Ane Haarr

• Haarr, Ane; Nipen, Maja; Mwakalapa, Eliezer Brown; Borgen, Anders; Mmochi, Aviti J. & Borgå, Katrine (2023). Chlorinated paraffins and dechloranes in free-range chicken eggs and soil around waste disposal sites in Tanzania. Chemosphere. ISSN 0045-6535. 329, p. 1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138646. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Electronic waste is a source of both legacy and emerging flame retardants to the environment, especially in regions where sufficient waste handling systems are lacking. In the present study, we quantified the occurrence of short- and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) and dechloranes in household chicken (Gallus domesticus) eggs and soil collected near waste disposal sites on Zanzibar and the Tanzanian mainland. Sampling locations included an e-waste facility and the active dumpsite of Dar es Salaam, a historical dumpsite in Dar es Salaam, and an informal dumpsite on Zanzibar. We compared concentrations and contaminant profiles between soil and eggs, as free-range chickens ingest a considerable amount of soil during foraging, with potential for maternal transfer to the eggs. We found no correlation between soil and egg concentrations or patterns of dechloranes or CPs. CPs with shorter chain lengths and higher chlorination degree were associated with soil, while longer chain lengths and lower chlorination degree were associated with eggs. MCCPs dominated the CP profile in eggs, with median concentrations ranging from 500 to 900 ng/g lipid weight (lw) among locations. SCCP concentrations in eggs ranged from below the detection limit (LOD) to 370 ng/g lw. Dechlorane Plus was the dominating dechlorane compound in all egg samples, with median concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2.8 ng/g lw. SCCPs dominated in the soil samples (400–21300 ng/g soil organic matter, SOM), except at the official dumpsite where MCCPs were highest (65000 ng/g SOM). Concentrations of dechloranes in soil ranged from below LOD to 240 ng/g SOM, and the dominating compounds were Dechlorane Plus and Dechlorane 603. Risk assessment of CP levels gave margins of exposure (MOE) close to or below 1000 for SCCPs at one location.

• Haarr, Ane; Mwakalapa, Eliezer B.; Lyche, Jan Ludvig; Mmochi, Aviti J.; Polder, Anuschka & Ruus, Anders [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Spatial Variation in Contaminant Occurrence in Marine Fishes and Prawns from Coastal Tanzania. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. ISSN 0730-7268. 41(2), p. 321–333. doi: 10.1002/etc.5254. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There are limited data on organic contaminants in marine biota from coastal Tanzania, especially on the occurrence of industrial-use contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The present study, performed in 2018–2019 in coastal Tanzania and Zanzibar Island, aimed at assessing spatial variation in the occurrence of PCBs; brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including PBDEs; and organochlorine pesticides, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), among three locations that differ in degree of anthropogenic activity. Analyzed samples included edible tissues of marine fishes and prawns representing different trophic levels and habitats. The results indicate a mainland–island difference, with fishes and prawns collected on Zanzibar having significantly lower PCB and DDT concentrations but higher concentrations of hexachlorobenzene compared to the two mainland locations. The highest contaminant concentrations were found in fishes and prawns collected around central Dar es Salaam harbor, with median ΣPCBs ranging from 22.3 to 577 ng/g lipid weight and ΣDDTs from 22.7 to 501 ng/g lipid weight, suggesting local sources. Concentrations of PBDEs were similar among locations, suggesting more diffuse sources. None of the “newer-type” BFRs, including compounds introduced as replacements for PBDEs, were detected in the present study. Stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) varied among locations, and the relationship between contaminants and δ15N varied among locations and habitat (pelagic/demersal). Concentrations measured in the present study are below European guidelines for human consumption of fishes and prawns. However, industrial-use contaminants should be monitored in developing countries because they are contaminants of emerging concern as a result of increasing industrialization and global trade of used products and wastes.

• Haarr, Ane; Mwakalapa, Eliezer B; Mmochi, Aviti J; Lyche, Jan L; Ruus, Anders & Othman, Halima [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Seasonal rainfall affects occurrence of organohalogen contaminants in tropical marine fishes and prawns from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Science of the Total Environment. ISSN 0048-9697. 774. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145652. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Seasonal differences in precipitation may affect contaminant dynamics in tropical coastal regions due to terrestrial runoff of contaminants to the marine environment after the rainy seasons. To assess the effect of seasonal rainfall on occurrence of organohalogen contaminants in a coastal ecosystem, marine fishes and prawns were collected off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania in January and August 2018, representing pre- and post-rainy season, respectively. Samples were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and emerging BFRs, as well as the dietary descriptors stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). Across all species and seasons, mean contaminant concentrations ranged from below limit of detection (LOD) to 129 ng/g lipid weight (lw) ΣPCBs; 5.6–336 ng/g lw ΣOCPs; and < LOD –22.1 ng/g lw ΣPBDEs. Most of the emerging BFRs were below LOD. Contaminant concentrations generally increased with higher pelagic carbon signal (δ13C) and higher relative trophic position (δ15N). The ratio of DDE/ΣDDTs in fishes and prawns was lower in August than in January, suggesting runoff of non-degraded DDT into the marine system during or after the seasonal rainfall. Contaminant patterns of OCPs and PCBs, and concentrations of BFRs, differed between seasons in all species. A higher relative concentration-increase in lower halogenated, more mobile PCB and PBDE congeners, compared to higher halogenated congeners with lower mobility, between January and August aligns with a signal and effect of terrestrial runoff following the rainy season.

• Dale, Karina; Yadetie, Fekadu; Müller, Mette Helen Bjørge; Pampanin, Daniela Maria; Gilabert, Alejandra & Zhang, Xiaokang [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2020). Proteomics and lipidomics analyses reveal modulation of lipid metabolism by perfluoroalkyl substances in liver of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Aquatic Toxicology. ISSN 0166-445X. 227. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105590. Full text in Research Archive
• Dietz, Rune; Letcher, Robert J; Desforges, Jean-Pierre; Eulaers, Igor; Sonne, Christian & Wilson, Simon [Show all 70 contributors for this article] (2019). Current state of knowledge on biological effects from contaminants on arctic wildlife and fish. Science of the Total Environment. ISSN 0048-9697. 696. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133792. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of the exposure to organohalogen compounds (OHCs) in Arctic biota, there has been a considerable number of new Arctic effect studies. Here, we provide an update on the state of the knowledge of OHC, and also include mercury, exposure and/or associated effects in key Arctic marine and terrestrial mammal and bird species as well as in fish by reviewing the literature published since the last AMAP assessment in 2010. We aimed at updating the knowledge of how single but also combined health effects are or can be associated to the exposure to single compounds or mixtures of OHCs. We also focussed on assessing both potential individual as well as population health impacts using population-specific exposure data post 2000. We have identified quantifiable effects on vitamin metabolism, immune functioning, thyroid and steroid hormone balances, oxidative stress, tissue pathology, and reproduction. As with the previous assessment, a wealth of documentation is available for biological effects in marine mammals and seabirds, and sentinel species such as the sledge dog and Arctic fox, but information for terrestrial vertebrates and fish remain scarce. While hormones and vitamins are thoroughly studied, oxidative stress, immunotoxic and reproductive effects need further investigation. Depending on the species and population, some OHCs and mercury tissue contaminant burdens post 2000 were observed to be high enough to exceed putative risk threshold levels that have been previously estimated for non-target species or populations outside the Arctic. In this assessment, we made use of risk quotient calculations to summarize the cumulative effects of different OHC classes and mercury for which critical body burdens can be estimated for wildlife across the Arctic. As our ultimate goal is to better predict or estimate the effects of OHCs and mercury in Arctic wildlife at the individual, population and ecosystem level, there remain numerous knowledge gaps on the biological effects of exposure in Arctic biota. These knowledge gaps include the establishment of concentration thresholds for individual compounds as well as for realistic cocktail mixtures that in fact indicate biologically relevant, and not statistically determined, health effects for specific species and subpopulations. Finally, we provide future perspectives on understanding Arctic wildlife health using new in vivo, in vitro, and in silico techniques, and provide case studies on multiple stressors to show that future assessments would benefit from significant efforts to integrate human health, wildlife ecology and retrospective and forecasting aspects into assessing the biological effects of OHC and mercury exposure in Arctic wildlife and fish.

• Eckbo, Norith; Le Bohec, Céline; Planas-Bielsa, Victor; Warner, Nicholas Alexander; Schull, Quentin & Herzke, Dorte [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Individual variability in contaminants and physiological status in a resident Arctic seabird species. Environmental Pollution (1987). ISSN 0269-7491. 249, p. 191–199. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.01.025.
• Leat, Eliza Helen Kelsey; Bourgeon, Sophie; Hanssen, Sveinn Are; Petersen, Ævar; Strøm, Hallvard & Bjørn, Tor Harry [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). The effect of long-range transport, trophic position and diet specialization on legacy contaminant occurrence in great skuas, Stercorarius skua, breeding across the Northeast Atlantic. Environmental Pollution (1987). ISSN 0269-7491. 244, p. 55–65. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.10.005. Full text in Research Archive
• Bour, Agathe; Haarr, Ane; Keiter, Steffen & Hylland, Ketil (2018). Environmentally relevant microplastic exposure affects sediment-dwelling bivalves. Environmental Pollution (1987). ISSN 0269-7491. 236, p. 652–660. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.02.006.
• Haarr, Ane; Hylland, Ketil; Eckbo, Norith; Gabrielsen, Geir W.; Herzke, Dorte & Bustnes, Jan Ove [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2018). DNA Damage in Arctic Seabirds: Baseline, Sensitivity to a Genotoxic Stressor, and Association with Organohalogen Contaminants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. ISSN 0730-7268. 37(4), p. 1084–1091. doi: 10.1002/etc.4035. Show summary

  Environmental contaminants are found throughout Arctic marine ecosystems, and their presence in seabirds has been associated with toxicological responses. However, there are few studies of genotoxicity in Arctic avian wildlife. The purpose of the present study was to quantify deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage in lymphocytes of selected seabird species and to examine whether accumulation of organohalogen contaminants (SOHCs) affects DNA damage. Blood was sampled from common eider (Somateria mollissima), black guillemot (Cepphus grylle), black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), and great skua (Stercorarius skua) in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (Norway). Contaminant concentrations found in the 6 species differed, presumably because of foraging ecology and biomagnification. Despite large differences in contaminant concentrations, ranging from SOHCs 3.3 ng/g wet weight in the common eider to SOHCs 895 ng/g wet weight in the great skua, there was no strong difference among the species in baseline DNA damage or sensitivity to a genotoxic stressor (hydrogen peroxide). Baseline levels of DNA damage were low, with median values ranging from 1.7% in the common eider to 8.6% in the great skua. There were no associations between DNA damage and contaminants in the investigated species, suggesting that contaminant concentrations in Kongsfjorden are too low to evoke genotoxic effects, or possibly that lymphocytes are resistant to strand breakage. Clearly, genotoxicity is a topic for future studies of Arctic seabirds Arctic; Seabirds; Genotoxicity; Comet Assay; Persistent organic pollutants; Perfluoroalkyl substances

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• Haarr, Ane; Mwakalapa, Eliezer; Nipen, Maja; Mmochi, Aviti & Borgå, Katrine (2022). Emerging Contaminants in Household Chicken Eggs and Soil Around Waste Disposal Sites in Tanzania.
• Nipen, Maja; Borgå, Katrine; Christensen, Guttorm; Haarr, Ane; Mmochi, Aviti John & Mwakalapa, Eliezer Brown [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Pollution from electronic waste in the physical environment.
• Dale, Karina; Müller, Mette Helen Bjørge; Tairova, Zhanna; Pampanin, Daniela Maria; Haarr, Ane & Lille-Langøy, Roger [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Biological responses of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) .
• Dale, Karina; Müller, Mette Helen Bjørge; Tairova, Zhanna; Pampanin, Daniela Maria; Haarr, Ane & Yadetie, Fekadu [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2019). Biological responses of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and perfluoroalkyl substances.
• Dale, Karina; Yadetie, Fekadu; Müller, Mette Helen Bjørge; Tairova, Zhanna; Haarr, Ane & Khan, Essa Ahsan [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). Contaminant accumulation and biological responses in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and perfluoroalkyl substances.
• Nipen, Maja; Vogt, Rolf David; Borgå, Katrine; Haarr, Ane; Mwakalapa, Eliezer Brown & Schlabach, Martin [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Spatial and temporal trends in e-waste related organic pollutants in a developing economy - A pilot study.
• Hylland, Ketil; Skei, Bjørn Borge; Gilmore, Erik Howard; Fredriksen, Lene; Keilen, Ellen Kristine & Kristiansen, Silje Marie [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2018). Er det en sammenheng mellom miljøgift-eksponering og DNA-skade i spretthaler, hoppekreps, blåskjell, fisk, fugl og isbjørn?
• Reigstad, Marit; Gabrielsen, Tove M.; Amargant-Arumi, Marti; Amundsen, Rita; Bluhm, Bodil & Bodur, Yasemin V. [Show all 37 contributors for this article] (2022). Seasonal Cruise Q3: Cruise Report . Septentrio Academic Publishing. ISSN 2703-7525. Show summary

  The Nansen Legacy Q3 cruise, 5-27 August 2019, initiated the seasonal investigations of the Nansen Legacy transect. The transect represent an environmental gradient going through the northern Barents Sea, and included 7 process stations (P1-P7) lasting 6-53 hrs. CTD stations were taken to increase the hydrographic resolution on the transect. The program included measurements and sampling from the atmosphere, sea ice, ocean and sea floor. Data collected ranged from physical observations, chemical, biological and geological data collection, and the aim was to link observations and measurements to improve our understanding of the systems involving both climate, human impacts and the ecosystems. Deployment of moorings and gliders extended the observational capacity in time and space, outside the cruise period.

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