Impact Of Chemical Pollution Research Articles

The impact of chemical pollution across major life transitions: a meta-analysis on oxidative stress in amphibians.

Among human actions threatening biodiversity, the release of anthropogenic chemical pollutants which have become ubiquitous in the environment, is a major concern. Chemical pollution can induce damage to macromolecules by causing the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, affecting the redox balance of animals. In species undergoing metamorphosis (i.e. the vast majority of the extant animal species), antioxidant responses to chemical pollution may differ between pre- and post-metamorphic stages. Here, we meta-analysed (N = 104 studies, k = 2283 estimates) the impact of chemical pollution on redox balance across the three major amphibian life stages (embryo, tadpole, adult). Before metamorphosis, embryos did not experience any redox change while tadpoles activate their antioxidant pathways and do not show increased oxidative damage from pollutants. Tadpoles may have evolved stronger defences against pollutants to reach post-metamorphic life stages. In contrast, post-metamorphic individuals show only weak antioxidant responses and marked oxidative damage in lipids. The type of pollutant (i.e. organic versus inorganic) has contrasting effects across amphibian life stages. Our findings show a divergent evolution of the redox balance in response to pollutants across life transitions of metamorphosing amphibians, most probably a consequence of differences in the ecological and developmental processes of each life stage.

Climate warming shifts riverine macroinvertebrate communities to be more sensitive to chemical pollutants.

Freshwaters are highly threatened ecosystems that are vulnerable to chemical pollution and climate change. Freshwater taxa vary in their sensitivity to chemicals and changes in species composition can potentially affect the sensitivity of assemblages to chemical exposure. Here we explore the potential consequences of future climate change on the composition and sensitivity of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages to chemical stressors using the UK as a case study. Macroinvertebrate assemblages under end of century (2080-2100) and baseline (1980-2000) climate conditions were predicted for 608 UK sites for four climate scenarios corresponding to mean temperature changes of 1.28 to 3.78°C. Freshwater macroinvertebrate toxicity data were collated for 19 chemicals and the hierarchical species sensitivity distribution model was used to predict the sensitivity of untested taxa using relatedness within a Bayesian approach. All four future climate scenarios shifted assemblage compositions, increasing the prevalence of Mollusca, Crustacea and Oligochaeta species, and the insect taxa of Odonata, Chironomidae, and Baetidae species. Contrastingly, decreases were projected for Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera (except for Baetidae) and Coleoptera species. Shifts in taxonomic composition were associated with changes in the percentage of species at risk from chemical exposure. For the 3.78°C climate scenario, 76% of all assemblages became more sensitive to chemicals and for 18 of the 19 chemicals, the percentage of species at risk increased. Climate warming-induced increases in sensitivity were greatest for assemblages exposed to metals and were dependent on baseline assemblage composition, which varied spatially. Climate warming is predicted to result in changes in the use, environmental exposure and toxicity of chemicals. Here we show that, even in the absence of these climate-chemical interactions, shifts in species composition due to climate warming will increase chemical risk and that the impact of chemical pollution on freshwater macroinvertebrate biodiversity may double or quadruple by the end of the 21st century.

Metagenome meta-analysis reveals an increase in the abundance of some multidrug efflux pumps and mobile genetic elements in chemically polluted environments.

Many human activities contaminate terrestrial and aquatic environments with numerous chemical pollutants that not only directly alter the environment but also affect microbial communities in ways that are potentially concerning to human health, such as selecting for the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) through horizontal gene transfer. In the present study, metagenomes available in the public domain from polluted (with antibiotics, with petroleum, with metal mining, or with coal-mining effluents) and unpolluted terrestrial and aquatic environments were compared to examine whether pollution has influenced the abundance and composition of ARGs and mobile elements, with specific focus on IS26 and class 1 integrons (intI1). When aggregated together, polluted environments had a greater relative abundance of ARGs than unpolluted environments and a greater relative abundance of IS26 and intI1. In general, chemical pollution, notably with petroleum, was associated with an increase in the prevalence of ARGs linked to multidrug efflux pumps. Included in the suite of efflux pumps were mexK, mexB, mexF, and mexW that are polyspecific and whose substrate ranges include multiple classes of critically important antibiotics. Also, in some instances, β-lactam resistance (TEM181 and OXA-541) genes increased, and genes associated with rifampicin resistance (RNA polymerases subunits rpoB and rpoB2) decreased in relative abundance. This meta-analysis suggests that different types of chemical pollution can enrich populations that carry efflux pump systems associated with resistance to multiple classes of medically critical antibiotics. IMPORTANCE The United Nations has identified chemical pollution as being one of the three greatest threats to environmental health, through which the evolution of antimicrobial resistance, a seminally important public health challenge, may be favored. While this is a very plausible outcome of continued chemical pollution, there is little evidence or research evaluating this risk. The objective of the present study was to examine existing metagenomes from chemically polluted environments and evaluate whether there is evidence that pollution increases the relative abundance of genes and mobile genetic elements that are associated with antibiotic resistance. The key finding is that for some types of pollution, particularly in environments exposed to petroleum, efflux pumps are enriched, and these efflux pumps can confer resistance to multiple classes of medically important antibiotics that are typically associated with Pseudomonas spp. or other Gram-negative bacteria. This finding makes clear the need for more investigation on the impact of chemical pollution on the environmental reservoir of ARGs and their association with mobile genetic elements that can contribute to horizontal gene transfer events.

The impact of chemical pollution on the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from a Mediterranean hypersaline coastal lagoon

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a critically endangered species. The impact of environmental contamination on this species has been highlighted as contributing to the decline in recruitment. The Mar Menor hypersaline coastal lagoon (SE Spain) is one of the most productive fisheries of European eel in Europe, making it a critical habitat for species conservation. The present study aimed to provide an initial overview of the impact of organic chemical contaminants on the European eel and the potential sublethal effects of chemical pollution on pre-migrating eels in this hypersaline habitat. We investigated muscle bioaccumulation of main persistent and hazardous organic contaminants (including some current-use pesticides) and genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and xenobiotic detoxification system responses. The findings show that lagoon eels were exposed to high levels of legacy organochlorine contaminants, recently banned pesticides (chlorpyrifos), and some emerging chemicals. Some individuals surpassed the maximum levels of CBs authorized by the European Commission for human consumption. In this species, residuals of chlorpyrifos, pendimethalin, and chlorthal dimethyl have been reported for the first time. This field study provides relevant data to stock management and human health consumption and provides the first biomarker responses in European eel under permanent hypersaline conditions. Furthermore, the high frequency of micronuclei in peripheral erythrocytes of lagoon eels indicates sublethal genotoxic effects on the organism. Overall, the European eels growing and maturing in the Mar Menor lagoon are exposed to toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. The lack of seafood safety regulations for human consumption for some legacy chemicals that were measured in high concentrations in our study requires special action. Further biomonitoring and research are recommended to protect the animal, public, and environmental health.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based metabolomics investigation of different tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis

The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is widely used in monitoring programs and in ecotoxicological studies to examine the biological effects of physicochemical parameter changes and the impact of chemical pollutants. Metabolomics has recently demonstrated high potential to gain further insight into the molecular effects of chemical exposure and the success of its application is dependent on the extent of prior metabolomics knowledge available on the target organism. Therefore, the purpose of this study was the investigation of the metabolites of five different functional tissues of male and female Mediterranean mussels (digestive gland, foot, gill and gonad tissues and in the remaining soft tissues) accessible to the analysis using the most common sample preparation recommended for tissue analysis (i.e. Bligh & Dyer). Metabolic fingerprints were acquired via liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry and the identification was based on an internal database developed in the laboratory. It led to the identification of 110 metabolites, among which amino acids, carboxylic acids, purine and pyrimidine metabolites were often the most abundant. The metabolic contents of the five tissues quantitatively and qualitatively differed, with a clear distinction between male and female contents observed in the gonads and digestive glands. These results underline the importance of selecting the most suitable tissue and sex to study the impact of contamination on metabolism and the need for further research to deeper characterize the metabolome of this organism.

Ecotoxicological assessment of water and sediment river samples to evaluate the environmental risks of anthropogenic contamination

Several studies have shown the issue of effluent discharges as a source of contamination into waterways. Still, the impact of chemical pollutants on sediment is less well understood, especially from an ecotoxicological perspective, even though it is known that chemicals from industrial processes are frequently released into river systems. Therefore, here we compared water-sediment samples collected in high-anthropogenic urban area and low-anthropogenic peri-urban area. We have used physicochemical parameters, genotoxicity assay, bioindication and acute and surviving chronic toxicity tests - in an integrated biological assessment. Results suggest no acute toxicity related to exposure to samples from both areas. Still, samples collected in the high-anthropogenic urban area were associated with chronic toxicity effects in D. magna. Heavy metals Pb, Cu, and Cr were found in all samples. Even having all averages below the allowed level as determined by CONAMA (Resolution 420-Class 2), the Water Quality Index (WQI) score showed us that samples from high-anthropogenic sites were identified as “Poor,” and samples from low-anthropogenic sites were identified as “Good.” Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Odonata, which are very sensitive organisms, were largely absent in high-anthropogenic areas, showing that it is likely to be associated with WQI. Therefore, careful consideration should be applied to monitoring effluent discharges using predictive tests, considering the environmental risks of sediment contamination and its consequences on the total environment.

Development in the European flounder (Platichthys flesus) of a q-PCR assay for the measurement of telomere length, a potential biomarker of pollutant effects for biomonitoring studies

Telomeres protect the coding sequence of chromosome ends and Telomere Length (TL) has been proposed as a biomarker of cellular aging, cumulative stress exposure and life-span in humans. With the aim to propose new biomarkers, a q-PCR protocol was adapted for the measurement of TL in the European flounder Platichthys flesus. The protocol was then applied in 2-year-old flounders from the Seine Estuary.The absolute TL in the flounder is 54 ± 13 kbp per genome (mean ± standard error). Considering relative or absolute TL, no correlation was observed with DNA damage and any of the measured contaminant concentrations (trace elements, metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls, organochlorinated pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, perfluoroalkyl substances). Because sampling was limited, further investigations are required to state a possible impact of chemical pollution on flatfish telomeres. This is motivated by correlations observed with organochlorinated compounds when decreasing statistical significance (p ≤ 0.10).

Variation Morphologique Adaptative Des Populations De Sarotherodon Melanotheron Des Secteurs IV Et V De La Lagune Ebrié (Côte d’Ivoire) Face Au Stress Chimique

The impact of chemical pollution on organism’s characteristics was assessed through morphological features in IV and V sectors of Ebrié Lagoon using Sarotherodon melanotheron (Rüppel, 1852) as bioindicator. Sampling was carried out during a whole year in three sites (Layo, N’djem and Ahua) characterized by contrasted environments(respectively moderate, medium and high levels of pollution). The morphological studies were based on morphometric biomarkers such as fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and average body shape. Fluctuating asymmetry was evaluated among individuals within sites using ANOVA Procrustes. Average body shape was compared among sampling sites using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Canonical Variates Analysis (CVA) and MANOVA. Fluctuating asymmetry did not vary between sampling sites. However, the average body shape was significantly different between specimens from Ahua and both those from Layo and N’djem. There was no significant difference between fish from Layo and those from N’djem.Allometric effects and the abiotic parameters influenced, to some extent, the body shape of individuals.A morphological differentiation according to the geographical distance was also observed. The study revealed a morphological adaptation of the populations of S. melanotheron in the study area.

Genetic Diversity Analysis of the Natural Populations of Mediterranean Mussels [Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lmk.)] in Agadir Bay: Assessment of the Molecular Polymorphism and Environmental Impact

Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk) has a great environmental and economic importance for Morocco. This work studies the genetic structure and impact of chemical pollution on three different marine populations of Mytilus galloprovincialis that live within Agadir bay. Three collections were made at two clean sites (Cape Ghir and Cape Aglou) and at an impacted site exposed to intense boating and industrial activities (Anza). A 300-bp portion of the mitochondrial DNA coding-region Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit 1 (COI) was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing reactions to assess and evaluate amounts of polymorphism in each site. Genetic analysis using COI for 64 individuals showed no significant differentiation between the three subpopulations. AMOVA demonstrated that only 2.83% of variation exists between populations. Besides the genetic evidence presented herein, mussel’s adaptation mechanisms and strategies to marine pollution are also discussed.

Tiered risk assessment of chemical pollution caused by military activities

<i>The methodology of environmental risk is becoming more common to assess the impact of chemical pollution on human beings and the environment, providing information for making environmental remediation decisions. This article examines the impact on human health chemicals that penetrated into river water as a result of an accident at a military ammunition depot. The river is the source of drinking water for the population. Assessing the impact of chemicals on the health of adults, adolescents and children is carried out in stages (tiers), from simple to complex. Assessment is carried out both for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic substances. The first tier is executed by a deterministic method – a method in which all biological, chemical, physical, and environmental parameters are assumed to be constant and can be accurately specified. Deterministic methods commonly apply to either a “most likely” value for a parameter, or a conservative value. When the obtained values are insufficient for making the decision, the second tier of a risk assessment begins. The values in this case have the form of probability distributions that determine their variability. Processing the risk model with the help of the one-dimensional Monte Carlo method gives more accurate data in the form of risk distribution. However, the method does not consider the lack of knowledge about the values of input variables, so, at the third tier of a risk assessment, the two-dimensional Monte Carlo method is used. In this case, the specifi ed values of risk look like trend charts and indicate the limits of probability of risk for a certain percentage of the population.</i>

The impact of chemical pollution on the resilience of soils under multiple stresses: A conceptual framework for future research

Soils are faced with man-made chemical stress factors, such as the input of organic or metal-containing pesticides, in combination with non-chemical stressors like soil compaction and natural disturbance like drought. Although multiple stress factors are typically co-occurring in soil ecosystems, research in soil sciences on this aspect is limited and focuses mostly on single structural or functional endpoints. A mechanistic understanding of the reaction of soils to multiple stressors is currently lacking.Based on a review of resilience theory, we introduce a new concept for research on the ability of polluted soil (xenobiotics or other chemical pollutants as one stressor) to resist further natural or anthropogenic stress and to retain its functions and structure. There is strong indication that pollution as a primary stressor will change the system reaction of soil, i.e., its resilience, stability and resistance. It can be expected that pollution affects the physiological adaption of organisms and the functional redundancy of the soil to further stress. We hypothesize that the recovery of organisms and chemical-physical properties after impact of a follow-up stressor is faster in polluted soil than in non-polluted soil, i.e., polluted soil has a higher dynamical stability (dynamical stability=1/recovery time), whereas resilience of the contaminated soil is lower compared to that of not or less contaminated soil. Thus, a polluted soil might be more prone to change into another system regime after occurrence of further stress. We highlight this issue by compiling the literature exemplarily for the effects of Cu contamination and compaction on soil functions and structure.We propose to intensify research on effects of combined stresses involving a multidisciplinary team of experts and provide suggestions for corresponding experiments. Our concept offers thus a framework for system level analysis of soils paving the way to enhance ecological theory.

Exposure to an agricultural contaminant, 17β-trenbolone, impairs female mate choice in a freshwater fish

Despite the pivotal role sexual selection plays in population dynamics and broader evolutionary processes, the impact of chemical pollution on female mate choice is poorly understood. One group of chemical contaminants with the potential to disrupt the mechanisms of female mate choice is endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); a broad class of environmental pollutants that can interfere with the endocrinology of organisms at extremely low concentrations. Recent research has revealed that estrogenic EDCs can affect female mate choice in fish, but the impact of androgenic EDC exposure is yet to be studied. To address this, we investigated the effects of an environmentally relevant concentration of trenbolone – an androgenic steroid used as a growth promoter in the cattle industry – on female mate choice in wild-caught guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We exposed male and female guppies to 17β-trenbolone for 21 days (measured concentration 4ng/L) via a flow-through system, and found that trenbolone-exposed female guppies spent less time associating with males, and were less choosy, compared to unexposed females. In contrast, trenbolone had no impact on male reproductive behavior or morphology. This is the first study to show that androgenic EDC exposure can disrupt female mate choice, highlighting the need for studies to investigate the behavioral impacts of environmental contaminants on both sexes.

Hygienic assessment of impact on public health air pollution in view of the combined actions of chemicals in the area of the chemical industry

The article presents the results of air pollution study in the area of chemical industry. The results of evaluating possible impact of chemical pollution on the population health are reflected by the parameter values: complex indicator “R” public health risk (reflexive, chronic, and combined risk at the reflexive and chronic action), hazard index and combined action coefficient. The comparative characteristic of the received data is provided by the degree of air pollution during the evaluation, taking into account the combined effect of chemicals and during the evaluation without the combined action of chemicals. The possibility of using the results to predict the changes in the population health status and to plan epidemiological studies is determined.

Modulation of stress related protein genes in the bass (Epinephelus guaza) caught from the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea, Egypt

Impact of chemical pollution on expression of stress protein genes in the bass Epinephelus guaga collected from several locations including Suez Oil Production Port (Floating port), Atakah Fishing Port, Adabiya Port and Tawfik Port in Suez Governorate, Egypt, was investigated. In the current study, levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water and fish samples collected from Suez Gulf were assessed. In addition, gills and liver tissues of caught bass fish were used to address the interaction between pollution status and the expression of stress-related genes (Hsp70a, Hsp70b, Hsp47, MT and CYP1A). Our analysis demonstrated that levels of PAHs in Floating and Tawfik ports were higher than those found in the Atakah Fishing Port and the Adabiya Port. In addition, MDA and PC contents were significantly higher in gills and liver tissues collected from Floating and Tawfik ports than those collected from Adabiya and Atakah ports. In correlation to the above results, all fish collected from the Floating and Tawfik ports presented a significant increase in Hsp-, MT- and CYP1A—mRNAs. On the other hand, fish samples collected from the Atakah Fishing and Adabiya ports showed no induction of the stress-related genes transcription in such tissues. In conclusion, the current research demonstrates that remarkable increase in PAH contaminants levels in Floating and Tawfik ports are correlated with the levels stress protein-related genes transcription in E. guaga gills and liver tissues.

How green are environmental technologies? A new approach for a global evaluation: The case of WWTP effluents ozonation

The research on the impact of chemical pollution is now increasingly attracted by the topic of organic micropollutants: as secondary biological treatment of wastewater does not provide the complete elimination of these substances, an advanced treatment downstream the biological process can be implemented. Notwithstanding, the benefits of improved effluent quality can be weakened by the negative effects on air quality, when energy consumption and related pollutants emissions deriving from the advanced treatment technologies are taken into account. It is the aim of this work to present an innovative methodology to judge the environmental compatibility of wastewater treatment processes on the basis of the damage on human health produced/avoided, expressed as an economic value. In particular, while for air pollution the established external costs were applied, for water pollution the rates of the impacts on human health have been evaluated in terms of Global Burden of Disease and measured in units of DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years), then converted into costs based on Gross Domestic Product. As a first application, this procedure was used for assessing environmental compatibility of a final ozonation: the results of this study showed that the reduction of water pollution achieved by means of ozonation might be beneficial for human health at an extent which is in the same order of magnitude of damage caused by air pollution, emphasizing that the question if the use of advanced (energy-intensive) treatments is a proper solution to remove organic micropollutants from wastewater remains still open.

The impact of chemical pollution on biodiversity and ecosystem services: the need for an improved understanding

The impact of chemical pollution on biodiversity and ecosystem services: the need for an improved understanding

Criteria and methods to assess the ecological status of soils in relation to the landscaping of urban territories

The ecological status and functioning of soils in urban ecosystems are considered. A series of criteria and simple methods of their determination are suggested to assess soil suitability for landscaping purposes. Their practical application is shown by the example of the ecological assessment and monitoring survey of different urban territories in the southwestern, western, and northwestern administrative districts of Moscow and in Moscow suburbs. It is shown that the main damage to the soils of actively used territories in Moscow is due to the artificial salinization induced by the application of deicing substances and fertilizers. The second factor of soil degradation is the soil compaction. An unfavorable water and air regime (a deficit or excess of soil moisture) is a factor that manifests itself sporadically in time (during the extremely dry years) and in space (at the sites with an increased soil compaction and soil water evaporation). A considerable decrease in the potential biological activity of urban soils, including the soils of newly built residential areas, in comparison with their natural analogues attests to the disturbance of their functioning under the impact of chemical pollution and an unfavorable physical status.

Origin of high fluoride contents in groundwater of the Santa Maria Formation, Guarany Aquifer System, southern Brazil

A comprehensive assessment of man-made impact on the environment is much kept behind because of missing unified systems of environmental monitoring. They represent sources of reliable information on the current status of the environment, as well as the absence of approaches to assess the impact of chemical pollution by different anthropogenic sources. Vegetation, being the component of environmental systems, is very sensitive to atmospheric man-made load. However, permissible concentrations of elements in plants, causing deflection in their development are differently estimated in different regions and vegetation species. As to the Baikal region, it is commonly the sanitary state of woods, that is primarily assessed. Coniferous trees, in particular pine, represent the main tree species in the region. In the Olkhon region we investigated the trace element compositions in pine needles to obtain the background contents of toxic metals. This region of the National park lies 300 km away from the industrial sources of pollutants, beyond the zone of wind effect, and has no industry. The research was made on the healthy (green) and dried up (red) pine needles. The elements like Zn, A1, Mn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Co, Ni, Sr, Cd, Pb, Li, Rb, Sb and As were measured by atomic absorption and flame emission photometry. The samples were decomposed in autoclaves with the mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Distinct differences were found in a series of elements contained in the green and dried needles. The red needles are characterized by higher contents of Zn, A1, Cu and low Mn, Fe, Pb with similar contents of other elements. It is proposed to use the ratio Fe/Mn for evaluating the ecological status and characterization of the damage to trees. In the study region in the green needles Fe/Mn=0.5, in red ones it is 0.7 (for comparison the ratio Fe/Mn in the zone of industry influence the ratio is 1.1-2.0). The obtained values of metal concentrations in the green pine needles can be accepted as background in the assessment of the sanitary state of the Prebaikalian woods, and reddening of the needles most likely reflects the natural serial level of tree stands.

The Effect of Synthetic Surfactants on the Hydrobiological Mechanisms of Water Self-Purification

Long-term studies of the biological effect of surfactants, including the effect surfactants exert on filter feeders, are reviewed. The role of filter feeders in the functioning of freshwater and marine ecosystems is analyzed. New aspects in the assessment of environmental hazard due to the impact of chemical pollutants, including surfactants and detergents, are established.

Academics as Citizens—Collaborative Applied Interdisciplinary Research in the Service of Communities

ABSTRACT The article uses two case studies from native Denke Aboriginal communities in the Canadian boreal forest and the Alaskan Arctic, to argue that university-community partnerships are essential to applied interdisciplinary research and community development. It analyzes development research in those communities, with particular reference to human ecology and the impact of chemical pollutants, as well as the empowerment of women. Employing foundational concepts of community participation and indigenous knowledge, it outlines innovative outcomes arising from collaborative research and concludes with key lessons for universities. It suggests that universities be socially responsible, institutional citizens by participating in development initiatives; provide an enabling environment for engagement with communities; and integrate research and teaching in a way that emphasizes community benefit as the essential objective. The article also argues for a redefinition of merit criteria to reward publications that may not fit an academic genre but are useful for communities and policy makers. Finally, it emphasizes support for co-production of knowledge with indigenous communities and an acknowledgement of their proprietary rights over such knowledge.