Sensitivity of cholinesterases and carboxylesterases to pharmaceutical products in Tinca tinca.

Discharges to the aquatic environment of pharmaceuticals represent a hazard to the aquatic organisms. Subchronic assay with 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE) and in vitro essays with pharmaceuticals of environmental concern were conducted to examine the sensitivity of tissue acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and carboxylesterase (CbE) activities of Tinca tinca to them. Subchronic exposure to 17-alpha-EE caused significant effects on brain, liver, and muscle CbE, but no on AChE activities.

Evidence of contamination-associated damage in blue sharks (Prionace glauca) from the Northeast Atlantic.

Top predators such as most shark species are extremely vulnerable to amassing high concentrations of contaminants, but not much is known about the effects that the contaminant body burden imparts on these animals. Species like the blue shark (Prionace glauca) are very relevant in this regard, as they have high ecological and socioeconomic value, and have the potential to act as bioindicators of pollution. This work aimed to assess if differences in contaminant body burden found in blue sharks from the Northeast Atlantic would translate into differences in stress responses.

Toxic and essential metal levels in the hair of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) for monitoring the contamination in protected areas of South-Western Spain.

Contaminant monitoring in tissues of wild species can help in the knowledge not only of their health, but also of the environmental health conditions in the zones where they live. In this study, concentrations of toxic metals (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) and an essential metal (Zn) were measured in the hair of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) inhabiting in protected areas of South-Western Spain. Zn (69.

Occurrence of Levonorgestrel in Water Systems and Its Effects on Aquatic Organisms: A Review.

Levonorgestrel is one of the active ingredients of oral contraceptives detected in the aquatic environment at concentrations in the order of ng/L. During the past decade, a wealth of new information about levonorgestrel has been produced, with several studies having reported negative effects in the reproduction and growth of aquatic organisms after exposure to this emerging contaminant of concern. In the present study, the data about its levels in water and its effects on aquatic organisms were integrated and used to perform an updated preliminary aquatic risk assessment for levonorgestrel based on the guideline for Environmental Risk Assessment of Medicinal Products for Human Use from the European Medicines Agency.