Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
August 2024
Bisphenol S (BPS), an organic compound and bisphenol analog, is commonly used as a substitute for bisphenol A. BPS is widely used in epoxy glues, can coatings, and thermal receipt papers; however, its risks have not been fully determined and the probability of its toxicity has been continuously suggested. In this study, we conducted BPS toxicity tests on aquatic plants (acute), cladocerans (acute and chronic), and fish (chronic) to determine its adverse effects, and calculated the toxicity values.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToluene is a highly flammable and commonly used industrial chemical with severe health consequences on humans upon exposure and ingestion. In this study, multispecies bioassays were conducted using a species sensitivity distribution approach to determine acute and chronic hazardous concentrations of toluene in soil. Acute and chronic toluene toxicity tests were conducted with seven soil species from four taxonomic groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) is a phenolic compound used as a wood preservative or pesticide. The chemical is hazardous to freshwater organisms. Although 2,4-DNP poses ecological risks, only a few of its aquatic environmental risks have been investigated and very limited guidelines for freshwater aquatic ecosystems have been established by governments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhenol is widely used in many industries, and chemical accidents involving phenol have frequently occurred around the world, resulting in the investigation of phenol toxicity in humans, mammals, and aquatic organisms. However, very few studies have investigated phenol toxicity in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, we investigated the acute and chronic toxicity of phenol using various soil organisms, including Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorococcum infusionum, Folsomia candida, Oryza sativa, Raphanus sativus, Pinus densiflora, and Eisenia fetida.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
February 2020
Due to its widespread use, large amounts of expanded polystyrene (EPS) have been released into the marine environment, where it is broken down into small pieces with large surface areas. As such, chemical additives may be released into the environment, which can affect marine organisms; however, studies of the effects of such additives are lacking. We assessed the effects of leachate from EPS on the photosynthetic activities of four microalgal species (Dunaliella salina, Scenedesmus rubescens, Chlorella saccharophila, and Stichococcus bacillaris).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlastic wastes are widespread pollutants in marine environments and several studies have focused on their impacts on different ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) have been the focus of a particularly extensive investigation because of their ubiquity, large surface area, interactions with organisms, and the challenges they present in terms of disposal and management. However, studies regarding their fates and life cycle in ecosystems are still limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is increasing concern about how microplastics (MPs) are impacting marine ecosystems. In particular, studies on how MPs impact microalgae are required because of the abundance of MPs and importance of green microalgae as primary producers. This study investigated how MPs that are larger (200 μm) than algal cells impact them, using the marine microalga Dunaliella salina as the test species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHydrogen peroxide (HO) is a strong oxidizer and bleaching agent included in the list of substances requiring accident preparedness by the National Chemical Information System, Korea. Although chemical accidents related to HO frequently occur globally, few studies have evaluated its toxicity and risk to soil ecosystems. Herein, accidental exposure to HO was simulated in a microcosm including crop plant mung bean (Vigna radiata), and its long-term effects on photosynthetic activities and polyphenolic compounds were measured.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContamination of the world's oceans with plastic waste has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Whereas the ecological consequences of plastic pollution have been the focus of increasing research, the health-related implications of plastic pollution have been somewhat overlooked. In this study, we exposed whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a widely consumed marine species, to nano-sized plastic (polystyrene) via a simulated marine food chain in which mussel (Mytilus edulis) was the food source, and evaluated the effects of plastic contamination on shrimp physical, biochemical, and nutritional characteristics over a 21-day exposure period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been utilized in soil environments, there is a need to understand interactions between chemical adsorption and the soil system. We conducted a plant bioassay using agricultural crops in a soil system containing a macro-sized EPS (8.3 ± 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated the ingestion behavior of zebrafish exposed to microplastic particles (MPs) at different concentrations, presented alone or in a mix with food particles. Zebrafish showed spitting behavior after ingesting micro-sized (247.5 μm) polyethylene particles (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is a common and widely used industrial solvent. However, few studies have investigated its toxicity, or its effects as a contaminant in soil ecosystems. In this study, acute and chronic toxicity data for MEK were generated, and ecological risk based on a species sensitivity distribution was assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroplastics (MPs) have adverse effects on aquatic organisms in marine environments; however, there is a lack of information on freshwater environments. This study investigated the dietary uptake, and biodistribution and depuration of MPs in the freshwater diving beetle Cybister japonicus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) after consumption of zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to MPs. The transfer of MPs in diving beetles after consumption of zebrafish was assessed to determine whether the presence of MPs affected diving beetle behavior and predation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Pollut
September 2018
Plastic pollution in the environment is currently receiving worldwide attention. Improper dumping of disused or abandoned plastic wastes leads to contamination of the environment. In particular, the disposal of municipal wastewater effluent, sewage sludge landfill, and plastic mulch from agricultural activities is a serious issue and of major concern regarding soil pollution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated the trophic transfer, individual impact, and embryonic uptake of fluorescent nano-sized polystyrene plastics (nanoplastics) through direct exposure in a freshwater ecosystem, with a food chain containing four species. The alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, water flea Daphnia magna, secondary-consumer fish Oryzias sinensis, and end-consumer fish Zacco temminckii were used as test species. In the trophic transfer test, algae were exposed to 50 mg/L nanoplastics, defined as plastic particles <100 nm in diameter; higher trophic level organisms were exposed through their diet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
April 2018
Fluorine can flow into the environment after leakage or spill accidents and these excessive amounts can cause adverse effects on terrestrial ecosystems. Using three media (filter paper, soil, and filter-paper-on-soil), we investigated the toxic effects of fluorine on the germination and growth of crops (barley, mung bean, sorghum, and wheat), on the activities of soil exoenzymes (acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, and urease) and on the survival, abnormality, and cytotoxicity of Eisenia andrei earthworms. The germination and growth of crops were affected by fluorine as exposure concentration increased.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
November 2017
In recent years, discarded plastic has become an increasingly prevalent pollutant in aquatic ecosystems. These plastic wastes decompose into microplastics, which pose not only a direct threat to aquatic organisms but also an indirect threat via adsorption of other aquatic pollutants. In this study, we investigated the toxicities of variable and fixed combinations of two types of microplastics [one coated with a carboxyl group (PS-COOH) and the other lacking this functional group (PS)] with the heavy metal nickel (Ni) on Daphnia magna and calculated mixture toxicity using a toxic unit model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilver nanomaterials (AgNMs) are widely used in many fields because of their antimicrobial properties. Depending on the shapes and dimensions of the AgNMs, their potential uses and needs vary. Consequently, vast quantities of multi-dimensional AgNMs are being manufactured and released into aquatic ecosystems, where they have toxic effects on aquatic organisms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarthworms enhance soil functioning and are therefore key species in the soil. Their presence is generally a positive sign for a terrestrial ecosystem, because these species serve as important biomarkers in soil quality evaluations. We describe a novel bioassay, the "dispersal assay," that is a simple and rapid technique for field-based soil quality evaluations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
November 2017
Contamination by bulk plastics and plastic debris is currently the one of the most serious environmental problems in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, small-scale plastic debris such as microplastics and nanoplastics has become leading contributors to the pollution of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Studies are investigating the impacts of micro-and nanoplastics on aquatic organisms and ecosystems worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSoils contaminated with heavy metals have been reused for agricultural, building, and industrial uses following remediation. This study assesses plant growth and bioaccumulation of heavy metals following remediation of industrially contaminated soil. The soil was collected from a field site near a nonferrous smelter and was subjected to laboratory- and field-scale studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough fluoride occurs naturally in the environment, excessive amounts of fluoride in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems can be harmful. We evaluated the toxicity of fluoride compounds on the growth, viability, and photosynthetic capacity of freshwater (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and terrestrial (Chlorococcum infusionum) algae. To measure algal growth inhibition, a flow cytometric method was adopted (i.
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