A metabolomic analysis on the toxicological effects of the universal solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a solvent used to dissolve a variety of organic compounds. It is presumed to be non-toxic at concentrations below 1 % v/v, although several studies have demonstrated that low dose DMSO exposure can alter cellular biochemistry. This study evaluated the toxicity of DMSO at 0.

Stuck in the mangrove mud: The risk of trace element exposure to shore crabs in restored urban mangroves.

The restoration of mangroves in urban environments can increase the risk of contaminant exposure and subsequent health effects to resident biota, yet this risk is rarely considered in mangrove restoration programs. Here we assessed the influence of sediment chemistry on contaminant bioaccumulation in shore crabs from restored and natural mangroves in urban environments compared to a reference site. The concentrations of some trace elements were several-fold higher in the sediment and crab tissues of the urban restored site compared to the natural reference site (Cd = 6×, Co = 7×, Cr = 4×, Mn = 30×, and Ni = 18× greater in sediments, while Cd = 4×, Co = 2×, Cr = 2×, Mn = 6×, and Ni = 3× greater in crab tissues).

Exploring the co-exposure effects of environmentally relevant microplastics and an estrogenic mixture on the metabolome of the Sydney rock oyster.

In aquatic environments the concurrent exposure of molluscs to microplastics (MPs) and estrogens is common, as these pollutants are frequently released by wastewater treatment plants into estuaries. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the independent and co-exposure impacts of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and estrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EEDCs) at environmentally relevant concentrations on polar metabolites and morphological parameters of the Sydney rock oyster. A seven-day acute exposure revealed no discernible differences in morphology; however, significant variations in polar metabolites were observed across oyster tissues.

Exploring lipid affinities of persistent organic pollutants and MeO-PBDEs in blubber of marine mammals.

Although lipophilic compounds have been the focus of numerous studies in marine mammals, their association with lipids is widely accepted, but rarely scrutinized. This pilot study aimed to investigate potential relationships between individual lipids from different lipid classes identified through a non-targeted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based lipidomics approach and legacy POPs in the blubber of long-finned pilot whales, sperm whales, common bottlenose dolphins, and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. Concentrations of selected POPs such as HCB and HCHs in sperm whales from Tasmania were found to differ from those in long-finned pilot whales and common bottlenose dolphins from the same location.

Polyps of the Jellyfish Aurelia aurita Are Unaffected by Chronic Exposure to a Combination of Pesticides.

Pesticides are a major contaminant in coastal waters and can cause adverse effects in marine invertebrates such as jellyfish. Most studies have investigated short-term responses of organisms to unrealistically high concentrations of pesticides; however, chronic exposure to persistent low concentrations, which are more likely to occur in the environment, are rarely analyzed. We tested the response of polyps of the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita to environmental concentrations of the herbicide atrazine and the insecticide chlorpyrifos, individually and in combination, over 9 wk.