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Hooyberg A, Roose H, Lonneville B, De Henauw S, Michels N, Everaert G. Survey data linking coastal visit behaviours to socio-demographic and health profiles. Sci Data 2024; 11:315. [PMID: 38538625 PMCID: PMC10973510 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03161-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Coastal destinations are highly popular for leisure, yet the effects of spending time at the coast on mental and physical health have remained underexplored. To accelerate the research about the effects of the coast on health, we compiled a dataset from a survey on a sample (N = 1939) of the adult Flemish population about their visits to the Belgian coast. The survey queried the number of days spent at the coast in the previous year or before and the following characteristics of their visits: how often they performed specific activities, which of the 14 municipal seaside resorts they visited, who they were with, what they mentally and physically experienced, and what reasons they had for not visiting the coast more often. The respondents' geo-demographic (including residential proximity to the coast), socio-economic, and health profile was also collected. We anticipate that investigations on the data will increase our understanding about the social structuring of coastal visits and give context to the effects of the coast on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henk Roose
- Department of Sociology, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Stefaan De Henauw
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Michels
- Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium
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2
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Niu Z, Curto M, Le Gall M, Demeyer E, Asselman J, Janssen CR, Dhakal HN, Davies P, Catarino AI, Everaert G. Accelerated fragmentation of two thermoplastics (polylactic acid and polypropylene) into microplastics after UV radiation and seawater immersion. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2024; 271:115981. [PMID: 38242046 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
To better understand the fate and assess the ingestible fraction of microplastics (by aquatic organisms), it is essential to quantify and characterize of their released from larger items under environmental realistic conditions. However, the current information on the fragmentation and size-based characteristics of released microplastics, for example from bio-based thermoplastics, is largely unknown. The goal of our work was to assess the fragmentation and release of microplastics, under ultraviolet (UV) radiation and in seawater, from polylactic acid (PLA) items, a bio-based polymer, and from polypropylene (PP) items, a petroleum-based polymer. To do so, we exposed pristine items of PLA and PP, immersed in filtered natural seawater, to accelerated UV radiation for 57 and 76 days, simulating 18 and 24 months of mean natural solar irradiance in Europe. Our results indicated that 76-day UV radiation induced the fragmentation of parent plastic items and the microplastics (50 - 5000 µm) formation from both PP and PLA items. The PP samples (48 ± 26 microplastics / cm2) released up to nine times more microplastics than PLA samples (5 ± 2 microplastics / cm2) after a 76-day UV exposure, implying that the PLA tested items had a lower fragmentation rate than PP. The particles' length of released microplastics was parameterized using a power law exponent (α), to assess their size distribution. The obtained α values were 3.04 ± 0.11 and 2.54 ± 0.06 (-) for 76-day UV weathered PP and PLA, respectively, meaning that PLA microplastics had a larger sized microplastics fraction than PP particles. With respect to their two-dimensional shape, PLA microplastics also had lower width-to-length ratio (0.51 ± 0.17) and greater fiber-shaped fractions (16%) than PP microplastics (0.57 ± 0.17% and 11%, respectively). Overall, the bio-based PLA items under study were more resistant to fragmentation and release of microplastics than the petroleum-based PP tested items, and the parameterized characteristics of released microplastics were polymer-dependent. Our work indicates that even though bio-based plastics may have a slower release of fragmented particles under UV radiation compared to conventional polymer types, they still have the potential to act as a source of microplastics in the marine environment, with particles being available to biota within ingestible size fractions, if not removed before major fragmentation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyue Niu
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium.
| | - Marco Curto
- Advanced Polymers and Composites (APC) Research Group, School of mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3DJ, UK
| | - Maelenn Le Gall
- Marine Structures Laboratory, IFREMER, Centre de Bretagne, 29280, France
| | - Elke Demeyer
- Functional Thermoplastic Textiles, Centexbel, Industriepark Zwijnaarde 70, 9052 Gent, Belgium
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Bluebridge Building, Ostend Science Park 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Hom Nath Dhakal
- Advanced Polymers and Composites (APC) Research Group, School of mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3DJ, UK
| | - Peter Davies
- Marine Structures Laboratory, IFREMER, Centre de Bretagne, 29280, France
| | - Ana Isabel Catarino
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
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3
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Peng M, Vercauteren M, Grootaert C, Catarino AI, Everaert G, Rajkovic A, Janssen C, Asselman J. Bioenergetic effects of pristine and ultraviolet-weathered polydisperse polyethylene terephthalate and polystyrene nanoplastics on human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Sci Total Environ 2024; 908:168267. [PMID: 37918727 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous human exposure to nanoplastics (NPs) increasingly raises concerns regarding impact on our health. However, little is known on the biological effects of complex mixtures of weathered NPs with heterogenous size and irregular shape present in the environment. In this study, the bioenergetic effects of four such NPs mixtures on human intestinal Caco-2 cells were investigated. To this aim, Caco-2 cells were exposed to polydisperse nanoPET (<800 nm) and nanoPS (mixture of 100 and 750 nm) samples with and without ultraviolet (UV) weathering at low concentration range (102-107 particles/mL) for 48 h. Mitochondrial respiration, glycolytic functions and ATP production rates of exposed cells were measured by Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer. Among four NPs samples, polydisperse nanoPET with irregular shapes induced significant stimulation of mitochondrial respiration, glycolysis and ATP production rates in Caco-2 cells. Spherical nanoPS caused significant stimulation on glycolytic functions of Caco-2 cells at the highest concentration used (106 particles/mL). ATR-FTIR spectra and carbonyl index indicated formation of carbonyl groups in nanoPET and nanoPS after UV weathering. UV weathering could alleviate bioenergetic stress caused by NPs in Caco-2 cells and even shifted the energy pathways from mitochondrial respiration to glycolysis due to electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged UV-aged NPs and cell membranes. This research is the first to study in-vitro bioenergetic responses of NPs samples with multidimensional features (polymer type, irregular shape, heterogenous size, UV-weathering) on human health. It highlights that effects between pristine and weathered NPs are different at a bioenergetic level, which has important implications for the risk assessment of NPs on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Peng
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium.
| | - Maaike Vercauteren
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Grootaert
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ana Isabel Catarino
- Ocean and Human Health Division, Flanders Marine Institute, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Ocean and Human Health Division, Flanders Marine Institute, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
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4
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Vanavermaete D, Hostens K, Everaert G, Parmentier K, Janssen C, De Witte B. Assessing the risk of booster biocides for the marine environment: A case study at the Belgian part of the North Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 197:115774. [PMID: 37979528 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
The biofouling of submerged surfaces such as ship hulls is often prevented by using anti-fouling components in combination with booster biocides. These booster biocides enter the water column and may affect non-target organisms. Although different negative effects have been associated with the use of booster biocides, their effects on non-target organisms are often unknown. So far, the environmental risks for booster biocides have barely been quantified in the North Sea. In this work, the concentration of five commonly used booster biocides as well as tributyltin has been monitored at five dredged spoil disposal sites in the Belgian part of the North Sea and the harbour and ports of Nieuwpoort, Oostende, and Zeebrugge. Hotspots were discovered where the concentration of one or more booster biocides exceeded the predicted no-effect concentration. Tributyltin has been banned since 2008, but concentrations of 237- to 546-fold of the predicted no-effect concentration were detected in the harbours and ports. Moreover, TBT has been detected in the same order of magnitude in other sea basins, emphasizing the need to monitor the trends and impact of booster biocides and TBT in environmental monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vanavermaete
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Animal Sciences Unit, Aquatic Environment, and Quality, Ostend, Belgium.
| | - Kris Hostens
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Animal Sciences Unit, Aquatic Environment, and Quality, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, The Ocean and Human Health, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Koen Parmentier
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Colin Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bavo De Witte
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Animal Sciences Unit, Aquatic Environment, and Quality, Ostend, Belgium
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5
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Severin MI, Akpetou LK, Annasawmy P, Asuquo FE, Beckman F, Benomar M, Jaya-Ram A, Malouli M, Mees J, Monteiro I, Ndwiga J, Neves Silva P, Nubi OA, Sim YK, Sohou Z, Shau-Hwai AT, Woo SP, Zizah S, Buysse A, Raes F, Krug LA, Seeyave S, Everaert G, Mahu E, Catarino AI. Impact of the citizen science project COLLECT on ocean literacy and well-being within a north/west African and south-east Asian context. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1130596. [PMID: 37388649 PMCID: PMC10303996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1130596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants' ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project's implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts the perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine I. Severin
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende, Belgium
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lazare Kouame Akpetou
- Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d’Application en Télédétection (CURAT), Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
| | | | - Francis Emile Asuquo
- Marine Atmosphere and Coastal Ocean Research Network (MACORN), UNICAL, Faculty of Oceanography, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Fiona Beckman
- Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Mostapha Benomar
- Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH), Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Annette Jaya-Ram
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Mohammed Malouli
- Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH), Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Jan Mees
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende, Belgium
- Marine Biology Research Group, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ivanice Monteiro
- Ocean Science Centre Mindelo, Instituto do Mar (IMar), Mindelo, Cape Verde
| | - Joey Ndwiga
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende, Belgium
| | | | | | - Yee Kwang Sim
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Zacharie Sohou
- Institut de Recherches Halieutiques et Océanologiques du Benin (IRHOB), Cotonou, Benin
| | - Aileen Tan Shau-Hwai
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Sau Pinn Woo
- Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Soukaina Zizah
- Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH), Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Ann Buysse
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Filip Raes
- Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lilian A. Krug
- Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), Plymouth, United Kingdom
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Sophie Seeyave
- Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Edem Mahu
- Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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6
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Catarino AI, León MC, Li Y, Lambert S, Vercauteren M, Asselman J, Janssen CR, Everaert G, De Rijcke M. Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from seawater to the atmosphere through aerosolization under controlled laboratory conditions. Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 192:115015. [PMID: 37172341 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Sea spray has been suggested to enable the transfer of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the ocean to the atmosphere, but only a few studies support the role of sea spray aerosols (SSAs) as a source of airborne particles. We demonstrated that MNPs are aerosolized during wave action, via SSAs, under controlled laboratory conditions. We used a mini-Marine-Aerosol-Reference-Tank (miniMART), a device that mimics naturally occurring physical mechanisms producing SSAs, and assessed the aerosolization of fluorescent polystyrene beads (0.5-10 μm), in artificial seawater. The SSAs contained up to 18,809 particles/mL of aerosols for 0.5 μm beads, with an enrichment factor of 19-fold, and 1977 particles/mL of aerosols for 10 μm beads with a 2-fold enrichment factor. Our study demonstrates that the use of the miniMART is essential to assess MNPs aerosolization in a standardized way, supporting the hypothesis which states that MNPs in the surface of the ocean may be transferred to the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Catarino
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Research Division, Ocean and Human Health, InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium.
| | - Maria Camila León
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Research Division, Ocean and Human Health, InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium; Free University of Brussels (VUB), Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences, Pleinlaan 2 - room F806, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Ghent University, Faculty of Sciences, Krijgslaan 281,9000 Gent, Belgium; Antwerp University, Faculty of Sciences, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Yunmeng Li
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Research Division, Ocean and Human Health, InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium; Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, Bluebridge, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Silke Lambert
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, Bluebridge, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Maaike Vercauteren
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, Bluebridge, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, Bluebridge, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Wetenschapspark 1, Bluebridge, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Research Division, Ocean and Human Health, InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Maarten De Rijcke
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Research Division, Ocean and Human Health, InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
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Van de Pol L, Van der Biest K, Taelman SE, De Luca Peña L, Everaert G, Hernandez S, Culhane F, Borja A, Heymans JJ, Van Hoey G, Vanaverbeke J, Meire P. Impacts of human activities on the supply of marine ecosystem services: A conceptual model for offshore wind farms to aid quantitative assessments. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13589. [PMID: 36851958 PMCID: PMC9958457 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased pressures from human activities may cause cumulative ecological effects on marine ecosystems. Increasingly, the study of ecosystem services is applied in the marine environment to assess the full effects of human activities on the ecosystem and on the benefits it provides. However, in the marine environment, such integrated studies have yet to move from qualitative and score-based to fully quantitative assessments. To bridge this gap, this study proposed a 4-tiered method for summarizing available knowledge and modelling tools to aid in quantitative assessments of ecosystem services supply. First, the ecosystem functioning mechanisms underlying the supply of services are conceptually mapped. Second, the impacts of the human activity of interest are summarized and linked to the first conceptual model in a case-specific model of ecosystem services supply. Third, indicators are selected that would best represent changes in the most important parameters of the conceptual model in a quantitative manner. Fourth, the knowledge gained in the previous steps is used to select models that are most useful to quantify changes in ecosystem services supply under the human pressure of interest. This approach was applied to the case study of offshore wind energy in the Belgian part of the North Sea, which is one of the most rapidly expanding industries in the marine environment globally. This study provides a useful tool to proceed towards quantification of marine ecosystem services, highlighting the need for a fully integrated approach to developing environmental impact assessment tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennert Van de Pol
- ECOSPHERE Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Katrien Van der Biest
- ECOSPHERE Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sue Ellen Taelman
- Ghent University, Green Chemistry and Technology, STEN Research Group, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laura De Luca Peña
- Ghent University, Green Chemistry and Technology, STEN Research Group, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Simon Hernandez
- Ghent University, GhEnToxLab, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fiona Culhane
- School of Biological and Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea s/n, 20110 Pasaia, Spain
| | - Johanna J Heymans
- European Marine Board, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium.,Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, United Kingdom
| | - Gert Van Hoey
- Flanders Research Institute of Agriculture, Fishery and Food, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
| | - Jan Vanaverbeke
- Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Science, Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Patrick Meire
- ECOSPHERE Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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8
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Leone G, Moulaert I, Devriese LI, Sandra M, Pauwels I, Goethals PLM, Everaert G, Catarino AI. A comprehensive assessment of plastic remediation technologies. Environ Int 2023; 173:107854. [PMID: 36878107 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The global presence of plastic litter and its accumulation in the environment has become an issue of concern to the public and policymakers. This concern has triggered innovators in past decades to design and develop a multitude of remediation technologies to prevent plastic from entering the environment, or to clean up legacy litter. This study aims to (i) systematically review the current scientific literature on plastic remediation technologies, (ii) create a 'plastic clean-up and prevention overview' illustrating 124 remediation technologies and 29 characteristics, (iii) qualitatively analyse their key characteristics (e.g., fields of application, targeted plastic), and (iv) investigate challenges and opportunities of clean-up technologies for inland waterways (e.g., canals, rivers) and ports. We identified 61 scientific publications on plastic remediation technologies, until June 2022. Thirty-four of these studies were published within the last three years, demonstrating a growing interest. The presented overview indicates that inland waterways are, so far, the preferred field of application, with 22 technologies specifically designed for cleaning up plastics from inland waterways, and 52 additional ones with the potential to be installed in these locations. Given the importance of clean-up technologies in inland waterways, we highlighted their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Our results indicate that, despite the challenges, these technologies provide essential prospects, from improving the environmental quality to raising awareness. Our study is instrumental as it illustrates an up-to-date overview and provides a comprehensive analysis of current in design phase, testing, and in use plastic remediation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Leone
- Ghent University, Research Group Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium; Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ine Moulaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Lisa I Devriese
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Matthias Sandra
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Ine Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Ana I Catarino
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
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9
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Everaert G, Vlaeminck K, Vandegehuchte MB, Janssen CR. Effects of Microplastic on the Population Dynamics of a Marine Copepod: Insights from a Laboratory Experiment and a Mechanistic Model. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1663-1674. [PMID: 35452557 PMCID: PMC9328387 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic is ubiquitously and persistently present in the marine environment, but knowledge of its population-level effects is limited. In the present study, to quantify the potential theoretical population effect of microplastic, a two-step approach was followed. First, the impact of microplastic (polyethylene, 0.995 g cm-3 , diameter 10-45 µm) on the filtration rate of the pelagic copepod Temora longicornis was investigated under laboratory conditions. It was found that the filtration rate decreased at increasing microplastic concentrations and followed a concentration-response relationship but that at microplastic concentrations <100 particles L-1 the filtration rate was not affected. From the concentration-response relationship between the microplastic concentrations and the individual filtration rate a median effect concentration of the individual filtration rate (48 h) of 1956 ± 311 particles L-1 was found. In a second step, the dynamics of a T. longicornis population were simulated for realistic environmental conditions, and the effects of microplastics on the population density equilibrium were assessed. The empirical filtration rate data were incorporated in an individual-based model implementation of the dynamic energy budget theory to deduct potential theoretical population-level effects. The yearly averaged concentration at which the population equilibrium density would decrease by 50% was 593 ± 376 particles L-1 . The theoretical effect concentrations at the population level were 4-fold lower than effect concentrations at the individual level. However, the theoretical effect concentrations at the population level remain 3-5 orders of magnitude higher than ambient microplastic concentrations. Because the present experiment was short-term laboratory-based and the results were only indirectly validated with field data, the in situ implications of microplastic pollution for the dynamics of zooplankton field populations remain to be further investigated. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1663-1674. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karel Vlaeminck
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic EcologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- ARCHE ConsultingGhentBelgium
| | | | - Colin R. Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic EcologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
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10
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Severin MI, Raes F, Notebaert E, Lambrecht L, Everaert G, Buysse A. A Qualitative Study on Emotions Experienced at the Coast and Their Influence on Well-Being. Front Psychol 2022; 13:902122. [PMID: 35756269 PMCID: PMC9226434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.902122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal environments are increasingly shown to have a positive effect on our health and well-being. Various mechanisms have been suggested to explain this effect. However, so far little focus has been devoted to emotions that might be relevant in this context, especially for people who are directly or indirectly exposed to the coast on a daily basis. Our preregistered qualitative study explored how coastal residents experience the emotions they feel at the coast and how they interpret the effect these emotions have on them. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of eight Belgian coastal residents aged 21–25 years old. The interviews were analyzed with the approach of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five superordinate themes were identified and indicate that, for our participants, the coast represents a safe haven (1) in which they can experience emotional restoration (2), awe (3), and nostalgia (4). These emotional states are accompanied with adaptive emotion regulating strategies (5), such as reflection and positive reappraisal, that may facilitate coping with difficult thoughts and feelings. Our study demonstrates the importance of investigating specific emotions and related processes triggered at the coast and how these could contribute to the therapeutic value of the coast.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Filip Raes
- Centre for the Psychology of Learning and Experimental Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Evie Notebaert
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luka Lambrecht
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Ann Buysse
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Kosore CM, Ojwang L, Maghanga J, Kamau J, Shilla D, Everaert G, Khan FR, Shashoua Y. Microplastics in Kenya's marine nearshore surface waters: Current status. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 179:113710. [PMID: 35526380 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) were collected at six locations along Kenya's marine nearshore surface waters using a 300 μm mesh-size manta net. The samples were washed over a 125-μm mesh size sieve No.120 into a glass jar and preserved in 70% ethanol. MPs were sorted, counted visually under a dissecting microscope then identified using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. A total of 1473 particles with an overall mean concentration of 0.58 ± 1.29 MPs m-3, were collected. Fragments were the most common types representing 55% of the total MPs, followed by films (40%) and fibers (2%). Polypropylene (PP) was dominant (52%), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) comprised 38% and low density polyethylene (LDPE) 10% of the total MPs. This study provided baseline information, in which Malindi was identified as a hot spot for MPs pollution. Furthermore, the outcomes will assist policy formulations and management strategies aimed at controlling marine plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Mitto Kosore
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa, Kenya; Department of Chemistry(,) Pwani University, P.O Box 195-80108, Kilifi County, Kenya.
| | - Loice Ojwang
- Department of Chemistry, Taita-Taveta University, P.O. Box 635-80300, Voi, Kenya
| | - Justin Maghanga
- Department of Chemistry, Taita-Taveta University, P.O. Box 635-80300, Voi, Kenya
| | - Joseph Kamau
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, P.O. Box 81651-80100, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Daniel Shilla
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Farhan R Khan
- Norwegian Research Center (NORCE), Nygårdsporten 112, NO-5008 Bergen, Norway
| | - Yvonne Shashoua
- Environmental Archaeology and Materials Science, National Museum of Denmark, Denmark
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12
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Meyers N, Catarino AI, Declercq AM, Brenan A, Devriese L, Vandegehuchte M, De Witte B, Janssen C, Everaert G. Microplastic detection and identification by Nile red staining: Towards a semi-automated, cost- and time-effective technique. Sci Total Environ 2022; 823:153441. [PMID: 35124051 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution is an issue of concern due to the accumulation rates in the marine environment combined with the limited knowledge about their abundance, distribution and associated environmental impacts. However, surveying and monitoring microplastics in the environment can be time consuming and costly. The development of cost- and time-effective methods is imperative to overcome some of the current critical bottlenecks in microplastic detection and identification, and to advance microplastics research. Here, an innovative approach for microplastic analysis is presented that combines the advantages of high-throughput screening with those of automation. The proposed approach used Red Green Blue (RGB) data extracted from photos of Nile red-fluorescently stained microplastics (50-1200 μm) to train and validate a 'Plastic Detection Model' (PDM) and a 'Polymer Identification Model' (PIM). These two supervised machine learning models predicted with high accuracy the plastic or natural origin of particles (95.8%), and the polymer types of the microplastics (88.1%). The applicability of the PDM and the PIM was demonstrated by successfully using the models to detect (92.7%) and identify (80%) plastic particles in spiked environmental samples that underwent laboratorial processing. The classification models represent a semi-automated, high-throughput and reproducible method to characterize microplastics in a straightforward, cost- and time-effective yet reliable way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelle Meyers
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium; Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit - Aquatic Environment and Quality, Ankerstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium.
| | - Ana I Catarino
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Annelies M Declercq
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium; Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Aisling Brenan
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Lisa Devriese
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Michiel Vandegehuchte
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Bavo De Witte
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit - Aquatic Environment and Quality, Ankerstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Colin Janssen
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, GhEnToxLab, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
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13
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Leone G, Catarino AI, Pauwels I, Mani T, Tishler M, Egger M, Forio MAE, Goethals PLM, Everaert G. Integrating Bayesian Belief Networks in a toolbox for decision support on plastic clean-up technologies in rivers and estuaries. Environ Pollut 2022; 296:118721. [PMID: 34952180 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Current mitigation strategies to offset marine plastic pollution, a global concern, typically rely on preventing floating debris from reaching coastal ecosystems. Specifically, clean-up technologies are designed to collect plastics by removing debris from the aquatic environment such as rivers and estuaries. However, to date, there is little published data on their potential impact on riverine and estuarine organisms and ecosystems. Multiple parameters might play a role in the chances of biota and organic debris being unintentionally caught within a mechanical clean-up system, but their exact contribution to a potential impact is unknown. Here, we identified four clusters of parameters that can potentially determine the bycatch: (i) the environmental conditions in which the clean-up system is deployed, (ii) the traits of the biota the system interacts with, (iii) the traits of plastic items present in the system, and, (iv) the design and operation of the clean-up mechanism itself. To efficiently quantify and assess the influence of each of the clusters on bycatch, we suggest the use of transparent and objective tools. In particular, we discuss the use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) as a promising probabilistic modelling method for an evidence-based trade-off between removal efficiency and bycatch. We argue that BBN probabilistic models are a valuable tool to assist stakeholders, prior to the deployment of any clean-up technology, in selecting the best-suited mechanism to collect floating plastic debris while managing potential adverse effects on the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Leone
- Flanders Marine Institute, Ostend, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium; Ghent University, Research Group Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium.
| | | | - Ine Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Mani
- The Ocean Cleanup, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Matthias Egger
- The Ocean Cleanup, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Egger Research and Consulting, St. Gallen, Switzerland
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14
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De Luca Peña LV, Taelman SE, Préat N, Boone L, Van der Biest K, Custódio M, Hernandez Lucas S, Everaert G, Dewulf J. Towards a comprehensive sustainability methodology to assess anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems: Review of the integration of Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Risk Assessment and Ecosystem Services Assessment. Sci Total Environ 2022; 808:152125. [PMID: 34871681 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, a variety of methodologies are available to assess local, regional and global impacts of human activities on ecosystems, which include Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) and Ecosystem Services Assessment (ESA). However, none can individually assess both the positive and negative impacts of human activities at different geographical scales in a comprehensive manner. In order to overcome the shortcomings of each methodology and develop more holistic assessments, the integration of these methodologies is essential. Several studies have attempted to integrate these methodologies either conceptually or through applied case studies. To understand why, how and to what extent these methodologies have been integrated, a total of 110 relevant publications were reviewed. The analysis of the case studies showed that the integration can occur at different positions along the cause-effect chain and from this, a classification scheme was proposed to characterize the different integration approaches. Three categories of integration are distinguished: post-analysis, integration through the combination of results, and integration through the complementation of a driving method. The literature review highlights that the most recurrent type of integration is the latter. While the integration through the complementation of a driving method is more realistic and accurate compared to the other two categories, its development is more complex and a higher data requirement could be needed. In addition to this, there is always the risk of double-counting for all the approaches. None of the integration approaches can be categorized as a full integration, but this is not necessarily needed to have a comprehensive assessment. The most essential aspect is to select the appropriate components from each methodology that can cover both the environmental and socioeconomic costs and benefits of human activities on the ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Vittoria De Luca Peña
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
| | - Sue Ellen Taelman
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Nils Préat
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Lieselot Boone
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Katrien Van der Biest
- Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marco Custódio
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Simon Hernandez Lucas
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, BLUEGent Business Development Center in Aquaculture and Blue Life Sciences, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jo Dewulf
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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15
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Curto M, Le Gall M, Catarino AI, Niu Z, Davies P, Everaert G, Dhakal HN. Long-term durability and ecotoxicity of biocomposites in marine environments: a review. RSC Adv 2021; 11:32917-32941. [PMID: 35493549 PMCID: PMC9042189 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra03023j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing interest in replacing fossil-based polymers and composites with more sustainable and renewable fully biobased composite materials in automotive, aerospace and marine applications. There is an effort to develop components with a reduced carbon footprint and environmental impact, and materials based on biocomposites could provide such solutions. Structural components can be subjected to different marine conditions, therefore assessment of their long-term durability according to their marine applications is necessary, highlighting related degradation mechanisms. Through an up-to-date review, this work critically discusses relevant literature on the long-term durability of biocomposites specific for marine environments. Importantly, in this review we report the effects of abiotic parameters, such as the influence of hygrothermal exposures (temperatures and UV radiation) on physical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of biocomposites. Furthermore, we identify and discuss the potential ecotoxicological effects of leaching substances and microplastics derived from biocomposites, as well as the change in mechanical, physical and thermal behaviours correlated to degradation in the fibre matrix interface, surface defects and overall deterioration of the composite's properties. Finally, the combined effects of various environmental exposures on the long-term durability of the biocomposites are critically reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Curto
- School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth PO1 3DJ Portsmouth UK
| | - Maelenn Le Gall
- Marine Structures Laboratory, IFREMER Centre Bretagne, Technopole Iroise 29280 Plouzane France
| | | | - Zhiyue Niu
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Wandelaarkaai 7 8400 Oostende Belgium
| | - Peter Davies
- Marine Structures Laboratory, IFREMER Centre Bretagne, Technopole Iroise 29280 Plouzane France
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Wandelaarkaai 7 8400 Oostende Belgium
| | - Hom N Dhakal
- School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, University of Portsmouth PO1 3DJ Portsmouth UK
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16
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Niu Z, Vandegehuchte MB, Catarino AI, Everaert G. Environmentally relevant concentrations and sizes of microplastic do not impede marine diatom growth. J Hazard Mater 2021; 409:124460. [PMID: 33183842 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The current knowledge about the ecological effects of microplastic (MP) remains limited, and to-date ecotoxicity tests often utilize standard microplastic with one or two distinct size classes and expose the organisms to unrealistically high MP concentrations. We exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to microplastic particles of a mimicked realistic size frequency distribution complemented with serial experiments with distinct size classes. To do so, we exposed this diatom to a concentration series of different sized polyethylene (PE) microbeads (sizes: 10-106 µm; 1.25 ×102-1.25 ×107 particles/L) in a 72-h growth inhibition test. No effect on the growth of P. tricornutum by virgin PE microbeads up to 1.25 × 107 particles/L (or 499 mg/L), indicating environmentally relevant concentrations and sizes of MP does not alter the growth of marine diatoms. Results of smaller sized MPs (10-20 µm) did not differ from those obtained with larger MPs (90-106 µm) and mix sized MPs (10-106 µm), i.e. no impact on the microalgae growth. As a pioneer work, our results contribute with high quality dose-response data to an improved risk assessment of microplastic under realistic present and future marine MP pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyue Niu
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium; Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
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17
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Everaert G, De Rijcke M, Lonneville B, Janssen CR, Backhaus T, Mees J, van Sebille E, Koelmans AA, Catarino AI, Vandegehuchte MB. Risks of floating microplastic in the global ocean. Environ Pollut 2020; 267:115499. [PMID: 33254632 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite the ubiquitous and persistent presence of microplastic (MP) in marine ecosystems, knowledge of its potential harmful ecological effects is low. In this work, we assessed the risk of floating MP (1 μm-5 mm) to marine ecosystems by comparing ambient concentrations in the global ocean with available ecotoxicity data. The integration of twenty-three species-specific effect threshold concentration data in a species sensitivity distribution yielded a median unacceptable level of 1.21 ∗ 105 MP m-³ (95% CI: 7.99 ∗ 103-1.49 ∗ 106 MP m-³). We found that in 2010 for 0.17% of the surface layer (0-5 m) of the global ocean a threatening risk would occur. By 2050 and 2100, this fraction increases to 0.52% and 1.62%, respectively, according to the worst-case predicted future plastic discharge into the ocean. Our results reveal a spatial and multidecadal variability of MP-related risk at the global ocean surface. For example, we have identified the Mediterranean Sea and the Yellow Sea as hotspots of marine microplastic risks already now and even more pronounced in future decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Ostend, Belgium.
| | | | | | - C R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - T Backhaus
- University of Gothenburg, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - J Mees
- Flanders Marine Institute, Ostend, Belgium
| | - E van Sebille
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - A A Koelmans
- Wageningen University, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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18
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Pilotto F, Kühn I, Adrian R, Alber R, Alignier A, Andrews C, Bäck J, Barbaro L, Beaumont D, Beenaerts N, Benham S, Boukal DS, Bretagnolle V, Camatti E, Canullo R, Cardoso PG, Ens BJ, Everaert G, Evtimova V, Feuchtmayr H, García-González R, Gómez García D, Grandin U, Gutowski JM, Hadar L, Halada L, Halassy M, Hummel H, Huttunen KL, Jaroszewicz B, Jensen TC, Kalivoda H, Schmidt IK, Kröncke I, Leinonen R, Martinho F, Meesenburg H, Meyer J, Minerbi S, Monteith D, Nikolov BP, Oro D, Ozoliņš D, Padedda BM, Pallett D, Pansera M, Pardal MÂ, Petriccione B, Pipan T, Pöyry J, Schäfer SM, Schaub M, Schneider SC, Skuja A, Soetaert K, Spriņģe G, Stanchev R, Stockan JA, Stoll S, Sundqvist L, Thimonier A, Van Hoey G, Van Ryckegem G, Visser ME, Vorhauser S, Haase P. Meta-analysis of multidecadal biodiversity trends in Europe. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3486. [PMID: 32661354 PMCID: PMC7359034 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17171-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Local biodiversity trends over time are likely to be decoupled from global trends, as local processes may compensate or counteract global change. We analyze 161 long-term biological time series (15-91 years) collected across Europe, using a comprehensive dataset comprising ~6,200 marine, freshwater and terrestrial taxa. We test whether (i) local long-term biodiversity trends are consistent among biogeoregions, realms and taxonomic groups, and (ii) changes in biodiversity correlate with regional climate and local conditions. Our results reveal that local trends of abundance, richness and diversity differ among biogeoregions, realms and taxonomic groups, demonstrating that biodiversity changes at local scale are often complex and cannot be easily generalized. However, we find increases in richness and abundance with increasing temperature and naturalness as well as a clear spatial pattern in changes in community composition (i.e. temporal taxonomic turnover) in most biogeoregions of Northern and Eastern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pilotto
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
- Environmental Archaeology Lab, Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle - Jena - Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rita Adrian
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries & Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Renate Alber
- Biological Laboratory, Agency for Environment and Climate Protection, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Audrey Alignier
- UMR 0980 BAGAP, INRAE - Institut Agro - ESA, Rennes, France
- LTSER Zone Atelier Armorique, 35042, Rennes, France
| | | | - Jaana Bäck
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth system Research, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luc Barbaro
- Dynafor, INRAE, University of Toulouse, France & CESCO, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne-Univ, Paris, France & LTSER Zone Atelier Pyrénées Garonne, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | | | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | | | - David S Boukal
- University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecosystem Biology & Soil and Water Research Infrastructure, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Vincent Bretagnolle
- CEBC, UMR7372, CNRS & La Rochelle University, 79360, Villiers en bois, France
- LTSER Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre, 79360, Beauvoir sur Niort, France
| | - Elisa Camatti
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, unit Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Patricia G Cardoso
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bruno J Ens
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Vesela Evtimova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Heidrun Feuchtmayr
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | | | | | - Ulf Grandin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jerzy M Gutowski
- Department of Natural Forests, Forest Research Institute, Białowieża, Poland
| | | | - Lubos Halada
- Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS, Branch Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Melinda Halassy
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Herman Hummel
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Kaisa-Leena Huttunen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Oulanka Research Station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, Kuusamo, Finland
| | - Bogdan Jaroszewicz
- Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Białowieża, Poland
| | | | | | - Inger Kappel Schmidt
- Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ingrid Kröncke
- Senckenberg am Meer, Marine Research Department, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Reima Leinonen
- Kainuu Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Kajaani, Finland
| | - Filipe Martinho
- Centre For Functional Ecology (CFE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Julia Meyer
- Senckenberg am Meer, Marine Research Department, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Stefano Minerbi
- Forest Services, Autonomous Province of Bolzano - South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Don Monteith
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Boris P Nikolov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Daniel Oro
- CEAB (CSIC), 17300, Blanes, Spain
- IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), 07190, Esporles, Spain
| | - Dāvis Ozoliņš
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Salaspils, Latvia
| | - Bachisio M Padedda
- Dipartimento di Architettura, Design e Urbanistica, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Marco Pansera
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Venice, Italy
| | - Miguel Ângelo Pardal
- Centre For Functional Ecology (CFE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bruno Petriccione
- Carabinieri, Biodiversity and Park Protection Department, Castel di Sangro Biodiversity Unit, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Tanja Pipan
- ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute, Ljubljana & UNESCO Chair on Karst Education University of Nova Gorica, Vipava, Slovenia
| | - Juha Pöyry
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Biodiversity Centre, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Marcus Schaub
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Agnija Skuja
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Salaspils, Latvia
| | - Karline Soetaert
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, and Utrecht University, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - Gunta Spriņģe
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Salaspils, Latvia
| | - Radoslav Stanchev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jenni A Stockan
- Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Stefan Stoll
- University of Applied Sciences Trier, Environmental Campus Birkenfeld, Birkenfeld, Germany
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa Sundqvist
- Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anne Thimonier
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Gert Van Hoey
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fishery and Food, Oostende, Belgium
| | | | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Samuel Vorhauser
- Biological Laboratory, Agency for Environment and Climate Protection, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Peter Haase
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
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19
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Hooyberg A, Roose H, Grellier J, Elliott LR, Lonneville B, White MP, Michels N, De Henauw S, Vandegehuchte M, Everaert G. General health and residential proximity to the coast in Belgium: Results from a cross-sectional health survey. Environ Res 2020; 184:109225. [PMID: 32078817 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The health risks of coastal areas have long been researched, but the potential benefits for health are only recently being explored. The present study compared the general health of Belgian citizens a) according to the EU's definition of coastal (<50 km) vs. inland (>50 km), and b) between eight more refined categories of residential proximity to the coast (<5 km to >250 km). Data was drawn from the Belgian Health Interview Survey (n = 60,939) and investigated using linear regression models and mediation analyses on several hypothesized mechanisms. Results indicated that populations living <5 km of the coast reported better general health than populations living at >50-100 km. Four commonly hypothesized mechanisms were considered but no indirect associations were found: scores for mental health, physical activity levels and social contacts were not higher at 0-5 km from the coast, and air pollution (PM10 concentrations) was lower at 0-5 km from the coast but not statistically associated with better health. Results are controlled for typical variables such as age, sex, income, neighbourhood levels of green and freshwater blue space, etc. The spatial urban-rural-nature mosaic at the Belgian coast and alternative explanations are discussed. The positive associations between the ocean and human health observed in this study encourage policy makers to manage coastal areas sustainably to maintain associated public health benefits into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henk Roose
- Department of Sociology, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium.
| | - James Grellier
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Truro, United Kingdom.
| | - Lewis R Elliott
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Truro, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Mathew P White
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Truro, United Kingdom.
| | - Nathalie Michels
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Stefaan De Henauw
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University (UGent), Ghent, Belgium.
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20
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Westmeijer G, Everaert G, Pirlet H, De Clerck O, Vandegehuchte MB. Mechanistic niche modelling to identify favorable growth sites of temperate macroalgae. ALGAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2019.101529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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21
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Deschutter Y, De Schamphelaere K, Everaert G, Mensens C, De Troch M. Seasonal and spatial fatty acid profiling of the calanoid copepods Temora longicornis and Acartia clausi linked to environmental stressors in the North Sea. Mar Environ Res 2019; 144:92-101. [PMID: 30638843 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) is subjected to multiple environmental stressors. The impact of these stressors includes the modulation of fatty acid (FA) composition of the zooplankton. This study recorded temporal and spatial patterns of the FA profiles of two dominant calanoid copepods within the BPNS: Temora longicornis (Müller, 1785) and Acartia clausi (Giesbrecht, 1889). By means of distance-based linear modelling and by applying multi model inference to generalized additive models, environmental stressors were linked to patterns of the FA profiles of these species. The FA profiles of A. clausi and T. longicornis showed distinct intraspecific, spatial and temporal differences within the BPNS. Temperature and algal food quality (marked by the ratio of silicate concentration to dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration, SiO4/DIN) were the most important drivers of seasonal fluctuations in the DHA/EPA ratio of both species. DHA/EPA ratio can be used as marker for stress in copepods in the BPNS in order to have a quick indication of food quality changes at the basis of the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Deschutter
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Karel De Schamphelaere
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Christoph Mensens
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marleen De Troch
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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22
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Damanik-Ambarita MN, Boets P, Nguyen Thi HT, Forio MAE, Everaert G, Lock K, Musonge PLS, Suhareva N, Bennetsen E, Gobeyn S, Ho TL, Dominguez-Granda L, Goethals PL. Impact assessment of local land use on ecological water quality of the Guayas river basin (Ecuador). ECOL INFORM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Everaert G, Van Cauwenberghe L, De Rijcke M, Koelmans AA, Mees J, Vandegehuchte M, Janssen CR. Risk assessment of microplastics in the ocean: Modelling approach and first conclusions. Environ Pollut 2018; 242:1930-1938. [PMID: 30061084 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.07.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We performed an environmental risk assessment for microplastics (<5 mm) in the marine environment by estimating the order of magnitude of the past, present and future concentrations based on global plastic production data. In 2100, from 9.6 to 48.8 particles m-3 are predicted to float around in the ocean, which is a 50-fold increase compared to the present-day concentrations. From a meta-analysis with effect data available in literature, we derived a safe concentration of 6650 buoyant particles m-3 below which adverse effects are not likely to occur. Our risk assessment (excluding the potential role of microplastics as chemical vectors) suggests that on average, no direct effects of free-floating microplastics in the marine environment are to be expected up to the year 2100. Yet, even today, the safe concentration can be exceeded in sites that are heavily polluted with buoyant microplastics. In the marine benthic compartment between 32 and 144 particles kg-1 dry sediment are predicted to be present in the beach deposition zone. Despite the scarcity of effect data, we expect adverse ecological effects along the coast as of the second half of the 21st century. From then ambient concentrations will start to outrange the safe concentration of sedimented microplastics (i.e. 540 particles kg-1 sediment). Additional ecotoxicological research in which marine species are chronically exposed to realistic environmental microplastic concentration series are urgently needed to verify our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400, Ostend, Belgium.
| | - Lisbeth Van Cauwenberghe
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Albert A Koelmans
- Wageningen University, Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, P.O. Box 8080, 6700 DD, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Mees
- Flanders Marine Institute, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | | | - Colin R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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24
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Deschutter Y, Everaert G, De Schamphelaere K, De Troch M. Relative contribution of multiple stressors on copepod density and diversity dynamics in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 2017; 125:350-359. [PMID: 28958440 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The effect of multiple stressors on marine ecosystems is poorly understood. To partially bridge this knowledge gap we investigated the relative contribution of environmental variables to density and diversity dynamics of the zooplankton community in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We applied multimodel inference on generalized additive models to quantify the relative contribution of chlorophyll a, temperature, nutrients, salinity and anthropogenic chemicals (i.e. polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) to the dynamics of calanoid copepod species in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Temperature was the only predictor consistently showing a high importance in all models predicting the abundances of the selected copepod species. The relative contribution of other predictors was species-dependent. Anthropogenic chemicals were important predictors for three out of six species indicating that chemical mixtures at low concentrations should not be left unattended when performing risk assessments in a natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Deschutter
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Karel De Schamphelaere
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marleen De Troch
- Ghent University, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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25
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Everaert G, Ruus A, Hjermann DØ, Borgå K, Green N, Boitsov S, Jensen H, Poste A. Additive Models Reveal Sources of Metals and Organic Pollutants in Norwegian Marine Sediments. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:12764-12773. [PMID: 29034678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We characterized spatial patterns of surface sediment concentrations of seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), three chlorinated pesticides, and five metals in Norwegian waters and Skagerrak. In total, we analyzed 5036 concentrations of 22 chemical substances that were measured between 1986 and 2014 at 333 sampling sites by means of generalized additive models (GAMs). We found that GAMs with organic carbon content of the sediment and latitude and longitude as co-variates explained as ca. 75% of the variability of the contaminant sediment concentrations. For metals, a predominantly hotspot-driven spatial pattern was found, i.e., we identified historical pollution hotspots (e.g., Sørfjord in western Norway) for mercury, zinc, cadmium, and lead. Highest concentrations of PAHs and PCBs were found close to densely populated and industrialized regions, i.e., in the North Sea and in the Kattegat and Skagerrak. The spatial pattern of the PCBs suggests the secondary and diffuse atmospheric nature of their sources. Atmospheric inputs are the main sources of pollution for most organic chemicals considered, but north of the Arctic circle, we found that concentrations of PAHs increased from south to north most likely related to a combination of coal-eroding bedrock and the biological pump. The knowledge acquired in the present research is essential for developing effective remediation strategies that are consistent with international conventions on pollution control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University , 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Flanders Marine Institute , 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Anders Ruus
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research , NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Katrine Borgå
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research , NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo , NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Norman Green
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research , NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Amanda Poste
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research , NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
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26
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Everaert G, Pauwels I, Bennetsen E, Goethals PL. Development and selection of decision trees for water management: Impact of data preprocessing, algorithms and settings. AI COMMUN 2016. [DOI: 10.3233/aic-160711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ine Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, B-1070, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elina Bennetsen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L.M. Goethals
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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28
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Claessens M, Baert J, Monteyne E, Roose P, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Realistic environmental mixtures of hydrophobic compounds do not alter growth of a marine diatom. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 102:58-64. [PMID: 26656802 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we determine whether a realistic mixture of hydrophobic chemicals affects the growth dynamics of a marine diatom and how this effect compares to the effect of temperature, light regime and nutrient conditions. To do so, we examine the specific growth rate of Phaeodactylum tricornutum in a 72 h algal growth inhibition test using a full factorial design with three nutrient regimes, two test temperatures, three light intensities and three chemical exposures. Passive samplers were used to achieve exposure to realistic mixtures of organic chemicals close to ambient concentrations. Nutrient regime, temperature and time interval (24, 48 and 72 h) explained 85% of the observed variability in the experimental data. The variability explained by chemical exposure was about 1%. Overall, ambient concentrations of hydrophobic compounds present in Belgian coastal waters, and for which the passive samplers have affinity, are too low to affect the intrinsic growth rate of P. tricornutum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Jan Baert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Monteyne
- Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrick Roose
- Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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29
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Forio MAE, Landuyt D, Bennetsen E, Lock K, Nguyen THT, Ambarita MND, Musonge PLS, Boets P, Everaert G, Dominguez-Granda L, Goethals PL. Bayesian belief network models to analyse and predict ecological water quality in rivers. Ecol Modell 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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30
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Relative contribution of persistent organic pollutants to marine phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the North Sea and the Kattegat. Chemosphere 2015; 134:76-83. [PMID: 25912805 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we use concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and of chlorophyll a to infer POP-induced effects on marine primary production in the Kattegat and the North Sea between the 1990s and the 2000s. To do so, we modelled phytoplankton dynamics using four classical drivers (light and nutrient availability, temperature and zooplankton grazing) and tested whether extending this model with a POP-induced phytoplankton growth limitation term improved model fit to observed chlorophyll a concentrations. Including monitored concentrations of PCBs and pesticides did not lead to a better model fit, suggesting that POP-induced growth limitation of marine phytoplankton in the North Sea and the Kattegat is small compared to the limitations caused by the classical drivers. In an attempt to more fully represent the multitude of POPs in the marine environment, the monitored concentrations were multiplied with a factor 10 and 100. Under these two configurations, region-specific contributions of POPs in the phytoplankton growth limitation were found. The inferred contribution of POPs to phytoplankton growth limitation was ca. 1% in Belgian marine waters, but in the Kattegat POPs explained ca. 10% of the phytoplankton growth limitation. These results suggest that there are regional differences in the contribution of POPs to the phytoplankton growth limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Université de Namur, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Laboratory of Environmental Ecosystem Ecology, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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31
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Multidecadal Field Data Support Intimate Links between Phytoplankton Dynamics and PCB Concentrations in Marine Sediments and Biota. Environ Sci Technol 2015; 49:8704-8711. [PMID: 26079074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed three decades of field observations in the North Sea with additive models to infer spatiotemporal trends of chlorophyll a concentration, sediment organic carbon content, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in mussels and sediments. By doing so, we separated long-term changes in PCB concentrations from seasonal variability. Using the inferred seasonal variability, we demonstrated that phytoplankton blooms in spring and autumn correspond to the annual maxima of the organic carbon content (r = 0.56; p = 0.004) and the PCB concentrations in sediments (r = 0.57; p = 0.004). Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between the PCB concentrations in sediments and in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis; r = -0.33, p = 0.012), which is probably related to the cleansing of the dissolved PCB phase driven by sinking organic matter during phytoplankton blooms and the filter-feeding behavior of the blue mussel. The present research demonstrates the role of seasonal phytoplankton dynamics in the environmental fate of PCBs at large spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- ‡Université de Namur, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Laboratory of Environmental Ecosystem Ecology, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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32
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Ambelu A, Mekonen S, Koch M, Addis T, Boets P, Everaert G, Goethals P. The application of predictive modelling for determining bio-environmental factors affecting the distribution of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Gilgel Gibe watershed in Southwest Ethiopia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112221. [PMID: 25372843 PMCID: PMC4221614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Blackflies are important macroinvertebrate groups from a public health as well as ecological point of view. Determining the biological and environmental factors favouring or inhibiting the existence of blackflies could facilitate biomonitoring of rivers as well as control of disease vectors. The combined use of different predictive modelling techniques is known to improve identification of presence/absence and abundance of taxa in a given habitat. This approach enables better identification of the suitable habitat conditions or environmental constraints of a given taxon. Simuliidae larvae are important biological indicators as they are abundant in tropical aquatic ecosystems. Some of the blackfly groups are also important disease vectors in poor tropical countries. Our investigations aim to establish a combination of models able to identify the environmental factors and macroinvertebrate organisms that are favourable or inhibiting blackfly larvae existence in aquatic ecosystems. The models developed using macroinvertebrate predictors showed better performance than those based on environmental predictors. The identified environmental and macroinvertebrate parameters can be used to determine the distribution of blackflies, which in turn can help control river blindness in endemic tropical places. Through a combination of modelling techniques, a reliable method has been developed that explains environmental and biological relationships with the target organism, and, thus, can serve as a decision support tool for ecological management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Seblework Mekonen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Magaly Koch
- Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Taffere Addis
- Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Addis Ababa University, Akaki Kifleketema, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Everaert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Everaert G, De Neve J, Boets P, Dominguez-Granda L, Mereta ST, Ambelu A, Hoang TH, Goethals PLM, Thas O. Comparison of the abiotic preferences of macroinvertebrates in tropical river basins. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108898. [PMID: 25279673 PMCID: PMC4184827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed and compared abiotic preferences of aquatic macroinvertebrates in three river basins located in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Upon using logistic regression models we analyzed the relationship between the probability of occurrence of five macroinvertebrate families, ranging from pollution tolerant to pollution sensitive, (Chironomidae, Baetidae, Hydroptilidae, Libellulidae and Leptophlebiidae) and physical-chemical water quality conditions. Within the investigated physical-chemical ranges, nine out of twenty-five interaction effects were significant. Our analyses suggested river basin dependent associations between the macroinvertebrate families and the corresponding physical-chemical conditions. It was found that pollution tolerant families showed no clear abiotic preference and occurred at most sampling locations, i.e. Chironomidae were present in 91%, 84% and 93% of the samples taken in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Pollution sensitive families were strongly associated with dissolved oxygen and stream velocity, e.g. Leptophlebiidae were only present in 48%, 2% and 18% of the samples in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Despite some limitations in the study design, we concluded that associations between macroinvertebrates and abiotic conditions can be river basin-specific and hence are not automatically transferable across river basins in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Jan De Neve
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Boets
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Thu Huong Hoang
- School of Environmental Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier Thas
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA), School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Deneudt K, Roose P, Mees J, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Additive modelling reveals spatiotemporal PCBs trends in marine sediments. Mar Pollut Bull 2014; 79:47-53. [PMID: 24445127 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Revised: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We developed generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to infer spatiotemporal trends of environmental PCB concentrations from an extensive dataset (n=1219) of PCB concentrations measured between 1991 and 2010 in sediments of the Belgian Coastal Zone (BCZ) and the Western Scheldt estuary. A GAMM with time, geographical zone, periodicity and the organic carbon - water partition coefficient as covariates explained 49% of the variability in the log transformed PCB sediment concentrations. The time trends unraveled two to threefold PCB concentration decreases in the BCZ during the last 20 years. However, in the Western Scheldt estuary, time trends were spatially heterogeneous and not significantly decreasing. These results demonstrate that international efforts to cut down emissions of PCBs have been effective to reduce concentrations in open water ecosystems like the BCZ but had little effect in the urbanised and industrialised area of the Scheldt estuary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Université de Namur, Biology Department, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, B5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Klaas Deneudt
- Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ, InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrick Roose
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit, 3de en 23ste Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jan Mees
- Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ, InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Holguin-Gonzalez JE, Boets P, Everaert G, Pauwels IS, Lock K, Gobeyn S, Benedetti L, Amerlinck Y, Nopens I, Goethals PLM. Development and assessment of an integrated ecological modelling framework to assess the effect of investments in wastewater treatment on water quality. Water Sci Technol 2014; 70:1798-1807. [PMID: 25500469 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2014.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, large investments in wastewater treatment are made to improve water quality. However, the impacts of these investments on river water quality are often not quantified. To assess water quality, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires an integrated approach. The aim of this study was to develop an integrated ecological modelling framework for the River Drava (Croatia) that includes physical-chemical and hydromorphological characteristics as well as the ecological river water quality status. The developed submodels and the integrated model showed accurate predictions when comparing the modelled results to the observations. Dissolved oxygen and nitrogen concentrations (ammonium and organic nitrogen) were the most important variables in determining the ecological water quality (EWQ). The result of three potential investment scenarios of the wastewater treatment infrastructure in the city of Varaždin on the EWQ of the River Drava was assessed. From this scenario-based analysis, it was concluded that upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant with nitrogen and phosphorus removal will be insufficient to reach a good EWQ. Therefore, other point and diffuse pollution sources in the area should also be monitored and remediated to meet the European WFD standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier E Holguin-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail: ; Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Grupo de Investigación en Mecánica de Fluidos, Cl. 25 # 115 - 85, Km. 2 vía Cali - Jamundí, Valle Del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Gert Everaert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Koen Lock
- eCOAST Marine Research, Esplanadestraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Sacha Gobeyn
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | | | - Youri Amerlinck
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ingmar Nopens
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
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Everaert G, Boets P, Lock K, Džeroski S, Goethals PL. Using classification trees to analyze the impact of exotic species on the ecological assessment of polder lakes in Flanders, Belgium. Ecol Modell 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Deneudt K, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Construction of data-driven models to predict the occurrence of planktonic species in the North Sea. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2011; 76:15-19. [PMID: 21539187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Apers S, Everaert G, van der Veken BJ, Vlietinck AJ, Pieters LAC. Electronic structure calculations as a tool for investigating acyl migrations in ester saponins. Phytochem Anal 2002; 13:262-265. [PMID: 12918870 DOI: 10.1002/pca.653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of acyl migrations in ester saponins from Maesa lanceolata was investigated by molecular mechanics and electronic structure calculations carried out on the major constituent maesasaponin IV3 (3beta-O-[[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-gluco-pyranuronyl]-21beta-angeloyloxy-22alpha-propanoyloxy-13beta,28-oxido-olean-16alpha, 28alpha-diol). It was confirmed that acyl migrations could occur in rings D and E of maesasaponins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Apers
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
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