Publications by authors named "N Garcia-Velasco"
Microplastics (MPs) constitute the predominant plastic type in marine environments. Since they occupy the same size fraction of sediment particles and planktonic organisms they are potentially bioavailable to a broad scope of organisms, such as filter feeders, which are particularly vulnerable to MP ingestion. To understand the potential impact of MPs in filter feeders it is essential to clarify the uptake, accumulation patterns and elimination rates with time of MPs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoil contamination by antibiotics is a global issue of great concern that contributes to the rise of bacterial antibiotic resistance and can have toxic effects on non-target organisms. This study evaluated the variations of molecular, cellular, and histological parameters in Eisenia fetida earthworms exposed to sulfamethazine (SMZ) and tetracycline (TC), two antibiotics commonly found in agricultural soils. The earthworms were exposed for 14 days to a series of concentrations (0, 10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg) of both antibiotics.
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- Microplastics pose a significant environmental threat as they can harm wildlife and human health when ingested, leading to potential impacts on the food chain.
- Researchers employed advanced imaging techniques like 3D Raman confocal microscopy to analyze the internalization of microplastics in the digestive tissues of mussels, specifically targeting their digestive cells.
- The study emphasizes the importance of understanding microplastics' effects on marine life and human health, as it reveals how these tiny particles accumulate in organisms and provides insights into mitigating risks associated with them.
The use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) is leading to high exposure scenarios with potential risk to soil organisms, including non-target species. Assessment of the effects of PPPs on non-target organisms is one of the most important components of environmental risk assessment (ERA) since they play crucial functions in ecosystems, being main driving forces in different soil processes. As part of the framework, EFSA is proposing the use of the ecosystem services approach for setting specific protection goals.
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- The study investigates the presence of 1 μm polystyrene microplastics in the Mytilus galloprovincialis mussel using Raman imaging, highlighting concerns about microplastics in the food chain.
- It raises questions about previous findings on microplastics translocating to epithelial cells, showing that particles detected may actually be surface contaminants rather than internalized.
- The research emphasizes the importance of using advanced three-dimensional imaging techniques for accurate analysis and interpretation of microplastics in biological tissues.