Papers by Marta Schuhmacher
Science of The Total Environment, 1998
In 1996, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs... more In 1996, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined by HRGC/HRMS in 24 vegetation samples collected in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator (Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain). In the present study 24 vegetation samples were again taken at the same sampling points and analyzed for the levels of PCDD/Fs. The results were compared with those
Chemosphere, 1998
Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) were analysed... more Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) were analysed by GC/MS in 40 vegetation samples collected in the neighbourhood of a hazardour waste incinerator (HWI) now under construction (Catalonia, Spain). Samples were collected at various sites within a radius of 7 km from the facility. Ten samples belonged to an urban area and 30 samples to a rural area.
Science of The Total Environment, 1999
The aim of this study was to determine the temporal variation in the concentrations of arsenic (A... more The aim of this study was to determine the temporal variation in the concentrations of arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) in soil and vegetation near an old municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI). In October 1997, 24 soil and 24 herbage
Environment International, 2004
The aim of this study was to calculate the incremental lifetime-risk to dioxins and furans (PCDD/... more The aim of this study was to calculate the incremental lifetime-risk to dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) for the population living in the surroundings of a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI), as well as to establish the potential reduction on human health risks as a consequence of the adaptation to the EU legislation on pollutant emissions from the MSWI stack. Analytical
The Science of the total environment, Jan 25, 2015
The determination of the real toxicity of sediments in aquatic ecosystems is challenging and nece... more The determination of the real toxicity of sediments in aquatic ecosystems is challenging and necessary for an appropriate risk assessment. Different approaches have been developed and applied over the last several decades. Currently, the joint implementation of chemical, ecological and toxicological tools is recommended for an appropriate and successful toxicity risk assessment. We chose the combination of the toxic unit approach with acute pore water tests (Vibrio fischeri, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Daphnia magna) and whole-sediment exposure tests (V. fischeri, Chironomus riparius), together with invertebrate community composition (multivariate analyses) to detect short and long-term responses of the organisms in four rivers of the Iberian Peninsula. High toxicity was detected in three sites (the downstream sites of the Llobregat and the Júcar, and the most upstream site of the Ebro). We identified organophosphate insecticides and metals as the main variables responsible ...
Waste management (New York, N.Y.), Jan 27, 2015
The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and metals were determined in soil and air samples collected... more The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and metals were determined in soil and air samples collected near a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) located in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain), being the health risks for the population living in the vicinity of the facility subsequently assessed. We also established the temporal trends with respect to previous surveys performed in the same zone. In general terms, the highest environmental levels of the pollutants were found in the city of Mataró and were independent on the distance to the MSWI. Soil levels of metals did not show temporal variations between the current and previous campaigns. However, the concentrations of metals in air samples collected in 2011 and 2013, were lower than those found in our 2008 survey. Regarding PCDD/Fs and PCBs, no differences were noted between the levels of the current survey and those corresponding to 2008. Anyhow, the concentrations of metals, PCDD/Fs, and PCBs in soils and air did not exceed the referenc...
Environmental research, Jan 15, 2015
Metals in textile products and clothing are used for many purposes, such as metal complex dyes, p... more Metals in textile products and clothing are used for many purposes, such as metal complex dyes, pigments, mordant, catalyst in synthetic fabrics manufacture, synergists of flame retardants, antimicrobials, or as water repellents and odour-preventive agents. When present in textile materials, heavy metals may mean a potential danger to human health. In the present study, the concentrations of a number of elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Sr, Tl, V, and Zn) were determined in skin-contact clothes. Analysed clothes were made of different materials, colours, and brands. Interestingly, we found high levels of Cr in polyamide dark clothes (605mg/kg), high Sb concentrations in polyester clothes (141mg/kg), and great Cu levels in some green cotton fabrics (around 280mg/kg). Dermal contact exposure and human health risks for adult males, adult females, and for <1-year-old children were assessed. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogen...
The Science of the total environment, Jan 12, 2015
We performed a screening investigation to assess the human health risks of the Integrated Waste M... more We performed a screening investigation to assess the human health risks of the Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF: mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) plant plus municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI); Ecoparc-3) of Barcelona (Spain). Air concentrations of pollutants potentially released by the MBT plant (VOCs and bioaerosols) and the MSWI (trace elements, PCDD/Fs and PCBs) were determined. Trace elements, PCDD/Fs and PCBs were also analyzed in soil samples. The concentrations of trace elements and bioaerosols were similar to those previously reported in other areas of similar characteristics, while formaldehyde was the predominant VOC. Interestingly, PCDD/F concentrations in soil and air were the highest ever reported near a MSWI in Catalonia, being maximum concentrations 10.8ngWHO-TEQ/kg and 41.3fgWHO-TEQ/m(3), respectively. In addition, there has not been any reduction in soils, even after the closure of a power plant located adjacently. Human health risks of PCDD/F e...
Environment international, 2006
From 1975 to 2004, a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) was operating in Montcada (Barcelon... more From 1975 to 2004, a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) was operating in Montcada (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain). Because of the potential health risks derived from emission of pollutants by the facility, especially polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs), a long-term monitoring program focused on measuring the environmental levels of PCDD/Fs near the facility, and to assess the health risks for the population living in the neighborhood, was established between 1996 and 2002. A total number of 111 soil and 121 herbage samples were analyzed for PCDD/Fs during this period. Human health risks for the individuals living near the MSWI (500 and 1,000 m) were also assessed before (1998) and after modernization (2000) of the facility. It included PCDD/F inhalation, dermal contact, soil and dust ingestion, and food intake. All these data are here summarized. The environmental levels of PCDD/Fs showed that the MSWI was not the main responsible of the atmospher...
Chemosphere, 2004
To assess the influence of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) on public health, a preoperati... more To assess the influence of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) on public health, a preoperational monitoring program was established during the period of construction. In this study, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) accumulated in adipose tissue of 15 autopsied subjects living in the area under potential impact of the HWI were determined after approximately 3 years of regular operations in the facility. The non-ortho PCBs 77, 126 and 169 were also determined. PCDD/F concentrations ranged between 1.5 and 41 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat (2.4 and 72 WHO-TEQ/g fat, respectively, including PCBs), with a mean value of 11 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat and a median value of 7.4 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat (22 and 13 WHO-TEQ/g fat, respectively, including PCBs). In the baseline study, the mean level of PCDD/Fs was 36 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat (61 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat, including non-ortho PCBs 77, 126 and 169), which means a reduction of 70% (64% including PCBs). This notable reduction is i...
Environmental research, 2004
The aim of this study was to investigate the health risks due to combustor emissions in the manuf... more The aim of this study was to investigate the health risks due to combustor emissions in the manufacturing of Portland cement for the population living in the neighborhood of a cement kiln in Catalonia, Spain. Pollutants emitted to the atmosphere in the course of cement production were modeled. The ISC3-ST model was applied to estimate air dispersion of the contaminants emitted by the cement plant. Air concentrations of NO(2), SO(2), PM(10), metals, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), as well as the potential exposure in the vicinity of the facility, were assessed via models based on US EPA guidance documents. PCDD/F and metal concentrations were also modeled for soil and vegetation. Based on these concentrations, the levels of human exposure were calculated. Individual cancer and noncancer risks for the emissions of the cement kiln were assessed. Health effects due to NO(2), SO(2), and PM(10) emissions were also evaluated. Risk assessment was performed...
Biological trace element research, 1994
An epidemiological study was performed to assess whether the occupational exposure to lead or cad... more An epidemiological study was performed to assess whether the occupational exposure to lead or cadmium is associated with an increase in blood pressure. Blood lead levels were determined in 36 male subjects who were occupationally exposed to lead, whereas urinary cadmium concentrations were determined in 40 male workers who were employed in cadmium pigment and resin factories from Barcelona (Spain). Blood lead and urine cadmium concentrations were also determined in 40 health volunteers who were not occupationally exposed to lead or cadmium (control group). The mean concentrations of blood lead were 9.8 micrograms/dL for controls and 39.5 micro/dL for lead-exposed workers, whereas 0.79 micrograms/g creatinine and 2.50 micrograms/g creatinine were the mean levels of urine cadmium for controls and for cadmium-exposed workers, respectively. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and drinking and smoking habits, a significant rise of blood pressure with the increases in blood lead lev...
On the basis of the life cycle approach, a framework for the assessment of the environmental dama... more On the basis of the life cycle approach, a framework for the assessment of the environmental damages generated by an industrial process chain is established. In order to consider all the processes of the life cycle, a methodology is developed based on an eco-matrix formed by chemical process eco-vectors containing all their environmental loads. To perform the impact assessment, environmental damage indicators are estimated in the most accurate way possible for each process. For this, site-specific evaluation is carried out applying damage functions and, hence, for each damage indicator, a damage matrix is obtained. In order to make the methodology more practical, options like dominance analysis are presented. Because of the large number of environmental loads, the focus is on the priority pollutants and then the final estimations are done with one indicator per safeguard subject. The damage indicators selected in this paper are damage Ž . costs, ecological damage parameter both site-specific and global damage estimates. As for the verification of the methodology, a study has been carried out based on the life cycle of the electricity produced by a municipal waste incinerator. q
Environmental science & technology, 2004
The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), polychlor... more The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) have been determined in soil and wild chard samples collected in an area of Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain) with an important number of chemical and petrochemical industries. Samples were also collected in urban/residential zones, as well as in presumably unpolluted sites. In soils, the levels of PCDD/Fs ranged from 0.16 ng I-TEQ/kg (unpolluted sampling points) to 2.65 ng I-TEQ/kg (industrial zone), and those of sigmaPCBs ranged from 657 to 12038 ng/ kg in these same zones. In turn, sigmaPCNs ranged from 32 (unpolluted sites) to 180 ng/kg (residential/urban sites). In contrast to soil concentrations, there were not significant differences among collection zones in the levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PCNs found in chard. However, PCB and PCN concentrations in chard samples collected at the unpolluted sampling points were hi...
Chemosphere, 2009
In 2005, the partial substitution (20%) of fossil fuel by sewage sludge was tested in a Spanish c... more In 2005, the partial substitution (20%) of fossil fuel by sewage sludge was tested in a Spanish cement plant. In order to establish the environmental impact for the surroundings, in 2006, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl, V, and Zn) were monitored in soil and vegetation samples collected near the cement plant. The temporal trends in the pollutant levels were studied by comparing the concentrations with those obtained in a previous survey (2003) in the same sampling sites. Very slight changes of the PCDD/F concentrations in both monitors were registered in the period 2003-2006 (0.17-0.15 and 0.94-1.10 ng I-TEQ kg(-1) dw in herbage and soil, respectively). In turn, there was a notable heterogeneity in the evolution of metal levels, which varied according to each particular element. Anyhow, the current levels of organic and inorganic pollutants are in the low part of the range in com...
Chemosphere, 2013
The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorina... more The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk from women living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Catalonia, Spain. The results were compared with the levels obtained in previous surveys carried out in the same area in 1998 (baseline study), 2002 and 2007. The current total concentrations of 2,3,7,8-chlorinated PCDD/Fs in breast milk ranged from 18 to 126 pg g(-1)fat (1.1-12. 3 pg WHO2005-TEQPCDD/F), while the total levels of PCBs ranged from 27 to 405 pg g(-1)fat(0.7-5.3 pg WHO2005-TEQPCB). In turn, PBDE concentrations (sum of 15 congeners) ranged 0.3-5.1 g g(-1)fat, with a mean value of 1.3 ng g(-1)fat. A general decrease in the concentrations for PCDD/Fs, both planar and total PCBs, and PBDEs in breast milk was observed. The levels of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PBDEs in milk of women living in urban zones were higher tha...
Chemosphere, 2008
The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated bip... more The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were determined in air samples collected at four sampling sites located in two zones of Barcelona (Spain): near a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) and a combined cycle power plant (3 sites), and at a background/control site. Samples were collected using high-volume active samplers. Moreover,
Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A-toxic/hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering, 1999
To determine the temporal variation in the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDDs) an... more To determine the temporal variation in the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in vegetation grown near an old municipal solid waste incinerator (Montcada, Barcelona, Spain), 24 herbage samples were collected at the same sampling points in which samples had been taken one year before. While in the previous survey PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 1.07 to 3.05 ng
Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 1996
The concentrations of ten metals were determined in soil and vegetation samples collected in the ... more The concentrations of ten metals were determined in soil and vegetation samples collected in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator. Soil and common grass samples were obtained at various sites within 4 km from the incinerator. The potential exposure levels of neighborhood to metals was also investigated. In soils, the highest metal concentrations were found for Mn, Pb
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2001
In 1996 and 1997, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDF... more In 1996 and 1997, the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in soil and herbage samples taken from 24 sites in the vicinity of an old municipal solid waste incinerator (Montcada, Barcelona, Spain). To determine the temporal variation in the concentrations of PCDD/Fs, recently 24 soiland 24 herbage samples were again collected at the same sampling
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Papers by Marta Schuhmacher