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Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems
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Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 21192

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Amelie Segarra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8739, USA
Interests: multiple stressors; aquatic toxicology; immunology; behavior; genomic; microbiome
Dr. Susanne M. Brander

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife & Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Interests: contaminants of emerging concern; agrochemicals; microplastics; risk assessment; ecotoxicology; epigenetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The specialty section of Frontiers in Aquatic Toxicology aims at publishing innovative insights into toxic pollutants in the environment and their impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) include, but are not limited to, harmful algal blooms, ash associated with wildfires, flame retardants, micro- and nano-plastics, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and agrochemicals, which are demonstrated to impact nontarget organisms in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Mobilized by processes such as precipitation and erosion, most of those contaminants are released into wastewater, estuaries and marine ecosystems, causing lethal and sublethal effects across a diversity of taxa. The effects of exposure to these contaminants range from lethality to sublethal impacts, such as altered growth, developmental defects, lowered fecundity, changes in swimming behavior or ability, microbial dysbiosis, and the molecular mechanisms underpinning these.

This Special Issue aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of this field, by inviting original research articles or reviews on the following topics: studies on environmental factors that affect aquatic organism health, multiple stressor responses to climate changes, molecular, cellular, or genetic mechanisms of toxicology, risk assessment, and the conservation and restoration of aquatic species that are exposed to toxic environments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Amelie Segarra
Dr. Susanne M. Brander
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • stressors
  • contaminant
  • risk assessment
  • ecotoxicology
  • human activity
  • climate change
  • contaminants of emerging concern

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2358 KiB  
Article
Swimming Behavior of Daphnia magna Is Altered by Pesticides of Concern, as Components of Agricultural Surface Water and in Acute Exposures
by Nicole Egan, Sarah A. Stinson, Xin Deng, Sharon P. Lawler and Richard E. Connon
Biology 2023, 12(3), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12030425 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2617
Abstract
Pesticides with novel modes of action including neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides are increasingly detected in global surface waters. Little is known about how these pesticides of concern interact in mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations, a common exposure scenario in waterways impacted by pesticide [...] Read more.
Pesticides with novel modes of action including neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides are increasingly detected in global surface waters. Little is known about how these pesticides of concern interact in mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations, a common exposure scenario in waterways impacted by pesticide pollution. We examined effects of chlorantraniliprole (CHL) and imidacloprid (IMI) on the sensitive invertebrate, Daphnia magna. Exposures were first performed using surface waters known to be contaminated by agricultural runoff. To evaluate the seasonal variation in chemical concentration and composition of surface waters, we tested surface water samples taken at two time points: during an extended dry period and after a first flush storm event. In surface waters, the concentrations of CHL, IMI, and other pesticides of concern increased after first flush, resulting in hypoactivity and dose-dependent photomotor responses. We then examined mortality and behavior following single and binary chemical mixtures of CHL and IMI. We detected inverse photomotor responses and some evidence of synergistic effects in binary mixture exposures. Taken together, this research demonstrates that CHL, IMI, and contaminated surface waters all cause abnormal swimming behavior in D. magna. Invertebrate swimming behavior is a sensitive endpoint for measuring the biological effects of environmental pesticides of concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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17 pages, 3013 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis of Thiram-Treated Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos Reveals Disruption of Reproduction Signaling Pathways
by Bala Murali Krishna Vasamsetti, Kyongmi Chon, Ji-Yeong Choi, Juyeong Kim and Chang-Young Yoon
Biology 2023, 12(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12020156 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1917
Abstract
Thiram, a dithiocarbamate fungicide, is used for the treatment of various fungal infections affecting crops and ornamentals. However, thiram-associated toxicity has been reported in animals, including fish, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Herein, we employed zebrafish (ZF) to gain further insights [...] Read more.
Thiram, a dithiocarbamate fungicide, is used for the treatment of various fungal infections affecting crops and ornamentals. However, thiram-associated toxicity has been reported in animals, including fish, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Herein, we employed zebrafish (ZF) to gain further insights into thiram toxicity-associated molecular mechanisms. We studied developmental abnormalities and performed whole-transcriptome analysis of ZF embryos exposed to thiram for 96 h. Embryos exposed to 4.0 μg/L thiram exhibited several phenotypic abnormalities, including bradycardia, spinal curvature, hatching arrest, and growth retardation. Whole-transcriptome analysis revealed 1754 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 512 upregulated and 1242 downregulated DEGs. The majority of biological processes affected by thiram were metabolic. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis yielded terms related to reproduction, such as steroid biosynthesis and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction validation results were in line with sequencing data for ten DEGs. The study results improve our current understanding of the effects of thiram exposure in ZF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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17 pages, 3023 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metal Accumulation and Phytoremediation Potentiality of Some Selected Mangrove Species from the World’s Largest Mangrove Forest
by M. Belal Hossain, Zobaer Masum, M. Safiur Rahman, Jimmy Yu, Md. Abu Noman, Yeasmin N. Jolly, Bilkis A. Begum, Bilal Ahamad Paray and Takaomi Arai
Biology 2022, 11(8), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11081144 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2906
Abstract
Toxic metal pollution is a global issue, and the use of metal-accumulating plants to clean contaminated ecosystems is one of the most rapidly growing ecologically beneficial and cost-effective technologies. In this study, samples of sediment and three mangrove species (Excoecaria agallocha, [...] Read more.
Toxic metal pollution is a global issue, and the use of metal-accumulating plants to clean contaminated ecosystems is one of the most rapidly growing ecologically beneficial and cost-effective technologies. In this study, samples of sediment and three mangrove species (Excoecaria agallocha, Avicennia officinalis, Sonneratia apetala) were collected from the world’s largest mangrove forest (along the Northern Bay of Bengal Coast) with the aim of evaluating metal concentrations, contamination degrees, and phytoremediation potentiality of those plants. Overall, the heavy metals concentration in sediment ranged from Cu: 72.41–95.89 mg/kg; Zn: 51.28–71.20 mg/kg; Fe: 22,760–27,470 mg/kg; Mn: 80.37–116.37 mg/kg; Sr: 167.92–221.44 mg/kg. In mangrove plants, the mean concentrations were in the order of E. agallocha > A. officinalis > S. apetala. The mean (± SD) concentration of each metal in the plant tissue (root) was found following the descending order of Fe (737.37 ± 153.06) > Mn (151.13 ± 34.26) > Sr (20.98 ± 6.97) > Cu (16.12 ± 4.34) > Zn (11.3 ± 2.39) mg/kg, whereas, in the leaf part, the mean concentration (mg/kg) of each metal found in the order of Fe (598.75 ± 410.65) > Mn (297.27 ± 148.11) > Sr (21.40 ± 8.71) > Cu (14.25 ± 2.51) > Zn (12.56 ± 2.13). The contamination factor (CF) values for the studied metals were in the descending order of Cu > Sr > Zn > Fe > Mn. The values of Igeo (Geo-accumulation index) and CF showed that the area was unpolluted to moderately polluted by Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and Sr. Enrichment factor (EF) values in both sampling stations portrayed moderate to minimum enrichment. Phytoremediation potentiality of the species was assessed by bio-concentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF). BCF values showed less accumulation for most of the heavy metals (<1) except Mn which was highly accumulated in all mangrove plants. The translocation factor (TF) values depicted that most of the heavy metals were strongly accumulated in plant tissues (>1). However, the BCF value depicts that Mn was highly bioconcentrated in E. agallocha, but the translocation on leaves tissue were minimum, which reveals that E. agallocha is phytoextractor for Mn, and accumulated in root tissues. All the examined plants can be used as phytoextractors as they have bioconcentration factors <1 and translocation factors >1. However, A. officinalis is clearly more suitable for metal extraction than S. apetala and E. agallocha in terms of hyper-metabolizing capabilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 2045 KiB  
Article
Chronic Toxicity of Primary Metabolites of Chloroacetamide and Glyphosate to Early Life Stages of Marbled Crayfish Procambarus virginalis
by Nikola Tresnakova, Jan Kubec, Alzbeta Stara, Eliska Zuskova, Caterina Faggio, Antonin Kouba and Josef Velisek
Biology 2022, 11(6), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060927 - 17 Jun 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2401
Abstract
Degradation products of herbicides, alone and in combination, may affect non-target aquatic organisms via leaching or runoff from the soil. The effects of 50-day exposure of primary metabolites of chloroacetamide herbicide, acetochlor ESA (AE; 4 µg/L), and glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA; 4 µg/L), [...] Read more.
Degradation products of herbicides, alone and in combination, may affect non-target aquatic organisms via leaching or runoff from the soil. The effects of 50-day exposure of primary metabolites of chloroacetamide herbicide, acetochlor ESA (AE; 4 µg/L), and glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA; 4 µg/L), and their combination (AMPA + AE; 4 + 4 µg/L) on mortality, growth, oxidative stress, antioxidant response, behaviour, and gill histology of early life stages of marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) were investigated. While no treatment effects were observed on cumulative mortality or early ontogeny, growth was significantly lower in all exposed groups compared with the control group. Significant superoxide dismutase activity was observed in exposure groups, and significantly higher glutathione S-transferase activity only in the AMPA + AE group. The gill epithelium in AMPA + AE-exposed crayfish showed swelling as well as numerous unidentified fragments in interlamellar space. Velocity and distance moved in crayfish exposed to metabolites did not differ from controls, but increased activity was observed in the AMPA and AE groups. The study reveals the potential risks of glyphosate and acetochlor herbicide usage through their primary metabolites in the early life stages of marbled crayfish. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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18 pages, 2491 KiB  
Article
Wind Turbine Noise Behaviorally and Physiologically Changes Male Frogs
by Jun-Kyu Park and Yuno Do
Biology 2022, 11(4), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11040516 - 27 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2881
Abstract
As the advantages of wind energy as an eco-friendly strategy for power generation continue to be revealed, the number of offshore wind farms also increases worldwide. However, wind turbines can induce behavioral and physiological responses in animals by emitting various types of noises. [...] Read more.
As the advantages of wind energy as an eco-friendly strategy for power generation continue to be revealed, the number of offshore wind farms also increases worldwide. However, wind turbines can induce behavioral and physiological responses in animals by emitting various types of noises. In this study, we investigated the behavioral, physiological, and immunological responses of male Japanese tree frogs (Dryophytes japonicus) when exposed to wind turbine noise. To determine the effects during the breeding season, frogs were collected from areas with and without wind turbines. Additionally, we exposed the frogs to recorded wind turbine noise at a site without a wind generator for 1 h to 24 h to analyze the short-term effects. Three types of calling patterns (dominant frequency, note duration, and call rate) were analyzed to investigate behavioral responses. Physiological responses were assessed using two steroid hormones assays, namely testosterone and corticosterone detection in the saliva. The immunity of each individual was assessed using a bacterial killing assay. The wind turbine group in the field had a higher call rate and corticosterone levels and lower immunity than the group in the field without turbines present, and all three of these variables were correlated with each other. Conversely, in the noise exposure experiment, a higher call rate was only observed post-exposure compared to pre-exposure. Thus, turbine noise seems to induce decreased immunity in Japanese tree frogs as an increase in energy investment that triggers a behavioral response rather than acting as a sole physiological response that leads to a direct increase in corticosterone. This decreased immunity due to energy tradeoff or physiological response can change the disease epidemiology of the population and create new adaptive patterns in these habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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19 pages, 2842 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study of Potentially Toxic Nickel and Their Potential Human Health Risks in Seafood (Fish and Mollusks) from Peninsular Malaysia
by Chee Kong Yap and Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi
Biology 2022, 11(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11030376 - 27 Feb 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3289
Abstract
Human exposure to highly nickel (Ni)-polluted environments through oral ingestion pathways may cause various pathological effects. This biomonitoring study aimed to assess the human health risk of potentially toxic Ni in 19 species of marine fishes from Setiu (Terengganu) and two popular seafood [...] Read more.
Human exposure to highly nickel (Ni)-polluted environments through oral ingestion pathways may cause various pathological effects. This biomonitoring study aimed to assess the human health risk of potentially toxic Ni in 19 species of marine fishes from Setiu (Terengganu) and two popular seafood molluscs (mangrove snail Cerithidea obtusa and cockle Anadara granosa) from the coastal area of Peninsular Malaysia. The Ni levels of the three seafood types were found below the maximum permissible limit for Ni. The Ni target hazard quotient values of all seafood were lower than 1.00 for average and high-level (AHL) Malaysian consumers, indicating no Ni’s non-carcinogenic risk of seafood consumption. It was also found that the calculated values of estimated weekly intake were below than established provisional tolerable weekly intake of Ni for both AHL consumers. It can be concluded that both the AHL consumption of seafood would not pose adverse effects of Ni to the consumers. This study provided a scientific basis for the food safety assessment of Ni and suggestions for risk management of potentially toxic Ni of seafood consumption in Malaysia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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Review

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32 pages, 520 KiB  
Review
Perceived Intensification in Harmful Algal Blooms Is a Wave of Cumulative Threat to the Aquatic Ecosystems
by Syed Shabi Ul Hassan Kazmi, Neelamanie Yapa, Samantha C. Karunarathna and Nakarin Suwannarach
Biology 2022, 11(6), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11060852 - 02 Jun 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4116
Abstract
Aquatic pollution is considered a major threat to sustainable development across the world, and deterioration of aquatic ecosystems is caused usually by harmful algal blooms (HABs). In recent times, HABs have gained attention from scientists to better understand these phenomena given that these [...] Read more.
Aquatic pollution is considered a major threat to sustainable development across the world, and deterioration of aquatic ecosystems is caused usually by harmful algal blooms (HABs). In recent times, HABs have gained attention from scientists to better understand these phenomena given that these blooms are increasing in intensity and distribution with considerable impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Many exogenous factors such as variations in climatic patterns, eutrophication, wind blowing, dust storms, and upwelling of water currents form these blooms. Globally, the HAB formation is increasing the toxicity in the natural water sources, ultimately leading the deleterious and hazardous effects on the aquatic fauna and flora. This review summarizes the types of HABs with their potential effects, toxicity, grazing defense, human health impacts, management, and control of these harmful entities. This review offers a systematic approach towards the understanding of HABs, eliciting to rethink the increasing threat caused by HABs in aquatic ecosystems across the world. Therefore, to mitigate this increasing threat to aquatic environments, advanced scientific research in ecology and environmental sciences should be prioritized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems)
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