The contamination of chlorinated paraffins during the past decades will be investigated by dated sediment segments from sediment cores collected at Himmerfjärden.

Project description

Sediment acts as both sink and source of contaminants for water and biota. Contaminant levels in dated sediment core segments exhibit temporal trends of contaminants and provide information on effects of past control actions. Studies on sediment cores from the Baltic Sea showed that high levels of hydrophobic organic contaminants have been a matter of great concern during the past decades, yet very limited knowledge exists about contamination of the high production volume chemicals chlorinated paraffins (CPs). CPs belong to the most commonly used flame retardants and plasticizers, with an annual production of up to 1.2 million tons. Short-chain CPs, so-called SCCPs, are toxic to numerous aquatic species, and are listed as possible carcinogens. SCCPs are currently listed as Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) candidates under the Stockholm Convention and have been listed as a Substance of Very High Concern by the European Chemicals Agency. In a recent study, CPs have been identified in Swedish breast milk, indicating their potential health risk. More studies on CPs are urgently needed to allow for a sound risk assessment and chemical control. The project acts as a pilot study on CPs in the Baltic Sea. The aim is to evaluate CP contamination at the Swedish Baltic Sea coast during the past decades. CP amounts and patterns will be measured in dated sediment segments from sediment cores collected at the Baltic Sea coast.