PROGRAMME

Apex predators and prey samples from marine, freshwater and terrestrial compartments were retrieved from environmental specimen banks (ESBs), natural history museum (NHMs) and other scientific collections. Samples were collected from 20 European countries between 1996 and 2022. The samples were extracted and analysed by the LIFE APEX partners for a wide range of legacy and emerging contaminants. The chemical occurrence data was modeled using graph analytics. Chemical mixtures were identified for the samples from the freshwater and marine environments. Legacy perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs), and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found to be the predominant chemicals for both environments. Among contaminants of emerging concern, 4-formylaminoantipyrine and gabapentin-lactam (were predominant in both environments, and may pose a threat for human and environmental health. In the marine environment, other important substances in the chemical mixtures were the surfactant N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecanamide, the synthetic musk galaxolide, the pesticide isoprocarb and the metabolite of nicotine (nornicotine). These chemicals are known to be produced/used in high quantities in Europe and should be systematically monitored in environmental compartments and further addressed by future legislation. It has to be noted that sample collection aimed to achieve an investigative spatial overview and not to assess food chain accumulation. Therefore, the presented results need to be taken with caution and must be verified given that the samples were not taken exactly in the same spatio-temporal context. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research has received funding from the European Union through the program LIFE17 ENV/SK/000355 “Systematic use of contaminant data from apex predators and their prey in chemicals management”. The LIFE APEX project (LIFE17 ENV/SK/000355) has received additional co-financing from the Green Fund, in order to support the implementation of the project’s actions