Article
Environmental Sciences
Chiara Trombini, Julia Kazakova, Mercedes Villar-Navarro, Miriam Hampel, Rut Fernandez-Torres, Miguel Angel Bello-Lopez, Julian Blasco
Summary: Pharmaceutical drugs in aquatic environments can pose significant risks to non-target organisms. This study assessed the potential toxicity of a mixture of three commonly detected compounds (ibuprofen, ciprofloxacin, and flumequine) in marine waters using the clam Scrobicularia plana. The research focused on bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity parameters in the clam, and found that the clam was able to control the internal content of drugs and showed biochemical alterations even after the exposure period.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Biology
David Daniel, Bruno Nunes, Edgar Pinto, Isabel M. P. L. V. O. Ferreira, Alberto Teodorico Correia
Summary: This study assessed the effects of ocean acidification combined with pharmaceutical exposure on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, indicating that seawater acidification may enhance toxic effects of pharmaceuticals, highlighting the importance of understanding the effects of pharmaceuticals in a climate change scenario.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Silvia Scola, Julian Blasco, Olivia Campana
Summary: The research revealed that exposure to different forms of copper activated specific organism's metal handling strategies, leading to higher bioaccumulation of soluble copper compared to sediment spiked with CuO NPs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. S. S. Silva, Adilia Pires, A. Dick Vethaak, Concepcion Martinez-Gomez, Monica Almeida, Ricardo Pinto, Etelvina Figueira, Miguel Oliveira
Summary: Plastics, especially microplastics and nanoplastics, are considered emerging pollutants that have effects on organisms and ecosystems, particularly in marine environments. However, there is still a knowledge gap in understanding the effects of nanoplastics on marine invertebrates, such as benthic organisms. This study investigated the effects of 50 nm waterborne polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanoparticles on the marine benthic polychaete Hediste diversicolor, focusing on their behavioral, physiological, and biochemical endpoints. The results showed that PMMA nanoparticles affected the burrowing time, cholinesterase activity, energy metabolism, antioxidant status, and regenerative capacity of the polychaetes, with the most impact observed at a concentration of 50 µg/L. Further research is needed to understand the impacts of different sizes and polymers on marine organisms, especially benthic species.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Rita Rodrigues, Nelia C. C. Mestre, Taina Garcia da Fonseca, Paulo Z. Pedro, Camilla C. Carteny, Bettie Cormier, Steffen Keiter, Maria Joao Bebianno
Summary: This study investigated the ecotoxicological effects of differently sized low-density polyethylene microplastics with and without adsorbed benzo-a-pyrene in clam Scrobicularia plana. The results showed that smaller sized microplastics had a greater impact on the gills, while virgin LDPE microplastics had a stronger effect on the digestive gland.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Naimul Islam, Taina Garcia da Fonseca, Juliano Vilke, Joanna M. Goncalves, Paulo Pedro, Steffen Keiter, Sara C. Cunha, Jose O. Fernandes, M. J. Bebianno
Summary: The study found that microplastic ingestion and PFOS accumulation were dependent on microplastic size, but not on PFOS, with a reduction in filtration rate at the end of exposure. Reactive oxygen species were generated in gills and digestive gland as a result of exposure, confirming the disturbance of the antioxidant system.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Michele Arienzo, Luciano Ferrara
Summary: In the last decade, the use of metal engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) has increased significantly in various technologies and products, leading to their release into the environment. This has resulted in potential ecological impacts on coastal ecosystems, including habitat alteration and contamination of aquatic biota. However, there is a lack of data on the fate and effects of these emerging contaminants in such environments. This review highlights the current knowledge on the ecological impact of ENMs in estuary systems, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides directions for future research.
Article
Ecology
Anais Richard, Francis Orvain, Jerome Morelle, Alicia Romero-Ramirez, Guillaume Bernard, Stephane Paulin-Henricksson, Marie-Ange Cordier, Xavier de Montaudouin, Olivier Maire
Summary: Microphytobenthos (MPB) is important in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, but the effects of macrofaunal bioturbation on MPB are poorly understood.
Article
Ecology
B. Nunes, D. Pinheiro, A. Gomes
Summary: Pharmaceutical drugs have become major micropollutants in aquatic ecosystems, with their widespread distribution and continuous presence attributed to massive usage in human and veterinary therapeutics. Some drugs used to treat parasitic infections in livestock are significant contaminants due to high administration amounts, affecting non-target species in aquatic environments.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ilaria Marisa, Davide Asnicar, Valerio Matozzo, Alessandro Martucci, Livio Finos, Maria Gabriella Marin
Summary: The study found that exposure to FC60 led to increased oxidative stress in clams, significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activities in gills, and damage to lipids and proteins in digestive glands. FC60 accumulation was higher in digestive glands compared to gills, and haemolymph parameters were slightly affected by FC60 exposure. Overall, clam gills were identified as the target tissue for FC60 toxicity, with potential long-term consequences for the organism due to damage to lipids and proteins.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meesala Krishna Murthy, Pratima Khandayataray, Chandra Sekhar Mohanty, Rojalin Pattanayak
Summary: In this study, the ecotoxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) on Duttaphrynus melanostictus tadpoles was assessed by measuring multiple biomarkers including bioaccumulation, antioxidants, biochemical, haematological, immunological and oxidative stress biomarkers. The results showed significant increases in copper ion bioaccumulation, oxidative stress and biochemical biomarkers in the blood serum of CONPs-exposed tadpoles compared to control tadpoles. Additionally, CONPs-exposed tadpoles exhibited decreases in antioxidants and immunological indices of blood serum. The study concluded that the ecotoxicity of CONPs is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, which cause oxidative stress in tadpoles.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesca Coppola, Tania Russo, Amadeu M. V. M. Soares, Paula A. A. P. Marques, Gianluca Polese, Eduarda Pereira, Rosa Freitas
Summary: Mercury is a hazardous pollutant due to its toxicity and persistence in aquatic systems. New efficient nanotechnologies, such as GO-PEI, have been developed to remove mercury from water. This study evaluated the effects of seawater previously contaminated with mercury and remediated with GO-PEI on mussels, and found that GO-PEI efficiently sorbs mercury with no noticeable toxic effects even under different salinities, making it a promising eco-friendly approach to remediate contaminated water.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Letter
Engineering, Environmental
Sikhumbuzo Charles Kunene, Kuen-Song Lin, Ndumiso Vukile Mdlovu, You-Sheng Lin, Ncobile Bagezile Mdlovu
Summary: The study used XANES/EXAFS spectroscopy to determine the distribution and speciation of Cd in contaminated paddy soils and rice kernels, as well as investigated the morphology and crystallization of rice and soils. Results showed that Cd oxides formed Cd clusters with different bond distances and coordination numbers in soil and rice kernels. Additionally, the study examined the distribution of toxic metals/metalloid in contaminated paddy soils and rice crops, providing insights into the accumulation mechanism and distribution of heavy metals in contaminated rice farming soils and crops.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Eepsita Priyadarshini, Sushree Sangita Priyadarshini, Brian G. Cousins, Nilotpala Pradhan
Summary: The adverse outcome of industrialization is the contamination of the ecosystem with toxic heavy metals. These metals negatively affect microbial systems, but microbes have developed resistance mechanisms such as biosorption, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and efflux of metal ions. Fungal cells respond to metal exposure by forming metal nanoparticles, which can immobilize metals in less toxic forms. Understanding how fungi resist metal toxicity can lead to the development of techniques for detoxification and removal of metals from the environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vivekananda Budamagunta, Nowsheen Shameem, Sivaraj Irusappan, Javid A. Parray, Merin Thomas, Santhosh Marimuthu, Rangasamy Kirubakaran, K. N. Arul Jothi, R. Z. Sayyed, Pau Loke Show
Summary: Heavy metal toxicity affects aquatic plants and animals, causing disturbances in biodiversity and ecological balance. Microorganisms and plants have been widely used in bioremediation of heavy metals. This study explores the metal tolerance ability of Sporosarcina pasteurii SRMNP1, a gram-positive bacterium, which can convert metal ions into nanoparticles and efflux them through vesicle budding. The study also reveals excessive secretion of extracellular polymeric substances by the strain to discharge the metal particles.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Barrick, I Barjhoux, J. M. Marion, A. Chatel, H. Perrein-Ettajani, M. Mouloud, P. Gillet, I Mettais, C. Mouneyrac
Summary: The study investigates the health status of sentinel species Hediste diversicolor in the Seine estuary by comparing data before and after a major redevelopment in 2002. Results show that populations of H. diversicolor in the estuary were impacted in both sampling campaigns with no significant improvements over a 10-year period.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Atirah Tauseef, Fatima Hisam, Touseef Hussain, Aurore Caruso, Kashif Hussain, Amelie Chatel, Benoit Chenais
Summary: Advancements in nanosciences have paved the way for the nano-revolution, particularly in the field of nano-material synthesis using microorganisms. Compared to physiochemical methods, biological approaches offer advantages such as environmental friendliness, cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and lack of chemical contaminants. Various microorganisms including bacteria, cyanobacteria, microalgae, fungi, yeasts, actinomycetes, and viruses have been utilized to synthesize metallic nanomaterials, with applications ranging from agriculture to bioremediation, food industry to biotechnology and the biomedical sector.
JOURNAL OF CLUSTER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joerg Radnik, Vasile-Dan Hodoroaba, Harald Jungnickel, Jutta Tentschert, Andreas Luch, Vanessa Sogne, Florian Meier, Loic Burr, David Schmid, Christoph Schlager, Tae Hyun Yoon, Ruud Peters, Sophie M. Briffa, Eugenia Valsami-Jones
Summary: While the characterization of nanomaterials using analytical techniques is well-automated, the manual sample preparation process poses a bottleneck in nanomaterial analysis. This article discusses solutions to address this issue in nano-analytics and presents two case studies on automation in sample introduction and analysis of biological samples. The results demonstrate that standardization and automation of sample preparation setups, combined with appropriate measurement processes and data reduction, are crucial for obtaining reliable and reproducible data.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Zhiling Guo, Peng Zhang, Martina G. Vijver, Iseult Lynch, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Willie J. G. M. Peijnenburg
Summary: This protocol allows users to quantify metal-bearing engineered nanomaterials in biological tissues and cells and to analyze their dynamic behavior at trace-level concentrations. It provides a workflow that allows researchers to determine, characterize and quantify metal-bearing ENMs in biological matrices. The protocol uses fit-for-purpose analytical techniques to evaluate the samples and enables analysis of most M-ENMs at cellular, tissue and organism levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julie Retif, Aurore Zalouk-Vergnoux, Nicolas Briant, Laurence Poirier
Summary: The geochemistry of rare earth elements (REEs) has been studied extensively, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Normalization to different reference materials and various anomaly calculation methods have been used in different studies, making comparison difficult. Based on the review of current literature, Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) is the most commonly used reference material, but other materials are also important. The current normalization practices based on abiotic samples may not be suitable for biota, highlighting the need for new reference materials to consider the complexity of bioaccumulation/metabolization processes and anthropogenic inputs of REEs.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taiwo Hassan Akere, Aline M. Z. de Medeiros, Diego Stefani T. Martinez, Bashiru Ibrahim, Hanene Ali-Boucetta, Eugenia Valsami-Jones
Summary: This study successfully synthesized a graphene oxide-gold nanohybrid (GO-Au) and evaluated its suitability as a test material in nano(ecotoxicological studies. Graphene oxide was synthesized and used as a substrate for the growth of nano-Au decorations. The nanohybrid showed good stability in different environmental media and its physicochemical characteristics did not deteriorate over a period of months.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Bashiru Ibrahim, Taiwo Hassan Akere, Swaroop Chakraborty, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Hanene Ali-Boucetta
Summary: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have cytotoxic effects on human alveolar epithelial adenocarcinoma cells and can potentially be used as novel proteasome inhibitors. The smaller AuNPs (5 nm) exhibit greater cytotoxicity compared to larger ones (10 and 80 nm). Additionally, AuNPs induce apoptosis and necrosis through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and downregulate the expression of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) proteins, triggering mitochondrial-related apoptosis.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Romaric Moncrieffe, Maria Masry, Binbin Cai, Stephanie Rossignol, Abderrahmane Kamari, Laurence Poirier, Samuel Bertrand, Pascal Wong-Wah-Chung, Aurore Zalouk-Vergnoux
Summary: This study investigated the biological and chemical effects of blue mussels exposed to microplastics under different environmental conditions. The results showed that the aging and sorption of polyaromatic hydrocarbons on microplastics had an impact on the oxidative stress and neurotoxicity of mussels. However, the toxicity of microplastics was low at environmentally relevant concentrations.
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oihana Latchere, Coraline Roman, Isabelle Metais, Hanane Perrein-Ettajani, Mohammed Mouloud, Didier Georges, Agnes Feurtet-Mazel, Julien Gigault, Charlotte Catrouillet, Magalie Baudrimont, Amelie Chatel
Summary: This study compared the toxicity of different plastic particles on freshwater bivalve organisms and found that environmental nanoplastics had a greater impact on detoxification processes and immune response compared to environmental microplastics. The effects of microplastics were less significant and some effects were only observed at low and intermediate concentrations, highlighting the importance of using environmentally relevant concentrations in research.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alice Vidal, Isabelle Metais, Oihana Latchere, Antoine Le Guernic, Johnny Gasperi, Amelie Chatel
Summary: This study exposed freshwater bivalves to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and found that the ingestion of microplastics caused biochemical damage, including changes in enzyme activities, energy reserves, and gene expression. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to realistic doses of microplastics can be toxic to freshwater benthic organisms.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Isabelle Metais, Hanane Perrein-Ettajani, Mohammed Mouloud, Coraline Roman, Antoine Le Guernic, Messika Revel, Romain Tramoy, Emilie Caupos, Lila Boudahmane, Fabienne Lagarde, Florane Le Bihanic, Johnny Gasperi, Amelie Chatel
Summary: This study investigated the adverse effects of a microplastic (MP) mixture obtained from litter in the Seine River (France) and compared them to the effects of the major co-plasticizer, dibutylphthalate (DBP), on the sentinel species Hediste diversicolor. The research focused on biomarkers related to antioxidant response, immunity, neurotoxicity, and energy and respiratory metabolism. The results showed that worms exposed to MPs and DBP exhibited changes in aerobic metabolism, antioxidant and neuroimmune responses, and energy allocation. This study provides a better understanding of the ecotoxicological effects of environmental MPs and their associated-contaminants on H. diversicolor.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Mark Harrison, Sophie M. Briffa, Antonino Mazzonello, Eugenia Valsami-Jones
Summary: Once released into the environment, engineered nanomaterials undergo complex interactions and transformations that determine their fate, exposure concentration, form, and likely impact on biota. These transformations depend on their pristine physical and chemical characteristics and the environmental or biological compartment into which they are released. Understanding these potential environmental transformations is crucial for regulatory bodies to develop effective environmental policies in the field of nanotechnology.
Review
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Andrew Barrick, Isabelle Metais, Hanane-Perrein Ettajani, Jean-Marie Marion, Amelie Chatel
Summary: The efficacy of regulatory guidelines for assessing the ecotoxicological risks of engineered nanomaterials is limited by data gaps. Efforts are being made to compile historical nanomaterial research data into online data platforms that follow FAIR principles. However, there is a need for FAIR data practices specifically for alternative testing strategies such as mesocosms, as current standard testing strategies and regulatory platforms do not adequately capture the mobility and bioavailability of nanomaterials in an ecosystem.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ngoc Nam Phuong, Aurore Zalouk-Vergnoux, Thi Thuy Duong, Thi Phuong Quynh Le, Laurence Poirier
Summary: In marine ecosystems, organisms are exposed to a mixture of microplastics and endocrine disrupting compounds. Microplastics can adsorb organic compounds and act as an additional contamination route for aquatic organisms. The sorption behavior of six endocrine disrupting compounds on microplastics has been studied, supporting the hypothesis.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicolas Lachaux, Alba Otero-Farina, Laetitia Minguez, Benedicte Sohm, Julie Retif, Amelie Chatel, Laurence Poirier, Simon Devin, Sandrine Pain-Devin, Elisabeth M. Gross, Laure Giamberini
Summary: Studying the fate, bioaccumulation, and biological effects of rare earth elements (REE) in a freshwater bivalve provides a better understanding of their behavior and aids in environmental risk assessment. The distribution and accumulation of different REE in tissues vary, with Nd showing more significant biological effects.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
