Varredura de hidrocarbonetos em grânulos plástico da praia de Embaré, Baixada Santista, São Paulo, Brasil

Os oceanos e as praias têm recebido todo o tipo de fragmentos, que podem ter impactos\ud econômicos, estéticos e ecológicos (USEPA, 1992). Dentre esses fragmentos, estão os pellets\ud ou grânulos plásticos, que são utilizados na indústria para manufatura de diversos produtos\ud (Ogata et al, 2009). Esses grânulos entram no ambiente de forma acidental ou intencional\ud durante o transporte ou produção de plástico (ITF, 1988) e representam um importante\ud constituinte da poluição marinha por resíduos sólidos, estando presentes em todos os oceanos\ud e praias do mundo, com relatos desde a década de 70 (Turra, 2008). Efeitos adversos que\ud podem ocorrer em organismos que ingerem esses grânulos incluem bloqueio do trato\ud intestinal, redução de consumo alimentar e aumento à exposição dos produtos químicos (Endo\ud et al., 2005). Segundo Karapanagioti e Klontza (2008), os grânulos de baixa densidade flutuam\ud na superfície do oceano e chegam nas praias. Sendo orgânicos, os grânulos adsorvem\ud contaminantes hidrofóbicos, como hidrocarbonetos, presentes ao longo percurso até chegar\ud na praia (Mato et al., 2001). Esses compostos estão entre contaminantes que podem afetar o\ud ambiente marinho e podem ser provenientes de vazamentos de óleo e queima incompleta de\ud combustíveis fósseis (NRC, 1985). O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar resultados desses\ud compostos em grânulos de plástico coletados na superfície do sedimento da Praia do Embaré,\ud Baixada Santista, SP, região muito afetada pela introdução de hidrocarbonetos

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in the study of organochlorine contaminants in albatrosses and petrels

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in albatrosses and petrels collected off southern Brazil were compared with concentrations of organochlorine contaminants (OCs). d13C and d15N values, as well as OCs concentrations, exhibited a high degree of variability among individuals and overlap among species. d13C values reflected latitudinal differences among species, with lower values found in Wandering and Tristan Albatrosses and higher values found in Black-browed and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels. Some relationships were found between OCs and stable isotopes, but in general a partial ‘uncoupling’ was observed between OCs concentrations and stable isotopes ratios (especially for d15N). d13C and d15N values in Procellariiformes tissues during the non-breeding season appear to be a better indicator of foraging habitats than of trophic relationships, which may partially explain the high degree of variability between concentrations of OCs and stable isotopes ratios in birds with a diversified diet and wide foraging range

Assessment of microplastic-sorbed contaminant bioavailability through analysis of biomarker gene expression in larval zebrafish

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Assessment of microplastic-sorbed contaminant bioavailability through analysis of biomarker gene expression in larval zebrafish journaltitle: Marine Pollution Bulletin articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.12.055 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Identification, origin and characteristics of bio-bead microplastics from beaches in western Europe.

Primary microplastics have been collected from 17 beaches along the Atlantic, English Channel and southern North Sea coasts of western Europe. Based on visual characteristics, these plastics were differentiated as either relatively smooth, lentil- or disc-shaped pre-production pellets (or nurdles), which were usually a few mm in diameter and were mainly white to off-white, or rougher and more irregular pellets that were slightly larger and usually black. The latter appeared to be bio-beads, or plastics that are specifically manufactured for use as biomedia in certain sewage water treatment (SWT) plants and, possibly, in other industrial wastewater treatment applications. Identification of bio-beads was confirmed following the acquisition of identical samples from a SWT plant in southwest England and a French supplier of bio-beads. Infrared and x-ray fluorescence analysis revealed that bio-beads have, at least historically, been constructed of plasticised polyethylene and, unlike pre-production pellets, contained variable quantities of potentially toxic elements: Br, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb and Sb; with a distinctive Br to Sb ratio indicative of brominated flame retardants and antimony-based retardant synergists. It is asserted that bio-beads have been manufactured from a heterogeneous mix of recycled polyethylene and end-of-life electrical and electronic plastic, with concentrations of Br, Cd, Cr or Pb in about 50 bio-beads (out of 497 analysed) non-compliant or potentially non-compliant with respect to current regulations on hazardous plastic waste. Concentrations of Br, Cd, Cr, Pb and Sb extracted from individual bio-beads by a simulated avian digestive fluid were variable, with maximum values of about 14, 0.8, 1.3, 20 and 1.4 μg g-1, respectively. The presence and, in many cases, dominance of bio-beads among beached primary microplastics is discussed with regard to the classification of microplastics and potential impacts on wildlife

Pelagic seabirds as biomonitors of persistent organic pollutants in the Southwestern Atlantic

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are accumulated through time and can exert different effect on ecosystems. POPs and Chlorpyrifos, a current use pesticide, were assessed in body feathers of males and females of Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris, BBA) and Cape petrels (Daption capense, CAP) during their non-breeding seasons at the Patagonian Shelf, Argentina. Chlorpyrifos showed the highest values among all pollutants in both species (49.56–84.88 ng g−1), resulting from current agricultural practices. The pattern OCPs > PCBs > PBDEs was observed in both species, and CAP showed higher concentrations than BBA probably as a consequence of higher lipid mobilization and pollutants availability during dispersion. Non-significant differences between sexes about POPs levels were found; however a slight tendency was observed, females>males in CAP, and males>females in BBA. More attention and further studies are needed to understand seabirds' physiology and its relationship with the pollutants distribution in their tissues and considering breeding season.Fil: Quadri Adrogué, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología; ArgentinaFil: Miglioranza, Karina Silvia Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Copello, Sofía. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Favero, Marco. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Seco Pon, Juan Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

Persistent organic pollutants and plastic ingestion in albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes)

Os albatrozes e petréis (Procellariiformes) são aves oceânicas e migratórias de grande interesse conservacionista. Neste trabalho foram estudadas duas classes de poluentes bastante conhecidos por afetarem negativamente as aves marinhas: os poluentes orgânicos persistentes e os plásticos. Bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) e pesticidas organoclorados foram detectados no tecido adiposo, fígado e músculo de oito espécies de Procellariiformes. Apesar da grande variabilidade intraespecífica nas concentrações, os perfis de PCBs e pesticidas organoclorados foram semelhantes entre os indíviduos, com predôminância de PCBs penta, hexa e heptaclorados e do p´p-DDE. A condição corporal se mostrou um fator importante na variação e redistribuição dos organoclorados nos tecidos das aves. As análises de isótopos estáveis de carbono e nitrogênio no fígado e músculo das aves mostraram que a dieta não foi suficiente para explicar as concentrações de organoclorados nas espécies estudadas e reforçaram a influência de fatores como idade, distribuição e especifidade da dieta na contaminação por estes compostos em aves marinhas. PCBs e pesticidas organoclorados foram detectados em pellets e fragmentos plásticos encontrados no trato digestório das aves estudadas, com perfis semelhantes aos encontrados nos tecidos dos Procellariiformes. A ocorrência de poluentes orgânicos em plásticos evidencia a capacidade destes de adsorver e transportar estes compostos e reforça o potencial dos plásticos como uma fonte adicional de contaminação para os animais que os ingerem, como as aves marinhas.Albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) are migratory oceanic birds of considerable conservational interest. The aim of the present study was to evaluate two classes of pollutants that negatively affect seabirds: persistent organic pollutants and plastics. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected in the adipose tissue, liver and muscle of eight species of Procellariiformes. Although organochlorine concentrations exhibited a high degree of intra-species variability, the profiles of PCBs and OCPs were similar among the individuals, with predominance of penta, hexa and heptachlorobiphenyls and p´p-DDE. Body condition was an important factor in the variation and redistribution of organochlorine compounds in the tissues of the birds. Stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in the liver and muscle revealed that diet alone was insufficient to explain the organochlorine concentrations in the species studied, suggesting the influence of factors such as age, distribution and diet specificity regarding organochlorine contamination in seabirds. PCBs and OCPs were detected in plastic fragments and pellets found in the digestive tract of Procellariiformes, with profiles very similar to those found in the tissues of the birds. The occurrence of organic pollutants in plastics demonstrates their ability to adsorb and transport these compounds and underscores the potential of plastics as an additional source of contamination in organisms that ingest these products, such as seabirds