List of JRC research

							Experimental and modelling research at the JRC in support to the
implementation of the Dioxin Strategy: 2004 - 2006

Objective: Support the revision of the SSL directive and related soil protection
policy in terms of whether or not to include dioxins/PCBs into the list of substances
to be regulated.

Action: Field experiments to evaluate the long term effects of biowaste application in
agriculture and other aspects of land use on PCDD/F and PCB contamination in soil.

Main results: An experimental 42-years application of compost and sewage sludge
(SSL) lead to a moderate increase of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in the soil surface,
whereas the application of manure did not. Time series show that PCDD/F levels in SSL-
amended soils remained constant since the 70ties, whereas the dioxin-like PCBs
decreased slightly. It was concluded that the current practice of using adequate amounts
of domestic SSL in agriculture does not pose a threat to soil quality what regards
PCDD/Fs and PCBs.

Scientific output:

CHRISTOPH, E., UMLAUF, G., SKEJO, H., BIDOGLIO, G., CLEMENS, J, GOLDBACH, H.,
SCHERER, H. (2004): Long term Effects of Bio-Waste Application on Dioxin and dioxin –
like PCBs in Agricultural Land.
Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry (SETAC) - Europe in PRAG

UMLAUF, G., CHRISTOPH, E., SAVOLAINEN, R., SKEJO, H., CLEMENS, J, GOLDBACH, H.,
SCHERER, H. (2004): PCDD/Fs and Dioxin-like PCBs in Soil after 42 Years of Bio Waste
Application.
Organohalogen Compounds 66, pp 1363

CENCI, R.M., LODIGIANI, G., BOURAOUI, F., CARLON, C., FILIPPI, N., SENA, F., UMLAUF,
G., BENEDETTI, A., POMPILI, L., BRENNA, S., MUSEMECI, L., BRANGI, A., CASALE, M.,
GAULIO W., BEONE, G.M., PRIVITERA, M., PUGLISI, M. (2006): Il suolo della Provincia di
Pavia. Valutazione della concentrazione di composti organici e inorganici persistenti
attraverso lo sviluppo di una rete di monitoraggio del suolo.
EUR LB-NA-22132-IT-C IT. ISBN – 10 92-894-8619-8

VIVES, I., UMLAUF, G., CHRISTOPH, E.H., MARIANI, G ., GHIANI, M., SKEJO, H., CENCI,
R., BIDOGLIO, G. (2006): Soil Contamination with PCDD/Fs as a Function of Different
Types of land use in a semi-rural Regoin in Northern Italy.
Organohalogen Compounds 68, 1034-1038

                                                          Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it
Objective: Support the survey on dioxin contamination of flooded areas and related
implications for the ecosystem and the foodchain, including aspects of climate
change (Member State request).

Action: Field studies conducted by the Soil and Waste Unit and later the Inland and
Marine Water Unit in co-operation with Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig/Halle in the
aftermath of the flood disasters in 2002.

Main results: Investigations demonstrated that the 2002 flooding had only minor impact
on the contamination present in alluvial soils. This was indicated by the fact that the soils
behind broken dikes - only affected by the 2002 flood – were marginally contaminated.
All the investigated agricultural and urban (e.g. playgrounds) areas behind broken dikes
showed contamination clearly below the German guideline values.
In contrast, the pasture lands riverside of the dams, continuously affected by periodical
flooding, revealed partially drastic contamination levels. An Elbe downstream profile
identified the rivers Mulde and Saale as important input sources. The contamination
seems to result from historic emissions from metallurgic processing (Mg) in the Mulde
and Saale catchments as indicated through the comparison of congener fingerprints both
in sediments and alluvial soils. However, extreme events like flooding in function of
changes of climatic conditions may lead to remobilization of persistent contaminants
form (historic) urban and environmental sinks.

Scientific output:

UMLAUF, G., CHRISTOPH, E., BIDOGLIO, G. (2004): PCDD/Fs and Dioxin-like PCBs in
Soil after the Flooding of River Elbe and Mulde in 2002.
Organohalogen Compounds 66, pp 1356

UMLAUF, G., CHRISTOPH, E., BIDOGLIO, G. (2004):
Dioxin- und Quecksilberanalysen an ausgewaehlten Proben aus den
Ueberschwemmungsgebieten.
In: Geller, W., Ockenfeld, K., Boehme, M., Knoechel, A. (Hrsg): Schadstoffbelastung
nach dem Elbe-Hochwasser 2002.
Endbericht des Ad-hocVerbundprojekts BMBF Foerderkennzeichen PTJ 033049. ISBN:
3-00-0136615-0 (2004).
Download: http://www.ufz.de/data/HWEnd1333.pdf

UMLAUF, G., BIDOGLIO, G., CHRISTOPH, E., KAMPHEUS, J., KRUEGER, F., LANDMANN, D.,
SCHULZ, A.J., SCHWARTZ, R., SEVERIN, K., STACHEL, B., STEHR, D. (2005): The Situation
of PCDD/Fs and Dioxin-like PCBs after the Flooding of River Elbe and Mulde in 2002.
Acta Hydrochimica et Hydrobiologia 33, Issue 5 ; Special Issue: Displacement of
Pollutants during the River Elbe Flood in August 2002, pp 543-554

B. STACHEL, E.H. CHRISTOPH, R. GÖTZ , T. HERRMANN , F. KRÜGER , T. KÜHN, J. LAY, J.
LÖFFLER, O. PÄPKE, H. REINCKE, C. SCHRÖTER-KERMANI , R. SCHWARTZ , E. STEEG, D.
STEHR, S. UHLIG AND G. UMLAUF (2006): Contamination of the Alluvial Plain, Feeding-
stuffs and Foodstuffs with Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins, Polychlorinated
Dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (DL-PCBs) and
Mercury from the River Elbe under consideration of the effects of the Flood event in
August 2002.
Sci. Tot. Environ. 364 (2006), 96-112

UMLAUF, G., EISENREICH, S. (2005): Climate Change, Extreme Events, Dioxins and the
2002 Flood in the River Elbe.
In Steven Eisenreich (Ed.): Climate Change and the European Water Dimension – A
Report to the European WaterDirectors.
EUR 21553, pp 202-206. ISBN 92-894-9005-5

                                                          Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it

Objective: To obtain PCDD/F emission factors for domestic heating with coal of
different chlorine content (support to Enlargement, dioxin Inventory, UNEP
toolkit).

Action: Combustion experiments executed under the lead of the Transport and Air
Quality Unit and supported by the Inland and Marine Waters Unit and later the Rural,
Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit.

Main results: JRC combustion experiments where PCDD/F emissions of different type
of coal were measured were combined with inverse modelling where JRC-measured
ambient air concentrations of PCDD/Fs were used to asses the actual release from
emission sources. In this way, emission factors of PCDD/Fs for domestic heating with
coal - an important unknown in the new MS - were obtained. These emission factors are
currently applied worldwide to establish Dioxin inventories as well as in the UNEP
toolkit for POPs releases.

Scientific output:

BOŠTJAN PARADIŽ, JIŘÍ HORÁK, PANAGIOTA DILARA, GÜNTHER UMLAUF (2005): High
emissions of PCDD/Fs from coal fired stoves: indications of the formation in the
chimney. DIOXIN 2005,
Organohalogen Compounds 67, 2213-2214

PARADIŽ, B., NIEDZIALEK, J., DILARA, P., JIMENEZ, J., UMLAUF, G. (2005 ): Assessment
of the PCDD/F Emissions from coal fired residential heating appliances by air dispersion
modelling. DIOXIN 2005,
Organohalogen Compounds 67, 2272-2275

B. PARADIŽ , B, P. DILARA , J. HORAK G. DE SANTI , E. CHRISTOPH , G. UMLAUF (2007):
An integrated approach to asses the PCDD/F emissions of the coal fired stoves
combining emission measurements, receptor and dispersion modelling.
Chemosphere, accepted 1/07

                                                        Contact: panagiota.dilara. @jrc.it
Objective: To investigate the sources for high PCDD/F ambient air levels in new
MS (support to Enlargement).

Action: Field experiments executed by the Inland and Marine Waters Unit and later the
Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit. in co-operation with the Transport and Air
Quality Unit

Main results: From the comparison of the seasonal changes of PCDD/F congener
patterns measured in regions with different emission structures (industrial, domestic,
traffic) around Krakow, it was concludes that domestic heating is the main driver for the
sharp increase of ambient air PCDD/F levels in Krakow and region during wintertime.
During winter PCDD/Fs are associated almost exclusively associated with the PM10
fraction of atmospheric particulate. The investigated industrial areas instead revealed
steady concentration both in summer and wintertime. The impact of the high ambient air
levels on soil and biota – however- was less pronounced than expected, since the levels in
these sinks do not exceed typical ranges of the old MS. In this context the question of
differences in atmospheric mixing in relation to the source structure needs further
investigations.

Scientific output:
EH CHRISTOPH, SJ EISENREICH, G MARIANI, B PARADIZ, G UMLAUF (2005): PCDD/Fs in
ambient air of Krakow – seasonal changes in congener distributions. DIOXIN 2005,
Organohalogen Compounds 67, 1205-1208

E.H. CHRISTOPH, G. MARIANI, H. SKEJO, A. MUELLER, B. PARADIZ, G. UMLAUF (2006):
Levels and Patterns of PCDD/Fs in Air, Soil and Biota from Krakow and the Malopolska
Region (Poland) . In: “Outcome of the Krakow Integrated Project, Particulate Matter:
From Emissions to Health Effects” EU-Report. ISBN: 92-79-02414-0. Cat-Nr.:LB-NA-
22293-EN-C.

E.H. CHRISTOPH, S.J. EISENREICH, M. GHIANI, G. MARIANIA. MUELLER, J. NIEDZIALEK,
B. PARADIZ, , H. SKEJO, G. UMLAUF (2006): Levels and Patterns of PCDD/Fs in Air, Soil
and Biota from Krakow and the Malopolska Region (Poland) .
Dioxin 2006/Organohalogen Compounds 68, 1029-1033.

                                                          Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it


Objective: To investigate the role of the atmosphere in the deposition of Dioxins,
PCBs and emerging POPs such as flame retardants into terrestrial and marine
ecosystems.
Action: Field experiments combined with modelling executed by the Inland and Marine
Waters Unit and later the Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit.

Main results: An extensive monitoring campaign was executed that included (1) all
potential input vectors into a lake ecosystem (atmospheric gaseous, particulate and bulk
deposition versus riverine inputs), (2) the intermediate compartment (water column,
settling material) and (3) the receiving sediments. The compound classes investigated
represent “old” POPs like PCBs and PCDD/Fs that today show an almost ubiquitous
distribution in the environment and “emerging” POPs like brominated flame retardants
(such as PBDEs) that are currently released from the techno sphere into the environment.
The experimental findings indicate a predominance of (long range) atmospheric inputs
for Dioxins and PCB leading to a homogeneous deposition, which - however - may lead
to a broad range of concentration differences in the sediments due to changing hydraulic
conditions resulting in focussing of the carbon fraction together with the PCDD/Fs and
PCBs absorbed. PBDEs results in the various compartments instead revealed a less
consistent pattern indicating a mix of atmospheric long and short term transport vectors
combined with riverine inputs from local sources.

Scientific output:

J. CASTRO-JIMÉNEZ, G. MARIANI, G. UMLAUF, G. HANKE, E.H. CHRISTOPH, H. SKEJO, E.
CANUTI AND S.J. EISENREICH (2005): Tracing Atmospheric Deposition of PCDD/Fs in
Lake Maggiore (Italy): Preliminary Results on Settling Material and Sediments.
Organohalogen Compounds 67, 1209-1215

G. UMLAUF , E. CANUTI, J. CASTRO-JIMÉNEZ, E.H. CHRISTOPH, S.J. EISENREICH , M.
GHIANI, G. HANKE, G. MARIANI, A. MUELLER, V. TOURLITI, H. SKEJO (2006): Spatial
distribution of PCDD/Fs in surface sediments of Lake Maggiore (Italy).
Organohalogen Compounds 68 (2006), 1141 - 1145

CASTRO-JIMÉNEZ, J., DEVILLER, G., MARIANI, G., SKEJO, H., UMLAUF, G., HEAS-MOISAN,
K., LEAUTE, F., MUNSCHY, C., TIXIIER, C., TRONCZYNSKI, J. (2006): PCDD/Fs occurrence
in a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon (Etang de Tau, France): Concentrations and Patterns
in different Environmental Compartments.
Organohalogen Compounds 68, 1016-1021

J. CASTRO-JIMÉNEZ, G. MARIANI , S.J. EISENREICH , E.H. CHRISTOPH, G. HANKE1, E.
CANUTI1, H. SKEJO1, AND G. UMLAUF1 (2007): Atmospheric input of POPs into Lake
Maggiore (Northern Italy) I: PCDD/Fs and PCBs profiles and fluxes in the atmosphere
and aquatic system.
Chemosphere, accepted 11/06

G. MARIANI , J. CASTRO-JIMÉNEZ, S.J. EISENREICH , E.H. CHRISTOPH, G. HANKE, E.
CANUTI, H. SKEJO, AND G. UMLAUF (2007): Atmospheric input of POPs into Lake
Maggiore (Northern Italy) II: PBDEs concentrations and profile in air, precipitation,
settling material and sediments.
Chemosphere, accepted 1/07
 I. VIVES, E. CANUTI, J. CASTRO-JIMENEZ, E.H. CHRISTOPH, S. EISENREICH, G. HANKE, T.
HUBER, G. MARIANI, A. MUELLER, H. SKEJO, G. UMLAUF, J. WOLLGAST (2007):
Occurrence of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Lake Maggiore (Italy
and Swizerland).
J. Environmental Monitoring, accepted 1/07.

                                                             Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it


Objective: To create an overview on existing data on environmental contamination
with dioxins and PCBs and their presence in humans (in co-operation with DG
ENV).

Action: Investigations and studies on the situation of Dioxins and PCBs in the new MS
executed by the Inland and Marine Waters Unit and later the Rural, Water and Ecosystem
Resources Unit.

Main results: study using available literature data revealed that apart from some hotspots
- in particular for PCBs – Dioxin and PCB levels in the environment of the new MS are
less or equal to those in EU15. This accounts also for human exposure as indicated by
breast milk data. In order to evaluate the possibility of an in depth survey of the history of
contamination in the new MS with POPs, a database on existing sample archives was
compiled.

Scientific output:
JOAS, A., POTRYKUS, A., HOLOUBEK, I., UMLAUF, G. (2004): Dioxins and PCBs:
Environmental Levels and Human Exposure in new EU Member States
Organohalogen Compounds 66, pp 2522

KOCAN, A., BIDOGLIO, G., EISENREICH, S., UMLAUF, G. (2005): Survey on Existing
Sample Archives for the Assessment of Time Trends of Pollutants in the Environment of
New EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
EUR 21832 EN. ISBN 92-79-00141-8

DG ENV 2004: Dioxins and PCBs: Environmental Levels and Human Exposure in
Candidate Countries. Reference: ENV.C.2/SER/2002/0085
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/dioxin/pcbs_final.pdf

                                                             Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it


Objective: To set up the first UNEP/EMEP POPs network site in southern Europe
at the JRC in Ispra.
Action: Continuous sampling of ambient air and atmospheric deposition starting from
2005 following the protocols of UNEP/EMEP. Analyses of dioxins, PCBs, POPs and
emerging POPs such as PBDEs are under execution since 2006.

Main results: 2 years sampled in a weekly resolution, first year (2005) under analysis.

Scientific output: pending

                                                           Contact: gunther.umlauf@jrc.it


Objective: To model the dynamics of POPs in the water column/sediments and to
couple the fate model with an aquatic ecological model to assess effects.

Action: Implementation, development and testing of 1D model for PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs
and PCDD/Fs in the Soil and Waste Unit and later in the Rural, Water and Ecosystem
Resources Unit

Main results: The JRC-IES has developed a general 1D fate model to reproduce the
annual variations in the concentrations of POPs (PCBs, PAHs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs) in
a water column as well as in the sediments. The model, in general agreement with
monitoring campaigns, predicts, for historical POPs, high concentrations at the top and
bottom layers in the water column. Furthermore the model has been coupled with a
general ecological model with several compartments (phytoplankton, zooplankton,
bacteria and detritus) to analyze the influence of the biology on the dynamics of POPs as
well as to assess their effects on simulated populations.

Scientific output:
JURADO, E., ZALDIVAR, J.M., MARINOV, D. AND DACHS, J. (2007). Fate of persistent
organic pollutants in the water column: Does turbulent mixing matter?
Marine Pollution Bulletin (in press)

DACHS, J., JURADO, E., BERROJALBIZ, LACORTE, S., MARINOV, D. AND ZALDIVAR, J.M.
(2007). Assessment of available models for studying the coupling of atmospheric inputs
on biota.
Deliverable D4.2.2. Thresholds IP. Pp 48.

MARINOV, D., DUERI, S., PUILLAT, I., ZALDIVAR, J.M., JURADO, E. AND DACHS, J. (2007).
Description of contaminant fate model structure, functions, input data, forcing functions
and physicochemical properties data for selected contaminants (PCBs, PAHs, PBDEs,
PCDD/Fs)
Deliverable D2.6.2. Thresholds IP. Pp 70.

                                                   Contact: jose.zaldivar-comenges@jrc.it
Objective: To model the dynamics of POPs at the continental scale using a
multimedia fate and transport model.

Action: Implementation, development and testing of a 3D model for PCBs, PCCD/Fs,
and selected pesticides by the Inland and Marine Waters Unit and later the Rural, Water
and Ecosystem resources Unit.

Main results: The MAPPE model is a procedure to compute contaminant concentrations
and fluxes based on the capabilities of geographic information systems (GIS).
the method has been applied to organic contaminants such as dioxins, PCBs, lindane, and
other pesticides, proving to be consistent with state-of-the-art spatially distributed
modeling and having the additional capability to cope with high resolution data at the
continental scale. Early testing with experimental observations gave encouraging results
and thorough evaluation is under completion. A user-friendly software is under beta-
testing so to make the tool available for future applications in decision support.

Scientific output:
PISTOCCHI, A., VIZCAINO, M.P., Reports embedded in D2.4.1, D1.1.2, D1.1.4, D1.2.5,
D4.4.3, of the NoMiracle IP project (see relevant chapters from http://nomiracle.jrc.it )

PISTOCCHI, A., PENNINGTON, D.W., Continental scale mapping of chemical fate
using spatially explicit multimedia models, in Proceedings of the 1st open
international NoMiracle workshop, Verbania - Intra, Italy June 8-9 2006
"Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment: Focussing on complex chemical
risk assessment and the identification of highest risk conditions. "Edited by
A.Pistocchi; Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European
Communities, EUR 22625 EN, pp 17-21, 2006.

PISTOCCHI, A., VIZCAINO MARTINEZ, M.P., PENNINGTON, D.W., Analysis of Landscape
and Climate Parameters for Continental Scale Assessment of the Fate of Pollutants;
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, EUR 22624
EN, 108 pp., 2006

PISTOCCHI, A.; PENNINGTON, D.W. European hydraulic geometries for continental scale
environmental modelling. J. Hydrol. 2006, 329, 553- 567.

PISTOCCHI, A., An assessment of soil erosion and freshwater suspended solid estimates
for continental scale environmental modeling, accepted, Hydrol.Processes, 2006.

                                                       Contact: david.pennington@jrc.it