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Boots B, Green DS, Wright ACM, Olah-Kovacs B, Tovey L. Ecotoxicological effects of leachate from e-cigarettes and e-liquid on the performance of perennial ryegrass (Loliumperenne). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123888. [PMID: 38548156 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Once littered, disposable e-cigarettes present a complex type of waste in the environment. They typically contain a lithium battery, electronics to produce vapour and remnant e-liquid, all of which could leach into the environment. The effects of littered e-cigarettes are not well understood, and they have not been tested in terrestrial ecosystems. To address this, an experiment was set up to assess how leachate from e-cigarettes with or without a battery, but also e-liquid on its own can alter fundamental physical characteristics of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) when irrigated with contaminated water. After 31 days, shoot length of L. perenne was not measurably affected, but the biomass was significantly reduced by 30% when e-liquid, and 24% when leachate from intact e-cigarettes was present compared to control plants. Plants grown with leachate or e-liquid displayed a significant level of early senescence of leaf apices, and the chlorophyll content was increased. Furthermore, root biomass was significantly less (29-46%) compared to the control. Leachate from used disposable e-cigarettes can affect the performance of plants when entering the soil ecosystem, therefore stricter regulations are needed to prevent this new type of electronic litter from becoming more widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas Boots
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom.
| | - Dannielle S Green
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy C M Wright
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom
| | - Brigitta Olah-Kovacs
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Tovey
- Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, United Kingdom
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Richardot W, Yabes L, Wei HH, Dodder NG, Watanabe K, Cibor A, Schick SF, Novotny TE, Gersberg R, Hoh E. Leached Compounds from Smoked Cigarettes and Their Potential for Bioaccumulation in Rainbow Trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss). Chem Res Toxicol 2023; 36:1703-1710. [PMID: 37827523 PMCID: PMC10664143 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.3c00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Cigarette butts are one of the most prevalent forms of litter worldwide and may leach toxic compounds when deposited in aquatic environments. Previous studies demonstrated that smoked cigarette leachate is toxic toward aquatic organisms. However, the specific bioavailable chemicals from the leachate and the potential for human and wildlife exposure through the food chain were unknown. Using a nontargeted analytical approach based on GC×GC/TOF-MS, 43 compounds were confirmed to leach from smoked cigarettes when exposed to a water source. Additionally, the bioaccumulation potential of organic contaminants in an edible fish, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), was assessed through direct exposure to the leachate of smoked cigarettes at 0.5 CB/L for 28 days. There was a significant reduction in fish mass among the exposed rainbow trout vs the control group (χ2 (1) = 5.3, p = 0.021). Both nontargeted and targeted chemical analysis of representative fish tissue identified four tobacco alkaloids, nicotine, nicotyrine, myosmine, and 2,2'-bipyridine. Their average tissue concentrations were 466, 55.4, 94.1, and 70.8 ng/g, respectively. This study identifies leached compounds from smoked cigarettes and demonstrates the uptake of specific chemicals in rainbow trout, thus suggesting a potential for accumulation in food webs, resulting in human and wildlife exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- William
H. Richardot
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
- San
Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Lenard Yabes
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Hung-Hsu Wei
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Nathan G. Dodder
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
- San
Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Kayo Watanabe
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
- San
Diego State University Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Adrienne Cibor
- Enthalpy
Analytical (formerly Nautilus Environmental), San Diego, California 92120, United States
| | - Suzaynn F. Schick
- School
of Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Thomas E. Novotny
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Richard Gersberg
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
| | - Eunha Hoh
- School
of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, United States
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Anselmi S, Pastorino P, Provenza F, Renzi M. Ecotoxicity of marine sediments: Sampling and laboratory artifacts and their impacts on risk classification. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 334:117483. [PMID: 36796195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the ecotoxicological risk of marine sediments is now a critical factor in deciding how to treat dredged material in harbor and coastal areas. Although ecotoxicological analyses are routinely required by some regulatory agencies in Europe, laboratory skills necessary to perform them are often underestimated. According to the Italian Ministerial decree No. 173/2016, ecotoxicological tests are performed on the solid phase and elutriates, and the classification of sediment quality is defined using the "Weight of Evidence" (WOE) approach. However, the decree does not provide adequate information regarding the preparation techniques and laboratory skills. As result, a wide variability among laboratories occurs. An error in the classification of ecotoxicological risk has a negative impact on the whole environmental quality and/or the economy and management of the interested area. Thus, the main aim of this study was to determine if such variability can affect the ecotoxicological outcomes of tested species and WOE associated classification, producing different options for the management of dredged sediments. Four different sediment types were selected to assess the ecotoxicological responses and their changes as a function of variability of the following factors: a) the storage time laps (STL) for both the solid phase and the elutriates; b) the methods used to prepare the elutriates (centrifugation vs. filtration), and the conservation method used for the elutriates (freshly prepared vs. freezing). Results suggest a wide variability of ecotoxicological responses among the four sediment samples here considered, differentiated according to chemical pollution, grain-size texture, and macronutrient contents. The storage time laps significantly affect the physicochemical parameters and the ecotoxicity of both the solid phase test and elutriates. For the elutriates preparation, centrifugation is preferred to filtration to preserve a better representation of sediment heterogeneity. Freezing of elutriates does not seem to show any significant effects on the toxicity. Findings allow to define a weighted schedule of the storage time of sediments and elutriates useful for laboratories to scale analytical priority and strategies related to different sediment types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Anselmi
- Bioscience Research Center, via Aurelia Vecchia 32, 58015 Orbetello, Italy
| | - Paolo Pastorino
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy.
| | - Francesca Provenza
- Bioscience Research Center, via Aurelia Vecchia 32, 58015 Orbetello, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Monia Renzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy; Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare, CoNISMa, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00164, Roma, Italy
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Lucia G, Giuliani ME, d'Errico G, Booms E, Benedetti M, Di Carlo M, Fattorini D, Gorbi S, Regoli F. Toxicological effects of cigarette butts for marine organisms. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107733. [PMID: 36628858 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cigarette butts (CBs), one of the most common litter items found on beaches, represent a still unexplored environmental hazard. This study aimed at a multidisciplinary characterization of their toxicological risks on marine organisms integrating chemical analyses of released compounds with a wide panel of biological responses, such as ecotoxicological bioassays on species of different trophic positions, molecular responses in an ex vivo model (Precision-Cut Tissue Slices, PCTS of mussels digestive glands), bioavailability and cellular biomarkers in mussels exposed to CBs in laboratory experiments. Trace metals, aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nicotine and cotinine were released in artificial seawater after 24 h which determined a significant inhibition of bacterial bioluminescence, oyster embryo development and growth in different algal species. Modulation of peroxisomal proliferation and antioxidant gene expression was observed in mussels PCTS, while the in vivo exposure determined accumulation of chemicals and significant alterations of immune system, antioxidant and neurotoxic responses, peroxisomal proliferation and genotoxic damage. Using a quantitative Weight of Evidence model, the risks of CBs to the marine environment were summarized, highlighting the importance of integrating chemical analyses, batteries of ecotoxicological bioassays, molecular and cellular biomarkers to assess the impact of these hazardous materials on marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Lucia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Maria Elisa Giuliani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giuseppe d'Errico
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Emily Booms
- Ghent University, Krijgslaan, 281/S8 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maura Benedetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Marta Di Carlo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Daniele Fattorini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Stefania Gorbi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy; National Future Biodiversity Center (NFBC), Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Regoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, Ancona, Italy; National Future Biodiversity Center (NFBC), Palermo, Italy.
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Conradi M, Sánchez-Moyano JE. Toward a sustainable circular economy for cigarette butts, the most common waste worldwide on the coast. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157634. [PMID: 35905959 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The circular economy is based on the maximum use of resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling the elements used. Currently, the items littered most frequently in the world are cigarettes butts (CB) as these debris are freely disseminated in the marine habitat, they are generally difficult to collect and very complex to recycle. Litter CB is a great social problem that generates excessive economic costs and serious environmental problems. CB is also not biodegradable and highly toxic to marine organisms and presents a distinctive mixture of physical and chemical contamination. However, little research has been done on the management and recycling of this dangerous waste. Several proposals have been made to incorporate this waste into high-volume articles of direct production or recycling, but collection logistics are lacking since the current system is inefficient, in addition to the poor environmental behaviour of citizens. This work presents a current synthesis of the CB problem from all its possible aspects in order to have a global vision of the life cycle of the CB, indicating both the known and the gaps in the knowledge of each of them, and intends to give a general outline of the steps to follow to try to end such a worrying problem at the global level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conradi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - J Emilio Sánchez-Moyano
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes 6, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
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