Screening of organic pollutants in mollusc and fish samples from the Portuguese coast by combining liquid and gas chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry.

In recent years, the presence of organic pollutants (OPs) in biota samples, especially in species which are intended for human consumption, has generated major concern. Thus, legislation on presence and levels has been created and/or updated in order to achieve safe food products for consumers. During the years 2020 and 2022 in the frame of the project "Contaminant levels in species of commercial interest captured in the Portuguese Maritime Area - CEIC", different species of fish and molluscs were collected in 4 main areas of the Portuguese coast.

Microplastics in the deep: Suspended particles affect the model species Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions.

Microplastics (MPs) are small plastic particles that result from the degradation of bigger fragments or introduced into the environment as primary particles. Their reduced size makes them available for ingestion by marine organisms, particularly in subtidal and deep-sea environments, which represent the largest sinks for MPs in the ocean. However, there is a lack of data regarding the effects of MPs in subtidal and deep-sea ecosystems.

Are Environmental Levels of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs a Reason for Concern? Chronic Life-Cycle Effects of Naproxen in Zebrafish.

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen (NPX) is among the most consumed pharmaceuticals worldwide, being detected in surface waters within the ng to μg/L range. Considering the limited chronic ecotoxicity data available for NPX in aquatic ecosystems, the present study aimed at evaluating its impact in the model organism , following a full life-cycle exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1 to 5.

Deep-sea mining: using hyperbaric conditions to study the impact of sediment plumes in the subtidal clam Spisula solida.

With the growing interest to exploit mineral resources in the deep-sea, there is the need to establish guidelines and frameworks to support hazard and risk assessment schemes. The present study used a subtidal species of filter-feeding bivalve, the clam Spisula solida, as a proxy to better understand the impacts of sediment plumes in marine organisms under hyperbaric conditions. Four concentrations of suspended sediments (0 g/L, 1 g/L, 2 g/L, and 4 g/L) were used in a mixture with different grain sizes at 4 Bar for 96 h.

Platinum Group Element distribution in water and marine biota from two impacted estuarine environments (Douro and Ave estuaries, Portugal).

Platinum Group Elements (PGEs) are contaminants of emerging environmental concern considering their continuous increasing use and subsequent release in the environment. While recent field studies provided PGE levels in seawater, scarce knowledge still exists regarding PGE contamination in marine organisms, especially for rhodium (Rh). Water, macroalgae and mussels were sampled along two representative urbanized estuarine systems and adjacent coastal areas (Douro and Ave estuaries, Portugal).

Stressors of emerging concern in deep-sea environments: microplastics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and deep-sea mining.

Although most deep-sea areas are remote in comparison to coastal zones, a growing body of literature indicates that many sensitive ecosystems could be under increased stress from anthropogenic sources. Among the multiple potential stressors, microplastics (MPs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs/PCPs) and the imminent start of commercial deep-sea mining have received increased attention. Here we review recent literature on these emerging stressors in deep-sea environments and discuss cumulative effects with climate change associated variables.

Are Fish Populations at Risk? Metformin Disrupts Zebrafish Development and Reproductive Processes at Chronic Environmentally Relevant Concentrations.

The antidiabetic drug Metformin (MET), one of the most prevalent pharmaceuticals in the environment, is currently detected in surface waters in the range of ng/L to low μg/L. As current knowledge regarding the long-term effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of MET in nontarget organisms is limited, the present study aimed at investigating the generational effects of MET, in concentrations ranging from 390 to 14 423 ng/L in the model organism (up to 9 mpf), including the effects on its nonexposed offspring (until 60 dpf). We integrate several apical end points, i.

Metformin disrupts Danio rerio metabolism at environmentally relevant concentrations: A full life-cycle study.

Metformin (MET), an anti-diabetic pharmaceutical of large-scale consumption, is increasingly detected in surface waters. However, current knowledge on the long-term effects of MET on non-target organisms is limited. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of MET in the model freshwater teleost Danio rerio, following a full life-cycle exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (390 to 14 423 ng/L).

Effects of environmentally relevant levels of polyethylene microplastic on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca: Bivalvia): filtration rate and oxidative stress.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) (40-48 μm) on the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis in controlled laboratory conditions. The exposure was carried out for 14 days with three environmentally relevant PE-MPs concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 and a high concentration of 1000 μg/L. Effects of PE-MPs were assessed by evaluating the filtration rate (FR) after 7 and 14 days of exposure and by analyzing biochemical biomarkers of oxidative stress (catalase - CAT, glutathione S-transferase - GST, and the levels of lipid peroxidation - LPO) in the M.

Functional, biochemical and molecular impact of sediment plumes from deep-sea mining on Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions.

The deep-sea is the biggest ecosystem in the world and despite the extreme conditions that characterize it, is highly biodiverse and complex. Deep-sea mining has been foreseen as a potential and concerning new stressor, and among the deep-sea mining associated stressors, sediment plumes, likely to be released into the water column as a side effect of mining, can reach habitats within a radius of more than a hundred kilometers. The present study examined the effects of suspended sediments of different grain sizes (63-125 μm, 125-250 μm and 250-500 μm) in the model species Mytilus galloprovincialis, at 4 bar, as a proxy to address the potential effects of sediment plumes, in the water column, with different grain sizes under high pressure conditions.

Chronic exposure to environmentally relevant levels of simvastatin disrupts zebrafish brain gene signaling involved in energy metabolism.

Simvastatin (SIM), a hypocholesterolaemic drug belonging to the statins group, is a widely prescribed pharmaceutical for prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Several studies showed that lipophilic statins, as SIM, cross the blood-brain barrier and interfere with the energy metabolism of the central nervous system in humans and mammalian models. In fish and other aquatic organisms, the effects of SIM on the brain energy metabolism are unknown, particularly following exposure to low environmentally relevant concentrations.

Ecotoxicology of deep-sea environments: Functional and biochemical effects of suspended sediments in the model species Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions.

The deep-sea is the biggest ecosystem in the world and is characterized by extreme conditions such as high pressure, low temperatures and absence or limited light. Despite the scarce studies due to inaccessibility, these ecosystems are considered highly biodiverse. The deep-sea is subjected to anthropogenic stressors with deep-sea mining being a likely new form of disruption.