Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109881
Lizenz creative commons licence
Titel (primär) Chemical mixture risk drivers and their heterogeneity in European freshwaters
Autor Schor, J.; Schulze, T. ORCID logo ; Ulrich, N.; Mutlu, İ.; Krauss, M. ORCID logo ; Brack, W.; Doan, T.; Bingert, S.; Bumberger, J. ORCID logo ; Busch, W. ORCID logo ; Hackermüller, J. ORCID logo
Quelle Environment International
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
Department MET; ETOX; EXPO; COMPBC
Band/Volume 205
Seite von art. 109881
Sprache englisch
Topic T9 Healthy Planet
Daten-/Softwarelinks https://codebase.helmholtz.cloud/department-computational-biology/analysis_code/cheos_data_analysis/-/tree/56e79257f04f8ea83ebc2218e916da565760681e/
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14616124
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15804639
Supplements https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S0160412025006324-mmc1.pdf
Keywords Chemical pollution; mixtures; data re-use; freshwater; unintentional mixtures; chemical risk assessment
Abstract Chemical pollution of aquatic environments involves diverse substance combinations that can provoke combined biological and toxicological effects even when individual concentrations remain below effect thresholds. Multiple efforts are ongoing to better consider mixture effects in chemical safety regulation, but debate continues over whether a few substances drive aquatic mixture risks or whether a large heterogeneous set of drivers must be considered.
We employed a data re-use strategy to investigate the heterogeneity of chemical mixture risk drivers to aquatic species in Europe. Initially, we derived 201 risk-driving chemicals from a single measurement campaign, allowing driver comparisons between sites based on consistently measured substances. 
We then extended our analysis to extensive chemical monitoring data of the NORMAN network, originating from different campaigns focusing on diverging substance sets measured at different times and locations. Data were aggregated quarterly and sites clustered per quarter according to measured substances. Using a robust definition of risk drivers (the most significant chemicals whose cumulative toxic units contribute ≥ 75% of total risk), our study concludes that at least 580 different substances drive chemical mixture risks in European freshwaters, with high heterogeneity between locations. Notably, mixture risk drivers were species specific, exhibited temporal variability, and belonged to different chemical use groups considered in various safety regulations. We also found that monitoring data gaps prevented more precise analysis, particularly regarding temporal variability.These findings have important implications for future chemical monitoring strategies and mixture risk regulation in Europe, highlighting the complexity and heterogeneity of chemical mixture risks in aquatic environments.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=31496
Schor, J., Schulze, T., Ulrich, N., Mutlu, İ., Krauss, M., Brack, W., Doan, T., Bingert, S., Bumberger, J., Busch, W., Hackermüller, J. (2025):
Chemical mixture risk drivers and their heterogeneity in European freshwaters
Environ. Int. 205 , art. 109881 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109881