International audience | Preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services is critical for sustainable development and human well-being. However, an unprecedented erosion of biodiversity is observed and the use of plant protection products (PPP) has been identified as one of its main causes. In this context, at the request of the French Ministries responsible for the Environment, for Agriculture and for Research, a panel of 46 scientific experts ran a nearly 2-year-long (2020-2022) collective scientific assessment (CSA) of international scientific knowledge relating to the impacts of PPP on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The scope of this CSA covered the terrestrial, atmospheric, freshwater, and marine environments (with the exception of groundwater) in their continuity from the site of PPP application to the ocean, in France and French overseas territories, based on international knowledge produced on or transposable to this type of context (climate, PPP used, biodiversity present, etc.). Here, we provide a brief summary of the CSA's main conclusions, which were drawn from about 4500 international publications. Our analysis finds that PPP contaminate all environmental matrices, including biota, and cause direct and indirect ecotoxicological effects that unequivocally contribute to the decline of certain biological groups and alter certain ecosystem functions and services. Levers for action to limit PPP-driven pollution and effects on environmental compartments include local measures from plot to landscape scales and regulatory improvements. However, there are still significant gaps in knowledge regarding environmental contamination by PPPs and its effect on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. Perspectives and research needs are proposed to address these gaps.

Incidental studies of plastic ingestion by the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) over a wide geographical range can improve our understanding of the distribution of marine litter in the global oceans and of the processes involved. A sample of 37 stomachs from northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) collected in June 2021 near Flemish Cap at the eastern end of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland was analysed for the presence of plastic litter. Overall, 89 % of the birds contained plastic, with on average 6.6 particles, and a mass of 0.093 g per bird. No statistical differences were found in the quantity of plastic between males and females. A proportion of 27 % of all birds contained >0.1 g plastic, exceeding the Fulmar Threshold Value (FTV%) and international target of <10 %. Within an existing model that linked plastic abundance to latitude, the Newfoundland sample represented a clear outlier with a considerably lower FTV% compared to what would be expected. Flemish Cap is situated at the border between the southern tip of the cold and relatively clean Labrador Current coming from the north, and the warm and more polluted waters of the Gulf Stream further south. A logistic model using average annual sea surface temperatures representing North Atlantic current systems was applied and demonstrated a highly significant correlation, with the Newfoundland FTV% fitting much closer to the modelled prediction. This new model improves the understanding of geographical patterns in plastic uptake by fulmars

Copper-based plant protection products (PPPs) are widely used in both conventional and organic farming, and to a lesser extent for non-agricultural maintenance of gardens, greenspaces, and infrastructures. The use of copper PPPs adds to environmental contamination by this trace element. This paper aims to review the contribution of these PPPs to the contamination of soils and waters by copper in the context of France (which can be extrapolated to most of the European countries), and the resulting impacts on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, as well as on ecosystem functions. It was produced in the framework of a collective scientific assessment on the impacts of PPPs on biodiversity and ecosystem services in France. Current science shows that copper, which persists in soils, can partially transfer to adjacent aquatic environments (surface water and sediment) and ultimately to the marine environment. This widespread contamination impacts biodiversity and ecosystem functions, chiefly through its effects on phototrophic and heterotrophic microbial communities, and terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. Its effects on other biological groups and biotic interactions remain relatively under-documented.

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used class of insecticides in the world, but they have raised numerous concerns regarding their effects on biodiversity. Thus, the objective of this work was to do a critical review of the contamination of the environment (soil, water, air, biota) by neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam) and of their impacts on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. Neonicotinoids are very frequently detected in soils and in freshwater, and they are also found in the air. They have only been recently monitored in coastal and marine environments, but some studies already reported the presence of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in transitional or semi-enclosed ecosystems (lagoons, bays, and estuaries). The contamination of the environment leads to the exposure and to the contamination of non-target organisms and to negative effects on biodiversity. Direct impacts of neonicotinoids are mainly reported on terrestrial invertebrates (e.g., pollinators, natural enemies, earthworms) and vertebrates (e.g., birds) and on aquatic invertebrates (e.g., arthropods). Impacts on aquatic vertebrate populations and communities, as well as on microorganisms, are less documented. In addition to their toxicity to directly exposed organisms, neonicotinoid induce indirect effects via trophic cascades as demonstrated in several species (terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates). However, more data are needed to reach firmer conclusions and to get a clearer picture of such indirect effects. Finally, we identified specific knowledge gaps that need to be filled to better understand the effects of neonicotinoids on terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms, as well as on ecosystem services associated with these biotas.

Abstract The Tara Microplastics mission was conducted for 7 months to investigate plastic pollution along nine major rivers in Europe—Thames, Elbe, Rhine, Seine, Loire, Garonne, Ebro, Rhone, and Tiber. An extensive suite of sampling protocols was applied at four to five sites on each river along a salinity gradient from the sea and the outer estuary to downstream and upstream of the first heavily populated city. Biophysicochemical parameters including salinity, temperature, irradiance, particulate matter, large and small microplastics (MPs) concentration and composition, prokaryote and microeukaryote richness, and diversity on MPs and in the surrounding waters were routinely measured onboard the French research vessel Tara or from a semi-rigid boat in shallow waters. In addition, macroplastic and microplastic concentrations and composition were determined on river banks and beaches. Finally, cages containing either pristine pieces of plastics in the form of films or granules, and others containing mussels were immersed at each sampling site, 1 month prior to sampling in order to study the metabolic activity of the plastisphere by meta-OMICS and to run toxicity tests and pollutants analyses. Here, we fully described the holistic set of protocols designed for the Mission Tara Microplastics and promoted standard procedures to achieve its ambitious goals: (1) compare traits of plastic pollution among European rivers, (2) provide a baseline of the state of plastic pollution in the Anthropocene, (3) predict their evolution in the frame of the current European initiatives, (4) shed light on the toxicological effects of plastic on aquatic life, (5) model the transport of microplastics from land towards the sea, and (6) investigate the potential impact of pathogen or invasive species rafting on drifting plastics from the land to the sea through riverine systems.

There is growing interest in using the ecosystem services framework for environmental risk assessments of chemicals, including plant protection products (PPPs). Although this topic is increasingly discussed in the recent scientific literature, there is still a substantial gap between most ecotoxicological studies and a solid evaluation of potential ecotoxicological consequences on ecosystem services. This was recently highlighted by a collective scientific assessment (CSA) performed by 46 scientific experts who analyzed the international science on the impacts of PPPs on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services. Here, we first point out the main obstacles to better linking knowledge on the ecotoxicological effects of PPPs on biodiversity and ecological processes with ecosystem functions and services. Then, we go on to propose and discuss possible pathways for related improvements. We describe the main processes governing the relationships between biodiversity, ecological processes, and ecosystem functions in response to effects of PPP, and we define categories of ecosystem functions that could be directly linked with the ecological processes used as functional endpoints in investigations on the ecotoxicology of PPPs. We then explore perceptions on the possible links between these categories of ecosystem functions and ecosystem services among a sub-panel of the scientific experts from various fields of environmental science. We find that these direct and indirect linkages still need clarification. This paper, which reflects the difficulties faced by the multidisciplinary group of researchers involved in the CSA, suggests that the current gap between most ecotoxicological studies and a solid potential evaluation of ecotoxicological consequences on ecosystem services could be partially addressed if concepts and definitions related to ecological processes, ecosystem functions, and ecosystem services were more widely accepted and shared within the ecotoxicology community. Narrowing this gap would help harmonize and extend the science that informs decision-making and policy-making, and ultimately help to better address the trade-off between social benefits and environmental losses caused by the use of PPPs.

Microplastics provide a persistent substrate that can facilitate microbial transport across ecosystems. Since most marine plastic debris originates from land and reaches the ocean through rivers, the potential dispersal of freshwater bacteria into the sea represents a significant concern. To address this question, we explored the plastisphere on microplastic debris (MPs) and on pristine microplastics (pMPs) as well as the bacteria living in surrounding waters, along the river-sea continuum in nine major European rivers sampled during the 7 months of the Tara Microplastics mission. In both marine and riverine waters, we found a clear niche partitioning among MPs and pMPs plastispheres when compared to the bacteria living in the surrounding waters. Across this large dataset, we found that bacterial community structure varied along the river salinity gradient, with plastisphere communities exhibiting almost complete segregation between freshwater and marine ecosystems. We also described for the first time a virulent human pathogenic bacterium (Shewanella putrefaciens), capable of infecting human intestinal epithelial cells, detected exclusively on MPs in riverine environments. Our findings indicate that salinity is the main driver of plastisphere communities along the river-to-sea continuum, helping to mitigate the risk of pathogens transfer between freshwater and marine systems.

Mangrove ecosystems are known to play a key role in the global carbon cycle, due to their productivity and their ability for carbon sequestration both in the biomass and in the soil. In the latter, various geochemical processes lead to the production of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that can be exported through tidal pumping and then constitute an important source of organic carbon for adjacent ecosystems. DOM characteristics, and their variabilities, within mangrove soils depend on several factors, including the mangrove species, yet these variations and their origin still need to be precisely constrained. This study examined DOM sources in soils of a carbonate atoll mangrove (Ouvéa, New Caledonia), focusing on two tree species, Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera gymnorhiza, at different growth stages. We analysed porewater properties and DOM optical characteristics through spectroscopic and EEM-PARAFAC methods. Our results indicate distinct TOC and DOC concentrations across species, with mature B. gymnorhiza soils showing the highest TOC content (~ 30%) but the lowest DOC content (32 mg L−1). These differences seem not to be directly related to site physicochemical conditions (redox, pH, salinity) but may rather reflect differences in DOM sources and production, notably due to different symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi, which influence microbial activity and organic matter diagenesis. DOM absorbance patterns also varied significantly between species: Beneath R. apiculata, DOM had higher protein-like and fulvic-like fluorescence, indicating fresher organic matter, while beneath B. gymnorhiza, especially in mature stands, DOM was more humified, suggesting older OM because of a possible long-term accumulation due to the basin-like morphology of this site.

This study investigates the relationship between green marketing practices and the sustainability performance of manufacturing firms in emerging markets. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 270 respondents, and the analysis was conducted using Smart PLS-SEM (version 4). The results demonstrate a significant positive relationship between green internal marketing and the overall sustainability performance of the firms. Specifically, green marketing communication was found to positively influence both environmental and social performance, although it did not have a significant effect on financial performance. Likewise, the adoption of green products substantially improved environmental performance but did not significantly impact financial or social performance. Additionally, the study supports a positive association between green strategy implementation and sustainability performance. These findings underscore the critical role of integrating green marketing practices into sustainability initiatives. The research provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to green marketing to enhance environmental and social outcomes, even if financial benefits are not immediately apparent. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable business practices and offers practical implications for achieving long-term sustainability in manufacturing firms.