Are Sunscreen a New Environmental Risk Associated with Coastal Tourism?

The world coastal-zone population and coastal tourism are expected to grow during this century. Associated with that, there will be an increase in the use of sunscreens and cosmetics with UV-filters in their formulation, which will make coastal regions worldwide susceptible to the impact of these cosmetics. Recent investigations indicate that organic and inorganic UV-filters, as well as many other components that are constituents of the sunscreens, reach the marine environment - directly as a consequence of water recreational activities and/or indirectly from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) effluents. Toxicity of organic and inorganic UV filters has been demonstrated in aquatic organism. UV-filters inhibit growth in marine phytoplankton and tend to bioaccumulate in the food webs. These findings together with coastal tourism data records highlight the potential risk that the increasing use of these cosmetics would have in coastal marine areas. Nevertheless, future investigations into distribution, residence time, aging, partitioning and speciation of their main components and by-products in the water column, persistence, accumulation and toxicity in the trophic chain, are needed to understand the magnitude and real impact of these emerging pollutants in the marine system. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.D.S.-Q. was supported by the JAE-predoc program of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)Peer Reviewe

Precipitation in the Mediterranean basin as seen from the 2000-2010 TRMM-3B42-v6 database

Sarrand, B. et al.Trabajo presentado en la EGU General Assemby 2012, celebrada del 22 al 27 de septiembre de 2012 en Viena (Austria)This work presents a detailed analysis of 11 yrs of the version 6 of the TRMM-3B42 multi-sensor precipitation product (3-h and 0.25° resolution) from March 2000 to February 2011 over the whole Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas including the Black Sea (25°N-50°N, 10°W-43°E). We first discuss some issues in the data set regarding spatial and temporal discontinuities in coastal areas, and further illustrate a critical underestimation of light rains at latitudes higher than 36-37° that somewhat improves from 2007 on and is associated to the absence of coverage by the Precipitation Radar. North of the radar field of view, it seems that the marine coastal band is subject to a significant under detection of precipitation, whereas, on the opposite, the terrestrial coastal band south of 35°N in North Africa and the Near East shows unrealistic over detection of precipitation. We then evaluate the product against rain gauges with a focus on the western Mediterranean basin and the Adriatic. Our reference rain gauge data set includes about 1 million daily rain reports from more than 260 Mediterranean surface stations from Croatia, France, Italy, Malta, Spain (including 2 stations on the northern coast of Africa) and Tunisia, and from 9 additional non-Mediterranean stations from a flat region in France. It includes stations from almost 20 small Mediterranean islands. The comparison shows a significant correlation between TRMM-3B42v6 and rain gauges but with an overall tendency to underestimation. The average ratio of daily rates between surface stations and TRMM product is ~0.63 with significant regional variations, Corsica showing the poorest results and Spain the best. Over the Mediterranean stations considered, the average rate of success on the occurrence of precipitation (~0.75) is enhanced by the high proportion of dry days in the Mediterranean climate (~4 over 5 on average in the rain gauge data set) and drops off when only days with precipitation recorded at surface stations are considered. Averaging fallout at monthly and annual time scales somewhat improves the comparison to rain gauges. We find that results are better in summer and likely more generally in unstable conditions, as illustrated by a subset of data composed of days with high African dust load over the basin. Using a few TRMM pixels that cover 3 or even 5 surface stations, we further illustrate how the small scale heterogeneity of precipitation is a limitation in the comparison between the integrated view of precipitation from space and the local surface measurements. Finally we integrate the variability of the rainfall geographical distribution at seasonal and annual scales over 5 sub-basins (western and eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean, and Black Sea). An increasing trend in annual precipitation in the Mediterranean basin is observed over the decade that is also found at the global scale and appears related to the improving performance of the product with time regarding the detection of light rains, especially over Europe and the Mediterranean. Finally we compare the TRMM-3B42v6 precipitation budget over the basin with comparable budgets from ERA-Interim, HOAPS and CMAP data setsPeer Reviewe

The significance of the episodic nature of atmospheric deposition to Low Nutrient Low Chlorophyll regions

Guieu, C. ... et. al.-- 20 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, supporting information http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GB004852/suppinfoIn the vast Low Nutrient Low-Chlorophyll (LNLC) Ocean, the vertical nutrient supply from the subsurface to the sunlit surface waters is low, and atmospheric contribution of nutrients may be one order of magnitude greater over short timescales. The short turnover time of atmospheric Fe and N supply (<1 month for nitrate) further supports deposition being an important source of nutrients in LNLC regions. Yet, the extent to which atmospheric inputs are impacting biological activity and modifying the carbon balance in oligotrophic environments has not been constrained. Here, we quantify and compare the biogeochemical impacts of atmospheric deposition in LNLC regions using both a compilation of experimental data and model outputs. A metadata-analysis of recently conducted field and laboratory bioassay experiments reveals complex responses, and the overall impact is not a simple “fertilization effect of increasing phytoplankton biomass” as observed in HNLC regions. Although phytoplankton growth may be enhanced, increases in bacterial activity and respiration result in weakening of biological carbon sequestration. The application of models using climatological or time-averaged non-synoptic deposition rates produced responses that were generally much lower than observed in the bioassay experiments. We demonstrate that experimental data and model outputs show better agreement on short timescale (days to weeks) when strong synoptic pulse of aerosols deposition, similar in magnitude to those observed in the field and introduced in bioassay experiments, is superimposed over the mean atmospheric deposition fields. These results suggest that atmospheric impacts in LNLC regions have been underestimated by models, at least at daily to weekly timescales, as they typically overlook large synoptic variations in atmospheric deposition and associated nutrient and particle inputs. Inclusion of the large synoptic variability of atmospheric input, and improved representation and parameterization of key processes that respond to atmospheric deposition, is required to better constrain impacts in ocean biogeochemical models. This is critical for understanding and prediction of current and future functioning of LNLC regions and their contribution to the global carbon cycleThis article was initiated in Istanbul, Turkey during a 2 day workshop financed by the European CoOperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action 735 “Tools for assessing global air-sea fluxes of climate and air pollution relevant gases”. It is a contribution to the The International Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) projectPeer reviewe

A new approach for the determination of sunscreen levels in seawater by ultraviolet absorption spectrophotometry

Sunscreen is released into the marine environment and is considered toxic for marine life. The current analytical methods for the quantification of sunscreen are mostly specific to individual chemical ingredients and based on complex analytical and instrumental techniques. A simple, selective, rapid, reproducible and low-cost spectrophotometric procedure for the quantification of commercial sunscreen in seawater is described here. The method is based on the inherent properties of these cosmetics to absorb in the wavelength of 300-400 nm. The absorption at 303 nm wavelength correlates with the concentration of most commercial sunscreens. This method allows the determination of sunscreens in the range of 2.5-1500 mg L-1, it requires no sample pretreatment and offers a precision of up to 0.2%. The spectrophotometric method was applied to quantify sunscreen concentrations at an Atlantic Beach with values ranging from 10 to 96.7 mg L-1 in the unfiltered fraction and from the undetectable value to 75.7 mg L-1 in the dissolved fraction. This method is suggested as a tool for sunscreen quantifications in environmental investigations and monitoring programs

Distribution and transport of dissolved trace metals in the Gulf of Cádiz, Spain

Trabajo presentado en el XVIII Seminario Ibérico de Química Marina, celebrado en Alicante (España) de 20 al 22 de julio de 2016.The Gulf of Cadiz plays a key role in the exchange of biogeochemical fluxes between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar. Oceanographers have carried out many investigations in the Gulf of Cádiz on water mass circulation and mass balance of nutrients and carbon. However, despite its importance in the global ocean functioning, studies on trace metals in the Gulf of Cádiz and Strait of Gibraltar waters are very scarce. Here we show the concentrations of dissolved trace metal composition (i.e. Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the Gulf of Cádiz and Mediterranean Sea surface waters as obtained from 5 oceanographic campaigns. Our results indicate that the Gulf of Cádiz surface water mass is receiving large amounts of trace metals transported by the different rivers that flow into the Gulf of Cádiz. Thus, dissolved trace metals in these waters were highly variable with the highest ranges measured for Co (0.06 – 3.1 nM), Fe (0.6 – 392 nM) and Pb (0.04 – 512 nM).This work was financed by the MICCIN grants MEGOCA (CTM2014-59244-C3-3-R).N

Copper aerosols inhibit phytoplankton growth in the Mediterranean Sea

Aerosol deposition plays an important role in climate and biogeochemical cycles by supplying nutrients to the open ocean, in turn stimulating ocean productivity and carbon sequestration. Aerosol particles also contain elements such as copper (Cu) that are essential in trace amounts for phytoplankton physiology but which can be toxic at high concentrations. While the toxicity of Cu associated with aerosols has been demonstrated in bioassay experiments, extrapolation of these laboratory results to natural conditions is not straightforward. This study provides observational evidence of the negative effect of aerosols containing high Cu concentrations on marine phytoplankton over a vast region of the Western Mediterranean Sea. Direct aerosol measurements were combined with satellite observations, resulting in the detection of significant declines in phytoplankton biomass after atmospheric aerosol events characterized by high Cu concentrations. The declines were more evident during summer, when nanoflagellates predominate in the phytoplankton population and stratification and oligotrophic conditions prevail in the study region. Together with previous findings concerning atmospheric Cu deposition, these results demonstrate that the toxicity of Cu-rich aerosols can involve large areas of the world’s oceans. Moreover, they highlight the present vulnerability of oceanic ecosystems to Cu-rich aerosols of anthropogenic origins. Since anthropogenic emissions are increasing, largescale negative effects on marine ecosystems can be anticipatedPeer Reviewe

The contribution of penguin guano to the Southern Ocean iron pool

Iron plays a crucial role in the high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll Southern Ocean regions, promoting phytoplankton growth and enhancing atmospheric carbon sequestration. In this area, iron-rich Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and baleen whale species, which are among their main predators, play a large role in the recycling of iron. However, penguins have received limited attention despite their representing the largest seabird biomass in the southern polar region. Here, we use breeding site guano volumes estimated from drone images, deep learning-powered penguin census, and guano chemical composition to assess the iron export to the Antarctic waters from one of the most abundant penguin species, the Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). Our results show that these seabirds are a relevant contributor to the iron remobilization pool in the Southern Ocean. With an average guano concentration of 3 mg iron g−1, we estimate that the Chinstrap penguin population is recycling 521 tonnes iron yr−1, representing the current iron contribution half of the amount these penguins were able to recycle four decades ago, as they have declined by more than 50% since then9 página

Krill as a central node for iron cycling in the Southern Ocean

In order to establish the potential role of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in the recycling of bioactive elements, we have quantified the release of iron, phosphate, and ammonia by these organisms along the Antarctic Peninsula sector of the Southern Ocean. The experimental results suggested that the presence of krill has a significant impact on ambient iron concentrations, as large amounts of this trace element were released by the krill (22-689 nmol Fe g Dry Weight-1 h-1, equivalent to 0.2 to 4.3 nmol Fe L-1 d-1). Half of this iron release occurred within the first hour of the experiment, and differences in iron and phosphate release rates (3.1 to 14.0 μmol PO4 3- g DW-1 h-1) seemed to reflect differences in food availability. These results identify krill as a major node in iron cycling in the Southern Ocean, potentially influencing iron residence time in the upper water column of this region. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.Peer Reviewe