Vertical distribution and trophic structure of the macrozooplankton in a shallow temperate estuary (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

The zooplankton of the lower part of Canal de Mira (Ria de Aveiro) was sampled during one lunar month. The sampling programme consisted of nine 25 hour fixed-cycles, separated weekly. In each cycle, samples were collected every two hours at three depths (surface, mid-water and above the bottom) with a 500 µm mesh net. The overall effect of the tidal phase was analyzed, taking into account the day and depth of the vertical position of the organisms through a 3-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The zooplankton densities were, in general, higher at the surface during the night and near the bottom during the day, mainly at spring tide. The variation in the number of species followed a similar pattern to that observed for abundance. Significant differences (p<0.01) between diel and tidal phases were observed. Interaction between phase of the day and depth was also significant (p<0.05), with higher organism densities observed during night periods near the bottom. From a trophic point of view the zooplankton community of Canal de Mira was mainly composed of carnivorous and omnivorous species. Carnivores were significantly more abundant around the new and full moon (p<0.001), the omnivores at the new moon (p<0.001) and the herbivores and detritivores at the first quarter of the moon cycles (p<0.001). The density of carnivores was significantly higher at the surface at night and near the bottom during the day (p<0.05). Significant differences in the abundance of omnivores were observed between phases of the day and between depths, with higher values near the bottom during the day. The herbivores and detritivores had significantly higher densities during flood tides (p<0.001).DISTIBUICIÓN VERTICAL Y ESTRUCTURA TRÓFICA DEL MACROZOOPLANCTON EN UN ESTUARIO TEMPLADO (RIA DE AVEIRO). – El zooplancton de la parte inferior del Canal de Mira (Ria de Aveiro) fue muestreado durante un mes lunar. El programa de muestreo consistió en nueve ciclos de 25 horas, con periodicidad semanal. En cada ciclo, las muestras fueron recogidas cada dos horas, a tres profundidades (superficie, columna de agua y sobre el fondo) con una red de 500 µm. El efecto total de la fase de la marea fue analizado, teniendo en consideración el día y la profundidad en la posición vertical de los organismos con un análisis 3-Way ANOVA. Las densidades del zooplancton fueron en general más altas en la superficie durante la noche y cercanas al fondo durante el día, principalmente em la marea viva. La variación en el número de especies siguió un patrón similar al observado para la abundancia. Se observaron diferencias significativas (p<0.01) entre las fases del día y las fases de marea. La interacción entre la fase del día y la profundidad fue también significativa (p<0.05) con densidades de organismos más altas durante los periodos nocturnos en el fondo. De un punto de vista trófico, la comunidad zooplanctónica del Canal de Mira está principalmente compuesta por especies carnívoras y omnívoras. Los carnívoros fueram significativamente más abundantes cerca de la luna nueva y de la luna llena (p<0.001), los omnívoros en la luna nueva (p<0.001) y los herbívoros e detritívoros en el primero cuarto de los ciclos de la luna (p<0.001). La densidad de los carní- voros fue significativamente más alta en la superficie durante la noche y en el fondo durante el día (p<0.05). Para los omní- voros, fueron observadas diferencias significativas entre las fases del día y la profundidad, registando valores más elevados en el fondo durante el día. Los herbívoros y los detritívoros presentaron densidades significativamente superiores durante los ciclos de marea (p<0.001)

Patterns of variation in the biochemical composition of Mesopodopsis slabberi (Van Beneden, 1861) (Crustacea: Mysidacea)

In order to assess the patterns of variation in the biochemical composition of Mesopodopsis slabberi (Van Beneden, 1861) in a temperate estuary, we determined the protein, carbohydrate, chitin and lipid contents of freshly caught immature individuals (juveniles), adult males, and adult females during two annual cycles. Statistical analysis (anova) revealed significant differences in the biochemical components between months and development stages for the months analysed. All of the biochemical components showed significant differences between months. Environmental and trophic conditions were the main processes determining seasonal patterns of variation in biochemical composition. The results of complementary experiments carried out to estimate the effects of starvation on biochemical composition showed that the process of starvation consumed mostly carbohydrates, and also that these compounds, together with lipids, were the most affected during the refeeding period. Our findings also indicate that all body reserves were almost fully replenished during refeeding, except for carbohydrates and lipids in adult females and immature individuals (juveniles) and protein content in immature individuals (juveniles). These results indicate that responses to fasting in M. slabberi may be dependent on individual development stages, an observation that is corroborated by the significant differences in the biochemical components observed between development stages for the months analysed. Reproduction was also found to influence patterns of variation in biochemical composition.Para evaluar los modelos de variación de la composición bioquímica de Mesopodopsis slabberi (Van Beneden, 1861) en un estuario templado, determinamos los contenidos en proteínas, hidratos de carbono, quitina y lípidos de individuos inmaduros (juveniles) recién cogidos, y de machos y hembras adultos, durante dos ciclos anuales. Los análisis estadísticos (anova) revelaron, para los meses analizados, diferencias significativas en las composiciones bioquímicas entre los meses y los estados de desarrollo. Todos los componentes bioquímicos mostraron diferencias significativas entre meses. Los factores ambientales y tróficos fueron los principales procesos que determinaron los modelos estacionales de variación en la composición bioquímica. Los resultados de los experimentos complementarios, realizados para determinar los efectos de la inanición sobre la composición bioquímica, pusieron de manifiesto que los procesos de inanición consumen, fundamentalmente, hidratos de carbono, y, también, que estos compuestos, junto con los lípidos, son los más afectados durante el periodo de vuelta a la alimentación. Nuestros descubrimientos indicaron también que todas las reservas corporales son casi completamente repuestas durante la vuelta a la alimentación, excepto los hidratos de carbono y los lípidos en las hembras adultas y en los inmaduros (juveniles), y el contenido en proteínas en los juveniles. Estos resultados indican que las respuestas al ayuno de M. slabberi podrían depender del estado de desarrollo individual, observación que es corroborada por las diferencias significativas observadas, en los componentes bioquímicos y para los meses analizados, entre los distintos estados de desarrollo. Se encontró también que la reproducción tenía influencia sobre los modelos de variación de la composición bioquímica.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Indoor air pollution and respiratory diseases: A general update and a Portuguese perspective

Objective: To quantify the impact of different air pollutants on respiratory health based on robust estimates based on international data and to summarise the evidence of associations between indoor exposure to those pollutants and respiratory morbidity in the Portuguese population. Results: Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses (MA) at the world level demonstrate the impact of indoor air quality on respiratory health, with indoor particulate matter and gasses exerting a significant effect on the airways. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been related to asthma and lung cancer. However, only meta-analyses on biomass use allowed documentation of long-term respiratory effects. While early publications concerning Portuguese-based populations mainly focused on indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, later studies relocated the attention to relevant exposure environments, such as day care buildings, schools, residences and nursing homes. Looking at the pooled effects from the reviewed studies, high levels of carbon dioxide and particulate matter in Portuguese buildings were significantly associated with asthma and wheezing, with VOC and fungi showing a similar effect in some instances. Conclusions: Despite the significant reduction of indoor air pollution effects after the 2008 indoor smoking prohibition in public buildings, studies show that several indoor air parameters are still significantly associated with respiratory health in Portugal. The country shares the worldwide necessity of standardisation of methods and contextual data to increase the reach of epidemiological studies on household air pollution, allowing a weighted evaluation of interventions and policies focused on reducing the associated respiratory morbidity.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

Levels of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in human and environmental samples collected under the framework of MultiRespira Project

Sem resumo disponível.publishe

Response of Benthic Foraminifera to organic matter quantity and quality and bioavailable concentrations of metals in Aveiro Lagoon (Portugal)

This work analyses the distribution of living benthic foraminiferal assemblages of surface sediments in different intertidal areas of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), a polihaline and anthropized coastal lagoon. The relationships among foraminiferal assemblages in association with environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, Eh and pH), grain size, the quantity and quality of organic matter (enrichment in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids), pollution caused by metals, and mineralogical data are studied in an attempt to identify indicators of adaptability to environmental stress. In particular, concentrations of selected metals in the surficial sediment are investigated to assess environmental pollution levels that are further synthetically parameterised by the Pollution Load Index (PLI). The PLI variations allowed the identification of five main polluted areas. Concentrations of metals were also analysed in three extracted phases to evaluate their possible mobility, bioavailability and toxicity in the surficial sediment. Polluted sediment in the form of both organic matter and metals can be found in the most confined zones. Whereas enrichment in organic matter and related biopolymers causes an increase in foraminifera density, pollution by metals leads to a decline in foraminiferal abundance and diversity in those zones. The first situation may be justified by the existence of opportunistic species (with high reproduction rate) that can live in low oxic conditions. The second is explained by the sensitivity of some species to pressure caused by metals. The quality of the organic matter found in these places and the option of a different food source should also explain the tolerance of several species to pollution caused by metals, despite their low reproductive rate in the most polluted areas. In this study, species that are sensitive and tolerant to organic matter and metal enrichment are identified, as is the differential sensitivity/tolerance of some species to metals enrichment.CNPq [401803/2010-4]; [PEst-OE/CTE/UI4035/2014]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A circular toxicity approach to isoprostanes: From markers of oxidative stress, to epidemiological warning systems and agents of aquatic toxicity

International audienc

Distribution and patterns of emergence of suprabenthic and pelagic crustaceans in a shallow temperate estuary (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

Ecology and dynamics of the zooplankton in the Ria de Aveiro, Portugal, were researched to understand the correlation between the patterns of abundance of suprabenthic and zooplanktonic crustaceans and its tidal, day/night and lunar cycles. This study involved the collection of a series of samples during nine 25 h sampling cycles, separated weekly, at a fixed station located near the mouth of the lagoon. In each 25 h cycle, the samples were collected every 2 h with a 500 μm net, at three depths, at the surface, mid-water and over the bottom. The overall effect of the phases of tide and day and depth on the vertical position of the organisms was further investigated through a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), in which the phase of the tide (ebb, flood), the phase of the day (day, night) and depth (surface, mid-water, bottom) constituted the three factors in the analysis. The distribution of the species in the water column exhibited distinct tidal, day/night, and lunar patterns, reflecting the ecological particularities of the different species in relation to their seasonal occurrence and behavioural relationships. This distribution showed that for the dominant species, there was a significant interaction between behavioural strategies and cyclic changes of environmental conditions

Dietary exposure to Cadmium and the associated burden – results from a duplicate diet study in Portugal (2012)

Cadmium is a toxic metal classified as human carcinogen (Group 1) and considered an endocrine disruptor. Human exposure in the non-smoking general population occurs mainly via food ingestion. In order to evaluate the levels of Cd exposure trough food intake in Portugal and the associated burden, a duplicate diet study was conducted in the city of Aveiro, Portugal, in 2012

Mercury levels and neurotoxic potential of house dust extracts

The quality of the indoor environment is affected by a set of factors that include, among others, the presence of environmental contaminants. These contaminants are potentially toxic and can negatively affect the health of the inhabitants. Therefore, their study is fundamental, especially considering that in Western societies about 90% of the time is spent inside what has been called the “built environment”. The evaluation of the indoor environment contamination has been increasingly performed using dust. This matrix acts as a reservoir and repository of chemicals that are simultaneously protected from the degradation processes occurring naturally in the external environment. Available studies are mainly based on chemical analyzes that do not allow to evaluate the toxicity in an integrated way, making the implementation of toxicological tests an imperative. In this work, we evaluated the levels of mercury, a well-known neurotoxicant, in house dust extracts collected under the framework of the 6x60x6 case study. The cytotoxic potential of these dust extracts were also analyzed in the dopaminergic neural cell line N27. The obtained results disclose a moderate neurotoxic potential of the different dust extracts analyzed and a statistically significant correlation between cell viability and mercury concentrations (p<0.05, r=0.900)

Development of innovative materials for antibiotics removal

Currently, about 100,000 tons of antibiotics are consumed each year worldwide, and its excessive and indiscriminate use has been causing serious environmental and public health issues, including the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). According to the World Health Organization, AMR is one of the most important public health problems in the XXI century. Therefore, it has become imperative to develop new strategies for the efficient removal of these compounds before they enter the ecosystem. In this sense, this study aims to synthesize and characterize several materials functionalized with ionic liquids (SILs), which have shown to be a promising and low-cost technology. Their ability to adsorb different antibiotics from aqueous solutions and synthetic urine was evaluated, in order to mitigate their environmental impact. The adsorption of tetracycline, a frequently used antibiotic, was evaluated and the synthesized SILs proved to be promising materials for its removal, with removal efficiencies higher than 30%.publishe