Investigation of organic contaminants in the blubber of a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) first stranded on the coast of Taiwan.

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the blubber of a stranded blue whale found on the coast of Taiwan. The analysis included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The whale exhibited evident signs of emaciation, including low body weight, reduced blubber fat content, and thin blubber thickness.

Comparison of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in crab tissues with the ambient marine particles from shallow hydrothermal vents, northeast Taiwan.

This study investigated and compared polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crab (Xenograpsus testudinatus), suspended particulate matter, and surface sediment sampled from Kuei-shan-tao (KST) shallow water vents just offshore northeast Taiwan. The total concentrations of PAHs (t-PAHs) in suspended particles near the vents (533-685 ng g dw) were two orders of magnitude higher than the overlying sediment (3.42-6.

Revisiting of persistent organic pollution occurrence and distribution in the surface sediment along western Taiwan coast.

Levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and PBDEs, were measured in sediment collected from along the Taiwan coast and compared to previous studies. The dominant POPs were PAHs, followed by PCBs, PBDEs, and DDTs. The highest levels of PAHs and PCBs were found in sediment from harbors in southern Taiwan, which are surrounded by densely populated areas and affected by multiple industrial activities.

Lipid profiling in chilled coral larvae.

Coral reefs are disappearing worldwide as a result of several harmful human activities. The establishment of cryobanks can secure a future for these ecosystems. To design effective cryopreservation protocols, basic proprieties such as chilling tolerance and lipid content must be assessed.

Environmental assessment of persistent organic pollutants in surface sediments of the Danshui River basin, Taipei, Taiwan.

Surface sediments from the Danshui River basin were collected and analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs). The total concentrations of each category ranged from 96 to 3803 ng g for PAHs, 0.02 to 54.

Correction: Occurrence and distribution of anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants in coastal sediments and mud shrimps from the wetland of central Taiwan.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Occurrence and distribution of anthropogenic persistent organic pollutants in coastal sediments and mud shrimps from the wetland of central Taiwan.

Sediment profile and mud shrimp (Austinogebia edulis) from the coastal wetland of central Taiwan in 2017 and 2018 were analyzed for concentration, source, and composition of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs; DDT and HCB), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Sediment profiling indicated PAH concentrations reaching 254.38 ng/g dw in areas near industrial areas and PAH concentrations of 41.

Environmental effects on the bioaccumulation of PAHs in marine zooplankton in Gaoping coastal waters, Taiwan: Concentration, distribution, profile, and sources.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic and ubiquitous in the environment and pose great risks. Bioaccumulation by plankton is the outset for PAHs entering marine food web. The long-term driving environmental factors for bioaccumulation of PAHs in zooplankton have not been well investigated.

Effect of the UV-filter benzophenone-3 on intra-colonial social behaviors of the false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris).

The UV-filter benzophenone-3 (BP-3) is widely used and is environmentally stable, lipophilic, and bioaccumulative. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that BP-3 can cause endocrine disrupting effects. However, little information is available on its ecotoxicity on coral reef fish.

Occurrence of PBDEs in surface sediments of metropolitan rivers: Sources, distribution pattern, and risk assessment.

Sources, concentrations, and ecological risk of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were investigated in surface sediments from 33 stations in Danshui River basin (Taiwan) in 2015. High spatial variation in total PBDEs (ΣPBDEs) in sediments was found ranging from 2.3 to 10,490 ng g dw.

Persistent organic pollutants in Antarctic notothenioid fish and invertebrates associated with trophic levels.

Notothenioid fish and invertebrate samples from Antarctica were collected in the austral summer of 2009, and analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), as well as δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes for trophic level determination. In this study, the POP levels in the Antarctic biota samples were found to be ranked in the following order: OCPs > PAHs >> PBDEs. The POP levels in notothenioid fish and krill correlate to trophic levels; however, the POP concentrations in intertidal benthic invertebrates are higher than in notothenioid fish implying that specific biogeochemical factors may affect bioaccumulation in the Antarctica ecosystem.

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of southern Taiwan in relation to monsoons.

The concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were intensively measured in the Hengchun Peninsula of southern Taiwan. The concentrations of total PAH (Σ38PAH), including gas and particle phases, ranged from 0.85 to 4.

Different strategies of energy storage in cultured and freshly isolated Symbiodinium sp.

The endosymbiotic relationship between cnidarians and Symbiodinium is critical for the survival of coral reefs. In this study, we developed a protocol to rapidly and freshly separate Symbiodinium from corals and sea anemones. Furthermore, we compared these freshly-isolated Symbiodinium with cultured Symbiodinium to investigate host and Symbiodinium interaction.

Endocrine disrupting effects of domestic wastewater on reproduction, sexual behavior, and gene expression in the brackish medaka Oryzias melastigma.

The objective of this study was to investigate the endocrine disrupting effects of domestic wastewater on fish using the brackish medaka Oryzias melastigma as the animal model. Estuarine water samples were collected from Sihchong Creek and Baoli Creek estuaries, Taiwan, in March of 2012 to assess the whole effluent toxicity (WET) of domestic wastewater produced by the local residents and tourists. Chemical analysis detected various pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the field water samples.

Assessment of ichthyotoxicity and anthropogenic contamination in the surface waters of Kenting National Park, Taiwan.

Millions of tourists visit Kenting National Park (KNP) in southern Taiwan every year, causing great amount of sewage discharges in this area. This study aimed to assess the impact of sewage on KNP surface waters using zebrafish embryo-larval bioassays combined with chemical analyses of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Surface water samples were collected monthly from May to October in 2010.

SLDP: a novel protein related to caleosin is associated with the endosymbiotic Symbiodinium lipid droplets from Euphyllia glabrescens.

Intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) have been proposed to play a key role in the mutualistic endosymbiosis between reef-building corals and the dinoflagellate endosymbiont Symbiodinium spp. This study investigates and identifies LD proteins in Symbiodinium from Euphyllia glabrescens. Discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation was used to separate Symbiodinium cells from E.

Comparative study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coral tissues and the ambient sediments from Kenting National Park, Taiwan.

Surface sediments and corals (Acropora sp. and Montipora sp.) from the coastline of Kenting were analyzed in 2009 and 2010 for content levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Picoplankton dynamics and picoeukaryote diversity in a hyper-eutrophic subtropical lagoon.

Picoplankton (cells with a diameter of 0.2-3.0 μm) is the dominant contributor to both primary production and biomass in the ocean.

Air-water exchange fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the tropical coast, Taiwan.

Air-water exchange fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were simultaneously measured in air and water samples from two sites on the Kenting coast, located at the southern tip of Taiwan, from January to December 2010. There was no significant difference in the total PAH (t-PAH) concentrations in both gas and dissolved phases between these two sites due to the less local input which also coincided to the low levels of t-PAH concentration; the gas and dissolved phases averaged 1.29±0.

Assessing the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (Aroclor 1254) on a scleractinian coral (Stylophora pistillata) at organism, physiological, and molecular levels.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of widespread contaminants, and accumulation of PCBs has been observed in corals in the field. However, the toxic effects of PCBs on corals have not been investigated. In this study, we tested short and long term toxicity of Aroclor 1254, a commercial PCB mixture, on the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata.

Environmental assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface sediments of a remote region on the eastern coast, Taiwan.

Surface sediment samples were collected in He-Ping Harbor and the nearby He-Ping Estuary from 2005 to 2006 to examine spatial and temporal variability in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations. The sum of the 16 USEPA priority pollutant PAHs varied from 8 to 312 ng/g dry weight, which was relatively low compared to values obtained from other studies in the world. Regarding temporal changes in the PAH profile, total PAH concentrations in the wet season were lower than during the dry season in He-Ping Harbor.

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in the surface sediments from inter-tidal areas of Kenting coast, Taiwan.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in inter-tidal sediments of the Kenting coast, Taiwan, to assess the levels and origin of PAHs, and to provide useful information on the potential ecological risk of PAHs to benthic organisms. The total concentrations of 38 PAHs ranged from 0.2 to 493 ng/g dry weight.

Chronic exposure of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) alters locomotion behavior in juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio).

In the present study, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model to address possible effects of chronic exposure of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants on locomotion behavior, body size, and gonad development in fish. Zebrafish were fed food dosed with PBDE-47 (control, solvent control, low, medium, and high dose groups) from 21 days post hatch (dph) to 90 dph. Fish locomotion parameters, including maximum swimming speed, total distance moved, and percent time active, were assessed using a video-based animal movement analysis system.

Growth and transcriptional effect of dietary 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) exposure in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio).

In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were fed food dosed with pure PBDE-47 (2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether) congener or a blank from 20 to 60 day post-hatch (dph). At 38 dph, half of the fish were sampled for body size measurements and gene expression analyzes (CYP1A1, VTG, TTR, D1, and TSH-beta). At 60 dph, body size was measured again for all fish remaining.

A preliminary assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution in the kenting coral reef waters of southern Taiwan.

This distribution and variation of 45 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the waters of Kenting coral reefs were investigated by using sensitive research-grade sampling and analytical methods. The concentration levels of total PAHs (including particulate and dissolved PAHs) in the Kenting waters were relatively low, ranging from 2.2 to 34.