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Occurrence of priority and emerging organic contaminants in cold-water corals and their habitat: A case study in La Herradura Bay (Spain)
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Researchers found that untreated wastewater is leaking pharmaceuticals, sunscreen chemicals, and other pollutants into a protected Spanish bay, where endangered cold-water corals are soaking them up into their tissues. This matters because it shows how everyday products we use, from medications to sunscreens, end up contaminating marine ecosystems when wastewater isn't properly treated, potentially harming vulnerable ocean life and signaling broader pollution risks in coastal waters we depend on for food and recreation.
Coastal ecosystems are heavily anthropized areas impacted by discharge of chemical pollutants. We present for the first time the occurrence of a wide number of such chemicals in surface water, sediment, suspended particulate matter, and corals from a protected Mediterranean setting, La Herradura Bay (Spain). A seasonal monitoring sampling campaign was conducted in 2021 (winter and summer). This bay is a marine biodiversity hot spot and home for endangered cold-water corals species (Astroides calycularis and Dendrophyllia ramea). Up to 94 target analytes were present in marine samples, with pharmaceuticals being the predominant compound class (up to 37 ng L-1 in seawater and 775 ng g-1 in sediments), especially during the winter season. Uncontrolled untreated wastewater discharges in combination with hydrodynamics dominating in the area seemed to be the major source of contaminants towards the coral colonies inhabiting the bay, which accumulate pharmaceuticals (up to 154 ng g-1), personal care products (UV filters and synthetic fragrances), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and organophosphate flame retardants, showing log BAFs up to 6.6. Such values were slightly higher in D. ramea than A. calycularis, but not statistically significant differences were observed (p-value >0.05). Further research is encouraged to assess possible damage to cold-water coral species exposed to multiple contaminants.
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Occurrence of Cosmetic Ingredients as an Anthropogenic Threat to the Seas and Oceans
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Researchers detected UV filters, synthetic fragrances, and microplastics from cosmetics in treated wastewater effluent discharged into coastal waters. These cosmetic-derived pollutants persisted through standard wastewater treatment and accumulated in marine environments. The findings support calls for better wastewater treatment and product regulations to reduce cosmetic pollution.
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Researchers investigated the combined influence of microplastics and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) on aquatic organisms, finding that co-exposure can produce greater toxic effects than either contaminant alone. The study highlights the need to consider microplastics as vectors for chemical contaminants in environmental risk assessments.
Holistic assessment of chemical and biological pollutants in a Mediterranean wastewater effluent-dominated stream: Interactions and ecological impacts
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Researchers conducted a comprehensive assessment of pollution downstream from a wastewater treatment plant discharge into a Mediterranean river in Spain. They found elevated levels of pharmaceuticals, metals, microplastics, PFAS chemicals, and antibiotic resistance genes below the discharge point, though some recovery occurred within about 500 meters downstream. The study demonstrates that even treated wastewater significantly alters river water quality and microbial communities, highlighting the need for improved treatment technologies.
Microplastic sorption of personal care products in aquatic environments: mechanisms and key factors
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This review of existing research shows that tiny plastic particles in water can absorb and carry chemicals from personal care products like sunscreen, soap, and cosmetics. When microplastics pick up these chemicals, they could potentially transport them to new places in the environment and possibly into our food chain. This matters because it suggests microplastics might be spreading personal care chemicals in ways we don't fully understand yet.
Contaminants and their ecological risk assessment in beach sediments and water along the Maharashtra coast of India: A comprehensive approach using microplastics, heavy metal(loid)s, pharmaceuticals, personal care products and plasticisers
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Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of multiple contaminant types along India's Maharashtra coast, including microplastics, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and plasticizers in both water and sediment. They found widespread contamination with microplastics present at all 17 sampling stations, alongside concerning levels of other pollutants. The study highlights how coastal communities face exposure to a cocktail of emerging contaminants, with microplastics potentially acting as carriers for other harmful substances.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.