Chlorophenols (CPs) are used in the production of pesticides and preservatives. Although human exposure to CPs has been known for years, current exposure levels to these chemicals in Asian countries are not known. In this study, we analyzed concentrations of eight CPs in 300 human urine samples collected from nine countries. Of these CPs, 2,5-dichlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol were found at the highest median concentrations (median for all nine countries: 1.78 and 0.34 ng/mL, respectively). Pentachlorophenol was found in 59% of the samples analyzed at a median concentration of 0.07 ng/mL. Urine samples from Japan had the highest concentration of total CPs (median: 16.7 ng/mL) with 2,5-dichlorophenol accounting for 93.1% of the total concentration. The estimated daily intake (DI) for precursors of dichlorophenols varied widely, but several samples showed values higher than the acceptable DI recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These results suggest that CP exposure, especially to dichlorophenols, is prevalent in several countries, particularly in Asia, suggesting a pressing need for further assessment of the global sources and potential health effects of these chemicals.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test spider webs as a fast tool for magnetic biomonitoring of air pollution. The study involved the investigation of webs made by four types of spiders: Pholcus phalangioides (Pholcidae), Eratigena atrica and Agelena labirynthica (Agelenidae) and Linyphia triangularis (Linyphiidae). These webs were obtained from outdoor and indoor study sites. Compared to the clean reference webs, an increase was observed in the values of magnetic susceptibility in the webs sampled from both indoor and outdoor sites, which indicates contamination by anthropogenically produced pollution particles that contain ferrimagnetic iron minerals. This pilot study has demonstrated that spider webs are able to capture particulate matter in a manner that is equivalent to flora-based bioindicators applied to date (such as mosses, lichens, leaves). They also have additional advantages; for example, they can be generated in isolated clean habitats, and exposure can be monitored in indoor and outdoor locations, at any height and for any period of time. Moreover, webs are ubiquitous in an anthropogenic, heavily polluted environment, and they can be exposed throughout the year. As spider webs accumulate pollutants to which humans are exposed, they become a reliable source of information about the quality of the environment. Therefore, spider webs are recommended for magnetic biomonitoring of airborne pollution and for the assessment of the environment because they are non-destructive, low-cost, sensitive and efficient.

The aim of this study was to investigate environmental and lifestyle factors affecting exposure to PAHs in the general population in a large city of the Middle East (Tehran) by measuring urinary monohydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and establishing relationships between PAHs exposure and related factors. Urine samples were collected from 222 randomly chosen subjects who were living in the urban area of Tehran, Iran. Subjects were required to complete a detailed questionnaire aimed to document their personal and sociodemographic information, activities, cooking-related appliances, smoking history/exposure, and consumed foodstuff. Identification and quantification of six OH-PAHs was carried out using a gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The geometric means for 1-OHP, 1-NAP, 2-NAP, 2-FLU, 9-FLU, and 9-PHE for whole population study were 310, 1220, 3070, 530, 330, and 130 ng/g creatinine, respectively. The two naphthalene metabolites contributed on average 77% of the total concentration of six measured OH-PAHs, followed by the 2-FLU, 1-OHP, 9-FLU, and 9-PHE. The most important predictors of urinary PAHs were consumption of grilled/barbecued foods, smoking, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoking. Water pipe smoking was linked to urinary OH-PAH metabolite in a dose-response function. Residential traffic was also related with OH-PAH metabolite concentrations. Other factors including gender, age, exposure to common house insecticides, open burning, and candle burning were found to be statistically associated with the urinary levels of some OH-PAHs. High exposure to PAHs among general population in Middle Eastern large cities and its associated health implications calls for public health measures to reduce PAHs exposure.

Microplastic (MP) contamination is ubiquitous in the environment and many species worldwide have been shown to contain MP. The ecological impact of MP pollution is still unknown, thus there is an urgent need for more knowledge. One key task is to identify species suitable as sentinels for monitoring in key eco-compartments, such as coastal waters. In Norway, mussels (Mytilus spp.) have been monitored for hazardous contaminants through OSPAR since 1981. Norway has the longest coastline in Europe and adding MP to the Norwegian Mussel Watch is therefore important in a European and global context. The present study reports MP data in mussels (332 specimens) collected from multiple sites (n = 15) spanning the whole Norwegian coastline. MPs were detected at all locations, except at one site on the west coast. Among the most surprising findings, mussels from the Barents Sea coastline in the Finnmark region, contained significantly more MPs than mussels from most of the southern part of the country, despite the latter sites being located much closer to major urban areas. Only mussels from a site located very close to Oslo, the capital, contained levels similar to those observed in the remote site in Finnmark. In total an average of 1.5 (±2.3) particles ind⁻¹ and 0.97 (±2.61) particles w.w. g⁻¹ was found. The most common MPs were <1 mm in size, and fibres accounted for 83% of particles identified, although there was inter-site variability. Thirteen different polymeric groups were identified; cellulosic being the most common and black rubbery particles being the second. This study suggests Mytilus spp. are suitable for semi-quantitative and qualitatively monitoring of MPs in coastal waters. However, some uncertainties remain including mussel size as a confounding factor that may influence ingestion, the role of depuration and other fate related processes, and this call for further research.

The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha constitutes an extensively used sentinel species for biomonitoring in European and North American freshwater systems. However, this invasive species is gradually replaced in freshwater ecosystem by Dreissena bugensis, a closely related dreissenid species that shares common morphological characteristics but possess some physiological differences. However, few are known about differences on more integrated physiological processes that are generally used as biomarkers in biological monitoring studies. Declining of zebra mussel populations raises the question of the sustainability of using one or both species indifferently to maintain the quality of environmental pollution monitoring data. In our study, we performed a field comparative study measuring immune-related markers and bioaccumulation of PCBs, PAHs and PBDEs in sympatrically occurring mussel populations from three sites of the St. Lawrence River. For tested organisms, species were identified using RFLP analysis. Measurement of bioaccumulated organic compounds indicated a higher accumulation of PCBs and PBDEs in D. bugensis soft tissues compared to D. polymorpha while no differences were noticed for PAHs. Results of hemocytic parameters highlighted that differences of hemocyte distributions were associated to modulations of phagocytic activities. Moreover, marked differences occurred in measurement of hemocytic oxidative activity, indicating divergences between the two species for ROS regulation strategies. This physiological characteristic may deeply influence species responses facing environmental or pollution related stress and induce bias if the two species are not differentiated in further biomarker or bioaccumulation measurement-based studies.

Despite the extensive production and use of phthalates in Asian countries, especially China, limited information is available about the current situation of human exposure in this region, and thus identification of further research needs is warranted. This review summarized the current trends of phthalates related to industrial production and human exposure by conducting a comprehensive assessment of phthalates contaminations in air, indoor dust, personal care products (PCPs), foodstuff and internal exposure in China, with comparisons with other countries. The concentrations of phthalates in indoor dust and PCPs in China were moderate, while concentrations in foods and air were among the highest worldwide. Dietary intake of phthalates varied with location, with hotspots in the southern and eastern coastal regions of China which correlated with the extensive industrial production recorded in these regions. This review firstly revealed the significantly differentiated food-type contribution profiles for phthalates in China and in other countries, which were affected by dietary habits and food contamination. The internal exposure for the Chinese population was found to be moderate, however there is a paucity of data available. Knowledge gaps identified concerning phthalates in China include trends in phthalates exposure, sources (e.g. PCPs, pharmaceuticals and medical treatment), and internal exposure derived from biomonitoring, warranting phthalates a research priority.

A study on Trace Elements (TE) from sea urchin gonads has been conducted in the western Mediterranean Sea. Contamination data were used to determine a Trace Method Pollution Index (TEPI). TE concentrations varied considerably depending on the location of the sampling stations. The results showed that five trace elements (Zn, Fe, As, Al, Cu) are ubiquitous. The geographical area considered (Corsica) represents an important range of environmental conditions and types of pressure that can be found in the western Mediterranean Sea. TEPI was used to classify the studied sites according to their degree of contamination and allowed reliable comparison of TE contamination between local and international sites. TE contamination of the western Mediterranean Sea displayed a north-to-south gradient, from the Italian coasts down through the insular Corsican coasts to the north African littoral. Due to the increasing environmental pressure on the Mediterranean Sea, a regular monitoring of TE levels in marine organisms is necessary to prevent any further environmental deterioration.

We analysed with multigene (18S and COI) metabarcoding the effects of the proliferation of invasive seaweeds on rocky littoral communities in two Spanish Marine Protected Areas. The invasive algae studied were Caulerpa cylindracea, Lophocladia lallemandii and Asparagopsis armata. They are canopy-forming, landscape-dominant seaweeds, and we were interested in their effects on the underlying communities of meiobenthos and macrobenthos, separated in two size fractions through sieving. A new semiquantitative treatment of metabarcoding data is introduced. The results for both markers showed that the presence of the invasive seaweed had a significant effect on the understory communities for Lophocladia lallemandii and Asparagopsis armata but not for Caulerpa cylindracea. Likewise, changes in MOTU richness and diversity with invasion status varied in magnitude and direction depending on the alga considered. Our results showed that metabarcoding allows monitoring of the less conspicuous, but not least important, effects of the presence of dominant invasive seaweeds.

Standardized ecosystem-based monitoring surveys are critical for providing information on marine ecosystem health. Environmental DNA/RNA (eDNA/eRNA) metabarcoding may facilitate such surveys by quickly and effectively characterizing multi-trophic levels. In this study, we assessed the suitability of eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding to evaluate changes in benthic assemblages of bacteria, Foraminifera and other eukaryotes along transects at three offshore oil and gas (O&G) drilling and production sites, and compared these to morphologically characterized macro-faunal assemblages. Bacterial communities were the most responsive to O&G activities, followed by Foraminifera, and macro-fauna (the latter assessed by morphology). The molecular approach enabled detection of hydrocarbon degrading taxa such as the bacteria Alcanivorax and Microbulbifer at petroleum impacted stations. Most identified indicator taxa, notably among macro-fauna, were highly specific to site conditions. Based on our results we suggest that eDNA/eRNA metabarcoding can be used as a stand-alone method for biodiversity assessment or as a complement to morphology-based monitoring approaches.

This study aimed to compare the bioaccumulation patterns and translocation of trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) from the environment in the seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa. Results showed that P. oceanica has a higher capacity of accumulation. P. oceanica and C. nodosa accumulate mainly in roots and leaves, the main organs acting as potential bioindicators. No significant correlation was found between water and both seagrasses. In turn, P. oceanica and C. nodosa were correlated, to a different extent, with As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in sediments. This study showed also that current European regulations do not provide an exhaustive set of legal concentration limits of trace elements in marine water and sediments. Seagrasses P. oceanica and C. nodosa can act as effective bioindicators of trace elements only if quality limits are set for the most toxic elements present in marine ecosystems.