Using a food web model to predict the effects of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) accidental spills on deep-sea hydrothermal vents from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) region.

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host unique ecosystems but face risks of incidents with Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) along busy shipping lanes such as the transatlantic route. We developed an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model of the Menez Gwen (MG) vent field (MG-EwE) (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) to simulate ecosystem effects of potential accidental spills of four different HNS, using a semi-Lagrangian Dispersion Model (sLDM) coupled with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) calibrated for the study area. Food web modelling revealed a simplified trophic structure with low energy efficiency. The MG ecosystem was vulnerable to disruptions caused by all tested HNS, yet it revealed some long-term resilience. Understanding these impacts is vital for enhancing Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plans (SPCC) in remote marine areas and developing tools to assess stressors effects on these invaluable habitats.

Neuroendocrine pathways at risk? Simvastatin induces inter and transgenerational disruption in the keystone amphipod Gammarus locusta.

The primary focus of environmental toxicological studies is to address the direct effects of chemicals on exposed organisms (parental generation - F0), mostly overlooking effects on subsequent non-exposed generations (F1 and F2 - intergenerational and F3 transgenerational, respectively). Here, we addressed the effects of simvastatin (SIM), one of the most widely prescribed human pharmaceuticals for the primary treatment of hypercholesterolemia, using the keystone crustacean Gammarus locusta. We demonstrate that SIM, at environmentally relevant concentrations, has significant inter and transgenerational (F1 and F3) effects in key signaling pathways involved in crustaceans' neuroendocrine regulation (Ecdysteroids, Catecholamines, NO/cGMP/PKG, GABAergic and Cholinergic signaling pathways), concomitantly with changes in apical endpoints, such as depressed reproduction and growth. These findings are an essential step to improve hazard and risk assessment of biological active compounds, such as SIM, and highlight the importance of studying the transgenerational effects of environmental chemicals in animals' neuroendocrine regulation.

Transgenerational inheritance of chemical-induced signature: A case study with simvastatin.

The hypothesis that exposure to certain environmental chemicals during early life stages may disrupt reproduction across multiple non-exposed generations has significant implications for understanding disease etiology and adverse outcomes. We demonstrate here reproductive multi and transgenerational effects, at environmentally relevant levels, of one of the most prescribed human pharmaceuticals, simvastatin, in a keystone species, the amphipod Gammarus locusta. The transgenerational findings has major implications for hazard and risk assessment of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern given that transgenerational effects of environmental chemicals are not addressed in current hazard and risk assessment schemes. Considering that the mevalonate synthesis, one of the key metabolic pathways targeted by simvastatin, is highly conserved among metazoans, these results may also shed light on the potential transgenerational effects of simvastatin on other animals, including humans.

Environmental risk assessment of accidental marine spills: A new approach combining an online dynamic Hazardous and Noxious substances database with numerical dispersion, risk and population modelling.

The foreseen rise on maritime transportation of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) increases the likelihood of accidents, leading to a higher risk of chemical spillage that can have severe ecological impacts. Considering the lack of information on HNS spills, the response to these events is less well established than those involving oil. Moreover, a paramount knowledge of the physicochemical and ecotoxicological properties of the substance involved is required for an effective environmental risk assessment and response to an HNS spill. In the present work, a new online interface, in which a dynamic HNS database feeds a chemical numerical dispersion model, was developed with the aim to improve predictions regarding the behaviour and environmental risk of HNS spills on marine ecosystems. Potential impacts to pelagic organisms were characterized by coupling model outputs with toxicity risk ratios. Furthermore, a simple population model was developed, foreseeing impacts at the ecological level. The integration of the developed tools establishes an innovative framework, which aims to improve predictions related to HNS plumes' behaviour and potential hazards to the marine environment and associated ecosystem services. Further, this new approach fosters an improved preparedness and response to coastal pollution incidents, enhancing effective decision making and management by competent authorities.

Interactive effects of increased temperature, pCO2 and the synthetic progestin levonorgestrel on the fitness and breeding of the amphipod Gammarus locusta.

Given the lack of knowledge regarding climate change-chemical exposure interactions, it is vital to evaluate how these two drivers jointly impact aquatic species. Thus, for the first time, we aimed at investigating the combined effects of increased temperature, pCO2 and the synthetic progestin levonorgestrel on survival, growth, consumption rate and reproduction of the amphipod Gammarus locusta. For that, a full factorial design manipulating temperature [ambient temperature and warming (+4 °C)], pCO2 [normocapnia and hypercapnia (Δ pH 0.5 units)] and the progestin levonorgestrel (LNG: L1 - 10 ngLL-1 and L2 - 1000 ngLL-1, control - no progestin and solvent control - vehicle ethanol (0.01%)) was implemented for 21 days. G. locusta was strongly negatively affected by warming, experiencing higher mortality rates (50-80%) than in any other treatments. Instead, growth rates were significantly affected by interactions of LNG with temperature and pCO2. It was observed, in the short-term (7d) that under ambient temperature (18 °C) and hypercapnic conditions (pH 7.6), the LNG presence promoted the amphipod's growth, while in the medium-term (21d) this response was not observed. Relative consumption rates (RCRs), during the first week were higher than in the third week. Furthermore, in the first week, RCRs were negatively affected by higher temperature while in the third week, RCRs were negatively affected by acidification. Furthermore, it was observed a negative effect of higher temperature and acidification on G. locusta fecundity, contrarily to LNG. Concluding, the impact of increased temperature and pCO2 was clearly more adverse for the species than exposure to the synthetic progestin, however, some interactions between the progestin and the climate factors were observed. Thus, in a future scenario of global change, the presence of LNG (and other progestins alike) may modulate to a certain level the effects of climate drivers (and vice-versa) on the gammarids fitness and reproduction.

The last frontier: Coupling technological developments with scientific challenges to improve hazard assessment of deep-sea mining.

The growing economic interest in the exploitation of mineral resources on deep-ocean beds, including those in the vicinity of sensitive-rich habitats such as hydrothermal vents, raise a mounting concern about the damage that such actions might originate to these poorly-know ecosystems, which represent millions of years of evolution and adaptations to extreme environmental conditions. It has been suggested that mining may cause a major impact on vent ecosystems and other deep-sea areas. Yet, the scale and the nature of such impacts are unknown at present. Hence, building upon currently available scientific information it is crucial to develop new cost-effective technologies embedded into rigorous operating frameworks. The forward-thinking provided here will assist in the development of new technologies and tools to address the major challenges associated with deep sea-mining; technologies for in situ and ex situ observation and data acquisition, biogeochemical processes, hazard assessment of deep-sea mining to marine organisms and development of modeling tools in support of risk assessment scenarios. These technological developments are vital to validate a responsible and sustainable exploitation of the deep-sea mineral resources, based on the precautionary principle.

Single Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation Induces Genotoxicity in Adult Zebrafish and its Non-Irradiated Progeny.

This study investigated to what extent a single exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation can induce genotoxic damage in irradiated adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) and its non-irradiated F1 progeny. Four groups of adult zebrafish were irradiated with a single dose of X-rays at 0 (control), 100, 500 and 1000 mGy, respectively, and couples of each group were allowed to reproduce following irradiation. Blood of parental fish and whole-body offspring were analysed by the comet assay for detection of DNA damage. The level of DNA damage in irradiated parental fish increased in a radiation dose-dependent manner at day 1 post-irradiation, but returned to the control level thereafter. The level of DNA damage in the progeny was directly correlated with the parental irradiation dose. Results highlight the genotoxic risk of a single exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation in irradiated individuals and also in its non-irradiated progeny.

Toxicity effects of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) to marine organisms: acute and chronic toxicity of p-xylene to the amphipod Gammarus locusta.

Despite the recent focus on hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills preparedness and responses, much remains to be done regarding the threat posed by HNS spills on marine biota. Among the identified priority HNS, p-xylene was selected to conduct ecotoxicological assays. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the amphipod Gammarus locusta under acute and chronic exposure to p-xylene simulating conditions of a spill incident. In the acute exposure (96 h) the p-xylene LC50 was estimated. In the chronic bioassay (36 d), an integration of organism-level endpoints (survival, growth rate, and sex ratio) with biochemical markers indicative of oxidative stress including catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels was determined. The aim was to increase the xylene ecotoxicological database and better predict its impact in aquatic environments. p-Xylene induced several chronic toxicity effects in G. locusta. Significant alterations in antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation levels as well as growth rate and biased sex-ratio were observed. p-Xylene significantly affected the activities of CAT, SOD, and GST in G. locusta and produced oxidative damage by increasing levels of LPO in males. Further, impacts in key ecological endpoints, that is, growth and sex ratio, were noted that might be indicative of potential effects at the population level in a spill scenario. The present data may be useful to assist relevant bodies in preparedness and response to HNS spills.

Simulation of a Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) spill in the marine environment: lethal and sublethal effects of acrylonitrile to the European seabass.

Despite the extensive maritime transportation of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS), there is a current lack of knowledge on the effects posed by HNS spills on the marine biota. Among the HNS identified as priority, acrylonitrile was selected to conduct ecotoxicological assays. We assessed the acute and subletal effects of acrylonitrile in seabass, followed by a recovery phase to simulate the conditions of a spill incident. The work aimed at testing a broad range of biological responses induced by acrylonitrile. Sublethal exposure to the highest two doses increased the fish mortality rate (8.3% and 25% mortality in 0.75 and 2 mg L(-1) acrylonitrile concentrations), whereas no mortality were observed in control and 0.15 mg L(-1) treatments. Additionally, important alterations at sub-individual level were observed. Acrylonitrile significantly induced the activities of Catalase- CAT and Glutathione S-Transferase - GST; and the levels of DNA damage were significantly increased. Conversely, Superoxide Dismutase- SOD - activity was found to be significantly inhibited and no effects were found on Lipid Peroxidation- LPO and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase - EROD - activity. Following a 7d recovery period, the levels of CAT, GST and EROD fell to levels at or below those in the control. In the 2 mg L(-1) group, SOD remained at the levels found during exposure phase. This study has gathered essential information on the acute and subletal toxicity of acrylonitrile to seabass. It also demonstrated that 7d recovery allowed a return of most endpoints to background levels. These data will be useful to assist relevant bodies in preparedness and response to HNS spills.

Review of oil and HNS accidental spills in Europe: identifying major environmental monitoring gaps and drawing priorities.

The European Atlantic area has been the scene of a number of extensive shipping incidents with immediate and potential long-term impacts to marine ecosystems. The occurrence of accidental spills at sea requires an effective response that must include a well executed monitoring programme to assess the environmental contamination and damage of the affected marine habitats. Despite a number of conventions and protocols developed by international and national authorities that focused on the preparedness and response to oil and HNS spills, much remains to be done, particularly in relation to the effectiveness of the environmental monitoring programmes implemented after oil and HNS spills. Hence, the present study reviews the status of the environmental monitoring programmes established following the major spill incidents over the last years in European waters, aiming at identifying the key monitoring gaps and drawing priorities for an effective environmental monitoring of accidental spills.

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) in the marine environment: prioritizing HNS that pose major risk in a European context.

Increases in the maritime transportation of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS), alongside the need for an effective response to HNS spills have led environmental managers and the scientific community to focus attention on HNS spill preparedness and responsiveness. In the context of the ARCOPOL project, a weight-of-evidence approach was developed aimed at prioritizing HNS that pose major environmental risks to European waters. This approach takes into consideration the occurrence probability of HNS spills in European Atlantic waters and the severity of exposure associated with their physico-chemical properties and toxicity to marine organisms. Additionally, a screening analysis of the toxicological information available for the prioritization of HNS was performed. Here we discuss the need for a prioritization methodology to select HNS that are likely to cause severe marine environmental effects as an essential step towards the establishment of a more effective preparedness and response to HNS incidents.

Effects of temperature and salinity on life history of the marine amphipod Gammarus locusta. Implications for ecotoxicological testing.

The life history of Gammarus locusta was analysed in the laboratory under the following temperature and salinity combinations: 20 degrees C-33/1000, 15 degrees C-20/1000 and 15 degrees C-33/1000 (reference condition). Life history analysis comprised survival, individual growth, reproductive traits and life table parameters. Compared to 15 degrees C, life history at 20 degrees C was characterised by at least a four-week reduction in the life-span, lower life expectancy, shorter generation time, faster individual growth, anticipation of age at maturity and higher population growth rate. These temperature effects constituted an acceleration and condensation of the life cycle, compared to the reference condition. Concerning salinity effects, with few exceptions, results show that overall this amphipod life history did not differ significantly between the salinity conditions tested. Regarding ecotoxicological testing implications, findings from this study indicate that the range of temperature and salinity conditions acceptable for testing was substantially expanded both for acute and chronic assays. A temperature of 20 degrees C or higher (for a salinity of 33/1000) is suggested for routine chronic sediment toxicity testing with G. locusta, in order to reduce the life cycle and consequently improve cost-effectiveness and standardisation. Results also suggest that a multiple-response approach, including survival, growth and reproduction, should be applied in chronic toxicity tests.