Particles from the tread of vehicle tyres are a global pollutant, which are emitted into the environment at an approximate rate of 1.4 kg.year for an average passenger-car.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioplastics derived from organic materials other than crude oil are often suggested as sustainable solutions for tackling end-of-life plastic waste, but little is known of their ecotoxicity to aquatic species. Here, we investigated the ecotoxicity of second and third generation bioplastics toward the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna. In acute toxicity tests (48 h), survival was impacted at high concentrations (g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWastewater treatment plant effluents from urban area are a well-known source of chronic multiple micropollution to the downstream living organisms. In this study, ecologically relevant laboratory-bred freshwater gastropods, Lymnaea stagnalis, were exposed for 29 days to raw effluents of a wastewater treatment plant in Lyon area (France). A time-course analysis of individual markers of immunocompetence (hemocyte density and viability, hemocyte NADPH activity, phenol oxidase activity, and capacity of phagocytosis) has shown slight trends of inflammatory-like responses induced by the 100% effluents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe first part of the study was devoted to test the hypothesis according to which the hemolymph of Lymnaea stagnalis can be collected repeatedly - regardless the time-intervals - at an individual scale without impact on survival nor immunocapacity defined as the hemocyte density and viability. No significant effects on snail survival were observed when repeated hemolymph samplings were performed at frequencies ranging from 96 h up to 24 h. The frequency of hemolymph sampling had no significant effects on hemocyte density but the hemocyte viability was slightly increased for the 24 h frequency group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGraphene and its derivatives are an emerging class of carbon nanomaterial with great potential for a broad range of industrial and consumer applications. However, their increasing production and use is expected to result in release of nano-sized graphene platelets into the environment, where they may interact with chemical pollutants modifying their fate and toxic potential. The objective of this study was to assess whether graphene nanoplatelets can act as vector for aromatic environmental pollutants increasing their cellular uptake and associated hazardous effects in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Graphene and graphene derivative nanoplatelets represent a new generation of nanomaterials with unique physico-chemical properties and high potential for use in composite materials and biomedical devices. To date little is known about the impact graphene nanomaterials may have on human health in the case of accidental or intentional exposure. The objective of this study was to assess the cytotoxic potential of graphene nanoplatelets with different surface chemistry towards a human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2, and identify the underlying toxicity targets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF