Caracterización de la calidad de sedimentos afectados por vertidos de petróleo: comparación entre casos de vertidos accidentales (impacto agudo) frente a derrames continuos (impacto crónico)

La tesis presenta un estudio integral para carácterizar la calidad de sedimentos de dos áreas dél litoral españól afectadas por vertidos¿ de hidrocarburos. A finales del 2002 el accidente del petrolero monocasco Prestige provocó un vertido de 63000 toneladas de fuel oil pesado que se esparció en manchas, más o menos compactas y que supuso un impacto agudo de contaminación provocando una de las "mareas negras' más dañinas de las ocurridas en Galicia en los, últimos años Por-otra parte, la Babia de Algeciras se ve afectada de manera continua por vertidos- de distinta naturaleza procedentes de la intensa actividad urbana e industrial que se desarrolla en el área, así como una intensa actividad portuaria y tráfico marítimo. Todo ello hace que la Babia de Algeciras sufra de forma rutinaria vertidos de petróleo. En una primera fase de aplicación del modelo integrado se désarrolló la fase inicial de "screening' con la aplicación de sólo dos lineas de evidencia sobre un número extenso de estaciones. El resultado de la aplicación de esta primerá fase permitió la selección de un número menor de estaciones sobre las que se va a desarrollar el modelo integrado de forma completa. Esta incluye cuatro líneas de evidencia: contaminación, toxicidad, alteración "in situ' y bioacumulación y biomagnificación. Se ha llevado a cabo una nueva mejora en la metodología integrada de evaluación de la calidad de los sedimentos dentro del marco del "Weight of Evidence approach" que ha permitido obtener resultados más objetivos. Se ha demostrado como tras el vertido los PAHs ifieron el principal contaminante de la costa gallega. Se ha identificado la existencia de fuentes de metales en el Parque Nacional de las Islas Atlánticas y de la bahía de Corme-Laxe que aparentemente no están produciendo efectos biológicos de tipo agudo. La polución ha disminuido en los últimos afios en ambas zonas de Galicia, aunque aún existe cierto estrás ambiental principalmente en las zonas estudiadas de la bahía de Cocine-Laxe. Se han demostrado las ventajas de incorporar los biomarcadores como línea de evidencia dentro de un estudio integrado, éstos han mostrado una mayor sensibilidad en los resultados a la hora de cuantificar la polución e identificar la misma; el uso de los biomarcadores obtenidos en exposiciones de campo y laboratorio dentro del eight of Evidence approach" ha ayudado a relacionar las fuentes de contaminación y los efectos incluso cuando el contaminante no ha sido analizado. A pesar que varios años después del vertido no se han detectado efectos agudos significativos en el área de Conne-Laxe, se han observado respuestas subletales relacionadas con las concentraciones de contaminantes como los Palis, y los metales Ph y Hg. La presencia de ciertos metales como Zn, Cu y Ni en las islas Cíes podrían suponer un riesgo aunque por el momento no se han detectado efectos biológicos en la zona asociados con estos contaminantes. Tras los resultados obtenidos en la Bahía de Corme-Laxe, se sospecha que la presencia de las bateas de cultivo de mariscos pueda suponer una fuente de estrés importante en la zona. La existencia de distintas fuentes de contaminación da lugar a la presencia de una mezcla compleja de contaminantes en la Bahía de Algeciras, incluyendo vertidos industriales, urbanos y derivados del tráfico marítimo y de las actividades de bunkering: Todo elio se refleja en una alta degradación ambiental debida a la entrada continuada de estos vertidos. Por otro lado, cuatro años después del vertido del petrolero Prestige se observa una recuperación generalizada de los sedimentos del Parque Nacional de las islas Atlánticas y una mejora én la calidad de la Bahía de Corme-Laxe. El método integrado ha de la recuperación del sistema afectado en la costa de Galicia, la polución en la zona de la Bahía de Algeciras y la condición de zona de referencia en la estación elegida en la Bahía de Cádiz. Se ha demostrado la capacidad ambiental de recuperación tras un gran vertido de petróleo como el ocurrido en Galicia en 2002 mientras que sedimentos litorales que se ven afectados por moderadas dosis de vertidos durante un largo periodo de tiempo y que en un principio no desatan tanta alarma social pueden resultar notablemente más degradados como es el caso de la Bahía de Algeciras

Strategic environmental sensitivity mapping for oil spill contingency planning in the Peruvian marine-coastal zone

Major oil spills can cause significant impacts on marine-coastal zones, particularly on areas with a high oil spill risk, which combine a high oil spill hazard-high likelihood of oil stranding at high concentrations, and a high environmental sensitivity-high concentration of highly sensitive ecological and socioeconomic resources. In this context, a straightforward multicriteria methodology is proposed to determine the second factor of the oil spill risk, namely the strategic environmental sensitivity (SES), in 68 sectors covering the entire Peruvian marine-coastal zone. The methodology comprised the weighted integration of physical, biological, and socioeconomic sensitivity indicators based on their relevance in surface marine oil spills and the Peruvian ecological and socioeconomic context. As a result, relative SES levels from very low to very high were assigned to the sectors. To demonstrate the SES applicability, an oil spill risk assessment at a screening level was performed in a selected sector with current oil production activities. The oil beaching likelihood of worst-case discharge scenarios modelled for January 2021 was used to determine an overall screening oil spill hazard level in the selected sector, while a matrix relating the SES and hazard determined the screening oil spill risk. The results can be used as a decision-support tool to enhance the oil spill contingency planning in Peru or be used in other relevant processes such as the integrated coastal zone management, the marine spatial planning, or the contingency planning of other liquid contaminants. In addition, the proposed methodologies can be adapted to different local and international contexts and scales

Comparative toxicity of beach mesoplastics from South Spain: An in vitro approach

Plastics, particularly mesoplastics, dominate beach debris and act as carriers of hazardous chemicals, either initially present in plastics or absorbed from the surrounding environment. In this study, mesoplastics were collected from five beaches in the southern region of Spain to investigate their potential impact on marine life. In vitro assays employing fish liver cells (PLHC-1) were conducted to evaluate the toxicity of methanolic extracts derived from intact mesoplastics and after simulated photodegradation. LC-MS analysis of the methanolic extracts revealed the presence of organophosphate esters, phthalates, and phthalate alternatives. The extracts from photodegraded plastics generally showed higher cytotoxicity, ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and genotoxicity (micronuclei formation) than those from intact mesoplastics. All the extracts induced EROD activity in PLHC-1 cells, indicating the presence of significant amounts of CYP1A inducers in beach mesoplastics. Thus, mesoplastics contain chemicals able to induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in PLHC-1 cells, and further photodegradation of mesoplastics facilitates the release of additional chemicals, increasing the overall toxicity. This work also highlights the usefulness of cell-based assays to better define the risks of plastic pollutio

Editorial: Adaptive strategies and interactions of marine phytoplankton in the contemporary ocean: From genes to ecosystems

Este editorial en el que A. Bartual es editora jefe describe seis artículos en los que se muestra interesantes ejemplos de adaptación delfitoplancton, a lo largo del tiempo y de los entornos, con especial énfasis en los dinoflagelados. En concreto, destacan la variabilidad y complejidad de las interacciones tróficas en las que participanestos organismos en el medio marino”, así como “las fascinantes estrategias de adaptación que el fitoplancton ha puesto en práctica a lo largo del tiempo que han impresionado a biólogos marinos yoceanógrafos"

Editorial: Adaptive strategies and interactions of marine phytoplankton in the contemporary ocean: From genes to ecosystems

the articles included analyze interesting examples of phytoplankton adaptation, with special emphasis on dinoflagellates. They specifically highlight the variability and complexity of the trophic interactions that these organisms are involved in in the marine environment. The mesmerizing adaptation strategies that phytoplankton have implemented through time have impressed marine biologists and oceanographers; the uncertainty remains in the next steps ahead.2 página

Marine Litter Windrows: A Strategic Target to Understand and Manage the Ocean Plastic Pollution

Windrow is a long-established term for the aggregations of seafoam, seaweeds, plankton and natural debris that appear on the ocean surface. Here, we define a "litter windrow" as any aggregation of floating litter at the submesoscale domain (<10 km horizontally), regardless of the force inducing the surface convergence, be it wind or other forces such as tides or density-driven currents. The marine litter windrows observed to date usually form stripes from tens up to thousands of meters long, with litter densities often exceeding 10 small items ( 2 cm) per m2 or 1 large item ( 2 cm) per 10 m2. Litter windrows are generally overlooked in research due to their dispersion, small size and ephemeral nature. However, applied research on windrows offers unique possibilities to advance on the knowledge and management of marine litter pollution. Litter windrows are hot spots of interaction with marine life. In addition, since the formation of dense litter windrows requires especially high loads of floating litter in the environment, their detection from space-borne sensors, aerial surveys or other platforms might be used to flag areas and periods of severe pollution. Monitoring and assessing of management plans, identification of pollution sources, or impact prevention are identified as some of the most promising fields of application for the marine litter windrows. In the present Perspective, we develop a conceptual framework and point out the main obstacles, opportunities and methodological approaches to address the study of litter windrows.This study is an outcome of the research project entitled "MappingWindrows as Proxy for Marine Litter Monitoring from Space" (WASP), funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) Contract No. 4000130627/20/NL/GLC, within the Discovery Campaign in Marine Litter. AC had additional support from MIDaS (CTM2016-77106-R, AEI/FEDER/UE), and SA from PRIN 2017-2017WERYZP-EMME project. AI was supported by the Environmental Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF18S20201) of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and by SATREPS of Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan Science and Technology Agency. OB and AR contribution was funded through the EU's LIFE Program (LIFE LEMA project, grant agreement no. LIFE15 ENV/ES/000252). This is contribution number 1016 of AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)

Artisanal trawl fisheries as a sentinel of marine litter pollution

Systematic seafloor surveys are a highly desirable method of marine litter monitoring, but the high costs involved in seafloor sampling are not a trivial handicap. In the present work, we explore the opportunity provided by the artisanal trawling fisheries to obtain systematic data on marine litter in the Gulf of Cadiz between 2019 and 2021. We find that plastic was the most frequent material, with a prevalence of single-use and fishing-related items. Litter densities decreased with increasing distance to shore with a seasonal migration of the main litter hotspots. During pre-lockdown and post-lockdown stages derived from COVID-19, marine litter density decreased by 65 %, likely related to the decline in tourism and outdoor recreational activities. A continuous collaboration of 33 % of the local fleet would imply a removal of hundreds of thousands of items each year. The artisanal trawl fishing sector can play a unique role of monitoring marine litter on the seabe

Air pollution from traffic during pregnancy impairs newborn's cord blood immune cells: The NELA cohort

©2020. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Accepted version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Environmental Research. To access the final edited and published work see https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110468Background: Hazards of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on the developing immune system are poorly understood. We sought to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to TRAP on cord blood immune cell distributions; and to identify gestational windows of susceptibility. Methods: In-depth immunophenotyping of cord blood leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets was performed by flow cytometry in 190 newborns embedded in the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort (2015-2018). Long-term (whole pregnancy and trimesters) and short-term (15-days before delivery) residential exposures to traffic-related nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and ozone (O3) were estimated using dispersion/chemical transport modelling. Associations between TRAP concentrations and cord blood immune cell counts were assessed using multivariate Poisson regression models. Results: Mean number of natural killer (NK) cells decreased 15% in relation to higher NO2 concentrations (≥36.4 μg/m3) during whole pregnancy (incidence relative risk (IRR), 0.85; 95% CI, 0.72, 0.99), with stronger associations in the first trimester. Higher PM2.5 concentrations (≥13.3 μg/m3) during whole pregnancy associated with a reduced mean number of cytotoxic T cells (IRR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78, 0.99). Newborns exposed to higher PM10 (≥23.6 μg/m3) and PM2.5 concentrations during the first and third trimester showed greater mean number of helper T type 1 (Th1) cells (P < 0.05). Decreased number of regulatory T (Treg) cells was associated with greater short-term NO2 (IRR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80, 1.01) and PM10 (IRR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77, 0.99) concentrations. Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to TRAP, particularly in early and late gestation, impairs fetal immune system development through disturbances in cord blood leukocyte and lymphocyte distributions

Proof of concept for a new sensor to monitor marine litter from space

Worldwide, governments are implementing strategies to combat marine litter. However, their effectiveness is largely unknown because we lack tools to systematically monitor marine litter over broad spatio-temporal scales. Metre-sized aggregations of floating debris generated by sea-surface convergence lines have been reported as a reliable target for detection from satellites. Yet, the usefulness of such ephemeral, scattered aggregations as proxy for sustained, large-scale monitoring of marine litter remains an open question for a dedicated Earth-Observation mission. Here, we track this proxy over a series of 300,000 satellite images of the entire Mediterranean Sea. The proxy is mainly related to recent inputs from land-based litter sources. Despite the limitations of in-orbit technology, satellite detections are sufficient to map hot-spots and capture trends, providing an unprecedented source-to-sink view of the marine litter phenomenon. Torrential rains largely control marine litter inputs, while coastal boundary currents and wind-driven surface sweep arise as key drivers for its distribution over the ocean. Satellite-based monitoring proves to be a real game changer for marine litter research and management. Furthermore, the development of an ad-hoc sensor can lower the minimum detectable concentration by one order of magnitude, ensuring operational monitoring, at least for seasonal-to-interannual variability in the mesoscale.Junta de Andalucía (Spain) Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) European Commission (European Union) Universidad de Cádiz (Spain) Ocean+ European Space Agency (France) EMME12 página

The Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohortstudy: Rationale, design, and methods

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2021 The Authors. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Background: Primary prevention strategies for asthma are lacking. Its inception probably starts in utero and/or during the early postnatal period as the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) paradigm suggests. Objectives: The main objective of Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) cohort study is to unravel whether the following factors contribute causally to the developmental origins of asthma: (1) maternal obesity/adiposity and foetal growth; (2) maternal and child nutrition; (3) outdoor air pollution; (4) endocrine disruptors; and (5) maternal psychological stress. Maternal and offspring biological samples are used to assess changes in offspring microbiome, immune system, epigenome and volatilome as potential mechanisms influencing disease susceptibility. Population: Randomly selected pregnant women from three health areas of Murcia, a south-eastern Mediterranean region of Spain, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were invited to participate at the time of the follow-up visit for routine foetal anatomy scan at 19–22 weeks of gestation, at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of the “Virgen de la Arrixaca” University Clinical Hospital over a 36-month period, from March 2015 to April 2018. Design: Prospective, population-based, maternal-child, birth cohort study. Methods: Questionnaires on exposures and outcome variables were administered to mothers at 20–24 gestation week; 32–36 gestation week; and delivery. Children wer