Fant 9890 publikasjoner. Viser side 15 av 396:
2024
2024
2024
Monitoring of greenhouse gases and aerosols at Svalbard and Birkenes in 2023. Annual report
This annual report for 2023 summarizes the activities and results of the greenhouse gas monitoring at the Zeppelin Observatory, situated on Svalbard, during the period 2001-2023, and the greenhouse gas monitoring and aerosol observations from Birkenes for 2009-2023.
NILU
2024
Background
Hazard and risk assessment of nanomaterials (NMs) face challenges due to, among others, the numerous existing nanoforms, discordant data and conflicting results found in the literature, and specific challenges in the application of strategies such as grouping and read-across, emphasizing the need for New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to support Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA). Here these challenges are addressed in a study that couples physico-chemical characterization with in vitro investigations and in silico similarity analyses for nine nanoforms, having different chemical composition, sizes, aggregation states and shapes. For cytotoxicity assessment, three methods (Alamar Blue, Colony Forming Efficiency, and Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing) are applied in a cross-validation approach to support NAMs implementation into NGRA.
Results
The results highlight the role of physico-chemical properties in eliciting biological responses. Uptake studies reveal distinct cellular morphological changes. The cytotoxicity assessment shows varying responses among NMs, consistent among the three methods used, while only one nanoform gave a positive response in the genotoxicity assessment performed by comet assay.
Conclusions
The study highlights the potential of in silico models to effectively identify biologically active nanoforms based on their physico-chemical properties, reinforcing previous knowledge on the relevance of certain properties, such as aspect ratio. The potential of implementing in vitro methods into NGRA is underlined, cross-validating three cytotoxicity assessment methods, and showcasing their strength in terms of sensitivity and suitability for the testing of NMs.
BioMed Central (BMC)
2024
Chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in coastal waters: Environmental impact & Management strategies
2024
2024
New advanced models (NAMs) for risk assessment of bisphenol A alternatives
The safety of bisphenol A (BPA) due to its adverse effects on the immune system has led to an increasing concern and a significant regulatory shift. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed a reduction in the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BPA in food in their 2023 scientific opinion, highlighting the need for stricter regulations compared to their previous assessment in 2015. This regulatory action has spurred the production of BPA alternatives, raising concerns about their safety due to insufficient toxicological data. Addressing this gap is crucial for ensuring human and environmental health. In this project, multiple genotoxicity endpoints were applied for testing of two regulatory relevant BPA alternatives, bisphenol E (BPE) and bisphenol P (BPP), in different human models: 2D HepG2 liver cells, 3D liver spheroids and primary human peripheral blood lymphocytes. DNA strand breaks and oxidised base lesions were evaluated by the enzyme-modified version of the comet assay, while clastogenicity and aneugenicity were analysed by the in vitro micronucleus assay (OECD TG 487, 2016), together with cytotoxicity. Development of new advanced models (NAMs), as 3D spheroids, are essential for next-generation risk assessment (NGRA) in line with the 3R's to replace, reduce or refine animal experiments. In this aspect, validation and standardisation of NAMs are needed to reach regulatory readiness level and development of OECD Test Guidelines. Therefore, a standardisation and pre-validation of the advanced 3D liver spheroid model was performed by using multiple genotoxicity endpoints and by comparing the obtained results with standard genotoxicity models.
2024
Monitoring of microplastics in the Norwegian environment (MIKRONOR) 2023
The MIKRONOR monitoring program aims to establish baseline levels of microplastics in the Norwegian environment and to identify potential sources and sinks. This third MIKRONOR report focuses mainly on results from air samples, including data on tyre wear particles (TWP), as well as river and fjord surface water samples, and their correlation to rainfall and river discharge levels. Additionally, it presents data from sand samples taken from an OSPAR beach in the outer Oslofjord. The results for 2023 provide evidence of the omnipresence of microplastics in the environment. However, levels were higher near cities and populated areas, with decreasing levels further from human activities. This trend was observed in both air and surface water samples. Sand samples from the OSPAR beach in the Oslofjord showed levels of microplastics comparable to, or slightly higher than studied eabches at Svalbard. Since no other beach studies have been conducted in the MIKRONOR program, it is difficult to determine typical microplastic levels on a beach in the outer Oslofjord. Determined levels of microplastics in the beach samples were comparable to levels in marine bottom sediment at remote areas along the coast and lower than levels in sediments from the Oslofjord. Main conclusions of this report highlight the need for further research into the processes that control the levels and variations of microplastics and TWPs, such as weather conditions, river discharge, and air mass movement. Sampling of different matrices should, where possible, be conducted using similar strategies and equipment to improve the comparability of results. Additionally, the high spatial and temporal variability between samples must be considered to determine the appropriate number of analyses needed to obtain reliable results.
Norsk institutt for vannforskning og Miljødirektoratet
2024
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 og 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 i 2030.
NILU
2024
NILU har i 2024 bistått Klima- og miljødepartementet (KLD) med en utrednings- og medvirkningsprosess for å se på muligheten for etablering av et samfunnsoppdrag for sirkulær økonomi. Dette er et oppdrag under KLDs rammeavtale for klima- og miljøkunnskap. I regjeringens «Handlingsplan for en sirkulær økonomi» er et av handlingspunktene å utrede et samfunnsoppdrag for sirkulær økonomi. Målet med dette oppdraget var å fasilitere en prosess for å identifisere mulige overordnede mål og delmål og etablere rammen for et mulig nasjonalt samfunnsoppdrag. Aktivitetene i denne fasen inkluderte en serie med koordinerte samskapingsmøter for å mobilisere og engasjere relevante samfunnsaktører og komme fram til en felles forståelse av et mulig målrettet samfunnsoppdrag. Prosessen og resultatene er oppsummert i denne rapporten.
NILU
2024
2024
2024
2024
2024
Måling av gasser i Statsarkivets lokaler i Trondheim. Fase 2 - 2024
Denne rapporten viser resultater fra fase 2 i måleprosjektet NILU har utført ved Statsarkivet i Trondheim. Det er gjort prøvetaking og analyse i en periode på sju dager fra 23. til 30. mai ved to lokaliteter, én innendørs og én utendørs. Totalkonsentrasjonen av VOC’er (TVOC) ble målt til 135 µg/m3 gitt som toluen-ekvivalenter ved lokaliteten inne (MAG A, Reol 097) og 33 µg/m3 ved lokaliteten ute. Resultatene synliggjør effekten av innendørs ventilasjonssystemer og begge studiene vil brukes av Statsarkivet i sitt videre arbeid med innendørs luftkvalitet.
NILU
2024
Spredningsberegninger av luftforurensning fra Sunndal Metallverk
Rapporten presenterer spredningsberegninger for utslipp til luft fra Hydro Sunndal sitt smelteverk i Sunndalsøra for nåsituasjonen med utslippsmengder som i gjeldende utslippstillatelse, og en situasjon med ny utvidet anodefabrikk. Det er beregnet bakkekonsentrasjoner av SO2, støv, fluorider, PAH og metallkomponenter. Det er også gjort beregninger for utslipp i perioden 23. mai til 15. august 2019 hvor NILU utførte målinger av disse komponentene. Basert på beregningene er det vurdert «lav til moderat» risiko for overskridelse av forskriftens målsettingsverdi for nikkel i området nær anlegget. Ny anodefabrikk har ingen vesentlig betydning for konsentrasjonsnivåer utenfor metallverket som er relevant i forhold til gjeldende grenseverdier eller luftkvalitetskriterier.
NILU
2024
We investigate the concentration fluctuations of passive scalar plumes emitted from small, localised (point-like) steady sources in a neutrally stratified turbulent boundary layer over a rough wall. The study utilises high-resolution large-eddy simulations for sources of varying sizes and heights. The numerical results, which show good agreement with wind-tunnel studies, are used to estimate statistical indicators of the concentration field, including spectra and moments up to the fourth order. These allow us to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the production, transport and dissipation of concentration fluctuations, with a focus on the very near field, where the skewness is found to have negative values – an aspect not previously highlighted. The gamma probability density function is confirmed to be a robust model for the one-point concentration at sufficiently large distances from the source. However, for ground-level releases in a well-defined area around the plume centreline, the Gaussian distribution is found to be a better statistical model. As recently demonstrated by laboratory results, for elevated releases, the peak and shape of the pre-multiplied scalar spectra are confirmed to be independent of the crosswind location for a given downwind distance. Using a stochastic model and theoretical arguments, we demonstrate that this is due to the concentration spectra being directly shaped by the transverse and vertical velocity components governing the meandering of the plume. Finally, we investigate the intermittency factor, i.e. the probability of non-zero concentration, and analyse its variability depending on the thresholds adopted for its definition.
Cambridge University Press
2024
Geopolitical events have shown to threaten European energy security in 2022. In Norway, accustomed to low energy prices, the southern part saw 4 times higher electricity prices in 2022 than long term average, whereas in the north, energy prices remained stable. This offers an opportunity to examine the effect of price on household energy consumption and PM2.5 emissions from the residential sector. In the south, electricity consumption went down by 10% while in the north it remained unchanged relative to expected values. While the documented correlation between increased electricity prices and reduced consumption is well-established, our study uniquely captures a substantial shift towards wood as an alternative energy source. In the south, wood for heating increased by approximately 40%, effectively replacing half of the electricity saved. This increase happened despite prices being curbed by strong government subsidies on electricity. Faced with higher energy costs in Europe, we simulate a scenario where consumers across Europe look for affordable energy. With gas and electricity prices predicted to remain well above long-term averages until 2030, biomass will be an attractive option. Our study shows how a shift can endanger Europe's Zero-Pollution strategy, and the need for initiatives targeting the reduction of residential biomass heating.
Elsevier
2024
2024
The report presents interim 2023 maps for PM10 annual average, PM2.5 annual average, O3 indicator peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means, and NO2 annual average. The maps have been produced based on the 2023 non-validated E2a (UTD) data of the AQ e-reporting database, the CAMS Ensemble Forecast modelling data and other supplementary data. Together with the concentration maps, the inter-annual differences between 5-year average 2018-2022 and 2023 are presented (using the 2018-2022 regular and the 2023 interim maps), as well as basic exposure estimates based on the interim maps.
ETC/HE
2024