This study analyzed 405 surface sediment samples, obtained from across the Bohai Sea, for concentrations of five potentially harmful elements (Ag, As, Hg, Sb, and Se) and several ancillary parameters (Al, Fe, Mn, total organic carbon (TOC), and grain size). Statistically, the spatial distributions of these elements were correlated positively with Al, Fe, TOC, and grain size, indicating natural sources for these elements or common accumulation mechanisms. The assessment of potential environmental risk with empirical sediment quality guidelines showed that a significant proportion of the samples had As and Sb concentrations that exceeded the effects range low (ERL) or T20 values in the Bohai Sea, indicating the potential for adverse biological effects. However, the assessment results differed when using evaluation methods that considered background values. Based on the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), Hg and Ag were found to have the highest percentages (35% and 60%, respectively) in samples that were moderately contaminated. The estimated contamination degree (Cd) suggested higher contamination levels for the entire area, with 69% of the samples being moderately contaminated. Generally, except for some local hotspots, such as Jinzhou Bay, the contamination levels of these elements in the Bohai Sea were established as slight to moderate. Samples from the Jinzhou Bay area had concentrations that were 10–100 times higher than in the rest of the Bohai Sea, indicating severe contamination.

We investigated the physiological responses of Lemna minor plants exposed to glyphosate. The deleterious effects of this herbicide on photosynthesis, respiration, and pigment concentrations were related to glyphosate-induced oxidative stress through hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation. By using photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport chain (ETC) inhibitors we located the primary site of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in plants exposed to 500 mg glyphosate l−1. Inhibition of mitochondrial ETC Complex I by rotenone reduced H2O2 concentrations in glyphosate-treated plants. Complex III activity was very sensitive to glyphosate which appears to act much like antimycin A (an inhibitor of mitochondrial ETC Complex III) by shunting electrons from semiquinone to oxygen, with resulting ROS formation. Confocal evaluations for ROS localization showed that ROS are initially produced outside of the chloroplasts upon initial glyphosate exposure. Our results indicate that in addition to interfering with the shikimate pathway, glyphosate can induce oxidative stress in plants through H2O2 formation by targeting the mitochondrial ETC, which would explain its observed effects on non-target organisms.

Concern has increased regarding the adverse effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on reproduction. However, limited information is available on the effects of PAHs in crustacean. In order to determine whether benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) could cause reproductive toxicity on the swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus, sexually mature female crabs were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of B[a]P (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 μg/L) for 10 days. B[a]P treatments resulted in high accumulation in ovary, and induced oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner on ovary of crab. Furthermore, the haemolymph estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels were significantly decreased. Histological investigation also revealed the reproductive toxicity caused by B[a]P. The results demonstrated that waterborne exposure to B[a]P caused oxidative damage and disrupted sex steroids in female crab P. trituberculatus, ultimately resulting in histological alternation.

Underwater sound generated by pile driving during construction of offshore wind farms is a major concern in many countries. This paper reports on the acoustic stress responses in young European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (68 and 115 days old), based on four in situ experiments as close as 45 m from a pile driving activity. As a primary stress response, whole-body cortisol seemed to be too sensitive to ‘handling’ bias. On the other hand, measured secondary stress responses to pile driving showed significant reductions in oxygen consumption rate and low whole-body lactate concentrations. Furthermore, repeated exposure to impulsive sound significantly affected both primary and secondary stress responses. Under laboratory conditions, no tertiary stress responses (no changes in specific growth rate or Fulton's condition factor) were noted in young sea bass 30 days after the treatment. Still, the demonstrated acute stress responses and potentially repeated exposure to impulsive sound in the field will inevitably lead to less fit fish in the wild.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants (BFRs), is a ubiquitous contaminant in the environment and in the human body. This study demonstrated that zebrafish embryos exposed to TBBPA during a sensitive window of 8–48 h post-fertilization (hpf) displayed morphological malformations and mortality. Zebrafish exposed exclusively between 48 and 96 hpf were phenotypically normal. TBBPA was efficiently absorbed and accumulated in zebrafish embryos, but was eliminated quickly when the exposure solution was removed. Larval behavior assays conducted at 120 hpf indicated that exposure to 5 μM TBBPA from 8 to 48 hpf produced larvae with significantly lower average activity and speed of movement in the normal condition than in those exposed from 48 to 96 hpf. Specifically, 8–48 hpf-exposed larvae spent significantly less time in both activity bursts and gross movements compared to control or 48–96 hpf exposed larvae. Consistent with the motor deficits, TBBPA induced apoptotic cell death, delayed cranial motor neuron development, inhibited primary motor neuron development and loosed muscle fiber during the early developmental stages. To further explore TBBPA-induced developmental and neurobehavioral toxicity, RNA-Seq analysis was used to identify early transcriptional changes following TBBPA exposure. In total, 1969 transcripts were significantly differentially expressed (P < 0.05, FDR < 0.05, 1.5-FC) upon TBBPA exposure. Functional and pathway analysis of the TBBPA transcriptional profile identified biological processes involved in nerve development, muscle filament sliding and contraction, and extracellular matrix disassembly and organization changed significantly. In addition, TBBPA also led to an elevation in the expression of genes encoding uridine diphosphate glucuronyl transferases (ugt), which could affect thyroxine (T4) metabolism and subsequently lead to neurobehavioral changes. In summary, TBBPA exposure during a narrow, sensitive developmental window perturbs various molecular pathways and results in neurobehavioral deficits in zebrafish.

Arsenic is a non-threshold carcinogenic metalloid. Thus, human exposure should be minimised, e.g. by chemically stabilizing As in soil. Since iron is a potential As immobiliser, it was investigated whether root iron plaque, formed under aerobic conditions, affects As uptake, metabolism and distribution in Lupinus albus plants. White lupin plants were cultivated in a continuously aerated hydroponic culture containing Fe/EDDHA or FeSO4 and exposed to arsenate (5 or 20 μM). Only FeSO4 induced surficial iron plaque in roots. LA-ICP-MS analysis accomplished on root sections corroborated the association of As to this surficial Fe. Additionally, As(V) was the predominant species in FeSO4-treated roots, suggesting less efficient As uptake in the presence of iron plaque. Fe/EDDHA-exposed roots neither showed such surficial FeAs co-localisation nor As(V) accumulation; in contrast As(III) was the predominant species in root tissue. Furthermore, FeSO4-treated plants showed reduced shoot-to-root As ratios, which were >10-fold lower compared to Fe/EDDHA treatment. Our results highlight the role of an iron plaque formed in roots of white lupin under aerobic conditions on As immobilisation. These findings, to our knowledge, have not been addressed before for this plant and have potential implications on soil remediation (phytostabilisation) and food security (minimising As in crops).

Both occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos-mineral fibres can be associated with lung diseases. The pathogenic effects are related to the dimension, biopersistence and chemical composition of the fibres. In addition to the major mineral elements, mineral fibres contain trace elements and their content may play a role in fibre toxicity. To shed light on the role of trace elements in asbestos carcinogenesis, knowledge on their concentration in asbestos-mineral fibres is mandatory. It is possible that trace elements play a synergetic factor in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral fibres. In this paper, the concentration levels of trace elements from three chrysotile samples, four amphibole asbestos samples (UICC amosite, UICC anthophyllite, UICC crocidolite and tremolite) and fibrous erionite from Jersey, Nevada (USA) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For all samples, the following trace elements were measured: Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, U. Their distribution in the various mineral species is thoroughly discussed.The obtained results indicate that the amount of trace metals such as Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn is higher in anthophyllite and chrysotile samples, whereas the amount of rare earth elements (REE) is higher in erionite and tremolite samples. The results of this work can be useful to the pathologists and biochemists who use asbestos minerals and fibrous erionite in-vitro studies as positive cyto- and geno-toxic standard references.

The antiozonant and research tool ethylene diurea (EDU) is widely studied as a phytoprotectant against the widespread pollutant ground-surface ozone. Although it has been extensively used, its potential toxicity in the absence of ozone is unknown and its mode of action is unclear. The purpose of this research was to toxicologically assess EDU and to further investigate its mode of action using Lemna minor L. as a model organism. Application of EDU concentrations greater than 593 mg L−1 (practically 600 mg L−1) resulted in adverse inhibition of colony growth. As no-observed-toxic-effects concentration (NOEL) we recommend a concentration of 296 mg L−1 (practically 300 mg L−1). A hormetic response was detected, i.e. stimulatory effects of low EDU concentrations, which may indicate overcompensation in response to disruption in homeostasis. Growth inhibition and suppressed biomass were associated with impacted chlorophyll a fluorescence (ΦPSII, qP and ETR). Furthermore, EDU increased mesophyll thickness, as indicated by frond succulence index. Applications of concentrations ≥593 mg L−1 to uncontrolled environments should be avoided due to potential toxicity to sensitive organisms and the environment.

Emission of BVOC (Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds) from plant leaves in response to ozone exposure (O3) and nitrogen (N) fertilization is poorly understood. For the first time, BVOC emissions were explored in a forest tree species (silver birch, Betula pendula) exposed for two years to realistic levels of O3 (35, 48 and 69 ppb as daylight average) and N (10, 30 and 70 kg ha−1 yr−1, applied weekly to the soil as ammonium nitrate). The main BVOCs emitted were: α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) and hexanal. Ozone exposure increased BVOC emission and reduced total leaf area. The effect on emission was stronger when a short-term O3 metric (concentrations at the time of sampling) rather than a long-term one (AOT40) was used. The effect of O3 on total leaf area was not able to compensate for the stimulation of emission, so that responses to O3 at leaf and whole-plant level were similar. Nitrogen fertilization increased total leaf area, decreased α-pinene and β-pinene emission, and increased ocimene, hexanal and DMNT emission. The increase of leaf area changed the significance of the emission response to N fertilization for most compounds. Nitrogen fertilization mitigated the effects of O3 exposure on total leaf area, while the combined effects of O3 exposure and N fertilization on BVOC emission were additive and not synergistic. In conclusion, O3 exposure and N fertilization have the potential to affect global BVOC via direct effects on plant emission rates and changes in leaf area.

Worldwide seagrass declines have been observed due to multiple stressors. One of them is the mixture of pesticides used in intensive agriculture and boat antifouling paints in coastal areas. Effects of mixture toxicity are complex and poorly understood. However, consideration of mixture toxicity is more realistic and ecologically relevant for environmental risk assessment (ERA). The first aim of this study was to determine short-term effects of realistic herbicide mixture exposure on physiological endpoints of Zostera noltei. The second aim was to assess the environmental risks of this mixture, by comparing the results to previously published data. Z. noltei was exposed to a mixture of four herbicides: atrazine, diuron, irgarol and S-metolachlor, simulating the composition of typical cocktail of contaminants in the Arcachon bay (Atlantic coast, France). Three stress biomarkers were measured: enzymatic activity of glutathione reductase, effective quantum yield (EQY) and photosynthetic pigment composition after 6, 24 and 96 h. Short term exposure to realistic herbicide mixtures affected EQY, with almost 100% inhibition for the two highest concentrations, and photosynthetic pigments. Effect on pigment composition was detected after 6 h with a no observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 1 μg/L total mixture concentration. The lowest EQY effect concentration at 10% (EC10) (2 μg/L) and pigment composition NOEC with an assessment factor of 10 were above the maximal field concentrations along the French Atlantic coast, suggesting that there are no potential short term adverse effects of this particular mixture on Z. noltei. However, chronic effects on photosynthesis may lead to reduced energy reserves, which could thus lead to effects at whole plant and population level. Understanding the consequences of chemical mixtures could help to improve ERA and enhance management strategies to prevent further declines of seagrass meadows worldwide.