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Metabolomics perspectives of the ecotoxicological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Publication . Monteiro, Vânia; Dias da Silva, Diana; Martins, Marta; Guedes de Pinho, Paula; Pinto , Joana; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; Academic Press | Elsevier
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent persistent environmental pollutants ubiquitously distributed in the environment. Their presence alongside various other contaminants gives rise to intricate interactions, culminating in profound deleterious consequences. The combination effects of different PAH mixtures on biota remains a relatively unexplored domain. Recent studies have harnessed the exceptional sensitivity of metabolomic techniques to unveil the significant ecotoxicological perils of PAH pollution confronting both human populations and ecosystems. This article furnishes a comprehensive overview of current literature focused on the metabolic repercussions stemming from exposure to complex mixtures of PAHs or PAH-pollution sources using metabolomics approaches. These insights are obtained through a wide range of models, including in vitro assessments, animal studies, investigations on human subjects, botanical specimens, and soil environments. The findings underscore that PAH mixtures induce cellular stress responses and systemic effects, leading to metabolic dysregulations in amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other key metabolites (e.g., organic acids, purines), with specific variations observed based on the organism and PAH compounds involved. Additionally, the ecological consequences of PAH pollutants on plant and soil microbial responses are emphasized, revealing significant changes in stress-related metabolites and nutrient cycling in soil ecosystems. The complex interplay of various PAHs and their metabolic effects on several models, as elucidated through metabolomics, highlight the urgency of further research and the need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate the risks posed by these widespread environmental pollutants.
Cultural mapping as a tool for environmental education in Coastal Areas
Publication . Oliveira, Daniel; Teixeira, Zara; Mesquita, Mônica; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; OBSERVARE - Observatorio de Relacoes Exteriores (Observatory for External Relations)
This article investigates how cultural mapping can strengthen environmental education in coastal areas of Portugal, highlighting its relevance for understanding the interactions between local communities and coastal landscapes and the development of sustainable conservation and environmental management strategies. The critical praxis developed in research, activism, and even political stances has been trying to emphasize the importance of collective constructions for a sustainable future. The cultural mapping approach presents a critical theoretical and methodological perspective and significant transformative potential in pursuing a socioecological-cultural turn toward local sustainability. To explain and debate those assumptions, this essay analyzes the urban evolution along the Portuguese coast, examining historical contexts and challenges in managing coastal territories. It emphasizes cultural mapping as a valuable approach for integrating local knowledge and fostering collaboration across diverse cultural backgrounds. The study suggests that cultural mapping enhances the relevance and resonance of environmental education projects within communities, thereby contributing to local sustainable development goals. The rationale for adopting the term "cultural mapping" is discussed, highlighting the critical movement from geographical science toward map production and its interpretation of culture within this framework. The manuscript also presents and discusses research projects utilizing cultural mapping as active and critical pedagogies and explores its potential for environmental education. Finally, cultural mapping is portrayed as an interdisciplinary and transcultural research approach employing critical methodological tools for Coastal Environmental Education.
Littering Behaviour in Multicultural Slums
Publication . Silva, Patrícia; Ramos, Mário; Alves, Ana; Martinho, Graça; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Morro do Banco, a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is home to a community composed mainly of Brazilian and Venezuelan nationals, where littering is a persistent issue. This study investigates the causes of littering and examines the differences in perceptions and littering behaviours between residents, addressing a research gap in multicultural slums. A face-to-face survey was conducted with 150 residents, complemented by interviews with community members and professionals from urban cleaning and waste management services. Visual observations were also made. The results indicate that littering is primarily linked to a lack of containers for waste disposal and collection, as well as residents’ failure to dispose of waste at the designated times. There is a notable absence of awareness campaigns aimed at addressing the problem. While both communities recognise the littering issue, Venezuelan residents are less aware of public services and report observing lower levels of littering than Brazilian residents. Furthermore, Brazilians tend to place more responsibility on local authorities, while Venezuelans attribute responsibility to the central government. Venezuelans also express less support for oversight actions involving penalties compared to Brazilians. These findings highlight the need for targeted awareness campaigns and inclusive policies to effectively tackle littering in multicultural slums.
Sea-level rise causes feeding habitat loss for migratory shorebirds in remote coastal wetlands of Brazilian Amazon
Publication . Santos, Carlos D.; Paludo, Danielle; Silvestro, Paulo; Monteiro, José O.; Pachelle, Paulo P. G.; Oliveira, Verônica; Mobley, Jason A.; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; IOP Publishing
Sea-level rise (SLR) can cause significant changes in coastal wetlands, such as the retreat of coastlines and sedimentary shifts in tidal flats. In areas lacking coastal defenses, rising sea levels are expected to drive the inland migration of coastal wetlands, generally maintaining the extent of tidal flat habitats but also triggering important ecosystem changes. Migratory shorebirds are apex predators in coastal wetlands, thus being highly sensitive to such changes. Despite the worldwide decline of this group of birds, the impacts of SLR on their habitats have not been readily evaluated. In this study, we investigated how migratory shorebirds are responding to the gradual occupation of tidal flats by areas originating from marine transgression of terrestrial habitats, which is a consequence of inland migration of coastal wetlands. We conducted aerial surveys to assess the distribution of shorebirds along 630 km of tidal flats in coastal wetlands of the Brazilian Amazon. We then mapped the distribution of tidal flats in the late 1980s and for the survey period using satellite imagery to identify the tidal areas created by marine transgression over the past four decades. Finally, we sampled these areas and nearby tidal flats to assess shorebird prey abundance and sediment characteristics. We found that shorebirds avoid transgressed areas as feeding grounds, with their numbers sharply declining with the increasing occupancy of this habitat. The dominant shorebird species, the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), presented densities one order of magnitude lower in transgressed areas than in other tidal flats, indicating a clear response to the reduced availability of its main prey, the crustacean Discapseudes surinamensis. We conclude that, although inland migration of coastal wetlands may preserve the extent of tidal flats over time, their increased occupation by transgressed areas can lead to significant losses in feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds.
Ecotoxicological responses of juvenile Sparus aurata to BDE-99 and BPA exposure
Publication . Dias, Marta; Pereira, Marta; Marmelo, Isa; Anacleto, Patrícia; Pousão-Ferreira, Pedro; Cunha, Sara C.; Fernandes, José O.; Petrarca, Mateus; Marques, António; Martins, Marta; Maulvault, Ana Luísa; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit; DCEA - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; Elsevier
Pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) and bisphenol A (BPA) are synthetic organic compounds present in several daily use products. Due to their physicochemical properties, they are ubiquitously present in aquatic ecosystems and considered highly persistent. Recent evidence has confirmed that both emerging compounds are toxic to humans and terrestrial mammals eliciting a wide range of detrimental effects at endocrine and immune levels. However, the ecotoxicological responses that they can trigger in vertebrate marine species have not yet been established. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the ecotoxicological responses of juvenile Sparus aurata upon chronic (28 days) dietary exposure to BDE-99 and BPA (alone and combined) following an integrated multi-biomarker approach that combined fitness indicators (Fulton's K and splenosomatic indexes) with endocrine [cortisol, 17β-estradiol (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) concentrations] and immune (peroxidase and antiprotease activities) endpoints in fish plasma, and oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, and lipid peroxidation (LPO)] endpoints in the fish spleen. The mixture of BDE-99 and BPA yielded the highest IBR index value in both plasma and spleen biomarkers, therefore, suggesting that the effects of these compounds are more severe when they act together. Endocrine biomarkers were the most responsive in the three contaminated treatments. Fitness indicators were not affected by the individual nor the interactive effects of BDE-99 and BPA. These findings highlight the relevance of accounting for the interactive effects of emerging chemical contaminants and integrating responses associated with distinct biological pathways when investigating their impacts on marine life, as such a multi-biomarker approach provides a broader, more realistic and adequate perspective of challenges faced by fish in a contaminated environment.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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Concurso para Atribuição do Estatuto e Financiamento de Laboratórios Associados (LA)
Número da atribuição
LA/P/0069/2020