Supplementary

Inflow and stock

For calculation of the Bi inflow (kg/year)to the part of the Stockholm technosphere connected to Henriksdal WWTP, the following equations were used (Table 1). Parameters are explained below (Table 3 – 6).

Table 1. Equations used for calculations of the Bi inflow (kg/year) to the part of the Stockholm technosphere connected to Henriksdal WWTP. I = Inflow

Product / Equation
Cosmetics / I = Pw * 0.75 * m * C
Plastics / I = MC * C * Cv * PP
Paints / I = MC * C * Cv * PP
Electric goods and appliances / I = MC * C * PP
Chemicals / I = MC * C * PP
Pyrotechnics and explosives / I = MC * C * PP * 0.5

For calculation of the stock(S) (kg), the following equation was used:

S = I * T

Parameters are explained below (Table 3 - 6).

Outflow

For the Bi outflow (kg/year) from the technosphere of Stockholm to Henriksdal WWTP, the following calculations were used (Table 2). For the results, the units were adjusted to kg/year. Parameters are explained below (Table 3 – 6).

Table 2. Equations used for calculations of theBi outflow (kg/year)from the technosphere to Henriksdal WWTP. O = Outflow

Product / Equation
Cosmetics / O = Pw * 0.75 * m * C * 0.9 * 0.9 * 0.5
Plastics / O = MC * C * PP
Paints / O = MC * C * CV * D * PH
Urine and faeces / O = C * PH * 365
Vehicle wash / O = (MC1 + MC2 + MC3) * C
Laundries / O = Mout * C
Storm water / drinking water / O = C * M * MH
Flocculent / O = (MCmin + MCmax) / 2

Parameters

The values used for calculations of the inflow, stock and outflow are presented in tables 3-6. In Table 3, general parameters, used to adjust Swedish data (found in table 4-6) for the part of the population connected to Henriksdal WWTP, are provided. Data haves been taken from the source mentioned and adjusted for this study.Proportion explains the part of the total source of product that consists of the specific parameter.

Table 3. General parameters used for calculating all flows.

Parameter (unit) / Value / Explanation
(Source of data and/or assumption)
Assumptions (A)
PP (proportion) / 0.08 / Population of Henriksdal WWTP (767 650) / population of Sweden (9 555 893)
Own calculations
-
PH (st) / 767 650 / Population of Henriksdal WWTP
(Stockholm Water 2013)
-

– = no assumptions weremade for the specific parameter

Table 4. Parameters used for calculating the inflow of Bi to the technosphere of Stockholm.

Parameter (unit) / Value / Explanation
(Source of data and/or assumption)
Assumptions (A)
Chemicals
MC (kg) Bi chloride / 0.4 / Material consumption ofBi chloride
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
MC (kg) Bi 2-ethylhexanoate / 0.1 / Material consumption ofBi 2-ethylhexanoate
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
MC (kg) Binaphthenate / 75.9 / Material consumption ofBinaphthenate
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
MC (kg) Bineodecanoate / 0.1 / Material consumption ofBineodecanoate
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
MC (kg) Bi vanadate / vanadic acid / 65.5 / Material consumption ofBi vanadate / vanadic acid
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
MC (kg) Bi oxide / 48.2 / Material consumption ofBi oxide
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
C (proportion) Bi chloride / 0.67 / Concentration of Bi in Bi chloride
(Own calculations)
C (proportion) Bi 2-ethylhexanoate / 0.33 / Concentration of Bi in Bi 2-ethylhexanoate
(Own calculations)
-
C (proportion) Binaphthenate / 0.18 / Concentration of Bi in Bi naphthenate
(Own calculations)
-
C (proportion) Bineodecanoate / 0.29 / Concentration of Bi in Bi neodecanoate
(Own calculations)
-
C (proportion) Bi vanadate / vanadic acid / 0.65 / Concentration of Bi in Bi vanadate / vanadic acid
(Own calculations)
-
C (proportion) Bi oxide / 0.9 / Concentration of Bi in Bi oxide
(Own calculations)
-
Cosmetics
Pw (st) / 298 079 / Female population between the ages of 18 and 64 connected to Henriksdal WWTP
(Amneklev et al. 2014, Statistics Sweden 2014)
A: (Amneklev et al. 2014)
m (kg) foundation and powder / 0.12 / Weight of average foundation and powder
(own assumption)
A: assumed weight of an average product
m (kg) eye shadow / 0.05 / Weight of average eye shadow
(own assumption)
A: assumed weight of an average product
C (mg/kg) foundation and powder / 2 567 / Mean concentration of Bi in foundation and powder in Sweden
(Amneklev et al. 2014)
-
C (mg/kg) eye shadow / 41 / Mean concentration of Bi in eye shadow in Sweden
(Amneklev et al., 2014)
-
Electric goods and appliances
MC (kg) / 19 000 / Material consumption of Bi oxide in electrical goods and appliances in Sweden
(Lindgren 2009)
-
C (proportion) / 0.9 / Concentration of Bi in Bi oxide
(own calculations)
-
Paints
MC (kg) / 41 000 / Material consumption of Bi vanadate in paints in Sweden
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
-
Cv (proportion) / 0.65 / Concentration of Bi vanadate in Bi
(Own calculations)
-
Plastic
MC (kg) / 38489600 / Material consumption of PA-, PE and ABS plastic in Sweden, based on these plastics’ proportion (8 %) of the total amount of generated plastic waste (202 000 tonnes) and plastic in household waste (12 % of 2 326 000 tonnes)
(Swedish Chemical Agency 2007, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency 2014, Swedish Waste Management 2011)
A1: 12% of household waste consists of plastic waste (plastic packaging in Appendix 3 in Swedish Waste Management 2011)
A2: PA-, PE and ABS plastic make up 8 % of the total plastic annually used (Swedish Chemical Agency 2007).
C (proportion) / 0.025 / Concentration of Bi in plastic
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2007)
A: A Bi content of between 0 % and 5 %. In this study: average content of 2.5 %
Cv (proportion) / 0.65 / Concentration of Bi vanadate in Bi
(Own calculations)
-
Pyrotechnics and explosives
MC (kg) / 1 577 000 / Material consumption of pyrotechnics and explosives in Sweden, year 2012
(CN 3604 10 00 Import – Export+Production)
(Statistics Sweden 2014)
A: 50 % if the total weight of the pyrotechnics are made up of explosives
C (mg/kg) / 1520 / Mean concentration of Bi in pyrotechnics and explosives in Sweden
(Ramström personal communication)
-

– = no assumptions weremade for the specific parameter

Table 5. Parameters used for calculatingthe Bi stock in the technosphere of Stockholm.

Parameter (unit) / Value / Explanation
(Source of data and/or assumption)
Assumptions (A)
Electric goods and appliances
I (kg) / 1.4 / Inflow of Bi in electrical goods and appliances
(Own calculations, see inflow)
-
T (year) / 10 / Time span of electrical goods and appliances
(own assumption)
A: 10 year life span
Plastic
I (kg) / 54 875 / Inflow of Bi in plastic
(Own calculations, see inflow)
-
T (year) / 5 / Time span of plastic
(own assumption)
A: 5 year life span
Paint
I (kg) / 1 400 / Inflow of Bi in paints
(Own calculations, see inflow)
-
T (years) / 10 / Time span of paints
(own assumption)
A: 10 year life span

– = no assumptions weremade for the specific parameter

Table 6. Parameters used for calculating the Bi outflow from the technosphere of Stockholm to Henriksdal WWTP.

Parameter (unit) / Value / Explanation
(Source of data and/or assumption)
Assumptions (A)
Cosmetics
Pw (st) / 298 079 / Female population between the ages of 18 and 64 connected to Henriksdal WWTP
(Amneklev et al. 2014, Statistics Sweden 2014).
A: (Amneklev et al. 2014)
m (kg) foundation and powder / 0.12 / Weight of average foundation and powder
(own assumption)
A: assumed weight of an average product
m (kg) eye shadow / 0.05 / Weight of average eye shadow
(own assumption)
A: assumed weight of an average product
C (mg/kg) foundation and powder / 2 567 / Mean concentration of Bi in foundation and powder in Sweden
(Amneklev et al. 2014)
-
C (mg/kg) eye shadow / 41 / Mean concentration of Bi in eye shadow in Sweden
(Amneklev et al. 2014)
-
Plastic
MC (kg) / 6 897 / Material consumption of Bi in plastic in Sweden, adjusted to Bi in Bi vanadate
(Beckman 2013)
A: Limited to plastic that comes in contact with water
C (proportion) / 0.025 / Concentration of Bi in plastic
(Swedish Chemicals Agency 2014)
A: A Bi content of between 0 % and 5 %. In this study: average content of 2.5 %
Paints
MC (l) minimum / 1 / Average material consumption of paints in Sweden
(own assumption)
A1: 1 l paint per person and year are on average used in Stockholm
A2: paint has a density of 1
C (proportion) / 0.001 / Concentration of Bi in paints in Sweden
(Beckman 2013)
-
Cv (proportion) / 0.65 / Concentration of Bi vanadate in Bi
(Own calculations)
-
D (proportion) / 0.005 / Part of used paint that is washed away to the sewage system
(own assumption)
A: 0.5 % of the paint used is being washed away to the sewage system
Vehicle washing facilities
MC1 (st) washed in stations / 1 741 345 / Numbers of washes per year in vehicle wash stations in Stockholm
(Stockholm Water 2005)
A1: buses and trucks count as 3 vehicles. Cars count as 1 vehicle
A2: vehicles are washed on average 12 times per year.
MC2 (st) washed in streets / 1 451 121 / Number of washes per year on streets in Stockholm
(Stockholm Water 2005)
A1: buses and trucks count as 3 vehicles. Cars count as 1 vehicle
A2: vehicles are washed on average 12 times per year
A3: 50 % of the water used end up in the sewage system
MC3 (st) other stations / 119 087 / Numbers of washes per year in vehicle washingfacilitiesin Stockholm
(Stockholm Water 2005)
A1: buses and trucks count as 3 vehicles. Cars count as 1 vehicle
A2: vehicles are washed on average 12 times per year.
C (g/st) / 2 470 / Average concentration of Bi released by a vehicle when washed
(Stockholm Water 2005)
-
Urine and faeces
C (g person and day) urine / 0.045 / Average concentration of Bi in urine
(Almqvist et al. 2007)
-
C (g person and day) faeces / 0.69 / Average concentration of Bi in faeces
(Almqvist et al. 2007)
-
Laundry facilities
Mout (l/year) / 140 000 000 / Total effluent water from laundry facilities connected to Henriksdal WWTP
(Kotsch personal communication)
-
C (g/l) / 4.8 / Concentration of Bi in effluent water from laundry facilities
(Kotsch personal communication)
-
Storm water / Drinking water
C (ng/l) / 12.5 / Maximum concentration of Bi in storm water / drinking water
(Randahl et al. 1997)
-
M (1000 l) / 104 000 000 / Total incoming water to Henriksdal WWTP
(Stockholm Water 2013)
-
MH (proportion) part storm water / 0.1 / Total incoming storm water to Henriksdal WWTP
(Lagerkvist personcal communication)
-
MH (proportion) part drinking water / 0.54 / Total incoming wastewater (containing drinking water) to Henriksdal WWTP
(Lagerkvist personcal communication)
-
MCmin (kg) / 0.2 / Minimum amount of Bi in flocculent
(Lagerkvist personcal communication)
-
MCmax (kg) / 0.9 / Maximum amount of Bi in flocculent
(Lagerkvist personcal communication)
-

– = no assumptions was made for the specific parameter

Reference list

ALMQVIST, H., ANDERSSON, Å., JENSEN, A. & JÖNSSON, H. 2007. Composion and flows of BDT-water, urine, faeces and solid organic waste in Gebers (In Swedish). In: THE SWEDISH WATER & WASTEWATER ASSOCIATION. Report 2007-05. Stockholm.

AMNEKLEV, J., AUGUSTSSON, A., SÖRME, L. & BERGBÄCK, B. 2014. Bi and silver in cosmetic products - a source of environmental and resource concern? Journal of Industrial Ecology. In press.

BECKMAN, M. 2013. Silver and Bi in plastics and paints - sources of elevated concentrations in sludge? Thesis. Linneaus University.

LINDGREN, M. 2009. Bismuth and wolfram in sludge (in Swedish). In: STOCKHOLM WATER. Report 10SV135. Stockholm

RANDAHL, H., DOCK, L. & CHRISTIANSSON, J. 1997. Molybden, vanadin, Bi: occurring levels and impacts on the environment and health (In Swedish). In: SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. Report 4762. Stockholm

STATISTICS SWEDEN. 2014. Finding Statistics[Online]. Available: [Accessed September 19 2014].

STOCKHOLM WATER 2005. Measured metal emissions from vehicle washes in Bromma wastewater treatment plant sewage system 2002. STOCKHOLM WATER. Stockholm.

STOCKHOLM WATER 2013. Environmental report 2012 (In Swedish). STOCKHOLM WATER. Stockholm.

SWEDISH CHEMICALS AGENCY. 2007. Product guide (In Swedish) [Online]. Stockholm: Swedish Chemical Agancy. Available: [Accessed April 28 2014].

SWEDISH CHEMICALS AGENCY. 2014. KemI-Stat [Online]. Available: [Accessed 31 March 2014].

SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 2014. Waste in Sweden 2012 (In Swedish). In: SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

SWEDISH WASTE MANAGEMENT 2011. National screening of household waste analysis of vascular and bag waste (In Swedish). SWEDISH WASTE MANAGEMENT. Malmö

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