Estuaries are subject to intense human use globally, with impacts from multiple stressors, such as metal contaminants. A key challenge is extending beyond traditional monitoring approaches to understand effects to biota and system function. To explore the metabolic effects of complex metal contaminants to sediment dwelling (benthic) fauna, we apply a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach, coupling environmental monitoring, benthic sampling, total metals analysis and targeted metabolomics.We characterise metabolic signatures of metal exposure in three benthic invertebrate taxa, which differed in distribution across sites and severity of metal exposure: sipunculid (very high), amphipod (high), maldanid polychaete (moderate). We observed sediment and tissue metal loads far exceeding sediment guidelines where toxicity-related adverse effects may be expected, for metals including, As, Cd, Pb, Zn and Hg.Change in site- and taxa-specific metabolite profiles was highly correlated with natural environmental drivers (sediment total organic carbon and water temperature). At the most metal influenced sites, metabolite variation was also correlated with sediment metal loads. Using supervised multivariate regression, taxa-specific metabolic signatures of increased exposure and possibility of toxic effects were characterised against multiple reference sites. Metabolic signatures varied according to each taxon and degree of metal exposure, but primarily indicated altered cysteine and methionine metabolism, metal-binding and elimination (lysosomal) activity, coupled to change in complex biosynthesis pathways, responses to oxidative stress, and cellular damage.This novel multiple-lines-of-evidence approach combining metabolomics with traditional environmental monitoring, enabled detection and characterisation of chronic metal exposure effects in situ in multiple invertebrate taxa. With capacity for application to rapid and effective monitoring of non-model species in complex environments, these approaches are critical for improved assessment and management of systems that are increasingly subject to anthropogenic drivers of change.

To study the early colonization processes, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microfragments were immersed in Lake Sakadaš and the Drava River and sampled weekly together with the surrounding biotic communities - phytoplankton, zooplankton, epixylon in the lake and epilithon in the river. At the end of the study, a rise in water level occurred in the river, which altered the environmental conditions and plankton communities. In studied environments, all of the sampled biotic communities were diverse and abundant. Plastispheres formed in both waters by the seventh day of incubation and developed rapidly, reaching a peak in abundance on the last day of the study. Initial colonization was supported equally by planktonic and periphytic taxa in both environments, but after initial settlement, plastisphere assemblages were affected differently in the river and lake. This study suggests that PET microfragments are a suitable substrate for microphyte settlement and may provide an important pathway for their transport in dynamic freshwater floodplains and river systems.

Stable isotope fractionation of toluene under dynamic phase exchange was studied aiming at ascertaining the effects of gas-liquid partitioning and biodegradation of toluene stable isotope composition in liquid-air phase exchange reactors (Laper). The liquid phase consisted of a mixture of aqueous minimal media, a known amount of a mixture of deuterated (toluene-d) and non-deuterated toluene (toluene-h), and bacteria of toluene degrading strain Pseudomonas putida KT2442. During biodegradation experiments, the liquid and air-phase concentrations of both toluene isotopologues were monitored to determine the observable stable isotope fractionation in each phase. The results show a strong fractionation in both phases with apparent enrichment factors beyond −800‰. An offset was observed between enrichment factors in the liquid and the gas phase with gas-phase values showing a stronger fractionation in the gas than in the liquid phase. Numerical simulation and parameter fitting routine was used to challenge hypotheses to explain the unexpected experimental data. The numerical results showed that either a very strong, yet unlikely, fractionation of the phase exchange process or a – so far unreported – direct consumption of gas phase compounds by aqueous phase microorganisms could explain the observed fractionation effects. The observed effect can be of relevance for the analysis of volatile contaminant biodegradation using stable isotope analysis in unsaturated subsurface compartments or other environmental compartment containing a gas and a liquid phase.

Marine ecosystems in the Arctic and Antarctica were once thought pristine and away from important human influence. Today, it is known that global processes as atmospheric transport, local activities related with scientific research bases, military and touristic maritime traffic, among others, are a potential source of pollutants. Macroalgae have been recognized as reliable metal-biomonitoring organisms due to their accumulation capacity and physiological responses. Metal accumulation (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Se, and Hg) and photosynthetic parameters (associated with in vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence) were assessed in 77 samples from 13 different macroalgal species (Phaeophyta; Chlorophyta; Rhodophyta) from areas with high human influence, nearby research and sometimes military bases and a control area, King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Most metals in macroalgae followed a pattern influenced by rather algal lineage than site, with green seaweeds displaying trends of higher levels of metals as Al, Cu, Cr and Fe. Photosynthesis was also not affected by site, showing healthy organisms, especially in brown macroalgae, likely due to their great dimensions and morphological complexity. Finally, data did not demonstrate a relationship between metal accumulation and photosynthetic performance, evidencing low anthropogenic-derived impacts associated with metal excess in the area. Green macroalgae, especially Monostroma hariotti, are highlighted as reliable for further metal biomonitoring assessments. In the most ambitious to date seaweed biomonitoring effort conducted towards the Austral pole, this study improved by 91% the overall knowledge on metal accumulation in macroalgae from Antarctica, being the first report in species as Sarcopeltis antarctica and Plocamium cartilagineum. These findings may suggest that human short- and long-range metal influence on Antarctic coastal ecosystems still remains under control.

Mutations are an important origin of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. While there is increasing evidence showing promoted resistance mutations by environmental stresses, no retrospective research has yet been conducted on this phenomenon and its mechanisms. Herein, we summarized the phenomena of stress-elevated resistance mutations in bacteria, generalized the regulatory mechanisms and discussed the environmental and human health implications. It is shown that both chemical pollutants, such as antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, biocides, metals, nanoparticles and disinfection byproducts, and non-chemical stressors, such as ultraviolet radiation, electrical stimulation and starvation, are capable of elevating resistance mutations in bacteria. Notably, resistance mutations are more likely to occur under sublethal or subinhibitory levels of these stresses, suggesting a considerable environmental concern. Further, mechanisms for stress-induced mutations are summarized in several points, namely oxidative stress, SOS response, DNA replication and repair systems, RpoS regulon and biofilm formation, all of which are readily provoked by common environmental stresses. Given bacteria in the environment are confronted with a variety of unfavorable conditions, we propose that the stress-elevated resistance mutations are a universal phenomenon in the environment and represent a nonnegligible risk factor for ecosystems and human health. The present review identifies a need for taking into account the pollutants’ ability to elevate resistance mutations when assessing their environmental and human health risks and highlights the necessity of including resistance mutations as a target to prevent antibiotic resistance evolution.

To provide insight into how climate-driven diet shifts may impact contaminant exposures of Arctic species, we compared feeding ecology and contaminant concentrations in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from two Canadian sub-Arctic (Nain at 56.5°N, Arviat at 61.1°N) and two Arctic sites (Sachs Harbour at 72.0 °N, Resolute Bay at 74.7 °N). In the sub-Arctic, empirical evidence of changing prey fish communities has been documented, while less community change has been reported in the Arctic to date, suggesting current sub-Arctic conditions may be a harbinger of future Arctic conditions. Here, Indigenous partners collected tissues from subsistence-harvested ringed seals in 2018. Blubber fatty acids (FAs) and muscle stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C) indicated dietary patterns, while measured contaminants included heavy metals (e.g., total mercury (THg)), legacy persistent organic pollutants (e.g., dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs)), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and per-/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). FA signatures are distinct between sub-Arctic and Resolute Bay seals, likely related to higher consumption of southern prey species including capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the sub-Arctic but on-going feeding on Arctic species in Resolute Bay. Sachs Harbour ringed seals show FA overlap with all locations, possibly consuming both southern and endemic Arctic species. Negative δ¹³C estimates for PFAS models suggest that more pelagic, sub-Arctic type prey (e.g., capelin) increases PFAS concentrations, whereas the reverse occurs for, e.g., THg, ΣPBDE, and ΣDDT. Inconsistent directionality of δ¹⁵N estimates in the models likely reflects baseline isotopic variation not trophic position differences. Adjusting for the influence of diet suggests that if Arctic ringed seal diets become more like sub-Arctic seals due to climate change, diet-driven increases may occur for newer contaminants like PFASs, but not for more legacy contaminants. Nonetheless, temporal trends studies are still needed, as are investigations into the potential confounding influence of baseline isotope variation in spatial studies of contaminants in Arctic biota.

This paper investigated the impacts of various real microplastics (MPs), i.e., polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with different sizes (1000–2000 and 100–200 μm) and different dosages (0.5 and 5% on a dry weight basis), on the toluene removal during the thermally enhanced air injection treatment. First, microscopic tests were carried out to determine the MPs' microstructure and behavior. The PE was mainly a small block, and PET appeared filamentous and sheeted with a larger slenderness ratio. Second, the interactions between MPs and toluene-contaminated soils were revealed by batch adsorption equilibrium experiments and low-field magnetic resonance. The morphological differences and dosage of the MPs impacted soils’ total porosity (variation range: 39.2–42.7%) and proportion of the main pores (2–200 μm). Third, the toluene removal during the air injection consisted of compaction, rapid growth, rapid reduction, and tailing stages, and the MPs were regarded as an emerging solid state to affect these removal stages. The final cumulative toluene concentrations of soil-PET mixtures were influenced by total porosity, and those of soil-PE mixtures were controlled by total porosity (influence weight: 0.67) and adsorption capacity (influence weight: 0.33); meanwhile, a self-built comprehensive coefficient of MPs can reflect the relationship between them and cumulative concentrations (correlation coefficient: 0.783).

The settling of microplastics (MPs) is crucial for their removal from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and sedimentation in static waterbodies, where they can accumulate in bottom sediments. Biofilm formation on MPs enhances their aggregation with other particles, thereby changing their density and size and altering their settling rates. However, only a few studies have investigated the settling of MPs of different sizes and materials. Specifically, the settling of small-sized MPs (<150 μm) has been poorly documented. In this study, cylindrical and fragmented particles of four polymer types (high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)) were used to investigate the settling or floating of reference MPs (20–130 μm) in a custom-made column that simulated a primary sedimentation tank in a typical WWTP before and after incubation in wastewater influent. The settling velocity of the reference MP particles was strongly influenced by the particle size and density. The settled fractions of all the cylindrical reference MPs increased significantly (up to 5 times) due to biofilm formation at overflow velocities of 0.15, 0.26, and 0.40 mm s⁻¹. This was observed even for HDPE and PP (density <1 g cm⁻³) after biofilm formation. The fragmented reference MPs showed complex and rather unpredictable behavior, possibly due to their irregular shape. Generally, the settling of pristine PS and PET in the laboratory tests was consistent with the theoretical predictions obtained using Stokes’ law. The experimental findings of this study can be used to develop models that predict the removal efficiencies of MPs in WWTPs and to estimate the sinking of MPs to bottom sediments of static waterbodies.