Ecological Risk of Contaminants of Emerging Concerns: Environmental Toxicity of Chemical Mixtures

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 June 2023) | Viewed by 3782

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: marine biotechnology; marine ecology; toxicology; marine pollution; biochemistry

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: ecotoxicology; heavy metals; mycotoxins; biochemistry; inflammation; biotechnology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pollution of the environment and especially of aquatic environments is a major research topic. Environmental contaminants penetrate and spread through trophic chains, causing harmful effects both during development (as in larvae and fry) and in the adult phase.

The number of new environmental contaminants relevant to aquatic environments is constantly increasing. Moreover, their ability to cause toxic effects in combination with other pollutants also poses a real threat to human health.

In particular, we call for review articles and original research that pay attention to the effects of emerging contaminants on marine organisms and the combined effects that several contaminants together may cause and the pathways which are involved.

Dr. Davide Di Paola
Dr. Alessio Filippo Peritore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • environmental pollution
  • xenobiotics
  • aquatic contaminants
  • pharmaceuticals

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7650 KiB  
Article
A Multiphase Coupled Hydrodynamic Model for Fate and Transport Simulation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Semi-Closed Narrow Bay
by Jiayi Cheng, Ying Wang, Yuxia Li, Lingna Kong, Xiaomeng Wang and Jianbo Han
Toxics 2023, 11(7), 634; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics11070634 - 21 Jul 2023
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Abstract
With their unique geographical characteristics, semi-closed narrow bays are important places for human survival but vulnerable to pollution. Because pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) migrate and undergo transformation through a dynamic mechanism in bays of this type, environmental authorities have formulated a series [...] Read more.
With their unique geographical characteristics, semi-closed narrow bays are important places for human survival but vulnerable to pollution. Because pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) migrate and undergo transformation through a dynamic mechanism in bays of this type, environmental authorities have formulated a series of effective measures for pollution prevention and control, but these are difficult to realize. Based on monitoring and historical data, a multiphase-coupled hydrodynamic model combined with a carcinogenic risk-assessment model was able to solve the challenging environmental problem. Results showed that the hydrodynamic condition in the semi-closed narrow bay was very complex. A weaker hydrodynamic force had an adverse influence on the diffusion of pollutants, further amplified in part by the head of the semi-closed narrow bay, resulting in a higher ecological risk. The prediction results indicated that the total amount of PAHs transported from seawater to sediments was about 4.7 × 1013 ng/year, which might cause serious threats to aquaculture or human health. Full article
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12 pages, 5021 KiB  
Article
Toxic Effects of Gemcitabine and Paclitaxel Combination: Chemotherapy Drugs Exposure in Zebrafish
by Claudio D’Iglio, Sergio Famulari, Fabiano Capparucci, Claudio Gervasi, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Nunziacarla Spanò and Davide Di Paola
Toxics 2023, 11(6), 544; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics11060544 - 20 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1123
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are widely recognized as potentially hazardous to aquatic ecosystems. In the last two decades, the constant intake of biologically active chemicals used in human healthcare has been related to the growing release of these agents into natural environments. As reported by several [...] Read more.
Pharmaceuticals are widely recognized as potentially hazardous to aquatic ecosystems. In the last two decades, the constant intake of biologically active chemicals used in human healthcare has been related to the growing release of these agents into natural environments. As reported by several studies, various pharmaceuticals have been detected, mainly in surface water (seas, lakes, and rivers), but also in groundwater and drinking water. Moreover, these contaminants and their metabolites can show biological activity even at very low concentrations. This study aimed to evaluate the developmental toxicity of exposure to the chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and paclitaxel in aquatic environments. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to doses of gemcitabine 15 μM in combination with paclitaxel 1 μM from 0 to 96 h post-fertilization (hpf) using a fish embryo toxicity test (FET). This study highlights that both gemcitabine and paclitaxel exposure at single non-toxic concentrations affected survival and hatching rate, morphology score, and body length after exposure in combination. Additionally, exposure significantly disturbed the antioxidant defense system and increased ROS in zebrafish larvae. Gemcitabine and paclitaxel exposure caused changes in the expression of inflammation-related, endoplasmic reticulum stress-related (ERS), and autophagy-related genes. Taken together, our findings underline that gemcitabine and paclitaxel increase developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos in a time-dependent manner. Full article
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13 pages, 4252 KiB  
Article
Effect of Pesticide Vinclozolin Toxicity Exposure on Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Myocardial Damage
by Alessio Filippo Peritore, Gianluca Antonio Franco, Francesco Molinari, Alessia Arangia, Livia Interdonato, Ylenia Marino, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Enrico Gugliandolo, Domenico Britti and Rosalia Crupi
Toxics 2023, 11(6), 473; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics11060473 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1456
Abstract
(1) Background: Vinclozolin is a popular fungicide used in fruit, ornamental plants, and vegetable crops. It has recently been seen that prolonged exposure to VZN can cause human or animal health damage to various organs, but little is known to date about its [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Vinclozolin is a popular fungicide used in fruit, ornamental plants, and vegetable crops. It has recently been seen that prolonged exposure to VZN can cause human or animal health damage to various organs, but little is known to date about its cardiovascular effects. In this study, we addressed the chronic effects of VZN on the myocardium and the enzymes involved in the cardiovascular function. (2) Methods: The animals were divided into four groups: group 1 served as the control, group 2 received 1 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, group 3 received 30 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, and group 4 received 100 mg/kg of VZN by gavage, for 30 days. (3) Results: Results showed that 100 mg/kg VZN markedly increased the plasma concentration of cardiac markers (CK-MB, cTnT, ANP, BNP). Moreover, compared to the control group, VZN treatment decreased the activity of SOD, CAT, and GPx, and downregulated the mRNA expression levels of Nrf2. Furthermore, collagen deposition was amplified owing to 100 mg/kg VZN cardiotoxicity. This harmful effect was confirmed by a histological study using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome staining. (4) Conclusion: Overall, our results proved the cardiotoxicity caused by chronic exposure to VZN. Full article
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