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2025
More than 70 years of industrial production of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have resulted in their ubiquitous presence in the environment on a global scale, although differences in sources, transport and fate lead to variability of occurrence in the environment. Gull eggs are excellent bioindicators of environmental pollution, especially for persistent organic pollutants such as PFAS, known to bioaccumulate in organisms and to be deposited in bird eggs by maternal transfer. Using yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) eggs, we investigated the occurrence of more than 30 PFAS, including the most common chemicals (i.e., legacy PFAS) as well as their alternatives (i.e., emerging PFAS) in the Bay of Marseille, the second largest city in France. Compared to eggs from other colonies along the Mediterranean coast, those from Marseille had PFAS concentrations ranging from slightly higher to up to four times lower, suggesting that this area cannot be specifically identified as a hotspot for these compounds. We also found several emerging PFAS including 8:2 and 10:2 FTS, 7:3 FTCA or PFECHS in all collected eggs. Although the scarcity in toxicity thresholds for seabirds, especially during embryogenesis, does not enable any precise statement about the risks faced by this population, this study contributes to the effort in documenting legacy PFAS contamination on Mediterranean coasts while providing valuable novel inputs on PFAS of emerging concern. Identifying exposure in free-ranging species also participate to determine the main target for toxicity testing in wildlife.
2025
2025
This study builds upon the findings of a FAIRMODE intercomparison exercise conducted in a district of Antwerp, Belgium, where a comprehensive dataset of air pollutant measurements (air quality stations and passive samplers) was available. Long-term average NO2 concentrations at very high spatial resolution were estimated by several dispersion modelling systems (Martín et al., 2024) to investigate the ability of these to capture the detailed spatial distribution of NO2 concentrations at the microscale in urban environments. In this follow-up research, we extend the analysis by evaluating the capability of these modelling systems to predict the NO2 annual limit value exceedance areas (LVEAs) and spatial representativeness areas (SRAs) for NO₂ at two reference air quality stations. The different modelling approaches used are based on CFD, Lagrangian, Gaussian, and AI-driven models.
The different modelling approaches are generally good at predicting the LVEA and SRAs of urban air quality stations, although a small SRA (corresponding to low concentration tolerances or the traffic station) is more difficult to predict correctly. However, there are notable differences in performance among the modelling systems. Those based on CFD models seem to provide more consistent results predicting LVEAs and SRAs. Then, lower accuracy is obtained with AI-based systems, Lagrangian models, and Gaussian models with street canyon parameterizations. The Gaussian models with street-canyon parametrizations show significantly better results than models using simply a Gaussian dispersion parametrization.
Furthermore, little differences are observed in most of the statistical indicators corresponding to the LVEA and SRA estimates obtained from the unsteady full month CFD simulations compared to those from the scenario-based CFD simulation methodologies, but there are some noticeable differences in the LVEA or SRA (traffic station, 10 % tolerance) sizes. The number of scenarios does not seem to be relevant to the results. Different bias correction methodologies are explored.
2025
Tiltaksutredning for lokal luftkvalitet i Bærum 2025-2030
Stiftelsen NILU har, i samarbeid med Transportanalyse AS, utarbeidet trafikk- og luftkvalitetsberegninger for Oslo og Bærum kommuner. Arbeidet omfatter en kartlegging av luftkvaliteten ved trafikkberegninger og utslipps- og spredningsberegninger for relevante forurensningskomponenter (PM10, PM2,5 og NO2) for Dagens situasjon 2022, Referansesituasjonen 2030 og for 2030 med tiltak. Det er beregnet risiko for overskridelse av dagens grenseverdier i forurensningsforskriften og for grenseverdier i revidert EU-direktiv som vil innføres fullt fra 2030.
NILU
2025
2025
Remote marine areas of the Arctic have become a sink for pollutants like Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), transported long distances from southern latitudes. This presence of contaminants is creating pressure on Arctic organisms. As such, Svalbard´s wildlife has been monitored for decades to follow temporal trends of pollutants, in addition to better understanding the effects of pollutants on Arctic wildlife.
Seabirds are a key group of Arctic animals that are particularly sensitive to the pollutants’ toxicity via effects on behavior, demography and long-term population viability. Understanding how pollutants affect population viability is essential to protect Arctic wildlife but has been an understudied topic in marine ecology.
Two populations of female common eider (Somateria mollissima) have been monitored in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) and Grindøya (Troms) since 2007 and 1984, respectively. Concentrations of POPs have been analyzed in eiders blood samples, between 2007 and 2009 for Kongsfjorden and from 2005 to 2009 for Grindøya. Previous studies found higher concentrations of HCB (Hexachlorobenzene) for common eiders breeding in Kongsfjorden, while it is the concentrations of PCB (polychlorinated bipheyls) that are the highest for the common eiders breeding in Grindøya. Additionally, the adult survival is higher Kongsfjorden compared to Grindøya common eiders. However, the interaction between those different concentrations of POPs and the adult survival of those two populations have not been studied yet.
Here, we will investigate whether POPs may affect adult survival of female common eiders breeding both in Kongsfjorden and Grindøya. If the POP levels are sufficiently high to induce health effects, we predict that higher concentrations of POPs will negatively affect adult survival.
2025
Abstract. Airborne microplastics are a recently identified atmospheric aerosol species with potential air quality and climate impacts, yet they are not currently represented in global climate models. Here, we describe the addition of microplastics to the aerosol scheme of the UK Earth System Model (UKESM1.1): the Global Model of Aerosol Processes (GLOMAP). Microplastics are included as both fragments and fibres across a range of aerosol size modes, enabling interaction with existing aerosol processes such as ageing and wet and dry deposition. Simulated microplastics have higher concentrations over land, but can be transported into remote regions including Antarctica despite no assumed emissions from these regions. Lifetimes range between ∼17 d to ∼1 h, with smaller, hydrophilic microplastics having longer lifetimes. Microplastics are present throughout the troposphere, and the smallest particles are simulated to reach the lower stratosphere in small numbers. Dry deposition is the dominant microplastic removal pathway, but greater wet deposition occurs for smaller hydrophilic microplastic, due to interactions with clouds. Although microplastics currently contribute a minor fraction of the total aerosol burden, their concentration is expected to increase in future if plastic production continues to increase, and as existing plastic waste in the environment degrades to form new microplastic. Incorporating microplastics into UKESM1.1 is a key step toward quantifying their current atmospheric impact and offers a framework for simulating future emission scenarios for an assessment of their long term impacts on air quality and climate.
2025
2025
Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes in the terrestrial and aquatic environment at remote Arctic sites
Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS) are widely used chemicals with high emissions to the atmosphere due to their volatility. They are found in the Arctic atmosphere, indicating potential for long-range transport. This study examined the potential for deposition of cVMS (D4, D5, D6) to surface media via snow in Arctic regions. Results showed low cVMS levels in vegetation, soil, sediment, and marine biota. D4 was detected above detection limits but generally below quantification limits, while D5 and D6 were generally not detected. This aligns with current research, suggesting negligible cVMS input from atmospheric deposition via snow and snow melt.
NILU
2025
2025
2025
Stochastic and deterministic processes in Asymmetric Tsetlin Machine
This paper introduces a new approach to enhance the decision-making capabilities of the Tsetlin Machine (TM) through the Stochastic Point Location (SPL) algorithm and the Asymmetric Steps technique. We incorporate stochasticity and asymmetry into the TM's process, along with a decaying normal distribution function that improves adaptability as it converges toward zero over time. We present two methods: the Asymmetric Probabilistic Tsetlin (APT) Machine, influenced by random events, and the Asymmetric Tsetlin (AT) Machine, which transitions from probabilistic to deterministic states. We evaluate these methods against traditional machine learning algorithms and classical Tsetlin (CT) machines across various benchmark datasets. Both AT and APT demonstrate competitive performance, with the AT model notably excelling, especially in complex datasets.
2025
Ensuring a healthy and comfortable indoor environment in schools is essential for student well-being and academic performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing students’ satisfaction with indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in classrooms. To address this, one year-long measurements were conducted across multiple classrooms in a Norwegian secondary school, collecting data on indoor climate (CO₂, VOC levels, temperature, relative humidity, and air pressure) along with outdoor climate variables (temperature, humidity, and solar radiation). Additional room-specific data, including orientation, floor level, and ventilation system specifications, were also considered. An online feedback system was used to gather 1,473 real-time student responses on satisfaction levels. Supervised machine learning (ML) models were developed to assess the importance of these parameters in predicting perceived indoor comfort: IAQ perceptions and thermal environmental perceptions. Results showed ML models effectively predicted student dissatisfaction, achieving accuracy greater than 80% when environmental and building parameters were considered simultaneously. The findings emphasized that dissatisfaction with indoor conditions is driven by multiple interacting factors of measured variables and building parameters single independent variables. SHAP analysis provided valuable interpretability, revealing how variations in environmental conditions collectively impact students' perceived comfort. This comprehensive approach demonstrates the practical potential of ML-based IEQ monitoring systems, suggesting that schools can proactively improve indoor conditions through targeted interventions informed by real-time predictions.
2025
Ikke-spesifikk screening av støv fra norske husholdninger
Denne rapporten presenterer resultater fra en ikke-spesifikk screening av husstøv fra norske hjem. Totalt ble 203 kjemiske forbindelser identifisert, med ftalater som den mest dominerende stoffgruppen. Flere av de påviste stoffene er kjent som hormonforstyrrende, nevrotoksiske eller klassifisert som persistente, mobile og toksiske (PMT). Resultatene viser et endret stoffmønster sammenlignet med tidligere studier og understreker behovet for videre overvåkning av innemiljø, forskning på cocktail-effekter og bedre regulering av forbrukerprodukter.
NILU
2025
2025
Arctic food and energy security at the crossroads
Arctic food systems blend Traditional Ecological Knowledge with modern, often energy-intensive influences, triggered by colonization. Food systems’ future depends on alignment of tradition with innovation, facilitation of resilience and a heritage-driven interaction with the global economy – at a pace determined by local communities.
2025
This report examines the impact of air pollution from residential wood combustion on health in the Nordic countries.Residential wood combustion is a major contributor to premature deaths and health issues. The number of premature deaths is expected to decrease from 1,600 in 2019 to 1,200 by 2030, with health costs dropping from EUR 3.2 bn. to EUR 2.5 bn. This improvement is due to fewer and newer, less polluting appliances, and better energy efficiency in homes.
Two additional scenarios for 2030 reflecting national differences were evaluated.
Technology Scenario: Faster replacement of old appliances, reducing premature deaths by 190 and health costs by EUR 390 mil.
Zone-Based Scenario: Bans in densely populated areas, reducing premature deaths by 240 and health costs by EUR 510 mil.
Mitigation in densely populated areas offers greater health benefits than national-level efforts.
Nordic Council of Ministers
2025