Active and passive biomonitoring of trace elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls in small Mediterranean harbours

peer reviewedPollution particularly affects coastal ecosystems due to their proximity to anthropic sources. Among those en- vironments, harbours are subjected to marine traffic but also to accidental and chronic pollution. These areas are thus exposed to complex mixtures of contaminants such as trace elements and organic contaminants which can impact marine species, habitats, and ecosystem services. The monitoring of these compounds is thus a crucial issue for assessment of environmental health. In this context, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the chemical contamination of harbours in Corsica (NW Mediterranean) by measuring the bioaccumulation of trace elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls in mussels, limpets, and sea cu- cumbers. The human health risks associated with seafood consumption were also assessed. Results reveal a relatively low contamination in the Corsican harbours studied compared to larger Mediterranean ports and suggest that the potential health risk for consumers eating seafood is low.Quality of the marine environment in the Mediterranean port areas (QUAMPO

Subchronic exposure to high-density polyethylene microplastics alone or in combination with chlortoluron significantly affected valve activity and daily growth of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

International audienceNowadays, pesticides and microplastics (MPs) are commonly found in coastal waters worldwide. Due to their widespread use, their persistence and toxicity, they may induce adverse effects on physiology and behaviour of marine organisms such as the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). This study explored the growth and valve activity of juvenile oysters exposed for 24 days to two frequently detected pollutants in the Pertuis Charentais (South West, France): a herbicide (chlortoluron, 85 µg.L−1) and high-density polyethylene microparticles (HDPE 20-25 µm, 112 MP.mL−1) alone or in combination (cocktail condition; 97 µg.L−1 of chlortoluron + 108 MP. mL−1). The valve activity of juvenile oysters recorded by using a High Frequency and Non-Invasive valvometer (HFNI) was characterized by three parameters: the number of valve micro-closures (VMC), the Valve Opening Amplitude (VOA), and the Valve Opening Duration (VOD). Additionally, daily shell growth and the oyster daily rhythm were assessed. The exposure to MPs of oysters led to a significant increase of VMC and a decrease of VOD and shell growth. The exposure to chlortoluron showed a significant increase of VOA and a decrease of VMC. In combination with MPs, chlortoluron still increased VOA and decreased VMC but also reduced the shell growth. Chronobiological analysis did not reveal any effects on the daily rhythm of both contaminants. This work highlighted significant effects of high environmental concentrations of MPs and Chlortoluron on the behaviour and growth of the Pacific oyste

Comportement d'évitement et impact toxicologique de crèmes solaires chez le téléoste Chelon Auratus

International audienceThere is increasing evidence that sunscreen, more specifically the organic ultraviolet filters (O-UVFs), are toxic for aquatic organisms. In the present study, we simulated an environmental sunscreen exposure on the teleost fish, Chelon auratus. The first objective was to assess their spatial avoidance of sunscreen products. Our results showed that the fish did not avoid the contaminated area. Therefore, the second objective was to evaluate the toxicological impacts of such pollutants. At the individual level, O-UVFs increased the hepatosomatic index which suggests pathological alterations of the liver. At the cellular level, a significant increase of malondialdehyde was measured in the muscle of fish exposed to O-UVFs which suggests a failure of antioxidant defences and/or an excess 2 of reactive oxygen species. Although our study highlighted some of the toxicological effects due to O-UVFs contamination, further investigations are needed for a better understanding of the impact of these contaminants upon marine teleosts

Study of the leaching of additive from microplastics using an in vitro enzymatic digestion model

International audienc

Toxic effects of leachates from plastic pearl-farming gear on embryo-larval development in the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera

Place: Oxford Publisher: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd WOS:000537695500018International audiencePearl-farming leads to significant plastic pollution in French Polynesia (FP) as the end of life of most farming gear is currently poorly managed. Plastic debris released into the aquatic environment accumulates, with potentially detrimental effects on the lagoon ecosystem and pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera, a species of ecological, commercial and social value. Here, we tested the effects of leachates from new (N) and aged (A) plastic pearl-farming gear (spat collector and synthetic rope) obtained after 24 h and 120 h incubation, on the embryo-larval development of the pearl oyster using an in-vitro assay. Embryos were exposed for 24 h and 48 h to a negative control (0) and the leachate from 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 g of plastic. L-1. After 24 h exposure to leachate at 100 g.L-1, effects were observed on embryo development (-38% to -60% of formed larvae) and mortality (+72% to +82%). Chemical analyses of plastic gear indicated the presence of 26 compounds, consisting of organic contaminants (PAHs) and additives (mainly phthalates). Screening of leachates demonstrated that these compounds leach into the surrounding seawater with an additional detection of pesticides. Higher levels of phthalates were measured in leachates obtained from new (6.7-9.1 mg.L-1) than from aged (0.4-0.5 mg.L-1) plastics, which could be part of the explanation of the clear difference in toxicity observed after 48 h exposure at lower concentrations (0.1-10 g.L-1), associated with mortality ranging from 26 to 86% and 17-28%, respectively. Overall, this study suggests that plastic gear used in the pearl-farming industry releases significant amounts of hazardous chemicals over their lifetime, which may affect pearl oyster development that call for in-situ exploration. (c) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Coupling caging and proteomics on the European flounder (Platichthys flesus) to assess the estuarine water quality at micro scale

International audienceEstuaries are important areas highly vulnerable to anthropogenic pollutions. Therefore, the assessment of estuarine water quality is a major ecological issue. In this study, we sampled juveniles of the European flounder in the “pristine” Canche estuary, and caged them in Canche and in two polluted sites of the Seine estuary, Rouen and Fosse Nord. After one month, the metal and organic pollutants in these sites were assessed, and we evaluated several phenotypic indicators (condition index, RNA/DNA ratios and genotoxicity), and extracted the proteins in fish livers for analysis using a shotgun proteomics approach.The results showed strong modifications in the fish caged in both sites of the Seine estuary, as compared to those caged in Canche. In particular, many proteins involved in phase I and phase II detoxification reactions were accumulated in the liver of fish caged in the site showing the highest pollution, Rouen. In addition, we observed a general disruption of metabolism, in particular an increase in lipid synthesis and carbohydrate degradation in Rouen, and a decrease in the abundance of proteins associated to translational activity in Fosse Nord. At both sites, several stress proteins were decreased.The proteomic impact of the encagement by itself was also evaluated, by comparing the liver proteome of fish caged in Canche to that of fish stayed in natura during the same time. The results showed proteomic signatures of exposure to stressful conditions (particularly heat stress), most probably related to the micro-habitat in which the cages were placed. In conclusion, the caging technique is of great interest for ecotoxicological assessment of estuarine waters, but should consider that the results are representative of the micro-habitat around the cages, which does not necessarily represent the overall heterogeneity of the estuarine environment

An Irgafos® 168 story: When the ubiquity of an additive prevents studying its leaching from plastics

Plastic pollution is a source of chemical to the environment and wildlife. Despite the ubiquity of plastic pollution and thus plastic additive in the environment, plastic additives have been studied to a limited extend. As a prerequisite to a study aiming to evaluate the leaching of a common additive used as an antioxidant (Irgafos® 168) from polyethylene microparticles, an inventory of the potential background contamination of the laboratory workplace was done. In this study, Irgafos® 168 (tris(2,4-ditert-butylphenyl) phosphite) and its oxidized form (tris (2,4-ditert-butylphenyl) phosphate) were quantified in different laboratory reagents, including the plastic packaging and the powders, using Pyrolysis-GC/MS. At least one form of Irgafos® 168 was detected in all tested laboratory reagents with higher concentrations in caps and bottles as compared to the powders. Additionally, oxidized Irgafos® 168 was also found in the reverse osmosed and deionized water container used in the laboratory. The same profile of contamination, i.e. higher concentration of the oxidized form and higher concentrations in acidic reagents, was observed when comparing the reagent and their respective containers suggesting that the additive is leaching from the container into the powder. Overall, this study demonstrates that the antioxidant additive Irgafos® 168 is ubiquitous in the laboratory workplace. Plastic additives such as Irgafos® 168 can therefore largely interfere and biased ecotoxicological and toxicological studies especially using environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics. The source, fate and effects of plastic additive from plastic debris should be carefully considered in future studies that require setting up methods to overcome these contaminations

spectral and health

Excel datasheet with all data for paper

spectral and health

All data for the paper contained in a pandas dataframe saved as h5file

Data from: Underwater hyperspectral classification of deep sea corals exposed to 2-methylnaphthalene

Tropical corals are routinely monitored from satellite and aeroplane using remote sensing techniques, revealing the health of coral reefs. Notably, coral bleaching is continuously monitored using multi- or hyperspectral imagery from satellites and aeroplanes. For deep-water corals, however, no established remote sensing technique exists, and for this reason, much less is known about the status of their habitats over time. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the use of underwater hyperspectral imaging to detect changes in health status of both orange and white color morphs of the coral species L. pertusa. In this study, we examine the feasibility of similar ecosystem health monitoring by the use of underwater hyperspectral imagery. A total of 66 coral samples were exposed to 2-methylnaphthalene concentrations from 0 mg L-1 to 3.5 mg L-1, resulting in corals of varying health condition. By use of a machine learning model for classification of reflectance spectra, we were able to classify exposed corals according to lethal concentration (LC) levels LC5 (5% mortality) and LC25 (25% mortality). This is a first step in developing a remote sensing technique able to assess environmental impact on deep-water coral habitats over larger areas underwater