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Biosorption is a sustainable biological treatment for remediating environmental hazardous matrices. The shells of the invasive bivalve Corbicula fluminea were tested for their potential as a natural, abundant sorption material to cope with extremely toxic olive oil mill wastes (OOMW). Shells of C. fluminea were exposed for 14 days to OOMW and variations in the chemical composition of the waste and the shells were monitored by FTIR analysis. In general, the results showed the inefficacy of the shells in adsorbing chemicals from OOMW, namely regarding predominant aromatic structures. A significant slight increase in the 1750–1180 cm−1 region was found, relating to a mild reduction of the peak areas in the same FTIR region noted in shells, which suggests partial shell dissolution; this trend was further supported by the parallel increase of the levels of both pH and Chemical Oxygen Demand. Although the shells of C. fluminea were found inadequate as a sink for the organic components present in OOMW, the abundance of the resource and previous evidence of its absorption capacity for different contaminants support the need for extended research on the use of this biomaterial as a sorption agent in bioremediation.

Wildfires are an environmental concern due to the loss of forest area and biodiversity, but also because their role as drivers of freshwater systems contamination by metals. In this context, the fish Gambusia holbrooki was used as a model, deployed for in situ exposure in watercourses standing within a recently burnt area and further assessment of toxic effects. The fish were exposed during 4 days at four different sites: one upstream and another downstream the burnt area and two within the burnt area. Biochemical biomarkers for oxidative stress and damage were assessed. The extent of lipoperoxidative damage was monitored by quantifying malondialdehyde and DNA damage evaluated through erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities observation. Chemical analysis revealed higher metal levels within the burnt area, and exposed fish consistently showed pro-oxidative responses therein, particularly an increase of gill glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activity, the records doubling compared to samples from sites in the unburnt area; also the activity of glutathione-S-transferases comparatively increased (by 2-fold in the liver) in samples from the burnt area, and malondialdehyde was produced twice as much therein and in samples downstream the burnt area reflecting oxidative damage. Consistently, the frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities was higher at sites within and downstream the burnt area. This study supports the use of sensitive oxidative stress and genotoxicity biomarkers for an early detection of potentially noxious ecological effects of wildfires runoff.

The classification of wastes regarding hazardous property HP 14 (ecotoxicity) is essential for proper waste management. In the EU, HP 14 has been estimated based on waste chemical composition rather than using biotests, and guidelines for experimental assessment are still lacking. This study aims at evaluating the potential ecotoxicological impacts of weathered coal fly ash (CFA) from a landfill, as a case study to assess the current EU methodology used to classify wastes regarding HP 14. A large amount of CFA is still landfilled, but its valorisation would be of interest. The analysis was based on the chemical composition of CFA (in ClassifyMyWaste software), and on a battery of five biotests applied to eluates, with Lepidium sativum, Aliivibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Lemna minor and Daphnia magna. Through chemical analysis, most of the simulations with data from the literature indicated "Possible Hazard", including the sample of this work. Biotests revealed low impairment for most endpoints. D. magna was the most sensitive organism, but the inhibitory effect was significantly reduced after pH adjustment of the eluate. The test with A. fischeri does not seem to be adequate to assess CFA due to the high variability observed in results. The methodology involving a simple battery of bioassays was proven to be enlightening, providing relevant results for HP 14 assessment. The chosen battery of biotests (excluding the A. fischeri test) may be a good starting point to represent the aquatic environment in this context. In short, it seems that weathered CFA can be considered non-hazardous, and therefore the material under analysis could be valorised in practical applications without significant ecotoxic effect on the environment.

Alternagin-C (ALT-C), a disintegrin-like protein obtained from the venom of Bothrops alternatus, is able to modulate cellular behaviors such as adhesion, migration and proliferation, as well as the production of various growth factors via α2β1 integrin, important processes during inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis, which although appear as distinct events, act concomitantly in several chronic inflammatory diseases. Our objective was to investigate the effects of ALT-C on components of the sponge-induced inflammatory response in balb/c mice. The polyester-polyurethane sponges were implanted in mice's subcutaneous layer of the dorsal region and daily injected with saline (control group) or ALT-C (10, 100 or 1000 ng). Nine days after implantation the implants were removed and processed. ALT-C inhibited the inflammatory response, observed through mast cell reduction, NAG-activity and also by the inhibition of TNF-α, CXCL-1 and CCL2/JE/MCP-1 cytokines. ALT-C was also able to reduce hemoglobin content, number of vessels and the concentrations of VEGF and FGF cytokines. Finally, at its highest dose (1000 ng), ALT-C increased all evaluated markers associated with fibrogenesis (collagen production and TGF-β1 levels). All these factors reveal that ALT-C is a strong candidate to be exploited in the development of anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic therapies in chronic inflammatory processes.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) juice concentrate is highly rich in polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins and flavonols, which have been associated with a wide range of health-promoting properties. Phenolic compounds, in particular anthocyanins, are unstable and may change during storage, which might influence the product color quality and its potential health effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the polyphenols profile of elderberry juice concentrate produced at an industrial scale during seven months of storage at 5 °C and at room temperature. The total phenolic content, the total monomeric anthocyanins, the percent polymeric color, and the ABTS•+ scavenging activity were monitored over time. In addition, the profile and content of the main individual phenolic compounds were also assessed by HPLC-DAD. The results show that cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside-5-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, chlorogenic acid, rutin, and quercetin-3-O-glucoside were the main phenolic compounds identified. Storage at room temperature resulted in a strong reduction in total monomeric anthocyanin content accompanied by an increase in percent polymeric color values. Cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside degraded faster than cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside-5-O-glucoside. Concentration of chlorogenic acid also decreased over storage, whereas rutin and quercetin-3-O-glucoside were quite stable. Storage at 5 °C caused a lower impact on the contents of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid and the percent polymeric color was not affected. The total phenolic content and the in vitro antioxidant activity remained quite similar over the time, for both temperatures, suggesting that elderberry concentrates still preserve their health benefits of antioxidant capacity after seven months of storage.

The exponential increase of the human population demands the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices to suppress food production needs. The excessive use of these chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) can comport deleterious effects to the ecosystems, including aquatic systems and communities. Oxyfluorfen is a fluorine-based herbicide, and its application has increased, since it is seen as an alternative to control glyphosate-resistant weeds. Copper sulfate is an inorganic pesticide based on copper which is being used in several chemical formulations, and it is the second main constituent of fungicides. Besides the known effects of such products in organisms, climatic changes pose an additional issue, being a main concern among scientists and politicians worldwide, since these alterations may worsen ecosystems’ and organisms’ sensitivity to stress conditions, such as the exposure to pollutants. Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) G. A. Fryxell &amp, Hasle, 1977 plays an important role in aquatic food webs as a primary producer and an essential food source to zooplankton. Thus, alterations on the diatom’s abundance and nutritional value may lead to consequences along the trophic chain. However, few studies have evaluated the biochemical impacts of oxyfluorfen and copper sulfate exposure on diatoms. This study intends to (1) evaluate the effects on the growth rate of both contaminants on T. weissfloggi at three temperatures, considering the actual scenario of climatic changes, and (2) assess biochemical changes on the diatom when exposed to the chemicals at different temperatures. To achieve these aims, the marine diatom was exposed to the two chemicals individually at different temperatures. The results showed an increase in the growth rate with increasing temperatures. Oxyfluorfen exhibited higher toxicity than copper sulfate. At the biochemical level, the microalgae were greatly affected when exposed to oxyfluorfen at 20 °C and 25 °C and when exposed to copper sulfate at 15 °C. Moreover, a general increase was observed for the polysaccharide content along the copper sulfate and oxyfluorfen concentrations. Therefore, the contaminants show the ability to interfere with the diatom growth and the nutritive value, with their effects dependent on the temperature.

Groundwater is an indispensable resource for humankind and sustainable biomes functioning. Anthropogenic disturbance threatens groundwater ecosystems globally, but to which extent groundwater organisms respond to stressors remains poorly understood. Groundwater animals are rare, with small populations, difficult to find and to breed in the lab, which poses a main challenge to the assessment of their responses to pollutants. Despite the difficulties, assessing the toxicity of a large spectrum of stressors to groundwater organisms is a priority to inform towards appropriate environmental protection of these ecosystems. We tested the sensitivity to CuSO4, diclofenac, and NaCl of a groundwater population of the copepod Diacyclops crassicaudis crassicaudis and compared its sensitivity with the model organism Daphnia magna. We ranked its sensitivity using a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach using the feasible data available for groundwater and surface crustaceans. Our results show that the most toxic compound was CuSO4 for which higher amount of data was recorded and wider variability in response was observed. It was followed by diclofenac, largely lacking data for groundwater-adapted organisms, and the least toxic compound was NaCl. The differential sensitivity between D. crassicaudis and D. magna was contaminant-dependent. As a general trend D. crassicaudis was always distributed in the upper part of the SSD curves together with other groundwater-adapted organisms. Our results highlight that the widespread groundwater populations of the D. crassicaudis species complex, which can be successfully breed in the lab, may provide a reasonable approach to assess the ecological effects of anthropogenic stressors in groundwater ecosystems.

Wildfire effects go beyond direct impact in terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, the periphytic communities of aquatic ecosystems standing within and downstream the burnt areas are relevant ecological receptors of post-fire runoff contamination. Nevertheless, the off-site impacts of wildfires in these communities are limitedly studied so far. The present study aimed to assess the effects of river water contaminated with ash-loaded runoff in the growth benthic diatom Navicula libonensis (Schoeman 1970). Four surface water samples were collected approximately one year after the wildfire for laboratory testing with the diatom: one was collected from a site upstream the burnt area, within the Unhais river (UU); three were collected from sites standing within the burnt area, one in the Unhais river (UB) and two in the Zezere river (Z1 and Z2), reflecting different hydrological regimes. N. libonensis was proven able to discriminate among river sites affected and unaffected by wildfire runoff, reflecting, in general, the expected trends considering the physico-chemical characterization of the water samples. The water samples from the sites standing within the burnt area inhibited the biomass yield and growth rate of the tested diatom, ranking the samples regarding toxicity as follows: Z1 > UB > Z2 > UU. However, UB rather than Z1 presented the highest contaminant burden, namely metal elements, and some were found above widely accepted safety benchmarks (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were not detected). This inconsistency can be linked to unknown interactions among metals within each water sample, to differential nutrient enrichment of samples, as well as hydrological factors. Overall, our results suggest that monospecific laboratory assays with sensitive diatoms can be valuable as cost-effective screening tools to prioritize sites affected by wildfires runoff requiring in-depth monitoring of negative effects in benthic producer communities.

Chemosensation in nematodes is linked to processes that affect their ability to survive, such as the search for food and the avoidance of toxic substances. Since the 1970s, numerous studies have assessed chemotaxis in the nematode species Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on a multitude of agents, including bacteria (food), ions, salts, hormones, volatile organic compounds, and, to a lesser extent, metal-contaminated medium/food. The few studies evaluating metal exposure have reported a variety of responses (neutral, attraction, avoidance), which generally appear to be contaminant and/or concentration specific. Differences in experimental designs, however, hinder appropriate comparison of the findings and attainment of firm conclusions. Therefore, we herein propose and describe a detailed protocol for the assessment of the effects of metals on taxis-to-food behavior in C. elegans. Distinct approaches are proposed in two innovative stages of testing to (1) screen metals' effects on taxis-to-food behavior and (2) classify the behavioral response as attraction/avoidance/indifference or preference. Use of such a standard protocol will allow for easy comparison across studies and direct interpretation of results. Findings using this model system can contribute to a deeper understanding of the real risks of metal contamination to nematodes and how such contaminants could impact ecosystems in general, given the key environmental roles that these organisms play. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Assessing the effects of metal contamination on taxis-to-food behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans Support Protocol 1: Synchronization of C. elegans by hand-picking gravid worms Support Protocol 2: Synchronization of C. elegans by using a bleaching solution.

Environmental pollution related to anthropogenic pressures, and the associated repercussions on public health, represent a worldwide problem. Thus, the study of the effects that environmental contaminants can pose to natural ecosystems and human health is of vital importance. Laboratory model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans have played a significant role in clarifying multilevel effects of those agents. Although the evaluation of contaminant effects at the behavioral level of organisms is an emerging approach in ecotoxicology, studies assessing chemotaxis behavior in C. elegans within the ecotoxicological research context are still scarce. Chemotaxis studies in C. elegans have contributed to the understanding of both the neuronal mechanisms involved in the behavioral effects triggered by environmental cues and the impact of contaminants on natural ecosystems. Its compact and well-characterized nervous system, as well as the availability of transgenic strains and molecular tools, allows a detailed examination of behavioral, molecular, and genetic chemosensation mechanisms. This overview provides a summary and general comparison of methods used to measure chemotaxis behavior in C. elegans, with the aim of helping researchers select the most suitable approach in their chemotaxis studies. We compare methods based on the type of chemical tested, advantages and drawbacks of the different approaches, and specific experimental goals. Lastly, we hope to encourage the evaluation of C. elegans chemotaxis behavior in ecotoxicology studies, as well as its potential integration in standardized protocols assessing environmental quality. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

The overexploitation of the farmlands in the Mediterranean region contributes to an overuse of herbicides that have the potential to pollute surrounding aquatic systems, like the Mondego estuary, located near the city of Figueira da Foz (Portugal). Primextra® Gold TZ is the most-used herbicide in this area and it is constituted by two main active ingredients, S-metolachlor (SMOC) and terbuthylazine (TBA) that have exhibited toxicity to aquatic animal species in previous studies. The benthic bivalve species Scrobicularia plana was selected to carry out bioassays because of its capacity to filter pollutants and its important position in the structure and functioning of estuarine communities. Organisms of two size classes (big and small) were exposed individually to a range of concentrations of the mentioned compounds to assess their responses in terms of mortality. S. plana showed a clear higher sensitivity to SMOC (big – LC50 = 40.702 mg/L; small – LC50 = 41.517 mg/L) than to TBA (big – LC50 = 118.590 mg/L; small – LC50 = 108.418 mg/L), and big size class organisms, generally, showed to be more tolerant than the ones of small size class. In order to evaluate contaminated aquatic systems, it is necessary to develop laboratory strategies to rapidly assess the potential impacts of pollutants in the environment and in human health. Thus, a battery of biomarkers was selected, including the activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase (tGPx), glutathione reductase (GRed) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) and the lipid peroxidation occurrence (by quantification of TBARS levels). This work reports that GRed and GST activate under the chemicals’ exposure at concentrations that surpass the levels for environment protection. Moreover, GRed shows specificity to detect TBA presence and GST results more accurate to assess SMOC contamination.

The interest on deep eutectic solvents (DES) has been increasing. However, the ecotoxicological profile of DES is scarcely known. Also, despite previous studies showed that DES components dissociate in water, none assessed DES toxicity using the classical and adequate models for mixture toxicity prediction - concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA). This study evaluates the ecotoxicological profile of DES based on [N1111]Cl, [N2222]Cl and [N3333]Cl as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) combined with hydrogen-bond donors (HBD) vis. ethylene glycol and 1-propanol, through the Microtox® Acute Toxicity Test. CA and IA with deviations describing synergism/antagonism, dose-ratio and dose-level effects were fitted to the toxicity data. Neither the starting materials nor DES were found hazardous to Aliivibrio fischeri, in this specific case agreeing with the claimed "green character" of DES. Among the starting materials, ethylene glycol was the least toxic, whereas [N3333]Cl was the most toxic (30 min-EC50 = 96.49 g L-1 and 0.5456 g L-1, respectively). DES toxicity followed the same trend as observed for the salts: [N1111]Cl-based DES

To address the issue of potential cholinergic neurotoxic effects in exposed biota, including sentinel or indicator species, a biomarker approach using cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition as effect criterion has been proposed. Waterborne metals and complex metallic effluents (e.g. from mining) also seem to affect ChE activity of numerous aquatic species, although there is debate on the likelihood of this effect. Considering that environmental exposure to mine effluents is a complex phenomenon, complicated by other factors (such as pH), we intended to simulate a uranium rich effluent, to which test organisms were acutely exposed. The objective of the present study was to quantify the effects of waterborne uranium on ChE activity of the freshwater organisms Daphnia magna (crustacean), Corbicula fluminea (mollusc), and Carassius auratus (fish), in order to evaluate the feasibility of using this biomarker to diagnose chemical stress induced by waterborne uranium, resulting from mining activities. The obtained data showed that, despite the large body of evidence pointing to inhibitory effects on cholinesterases caused by metals, uranium was not causative of significant ChE impairment in vivo for any tested organism, at concentrations that represent a worst-case contamination scenario. Considering the obtained results, cholinesterase inhibition is not suited to be integrated into a battery of biomarkers to diagnose uranium exposure. Although our study is strictly laboratorial, it has implications in the use and interpretation of this environmental biomarker in biomonitoring studies, especially of uranium-impacted areas.

Knowledge on the molecular basis of ionic liquids' (ILs) ecotoxicity is critical for the development of these designer solvents as their structure can be engineered to simultaneously meet functionality performance and environmental safety. The molecular effects of ILs were investigated by using RNA-sequencing following Daphnia magna exposure to imidazolium- and cholinium-based ILs: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C2mim]Cl), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C12mim]Cl) and cholinium chloride ([Chol]Cl)-; the selection allowing to compare different families and cation alkyl chains. ILs shared mechanisms of toxicity focusing e.g. cellular membrane and cytoskeleton, oxidative stress, energy production, protein biosynthesis, DNA damage, disease initiation. [C2mim]Cl and [C12mim]Cl were the least and the most toxic ILs at the transcriptional level, denoting the role of the alkyl chain as a driver of ILs toxicity. Also, it was reinforced that [Chol]Cl is not devoid of environmental hazardous potential regardless of its argued biological compatibility. Unique gene expression signatures could also be identified for each IL, enlightening specific mechanisms of toxicity. published

There is increasing evidence about negative effects of fungicides on non-target organisms, including parasitic species, which are key elements in food webs. Previous experiments showed that environmentally relevant concentrations of fungicide tebuconazole are toxic to the microparasite Metschnikowia bicuspidata, a yeast species that infects the planktonic crustacean Daphnia spp. However, due to their short-term nature, this and other experimental studies were not able to test if parasites could potentially adapt to these contaminants. Here, we tested if M. bicuspidata parasite can adapt to tebuconazole selective pressure. Infected D. magna lineages were reared under control conditions (no tebuconazole) and environmentally realistic tebuconazole concentrations, for four generations, and their performance was compared in a follow-up reciprocal assay. Additionally, we assessed whether the observed effects were transient (phenotypic) or permanent (genetic), by reassessing parasite fitness after the removal of selective pressure. Parasite fitness was negatively affected throughout the multigenerational exposure to the fungicide: prevalence of infection and spore load decreased, whereas host longevity increased, in comparison to control (naive) parasite lineages. In a follow-up reciprocal assay, tebuconazole-conditioned (TEB) lineages performed worse than naive parasite lineages, both in treatments without and with tebuconazole, confirming the cumulative negative effect of tebuconazole. The underperformance of TEB lineages was rapidly reversed after removing the influence of the selective pressure (tebuconazole), demonstrating that the costs of prolonged exposure to tebuconazole were phenotypic and transient. The microparasitic yeast M. bicuspidata did not reveal potential for rapid evolution to an anthropogenic selective pressure; instead, the long-term exposure to tebuconazole was hazardous to this non-target species. These findings highlight the potential environmental risks of azole fungicides on non-target parasit, This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (programmes COMPETE2020 and PT2020) and by National Funds (Portuguese Science Foundation - FCT, I.P.), through the strategic programmes UID/AMB/50017/2013 and UID/BIA/04050/2019 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569), as well as by the research projects FunG-Eye (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029505) and EcoAgriFood (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000009). Part of the work presented here was developed during the PhD of Ana P. Cuco, who was supported by FCT (PhD grant SFRH/BD/81661/2011). JW was supported by Beethoven Life-1 grant from the German Science Foundation and Polish National Science Center (WO 1587/9-1). Nelson Abrantes is the recipient of an individual postdoctoral research contract (CEECIND/01653/2017).

Cyanobacteria can cause ecological, economic and human health problems, climate change trends giving them advantage over other phytoplanktonic groups. Management strategies exist to deal with the nuisance, but many are not effective due to the likelihood of cell lysis and toxin release. This study explores the suitability of the use of the invasive and widespread bivalve Corbicula fluminea for cyanobacterial control. The capacity of clams to filter and ingest cyanobacteria was evaluated using a set of bloom-forming strains comprising different morphological features potentially affecting edibility and palatability. Results generally showed limited filtration of the majority of cyanobacteria, compared with green microalgae used as the reference for optimal filtration (ca. 60 μg Chl a removed in 120 min), except for Pseudanabaena (ca. 90 μg Chl a removed) and Anabaena (ca. 120 μg Chl a removed). The specific attention given to the binomial filtration-ingestion exposed that filtration often directly relates to the deposit of cyanobacteria as pseudofaeces rather than reflects assimilation through effective ingestion. Allocation to pseudofaeces accounted for more than 50% of the Chl a removed from water for all cyanobacteria tested. Adding to effective filtration by the clam, the related accumulation of cyanobacterial biomass in pseudofaeces has the potential for further exploitation since it can be functionally paralleled with the use of synthetic flocculants for cyanobacterial (villain) removal in settings where a natural treatment alternative using an (bad) invasive bivalve could be suitable yet controlled to avoid side ecosystem effects.

The proliferation of native, alien, invasive and domestic species provide novel and abundant food resources for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) that could alter its prey preference. Based on the analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, we report the prey choice of D. rotundus on introduced mammals in an tropical land-bridge island where the domestic animals were removed and 100 individuals of 15 mammal species were intentionally introduced. Our analysis shows that, D. rotundus on Anchieta Island were more likely to prey upon species from open habitats (mean value of −14.8‰), i.e., animals with high δ13C values characterized by the consumption of C4 resources. As expected for a top predator species, δ15N values for D. rotundus were higher (mean value of 8.2‰) and overlapped the niche of the capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from the Anchieta Island, while it was distant from coatis, and also from those potential prey from the preserved area in the mainland, including the capybaras, indicating that among all potential mammalian prey species, they fed exclusively on capybaras, the highest mammalian biomass on island. Based on previous information on human occupation, the domestic animals present on Anchieta island might be the main prey of D. rotundus and responsible for maintaining a viable population. As the capybaras were introduced only 36 years ago, this suggests a rapid prey shift due to anthropogenic disturbances, which has allowed common vampire bats to successfully exploit them. Literature records also show that common vampire bats were not captured in preserved areas of the mainland which are near Anchieta Island indicating that the percentage of capture of D. rotundus is usually low in natural forested habitats where potential prey are scattered. As three individuals of introduced capybaras were confirmed died from bat rabies viruses (RABV) in 2020, we suggest periodic monitoring of bat rabies viruses in common vampire bat populations on Anchieta Island and areas nearby, in order to quantify the magnitude of the outbreak area and develop strategies for controlling, especially considering that the island and areas nearby is frequently visited by tourists. We highlighted that this prey choice is context-dependent, and possibly influenced by the removal of domestic animals, the explosive population growth of introduced capybaras combined with their predictable foraging behavior.

The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in some interfluves (i.e. portions of land separated by large rivers) of the Amazon basin. Our local-scale analysis indicated that the presence of forest positively affected short-eared dog space use, while the density of forest edges had a negative effect. Beyond shedding light on the ecology of the short-eared dog and refining its distribution range, our results stress that forest loss poses a serious threat to the conservation of the species in a short time frame. Hence, we propose a re-assessment of the short-eared dog's current IUCN Red List status (Near Threatened) based on findings presented here. Our study exemplifies how data can be integrated across sources and modelling procedures to improve our knowledge of relatively understudied species.

The Amazon Basin is an unquestionable biodiversity hotspot, containing the highest freshwater biodiversity on earth and facing off a recent increase in anthropogenic threats. The current knowledge on the spatial distribution of the freshwater fish species is greatly deficient in this basin, preventing a comprehensive understanding of this hyper-diverse ecosystem as a whole. Filling this gap was the priority of a transnational collaborative project, i.e. the AmazonFish project - https://www.amazon-fish.com/. Relying on the outputs of this project, we provide the most complete fish species distribution records covering the whole Amazon drainage. The database, including 2,406 validated freshwater native fish species, 232,936 georeferenced records, results from an extensive survey of species distribution including 590 different sources (e.g. published articles, grey literature, online biodiversity databases and scientific collections from museums and universities worldwide) and field expeditions conducted during the project. This database, delivered at both georeferenced localities (21,500 localities) and sub-drainages grains (144 units), represents a highly valuable source of information for further studies on freshwater fish biodiversity, biogeography and conservation., Measurement(s)Diversity • Fish • spatial patternTechnology Type(s)digital curationFactor Type(s)geographic locationSample Characteristic - OrganismfishSample Characteristic - Environmentdrainage basinSample Characteristic - LocationAmazon Basin Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.11920800

Incluye contenido parcial de los autores Abstract.Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecologicalhealth and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carni-vores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide managementand conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropicalregion: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; andUrsidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropicalcarnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTRO-PICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data wereobtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organi-zations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including cameratrapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature(peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated inthis compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n=79,343; 79.7%) butalso includes non-detection data (n=20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data(n=43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute tomacroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspec-tives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distri-bution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans andsafeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combinedwith other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and relatedecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restric-tion for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of theinformation used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T15:38:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-06-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The proliferation of native, alien, invasive and domestic species offers enough novel and abundant food resources for the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, to potentially alter preferences for prey. By reference to a stable-isotope analysis for carbon and nitrogen, we report here on the choices of introduced mammal prey made by D. rotundus residing on Anchieta Island a tropical land-bridge island from which domestic animals were removed and 100 individuals of 15 mammal species were introduced intentionally. Our analysis shows that the studied individuals of D. rotundus were more likely to prey upon species of open habitats (mean value of delta C-13 = -14.8 parts per thousand), that is, animals with high delta C-13 values characterising the consumption of C-4 resources. The delta N-15 values for D. rotundus were higher than expected, most likely similar to apex predator species (mean value of 8,2 parts per thousand) and overlapped the isotopic niche with capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) on the island. Values were in turn distant from those noted for coatis, as well as other potential prey from a preserved area on the mainland (capybaras included), indicating that, from among all the potential mammalian prey species, the studied bats were feeding exclusively on capybaras, which also represent the species with the greatest mammalian biomass on the island. Previous information regarding the time of human occupation suggests that the domestic animals then present on Anchieta Island might have been the main prey of D. rotundus and responsible for maintaining a viable population. As capybaras were introduced only 36 years ago, this suggests a rapid shift in predation preference induced by anthropogenic disturbances that have allowed D. rotundus to exploit these rodents successfully. Records in the literature further show that common vampire bats were not captured in preserved areas of the mainland close to Anchieta Island, indicating that the rate of capture characterising D. rotundus is usually low in natural forested habitats where potential prey are scattered. As three individuals of the introduced population of capybaras were confirmed to have died from bat rabies virus (RABV) in 2020, we advocate periodic monitoring for bat rabies viruses in the D. rotundus population on Anchieta Island (as well as nearby areas), so that the magnitude of the outbreak may be determined mid control strategies developed. Such actions are all the more important given that both the island and nearby areas are frequented by tourists. We highlight that the prey choice indicated here is context-dependent, and possibly influenced by the removal of domestic animals, as well as the explosive population growth achieved by the introduced capybaras, in combination with the predictability of their foraging behaviour. Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biodiversidade, Inst Biociencias, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Cambridge, Dept Zool, Conservat Sci Grp, Cambridge, England Univ Sao Paulo, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Lab Ecol Manejo & Conservacao Fauna Silvestre LEM, Av Padua Dias 11, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Inst Chico Mendes Conservacao Biodiversidade ICMB, Ctr Nacl Pesquisa & Conservacao Mamiferos Carnivo, Estr Municipal Hisaichi Takebayashi 8600, BR-12952011 Atibaia, SP, Brazil Inst Procarnivoros, Av Horcicio Neto 1030,Parque Edmundo Zanoni, Atibaia, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Santa Cruz, Lab Ecol Aplicada Conservacao, Rodovia Ilheus Itabuna,Km 16 Salobrinho, BR-45662900 Ilheus, BA, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Ecol Isotop, Ctr Energia Nucl Agr CENA, Av Centenario 303, BR-13416903 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Miami, Dept Biol, CP 33146, Coral Gables, FL 33124 USA Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biodiversidade, Inst Biociencias, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2017/24252-0 FAPESP: 2019/00648-7 FAPESP: 2014/01986-0

Anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and industrial activities, are a main source of pollution contributing for the degradation of water quality and thus affecting the living organisms of aquatic systems. Copper is widely used at these practices being often released into the aquatic systems and may cause negative effects in its communities. This study proposes to determine the effects of copper in the antioxidant defence system of two size classes (big and small sizes) of Scrobicularia plana and Cerastoderma edule, two marine bivalve species with commercial interest. It was observed the behaviour activity of the organisms during the exposure to copper sulphate (CS) and was determined the enzymatic activities of glutathione-S-transferases (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (both selenium-dependent (SeGPx) and total (tGPx)) in the muscle tissue (foot). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was evaluated through thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measurement in the foot. Changes in the behaviour and enzymatic activity were observed. Lipid peroxidation was observed at C. edule and S. plana big and small size classes, respectively, according to TBARS levels. The foot showed to be a good tissue to be used in biochemical analysis to detect the presence of toxicants.

At the past 30 years were recorded an intensive practice in the use of fertilizers and pesticides, mainly in the European Mediterranean region, that, in particular cases, exceeded the limits of regular legislations established by the European Union. The widespread use of these chemicals compounds and the pressure over agricultural fields near valuable ecologically coastal areas conducted to the implementation of monitoring plans to the recovering of aquatic ecosystems. Since the 80′s Mondego estuary (Figueira da Foz, Portugal) has been harassed by anthropogenic pressures, which triggered the implementation of mitigation monitoring programs at the last 18 years, allowing its recovery. Copper sulphate is used in industrial activities, but also it is much used in pesticides formulations, with application in agricultural activities, namely in rice farms to control pests. Studies reported that copper may affect biochemical processes, such lipid metabolism of some organisms, although specific changes in fatty acid (FA) profiles are still unknown. Nowadays, bivalve species are used in ecotoxicological bioassays due some particular characteristics, such as the wide distribution, ecological relevance, the capacity to filter and ingest large volumes of sediment particles and water and ease handling in the field and in the laboratory. Therefore, this work aims to determine toxic effects and changes in fatty acids profile composition of the two marine bivalve species Cerastoderma edule and Scrobicularia plana when exposed to copper sulphate, considering small (medium body size = 1.97 cm and 3.47 cm, respectively) and big (medium body size = 2.45 cm and 4.20 cm, respectively) size classes. In a first phase organisms were exposed under laboratorial conditions to copper sulphate to determine lethal concentration; at a second phase, it was compared the FA profile and the nutritive quality of both species and size classes at the field and in the lab. Our results state C. edule is more sensitive to copper sulphate (LC50 = 0.818 (0.595–0.987) mg/L; 1.129 (0.968–1.289) mg/L, to big and small organisms, respectively) than S. plana (LC50 = 2.563 (2.229–2.903) mg/L; 4.705 (3.540–12.292) mg/L, to big and small organisms, respectively). Furthermore the last one presents greater abundance and variety of FA and essential fatty acids (EFA), namely DHA and EPA, rates than C. edule. Still, big size class of both bivalve species is the most affected by the contaminant.

Background: Eggplant is an important crop, being cultivated and consumed in many countries. However, like other vegetables, is highly perishable and has a short shelf life. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hot air drying on some physical, chemical and sensorial properties of eggplant. Methods: Eggplant samples were dried in convective chambers at constant temperatures of 50, 60, 70 and 80°C. The fresh and dried samples were evaluated for moisture, water activity, vitamin C, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, colour and texture. To complement the study, a sensorial evaluation was made by a consumer panel. Results: The results showed that drying decreased importantly the contents of vitamin C and phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant activity. Moreover, the negative impact was higher for higher drying temperatures. Drying also altered the colour, turning the samples darker. The textural properties were similarly considerably altered by drying, although the temperature did not show significant influence. Regarding the sensorial evaluation, even though it allowed establishing the sensory profiles of the dried samples, it was not possible to clearly distinguish among them, particularly the global appreciation. Conclusion: It was concluded that the drying operation substantially changed the physical, chemical and sensory properties of eggplant. Furthermore, the drying temperature had higher effect on the chemical components and colour and nor so much on the texture. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Given the importance of pollutant effects on host-parasite relationships and disease spread, the main goal of this study was to assess the influence of different exposure scenarios for the fungicide tebuconazole (concentration × timing of application) on a Daphnia-microparasitic yeast experimental system. Previous results had demonstrated that tebuconazole is able to suppress Metschnikowia bicuspidata infection at ecologically-relevant concentrations; here, we aimed to obtain an understanding of the mechanism underlying the anti-parasitic (fungicidal or fungistatic) action of tebuconazole. We exposed the Daphnia-yeast system to four nominal tebuconazole concentrations at four timings of application (according to the predicted stage of parasite development), replicated on two Daphnia genotypes, in a fully crossed experiment. An “all-or-nothing” effect was observed, with tebuconazole completely suppressing infection from 13.5 µg l -1 upwards, independent of the timing of tebuconazole application. A follow-up experiment confirmed that the suppression of infection occurred within a narrow range of tebuconazole concentrations (3.65–13.5 µg l -1 ), although a later application of the fungicide had to be compensated for by a slight increase in concentration to elicit the same anti-parasitic effect. The mechanism behind this anti-parasitic effect seems to be the inhibition of M. bicuspidata sporulation, since tebuconazole was effective in preventing ascospore production even when applied at a later time. However, this fungicide also seemed to affect the vegetative growth of the yeast, as demonstrated by the enhanced negative effect of the parasite (increasing mortality in one of the host genotypes) at a later time of application of tebuconazole, when no signs of infection were observed. Fungicide contamination can thus affect the severity and spread of disease in natural populations, as well as the inherent co-evolutionary dynamics in host-parasite systems., ERDF -European Regional Development Fund(IF/01198/2014), info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Pharmaceutical and personal care products are released in watercourses due to the inefficiency of conventional wastewater treatment and photocatalytic oxidation has been pointed out as an alternative. Thus, this study aimed at gaining an insight on the mechanism of reaction using different radiation sources (solar and visible) and catalysts (Ag-TiO2 and Pd-TiO2) for the abatement of a mixture of pharmaceutical contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) – Sulfamethoxazole (SMX), Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Lorazepam (LRZ). Moreover, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of these treatments to improve their environmental friendliness, an ecotoxicological evaluation was carried out by assessing the responses of several indicator organisms (fish, cladocerans, plants, microalgae and bacteria). The hydroxyl radical had a major role on photocatalytic oxidation. 90% of CBZ degradation was achieved after 60 min using sunlight and Ag-TiO2 whereas this removal was reduced to 15% with hydroxyl radical scavengers. Concerning the ecotoxicological evaluation, the untreated mixture was mildly toxic to these organisms (approximately 30% depression in the assessed endpoints), except for microalgae, where a pronounced toxicity (85% of growth inhibition). Treated solutions achieving lower concentrations of the parent compounds, were generally found to be more toxic than the untreated mixture. For example, after solar photocatalytic oxidation using Ag-TiO2 the toxicity of the mixture to the microalgae and Daphnia magna increased or remained unaffected. This suggests the formation of toxic by-products during the treatments, highlighting that effective treatments do not always translate into improved environmental friendliness. These results raise concern on the environmental safety of the water treatment technologies.

Salinity is a major controlling factor in estuarine systems whose fast change, namely during the occurrence of extreme climatic events, causes drastic alterations on aquatic communities by promoting a physiologically stressful environment. The response of fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant enzymes’ activity (Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD)) of Cerastoderma edule and Scrobicularia plana were investigated under a wide range of salinity. Species were sampled in Mondego estuary (Portugal). A set of organisms (namely “field”) were stored for biochemical analysis, whereas the remaining organisms collected in the field (namely “lab”) were exposed to a range of salinity concentrations. Organisms were fed daily. In general, results revealed a decrease on enzymatic activity along a set of salinity concentrations with an exception to the GST activity of C. edule where a trend of increase at the activity was observed at almost all treatments. S. plana presented a very low or null activity to both enzymes. Differences in the FA profiles of both groups were also observed, with “lab” organisms not presenting saturated FA of short chain. The diversity on FA and the quantity in unsaturated FA under different salinity concentrations presented the highest values at the extreme salinity treatments. C. edule directly stored from the field presented the highest diversity and quantity in polyunsaturated fatty acids (95.77%) whereas organisms of S. plana from the field showed the highest percentage of highly unsaturated fatty acids (20.93%). Results suggest that, under salinity stress, the consumption of food decreases and the physiological pathways are reduced. Still species can store FA recognized as of high physiological importance to animals, by reducing their activity and energy consumption. Therefore, under an extreme climatic event (e.g. drought or flood) these species may present a higher content of essential FA and, thus, a higher food quality, reducing, in general, the activity of the enzymes SOD and GST.

The number of wildfires has markedly increased in Mediterranean Europe, including in Portugal. Wildfires are environmentally concerning, not only due to the loss of biodiversity and forest area, but also as a consequence of environmental contamination by specific compounds including metals and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs). These contaminants, mostly bound to ashes, can reach downstream water bodies, namely through surface runoff, being ultimately dispersed by vast areas and contacting with aquatic biota. Being toxicologically noteworthy, the potential toxic outcomes of the input of such chemicals across the aquatic compartment must be characterized. In this context, the present study used a biomarker-based approach to find early-warning signals of toxicity triggered by the exposure of the mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, to affected aqueous runoff and stream water samples collected from a forest burnt area. The chemical analysis revealed concerning levels of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in both runoff and stream water samples. Biological responses elicited by the collected samples showed the occurrence of pro-oxidative modifications, specifically driven by enzymatic forms involved in the metabolism of glutathione. Despite these effects, no further signs of involvement of metals and PAHs were elicited in terms of neurotoxicity. The overall set of data implicates chemicals resulting from wildfires in clear deleterious effects in exposed fish. published

Caenorhabditis elegans has been an invaluable model organism in research fields such as developmental biology and neurobiology. Neurotoxicity is one of the subfields greatly profiting from the C. elegans model within biomedical context, while the corresponding potential of the organism applied to environmental studies is relevant but has been largely underexplored. Within the biomedical scope, the implication of metals and organic chemicals with pesticide activity (hereinafter designated as pesticides) in the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases has been extensively investigated using this nematode as a primary model organism. Additionally, as a well-known experimental model bearing high sensitivity to different contaminants and representing important functional levels in soil and aquatic ecosystems, C. elegans has high potential to be extensively integrated within Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) routines. In spite of the recognition of some regulatory agencies, this actual step has yet to be made. The purpose of this review is to discuss the major advantages supporting the inclusion of C. elegans in lower tiers of ERA. Special emphasis was given to its sensitivity to metals and pesticides, which is similar to that of other model organisms commonly used in ERA (e.g. Daphnia magna and Eisenia sp.), and to the large array of endpoints that can be tested with the species, both concerning the aquatic and the soil compartments. The inclusion of C. elegans testing may hence represent a relevant advance in ERA of chemicals, providing ecologically relevant insights towards improvement of the regulatory capacity for establishing appropriate environmental protection benchmarks.

International audience; Ionic Liquids (ILs) are generically regarded as environmentally “harmless” and thus, assumed as “non-toxic”. However, due to the endless design possibilities, their ecotoxicological profile is still poorly known. An accurate knowledge on the toxicity of a substance is required, under the scope of environmental regulation worldwide, before their application and commercialization. Knowledge on the relationship between the chemical structure and toxic effects is essential for the future design of more biocompatible solvents. Focusing on the use of ILs as base lubricants, lubricant additives, or even as potential working fluids for absorption heat pumps, the knowledge on its environmental impact is of great importance, due to the possibility of spills. In this specific context, four analogues of glycine-betaine-based ILs (AGB-ILs) and four glycine-betaine based ILs (GB-ILs) were synthesized and characterized. Their ecotoxicity was assessed using representatives of two trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems, the bacteria Allivibrio fischeri (commonly used as a screening test organism) and the microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata (as an alternative test organism that has been proven very sensitive to several IL families). The microalgae were more sensitive than the bacteria, hence, following a precautionary principle, we recommend considering the toxicity towards microalgae as an indicator in future studies regarding the focused ILs. Although four of the studied ILs were derived from a natural amino acid, all were considered hazardous for the aquatic environment, disproving the primary theory that all ILs derived from natural compounds are benign. Furthermore, the modification in the structure of anion and the cation can lead to the increase of toxicity.

Biodiversity inventories contain important information about species richness, community structure, and composition, and are the first step in developing any conservation and mitigation strategies. The Atlantic Forest of South America is home to around 334 species of small-, medium-, and large-sized mammals, and is currently restricted to less than 12% of its original cover. Here, we present the ATLANTIC MAMMALS, an open data set on information on medium- and large-sized mammal assemblages in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. A total of 129 studies were compiled, including published and in press peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, theses and unpublished data. We mapped 244 assemblages, eight orders, 63 genera, and 94 species (24 of which are classified as threatened by the IUCN Red List) distributed in 128 protected and 116 unprotected areas. Species richness of the mammalian assemblages varied from 1 to 39 species (mean 15). The most recorded species in the entire biome was Dasypus novemcinctus, followed by Cerdocyon thous and Procyon cancrivorous. These data can be useful in support of macroecological studies and conservation planning strategies. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

Xenarthrans -anteaters, sloths, and armadillos- have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. Have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become. Fil: Marques Santos, Paloma. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil Fil: Bocchiglieri, Adriana. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; Brasil Fil: Garcia Chiarello, Adriano. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Pereira Paglia, Adriano. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil Fil: Moreira, Adryelle. Amplo Engenharia e Gestão de Projetos ; Brasil Fil: Abba, Agustin Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentina Fil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; Argentina Fil: Gatica, Ailin. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina Fil: Ochoa, Ana Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina Fil: de Angelo, Carlos Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente.; Argentina Fil: Tellaeche, Cintia Gisele. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Centro de Estudios Ambientales Territoriales y Sociales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina Fil: Varela, Diego Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Vanderhoeven, Ezequiel Andres. Ministerio de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Caruso, María Flavia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina Fil: Arrabal, Juan Pablo. Secretaria de Gobierno de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical - Sede Puerto Iguazú Misiones; Argentina. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina Fil: Iezzi, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Di Bitetti, Mario Santiago. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Cruz, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina Fil: Reppucci, Juan Ignacio. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Benito Santamaria, Silvia. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Quiroga, Verónica Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina Fil: Di Blanco, Yamil Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Marás, Gustavo Arnaldo. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Argentina Fil: Perovic, Pablo Gastón. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Martínez Pardo, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Costa, Sebastián Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Pinheiro, Fabiana. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Volkmer de Castilho, Pedro. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Brasil Fil: Bercê, William. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Camara Assis, Julia. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho. Faculdade de Engenharia.; Brasil Fil: Rodrigues Tonetti, Vinicius. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Alves Eigenheer, Milene. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Chinem, Simonne. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Honda, Laura K.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Bergallo, Helena de Godoy. Universidade do Estado de Rio do Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Alberici, Vinicius. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Wallace, Robert. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos Fil: Ribeiro, Milton Cezar. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Galetti, Mauro. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil

Twelve surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) and surface-active derivatives, based on imidazolium, ammonium, and phosphonium cations and containing one, or more, long alkyl chains in the cation and/or the anion, were synthetized and characterized. The aggregation behavior of these SAILs in water, as well as their adsorption at solution/air interface, were studied by assessing surface tension and conductivity. The CMC values obtained (0.03-6.0 mM) show a high propensity of these compounds to self-aggregate in aqueous media. Their thermal properties were also characterized, namely the melting point and decomposition temperature by using DSC and TGA, respectively. Furthermore, the toxicity of these SAILs was evaluated using the marine bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri (Gram-negative). According to the EC50 values obtained (0.3-2.7 mg L-1 ), the surface-active compounds tested should be considered "toxic" or "highly toxic". Their ability to induce cell disruption of Escherichia coli cells (also Gram-negative), releasing the intracellular green fluorescent protein (GFP) produced, was investigated. The results clearly evidence the capability of these SAILs to act as cell disruption agents. published

Benthic diatoms constitute keystone assemblages in riverine ecosystems, and their structure is used to support regulatory water quality assessment. However, no standard ecotoxicological tests exist using integrated responses of the benthic diatom assemblages. This work aimed to assess whether benthic diatom assemblages are responsive to different riverine contaminants through a previously developed rapid toxicity test, supporting future attempts towards its standardization and integration in both prospective and retrospective Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) schemes. We selected two benthic diatoms assemblages likely responding similarly to pollution (similar IPS diatom index score), collected from two rivers in Northern-Central Portugal (sites: Palhal and Cabreia). Fresh whole diatom assemblages were exposed for 48 h to five model contaminants (glyphosate, imidacloprid, SDS, CuSO4, and Pb). At the end of the test, changes induced by the exposures in overall yield and in the yield of each diatom genus were assessed. The assemblage collected at Palhal was invariably more responsive and sensitive than that collected at Cabreia, both considering overall and genus-specific yields, regardless of the tested contaminant. Achnanthes, Fragilaria and Navicula were the most responsive genus, regardless of the tested contaminant or assemblage. The distinct response profiles observed for the two assemblages to the same contaminants at the same concentration ranges suggest that using this test method to support prospective ERA is inadequate. However, the method can be an asset supporting retrospective ERA, as the responses seem to be shaped by the interplay of resilience drivers promoted by the local conditions, e.g. adaptive changes in assemblage structure.

Cyanobacteria are attracting the attention worldwide as a reliable and sustainable feedstock for the production of biofuels, food colorants and biochemically active compounds. Anabaena cylindrica (A. cylindrica) is a cya- nobacterium with a significant widespread occurrence in Portuguese freshwaters, with C-phycocyanin and chlorophylls, compounds with a high market value, being abundantly produced by the species. This work presents the development of a sequential downstream process to obtain C-phycocyanin and chlorophyll from A. cylindrica. The C-phycocyanin extraction is carried using Na-phosphate (20 mM, pH 7) buffer, while aqueous solutions of surface-active compounds (250 mM), as well as ethanol, were screened for the extraction of the chlorophylls. After selecting the best solvents to recover both pigments from A. cylindrica, the operational conditions (solid-liquid ratio, time of extraction and temperature) were optimized, allowing the recovery of around 90% and 55% of the total content of C-phycocyanin and chlorophylls, respectively. Finally, dextran/ copolymer-based ABS were applied to promote the purification of C-phycocyanin from the residual chlorophylls and other contaminant proteins, leading to an increase in the C-phycocyanin purity of 4-fold, without com- promising its photostability. published

In Europe, mainly in the Mediterranean region, an intensive usage of pesticides was recorded during the past 30 years. According to information from agricultural cooperatives of the Mondego valley (Figueira da Foz, Portugal), Primextra® Gold TZ is the most used herbicide in corn crop fields and one of the 20 best-selling herbicides in Portugal. Copper is mainly used in pesticide formulations. This study aims to determine the ecotoxicological and biochemical (namely fatty acid profiles) effects of the herbicide Primextra® Gold TZ and the metal copper on marine plankton. The organisms used in this study are three planktonic species: the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, the estuarine copepod Acartia tonsa and nauplii of the marine brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. Fatty acids (FAs) are one of the most important molecules transferred across the plant-animal interface in aquatic food webs and can be used as good indicators of stress. The conducted lab incubations show that T. weissflogii is the most sensitive species to the herbicide followed by A. tonsa (EC50 =0;0.0078 mg/L and EC50 =0;0.925 mg/L, respectively), whereas the copepod was the most sensitive species to the metal followed by T. weissflogii (EC50 =0.234 mg/L and EC50 =0.383 mg/L, respectively). A. franciscana was the most tolerant organism both to the herbicide and to the metal (EC50 =20.35 mg/L and EC50 = 18.93 mg/L, respectively). Changes in the FA profiles of primary producer and primary consumers were observed, with the increase of saturated FA and decrease of unsaturated FA contents, especially of highly unsaturated FAs that can be obtained mainly from food and therefore are referred to as ‘essential FA’. The study suggests that discharges of Primextra® Gold TZ or other pesticides mainly composed by copper may be a threat to plankton populations causing changes in the FA contents and thus in their nutritive value, with severe repercussions for higher trophic levels and thus the entire food web.

The joint effect of increasing temperature and pollution on aquatic organisms is important to understand and predict, as a combination of stressors might be more noxious when compared to their individual effects. Our goal was to determine the sensitivity of a model organism (Daphnia spp.) to contaminants at increasing temperatures, allowing prior acclimation of the organisms to the different temperatures. Prior to exposure, two Daphnia genotypes (Daphnia longispina species complex) were acclimated to three temperatures (17, 20, and 23 A degrees C). Afterwards, a crossed design was established using different exposure temperatures and a range of concentrations of two common fungicides (tebuconazole and copper). Daphnia life history parameters were analysed in each temperature x toxicant combination for 21 days. Temperature was the most influencing factor: Daphnia reproduced later and had lower fecundity at 17 A degrees C than at 20 and 23 A degrees C. Both copper and tebuconazole also significantly reduced the fecundity and survival of Daphnia at environmentally-relevant concentrations. Temperature-dependence was found for both toxicants, but the response pattern was endpoint- and genotype-specific. The combination of contaminant and high temperature often had severe effects on survival. However, unlike some literature on the subject, our results do not support the theory that increasing temperatures consistently foment increasing reproductive toxicity. The absence of a clear temperature-dependent toxicity pattern may result from the previous acclimation to the temperature regime. However, a proper framework is lacking to compare such studies and to avoid misleading conclusions for climate change scenarios., This work was supported by European funds through COMPETE2020 (European Regional Development Fund) and by national funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT I.P.) within the strategic programmes UID/AMB/50017/2013 (CESAM) and UID/BIA/04050/2013 (CBMA), as well as by the research project VITAQUA (PTDC/AAC-AMB/112438/2009). Ana P. Cuco and Nelson Abrantes are individual recipients of, respectively, a PhD Grant (SFRH/BD/81661/2011) and a researcher contract (IF/01198/2014) from FCT., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Wildfires, increasingly frequent and severe in the Mediterranean countries, can cause serious impacts on ecosystems. As a diffuse source of contaminants – namely inorganic elements (metals, metalloids and non-metallic elements) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – post-fire runoff may cause toxic effects on the aquatic biota. Despite the recognition of these likely impacts, this issue has been still largely neglected. This study explores the impacts of ash from wildfires on the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea and the ability of this filter feeder to concentrate the contaminants associated with ash in post-fire runoff. The bio-concentration potential of the clam was assessed in a 7-day filtration experiment, using aqueous extract of ashes (AEA) to represent post-fire runoff. Despite the noticeable mortality of the clams exposed to the AEA (∼30% higher in AEA than in control after 7 days of exposure), there was a clear reduction on the concentration of almost all pyrolytic substances in the water linked to bio-filtration and bio-concentration activity. Along 7 days the clams operated decreases of more than 70% for some chemicals (Cu, Mn and Zn) while others were no longer detected in the water at the end of the experiment (Cr, NAP and PHE). The removal from water was accompanied by contaminants’ accumulation in clams’ soft tissues and, less extensively, in shells. Lower pollutant loads of filtered AEA translated into decreased toxicity of the matrix towards standard aquatic species (microalgae, macrophytes and cladocerans) confirming an improvement as well in the biological quality of the water through bio-filtration. Although post-fire loads can compromise C. fluminea survival, this study evidenced the potential of this invasive species to contribute to water quality improvement.

This study aimed to develop a new food product, attractive from the organoleptic point of view and with the advantage of being rich in phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity. For that, a phenolic-rich solution was obtained from wine and included in the recipe of the yogurts. The product developed was therefore a yogurt with wine antioxidants, prepared in different aroma variations. The results showed that the addition of the phenolic-rich solution caused an increase in the content of antioxidants without affecting acidity. On the other hand, based on sensory analysis, it was possible to choose two final products which were the favorite among the members of the sensorial panel, namely the yogurt with flavor of mixed fruits and sugar and the addition of the wine antioxidants solution and the yogurt with flavor of cinnamon and sugar and the addition of wine antioxidants.

In Europe, mainly the Mediterranean region, intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides has been recorded over the past 30 years, exceeding, in some cases, the limits of contamination authorized by the European Union. The intensive use of pollutants in fields near ecological coastal wetlands has led to implementation of pesticide monitoring programs to recover aquatic systems such as the Mondego estuary (Figueira da Foz, Portugal). According to information from the agricultural cooperatives of the Mondego valley, Primextra(R) Gold TZ is the most-used herbicide in corn crop fields. Biomarkers, such fatty acids (FAs), proved to be new and potentially powerful tools to detect, illustrate, and evaluate exposure to and the effects of contamination hazards. They play important roles in establishing neural levels in organisms' biochemical and physiological responses and are considered good bio-indicators of stress and potential indicators of ecosystem health. Bivalves are currently used in ecotoxicological bioassays because of their ecological importance, wide geographic distribution, ease of handling in the laboratory and in the field, and their ability to filter and ingest large volumes of water and sediment particles. Thus, the main goal of this work was to determine the toxic and biochemical (namely fatty acid profiles) responses of two size classes (small and big) of the two marine bivalve species Cerastoderma edule and Scrobicularia plane to the herbicide Primextra Gold. Furthermore, we aimed to compare the fatty acid contents, and thus the nutritive values, of both species and size classes collected in the field with those under laboratory conditions. Results show S. plana is more sensitive to the herbicide than C edule. In general, among the larger-sized specimens in the field, S. plum is more nutritive than C. edule, but among the smaller-sized specimens, the opposite tendency is seen, where C. edule presents a greater abundance of FAs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physalis (Physalis peruviana L.), also known as cape gooseberry or ground-cherry, plays an important role in nutrition as an excellent base for dietetic products. Highly valued for its unique flavour, texture and colour, recent research has shown that physalis fruit is rich in many beneficial compounds. In this study, the diameter and mass of physalis fruits were measured, which can be used to calculate other biometric characteristics of the fruit, such as: surface area, volume or density. Other physical properties were measured, namely the colour coordinates, by means of a Chroma meter, whilst the textural parameters firmness and elasticity were measured with a texturometer. The following values were calculated for the physalis fruits analysed in the present work: 1.69 cm for average diameter; 8.98 cm2 for surface area, 2.51 cm3 for volume; 2.77 g for mass was, and 1.10 g/cm3 for density. The colour coordinates were 56.72 for lightness, 16.69 for redness, and 58.11 for yellowness. Skin firmness and elasticity were evaluated for texture attributes, and their average values were 2.40 N and 2.94 mm, respectively. The results of this work are in accordance with data reported by other authors in the literature.

Wildfires can cause immediate and drastic impacts on the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and there has been an increasing interest in wildfire effects on water chemistry and aquatic biota. Wildfires are increasingly recognized as a diffuse source of contamination of aquatic ecosystems, through the production of deleterious pyrolytic substances and their subsequent transport, mostly attached to ashes. To study the deleterious effects of the ash-laden runoff from burnt areas on water quality, composite ash samples of ashes were collected immediately after a forest fire and then used to prepare aqueous extracts of ash (AEA). The AEA were analyzed with respect to a large group of chemical elements and the sixteen prioritized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Ca, S, Mg, K and Na were found to be the principal elements in the AEA, while only two low molecular weight PAHs (phenanthrene and naphthalene) were present in quantifiable amounts. In parallel, an ecotoxicological screening of the AEA was performed with four standard aquatic species from different functional groups and trophic levels. The AEA was found to induce a statistically significant decrease in the growth of two primary producers – Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Lemna minor – and inhibited the luminescence of the bacteria Vibrio fischeri . By contrast, AEA did not produce a significant immobilization of Daphnia magna suggesting that short-term acute toxicity may be absent at higher trophic levels. Overall, the present results emphasize the role of wildfires as a potential source of diffuse contamination for downstream water bodies, compromising both chemical and ecological conditions. At the same time, this study highlights the need for further research into the complexity of the potentially deleterious ecological effects of wildfires on aquatic communities, with a particular focus on cascading effects along the trophic web.

Among the various environmental disturbances caused by wildfires, their impacts within burnt areas and on the downhill aquatic ecosystems has been receiving increased attention. Post-fire rainfalls and subsequent runoffs play an important role in transporting ash and soil to aquatic systems within the burnt areas. These runoffs can be a diffuse source of toxic substances such as metals. The present work aims at assessing the effects of ash-loaded runoff on feeding rates of three representative aquatic invertebrates (Daphnia magna, Corbicula fluminea and Atyaephyra desmarestii) and the mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, through post-exposure feeding inhibition bioassays carried out in-situ and in the laboratory using water collected from the experimental field sites. Four sites were selected in a partially burnt basin for bioassay deployment and sample collection: one site upstream of the burnt area (RUS); three sites receiving runoff directly from the burnt area, one immediately downstream of the burnt area (RDS) and two in permanent tributary streams within the burnt area (BS1 and BS2). The in-situ exposure lasted four days and began following the first post-fire major rain events. At sites affected by the wildfire, post-exposure feeding rates for D. magna, A. desmarestii and G. holbrooki were lower, which is consistent with the highest levels of metals found at these sites compared to the unaffected site, although the individual concentrations of each metal were generally below corresponding ecological safety benchmarks. Thus, interactions between metals and/or between metals and other environmental parameters certainly played a role in modulating the ecotoxic effects of the runoffs; this was further supported by a Toxic Units Summation exercise. Even if direct causal links between the ecotoxicological effects observed in D. magna, A. desmarestii and G. holbrooki and the physicochemical parameters of the water samples could not be established, the results suggest an important role of major and trace elements in explaining post-exposure feeding rate variation.

Bioremediation has been arising as a successful wastewater treatment concerning contamination events. Olive oil mill wastewaters (OOMW) are amongst the most concerning industrial wastewaters in the Mediterranean region mainly due to its seasonally intense production volumes, leading to numerous problems in recipient freshwater systems and soils. Bivalves present one of the most attractive solutions to integrate remediation strategies owing to their notable filtration capabilities and often their extensive tolerance to several chemical contaminants. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of Corbicula fluminea, a freshwater invasive bivalve, as a bioremediation agent towards OOMW. In this way, C. fluminea was exposed to a sample of this wastewater, and untreated and biotreated fractions were compared in terms of (i) their chemical composition; (ii) bioaccumulation in bivalve soft tissues and shells; and, finally, (iii) ecotoxicity, using standard organisms (bacteria, microalgae, macrophytes and cladocerans). The clam operated significant removal from OOMW of compounds holding OH and NH groups (e.g. phenols and amides) or C O, C C and C N groups (e.g. protein contents), as well as aliphatic compounds by more than half of the initial levels, as read by FTIR analysis. Corresponding transference into clams’ soft tissues can be suggested especially regarding proteins and phosphate groups, with metabolic transformation possibly explaining inconsistencies to some extent; the clam shells were also enriched in compounds bearing carboxyl, hydroxyl and phenol groups, to a lower extent in aliphatic compounds, proteins and polysaccharides, supporting that soft tissues and shells are proper recipients for the olive oil contaminants. Consistently, COD content was reduced by 89% and OOMW toxicity was generally reduced with the biotreatment, remarkably in tests with Lemna minor, where growth rate inhibition decreased from 100% to 60%. Overall, this study presents the first approach linking OOMW with C. fluminea as a potential bioremediation agent, with promising results regarding the use of this bivalve in remediation strategies.

Antibiotics have been developed for more than 80 years but presently there is an evident decline on their effectiveness due to the development of resistance by pathogens. The arising of multi drug resistant pathogens, has become a serious threat to public health. Microorganisms play a central role in nature as well as in drug discovery with a long track record as important sources of bioactive natural products revealing a wide array of molecules. Although many approaches have been applied to solve this crisis, in the last decades the focus on extreme habitats as gain attention due to peculiar features and due to the presence of unique microbial populations inhabiting these ecosystems. Caves are considered extreme environments, usually oligotrophic, being in general devoid of light, and presenting stable conditions (temperature, humidity) throughout the year. We present the first analysis of antimicrobial activity of bacteria isolated from Cerâmica Cave, located in the Sicó karst massif, central Portugal. Microorganism acquisition was performed through a variety of physical and chemical treatments: dry-heat, wet-heat, dry-heat plus phenol (1,5%), phenol (1,5%), microwave irradiation, rehydration centrifugation, and no-treatment, along with three media: R2A agar, Actinomycetes isolation agar and Yeast-malt agar. A primary antimicrobial activity screening, through cross streak method, was performed in 28 isolates, using two different incubation periods and different target agents (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida, Salmonella typhimurium and Enterococcus faecalis). A total of 7 isolates presented antagonistic activity against B. cereus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. salmonicida S. typhimurium and S. aureus. This study proves the ability of cave microorganisms to inhibit both Gram positive and Gram negative pathogenic strains, highlighting the potential of caves microbiome to be one of the answers to solve the current global crisis of multi drug resistant pathogens.

Pharmaceutical compounds have been extensively used in medicine and currently detected in trace concentrations (ranging from ng/L to mg/L) in both surface and groundwater bodies worldwide in the last decades. Despite being mostly found in low concentrations, these are persistent compounds that are continuously discharged into aquatic ecosystems. Pharmaceutical compounds are also present in complex mixtures and the actual absence of appropriate wastewater treatment specifically targeting their elimination, renders them emerging contaminants with high risk for surface and groundwater ecosystems. None of these compounds is included in the European Water Framework Directive as a priority substance and comprehensive data are still being built regarding pharmaceuticals toxicity on standard surface aquatic taxa and almost none concerning groundwater-dweller species. However, the current Directive 2008/105/EC has included some antibiotics, steroids, phenolic-antioxidants and the anti-inflammatory diclofenac in the established watch list for monitoring substances regarding water quality policy. Assessing the toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds in a large spectrum of aquatic environments is needed to assist a realistic environmental risk assessment. Hence, including subterranean species is a priority for establishing conservation measures in groundwater ecosystems. Copepod crustaceans are widely represented in freshwater bodies and dominant in groundwater ecosystems. We have selected the cosmopolitan (freshwater and groundwater) crustacean species Diacyclops crassicaudis crassicaudis Sars, 1863 and the freshwater model species Daphnia magna Müller, 1785 to estimate their response to acute exposures to the pharmaceutical compound diclofenac. Our preliminary results indicate that diclofenac was more toxic to the copepodites C1-C2 than to the neonates of D. magna (half maximal effective concentration: 63 mg/L and 111.3 mg/L at 48 h respectively) (See Suppl. material 1). However, further long-term toxicity testing at more environmentally relevant concentrations and the use of species with similar ecological features and more closely related are required for a better understanding of the potential of pharmaceutical compounds to harm the groundwater biota.

Formulants used in Plant Protection Products (PPPs) to promote their efficiency are normally undisclosed in the PPP documentation, unless they bear a human health or environmental hazardous potential per se. PPP regulation also demands the assessment of putative interactions among formulants within each product recipe and consequent effects, but these results are often unavailable. Such a case is that of the herbicide Winner Top (Selectis®, Portugal), which we selected as a model commercial formulation in the present study specifically aiming at (i) characterising its aquatic toxicity towards sensitive eco-receptors (Raphidocelis subcapitata, Chlorella vulgaris, Lemna minor and Lemna gibba), as well as that of its active substances (a.s.) nicosulfuron and terbuthylazine; (ii) comparing the ecotoxicity among the commercial formulation, the corresponding mixture of its a.s. and this a.s.'s mixture increasingly enriched with the formulants. Single chemical testing revealed that terbuthylazine was the strongest microalgae growth inhibitor and nicosulfuron was the strongest macrophyte growth inhibitor. On the other hand, the commercial formulation was consistently less toxic than the corresponding mixture of the a.s., suggesting that Winner Top formulants (72.9% of the commercial formulation) interact with the a.s., promoting less than additive effects in the selected non-target species. Importantly, this environmentally protective effect of the formulation can be apparent. Because macrophytes share most physiological features with the weeds targeted by the studied herbicide, it is likely that increased application doses are required to reach desired efficacy levels with the consequent detrimental increase of PPP residues load in edge-of-field freshwater ecosystems.

In the present work a family of novel secnidazole-derived Schiff base compounds and their copper(II) complexes were synthesized. The antimicrobial activities of the compounds were evaluated against clinically important anaerobic bacterial strains. The compounds exhibited in vitro antibacterial activity against Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides vulgatus, Bacteroides ovatus, Parabacteroides distasonis and Fusubacterium nucleatum pathogenic anaerobic bacteria. Upon coordination to copper(II) the antibacterial activity significantly increased in several cases. Some derivatives were even more active than the antimicrobial drugs secnidazole and metronidazole. Therefore, the compounds under study are suitable for in vivo evaluation and the microorganisms should be classified as susceptible to them. Electrochemical studies on the reduction of the nitro group revealed that the compounds show comparable reduction potentials, which are in the same range of the bio-reducible drugs secnidazole and benznidazole. The nitro group reduction potential is more favorable for the copper(II) complexes than for the starting ligands. Hence, the antimicrobial activities of the compounds under study might in part be related to intracellular bio-reduction activation. Considering the increasing resistance rates of anaerobic bacteria against a wide range of antimicrobial drugs, the present work constitutes an important contribution to the development of new antibacterial drug candidates.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for new molecules with bioactivity as a result of the increasing number of multi drug resistant bacteria and also of the need to find treatment for various diseases. Thus, to fill this urging need there has been a great investment in developing new techniques to speed up and increase the possibility of finding new molecules with therapeutic potential. Typically, the first stage of drug discovery process relies on in vitro assays and conventional high-throughput LC-MS-MS approaches. This combined with unique extreme environments, as a source of new molecules, has proved to be a good approach to enlarge natural product drug discovery. Considering the present demand for new bioactive molecules, together with the fact that cave microorganisms are already considered an important, yet largely unexplored source, our study aimed at assessing the bioactive potential of cave bacterial extracts, namely its antimicrobial and antitumoral potential. From six soil samples collected in the Cerâmica cave, at the Sicó karst massif, centre of Portugal, a total of 409 isolates were obtained. After a primary screening with the cross-streak method, 91 isolates showed antagonistic activity against four pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida and Bacillus aquimaris). Afterwards the secondary screening was carried out with the three isolates that presented higher antimicrobial activity. For the secondary screening, cell-free supernatants (CFS) were tested against eight pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebesiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus). The chemical analysis of the CFS is discussed, as well as the results from the in vitro tests with human cell lines to evaluate its effects on cell morphology, viability and proliferation (Suppl. material 1).

Bivalves are commonly used in biomonitoring programs to track pollutants. Several features, including its filter feeding abilities, cumulatively argue in favour of the use of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) as a biosentinel and an ecotoxicological model. Filtration in bivalves is very sensitive to external stimuli and its control is dictated by regulation of the opening/closure of the valves, which may be used as an avoidance defence against contaminants. Here, we investigate the filter-feeding behaviour of the Asian clam as an endpoint for assessing exposure to pollutants, driven by two complementary goals: (i) to generate relevant and sensitive toxicological information based on the ability of C. fluminea to clear an algal suspension, using the invasive species as a surrogate for native bivalves; (ii) to gain insight on the potential of exploring this integrative response in the refinement of chemical control methods for this pest. Clearance rates and proportion of algae removed were measured using a simple and reproducible protocol. Despite some variation across individuals and size classes, 50-90% of food particles were generally removed within 60-120 min by clams larger than 20 mm. Removal of algae was sensitive to an array of model contaminants with biocide potential, including fertilizers, pesticides, metals and salts: eight out of nine tested substances were detected at the mu g l(-1) or mg l(-1) range and triggered valve closure, decreasing filter-feeding in a concentration-dependent manner. For most toxicants, a good agreement between mortality (96 h - LC50 within the range 0.4-5500 mg l(-1)) and feeding (2 h - 1050 within the range 0.005-2317 mg l(-1)) was observed, demonstrating that a 120-min assay can be used as a protective surrogate of acute toxicity. However, copper sulphate was very strongly avoided by the clams (IC50 = 5.3 mu g l(-1)); on the contrary, dichlorvos (an organophosphate insecticide) did not cause feeding depression, either by being undetected by the clams' chemosensors and/or b, This work was supported by the strategic programs UID/AMB/50017/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638) and UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569), funded by the European Regional Development Fund through COMPETE2020 and PT2020, and by National Funds through the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT). Funding entities had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the paper, or in the decision to submit the article for publication. JL Pereira is a recipient of an individual research grant by FCT (SFRH/BPD/101971/2014)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion