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- Van den Brink, P. J., et al.
(author)
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Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for Europe
- 2018
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In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 37:9, s. 2281-2295
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have been established to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals will require a healthy and productive environment. An understanding of the impacts of chemicals which can negatively impact environmental health is therefore essential to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, current research on and regulation of chemicals in the environment tend to take a simplistic view and do not account for the complexity of the real world, which inhibits the way we manage chemicals. There is therefore an urgent need for a step change in the way we study and communicate the impacts and control of chemicals in the natural environment. To do this requires the major research questions to be identified so that resources are focused on questions that really matter. We present the findings of a horizon-scanning exercise to identify research priorities of the European environmental science community around chemicals in the environment. Using the key questions approach, we identified 22 questions of priority. These questions covered overarching questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where, impacts of global megatrends, protection goals, and sustainability of chemicals; the development and parameterization of assessment and management frameworks; and mechanisms to maximize the impact of the research. The research questions identified provide a first-step in the path forward for the research, regulatory, and business communities to better assess and manage chemicals in the natural environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2281-2295. (c) 2018 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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- Bertram, Michael G., et al.
(author)
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Frontiers in quantifying wildlife behavioural responses to chemical pollution
- 2022
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In: Biological Reviews. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1464-7931 .- 1469-185X. ; 97:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal behaviour is remarkably sensitive to disruption by chemical pollution, with widespread implications for ecological and evolutionary processes in contaminated wildlife populations. However, conventional approaches applied to study the impacts of chemical pollutants on wildlife behaviour seldom address the complexity of natural environments in which contamination occurs. The aim of this review is to guide the rapidly developing field of behavioural ecotoxicology towards increased environmental realism, ecological complexity, and mechanistic understanding. We identify research areas in ecology that to date have been largely overlooked within behavioural ecotoxicology but which promise to yield valuable insights, including within- and among-individual variation, social networks and collective behaviour, and multi-stressor interactions. Further, we feature methodological and technological innovations that enable the collection of data on pollutant-induced behavioural changes at an unprecedented resolution and scale in the laboratory and the field. In an era of rapid environmental change, there is an urgent need to advance our understanding of the real-world impacts of chemical pollution on wildlife behaviour. This review therefore provides a roadmap of the major outstanding questions in behavioural ecotoxicology and highlights the need for increased cross-talk with other disciplines in order to find the answers.
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| 5. |
- Ferizi, U., et al.
(author)
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Diffusion MRI microstructure models with in vivo human brain Connectome data: results from a multi-group comparison
- 2017
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In: NMR in Biomedicine. - : Wiley. - 0952-3480 .- 1099-1492. ; 30:9, s. Article no e3734 -
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A large number of mathematical models have been proposed to describe the measured signal in diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, model comparison to date focuses only on specific subclasses, e.g. compartment models or signal models, and little or no information is available in the literature on how performance varies among the different types of models. To address this deficiency, we organized the White Matter Modeling Challenge' during the International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) 2015 conference. This competition aimed to compare a range of different kinds of models in their ability to explain a large range of measurable in vivo DW human brain data. Specifically, we assessed the ability of models to predict the DW signal accurately for new diffusion gradients and b values. We did not evaluate the accuracy of estimated model parameters, as a ground truth is hard to obtain. We used the Connectome scanner at the Massachusetts General Hospital, using gradient strengths of up to 300mT/m and a broad set of diffusion times. We focused on assessing the DW signal prediction in two regions: the genu in the corpus callosum, where the fibres are relatively straight and parallel, and the fornix, where the configuration of fibres is more complex. The challenge participants had access to three-quarters of the dataset and their models were ranked on their ability to predict the remaining unseen quarter of the data. The challenge provided a unique opportunity for a quantitative comparison of diverse methods from multiple groups worldwide. The comparison of the challenge entries reveals interesting trends that could potentially influence the next generation of diffusion-based quantitative MRI techniques. The first is that signal models do not necessarily outperform tissue models; in fact, of those tested, tissue models rank highest on average. The second is that assuming a non-Gaussian (rather than purely Gaussian) noise model provides little improvement in prediction of unseen data, although it is possible that this may still have a beneficial effect on estimated parameter values. The third is that preprocessing the training data, here by omitting signal outliers, and using signal-predicting strategies, such as bootstrapping or cross-validation, could benefit the model fitting. The analysis in this study provides a benchmark for other models and the data remain available to build up a more complete comparison in the future.
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| 9. |
- Fork, Megan L., et al.
(author)
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Dosing the Coast: Leaking Sewage Infrastructure Delivers Large Annual Doses and Dynamic Mixtures of Pharmaceuticals to Urban Rivers
- 2021
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In: Environmental Science and Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 55:17, s. 11637-11645
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pharmaceuticals are commonly detected at low concentrations in surface waters, where they disrupt biological and ecological processes. Despite their ubiquity, the annual mass of pharmaceuticals exported from watersheds is rarely quantified. We used liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy to screen for 92 pharmaceuticals in weekly samples from an urban stream network in Baltimore, MD, USA, that lacks wastewater treatment effluents. Across the network, we detected 37 unique compounds, with higher concentrations and more compounds in streams with higher population densities. We also used concentrations and stream discharge to calculate annual pharmaceutical loads at the watershed outlet, which range from less than 1 kg to μ15 kg and are equivalent to tens of thousands of human doses. By calculating annual watershed mass balances for eight compounds, we show that μ0.05 to μ42% of the pharmaceuticals consumed by humans in this watershed are released to surface waters, with the importance of different pathways (leaking sewage vs treated wastewater effluent) differing among compounds. These results demonstrate the importance of developing, maintaining, and improving sewage infrastructure to protect water resources from pharmaceutical contamination.
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| 10. |
- Gardner, T. A., et al.
(author)
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Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains
- 2019
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In: World Development. - : Elsevier BV. - 0305-750X .- 1873-5991. ; 121, s. 163-177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Over the last few decades rapid advances in processes to collect, monitor, disclose, and disseminate information have contributed towards the development of entirely new modes of sustainability governance for global commodity supply chains. However, there has been very little critical appraisal of the contribution made by different transparency initiatives to sustainability and the ways in which they can (and cannot)influence new governance arrangements. Here we seek to strengthen the theoretical underpinning of research and action on supply chain transparency by addressing four questions: (1)What is meant by supply chain transparency? (2)What is the relevance of supply chain transparency to supply chain sustainability governance? (3)What is the current status of supply chain transparency, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of existing initiatives? and (4)What propositions can be advanced for how transparency can have a positive transformative effect on the governance interventions that seek to strengthen sustainability outcomes? We use examples from agricultural supply chains and the zero-deforestation agenda as a focus of our analysis but draw insights that are relevant to the transparency and sustainability of supply chains in general. We propose a typology to distinguish among types of supply chain information that are needed to support improvements in sustainability governance, and illustrate a number of major shortfalls and systematic biases in existing information systems. We also propose a set of ten propositions that, taken together, serve to expose some of the potential pitfalls and undesirable outcomes that may result from (inevitably)limited or poorly designed transparency systems, whilst offering guidance on some of the ways in which greater transparency can make a more effective, lasting and positive contribution to sustainability.
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| 12. |
- Lagesson, Annelie, et al.
(author)
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Fish on steroids : Temperature-dependent effects of 17β-trenbolone on predator escape, boldness, and exploratory behaviors
- 2019
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In: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 245, s. 243-252
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hormonal growth promoters (HGPs), widely used in beef cattle production globally, make their way into the environment as agricultural effluent—with potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems. One HPG of particular concern is 17β-trenbolone, which is persistent in freshwater habitats and can affect the development, morphology and reproductive behaviors of aquatic organisms. Despite this, few studies have investigated impacts of 17β-trenbolone on non-reproductive behaviors linked to growth and survival, like boldness and predator avoidance. None consider the interaction between 17β-trenbolone and other environmental stressors, such as temperature, although environmental challenges confronting animals in the wild seldom, if ever, occur in isolation. Accordingly, this study aimed to test the interactive effects of trenbolone and temperature on organismal behavior. To do this, eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were subjected to an environmentally-relevant concentration of 17β-trenbolone (average measured concentration 3.0 ± 0.2 ng/L) or freshwater (i.e. control) for 21 days under one of two temperatures (20 and 30 °C), after which the predator escape, boldness and exploration behavior of fish were tested. Predator escape behavior was assayed by subjecting fish to a simulated predator strike, while boldness and exploration were assessed in a separate maze experiment. We found that trenbolone exposure increased boldness behavior. Interestingly, some behavioral effects of trenbolone depended on temperature, sex, or both. Specifically, significant effects of trenbolone on male predator escape behavior were only noted at 30 °C, with males becoming less reactive to the simulated threat. Further, in the maze experiment, trenbolone-exposed fish explored the maze faster than control fish, but only at 20 °C. We conclude that field detected concentrations of 17β-trenbolone can impact ecologically important behaviors of fish, and such effects can be temperature dependent. Such findings underscore the importance of considering the potentially interactive effects of other environmental stressors when investigating behavioral effects of environmental contaminants.
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| 13. |
- Larsson, D. G. Joakim, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Release of active pharmaceutical ingredients from Indian bulk drug manufacture – environmental fate and effects on antibiotic resistance development, microbial ecosystems and vertebrate physiology
- 2008
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In: 2008 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, November 16-20, Tampa, USA.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Last year, we published a paper showing extraordinary high levels of several drugs in treated effluent from a plant receiving process water from about 90 bulk drug manufacturers from the Hyderabad region in India. Particularly, the levels of various fluoroquinolones (up to 31 mg/L) called for more information on the potential development of antibiotic resistance of exposed bacteria, as well as potential ecological effects on microbial ecosystems. In this study we will present the first characterization of 93 strains of bacteria sampled inside the treatment facility for their sensitivity/resistance to 39 different antibiotics. Furthermore, controlled exposure experiments suggest that the treated effluent affects the functional structure of natural freshwater microbial communities at a dilution of 1:1000. Short to medium-term exposure experiments with frogs and fish demonstrate sublethal effects of the treated effluent at similar dilutions, suggesting that expected environmental effects are not restricted to disturbed microorganism communities. Data on the fate of different pharmaceuticals in a gradient up and downstream from the treatment facility will be presented, as well as levels in drinking water wells in seven nearby villages, showing a transport of drugs via the groundwater. We conclude that the environmental impact of drug production in the Hyderabad region is of great environmental concern. We will also present summary data on the origin of active substances present in pharmaceutical products on the Swedish market, implying an international responsibility for improving the environmental pollution situation related to bulk drug production in India.
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| 15. |
- Orton, F., et al.
(author)
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Exposure to an anti-androgenic herbicide negatively impacts reproductive physiology and fertility in Xenopustropicalis
- 2018
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amphibians are threatened on a global scale and pollutants may be contributing to population declines, but how chemicals impact on their reproduction is poorly understood. We conducted a life cycle analysis to investigate the impacts of early life exposure to two anti-androgens (exposure until completion of metamorphosis;stage 66): flutamide, (50 µg/L)/linuron (9 and 45 µg/L)) on sexual development and breeding competence in Xenopus tropicalis. Our analyses included: mRNA levels of dmrt1, cyp17, amh, cyp19, foxl2 and ar (tadpoles/metamorphs), gonadal histomorphology (metamorphs/adults), mRNA levels of ar/gr (adult male brain/gonad/forelimb), testosterone/corticosterone levels (adult males), secondary sexual characteristics (forelimb width/nuptial pad: adult males) and breeding competence (amplexus/fertility: adult males). Compared to controls, feminised sex ratios and increased number of spermatogonia (adults) were observed after exposure to flutamide and the lower linuron concentration. Exposure to the lower linuron concentration also resulted in demasculinisation of secondary sexual characteristics and reduced male fertility. Flutamide exposure resulted in masculinisation of the nuptial pad and elevated mRNA levels of dmrt1, cyp17, amh and foxl2 in brains (metamorphs). Testosterone levels were higher in all treatment groups, however, overall few effects were observed in response to the higher linuron concentration. Our findings advance understanding of reproductive biology of X. tropicalis and illustrate negative effects of linuron on reproductive processes at a concentration measured in freshwater environments.
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| 19. |
- Rosi, Emma J., et al.
(author)
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Are animal disease reservoirs at risk of human antiviral exposure?
- 2023
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In: Environmental Science and Technology Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2328-8930. ; 10:5, s. 439-445
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Novel viral pathogens are causing diseases to emerge in humans, a challenge to which society has responded with technological innovations such as antiviral therapies. Antivirals can be rapidly deployed to mitigate severe disease, and with vaccines, they can save human lives and provide a long-term safety net against new viral diseases. Yet with these advances come unforeseen consequences when antivirals are inevitably released to the environment. Using SARS-CoV-2 as a case study, we identify global patterns of overlap between bats and elevated pharmaceutical concentrations in surface waters. We model how freshwater contamination by antivirals could result in exposure to insectivorous bats via consumption of emergent insects with aquatic larvae, ultimately risking the evolution of antiviral-resistant viruses in bats. The consequences of widespread antiviral usage for both human and ecosystem health underscore urgent frontiers in scientific research, antiviral development, and use.
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| 21. |
- Saaristo, Minna, et al.
(author)
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Behavioural effects of psychoactive pharmaceutical exposure on European perch (Perca fluviatilis) in a multi-stressor environment
- 2019
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 655, s. 1311-1320
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the ability to resist biodegradation and exert therapeutic effects at low concentrations, pharmaceutical contaminants have become environmental stressors for wildlife. One such contaminant is the anxiolytic oxazepam, a psychoactive pharmaceutical that is frequently detected in surface waters globally. Despite growing interest in understanding how wildlife respond to anxiolytics, synergistic effects of pharmaceuticals and other abiotic (e.g. temperature) and biotic (e.g. predation risk) stressors remain unclear. Here, using a multi-stressor approach, we investigated effects of 7-day oxazepam exposure (6.5 μg/L) on anxiety-related behaviours in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis). The multi-stressor approach was achieved by exposing perch to oxazepam at two temperatures (10 °C and 18 °C), and at two predation risk regimes—generated using chemical cues from the northern pike (Esox lucius). Our exposures resulted in a successful uptake of the drug from the water, i.e., oxazepam was measured in perch muscle tissue at 50 ± 17 ng/g (mean ± SD). We found significant oxazepam-induced effects on boldness, with 76.7% of the treated fish entering the white background (i.e. ‘exposed’ area where exposure to presumed risks are higher) within the first 5 min, compared to 66.6% of the control fish. We also found a significant effect of temperature on total time spent freezing (i.e. staying motionless). Specifically, fish in the low temperature treatments (oxazepam, predation) froze for longer than fish in high temperatures. Our multi-stressor study is the first to uncover how anxiety-related behaviours in wild juvenile fish are altered by changes in water temperature and perceived predation risk. Importantly, our findings highlight the need to focus on multiple stressors to improve understanding of how organisms not only survive, but adapt to, human-induced environmental change.
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| 22. |
- Saaristo, Minna, et al.
(author)
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Behavioural effects of temperature, predation-risk and anxiolytic exposure on the European perch (Perca fluviatilis)
- 2018
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- With the ability to resist biodegradation and exert therapeutic effects at low concentrations, emerging contaminants have become environmental stressors for wildlife. One such contaminant is the anxiolytic oxazepam, a psychoactive pharmaceutical which is frequently detected in surface waters globally. Despite the growing interest in understanding how wildlife responds to such contaminants, the synergistic fitness effects of pharmaceuticals and increased variability in temperature remain unclear. Here, by using a multi-stressor approach, we investigated the effects of 7-d oxazepam exposure (6.5 μg/L) on anxiety-related behaviours in juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis). The multi-stressor approach was achieved by exposing perch to oxazepam at either low (10°C) or high (18°C) temperature, with or without a predation cue, generating 8 treatments. Our exposures resulted in a successful uptake of the drug from the water, i.e. oxazepam was measured at muscle tissue concentrations around 50 ± 17 ng/g (mean ± SD). We found significant effects on boldness induced by the studied drug: 92.8% of the fish in the 'oxazepam and predation and high temperature' treatment entered the white background (representing a novel area where exposure to presumed risks are higher) within the first 5 min, compared to 79.3% of the 'control and predation and high temperature' fish. We also found a significant effect on temperature on the total time freezing (i.e. staying motionless). Specifically, fish in the low temperature treatments (oxazepam, predation and control) froze for longer than fish in the high temperatures, respectively. Our study is the first to show altered anxiety-related behaviours in a native juvenile fish resulting from oxazepam, predation and high temperature. As adaptation to a range of biotic and abiotic pressures is essential to living organisms, our study highlights the need to focus on multiple stressors to improve understanding of how organisms not only survive, but adapt to human-induced environmental change.
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