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The ability of aquatic organisms to sense the surrounding environment chemically and interpret these signals correctly is crucial to their survival and ecological niche. This study applied the Heterogenous Multi-Habitat Assay System - HeMHAS to evaluate the avoidance potential of Daphnia magna to detect fipronil-contaminated habitats in a connected landscape after a short (48 h), previous, forced exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of the same insecticide. The swimming of daphnids was also analyzed by recording the total distance covered. D. magna preferred areas with less contamination, although the effect of fipronil on their swimming ability (a decrease) was observed for all the concentrations tested. The application of non-forced multi-compartment exposure methodologies is a recent trend and is ecologically relevant as it is based on how contamination can really produce changes in an organism's habitat selection. Finally, we consider the importance of more non-forced exposure approaches where Stress Ecology can be aggregated to improve systemic understanding of the risk that contaminants pose to aquatic ecosystems from a broader landscape perspective.

In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in understanding the behavior of personal care products (PCPs) in the aquatic environment. In this regard, the aim of this study is to estimate the accumulation and effects of four PCPs within the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The PCPs selected were triclosan, OTNE, benzophenone-3, and octocrylene. A progressive uptake was observed and maximum concentrations in tissues were reached at the end of the exposure phase, up to levels of 0.68 µg g−1, 24 µg g−1, 0.81 µg g−1, and 1.52 µg g−1 for OTNE, BP-3, OC, and TCS, respectively. After the PCP post-exposure period, the removal percentages were higher than 65%. The estimated logarithm bioconcentration factor ranged from 3.34 to 2.93, in concordance with the lipophobicity of each substance. No lethal effects were found although significant changes were observed for ethoxyresorufin O-demethylase activity, glutathione S-transferase activity, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage.

The high levels of contamination in aquatic ecosystems caused by pesticides and the organisms' consequent continuous exposure to it has made them vulnerable to damage. However, mobile organisms can avoid this continued exposure to contaminants by moving to less disturbed habitats. Therefore, through the use of the Heterogenous Multi-Habitat Assay System (HeMHAS), our objective was to evaluate the ability of Daphnia magna to detect and avoid habitats contaminated by fipronil and 2,4-D, in a spatially connected landscape. Further, the role of contamination by these pesticides, isolated and in mixtures, concerning the colonization of habitats by daphnids was also evaluated. Given that not all organisms successfully escape contamination, the chronic toxicity of the same pesticides using different parameters for D. magna (maternal survival, fecundity and maternal body length) was also evaluated. When evaluating the avoidance response by D. magna exposed to pesticides, there was no preference for the less contaminated areas for both compounds. However, organisms did not move to contaminated zones in the colonization experiments, with no immigration of daphnids to the zones with intermediate and the highest levels of fipronil, nor to the highest concentration of 2,4-D. Finally, the colonization by daphnids was significantly prevented when exposed to a mixture of the pesticides, in which the areas with the highest combinations of pesticide concentrations were not colonized by D. magna. Regarding the long-term chronic effects, negative consequences were observed, particularly for maternal body length, fecundity and maternal survival, due to the exposure to fipronil. Considering that pesticides can limit the areas colonized by organisms by making them unattractive, the risk of local population extinction may be underestimated if only standard endpoints involving forced exposure are studied.

The highly metal-contaminated Odiel-Tinto River basin, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has been the focus of many environmental studies as a natural lab for biodiversity and environmentally catastrophic scenarios and as a reference site for mining places with similar conditions. This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of two different technologies to recover ecosystems affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the area of IPB. The current study compiles results of two newest technologies for AMD remediation: passive remediation (dispersed alkaline substrate—DAS) and a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASE&C) that purifies the contaminated water, obtaining two by-products (high-quality water and metal conglomerates) that improve the general quality of the ecosystem including biodiversity by eliminating more than 90% of the contaminants from AMD and mining waters. The removal of contaminants, enhancement of AMD treatment efficiency, and offset operating costs were compared and analyzed for the different uses of the decontaminated effluents, including an old tailing pond failure, the Aznalcóllar mining spill. The efficiency of the removal of elements from the contaminated water is significant using both technologies, although the passive DAS does not still reach the international benchmark for some compounds (such as Fe, sulfates, and Mn); whereas ASE&C obtains distilled water fulfilling all the international benchmarks with conductivity values lower than 120 µS cm−1 or metal concentrations lower than µg/L. Both technologies are eco-friendly and cost-effective as a result of the generation of valuable by-products such as fresh water and metal conglomerates as potentially commercial products while remediating aquatic ecosystems impacted by mining activities.

Metallurgical industries are a continuous source of air pollution due to the amount of settleable particulate matter (SePM) they release. This SePM is a complex mixture formed by metallic nanoparticles and metals, which reach terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and can be a significant source of contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of SePM at different levels of biological organization in order to estimate its ecological impacts on aquatic ecosystems. For this purpose, the crustacean Daphnia magna was exposed to different concentrations of SePM (0.01, 0.1, 1, 5, 10 g/L) using a multi-level response approach. The endpoints studied were: avoidance throughout 24 h in a non-forced exposure system, reproduction (total number of neonates per female after 21 days of exposure), acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) after 48 h, and finally, the feeding rates during a short-term exposure (48 h) and a long-term exposure (21 day + 48 h). There was a negative effect of SePM on all responses measured at high concentrations. The avoidance was concentration-dependent and represented 88 % and 100 % at the two highest concentrations. The AChE activity was significantly inhibited at 5 and 10 g/L. The total number of neonates increased from 1 g/L of SePM and the first brood occurred earlier as of 5 g/L compared to control. The post-exposure feeding rates were lower during long-term exposure at the highest concentration. Chemical analyses were performed to characterize the metals present in this SePM, but this study did not report any direct relationship with toxicity, due to the chemical heterogeneity of the particles. The emission of compounds caused by anthropogenic activity may have significant ecological consequences, so it is important to consider these possible effects on aquatic biota generated by the mixture of metals present in SePM originated from metallurgical activities. Environmental and sectorial regulations are needed to prevent contamin

Iberoamerica comprises countries where Portuguese or Spanish are the predominant languages [...]

The future of our planet, as well as the viability and well-being of our societies highly depend on the health status of our oceans, seas, and coastal waters [...]

Surgical face masks are more present than ever as personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, we show that the contents of regular surgical masks: i) polypropylene microfibres and ii) some added metals such as: Al, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and Ba, may be toxic to some marine life. This work has got two objectives: i) to study the release rate of the products from face masks in marine water and ii) to assess the toxicity in Phaeodactylum tricornutum of these by-products. To achieve these two objectives, we performed release kinetic experiments by adding masks in different stages of fragmentation to marine water (i.e. whole face masks and fragments of them 1.52 ± 0.86 mm). Released microfibres were found after one month in shaking marine water; 0.33 ± 0.24 and 21.13 ± 13.19 fibres·mL−1 were collected from the whole and fragmented face masks, respectively. Significant amounts of dissolved metals such as Mn, Zn and Ni, as well as functional groups only in the water containing the face mask fragments were detected. Water from both treatments was employed to study its toxicity on the marine diatom. Only the water from the face mask fragments showed a significant, dose-dependent, decrease in cell density in P. tricornutum; 53.09 % lower than in the controls. Although the water from the face mask fragments showed greater effects on the microalgae population than the water from the whole face mask, the latter treatment did show significant changes in the photosynthetic apparatus and intrinsic properties of the cells. These results indicate that during fragmentation and degradation face masks a significant chemical print can be observed in the marine environment., Marta Sendra wishes to acknowledge her contract Juan de la Cierva Incorporación (IJC2020-043162-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/ 501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. Dr. Araceli Rodríguez-Romero is supported by the Spanish grant Juan de la Cierva Incorporación referenced as IJC2018–037545-I.

The highly metal-contaminated Odiel-Tinto River basin, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has been the focus of many environmental studies as a natural lab for biodiversity and environmentally catastrophic scenarios and as a reference site for mining places with similar conditions. This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of two different technologies to recover ecosystems affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the area of IPB. The current study compiles results of two newest technologies for AMD remediation: passive remediation (dispersed alkaline substrate—DAS) and a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASE&C) that purifies the contaminated water, obtaining two by-products (high-quality water and metal conglomerates) that improve the general quality of the ecosystem including biodiversity by eliminating more than 90% of the contaminants from AMD and mining waters. The removal of contaminants, enhancement of AMD treatment efficiency, and offset operating costs were compared and analyzed for the different uses of the decontaminated effluents, including an old tailing pond failure, the Aznalcóllar mining spill. The efficiency of the removal of elements from the contaminated water is significant using both technologies, although the passive DAS does not still reach the international benchmark for some compounds (such as Fe, sulfates, and Mn); whereas ASE&C obtains distilled water fulfilling all the international benchmarks with conductivity values lower than 120 µS cm−1 or metal concentrations lower than µg/L. Both technologies are eco-friendly and cost-effective as a result of the generation of valuable by-products such as fresh water and metal conglomerates as potentially commercial products while remediating aquatic ecosystems impacted by mining activities.

This textbook offers a comprehensive and authoritative introduction to the latest analytical methods, tools and techniques used in the marine environment, bringing together the two fields of chemical oceanography and analytical chemistry. Divided into 11 chapters, the book starts with an overview of the main parameters of the marine carbon system, and it covers different sampling strategies used by the marine scientific community, and the different chemical analyses to measure trace metals, radionuclides and organic matter in the marine environment. Particular attention is given to the identification and quantification of marine persistent organic pollutants, emerging organic contaminants and microplastics. Readers will also find accessible explanations and real life examples of the application of remote sensing and in-situ sensing technologies to monitor the marine environment. The textbook finishes with a chapter on data treatment that outlines the relevant statistical approaches, uncertainty estimation and quality assurance of marine chemical measurements. This textbook provides both students and professionals alike with a transdisciplinary and comprehensive foundation for the chemical analysis of our oceans and seas.

Textile manufacturing is the second most polluting industry. It involves a series of processes that require large amounts of water and generates highly polluting wastewater. Four liquid wastes collected at different steps from two different textile factories (synthetic and natural fibers) were treated using a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASEC). After the treatment of the contaminated fluids, the byproducts obtained (freshwater and crystallized solids <1% humidity) were characterized to determine depuration efficiency and their potential commercial reuse. The physicochemical parameters were analyzed in the liquid and solid phases. The results evidence a completely efficient separation of the contaminants and solutes from the liquids analyzed, resulting in 100% pure water with the characteristics of distilled water (an electrical conductivity below 20 µS/cm) suitable for other industrial processes or water reuses, including human consumption. This implies an estimated annual reduction in the water consumption of these factories of between 16 and 103 Olympic pools. It would also avoid the disposal of 181 and 966 ton/y dried residue by the current synthetic and natural fiber textile processing factories, respectively. More than 75% of the resulting solid residue was S from the synthetic fiber industry, and light elements from the natural fiber residues. The installation of ASEC technology in different phases or at the end of industrial textile processing lines could change the paradigm of water consumption to a minimum, thus reducing consumption and resulting in the complete recycling of water. Using renewable energy and residual heat transforms the system into a zero-pollution technology; it makes it possible to attain almost 0% CO2 emissions, fulfilling the European Green Deal objectives such as a circular economy, the decarbonization of the textile industry, the protection of the biodiversity of river basins, and zero pol

The book provides for the first time an overview of the latest scientific studies conducted on micro and nano plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea both from the biological and environmental point of view as well as from the chemical point of view in order to have a more real idea of ​​the current situation.