas and for different contaminants. However, the measured concentrations in biota can be affected by biological factors such as age, length, trophic position (TP), fat or dry weight content. A change in one or several of these variables over time, or even among specimens taken within the same year, is likely to result in an increased variation of the measured concentrations and hence in a lower chance of detecting a trend. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if an adjustment of contaminant time trends by primarily stable isotopes, but also other confounding factors can: A) reduce the individual and between-year variation and hence B) improve the likelihood of detecting temporal trends in time series for metals and organic contaminants. The study revealed an improvement in the likelihood of detecting a contaminant trend after adjustment of the data for almost all lakes and for all tested substances. For some lakes and substances, this improvement was substantial. Age seems to be an important confounding factor for metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. For lipophilic substances, fat content also appears to be an important factor in some lakes together with adjustments for carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (d13C and d15N), which all reduced the variation in contaminant data. This suggests that there is a benefit of adjusting data on a regular basis in contaminant monitoring programmes in the future.

The report summarises the monitoring activities within the National Swedish Contaminant Programme for freshwater biota. Each monitored contaminant has been examined in pike, perch or Arctic char from 32 lakes from the north to the south in Sweden. No general trend could be seen for mercury, and all samples were above the EU threshold. Lead was generally decreasing. Cadmium concentrations showed no consistent trends over the monitored period, and cadmium concentrations in 2017 were below the suggested threshold in all lakes. Nickel showed a general upward trend in 30% of the perch lakes. Arsenic concentrations showed no general spatial pattern and were increasing in liver from Arctic char, pike and perch from approximately 50 % of the sampling sites. Tin concentrations decreased in the majority of the perch time series during the most recent ten years. For copper, no general spatial pattern existed for concentrations in perch and about one third of the monitored lakes showed an upward trend. No general trend was observed for silver and aluminum. In general, downward trends were seen for; PCBs, HCHs, DDT, DDE and PCDD/Fs in all species (with a few exceptions). The chlorinated compounds generally showed a somewhat higher concentration in the southern parts of Sweden. Most chlorinated compounds were below the suggested target levels. No general trend was seen during the monitoring period for PBDEs. However an indication of decreasing concentrations of PBDEs is seen in the most recent years. The concentration of HBCDD was under LOQ in a majority of the samples. Several of the perfluorinated carboxylic compounds showed an increase in concentration in arctic char, while PFOS and FOSA decreased. In perch PFOS has decreased since 1995. Higher concentrations of perfluorinated compounds can in general be seen in the southern part of Sweden. In all lakes, PFOS is below the target level for all species.

Adults are mainly exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) via ingestion of food, inhalation of air and ingestion of dust, whereas for children the exposure to PFASs is largely unknown. This study aimed to reconstruct the serum concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) in children after infancy up to 10.5 years of age and to test if dietary intake is the major exposure pathway for children to PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS after infancy. For this work, a dataset from a Finnish child cohort study was available, which comprised serum concentrations of the studied perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and PFAS concentration measurements in dust and air samples from the children's bedrooms. The calculated PFAA intakes were used in a pharmacokinetic model to reconstruct the PFAA serum concentrations from 1 to 10.5 years of age. The calculated PFOA and PFOS intakes were close to current regulatory intake thresholds and diet was the major exposure medium for the 10.5 year-olds. The one-compartment PK model reconstructed median PFOA and PFOS serum concentrations well compared to corresponding measured median serum concentrations, while the modelled PFHxS serum concentrations showed a constant underestimation. The results imply that children's exposure to PFOA and PFOS after breastfeeding and with increasing age resembles the exposure of adults. Further, the children in the Finnish cohort experienced a rather constant exposure to PFOA and PFOS between 1 and 10.5 years of age. The PFHxS exposure sources and respective pharmacokinetic parameter estimations need further investigation.

The report summarises the monitoring activities within the National Swedish Contaminant Programme in marine biota. In this report, we present time series and maps of most contaminants in various species but we only comment results that shows large differences compared to the previous year. Results show that herring from Holmöarna had elevated concentrations during the last two years of the time series for approximately half of the analysed metals, most chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The last two years’ Herring is on average one year older than the previous years’, heavier and the last years’ fat percentage is ca. 2 % higher compared to the year before. These differences in biological variables may have had an influence on the elevated contaminant concentrations. Also, herring from Väderöarna shows increasing concentrations for several chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, and BFRs during the ten most recent years. A reason for this might be that the included fish were older during the seven most recent years, although their size was similar or smaller than previous years. Additionally, the fat percentage of the tissue has also decreased over time and might influence the results. This year’s report is also the first to show PFAS concentrations in Cod, Perch and Eelpout where Perch has the highest concentrations of most PFASs within the Baltic Proper sampling sites. This report is also the first report within the Swedish National Monitoring Programme of Contaminants in marine biota presenting environmental contaminant data in eggs of Common tern and Eurasian oystercatcher. In general, many of the compounds could be detected in Common tern and Eurasian oystercatcher. Concentrations of several of the contaminants are similar in the two species, but there are exceptions among each contaminant class and even opposing time trends for some contaminants. There are clear differences in contaminant concentratio