Limited effects of chronic exposure to field-realistic concentrations of carbamazepine on Deleatidium spp. mayfly nymphs.

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging organic contaminants found in freshwaters. Potential chronic effects of many legacy drugs (those developed pre-2006) on freshwater biota were not investigated thoroughly before their market release. Carbamazepine, a drug used to treat epilepsy and certain types of neuropathic pain, is a legacy contaminant commonly detected in surface freshwaters worldwide, yet its potential impacts on aquatic invertebrates are largely unknown.

Antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes in agri-foods: A global review of the consumption risks to human health.

Antibiotics have reduced disease burdens in humans and animals, but the development of resistant microbes in agricultural products poses a risk. The long-term impacts of antibiotics in agri-foods remain poorly understood, making it difficult to assess their risks to human and animal health. Current research suggests that most antibiotic contamination in the agri-food chain poses negligible risks, based on assessments of measured environmental concentrations (MECs), predicted environmental concentration (PEC)/Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) ratios (MEC/PNEC<0.

Managing the risks of emerging contaminants-establishing a national strategy guided by Indigenous perspectives.

Chemicals play an important role in maintaining our quality of life. Unfortunately, inappropriate chemicals and waste management result in the accumulation of contaminants in our environment that pose a risk to exposed biota and humans. Being cognizant of Indigenous knowledge and values within the management of chemicals and waste represent key components of environmental justice, but they are not being included in current global programs.

Land-derived metals impact the survival and settlement of larval mussels.

Global declines in wild mussel populations and production have been linked to the impacts of climate change and pollution. Summer die-offs of mussels (Perna canaliculus), spat retention issues, and a severe decline in mussel spat settlement have been reported in the Marlborough Sounds, an important area for mussel farming in New Zealand. Preliminary evidence suggests that naturally occurring contaminants and changing land use in the surrounding areas, could contribute to the decline of this species.

Predator traits influence uptake and trophic transfer of nanoplastics in aquatic systems-a mechanistic study.

Unlabelled: Predicting the response of aquatic species to environmental contaminants is challenging, in part because of the diverse biological traits within communities that influence their uptake and transfer of contaminants. Nanoplastics are a contaminant of growing concern, and previous research has documented their uptake and transfer in aquatic food webs. Employing an established method of nanoplastic tracking using metal-doped plastics, we studied the influence of biological traits on the uptake of nanoplastic from water and diet in freshwater predators through two exposure assays.

Characterization of the transcriptional effects of the plastic additive dibutyl phthalate alone and in combination with microplastic on the green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus.

The presence and persistence of microplastics (MPs) in diverse aquatic environments are of global concern. Microplastics can impact marine organisms via direct physical interaction and the release of potentially harmful chemical additives incorporated into the plastic. These chemicals are physically bound to the plastic matrix and can leach out.

Emerging contaminants: A One Health perspective.

Environmental pollution is escalating due to rapid global development that often prioritizes human needs over planetary health. Despite global efforts to mitigate legacy pollutants, the continuous introduction of new substances remains a major threat to both people and the planet. In response, global initiatives are focusing on risk assessment and regulation of emerging contaminants, as demonstrated by the ongoing efforts to establish the UN's Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution Prevention.

Biochar derivation at low temperature: A novel strategy for harmful resource usage of antibiotic mycelial dreg.

Antibiotic mycelial dreg (AMD) has been categorized as hazardous waste due to the high residual hazardous contaminants. Inappropriate management and disposal of AMD can cause potential environmental and ecological risks. In this study, the potential of pleuromutilin mycelial dreg (PMD) as a novel feedstock for preparing tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) adsorbent was explored to achieve safe management of PMD.

Effect-based monitoring of two rivers under urban and agricultural influence reveals a range of biological activities in sediment and water extracts.

Chemical contaminants, such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds are ubiquitous in surface water and sediment in areas subject to human activity. While targeted chemical analysis is typically used for water and sediment quality monitoring, there is growing interest in applying effect-based methods with in vitro bioassays to capture the effects of all active contaminants in a sample. The current study evaluated the biological effects in surface water and sediment from two contrasting catchments in Aotearoa New Zealand, the highly urbanised Whau River catchment in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and the urban and mixed agricultural Koreti (New River) Estuary catchment.

Monitoring the Health of Coastal Environments in the Pacific Region-A Review.

Coastal areas provide important ecological services to populations accessing, for example, tourism services, fisheries, minerals and petroleum. Coastal zones worldwide are exposed to multiple stressors that threaten the sustainability of receiving environments. Assessing the health of these valuable ecosystems remains a top priority for environmental managers to ensure the key stressor sources are identified and their impacts minimized.

Comparison between droplet digital PCR and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR methods to measure ecotoxicology biomarkers.

Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is currently the gold-standard technique for detecting and quantifying messenger RNA. However, without proper validation, the method may produce artefactual and non-reproducible cycle threshold values generating poor-quality data. The newer droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) method allows for the absolute quantification of targeted nucleic acids providing more sensitive and accurate measurements without requiring external standards.

Does plastic type matter? Insights into non-indigenous marine larvae recruitment under controlled conditions.

Marine plastic debris (MPD) are a global threat to marine ecosystems. Among countless ecosystem impacts, MPD can serve as a vector for marine 'hitchhikers' by facilitating transport and subsequent spread of unwanted pests and pathogens. The transport and spread of these non-indigenous species (NIS) can have substantial impacts on native biodiversity, ecosystem services/functions and hence, important economic consequences.

The relationships between specific dynamic action, nutrient retention and feed conversion ratio in farmed freshwater Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

Improving the feed conversion ratio (FCR; the amount of feed consumed relative to the amount of weight gain) can reduce both production costs and environmental impacts of farmed fish. The aim of this study was to investigate what drives FCR to understand how nutrients are retained, as well as the amount of oxygen consumed for digestion, absorption and assimilation (a metabolic process known as specific dynamic action, SDA). Feed-efficient and inefficient Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in fresh water were identified using ballotini beads and X-radiography that tracked individual feed intake across three assessment periods under satiated feeding.

Disentangling the influence of microplastics and their chemical additives on a model detritivore system.

Microplastics (MPs) can negatively impact freshwater organisms via physical effects of the polymer itself and/or exposure to chemicals added to plastic during production to achieve desired characteristics. Effects on organisms may result from direct exposure to plastic particles and/or chemical additives or effects may manifest as indirect effects through ecological interactions between organisms (e.g.

Key Challenges to the Effective Management of Pollutants in Water and Sediment.

The intensification of human activities is placing increasing pressure on the ecosystems of riverine, estuarine, and coastal waters, as these compartments are sinks for many anthropogenic contaminants [...

Characterization of the effects of triclosan on sperm and embryos of Mytilus and Perna mussel species.

The Greenshell™ mussel (GSM), Perna canaliculus, is a culturally and commercially important species in New Zealand. Declines in spat settlement of GSM have been observed in important growing areas and the cause(s) have not been identified. One hypothesis is that chemical contaminants could be a contributing factor.

First transcriptome of the copepod Gladioferens pectinatus subjected to chronic contaminant exposures.

Contaminants are often at low concentrations in ecosystems and their effects on exposed organisms can occur over long periods of time and across multiple generations. Alterations to subcellular mechanistic pathways in response to exposure to contaminants can provide insights into mechanisms of toxicity that methods measuring higher levels of biological may miss. Analysis of the whole transcriptome can identify novel mechanisms of action leading to impacts in exposed biota.

Investigating the Ecotoxicity of Select Emerging Organic Contaminants Toward the Marine Copepod Gladioferens pectinatus.

Estuarine ecosystems are recipients of anthropogenic stressors released from land-based activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate the ecotoxicological hazards of organic contaminants toward the estuarine copepod Gladioferens pectinatus using acute and chronic testing. Most chemicals demonstrated acute toxicity and influenced development of the copepods.

Trace Metal Residues in Marine Mussels: A Global Survey.

Pressures from anthropogenic activities are causing degradation of estuarine and coastal ecosystems around the world. Trace metals are key pollutants that are released and can partition in a range of environmental compartments, to be ultimately accumulated in exposed biota. The level of pressure varies with locations and the range and intensity of anthropogenic activities.

Towards more ecologically relevant investigations of the impacts of microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

Microplastic pollution is a major environmental concern and the subject of a rapidly growing body of research. Much of this research has focused on the direct effects of microplastics on single species and there is limited information on how microplastics affect different functional groups of organisms, multi-species interactions, and ecosystem processes. We focused on freshwater systems and reviewed 146 studies of microplastic effects on freshwater biota and recorded features including particle characteristics, study designs, functional types of species tested and ecotoxicological endpoints measured.

Effects of pristine microplastics and nanoplastics on soil invertebrates: A systematic review and meta-analysis of available data.

In laboratory studies, microplastics and/or nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) have been shown to cause a variety of ecotoxicological effects on soil invertebrates. Existing data on the effects of these plastic debris on biological functions and physiological systems, showed a great variability among studies. Thus, how soil invertebrates respond to different types, shapes, sizes and concentrations of pristine MPs/NPs remains to be further characterized.

Plastic additives: challenges in ecotox hazard assessment.

The risk of plastic debris, and specifically micro(nano)plastic particles, to ecosystems remains to be fully characterized. One particular issue that warrants further characterization is the hazards associated with chemical additives within micro(nano)plastic as they are not chemically bound within the polymers and can be persistent and biologically active. Most plastics contain additives and are therefore potential vectors for the introduction of these chemicals into the environment as they leach from plastic, a process that can be accelerated through degradation and weathering processes.