Human biomonitoring (HBM) complements air and surface measurements by integrating exposure from all routes and sources, strengthening occupational exposure assessment and control. In occupational settings, HBM can quantify exposure during routine work and nonroutine activities, evaluate controls, investigate incidents (potential overexposures), and support medical surveillance. To use HBM to its full potential, occupational health and safety professionals (OHPs) should adopt harmonized biomonitoring approaches reflecting best practice. This short communication presents the BASIC Guide series (Human Biomonitoring and Surveillance of Chemical Exposure in Occupational Settings), initiated by the International Society of Exposure Science Human Biomonitoring working group (ISES Europe HBM WG) as an integral part of the HBM Global Network. These chemical-specific practical documents operationalize the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) occupational biomonitoring guidance, supporting the consistent implementation of exposure biomonitoring programs. Each BASIC Guide provides clear instructions on biomarker selection, sample handling, analytical methods, quality assurance, and result interpretation and communication. By translating international frameworks into actionable protocols, the BASIC Guides improve reproducibility and regulatory alignment in occupational HBM and enable more defensible exposure assessments worldwide.

Agriculture and food systems are major sources of plastic pollution but they are also vulnerable to their diverse lifecycle impacts. However, this problem is not well-recognized in global policy and scientific discourse, agendas, and monitoring of food systems. The United Nations-led Global Plastics Treaty, which has been under negotiation since 2022, is a critical opportunity to address pollution across the entire plastics lifecycle for more sustainable and resilient food systems. Here, we offer aspirational indicators for future monitoring of food systems' plastics related to (1) plastic polymers and chemicals, (2) land use, (3) trade and waste, and (4) environmental and human health. We call for interdisciplinary research collaborations to continue improving and harmonising the evidence base necessary to track and trace plastics and plastic chemicals in food systems. We also highlight the need for collaboration across disciplines and sectors to tackle this urgent challenge for biodiversity, climate change, food security and nutrition, health and human rights at a whole systems level.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) continues to play an indispensable role within exposure science, offering insights into aggregate chemical exposures across populations and life stages. Since 2018, the European chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science Human Biomonitoring Working Group (ISES Europe HBM WG) has aimed to facilitate generation of more and high-quality HBM data. The working group aims to strengthen integration of HBM data into regulatory frameworks through improved study design, harmonized methodologies, and enhanced reporting practices. Key achievements in the past seven years include the harmonization of HBM metadata through development of minimum information requirements for HBM (MIR-HBM), development of chemical-specific BASIC Guides for occupational health and hygiene professionals, and establishment of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) Environmental and Health Registry (FAIREHR) to enhance data transparency and reusability. Recognizing the need for broader impact, the HBM Global Network was launched in 2025 to promote worldwide collaboration, capacity building, and policy integration. Together, ISES Europe HBM WG and the HBM Global Network form a coordinated platform with shared governance, strategic priorities, and digital infrastructure. This short communication outlines the progress to date, strategic pillars guiding our work, and ongoing initiatives linking science, policy, and practice. We call on researchers, regulators, and stakeholders worldwide to join these networks, strengthen harmonized approaches, and ensure that HBM becomes a cornerstone of 21st-century chemical risk governance.

Abstract Occupational biomonitoring plays a pivotal role in the assessment and management of chemical workplace exposures. It provides a direct measure of workers’ internal dose of chemicals, integrating all sources and routes of exposure. Biomonitoring can bridge the gap between potential exposure scenarios and real-world implications for worker health. Nevertheless, the practical effectiveness of biomonitoring programs relies on the assurance of data quality, comparability, and practical application of the findings to improve occupational health standards. The ISES Europe Human Biomonitoring working group was established in 2018 with the ambition to promote the generation of high-quality biomonitoring data and its use in occupational settings. Our group made notable progress, especially in establishing standardized Minimum Information Requirements (MIRs). MIRs are sets of guideline specifications that define the structure of minimum metadata attributes in terms of semantics, syntax, findability, and reusability of biomonitoring datasets. MIRs will help in standardising biomonitoring records. It is a complementary approach to the already established personalised medical biomonitoring of occupational medicine. MIRs will not only improve the consistency and reliability of biomonitoring studies but also help foster a culture of safety and sustainability. By integrating advances in exposure science, including New Approach Methodologies and exposure modelling, into the biomonitoring framework, we can achieve a more robust understanding of occupational exposures. This will ultimately contribute to the refinement and application of Occupational Exposure Limits and Occupational Biomonitoring levels, the design of safer chemicals, and the implementation of effective risk management strategies, thereby safeguarding worker health.

The ubiquitous and global ecological footprint arising from the rapidly increasing rates of plastic production, use, and release into the environment is an important modern environmental issue. Of increasing concern are the risks associated with at least 16,000 chemicals present in plastics, some of which are known to be toxic, and which may leach out both during use and once exposed to environmental conditions, leading to environmental and human exposure. In response, the United Nations member states agreed to establish an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, the global plastics treaty. The resolution acknowledges that the treaty should prevent plastic pollution and its related impacts, that effective prevention requires consideration of the transboundary nature of plastic production, use and pollution, and that the full life cycle of plastics must be addressed. As a group of scientific experts and members of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, we concur that there are six essential “pillars” necessary to truly reduce plastic pollution and allow for chemical detoxification across the full life cycle of plastics. These include a plastic chemical reduction and simplification, safe and sustainable design of plastic chemicals, incentives for change, holistic approaches for alternatives, just transition and equitable interventions, and centering human rights. There is a critical need for scientifically informed and globally harmonized information, transparency, and traceability criteria to protect the environment and public health. The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment must be upheld, and thus it is crucial that scientists, industry, and policy makers work in concert to create a future free from hazardous plastic contamination.

Abstract Fish is an important part of nutrition and well‐being. The challenge of Finnish wild fish is contaminants which accumulate in some species in higher concentrations, partially limit the usability of the fish in the food/feed market and weaken the assessment of the state of the marine environment. The aim of this study was to obtain data on the amounts of nutrients and contaminants in domestic fish species that are commercially important or should be increased in use according to national plans. The aim was also to produce information for updating the national fish use recommendations. The concentrations of contaminants in Finnish fish were mostly below the maximum levels set by the EU. The trend of dioxin and PCB compound concentrations in the Baltic Sea has been declining since the 1980s, and the concentrations in Baltic herring appear to have settled around or below the maximum levels in all sea areas and size classes. The PFAS concentrations in the studied fish samples were within the maximum limits, except for Baltic herring in the Archipelago Sea and the Bothnian Sea. Additionally, the PFAS concentrations in Baltic herring rose quite sharply between 2009 and 2023. During the current study, PFAS concentrations in Baltic herring from the same sea area and size classes increased significantly from autumn 2022 to spring 2023. The seasonal trend was suspected to be related to the fish's diet, but factors affecting PFAS concentrations in fish, such as the impact of seasons and fitness (function of weight and size of the fish), need further investigation, and PFAS concentrations in Baltic herring should be monitored. PBDE concentrations in Finnish fish were found to be very low, although they exceeded the environmental quality standard. Mercury concentrations in fish, except for two samples, were lower than the maximum levels set by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915. The proportion of methylmercury in total mercury was 56–94% in different fish species. Inorganic arsenic concentrations in all fish samples were below the detection limit of 0.01 mg/kg. The highest concentrations of omega‐3 fatty acids were measured in Baltic herring and vendace. Fish caught from marine areas had higher vitamin D concentrations than those from inland waters, and there was significant variation in concentrations within fish species. With current food consumption and concentration data, the health benefits of fish consumption outweigh the health risks associated with contaminants in fish for all age groups. The greatest health benefits are seen in those over 45 years old, where fish consumption reduces the burden of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer, as well as overall mortality. On a national scale, the current use of domestic and imported fish is estimated to reduce the disease burden annually by nearly 70,000 disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs). As a conclusion, the health benefits of fish consumption outweigh the harms of contaminants in all age groups. Increasing the consumption of fish in accordance with nutritional recommendations would benefit the health of the population. For children and expectant or breastfeeding mothers, a diverse fish consumption is useful. The safe use recommendations of the Finnish Food Authority help this risk group to direct their fish consumption to fishing areas and fish species with the lowest amounts of contaminants.

Human biomonitoring (HBM) data measured in specific contexts or populations provide information for comparing population exposures. There are numerous health-based biomonitoring guidance values, but to locate these values, interested parties need to seek them out individually from publications, governmental reports, websites and other sources. Until now, there has been no central, international repository for this information. Thus, a tool is needed to help researchers, public health professionals, risk assessors, and regulatory decision makers to quickly locate relevant values on numerous environmental chemicals. A free, on-line repository for international health-based guidance values to facilitate the interpretation of HBM data is now available. The repository is referred to as the "Human Biomonitoring Health-Based Guidance Value (HB2GV) Dashboard". The Dashboard represents the efforts of the International Human Biomonitoring Working Group (i-HBM), affiliated with the International Society of Exposure Science. The i-HBM's mission is to promote the use of population-level HBM data to inform public health decision-making by developing harmonized resources to facilitate the interpretation of HBM data in a health-based context. This paper describes the methods used to compile the human biomonitoring health-based guidance values, how the values can be accessed and used, and caveats with using the Dashboard for interpreting HBM data. To our knowledge, the HB2GV Dashboard is the first open-access, curated database of HBM guidance values developed for use in interpreting HBM data. This new resource can assist global HBM data users such as risk assessors, risk managers and biomonitoring programs with a readily available compilation of guidance values.

Occurrence and distribution of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), a sub-category of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), is widespread in the environment. Food, especially fish meat, is a major pathway via which humans are exposed to PFAAs. As fish is an integral part of Nordic diet, therefore, in this study, several fish species, caught in selected Baltic Sea basins and freshwater bodies of Finland, were analysed for PFAAs. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected in all Baltic Sea fish samples and in >80% fish samples from freshwaters. PFOS contributed between 46 and 100% to the total PFAA concentration in Baltic Sea fish samples and between 19 and 28% in fish samples from freshwaters. Geographically, concentration ratios of PFOS to other PFAAs differed between fish from the Baltic Sea and Finnish lakes suggesting that distribution of PFAAs differ in these environments. Results were compared with current safety thresholds - environmental quality standard for biota (EQSbiota) set by the European Commission and a group tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for the sum of four PFASs ( n-ary sumation PFAS-4) i.e. perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and PFOS, recommended by the European Food Authority (EFSA). EQSbiota compliance was observed for PFOS in all species except smelt caught in the Baltic Sea and also in the River Aurajoki, where smelt had migrated from the Baltic Sea for spawning. Moderate consumption of most Baltic fishes (200 g week-1) results in an exceedance of the new TWI (4.4 ng kg- 1 body weight week-1) for n-ary sumation PFAS-4.

Brominated and phosphorous flame retardants (BFRs, PFRs) are added to household and consumer products to reduce their flammability. Some FRs are persistent in the environment and may have adverse health effects. As exposure indoors contributes significantly to total exposure, we wanted to estimate the exposure of children (3 years of age) through dust ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. We measured 17 BFRs and 10 PFRs in indoor dust, predicted their respective concentrations in the indoor air and assessed children's exposure. Among the BFRs, decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) had highest median level in the dust (411 ng/g) followed by decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE, 119 ng/g) and bis-ethylhexyl tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP, 106 ng/g). Among the PFRs, trisbutoxyethyl phosphate (TBOEP) had the highest concentration (11100 ng/g) followed by tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP, 1870 ng/g) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP, 773 ng/g). FR concentration in air predicted from dust concentrations were within the interquartile range of experimental data for 10/13 of BFRs and 4/8 of PFRs compared. Dust ingestion was the major route of exposure (75-99%) for higher molecular weight BFRs, TBOEP and phenyl based PFRs (73-77%). Inhalation was important for volatile BFRs like pentabromobenzene (PBB 71%) and pentabromotoluene (PBT 52%) and dermal exposure for volatile chlorinated PFRs (TCEP 84%, TCIPP 77%). Margins of Exposure (MoE) were calculated as the ratio of total exposure to oral Reference Dose (RfD). MoEs were lowest for TCEP (220), TBOEP (240) and TCIPP (830), and > 1000 for all other FRs. These MoEs imply no risk for Finnish children by the studied FRs.

Petroleum refineries generate great amounts of wastewaters which require proper treatment before being discharged into coastal waters or other aquatic systems. The main pollutants present in these industrial wastewaters include suspended particles, biodegradable and refractory organics, hydrocarbons, sulfides, phenols and nitrogen compounds. The performance of the Porto Refinery wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated in this study. Five sampling campaigns were carried out at six sampling points of the (WWTP), with the purpose of analyzing the most relevant physicochemical parameters and determining the removal efficiencies in each treatment step and the WWTP overall efficiency. The obtained results show that the Porto Refinery WWTP operates with removal efficiencies higher than 90% for TSS, VSS, TPH, O&G, sulfides and phenols, between 80 and 90% for COD, BOD5 and total nitrogen and around 60% for chlorides. The final effluent meets the discharge limits imposed by the Portuguese legislation. A correlation analysis between the most relevant parameters under study was performed, which contributes to define a reliable monitoring plan based on a limited number of parameters, and provides valuable information regarding the process efficiency, at low cost, to the WWTP managers. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A number of inorganic anions (e.g., nitrate, fluoride, bromate, phosphate, and perchlorate) have been reported in alarming concentrations in numerous drinking water sources around the world. Their presence even in very low concentrations may cause serious environmental and health related problems. Due to the presence and significance of iron minerals in the natural aquatic environment and increasing application of iron in water treatment, the knowledge of the structure of iron and iron minerals and their interactions with aquatic pollutants, especially inorganic anions in water are of great importance. Iron minerals have been known since long as potential adsorbents for the removal of inorganic anions from aqueous phase. The chemistry of iron and iron minerals reactions in water is complex. The adsorption ability of iron and iron minerals towards inorganic anions is influenced by several factors such as, surface characteristics of the adsorbent (surface area, density, pore volume, porosity, pore size distribution, pHpzc, purity), pH of the solution, and ionic strength. Furthermore, the physico-chemical properties of inorganic anions (pore size, ionic radius, bulk diffusion coefficient) also significantly influence the adsorption process. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the properties of iron and iron minerals and their reactivity with some important inorganic anionic contaminants present in water. It also summarizes the usage of iron and iron minerals in water treatment technology.

Many anionic pollutants (e.g., fluoride, nitrate and nitrite, bromate, phosphate, arsenate and arsenite, selenate and selenite, perchlorate) have been detected in surface and groundwater in different parts of the world and strict measures are being taken to minimize their concentrations and to control their mobility in aqueous media. Mineral surfaces, in general, have shown enhanced uptake of many anionic pollutants. Various phases of aluminum (Al) oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxide are increasingly being employed as adsorbents for the detoxification of water and wastewater contaminated with anionic pollutants. Understanding the structural properties and morphology of adsorbents is important in order to gain knowledge about the governing mechanism behind the adsorption of anions by these adsorbents. The adsorption ability of aluminum oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxide depends on several key factors including properties of the adsorbent (surface area, pore size, pHpzc, porosity) and that of the adsorbates. This paper provides an overview of the physical and chemical properties of various aluminum oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxides and their application in water and wastewater treatment with the focus on the removal of anionic pollutants. Furthermore, the performance of these minerals and that of the synthetically prepared hybrid adsorbents (containing Al-minerals) for the adsorption of various anions has been reviewed with an emphasis on the behavior of adsorbent-water interface in presence of the anionic pollutants.

This paper reports on biological treatment by activated sludge of petroleum refinery wastewaters, in a lab-scale reactor constituted by an aeration tank and clarifier provided with sludge recycle system. The main objective of the work includes the optimization of the process efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), and total suspended solids (TSS), and modeling of the biological treatment by activated sludge and determination of the main stoichiometry and kinetic parameters for the process, such as, synthesis and decay of biomass, oxygen consumption related to organics oxidation, and endogenous respiration with and without sludge recycle. Laboratory-scale experiments successfully showed high removal efficiencies for COD (94-95%), TOC (85-87%), and TSS (98-99%). The removal of organic matter was well described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model, with rate constant (k) values of 0.055 and 0.059Lmg(-1) VSS day(-1), with and without biomass recirculation, respectively. The consumption of oxygen in the biological reactor was calculated according to parameters a (0.071/0.069mg O-2 mg(-1) COD) and b (0.012/0.024mg O-2 mg(-1)VSS day(-1)), experimentally obtained by operating the reactor with and without sludge recycle. The parameters related to the production and destruction of biomass were also determined: a=0.33/0.32mgVSSmg(-1) COD; b=0.07/0.03mgVSSmg(-1) VSS day(-1), respectively, for the systems with and without sludge recycle.

Linnaeus Eco-Tech 2012 proceedings : Eighth International Conference on the Establishment of Cooperation Between Companies and Institutions in the Nordic Countries, the Baltic Sea Region, and the World. Conference on Natural Sciences and Environmental Technologies for Waste and Wastewater Treatment, Remediation, Emissions Related to Climate, Environmental and Economic Effects

The catalytic oxidation of sulphides present in oil refinery wastewaters was investigated in the present study. The wastewaters were obtained from the wastewater treatment plant of the oil refinery in Matosinhos (Portugal), Galp Energia. Air, NaOCl and H2O2 were chosen as oxidants and Fe3+ and Mn2+ as the two catalysts to assess the effective combination of catalyst-oxidant for sulphide removal after oil separation in parallel plate interceptors. Primarily, air (oxygen) was used as the oxidant and the efficiency of two catalysts (Fe3+ and Mn2+) for sulphide removal was evaluated. Experimental data suggested that Fe3+ catalysed sulphide removal in the presence of oxygen was more effective than Mn2+ catalysed reaction. In a subsequent study, oxygen was replaced by NaOCl and H2O2, and the potential of various catalyst-oxidant combinations, NaOCl + [Fe3+], NaOCl + [Mn2+], H2O2 + [Fe3+], H2O2 + [Mn2+], was assessed. The NaOCl + [Fe3+] combination achieved the maximum sulphide oxidation. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order reaction models were fitted to the kinetic experimental data. The influence of temperature on the kinetic rate was also investigated.

Petroleum refineries generate significant amounts of wastewater which have to be treated and processed before their discharge into water streams. The refinery wastewater treatment plants (WWTPPs) employ physico-chemical processes to achieve effluents of satisfactory oil content to be further treated by biological processes. In the present study, coagulation-flocculation and flotation processes are optimised to reduce the concentrations of organic matter, oil and grease and other contaminants in order to obtain an effluent with suitable characteristics ready to be treated by an aerobic biological process. PAX-18 (17% Al2O3), aluminium sulphate (Al-2(SO4)(3)) and ferric sulphate (Fe-2(SO4)(3)) are chosen for affecting coagulation-flocculation as a primary treatment. NALCO 71408 is employed as flocculant. Treatment efficiency is evaluated in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and turbidity measurements. The experiments are conducted both in discontinuous and continuous mode to assess the feasibility of the process. Flotation is investigated as a post-treatment process for the removal of emulsified hydrocarbons and satisfactory results are obtained. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of nano-alumina (Al2O3) for fluoride adsorption from aqueous solutions. The nature and morphology of pure and fluoride-sorbed nano-alumina were characterized by SEM with EDX, XRD, and FTIR analysis. Batch adsorption studies were performed as a function of contact time, initial fluoride concentration, temperature, pH and influence of competing anions. Fluoride sorption kinetics was well fitted by pseudo-second-order model. The maximum sorption capacity of nano-alumina for fluoride removal was found to be 14.0 mg g−1 at 25 °C. Maximum fluoride removal occurred at pH 6.15. The fluoride sorption has been well explained using Langmuir isotherm model. Fluoride sorption was mainly influenced by the presence of PO43−, SO42− and CO32− ions.