Nuno Ratola – författare

Comprising 12 chapters, this book focuses on volatile methylsiloxanes (VMSs), the shorter-chained organosiloxanes, and reviews the main areas and environmental compartments where they have been found and studied.

It opens with a detailed description of the structural and functional properties, toxic risks and possible transformations of VMSs in the environment and their main uses in various activities and products, as well as the identification of the main sources of emission. Further chapters examine the analytical strategies and protocols that have been used to address the quantification of VMSs, including the issue of possible cross-contaminations. The book also discusses the presence of VMSs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and in water bodies, their atmospheric fate and levels in biota, as well as occurrences of VMSs in remote areas of the world. It closes with a comprehensive conclusion and discussion on future directions for upcoming studies.

This book is not intended as a finishing line, but rather as an important step towards improving our understanding of VMSs, to fuel new collaborations between research groups and/or with industry and lastly to convince more researchers to explore the mysteries of these ubiquitous, yet understudied, chemicals.

This book offers a comprehensive and authoritative review of the key environmental areas and compartments where fragrances have been found and discusses the current challenges of their presence and potential hazards. The book starts with a chapter devoted to the manufacturing and characterization of the most relevant types of fragrances, and their emissions to the environment. Subsequent chapters cover topics such as fragrances’ toxic effects on the environment, their major routes of exposure, behaviour, and fate in different environmental matrices. Particular attention is given to ecotoxicological issues and the environmental impact of fragrances in wastewater treatment plants, surface waters, marine environments, soils, remote areas, and air. In this book, readers will find valuable insights into the bioaccessibility and availability of synthetic musks in seafood and the corresponding human exposure and health risks. The book also outlines the most promising analytical methods used for fragrance detection and quantification, and it discusses the risks and future trends in this field.  

Written by a multidisciplinary team of expert contributors, and considering its scope, this book is an essential tool not only for scholars and researchers in academia and industry but also for other stakeholders and decision-makers interested in the field of fragrances and their ecotoxicology, as well as environmental impacts.