Arminda Alves
Chemical Engineering Department – FEUP
VI CICLE OF DEBATES ON OCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH RESEARCH IN PORTUGAL: Now and in the next future
DEMSSO
07/06/2013
The emergent pollutants and associated problematics
WHY DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS EMERGING SUBSTANCES ?
• Emerging environmental substances are not necessarily new chemicals.
• They are substances that have often long been present in the
environment but whose presence and significance are only now being
elucidated.
• Some of them have strong inputs and low degradation rates, resulting in
environmental accumulation.
• Data for emerging substances are often scarce and measurement
methods are often at the research and development stage or have not
yet been harmonised at the European level, making it difficult to
interpret and compare the results and represents a major difficulty for
regulatory bodies in their decision-making.
Arminda Alves, LEPAE/DEQ/FEUP, DemSSO 2013
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The emergent pollutants and associated problematic
Classes of emergent substances
Pharmaceuticals - analgesics, antibiotics, antiinflammatory drugs, veterinary drugs, antiepileptics,
dyslipidemics, psychiatric drugs, anticancer, cardiovascular
drugs (beta blockers) and contrast agents for X-rays
Chemicals
Acetaminophen, acetylsalycilic acid,
caffein, diclofenac, diazepam,
carbamazepine, etc.
Abuse drugs
Cocaine, amphetamines,
cannabinoids, methadone
Steroids and hormones
Estradiol, ethinylestradiol
Personal care products
Musks, antiseptics (triclosan),
parabens
Etoxylated alkylphenols, nonylphenol
Surfactant agents and metabolites (APEOs)
Perfluorinated agents for surface treatments (PFCs)
PFOs – perfluoroctanosulphonates,
PFOA –perfluoroctanoic acid
SCCPs - chloroparaffins
Flame retardants
PBDEs – pentabromo diphenyl ethers
Nanomaterials
Carbon nanotubes fullerene C60, metal
nanoparticles
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Arminda Alves, LEPAE/DEQ/FEUP, DemSSO 2013
Synthetic fragrances in personal care products
 Natural versus synthetic fragrances (musks)
Ketone, Nitro-musk
Galaxolide, Aromatic-musk
Muscone, Macrocyclic-musk
Moschus moschiferus
Siberian musk deer
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Synthetic fragrances in personal care products
Ongoing Research at LEPAE
• Monitoring musks in commercial products
• Assessing galaxolide levels in influents and effluents from water
treatment plants
• Detection of galaxolide in composting products for agricultural purposes
• Atmospheric contamination - Biomonitoring of organic micropollutants
by pine needles (FCT project)
Future Research at LEPAE
• Risk assessment / risk prioritization
• Technological removal (Adsortion, Fenton and Foto-Fenton aproach)
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Detection of Galaxolide in Personal Care Products
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Detection of Galaxolide in Personal Care Products
Concentração de galaxolide (mg/kg)
350
300
256,6±15,4
250
206,5±12,4
200
150
100
65,4±4,0
50
8,5±2,6
2,5±1,9
0,09±0,03
0
Creme corpo
perfumado
Máscara de Creme de mãos e Loção corporal
proteção solar
corpo
Arminda Alves, LEPAE/DEQ/FEUP, DemSSO 2013
Base cosmética Cera para cabelo
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Degradation of Antibiotics by Fenton’s oxidation
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Flame retardants transfer and accumulation to dust
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contents in house and car dust of Portugal by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
S.C. Cunha , K. Kalachova, J. Pulkrabova, J.O. Fernandes, M.B.P.P. Oliveira, A. Alves and J. Hajslova,
Chemosphere, Volume 78, Issue 10, March 2010, Pages 1263-1271
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More information at http://paginas.fe.up.pt/lepae
Muito obrigada pela atenção!
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