Biochemical profiling and antioxidant activity analysis of commercially relevant seaweeds from northwest Europe.

Background: The drive towards ensuring the sustainability of bioresources has been linked with better valorising primary materials and developing biorefinery pipelines. Seaweeds constitute valuable coastal resources with applications in the bioenergy, biofertiliser, nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. Owing to the various sought-after metabolites they possess, several seaweed species are commercially exploited throughout Western Europe, including Ireland.

Bioaccumulation of trace metals in the plastisphere: Awareness of environmental risk from a European perspective.

The term "Plastisphere" refers to the biofilm layer naturally formed by microorganisms attaching to plastic surfaces. This layer possesses the capability to adsorb persistent organic and inorganic pollutants, particularly trace metals, which are the focus of this research study. Immersion experiments were concurrently conducted in five locations spanning four European countries (France, Ireland, Spain, and Italy) utilising eight distinct polymers.

Spatial monitoring of microplastics in environmental matrices from Galway Bay, Ireland.

Microplastic concentrations have been reported in a variety of environmental matrices and organisms across the world. Assessments of environmental concentrations are essential to understand trends and ensure decision-making processes that reduce environmental pressure. In this study, a combined sampling approach to surface waters, benthic sediments and biota in Galway Bay, Ireland, was carried out.

Export pathways of biosolid derived microplastics in soil systems - Findings from a temperate maritime climate.

The environmental fate of microplastics (MPs) added to agricultural soils remains poorly understood, particularly regarding their mobility in soils. Here we investigate the potential for MP export from soil to surface waters and groundwater in two agricultural settings with a 20-year history of biosolid treatment. A third site where biosolids had never been applied served as a reference (Field R).

Deep Sea Microplastic Pollution Extends Out to Sediments in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean Margins.

Microplastics are ubiquitous emerging contaminants found in every habitat surveyed, building upon international databases globally. Costs and accessibility often correlate to few deep sea sediment surveys, restricting the number of stations within a given sampling area. An extensive survey of the Porcupine Seabight, Porcupine Bank, the Goban Spur, and south-western canyons resulted in identifying microplastics in deep sea sediment surface layers from 33 of the 44 stations sampled (75%), with a total of 83 particles (74 synthetic and 9 natural) recorded.

Size dependent egestion of polyester fibres in the Dublin Bay Prawn (Nephrops norvegicus).

Microplastics (MPs) are an extensive global contaminant in the marine environment, known to be ingested by marine organisms. The presence of MPs in the commercially important marine decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus (Dublin Bay Prawn) has been documented for the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean, however, uncertainties remain about retention times of MPs in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of this species. This study aims to investigate the retention times of polyester MP fibres of three sizes (3, 5, and 10 mm in length) and to determine whether the egestion of MP fibres is size and time dependent.

Plastics, prawns, and patterns: Microplastic loadings in Nephrops norvegicus and surrounding habitat in the North East Atlantic.

The presence of microplastics (MPs), a contaminant of emerging concern, has attracted increasing attention in commercially important seafood species such as Nephrops norvegicus. This species lend themselves well as bioindicators of environmental contamination owing to their availability, spatial and depth distribution, interactions with seafloor sediment and position in the ecosystem and food chain. This study assesses the abundance of MPs in N.

Assessing microplastic distribution within infaunal benthic communities in a coastal embayment.

Marine anthropogenic litter is increasing in prevalence in both the marine environment and its inhabitants. This study assesses the levels of anthropogenic microplastics in benthic infauna from 20 subtidal stations in Galway Bay, Ireland. Microplastics were removed from the organisms using an alkaline digestion (KOH) and their synthetic origin was confirmed by μFTIR spectroscopic analysis.

Microplastics in brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758) from an Irish riverine system.

Rivers play an important role in the overall transport of microplastic pollution (1 μm to 5 mm), with fluvial dynamics expected to influence biotic interactions, particularly for fish. So far, there have been few assessments of microplastics in freshwater salmonids. The prevalence (i.

Differences in microplastic abundances within demersal communities highlight the importance of an ecosystem-based approach to microplastic monitoring.

Plastic pollution is prevalent in all habitats and microplastic ingestion has been recorded in several different species examined to date. However, most studies have focused solely on commercial species. This study investigates microplastics (MPs) by assessing the levels present in a mixed demersal trawl at two sites in a coastal embayment.

Floating microplastics in a coastal embayment: A multifaceted issue.

Floating microplastic debris at the ocean's surface represents about 1% of all plastics found in the environment, with the remainder thought to be either deposited along the coast or sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This exploratory research on a coastal embayment in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean assesses floating microplastic densities and the potential influence of wind. A total of 1182 floating microplastic particles were retrieved from a total surface seawater volume of 2039.

Current environmental microplastic levels do not alter emergence behaviour in the intertidal gastropod Littorina littorea.

Microplastic ingestion by intertidal fauna is a well-documented phenomenon, with emphasis on the physiological consequences of microplastic exposure. However, the behavioural effects of microplastic ingestion have not been explored to the same degree, even in species with documented microplastic ingestion. In this study, the predator-avoidance emergence response of Littorina littorea was assessed and related to microplastic levels within the samples.

Quantification of microplastic ingestion by the decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus from Irish waters.

Microplastics are widespread pollutants in the marine environment, yet few studies have assessed the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercial species. This study evaluates the presence of ingested microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Nephrops norvegicus (n = 150), collected from five Irish prawn grounds. The efficiency of three digesting solutions was assessed.

Microplastics: Finding a consensus on the definition.

Polymer science is one of the most revolutionary research areas of the last century, instigated by the discovery of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic. Plastic, once a revolutionary material, has gradually become a global environmental threat with ubiquitous distribution. The term 'microplastics' coined in 2004, is used to describe the smaller plastic particles recorded, however there is still no all-inclusive definition that accurately encompasses all criteria that could potentially describe what a microplastic is.

Microplastics in Galway Bay: A comparison of sampling and separation methods.

Microplastics, an emerging pollutant, are recognised as having a ubiquitous distribution in the environment. Currently several benthic sampling tools are being employed to collect subtidal marine sediment, however, there are no comparative studies on the efficiency of these tools to sample for microplastics or the subsequent extraction methods of microplastics from these marine sediments. This study addresses these knowledge gaps by comparing commonly applied benthic sampling tools (Van Veen grab, box corer, gravity corer) and a variety of density separation methods (elutriation column, sodium chloride solution, sodium tungstate dihydrate solution) for microplastic collection and processing.

PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe.

Background: Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists.