Latest recommendations
Id | Title * | Authors * ▲ | Abstract * | Picture * | Thematic fields * | Recommender | Reviewers | Submission date | |
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29 Jul 2024
![]() Molecular response to multiple trace element contamination of the European sardineAnaïs Beauvieux, Jean-Marc Fromentin, Claire Saraux, Diego Romero, Nathan Couffin, Adrien Brown, Luisa Metral, Fabrice Bertile, Quentin Schull https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.16.580673Molecular-level responses highlight physiological stress in muscle and liver tissue of apparently healthy European sardine specimenRecommended by Davide Anselmo Luigi VignatiFish is an essential component of healthy human diets and the preservation of fish stocks and other marine resources is included as a target of Sustainable Development Goal 14 ‘Conserve and sustainably use the Oceans, Sea and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development’ (UNEP). However, several fish stocks remain in sub-optimal (or worse) conditions due to overfishing and a range of stressors including chemical pollution. Chemical pollution can result in high level of chemicals in fish making it unsuitable for human consumption. Furthermore, the occurrence of chemical-related physiological stress in otherwise apparently healthy fish requires additional research efforts. In natural environments, further complexity arises from fish being simultaneously exposed to multiple contaminants/stressors as opposed to laboratory investigation usually dealing with one or very few contaminants/stressors at a time (Schäfer et al., 2023). Beauvieux et al. (2024) examined the possible role of accumulation of multiple elements on the physiological status of first-year-of-life specimen of European sardine collected in the Gulf of Lions (northeastern Mediterranean Sea) as a contributing factor to the declining sardine population observed in the region since 2008. The ultimate objective of the paper was to identify potential biomarkers of stress in fish otherwise not exhibiting any anomalies in body condition, in agreement with the principles of chemical stress ecology put forward by van der Brink (2008). Out of a total of 105 specimen, individuals were selected according to the lowest (n = 14) or highest (n = 15) levels of contamination and subject to proteomic analysis of liver and red muscle tissues. A first Principal component analysis on all specimen highlighted the possible influence of the Rhone river as a source of geogenic and anthropogenic elements to the Gulf of Lions. A second PCA performed only on specimen selected from proteomics analysis allowed to identify three elemental mixtures possibly responsible for the observed physiological effects. Proteomic analysis in liver and muscle tissue identified both similarities and differences in the pathways involved in response to stress. More in detail, the expression patterns of Myosin and Myomesin were downregulated in red muscle for highly exposed specimen, which suggests possible effects of elemental accumulation on the locomotion abilities of Mediterranean sardines. Pathways involved in lipid metabolism and immune processes were up-regulated in liver, pointing to increased energetic costs for maintaining the overall fish homeostasis in presence of metal contamination. It is interesting to note that these effects were observed at concentrations below the legal thresholds for human consumption (except for As), albeit such thresholds are available only for a limited number of elements (Cd, Pb, Cd, As and inorganic Sn) (EU, 2023). Although stressors other than trace elements could contribute to the observed molecular responses, as acknowledged by the authors themselves, Beauvieux et al. (2024) show that biological responses at lower levels of biological organization can provide both early-warning indications of potential adverse effects in the long term and better understanding of drivers of population decline. By advancing our knowledge of the physiological responses to trace elements and identifying potential biomarkers, this study lays the groundwork for more effective monitoring and conservation strategies. Further studies addressing the combined effects of multiple environmental stressors remain essential to develop holistic approaches to marine ecosystem management and species conservation. References Beauvieux A., Fromentin J.-M., Saraux C., Romero D., Couffin N., Brown A., Metral L., Bertile F., Schull Q. (2024). Molecular response to multiple trace element contamination of the European sardine. bioRxiv, ver. 4 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.16.580673 EU (2023). Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/915/oj/eng Schäfer R. B., Jackson M., Juvigny-Khenafou N., Osakpolor S. E., Posthuma L., Schneeweiss A., Spaak J., & Vinebrooke R. (2023). Chemical Mixtures and Multiple Stressors: Same but Different? Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 42(9), 1915-1936, https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5629 UNEP: https://sdgs.un.org/goals Van den Brink P. J. (2008). Ecological Risk Assessment: From Book-Keeping to Chemical Stress Ecology. Environmental Science & Technology, 42(24), 8999-9004. https://doi.org/10.1021/es801991c | Molecular response to multiple trace element contamination of the European sardine | Anaïs Beauvieux, Jean-Marc Fromentin, Claire Saraux, Diego Romero, Nathan Couffin, Adrien Brown, Luisa Metral, Fabrice Bertile, Quentin Schull | <p>In marine ecosystems, the presence of trace elements resulting from anthropogenic activities has raised concerns regarding their potential effects on marine organisms. This study delves into the intricate relationship between trace element cont... | ![]() | Biomarkers, Environmental pollution, Marine ecotoxicology | Davide Anselmo Luigi Vignati | 2024-02-22 16:24:52 | View | |
25 Sep 2023
![]() Characterization of the bioaccumulation and toxicity of copper pyrithione, an antifouling compound, on juveniles of rainbow troutCharlotte Bourdon, Jérôme Cachot, Patrice Gonzalez, Patrice Couture https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.31.526498Bioaccumulation and impact of copper pyrithione impact in juveniles of rainbow troutRecommended by Claudia Cosio based on reviews by Anne-Sophie Voisin and 1 anonymous reviewerOur ability to anticipate and estimate how pollution affects biota is intrumental in the field of ecotoxicology. Impact of chemical pollution by metals, drugs or pesticides was widely studied in different species using acute and chronic scenarios. Since the ban on tributyltin in antifouling paints, other copper (Cu)-based paints are on the market, including a new generation of booster biocides:metal pyrithiones such as Cu pyrithione (CuPT). Pyrithione acts as a Cu ionophore facilitating Cu transport across the membranes. Although some data show their occurrence in aquatic ecosystems and few studies on the toxicity of CuPT in fish are published, major gaps in knowledge remain about their toxicity and toxic pathway. Few studies were previously conducted in animals exposed to CuPT pointing to reprotoxicity, developmental malformation and mortality (Li et al. 2021, Mochida et al., 2011; Mohamat-Yusuff et al., 2018, Shin et al., 2022). However, its toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic remain to be characterized in details. In this context, Bourdon et al. (2023) compared in juveniles of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the effects of exposure to CuPT and ionic Cu2+ at equivalent Cu2+ molar concentrations. Presented data allow to compare the toxicity threshold, the accumulation of Cu and mechanisms of toxicity of both compounds. Acute and chronic exposures showed a higher bioaccumulation of Cu in the gills, and a higher toxicity of CuPT than that of ionic Cu2+, e.g. mortality , transcription levels of genes related to oxidative stress, detoxification and Cu transport. Intriguingly, the activities of enzymatic biomarkers used as proxy of antioxidant capacity were not significantly altered, although Cu is generally expected to trigger oxidative stress. In conlusion, this study brings new knowledge pointing that the presence of CuPT in the environment could induce toxic effects in non-target species. Moreover, it support the need to study in detail the toxicity of Cu-based paints to adapt regulations concerning their use and release in aquatic environments. Because of its low solubility in water, CuPT is expected to adsorb to suspended matter and food pellets. Future research should study this route of exposure.
References Bourdon, C., Cachot, J., Gonzalez, P., Couture, P., 2023. Characterization of the bioaccumulation and toxicity of copper pyrithione, an antifouling compound, on juveniles of rainbow trout, bioRxiv ver. 3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.31.526498 Li, X., S. Ru, H. Tian, S. Zhang, Z. Lin, M. Gao and J. Wang, 2021. Combined exposure to environmentally relevant copper and 2,2′-dithiobis-pyridine induces significant reproductive toxicity in male guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Science of the Total Environment 797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149131 Mochida, K., Amano, H., Onduka, T., Kakuno, A., Fujii, K., 2011. Toxicity and metabolism of copper pyrithione and its degradation product, 2,2’-dipyridyldisulfide in a marine polychaete. Chemosphere 82, 390–397, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.09.074 Mohamat-Yusuff, F., Sarah-Nabila, Ab.G., Zulkifli, S.Z., Azmai, M.N.A., Ibrahim, W.N.W., Yusof, S., Ismail, A., 2018. Acute toxicity test of copper pyrithione on Javanese medaka and the behavioural stress symptoms. Marine Pollution Bulletin 127, 150–153, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.046 Shin, D., Y. Choi, Z. Y. Soon, M. Kim, D. J. Kim and J. H. Jung, 2022. Comparative toxicity study of waterborne two booster biocides (CuPT and ZnPT) on embryonic flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 233, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113337 | Characterization of the bioaccumulation and toxicity of copper pyrithione, an antifouling compound, on juveniles of rainbow trout | Charlotte Bourdon, Jérôme Cachot, Patrice Gonzalez, Patrice Couture | <p>Since the global ban on tributyltin in antifouling paints in 2008 by the International Maritime Organization, new products have been developed and brought to the market. Among them, copper pyrithione (CuPT) is used, but its mechanisms of toxici... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Bioassays, Biomarkers, Biomonitoring, Biotransformation, Environmental pollution | Claudia Cosio | Elise David, Anne-Sophie Voisin | 2023-02-01 15:23:44 | View |
17 Dec 2024
![]() Exposure of wild mammals to glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate: a case for “emerging organic contaminants”?Clémentine Fritsch https://hal.science/hal-04485797The widespread detection of glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate in rodents and shrews from French agricultural landscapes underscores significant concerns about their potential toxicological impacts in non-target organismsRecommended by Pierre Labadie based on reviews by Sabrina Tartu and 3 anonymous reviewersPesticides give rise to considerable concern due to their impact on biodiversity. Amongst the vast range of compounds used as herbicides, glyphosate (GLY) is the most widely applied one at global scale and its transformation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is also ubiquitous. However, the toxicity of these chemicals on non-target organisms, including mammals, is somewhat overlooked (Kissane et al., 2017). Beside these two chemicals, Fritsch et al. (2024) also considered another organophosphorus herbicide, i.e. glufosinate (GLUF). Their study examined exposure levels in rodents and shrews living in contrasted cropped and semi-natural habitats in France – i.e., conventional farmland, organic fields, and hedgerows – through the analysis of herbicide residues in their hair. The hypothesis that herbicide residues in hair reflect the exposure to multiple pesticides in wildlife is supported by several papers (i.e. Krief et al. 2017; Fritsch et al. 2022). Results obtained by Fritsch et al. (2024) indicated that the target compounds were widespread in the investigated environments, i.e. GLY, AMPA, and GLUF were detected in 64%, 51%, and 44% of samples, respectively. Diet appeared as a major driver of contamination, as herbivorous and omnivorous voles exhibited higher contamination levels than insectivorous or omnivorous species such as shrews and wild mice. In addition, habitat was also a significant factor: GLY concentrations were particularly high in individuals collected from hedgerows, surpassing those found in crop fields. This unexpected result highlights the contamination of areas considered as ecological refuges for the investigated species. Exposure levels did not show clear differences across sites, based on farming practices or pesticide application intensity. In addition, the measured concentrations of GLY (median 2.7 pg/mg), AMPA (median 1.4 pg/mg), and GLUF (median 3.5 pg/mg) frequently reached thresholds associated with toxic effects on small mammals. In worst case scenarios, exceedance percentages attained values as high as 94 %. Altogether, these results definitely raise concerns about the potential impact of GLY, AMPA and GLUF on non-target wildlife species and populations. These findings by Fritsch et al. (2024) therefore emphasize the widespread presence of these chemicals in agricultural landscapes and question the safety of herbicide use, even in habitats meant to protect biodiversity. This study underscores the need for more comprehensive evaluation of the ecological effects of herbicides to guide policy and conservation efforts.
References Kissane Z, Shephard JM (2017) The rise of glyphosate and new opportunities for biosentinel early-1068 warning studies. Conservation Biology 31: 1293–1300; https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12955 Krief S, Berny P, Gumisiriza F, Gross R, Demeneix B, Fini JB, et al. (2017) Agricultural expansion as risk to endangered wildlife: Pesticide exposure in wild chimpanzees and baboons displaying facial dysplasia. Science of the Total Environment 598:647–656; 1072; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.113 Fritsch C, Appenzeller BM, Burkart L, Coeurdassier M, Scheifler R, Raoul F, et al. (2022) Pervasive exposure 1041 of wild small mammals to legacy and currently used pesticide mixtures in arable landscapes. 1042 Sci Rep 12:15904; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19959-y Fritsch C, Appenzeller BM, Bertrand C, Coeurdassier M, Driget V, Hardy EM, Palazzi P, et al. (2024) Exposure of wild mammals to glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate: a case for “emerging organic contaminants”?. HAL, ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry https://hal.science/hal-04485797 | Exposure of wild mammals to glyphosate, AMPA, and glufosinate: a case for “emerging organic contaminants”? | Clémentine Fritsch | <p>Glyphosate (GLY) is the most widely used herbicide worldwide, and its use continues to increase. Accumulating evidence shows that GLY and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) are more persistent and toxic than expected, but little i... | ![]() | Bioaccumulation/biomagnification, Biomonitoring, Environmental pollution, Environmental risk assessment, Legacy and emerging contaminants | Pierre Labadie | 2024-03-01 15:15:54 | View | |
04 Mar 2024
![]() Ivermectin resistance in dung beetles exposed for multiple generationsDaniel Gonzalez Tokman, Antonio Arellano Torres, Fernanda Baena-Diaz, Carlos Bustos, Imelda Martinez M https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.08.539900Low potential of arthropod species to aquire resistance to invermectin drug could induce a risk of extinction in contaminated pasturesRecommended by Christian MouginFor many decades, the macrocyclic lactone drug ivermectin is extensively used in veterinary medicine and agriculture, as well as human medicine. Residues of ivermectin excreted in cattle dung remain persistent in soils (Mougin et al., 2003), biologically active and threaten non-target soil and coprophagous organisms such as dung flies and beetles (Lumaret et al., 2012). Ivermectin affects highly beneficial and taxonomically diverse groups inhabiting dung pats, including flies, parasitic wasps, as well as coprophilus and predatory dung beetles (Villar et al., 2022). Ivermectin resistance is well document in insects, but it seems to take longer and to be less effective than resistance to insecticides or other antiparasitic drugs, because of different physiological mechanisms involved in resistance (Seaman et al., 2015). In that context, Gonzalez-Tokman et al. (2024) compared the reproductive success of a line of dung beetles (Euoniticellus intermedius, Scarabaeinae) exposed to a moderate concentration of invermectin during 18 generations, and a control line of beatles that was maintained free of antiparasitic drug. They carried-out toxicity experiments with increasing ivermectin concentrations to determine if sensitivity to ivermectin was reduced after some generations of exposure, possibly by acquiring resistance by means of transgenerational effects. Thus, dung beetles did not generate resistance to ivermectin after 18 generations of continuous exposure, and quantitative genetic analyses showed only low genetic variation in response to ivermectin. The results published by Gonzalez-Tokman et al. (2024) indicated a low potential of beetles for adaptation to the drug, and suggest for non-target invertebrate groups a possible risk of extinction in ivermectin-contaminated pastures. These effects can greatly impact grassland ecology, lower their quality and reduce the area available and palatable to livestock. References Mougin, C., Kollmann, A., Dubroca, J., Ducrot, P.-H., Alvinerie, M., Galtier, P., 2003. Fate of the veterinary medicine ivermectin in soil. Environ. Chem. Letters 1, 131-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-003-0032-9 Lumaret, JP., Errouissi, F., Floate, K., Römbke, J., Wardhaugh, K., 2012. A review on the toxicity and non-target effects of macrocyclic lactones in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 13(6), 1004-60. https://doi.org/10.2174/138920112800399257 Villar, D., & Schaeffer, D.J., 2022. Ivermectin use on pastured livestock in Colombia: parasite resistance and impacts on the dung community. Revista Colombiana De Ciencias Pecuarias, 36(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.rccp.v36n1a2 Seaman, J.A., Alout, H., Meyers, J.I., Stenglein, M.D., Dabiré, R.K., Lozano-Fuentes, S., Burton, T.A., 471 Kuklinski, W.S., Black, W.C., Foy, B.D., 2015. Age and prior blood feeding of Anopheles gambiae influences their susceptibility and gene expression patterns to ivermectin-containing blood meals. BMC Genomics 16, 797. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-2029-8 González-Tokman, D., Arellano-Torres, A., Baena-Díaz, F., Bustos, C., Martínez M., I., 2024. Ivermectin resistance in dung beetles exposed for multiple generations, bioRxiv ver. 3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.08.539900 | Ivermectin resistance in dung beetles exposed for multiple generations | Daniel Gonzalez Tokman, Antonio Arellano Torres, Fernanda Baena-Diaz, Carlos Bustos, Imelda Martinez M | <p>Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug commonly used in cattle, that is excreted in dung, causing lethal and sub-lethal effects on coprophagous non-target fauna. Given that cattle parasites generate resistance to ivermectin, farmers have increased... | ![]() | Ecosystem Health, Environmental pollution, Global changes, Terrestrial ecotoxicology | Christian Mougin | 2023-05-12 04:57:32 | View | |
03 Jul 2024
![]() Ecotoxicity of lanthanides to Daphnia magna: insights from elemental behavior and speciation in a standardized test mediumDavide A.L. Vignati, Loïc Martin, Laurence Poirier, Aurore Zalouk-Vergnoux, Chantal Fouque, Clément Bojic, Christophe Hissler, Carole Cossu-Leguille https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-04302491v3Lanthanide atomic mass and chemical behaviour in solution influence their solubility and ecotoxicity for Daphnia magna: Implications for risk assessment of aquatic organismsRecommended by Patrice CoutureThe demand for lanthanides (LN) has seen a steady increase and is anticipated to continue to grow. Due to their unique properties, they have become essential in key components of new technologies, such as batteries, wind turbines, electronic components and other devices needed to facilitate energy transition away from fossil fuels. These elements are also increasingly used in a range of new technologies, including medical applications and telecommunication. In this context, the concentrations of lanthanides are expected to increase in freshwater environments (Gwenzi et al., 2018). Our limited knowledge about the risk that they pose to organisms limits our ability to develop guidelines for environmental protection. Research on this issue has so far been hindered by the peculiar properties of lanthanides, that tend to form insoluble precipitates when added in standard ecotoxicological test media (Blinova et al., 2018). This and other challenges of studying lanthanide toxicity were addressed in this in-depth study that leaves few stones unturned. The study by Vignati and colleagues (2024) is the first to investigate the acute toxicity of all LN, with the exception of promethium, a radioactive element, on Daphnia magna, a model test species, following the ISO 6341 (2012) norm. The authors designed their study to generate data useable for the development of risk assessment guidelines for the LN series and to generate data-based recommendations for future studies on LN ecotoxicity. They exposed daphnids to nine to ten dilutions of all tested LN in a medium and carried out 48-hour acute immobilization assays. Initial and final pH was measured along with concentrations of LN in the test solutions sampled at various intervals by ICP-MS. This data allowed calculation of LN speciation, performed using VisualMinteq software. Effect concentrations were also calculated using different metrics based on initial (nominal), time-averaged or modelled LN3+ exposure concentrations. In their multi-faceted investigation, the authors reported several observations that clearly contribute to a better understanding of the ecotoxicity of LN to aquatic organisms and provide useful advice for future studies, briefly summarized here. Proper characterization of exposure concentrations is a key in any ecotoxicological study. Their project shows that even for a short, 48 h exposure, LN concentrations decrease due to a combination of precipitation and, possibly, adsorption. The concentration decrease was inversely proportional to the LN atomic mass, which may reduce the analytical requirements for future studies using the same test medium. The addition of LN to the test medium also modified pH and a detailed hypothesis is formulated to explain this phenomenon that has implications for ecotoxicological endpoints. Conclusions on LN ecotoxicity drawn in this study are based on experimental data and on extensive thermodynamic speciation modeling. The values of EC50 presented in the study varied by several order of magnitude depending on the chosen exposure metric, underscoring the urgent need for consensus-building on this issue across the research community. The authors also provide a comparison of their conclusions on EC50 values for daphnids with the limited data available in the literature, further validating their data with cautions carefully laid out about experimental design. The paper concludes with a list of seven caveats that should be considered both for regulators who will want to use the data presented in the paper for environmental LN concentrations regulations and for future studies. These caveats highlight the importance of considering LN speciation and chemical behavior during ecotoxicity assays, their influence on exposure concentrations, and their importance for risk assessment. They also reiterate that since LN concentrations in filtered water collected in the field are not directly comparable to EC50 values derived from laboratory studies using total or free LN3+ concentrations, an effort must be made to harmonize the methods of LN concentration measurements in field and laboratory studies. Overall, this paper may be one of the most rigorous studies in the current literature about LN ecotoxicity in freshwater systems. In its approach, it sets a precedent for future studies aiming at generating EC50 values or other toxicological endpoints of inorganic contaminants. The paper, carefully reviewed by Carrie Rickwood and by an anonymous reviewer, is a major contribution towards our understanding of LN ecotoxicity. Gwenzi, W., Mangori, L., Danha, C., Chaukura, N, Dunjana, N., Sanganyado, E. (2018). Sources, behaviour, and environmental and human health risks of high technology rare earth elements as emerging contaminants. Sci. Total Environ., 636:299-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.235 ISO. (2012). Water quality — Determination of the inhibition of the mobility of Daphnia magna Straus (Cladocera, Crustacea) — Acute toxicity test (norm 6341). https://www.iso.org/standard/54614.html Vignati, D.A.L., Martin, L.A., Poirier, L., Zalouk-Vergnoux, A., Fouque, C., Clément, B., Hissler, C., Cossu-Leguille, C. (2024). Ecotoxicity of lanthanides to Daphnia magna: insights from elemental behavior and speciation in a standardized test medium. Ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community In Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://hal.science/LIEC-UL/hal-04302491v3 | Ecotoxicity of lanthanides to *Daphnia magna*: insights from elemental behavior and speciation in a standardized test medium | Davide A.L. Vignati, Loïc Martin, Laurence Poirier, Aurore Zalouk-Vergnoux, Chantal Fouque, Clément Bojic, Christophe Hissler, Carole Cossu-Leguille | <p>Lanthanides (LNs) are a group of 15 elements with steadily increasing economical importance due to their multiple uses in technologies essential for sustainable ecological, digital and energetic transitions. Although knowledge on LN ecotoxicolo... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Chemical speciation | Patrice Couture | 2023-11-23 15:16:50 | View | |
30 Nov 2022
![]() Chemical effects on ecological interactions within a model-experiment loopDominique LAMONICA, Sandrine CHARLES, Bernard CLÉMENT, Christelle LOPES https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.24.493191A model-experiment loop to optimise data requirements for ecotoxicological risk assessment with mesocosmsRecommended by Volker Grimm based on reviews by Charles Hazlerigg and Peter VermeirenIn Ecotoxicology, the toxicity of chemicals is usually quantified for individuals under laboratory conditions, while in reality individuals interact with other individuals in populations and communities, and are exposed to conditions that vary in space and time. Micro- and mesocosm experiments are therefore used to increase the ecological realism of toxicological risk assessments. Such experiments are, however, labour-intensive, costly, and cannot, due to logistical reasons, implement all possible factors or interests (Henry et al. 2017). Moreover, as such experiments often include animals, the number of experiments performed has to be minimized to reduce animal testing as much as possible. Modelling has therefore been suggested to complement such experiments (Beaudoin et al. 2012). Still, the population models of the species involved need to be parameterized and can thus require a large amount of data. However, how much data are actually needed is usually unclear. Lamonica et al. (2022) therefore focus on the challenge of “taking the most of experimental data and reducing the amount of experiments to perform”. Their ultimate goal is to reduce the number of experiments to parameterize their model of a 3-species mesocosm, comprised of algae, duckweed, and water fleas, sufficiently well. For this, experiments with one, two or three species, with different cadmium concentrations and without cadmium, are performed and used to parameterize, using the Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) method, the model. Then, different data sets omitting certain experiments are used for the same parameterization procedure to see which data sets, and hence experiments, might possibly be omitted when it comes to parameterizing a model that would be precise enough to predict the effects of a toxicant. The authors clearly demonstrate the added value of the approach, but also discuss limits to the transferability of their recommendations. Their manuscript presents a useful and inspiring illustration of how in the future models and experiments should be combined in an integrated, iterative process. This is in line with the current “Destination Earth” initiative of the European Commission, which aims at producing “digital twins” of different environmental sectors, where the continuous mutual updating of models and monitoring designs is the key idea. The authors make an important point when concluding that “data quality and design are more beneficial for modelling purpose than quantity. Ideally, as the use of models and big data in ecology increases […], modellers and experimenters could collaboratively and profitably elaborate model-guided experiments.” References Beaudouin R, Ginot V, Monod G (2012) Improving mesocosm data analysis through individual-based modelling of control population dynamics: a case study with mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Ecotoxicology, 21, 155–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0775-1 Henry M, Becher MA, Osborne JL, Kennedy PJ, Aupinel P, Bretagnolle V, Brun F, Grimm V, Horn J, Requier F (2017) Predictive systems models can help elucidate bee declines driven by multiple combined stressors. Apidologie, 48, 328–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-016-0476-0 Lamonica D, Charles S, Clément B, Lopes C (2022) Chemical effects on ecological interactions within a model-experiment loop. bioRxiv, 2022.05.24.493191, ver. 6 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.24.493191 | Chemical effects on ecological interactions within a model-experiment loop | Dominique LAMONICA, Sandrine CHARLES, Bernard CLÉMENT, Christelle LOPES | <p style="text-align: justify;">We propose in this paper a method to assess the effects of a contaminant on a micro-ecosystem, integrating the population dynamics and the interactions between species. For that, we developed a dynamic model to desc... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Environmental risk assessment, Modelling, Species interactions-webs | Volker Grimm | Charles Hazlerigg, Peter Vermeiren | 2022-05-30 11:05:59 | View |
21 Jan 2025
![]() Do macroinvertebrate abundance and community structure depend on the quality of ponds located in peri-urban areas?Florence D. Hulot, Christophe Hanot, Sylvie Nélieu, Isabelle Lamy, Sara Karolak, Ghislaine Delarue, Emmanuelle Baudry https://hal.science/hal-04850220v1Integrating chemical and biological assessments to understand the impact of pollutants on freshwater biodiversity in model systems such as peri-urban pondsRecommended by Pierre Labadie based on reviews by Aurélie GOUTTE and 2 anonymous reviewersPonds, as small freshwater ecosystems, are particularly vulnerable due to their limited size. Yet they are often overlooked in research, possibly because they are considered less important (Biggs et al., 2017). Shallow water bodies support higher biodiversity than larger aquatic ecosystems. Peri-urban areas, characterized by a blend of agricultural and urban land uses, are dynamic and constantly evolving landscapes with diverse activities and stakeholders (Zoomers et al., 2017); as such, they are referred to as "restless landscapes" or zones of continual transformation (Zoomers et al., 2017). They often harbor neglected ecosystems, and despite their ecological importance, ponds and wetlands in peri-urban areas remain relatively underexplored (Wanek et al., 2021). Furthermore, these areas may experience increased contaminant inputs, which are regarded as one of the 12 major threats to freshwater biodiversity (Reid et al., 2019). In this context, Hulot et al. (2025) monitored 12 peri-urban ponds in the Île-de-France region (near Paris, France) to investigate the relationships between land use, pollutant concentrations in water and sediment, and macroinvertebrate distribution. The originality of this work lies in its multidisciplinary and integrated approach, combining ecological and chemical analyses. While assessing agricultural, urban, grassland, and forest landscapes surrounding each pond, this study aimed to understand how contaminants constrain macroinvertebrate communities. The authors hypothesized that i) ponds in grassland and forest environments support higher local diversity than those in agricultural or urban areas, ii) rare and pollution-sensitive species significantly contribute to regional diversity, and iii) contaminants in water and sediment influence the distribution of macroinvertebrate morphotaxa. This study provides numerous novel results. Specifically, it demonstrates that fluctuations in morphotaxa composition are predominantly driven by species replacement rather than by disparities in species richness. This pattern was largely attributed to the high prevalence of pollutant-tolerant species in certain ponds. In addition, community compositions appeared to be influenced by sediment levels of pharmaceuticals, water conductivity, and ammonium concentrations. In summary, ponds located in peri-urban areas are subject to a range of human-induced disturbances, and these results suggest that these disturbances lead to chronic and varied contamination, which in turn affects the composition of morphotaxa communities. These findings establish a clear connection between local pollution and ecological composition, a crucial aspect for effective conservation and restoration efforts on peri-urban ponds.
References
Biggs, J., S. von Fumetti, Kelly-Quinn M. (2017). The importance of small waterbodies for biodiversity and ecosystem services: implications for policy makers. Hydrobiologia 793(1): 3-39 625 doi:10.1007/s10750-016-3007-0 Hulot, F.D., Hanot, C., Nélieu, S., Lamy, I., Karolak, S., Delarue, G., Baudry E., (2024) Do macroinvertebrate abundance and community structure depend on the quality of ponds located in peri-urban areas? ver.3 peer-reviewed and recommended by PCI Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry https://hal.science/hal-04850220v1 Reid, A. J., A. K. Carlson, I. F. Creed, E. J. Eliason, P. A. Gell, P. T. J. Johnson, 712 K. A. Kidd, T. J. MacCormack, J. D. Olden, S. J. Ormerod, J. P. Smol, W. W. Taylor, K. Tockner, J. C. Vermaire, D. Dudgeon, Cooke, S. J. 2019. Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity. Biological Reviews 94(3):849-873. doi:10.1111/brv.12480 Wanek, A., C. L. M. Hargiss, J. Norland, Ellingson, N. 2021. Assessment of water quality in ponds across the rural, peri-urban, and urban gradient. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 193: 694. doi:10.1007/s10661-021-09471-7 Zoomers, A., F. van Noorloos, K. Otsuki, G. Steel, van Westen, G. 2017. The Rush for Land in anUrbanizing World: From Land Grabbing Toward Developing Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Cities and Landscapes. World Dev 92:242-252 doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.11.016
| Do macroinvertebrate abundance and community structure depend on the quality of ponds located in peri-urban areas? | Florence D. Hulot, Christophe Hanot, Sylvie Nélieu, Isabelle Lamy, Sara Karolak, Ghislaine Delarue, Emmanuelle Baudry | <p style="text-align: justify;">Contamination is one of the major threats to freshwater biodiversity. Compared to other aquatic ecosystems, peri-urban ponds are unique because they are embedded in human-dominated areas. However, it is poorly under... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Ecosystem Health, Environmental pollution | Pierre Labadie | 2023-10-26 16:37:22 | View | |
22 Jul 2023
![]() No evidence for an effect of chronic boat noise on the fitness of reared water fleasLoïc Prosnier, Emilie Rojas, Vincent Médoc https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.20.517267Noise impact in Daphnia magnaRecommended by Claudia Cosio based on reviews by Marie-Agnès Coutellec and 1 anonymous reviewerOur ability to anticipate and estimate how pollution affects biota is of paramount importance in the field of ecotoxicology. Impact of chemical pollution by metals, drugs or pesticides was widely studied in different species using acute and chronic scenarios. While environmental factors such as temperature are also often considered, noise is largely ignored in these models despite the knowledge of its detrimental effects in vertebrates. Studies of noise impacts included behavior and fitness endpoints and showed no effect to death depending on intensity, frequency and the distance from the noise source (Peng et al., 2015). Nonetheless, the impact of noise in biota is not well-understood, which impairs its effective mitigation. Noise or acoustic pollution due to boat traffic produce low-frequency stationary noise. It is a pervasive and ubiquitous pollutant found in aquatic ecosystems. In this context, Prosnier et al. (2023) addresses how intermittent and random noise impacted Daphnia magna, a representative of zooplankton model, widely used in ecotoxicology. Endpoints of lifespan and clonal offspring production were measured in the presence or absence of motorboat noises, in animals reared from birth to death. Noise consisted in a playlist of 15 sounds of motorboat recorded in the Grangent lake (Loire, France). Their intensity ranged from 0 to -25 dB Re 1 μPa by 5 dB to create 75 sounds from 103 to 150 dB RMS Re 1 μPa – a range of levels occurring in lakes. Treatment had no effect on analyzed endpoints, contrary to a continuous broadband noise (100-20,000 Hz) that caused higher survival and fecundity, and reduced speed of motion compared to control (Prosnier et al., 2022). Data point that temporal (continuous, regular, random) and frequency of noise are instrumental for its effects. References Peng, C., X. Zhao and G. Liu (2015). "Noise in the Sea and Its Impacts on Marine Organisms." Int J Environ Res Public Health 12(10): 12304-12323. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121012304 Prosnier, L., E. Rojas and V. Médoc (2023). "No evidence for an effect of chronic boat noise on the fitness of reared water fleas." bioRxiv: 2022. ver. 4 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.20.517267 Prosnier, L., E. Rojas, O. Valéro and V. Médoc (2022). "Chronic noise unexpectedly increases fitness of a freshwater zooplankton." bioRxiv: 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.11.19.517212 | No evidence for an effect of chronic boat noise on the fitness of reared water fleas | Loïc Prosnier, Emilie Rojas, Vincent Médoc | <p style="text-align: justify;">Among the numerous questions about human impacts on ecosystems, there is a growing interest for acoustic pollution. First studies on underwater acoustic pollution focused, and showed effects, on vertebrates’ behavio... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Ecosystem Health, Environmental pollution, Global changes, Life History, Other | Claudia Cosio | 2022-12-08 17:23:07 | View | |
22 Jul 2023
![]() DRomics, a workflow to exploit dose-response omics data in ecotoxicologyMarie Laure Delignette-Muller, Aurélie Siberchicot, Floriane Larras, Elise Billoir https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.09.527852New features of DRomics workflow for improved analyze of dose-response omics data in ecotoxicologyRecommended by Claudia Cosio based on reviews by Jean Armengaud, Beatrice Gagnaire and Rebecca BeauvaisOur ability to anticipate and estimate how pollution affects components of ecosystems is of paramount importance in the field of ecotoxicology. Dose-response modeling is instrumental, as it allows deriving sensitivity thresholds used at the basis of regulatory risk assessment. In recent years, omics have highly influenced how the impacts of stressors are understood by revealing molecular changes at all levels of biota biological organization (Ebner et al., 2021). To allow analysis of omics data obtained using a typical dose-response design, DRomics a freely available tool for dose-response was proposed composed of both an R package and a free web application (Larras et al. 2018). Advances in this field depend both on theoretical concepts, technology and data integration. In this context, Delignette-Muller et al. (2023) address the question of how to better integrate omics information in dose-response questions. The paper lists previous possibilities of DRomics and presents new features. It is now able to handle all types of continuous omic and continuous non-omic data (e.g. growth data). This new version proposes new visualization tools, functional annotation and improved modeling workflow for a better robustness of analysis of data with few replicates. New features are meant to help for biological interpretation at the metabolic pathway level, to compare different measurements, biological materials or experimental settings. References Delignette-Muller, M. L., A. Siberchicot, F. Larras and E. Billoir (2023), DRomics, a workflow to exploit dose-response omics data in ecotoxicology. bioRxiv, 2023.2002.2009.527852, ver. 4 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.09.527852 Ebner JN. (2021) Trends in the Application of "Omics" to Ecotoxicology and Stress Ecology. Genes, 12(10):1481. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes12101481 Larras F, Billoir E, Baillard V, Siberchicot A, Scholz S, Wubet T, Tarkka M, Schmitt-Jansen M and Delignette-Muller ML (2018). DRomics: a turnkey tool to support the use of the dose-response framework for omics data in ecological risk assessment. Environmental science & technology, 52(24):14461. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b04752 | DRomics, a workflow to exploit dose-response omics data in ecotoxicology | Marie Laure Delignette-Muller, Aurélie Siberchicot, Floriane Larras, Elise Billoir | <p style="text-align: justify;">Omics technologies has opened new possibilities to assess environmental risks and to understand the mode(s) of action of pollutants. Coupled to dose-response experimental designs, they allow a non-targeted assessmen... | ![]() | Aquatic ecotoxicology, Environmental risk assessment, Genetics / Genomics, Marine ecotoxicology, Microbial ecotoxicology, Modelling, Terrestrial ecotoxicology | Claudia Cosio | Rebecca Beauvais | 2023-02-17 15:39:03 | View |
24 Mar 2023
Identifying pesticide mixtures at country-wide scaleMilena Cairo, Anne-Christine Monnet, Stéphane Robin, Emmanuelle Porcher, Colin Fontaine https://hal.science/hal-03815557An original approach for the identification of relevant pesticides mixtures at nationwide scaleRecommended by Pierre Labadie based on reviews by Patrice Couture and Clémentine FRITSCHOver the last decades, pesticides have been massively used in agriculture and their impacts on both the environment and human health are a major growing concern (Humann-Guilleminot et al., 2019; 2019 Boedeker et al., 2020). Improving the prediction of wildlife exposure to pesticides and the associated impacts on ecosystems is therefore crucial. In general, ecotoxicological studies addressing the effects of pesticides include compounds that are selected based on general use over large areas (e.g. regions, country) or specific crop types. Such a selection does not necessarily reflect the mixtures to which species of wildlife are exposed in a particular ecosystem. In this context, Cairo et al. (2023) present an original approach to identify relevant mixtures of current-use pesticides. Their approach relies on public data concerning pesticide sales and cropping, available at a nationwide scale in France and at a relatively high resolution (i.e. postcode of the buyer). Based on a number of clearly exposed and discussed assumptions (e.g. “pesticides were used in the year of purchase and in the postcode of purchase”), their approach allowed for identifying 18 groups that were discriminated by a reduced number of pesticides. Some compounds were found in most or all groups and were termed “core substances” (e.g. deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin). Other compounds, however, were associated with a limited number of groups and termed “discriminant substances” (e.g. boscalid and epoxiconazole). The authors identified groups of molecules that are probably associated with the same mixtures, which warrants the investigation of potential synergetic effects. In addition, their approach allowed for the identification of areas where aquatic biota may be exposed to similar mixtures, which is might prove of interest to further investigate in situ the actual impacts of pesticide mixtures on ecosystems. Note that the approach taken by the authors might be applied by others in other countries, provided a database of pesticide sales is available. REFERENCES Boedeker W, Watts M, Clausing P, Marquez E (2020) The global distribution of acute unintentional pesticide poisoning: estimations based on a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 20, 1875. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09939-0 Cairo M, Monnet A-C, Robin S, Porcher E, Fontaine C (2023) Identifying pesticide mixtures at country-wide scale. HAL, ver. 2 peer-reviewed and recommended by Peer Community in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. https://hal.science/hal-03815557 Humann-Guilleminot S, Tassin de Montaigu C, Sire J, Grünig S, Gning O, Glauser G, Vallat A, Helfenstein F (2019) A sublethal dose of the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid reduces sperm density in a songbird. Environmental Research, 177, 108589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.108589 | Identifying pesticide mixtures at country-wide scale | Milena Cairo, Anne-Christine Monnet, Stéphane Robin, Emmanuelle Porcher, Colin Fontaine | <p style="text-align: justify;">Wild organisms are likely exposed to complex mixtures of pesticides owing to the large diversity of substances on the market and the broad range agricultural practices. The consequences of such exposure are still po... | Environmental pollution, Environmental risk assessment, Method standardization, Other | Pierre Labadie | Clémentine FRITSCH, Patrice Couture | 2022-10-14 17:13:06 | View |