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Coppola F, Jiang W, Soares AMVM, Marques PAAP, Polese G, Pereira ME, Jiang Z, Freitas R. How efficient is graphene-based nanocomposite to adsorb Hg from seawater. A laboratory assay to assess the toxicological impacts induced by remediated water towards marine bivalves. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 277:130160. [PMID: 33794434 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Advanced investigations on the use of graphene based nanomaterials have highlighted the capacity of these materials for wastewater treatment. Research on this topic revealed the efficiency of the nanocomposite synthetized by graphene oxide functionalized with polyethyleneimine (GO-PEI) to adsorb mercury (Hg) from contaminated seawater. However, information on the environmental risks associated with these approaches are still lacking. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effects of Hg in contaminated seawater and seawater remediated by GO-PEI, using the species Ruditapes philippinarum, maintained at two different warming scenarios: control (17 °C) and increased (22 °C) temperatures. The results obtained showed that organisms exposed to non-contaminated and remediated seawaters at control temperature presented similar biological patterns, with no considerable differences expressed in terms of biochemical and histopathological alterations. Moreover, the present findings revealed increased toxicological effects in clams under remediated seawater at 22 °C in comparison to those subjected to the equivalent treatment at 17 °C. These results confirm the capability of GO-PEI to adsorb Hg from water with no noticeable toxic effects, although temperature could alter the responses of mussels to remediated seawater. These materials seem to be a promise eco-friendly approach to remediate wastewater, with low toxicity evidenced by remediated seawater and high regenerative capacity of this nanomaterial, keeping its high removal performance after successive sorption-desorption cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coppola
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Weiwei Jiang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, China
| | | | - Paula A A P Marques
- TEMA & Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Italy
| | | | - Zengjie Jiang
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, China.
| | - Rosa Freitas
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.
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Coppola F, Soares AMVM, Figueira E, Pereira E, Marques PAAP, Polese G, Freitas R. The Influence of Temperature Increase on the Toxicity of Mercury Remediated Seawater Using the Nanomaterial Graphene Oxide on the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11081978. [PMID: 34443810 PMCID: PMC8400667 DOI: 10.3390/nano11081978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) has been increasing in waters, sediments, soils and air, as a result of natural events and anthropogenic activities. In aquatic environments, especially marine systems (estuaries and lagoons), Hg is easily bioavailable and accumulated by aquatic wildlife, namely bivalves, due to their lifestyle characteristics (sedentary and filter-feeding behavior). In recent years, different approaches have been developed with the objective of removing metal(loid)s from the water, including the employment of nanomaterials. However, coastal systems and marine organisms are not exclusively challenged by pollutants but also by climate changes such as progressive temperature increment. Therefore, the present study aimed to (i) evaluate the toxicity of remediated seawater, previously contaminated by Hg (50 mg/L) and decontaminated by the use of graphene-based nanomaterials (graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with polyethyleneimine, 10 mg/L), towards the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis; (ii) assess the influence of temperature on the toxicity of decontaminated seawater. For this, alterations observed in mussels’ metabolic capacity, oxidative and neurotoxic status, as well as histopathological injuries in gills and digestive tubules were measured. This study demonstrated that mussels exposed to Hg contaminated seawater presented higher impacts than organisms under remediated seawater. When comparing the impacts at 21 °C (present study) and 17 °C (previously published data), organisms exposed to remediated seawater at a higher temperature presented higher injuries than organisms at 17 °C. These results indicate that predicted warming conditions may negatively affect effective remediation processes, with the increasing of temperature being responsible for changes in organisms’ sensitivity to pollutants or increasing pollutants toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coppola
- Department of Biology CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (F.C.); (A.M.V.M.S.); (E.F.)
| | - Amadeu M. V. M. Soares
- Department of Biology CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (F.C.); (A.M.V.M.S.); (E.F.)
| | - Etelvina Figueira
- Department of Biology CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (F.C.); (A.M.V.M.S.); (E.F.)
| | - Eduarda Pereira
- Department of Chemistry LAQV-REQUIMTE, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal;
| | - Paula A. A. P. Marques
- Department of Mechanical Engineering TEMA, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal;
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;
| | - Rosa Freitas
- Department of Biology CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; (F.C.); (A.M.V.M.S.); (E.F.)
- Correspondence:
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The Role of Temperature on the Impact of Remediated Water towards Marine Organisms. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12082148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Marine organisms are frequently exposed to pollutants, including trace metals, derived from natural and anthropogenic activities. In order to prevent environmental pollution, different approaches have been applied to remove pollutants from waste water and avoid their discharge into aquatic systems. However, organisms in their natural aquatic environments are also exposed to physico-chemical changes derived from climate change-related factors, including temperature increase. According to recent studies, warming has a negative impact on marine wildlife, with known effects on organisms physiological and biochemical performance. Recently, a material based on graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) proved to be effective in the remediation of mercury (Hg) contaminated water. Nevertheless, no information is available on the toxic impacts of such remediated water towards aquatic systems, neither under actual nor predicted temperature conditions. For this, the present study assessed the toxicity of seawater, previously contaminated with Hg and remediated by GO-PEI, using the clam species Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to actual and a predicted temperature conditions. The results obtained demonstrated that seawater contaminated with Hg and/or Hg+GO-PEI induced higher toxicity in clams exposed to 17 and 22 °C compared to organisms exposed to remediated seawater at the same temperatures. Moreover, similar histological and biochemical results were observed between organisms exposed to control and remediated seawater, independently of the temperatures (17 and 21 °C), highlighting the potential use of GO-PEI to remediate Hg from seawater without significant toxicity issues to the selected marine species.
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Coppola F, Bessa A, Henriques B, Russo T, Soares AMVM, Figueira E, Marques PAAP, Polese G, Di Cosmo A, Pereira E, Freitas R. Oxidative stress, metabolic and histopathological alterations in mussels exposed to remediated seawater by GO-PEI after contamination with mercury. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 243:110674. [PMID: 32058044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The modern technology brought new engineering materials (e.g. nanostructured materials) with advantageous characteristics such as a high capacity to decontaminate water from pollutants (for example metal(loid)s). Among those innovative materials the synthesis of nanostructured materials (NSMs) based on graphene as graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with polyethyleneimine (GO-PEI) had a great success due to their metal removal capacity from water. However, research dedicated to environmental risks related to the application of these materials is still non-existent. To evaluate the impacts of such potential stressors, benthic species can be a good model as they are affected by several environmental constraints. Particularly, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis has been identified by several authors as a bioindicator that responds quickly to environmental disturbances, with a wide spatial distribution and economic relevance. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the impacts caused in M. galloprovincialis by seawater previously contaminated by Hg and decontaminated using GO-PEI. For this, histopathological and biochemical alterations were examined. This study demonstrated that mussels exposed to the contaminant (Hg), the decontaminant (GO-PEI) and the combination of both (Hg + GO-PEI) presented an increment of histopathological, oxidative stress and metabolic alterations if compared to organisms under remediated seawater and control conditions The present findings highlight the possibility to remediate seawater with nanoparticles for environmental safety purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Coppola
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Ana Bessa
- TEMA & Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Bruno Henriques
- CESAM & LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Tania Russo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Italy
| | | | - Etelvina Figueira
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Paula A A P Marques
- TEMA & Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Gianluca Polese
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Italy
| | - Anna Di Cosmo
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126, Italy
| | - Eduarda Pereira
- CESAM & LAQV-REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
| | - Rosa Freitas
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.
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Hair mercury concentrations and fish consumption patterns in Florida residents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2014; 11:6709-26. [PMID: 24972033 PMCID: PMC4113839 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph110706709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mercury exposure through the consumption of fish and shellfish represents a significant public health concern in the United States. Recent research has demonstrated higher seafood consumption and subsequent increased risk of methylmercury exposure among subpopulations living in coastal areas. The identification of high concentrations of total mercury in blood and skin among resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), a coastal estuary in Florida, alerted us to a potential public health hazard in the contiguous human population. Therefore, we analyzed hair mercury concentrations of residents living along the IRL and ascertained their sources and patterns of seafood consumption. The total mean mercury concentration for 135 residents was 1.53 ± 1.89 µg/g. The concentration of hair mercury among males (2.02 ± 2.38 µg/g) was significantly higher than that for females (0.96 ± 0.74 µg/g) (p < 0.01). Log transformed hair mercury concentration was significantly associated with the frequency of total seafood consumption (p < 0.01). Individuals who reported consuming seafood once a day or more were 3.71 (95% CI 0.84–16.38) times more likely to have a total hair mercury concentration over 1.0 µg/g, which corresponds approximately to the U.S. EPA reference dose, compared to those who consumed seafood once a week or less. Hair mercury concentration was also significantly higher among individuals who obtained all or most of their seafood from local recreational sources (p < 0.01). The elevated human mercury concentrations mirror the elevated concentrations observed in resident dolphins in the same geographical region. The current study is one of the first to apply the concept of a sentinel animal to a contiguous human population.
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Schaefer AM, Stavros HCW, Bossart GD, Fair PA, Goldstein JD, Reif JS. Associations between mercury and hepatic, renal, endocrine, and hematological parameters in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the eastern coast of Florida and South Carolina. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2011; 61:688-695. [PMID: 21340575 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-011-9651-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated associations between total mercury (Hg) concentrations in blood and skin and endocrine, hepatic, renal, and hematological parameters in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Dolphins in Indian River Lagoon, FL had higher concentrations of Hg in blood (0.67 μg/l wet wt) and skin (7.24 μg/g dry wt) compared with those from Charleston Harbor, SC (0.15 μg/l wet wt, 1.68 μg/g dry wt). An inverse relationship was observed between blood and skin Hg concentrations and total thyroxine, triiodothyronine, absolute numbers of lymphocytes, eosinophils, and platelets. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), blood urea nitrogen, and gamma-glutamyl transferase increased with increasing concentrations of Hg in blood and skin; lactate dehydrogenase and neutrophils increased with concentrations in skin only. Hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin increased with increasing concentrations of Hg in blood. Selenium was negatively associated with free T4, progesterone, and absolute numbers of monocytes, and positively correlated with absolute numbers of eosinophils and lymphocytes, and mean corpuscular volume. The results suggest the potential for a deleterious effect of Hg in highly exposed dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Schaefer
- Marine Mammal Research and Conservation, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, 34946, USA.
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