Environmental concern due to handling of hazardous chemicals is growing. This issue drawsstakeholder attentions more than before to risks associated with accidental spillage in industryor traffic. This study aims at addressing the risks resulting from the spillage of one metrictonne nonylphenol from an imaginary traffic accident.The environmental risk assessment approach outlined in this study attempts to address theconcern for the potential impact of hazardous substances on the environment by examiningboth exposures and effects of such incidents on the structure and function of the ecosystem.Nonylphenol has been selected as the discharged contaminant in this thesis for these reasons.It is an organic liquid with low vapour pressure. It is not produced in Sweden. About 2400tonnes are imported yearly. It is mainly used for making nonylphenol ethoxylates, which havea wide use as detergents, emulsifiers, lubricants and additives in a variety of industries. It isreleased from the ethoxylates in waste water. There are some published reports on its toxicityas well as endocrine property to species.In this study the exposure concentrations are predicted through developing a multimedia fateexposuremodel for the Göta älv fresh water ecosystem. It is a dynamic version of QMXfugacitymodel applicable for river basins. This fate model is integrated with a simplified foodweb model in order to quantify the extent of nonylphenol concentration in organisms.Moreover the dose response correlation derived from the most validated experimental studiesis utilized to estimate Predicted No Effect Concentration for aquatic ecosystem.The probability of accidental spillage of nonylphenol is extremely low and is not part of thisstudy. On the other hand the consequence of spillage affecting the ecosystem is treated fromseveral aspects, mainly by using the PEC/PNEC ratio. In the aquatic ecosystem pelagic (freewater) and benthic (bottom zone) organisms are studied.Estimated risk concerning the spillage suggests that acute toxicity among pelagic organisms isplausible up river especially in the Trollhättan region. However sub-lethal effects such asreproduction and growth inhibition will probably be observed all along the river with mostconcern in up river. In the sediment phase the benthic organisms are shown to be put at riskfor a prolonged period of time and organisms may suffer from chronic toxicity. In addition thesediment acts as a sink for contaminant with potential release of the hazardous substance.However, it is difficult to predict a full extent of adverse consequences. But it seems that sublethaleffects on benthos and consequent side effects on other populations should beconcluded as the most important direct consequence of a nonylphenol spillage. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The objective of this thesis was to assess the environmental fate and transport of chemicals emitted from consumer products through the development and application of modelling tools. The following hypotheses were tested: i) Multimedia fate models can be applied in a multistage assessment process to emerging chemicals when limited knowledge exists to identify the likely environmental fate and to direct further research; ii) the indoor environment acts as a source of anthropogenic substances in consumer products to the outdoor environment; and iii) chemical removal pathways in the indoor environment are important for the fate of organic chemicals in densely populated areas. The thesis shows that a structured chemical fate assessment strategy can and should be applied at early stages of the evaluation of emerging chemicals to assess their fate and to direct further research. Multimedia fate models play a key role in this strategy. The three‐solubility approach is a simple, rapid method that can be used to estimate physical‐chemical properties for use in early stage evaluation (Paper I). Emissions in the indoor environment affect the urban fate of hydrophobic organic chemicals by providing additional removal pathways and prolonging urban chemical residence times compared to outdoor emissions (Paper III). Emissions of BDE 209, DINP and DEHP to Stockholm indoor air were estimated to be 0.1, 3.4 and 290 mg/capita year, respectively (Paper IV). The contribution of emissions indoors to outdoor air pollution varies between substances. For BDE 209, emissions in the indoor environment added 38 % to the mass entering Stockholm city with inflowing air. For Sweden, the indoor environment was estimated to account for 80 % of BDE 209 emissions to outdoor air (Papers II and IV). For the phthalates, outdoor emissions and/or background inflow are the dominant sources to outdoor air pollution in Stockholm and the influence of the indoor environment is limited (Paper IV). / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript</p>