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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to A Critical Review of the Availability, Reliability, and Ecological Relevance of Arctic Species Toxicity Tests for Use in Environmental Risk Assessment
ClearThe influence of global climate change on accumulation and toxicity of persistent organic pollutants and chemicals of emerging concern in Arctic food webs
This review examined how climate change affects the accumulation and toxicity of persistent organic pollutants in Arctic food webs. Researchers found that warming temperatures, melting permafrost, and shifting species ranges are changing how contaminants move through and concentrate in Arctic ecosystems. The study suggests that climate change and chemical pollution together may create compounding stress on Arctic wildlife populations.
An ecotoxicological risk model for the microplastics in arctic waters
Researchers developed a novel ecotoxicological risk model for microplastics in Arctic marine waters, incorporating oxidative stress as a toxicity endpoint and accounting for Arctic-specific environmental conditions and species physiology. The model predicted elevated risk for Arctic biota under current microplastic concentrations, particularly for filter feeders and small crustaceans.
Current efforts on microplastic monitoring in Arctic fish and how to proceed
This review examined published studies on microplastics in Arctic fish, finding limited but growing evidence of contamination across multiple Arctic regions and calling for standardized monitoring protocols and improved risk assessment frameworks.
Microplastic pollution in the Arctic Ocean: Assessing ingestion and potential health effects in Calanus and Neocalanus copepods
This review assessed the extent of microplastic ingestion by Arctic marine organisms and evaluated the potential risks to both wildlife and human consumers of Arctic seafood. The authors found evidence of microplastic ingestion across multiple species and called for more research on long-term ecological impacts in polar environments.
Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services
Researchers reviewed the multiple environmental pressures facing the Arctic Ocean, including a complex mix of chemical pollutants, climate change, and fishing activity, finding that current policies and data are insufficient to assess their combined impacts on fragile Arctic ecosystems. The study calls for targeted Arctic research and updated monitoring frameworks to better protect the region's ecosystem services — which include food, climate regulation, and global trade routes.
Monitoring litter and microplastics in Arctic mammals and birds
This review evaluates approaches for monitoring litter and microplastic ingestion in Arctic mammals and birds, assessing both the strengths and limitations of using wildlife as pollution indicators. Researchers found that while some species provide useful data on spatial and temporal pollution trends, monitoring programs need to be carefully designed to account for species-specific feeding behaviors and habitats. The study emphasizes the importance of standardized methods for tracking plastic pollution's impacts on Arctic biodiversity and the communities that rely on these animals for food.
Influence of climate change on persistent organic pollutants and chemicals of emerging concern in the Arctic: state of knowledge and recommendations for future research
This review assesses how climate change influences the fate of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic, finding growing evidence that warming, ice loss, and permafrost thaw are remobilizing legacy contaminants and altering their distribution in Arctic ecosystems.
Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services
This review found that the Arctic Ocean faces compounding pressures from multiple pollutants, climate change, and fishing activity that collectively threaten ecosystem services, and recommends combining existing assessment tools to better evaluate these combined anthropogenic impacts.
Combined threats of climate change and contaminant exposure through the lens of bioenergetics
Researchers reviewed how chemical contaminant exposure combines with climate change to affect animal energy budgets, with a focus on Arctic wildlife exposed to pollutants like persistent organic chemicals and microplastics. They found that both stressors independently increase the energy organisms need to survive, and when combined, the effects can be additive or even multiplicative. The study suggests that animals already stressed by warming temperatures may be especially vulnerable to the additional burden of environmental contaminants.
Investigating the dynamics of methylmercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea shelf food web: a modeling perspective
An ecosystem-based methylmercury bioaccumulation model was developed for the Beaufort Sea shelf using the Ecotracer module, finding that climate-driven changes in sea ice cover, primary production, and food web structure are key factors driving temporal trends in methylmercury levels in Arctic biota.
Ecosystem assessment of the Central Arctic Ocean: Description of human activities, its pressures, and vulnerability of the ecosystem
Researchers conducted a comprehensive ecosystem assessment of the Central Arctic Ocean, identifying 11 direct human-induced pressures including marine litter and microplastics that reach the region through local activities and long-range transport via air, rivers, and ocean currents. The study evaluated the vulnerability of key Arctic species and ecological groups to these pressures. The findings highlight that even this remote ocean region faces significant contamination risks from microplastics and other pollutants originating far from the Arctic.
A critical review on the evaluation of toxicity and ecological risk assessment of plastics in the marine environment
This critical review questions whether current scientific methods can adequately assess the ecological risks of plastic pollution in the ocean. The authors note that plastics can cause physical, chemical, and biological harm to marine life, but most studies use unrealistically high concentrations and pristine lab-made particles rather than real-world weathered plastics. The review calls for more standardized and environmentally relevant testing approaches.
Ecosystem assessment of the Central Arctic Ocean: Description of human activities, its pressures, and vulnerability of the ecosystem
Researchers assessed human activities and their environmental pressures on the Central Arctic Ocean ecosystem, identifying 11 direct human-induced pressures including contaminants, marine litter with microplastics, and ship traffic. The study found that pollutants and microplastics reach this remote region via air, rivers, and ocean currents from distant global sources, in addition to local activities like research and tourism. The assessment highlights the vulnerability of Arctic ecosystems to these combined pressures as the region undergoes rapid change from global warming.
Gaps in aquatic toxicological studies of microplastics
This paper identifies key gaps in aquatic toxicological studies of microplastics, arguing that most studies use unrealistic concentrations or particle types and calling for more ecologically relevant experimental designs to better assess real-world risks.
Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic
This study examined whether Arctic seabirds that ingest microplastics also accumulate chemical contaminants carried by the plastic particles. The findings suggest that microplastics can act as vectors for delivering toxic chemicals to seabirds, adding to the burden of pollutants already present in Arctic food webs.
Evaluation of the Toxicity of Microplastics in the Supralittoral of the Barents Sea Using Test Objects of Different Trophic Levels
Researchers evaluated the toxicity of microplastics collected from the supralittoral zone of the Barents Sea to model organisms, finding that environmental microplastics — which carry sorbed contaminants and biofilms — were more toxic than pristine laboratory microplastics of equivalent polymer type. The results highlight the importance of using environmentally weathered particles rather than pristine plastics in ecotoxicology studies.
Accumulation of Plastic Debris and Associated Contaminants in Aquatic Food Webs
Researchers built a food web model simulating microplastic and chemical contaminant transfer through an Arctic marine food chain from zooplankton to polar bears. The model found that while microplastics themselves do not biomagnify substantially through trophic levels, they can alter the bioaccumulation patterns of hydrophobic organic chemicals depending on the chemical properties and organism physiology.
An alternative approach to risk rank chemicals on the threat they pose to the aquatic environment
This paper proposed an alternative approach for ranking chemicals by the threat they pose to aquatic ecosystems, integrating exposure and hazard data in a more ecologically meaningful way than standard risk quotient methods.
Climate change influence on the levels and trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) in the Arctic physical environment – a review
This review examines how climate change in the Arctic is altering the distribution and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants and other emerging chemicals of concern, finding that warming, sea ice loss, and permafrost thaw are remobilizing historically deposited contaminants and changing their transport pathways.
Trends in quality and risk assessment applicability of microplastic ecotoxicity studies
Analyzing 286 microplastic ecotoxicity studies from the ToMEx 2.0 database, researchers found that while most studies met basic technical criteria, fewer than half provided data suitable for ecological risk assessment, with quality scores varying significantly by taxonomic group.
Climate change influence on the levels and trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) in the Arctic physical environment – a review
This review examines how climate change affects the distribution of persistent organic pollutants and emerging contaminants in Arctic environments, finding that warming temperatures, permafrost thaw, and ice loss are mobilizing contaminants including microplastics into marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Can plastic related chemicals be indicators of plastic ingestion in an Arctic seabird?
Researchers measured plastic-related chemicals in the blood and liver of Arctic seabirds known to ingest large amounts of plastic, finding that most chemical concentrations did not correlate with the amount of plastic ingested — suggesting seabirds are also exposed to these chemicals through their food, not just through eating plastic.
Fish species, habitat, and capture location outweigh fish mass as drivers of microplastic pollution in Canadian Arctic fishes
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in 435 stomachs and gastrointestinal tracts of seven freshwater fish species from the Canadian Arctic. The study found that fish species, habitat type, and capture location were more important drivers of microplastic levels than fish size, with demersal species and those near larger human populations containing significantly more microplastics.
Non-traditional species sensitivity distribution approaches to analyze hazardous concentrations of microplastics in marine water
Researchers analyzed species sensitivity distribution curves for microplastic toxicity in marine water using non-traditional approaches, determining hazardous concentration thresholds across multiple toxicity endpoints to support environmental risk assessment.