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Papers
11 resultsShowing papers from Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement
ClearSoil pollution in the European Union – An outlook
This review assesses the state of soil pollution across the European Union, finding that contamination from heavy metals, pesticides, and emerging pollutants like microplastics is widespread but poorly monitored. The authors call for standardized measurement methods and updated regulations, noting that soil pollution can affect human health through contaminated crops and drinking water.
A Synthesis of Global Coastal Ocean Greenhouse Gas Fluxes
This large-scale study measured greenhouse gas exchanges between the coastal ocean and atmosphere, finding that while coastal waters absorb carbon dioxide, they also release nitrous oxide and methane that offset much of that climate benefit. While focused on greenhouse gases rather than microplastics, the study is relevant because climate change and ocean chemistry changes affect how microplastics behave in marine environments. Warming oceans and changing chemistry could influence how microplastics break down and move through the food chain.
Spatial variability of Saharan dust deposition revealed through a citizen science campaign
Researchers used a citizen science campaign to collect dust-on-snow samples across the Pyrenees and Alps following a major Saharan dust event in February 2021. They found that the amount and particle size of deposited dust decreased with distance from the source, and south-facing slopes accumulated more dust. The study demonstrates how citizen science can fill gaps in understanding atmospheric dust transport, which also carries microplastics and other pollutants across long distances.
Understanding the cost of soil erosion: An assessment of the sediment removal costs from the reservoirs of the European Union
Researchers calculated the economic cost of soil erosion in the European Union by estimating how much sediment accumulates in reservoirs and what it costs to remove it, finding the bill likely exceeds 2.3 billion euros per year just from water erosion alone. This matters because understanding these off-site costs can help justify stronger soil conservation policies like the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan.
Potential impacts of pandemics on global warming, agricultural production, and biodiversity loss
This paper examines the interconnected impacts of pandemics on global environmental challenges including climate change, agricultural production, and biodiversity loss, drawing on research from French and international institutions. It highlights how major disease outbreaks can disrupt both human systems and the natural environment in complex and sometimes unexpected ways.
Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems
Researchers from the Tara Pacific expedition collected nearly 58,000 samples from coral reefs and ocean surface waters across 32 Pacific islands between 2016 and 2018, creating a massive open-access dataset for studying ocean ecosystems. This publicly available resource allows scientists worldwide to investigate a wide range of questions about coral reef health, ocean biodiversity, and environmental change.
Caractérisation de l’état de contamination de l’axe Seine
A multidisciplinary study of the Seine River in France used passive samplers, caged organisms, and direct water and sediment sampling to characterize contamination across the basin, documenting microplastics, PFAS, antibiotics, pesticides, and metals in both water and biota. Microplastic concentrations were measured in river water and flood deposits, and results showed a clear upstream-to-downstream contamination gradient driven by Paris-region urbanization. The dataset provides one of the most comprehensive multi-contaminant profiles of a major European river system.
Open science resources from the Tara Pacific expedition across coral reef and surface ocean ecosystems
Researchers describe the open science data resources generated by the Tara Pacific expedition (2016-2018), which sampled coral reef ecosystems around 32 Pacific islands and 249 ocean surface locations, collecting nearly 58,000 samples for biogeochemical, molecular, and imaging analysis. The paper provides a comprehensive description of sampling methodology and explains how to access the diverse environmental and biological datasets released for open scientific use.
Expanding Tara Oceans Protocols for Underway, Ecosystemic Sampling of the Ocean-Atmosphere Interface During Tara Pacific Expedition (2016–2018)
This paper describes expanded sampling protocols used during the Tara Pacific expedition to collect comprehensive data on ocean surface plankton, atmospheric particles, and air-sea interactions. Such oceanographic expeditions have documented microplastic contamination across the Pacific, contributing to global pollution baseline data.
Microplastics in sediment deposited along the Seine River after a major flood event (February 2021)
Researchers measured microplastics in sediments deposited along the Seine River during and after a major flood event in February 2021. Flood conditions resuspended sediment and transported microplastics from contaminated riverbanks downstream, redistributing them to new locations. The findings confirm that flood events are significant drivers of microplastic transport and can complicate pollution management efforts.
PlanktonScope: Affordable modular imaging platform for citizen oceanography
Researchers built an affordable, modular imaging platform called the PlanktonScope that enables citizen scientists and researchers to image and monitor marine plankton communities at low cost. Such tools could be adapted for identifying and counting microplastic particles in water samples, expanding the scale of environmental monitoring.