Spatio-temporal patterns of PAHs, PCBs and HCB in sediments of the western Barents Sea

Source at https://doi.org/10.5697/oc.53-4.1005.We examine the composition and levels of organic contaminants (PAHs, PCB, HCB) in four sediment cores collected from the Barents Sea. We assess the influence of temporal variations in contaminant supplies and post-depositional reworking on contaminant distribution. Anthropogenic levels of ∑ 12PAH reached 95 ng g−1, higher inventories dominated by BKF were observed at southern stations, while northern stations exhibited lower inventories with PHE as the dominant compound. The PCB composition was similar at all stations dominated by CB 101, 138 and 153. ∑7PCB concentrations were higher at northern stations. The observed composition and spatio-temporal pattern of organic contaminants is in accordance with long-range transport supplies

Developmental toxicity of plastic leachates on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

Microplastic pollution has become ubiquitous, affecting a wide variety of biota. Although microplastics are known to alter the development of a range of marine invertebrates, no studies provide a detailed morphological characterisation of the developmental defects. Likewise, the developmental toxicity of chemicals leached from plastic particles is understudied. The consequences of these developmental effects are likely underestimated, and the effects on ecosystems are unknown. Using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus as a model, we studied the effects of leachates of three forms of plastic pellet: new industrial pre-production plastic nurdles, beached pre-production nurdles, and floating filters, known as biobeads, also retrieved from the environment. Our chemical analyses show that leachates from beached pellets (biobead and nurdle pellets) and highly plasticised industrial pellets (PVC) contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls, which are known to be detrimental to development and other life stages of animals. We also demonstrate that these microplastic leachates elicit severe, consistent and treatment-specific developmental abnormalities in P. lividus at embryonic and larval stages. Those embryos exposed to virgin polyethylene leachates with no additives nor environmental contaminants developed normally, suggesting that the abnormalities observed are the result of exposure to either environmentally adsorbed contaminants or pre-existing industrial additives within the polymer matrix. In the light of the chemical contents of the leachates and other characteristics of the plastic particles used, we discuss the phenotypes observed during our study, which include abnormal gastrulation, impaired skeletogenesis, abnormal neurogenesis, redistribution of pigmented cells and embryo radialisation

Floating macro litter in European rivers - top items

The JRC exploratory project RIMMEL provides information about litter, mainly plastic waste, entering the European Seas through river systems. RIMMEL has collected data on riverine floating macro litter inputs to the sea. Data acquisition was based on the Riverine Litter Observation Network (RiLON) activities, which collected data from rivers in the European marine basins over a period of one year (September 2016 – September 2017). Data was collected by visual observations and documented with the JRC Floating Litter Monitoring Application for mobile devices, allowing a harmonized reporting, compatible with the MSFD Master List of Categories for Litter Items. This report includes the Top Items lists of riverine floating macro litter, based on the total amount of litter items identified during RiLON activities and ranked by abundance. Top Items lists have been elaborated considering the whole database for the European Seas and further detailed for each individual European regional sea: Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and North-East Atlantic. The North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea regions showed similar litter categories in their Top 20 Items. These two regions provided most of the available data, influencing the general Top Items list. In the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions, where data availability was limited, the Top Items lists showed more differences among the different regions. Overall, the general Top Items list for the European Seas showed a predominance of plastic item categories (artificial polymer materials). As a whole, plastic items made up to 80.8% of all objects, with plastic and polystyrene fragments comprising 45% of the identified items in the database. Additionally, Single Use Plastics such as bottles, cover/packaging and bags were also ranked among the most frequently found floating litter. The similarities in the Top 10 and Top 20 items for the different regions, and the appearance of Single Use Plastics scoring high in the ranking, support the need for common actions against plastic pollution at EU level.JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource

Assessment of exposure of organisms to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in marine coastal ecosystems

The post-doctoral thesis in earth sciences

Spatio-temporal patterns of PAHs, PCBs and HCB in sediments of the western Barents Sea Arctic Organic contaminants POPs Sediment accumulation

Abstract We examine the composition and levels of organic contaminants (PAHs, PCB, HCB) in four sediment cores collected from the Barents Sea. We assess the influence of temporal variations in contaminant supplies and post-depositional reworking on contaminant distribution. Anthropogenic levels of 12PAH reached 95 ng g −1 , higher inventories dominated by BKF were observed at southern stations, while The complete text of the paper is available at http://www.iopan.gda.pl/oceanologia/ 1006 A. Zaborska, J. Carroll, K. Pazdro, J. Pempkowiak northern stations exhibited lower inventories with PHE as the dominant compound. The PCB composition was similar at all stations dominated by CB 101, 138 and 153. 7 PCB concentrations were higher at northern stations. The observed composition and spatio-temporal pattern of organic contaminants is in accordance with long-range transport supplies

Anionic surfactant linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea, Poland) and its environmental implications

11 páginas, 1 figura, 5 tablas.- Artículo online pendiente publicación en papel.Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is a group of anionic surfactants employed in the formulation of laundry and cleaning products, with a global production rate of 4 million metric tons. Sediments from the Polish coast of the southern Baltic Sea were collected at ten stations. Total LAS concentrations, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, were between 0.04 and 0.72 mg LAS·kg−1 dry weight. Highest LAS concentrations were found in suspended matter collected from the Vistula River, sediment collected close to the Vistula River mouth and from the Gdańsk Deep, known as the depositional area. With the obtained environmental LAS concentrations, a risk assessment for this surfactant has been carried out, based on publicly available acute and chronic toxicity data in target organisms. The results indicated that LAS could pose a low risk for the existing benthic community applying worst case scenario assessment. This is the first time that levels of LAS have been measured in environmental samples of the southern Baltic Sea.Peer reviewe

Toxicants Accumulation Rates and Effects in Mytilus Trossulus and Nereis Diversicolor Exposed Separately or Together to Cadmium and PAHs

16 pages, 4 figures, 3 tablesTwo invertebrates, Mytilus trossulus and Nereis diversicolor, were exposed in aquaria to cadmium (50 μ g L- 1) and a mixture of three- to six-ring PAHs (2 μ g L- 1 each) for 2 weeks. Organisms of two species were reared in separate tanks or together in the same one. Concentrations of Cd, PAHs and activities of selected biomarkers: catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured within 2 weeks of exposure. When reared separately, higher accumulation rates for cadmium were measured in mussels (16.4 μ g day- 1 g- 1 d.w. lipid-free tissue) than in polychaeta (0.7 μ g Cd g- 1 d.w day- 1). When co-exposed, a difference in bioaccumulation was maintained but the accumulation rate in N. diversicolor increased to 1.0 μ g Cd g- 1 d.w. day- 1 and decreased to 9.6 μ g Cd g- 1 d.w. day- 1 in M. trossulus. On the contrary, faster bioaccumulation rates of PAHs were seen in polychaeta than in mussels when exposed separately (19.3 vs 4.5 μ g PAHs day- 1 g- 1 lipid weight) than together (12.0 vs 3.1 μ g PAHs g- 1 l.w. day- 1). Substantial changes in the bioaccumulation patterns of the different M. trossulus organs were observed when both species were reared together. Biochemical responses indicated no effect of the accumulated contaminants on AChE, enhancement of CAT in both species and depletion of GST in Mytilus. The observed differences are discussed in terms of different bioavailability of contaminants, route of uptake and detoxification mechanism, under the two modes of exposure.The study was financially supported in the frame of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain)- Polska Akademia Nauk (Poland) scientific cooperation, and Insitute of Oceanology PAS, Sopot statutory activities II.2/03.Peer reviewe

Heavy Metals in Sediments of Urban Streams: Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Influencing Factors

Sediments of two urban streams in northern Poland outflowing to the Baltic Sea were assessed to explain the spatial variation in relation to urbanization level of the catchment, the role of retention tanks (RTs) and identification of pollution level. During the 3 month period of investigation sediment samples were collected from the inflow (IN) and outflow (OUT) of six RTs located on streams for flood protection. Six heavy metals (HMs) were investigated: Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr. The assessment of four geochemical enrichment indices used to quantify contamination of HMs in the sediments at IN and OUT samples was carried out. Contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and potential ecological risk (RI) were calculated and the indices usefulness was assessed. Also, the hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated to assess health risk associated with dredging works. In sediments from RTs where paved surfaces constituted more than 70% of the catchment the HMs concentrations were from one to three times higher for Ni and from two to 143 times higher for Cu in comparison to soft catchment results. The extremely high Cu concentration (1114 mg/kg d.w.) found in sediments at RT Orłowska IN was most likely associated with large area of roofs covered with copper sheet. Calculation of CF, PLI, Igeo, RI, HQ indicators allows for a complex and multi-dimensional assessment of sediment status. Among these, CF and PLI classified the analyzed sediments as most polluted. Basing on the sedimentary HMs concentrations the health risk level via dermal exposure pathway was assessed as low