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Pharmaceuticals can be considered a global threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their pseudo-persistence and their potential toxicity towards non-target species. Amoxicillin (AMX) and carbamazepine (CBZ) and their mixture (1:1) were investigated on the marine copepod Tigriopus fulvus (Fischer, 1860) considering both acute and chronic endpoints. While acute and chronic exposure did not directly affect survival, reproductive endpoints were affected like the mean egg hatching time that was significantly longer than the negative control for treatments with AMX (0.789 ± 0.079 μg/L), CBZ (8.88 ± 0.89 μg/L), and AMX and CMZ as a mixture (1.03 ± 0.10 μg/L and 0.941 ± 0.094 μg/L), in that order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic debris from direct and indirect human activities is considered a major threat to the marine biodiversity mainly due to its abundance, durability, persistence, and ability to accumulate contaminants from the environment. Derelict tubular plastic nets of various colours (blue (BN), yellow (YN), green (GN), pink (PN), and white (WN) net), used to distinguish mussel farming owners, were collected by scuba-dive from the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea). All nets were made of polypropylene. Investigations looked for potential acute (mortality) and sub-chronic (mortality, larval development and moult release number, and adult percentage after 5–9 days) effects on Tigriopus fulvus nauplii considering both whole plastics (microplastic (MP), 50 mg/L) and leachates (12.5–100%). Acute test determined a median lethal concentration (LC50) only for BN for both MPs (107 mg/L) and leachates (50.1%). The prolonged exposure (5 days) to microplastics did not affect the T. fulvus survival. After 9 days, YN and BN decreased of approximately 100% larval development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the continuous development, production and consumption of nanoparticles (NPs), their release, fate and effects in marine coastal environment can represent a major concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and compare it to bulk ZnSO4 on three macroinvertebrates: the isopod Cymodoce truncata (i.e. used for the first time in ecotoxicology), the amphipod Gammarus aequicauda and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. This study showed concentration- and time-dependent relationships for all biological models for both ZnO NPs and ZnSO4. Both Zn forms elicited high toxicity to G. aequicauda and C. truncata juveniles, but ZnO NPs induced comparable responses to both species (96h-LC50 = 0.30 and 0.37 mg/L for G. aequicauda and C. truncata, respectively; p > 0.05), while differences were found after ZnSO4 exposure (96h-LC50 = 0.28 and 0.63 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.05). ZnO NPs generated sub-lethal effects on P. lividus embryos (72h-EC50 = 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) mg/L), not significantly different from ZnSO4 ones (72h-EC50 = 0.06 (0.05, 0.07) mg/L). Effects of ZnO NPs were similar to existing literature data for other testing species. C. truncata can be considered as a promising new biological model in (nano)ecotoxicology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated for the first time the effects of ZnO nanoparticle (NP) chronic exposure (28 days) on Tigriopus fulvus. Acute toxicity (48 h) of three Zn chemical forms was assessed as well including the following: (a) ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), (b) Zn2+ from ZnO NP suspension after centrifugation (supernatant) and (c) ZnSO4 H2O. Physical-chemical and electronic microscopies were used to characterize spiked exposure media. Results showed that the dissolution of ZnO NPs was significant, with a complete dissolution at lowest test concentrations, but nano- and micro-aggregates were always present. Acute test evidenced a significant higher toxicity of Zn2+ and ZnSO4 compared to ZnO NPs. The chronic exposure to ZnO NPs caused negative effects on the reproductive traits, i.e. brood duration, brood size and brood number at much lower concentrations (≥ 100 μg/L). The appearance of ovigerous females was delayed at higher concentrations of ZnO NPs, while the time required for offspring release and the percentage of non-viable eggs per female were significantly increased. ZnO NP subchronic exposure evidenced its ability to reduce T. fulvus individual reproductive fitness, suggesting that ZnO NPs use and release must be carefully monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy) is a semi-enclosed and strongly polluted basin. For decades, it has been subjected to different anthropogenic impacts. These stressors caused severe sediments contamination with high concentration of different pollutants (PAHs, PCB, heavy metals). In order to assess the current status of sediments contamination, an ecotoxicological investigation combined with chemical analysis (heavy metals, PAH, and PCB) has been performed. In order to derive ecologically relevant conclusions, a multiorganisms and multiend-points approach has been applied, exposing organisms from different trophic levels to elutriate and whole sediment. The battery of bioassays consists of a microalgal growth inhibition test ( Dunaliella tertiolecta), acute and sublethal assays (end-points: mortality, immobilization and swimming speed alteration) on crustaceans larvae and juveniles, and rotifers ( Amphibalanus amphitrite, Artemia salina, Corophium insidiosum and Brachionus plicatilis), and embryotoxicity test on echinoderms ( Paracentrotus lividus). Considering the high levels of sediment contamination highlighted from chemical analysis, an unexpected very low toxic effect was observed, even considering the sublethal end-point (larval swimming speed alteration). The results of this study suggest a very complex contaminants dynamic in the Mar Piccolo sediments that, despite a strong level of contamination, seems to not affect in a proportional manner the biological compartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]