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Processes
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Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology
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Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 December 2021) | Viewed by 19747

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristiano V.M. Araújo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Coastal Management, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia (CSIC), 11519 Puerto Real, Spain
Interests: avoidance; behavioral responses; ecotoxicology; environmental risk assessment; contamination; stress ecology; landscape ecotoxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. M. Dolores Basallote

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
Interests: geochemistry; ecotoxicology; metal pollution; climate change
Dr. Araceli Rodríguez Romero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
Interests: global change; marine contamination; emerging contaminants; sunscreen; environmental risk assessment; marine biology; metals; bioaccumulation; sediment; ecotoxicology; multistressor approach; evolutionary biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Contamination is present in almost all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems around the world. Massive urban, industrial, and agricultural development and the emergence of new chemicals are environmental stressors that threaten the biodiversity of many ecosystems. In fact, the assessment of the impact caused by contamination is considered a crucial step in understanding problems including genetic erosion, physiological disruptions, homeostatic imbalance, behavioral alterations, and changes in ecological niches. Therefore, the need to study the loss of environmental quality due to chemical contamination has become an urgent and fundamental step to ensure sustainable development.

This Special Issue of Processes on “Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology” aims to present the latest research on the effects of contamination on organisms, from sub-organismal to community levels. We are also interested in effects that might bring about changes in the structure and functioning of ecosystems, which could lead to an increase in the vulnerability and loss of resilience of aquatic and terrestrial environments. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to

  • Environmental risk assessment studies in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems;
  • Environmental quality studies in the field of environmental chemistry, mainly related to contaminants of emerging concern;
  • Direct effects of the contaminants on organisms, including different levels of biological organization;
  • Indirect alterations in biological communities and their ecological relationships due to contamination;
  • Ecological studies in which contamination is considered a stress factor;
  • Discussions about the frontiers of new knowledge that improve our understanding of contamination-driven environmental disturbances—new methods and approaches;
  • Development and application of models to predict or explain the environmental disturbances caused by chemicals.

Dr. Cristiano V.M. Araújo
Dr. M. Dolores Basallote
Dr. Araceli Rodríguez Romero
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. Processes 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 2400 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

  • bioassays
  • contamination
  • ecotoxicology
  • environmental chemistry
  • environmental risk
  • geochemistry
  • global change
  • stress ecology
  • toxicity
  • Soil

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 11477 KiB  
Article
Biochemical Effects of Two Pesticides in Three Different Temperature Scenarios on the Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii
by Andreia F. Mesquita, Fernando J. M. Gonçalves, Carolina P. Rocha, João C. Marques and Ana M. M. Gonçalves
Processes 2021, 9(7), 1247; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071247 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2096
Abstract
The exponential increase of the human population demands the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices to suppress food production needs. The excessive use of these chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) can comport deleterious effects to the ecosystems, including aquatic systems and communities. [...] Read more.
The exponential increase of the human population demands the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices to suppress food production needs. The excessive use of these chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) can comport deleterious effects to the ecosystems, including aquatic systems and communities. Oxyfluorfen is a fluorine-based herbicide, and its application has increased, since it is seen as an alternative to control glyphosate-resistant weeds. Copper sulfate is an inorganic pesticide based on copper which is being used in several chemical formulations, and it is the second main constituent of fungicides. Besides the known effects of such products in organisms, climatic changes pose an additional issue, being a main concern among scientists and politicians worldwide, since these alterations may worsen ecosystems’ and organisms’ sensitivity to stress conditions, such as the exposure to pollutants. Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) G. A. Fryxell & Hasle, 1977 plays an important role in aquatic food webs as a primary producer and an essential food source to zooplankton. Thus, alterations on the diatom’s abundance and nutritional value may lead to consequences along the trophic chain. However, few studies have evaluated the biochemical impacts of oxyfluorfen and copper sulfate exposure on diatoms. This study intends to (1) evaluate the effects on the growth rate of both contaminants on T. weissfloggi at three temperatures, considering the actual scenario of climatic changes, and (2) assess biochemical changes on the diatom when exposed to the chemicals at different temperatures. To achieve these aims, the marine diatom was exposed to the two chemicals individually at different temperatures. The results showed an increase in the growth rate with increasing temperatures. Oxyfluorfen exhibited higher toxicity than copper sulfate. At the biochemical level, the microalgae were greatly affected when exposed to oxyfluorfen at 20 °C and 25 °C and when exposed to copper sulfate at 15 °C. Moreover, a general increase was observed for the polysaccharide content along the copper sulfate and oxyfluorfen concentrations. Therefore, the contaminants show the ability to interfere with the diatom growth and the nutritive value, with their effects dependent on the temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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9 pages, 572 KiB  
Communication
Anthropogenic Modifications to Estuaries Facilitate the Invasion of Non-Native Species
by Enrique González-Ortegón and Javier Moreno-Andrés
Processes 2021, 9(5), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9050740 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1725
Abstract
New observations of non-indigenous species (NIS) in coastal waters, such as the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain) have increased since 1980 and more or less exponentially in the last five years. Ballast water has become the most significant pathway for unintentional introductions of NIS [...] Read more.
New observations of non-indigenous species (NIS) in coastal waters, such as the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain) have increased since 1980 and more or less exponentially in the last five years. Ballast water has become the most significant pathway for unintentional introductions of NIS into marine ecosystems. For example, the marine larvae of crustacean decapods that inhabit the water column could be transported in ballast water. Although elevated concentrations of metals are toxic to many marine organisms, some of them have evolved effective detoxification, or avoidance mechanisms making it possible to consider they have a superior ability to withstand exposures to these toxicants. In this text, we try to reinforce the hypothesis that anthropogenic modifications (such as chemical alterations and modified environments) benefit NIS with broad environmental tolerances. Taking these risks into account, a reinforcement of efficient Ballast Water Management Systems to respond to today’s challenging environmental conditions is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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17 pages, 2294 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Advanced Oxidation Processes Using Zebrafish in a Non-Forced Exposure System: A Proof of Concept
by Tamia Cabascango, Karol Ortiz, Christian Sandoval Pauker, Isabel Espinoza Pavón, Anuradha Ramoji, Jürgen Popp, Jady Pérez, C. Miguel Pinto, José Luis Rivera-Parra, Florinella Muñoz-Bisesti, María Belén Aldás, Cristiano V. M. Araújo and Paul Vargas Jentzsch
Processes 2021, 9(5), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9050734 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2425
Abstract
Water bodies and aquatic ecosystems are threatened by discharges of industrial waters. Ecotoxicological effects of components occurring in untreated and treated wastewaters are often not considered. The use of a linear, multi-compartmented, non-forced, static system constructed with PET bottles is proposed for the [...] Read more.
Water bodies and aquatic ecosystems are threatened by discharges of industrial waters. Ecotoxicological effects of components occurring in untreated and treated wastewaters are often not considered. The use of a linear, multi-compartmented, non-forced, static system constructed with PET bottles is proposed for the quality assessment of treated waters, to deal with such limitations. Two synthetic waters, one simulating wastewater from the textile industry and the other one simulating wastewater from the cassava starch industry, were prepared and treated by homogeneous Fenton process and heterogeneous photocatalysis, respectively. Untreated and treated synthetic waters and their dilutions were placed into compartments of the non-forced exposure system, in which zebrafish (Danio rerio), the indicator organism, could select the environment of its preference. Basic physical–chemical and chemical parameters of untreated and treated synthetic waters were measured. The preference and avoidance responses allowed verification of whether or not the quality of the water was improved due to the treatment. The results of these assays can be a complement to conventional parameters of water quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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11 pages, 2402 KiB  
Article
Acute and Chronic Effects of a Glyphosate and a Cypermethrin-Based Pesticide on a Non-Target Species Eucypris sp. Vavra, 1891 (Crustacea, Ostracoda)
by Arsène Mathieu Houssou, Daniel Cocan, Camelia Maria Răducu, Eric Joslin Daguégué, Vioara Miresan and Elie Montchowui
Processes 2021, 9(4), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9040701 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1932
Abstract
Ostracoda species are indicators of their current and past environment (paleoenvironment). The study aims to evaluate the acute and chronic sensitivities of a freshwater ostracod species (Eucypris sp.) to agricultural pesticides (a cypermethrin-based insecticide and a glyphosate herbicide-based formulation). Lethal concentrations (LC [...] Read more.
Ostracoda species are indicators of their current and past environment (paleoenvironment). The study aims to evaluate the acute and chronic sensitivities of a freshwater ostracod species (Eucypris sp.) to agricultural pesticides (a cypermethrin-based insecticide and a glyphosate herbicide-based formulation). Lethal concentrations (LC50) of each pesticide for the species at 24 and 48 h were determined. The chronic exposure allowed assessing the effects of low concentrations of both pesticides; firstly, on the parthenogenetic reproduction of Eucypris sp., and, secondly, on its population growth. Then, individuals of Eucypris sp. were exposed to 0.536 ppb and 1.072 ppb of cypermethrin and 4.51 ppm and 9.03 ppm of glyphosate. These concentrations are respectively the 10%, and the 20% of the 48-h LC50 (median lethal concentration) of both pesticides for the species. The estimated 24-h LC50 of cypermethrin was 7.287 ppb. At 48-h, it was 5.361 ppb. For glyphosate, the 24-h LC50 was 50.521 ppm, while at 48-h it was 45.149 ppm. After 10 days of exposure to low concentrations of cypermehrin, only 30% of females reproduced parthenogenetically with 10% and 20% of LC50-48-h. For the control treatment, reproduction in 80% of females was observed. Eucypris sp. population growth after 28 days of exposure to low concentrations of cypermethrin showed significant retardation. Regarding glyphosate chronic exposure, 60%, 50%, and 90% of individuals were able to reproduce at 10% of LC50-48-h, 20% LC50-48-h, and the control treatment, respectively. The population growth was also affected by the tested low concentrations of glyphosate. The study showed high sensitivity of Eucypris sp. to cypermethrin compared to glyphosate. However, low concentrations of both pesticides affected the species at individual and population level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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18 pages, 1971 KiB  
Article
Bacterial Toxicity Testing: Modification and Evaluation of the Luminescent Bacteria Test and the Respiration Inhibition Test
by Uwe Strotmann, Daniel Pastor Flores, Odorico Konrad and Cornelia Gendig
Processes 2020, 8(11), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8111349 - 25 Oct 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5501
Abstract
The activated sludge respiration inhibition test and the luminescent bacteria test with Vibrio fischeri are important bacterial test systems for evaluation of the toxicity of chemical compounds. These test systems were further optimized to result in better handling, reliability and sensitivity. Concerning the [...] Read more.
The activated sludge respiration inhibition test and the luminescent bacteria test with Vibrio fischeri are important bacterial test systems for evaluation of the toxicity of chemical compounds. These test systems were further optimized to result in better handling, reliability and sensitivity. Concerning the Vibrio fischeri test, media components such as yeast extract and bivalent cation concentrations like Ca2+ and Mg2+ were optimized. The cultivation, storage conditions and reactivation process of the stored bacteria were also improved, which enabled simpler handling and led to good reproducibility. Additionally, the respiration inhibition test with a prolonged incubation time was further analyzed using different chlorinated phenols as reference compounds. It could be stated that a longer incubation period significantly improved the sensitivity of the test system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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Review

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18 pages, 2191 KiB  
Review
How Do Indirect Effects of Contaminants Inform Ecotoxicology? A Review
by John W. Fleeger
Processes 2020, 8(12), 1659; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8121659 - 16 Dec 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4631
Abstract
Indirect effects in ecotoxicology are defined as chemical- or pollutant-induced alterations in the density or behavior of sensitive species that have cascading effects on tolerant species in natural systems. As a result, species interaction networks (e.g., interactions associated with predation or competition) may [...] Read more.
Indirect effects in ecotoxicology are defined as chemical- or pollutant-induced alterations in the density or behavior of sensitive species that have cascading effects on tolerant species in natural systems. As a result, species interaction networks (e.g., interactions associated with predation or competition) may be altered in such a way as to bring about large changes in populations and/or communities that may further cascade to disrupt ecosystem function and services. Field studies and experimental outcomes as well as models indicate that indirect effects are most likely to occur in communities in which the strength of interactions and the sensitivity to contaminants differ markedly among species, and that indirect effects will vary over space and time as species composition, trophic structure, and environmental factors vary. However, knowledge of indirect effects is essential to improve understanding of the potential for chemical harm in natural systems. For example, indirect effects may confound laboratory-based ecological risk assessment by enhancing, masking, or spuriously indicating the direct effect of chemical contaminants. Progress to better anticipate and interpret the significance of indirect effects will be made as monitoring programs and long-term ecological research are conducted that facilitate critical experimental field and mesocosm investigations, and as chemical transport and fate models, individual-based direct effects models, and ecosystem/food web models continue to be improved and become better integrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Risk Assessment Processes and Ecotoxicology)
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