1. |
- Ekvall, Mikael T., et al.
(author)
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Adsorption of bio-organic eco-corona molecules reduces the toxic response to metallic nanoparticles in Daphnia magna
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As the use of engineered nanomaterials increases, so does the risk of them spreading to natural ecosystems. Hitherto, knowledge regarding the toxic properties of nanoparticles (NP's) and their potential interactions with natural bio-organic molecules adsorbed to them, and thereby forming surface coronas, is limited. However, we show here that the toxic effect of NPs of tungsten carbide cobalt (WC-Co) and cobalt (Co) on the crustacean Daphnia magna is postponed in the presence of natural biological degradation products (eco-corona biomolecules). For Daphnia exposed to WC-Co NPs the survival time increased with 20-25% and for Co NPs with 30-47% after mixing the particles with a solution of eco-corona biomolecules before exposure. This suggests that an eco-corona, composed of biomolecules always present in natural ecosystems, reduces the toxic potency of both studied NPs. Further, the eco-coronas did not affect the particle uptake, suggesting that the reduction in toxicity was related to the particle-organism interaction after eco-corona formation. In a broader context, this implies that although the increasing use and production of NPs may constitute a novel, global environmental threat, the acute toxicity and long-term effects of some NPs will, at least under certain conditions, be reduced as they enter natural ecosystems.
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2. |
- Ekvall, Mikael T., et al.
(author)
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Behavioural responses to co-occurring threats of predation and ultraviolet radiation in Daphnia
- 2020
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In: Freshwater Biology. - : Wiley. - 0046-5070 .- 1365-2427. ; 65:9, s. 1509-1517
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organisms in the wild are faced with multiple threats and a common response is a change in behaviour. To disentangle responses to several threats, we exposed two differently sized species of the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and predation from either moving pelagic or benthic ambush predators. Using an advanced nanotechnology-based method, we tracked the three-dimensional movements of those mm-sized animals at the individual level. Each behavioural trial was performed both under conditions resembling night (no UVR) and day (UVR) and we examined patterns of the depth distribution and swimming speed by Daphnia across three treatments: no predator (control); bottom-dwelling damselfly (Calopteryx sp.); and fish (stickleback, Pungitius pungitius) predators. We also quantified the actual predation rate by the two predators on the two Daphnia species, Daphnia manga and Daphnia pulex. We show that individual Daphnia are able to identify predators with different feeding habitats, rank multiple and simultaneously occurring risks and respond in accordance with the actual threat; complex responses that are generally associated with larger animals. In a broader context, our results highlight and quantify how a cocktail of everyday threats is perceived and handled by invertebrates, which advances our understanding of species distribution in space and time, and thereby of population dynamics and ecosystem function in natural ecosystems.
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3. |
- Fernández, Carla E., et al.
(author)
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Local adaptation to UV radiation in zooplankton : a behavioral and physiological approach
- 2020
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In: Ecosphere. - : Wiley. - 2150-8925. ; 11:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is recognized as a driving force for phenotypic divergence. Here, we aim at assessing the ability of zooplankton to induce UVR tolerance and disentangle the relative importance of local adaptations behind the expression of such tolerance. Two populations of Daphnia pulex, derived from environments strongly differing in UVR conditions, were exposed to UVR for 70 d to induce production of photo-protective compounds and changes in behavioral responses. We expected greater tolerance to UVR in individuals from the high-UVR (H-U) environment as well as a refuge demand inversely related to the level of pigmentation. However, the complementarity between physiological and behavioral strategies was only observed on animals from the Low-UVR environment (L-U). L-U animals developed photo-protective compounds and decreased their refuge demand when re-exposed to UVR, that is, tolerated more UVR, compared to their control siblings. Conversely, UVR-exposed individuals from the H-U environment even having developed higher levels of photo-protective compounds increased their refuge demand staying deeper in the water column compared to the control animals, likely expressing an evolutionary memory to seek refuge in deeper waters irrespective of the UVR level. Stronger changes were observed in the H-U population compared to the L-U population; thus, our results suggest that although changes in tolerance after UVR exposure were evident for both populations, the strength of the inductions was more related to local adaptation independently of the rearing environment, showing that UVR tolerance is dependent on the evolutionary history of each population.
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4. |
- Frankel, Rebecca, et al.
(author)
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Controlled protein mediated aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics does not reduce toxicity towards Daphnia magna
- 2020
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In: Environmental Science: Nano. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2051-8153 .- 2051-8161. ; 7:5, s. 1518-1524
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microplastics have recently become a growing environmental issue, whereas the smaller fractions, nanoplastics, have received less attention. Due to their small size, nanoplastics may affect organisms differently and potentially more severely than larger microplastics. In natural environments nanoplastics also interact with organic material and form larger aggregates, which may, potentially, reduce their toxicity as they grow in size. We tested the change in toxicity towards Daphnia magna by controlling the size of the aggregates of positively charged 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics, which are highly toxic as single particles. We show that although 200 to 500 nm nanoplastics are not toxic, aggregates of 50 nm nanoplastics in the same size range are at least as toxic as the free, 50 nm, nanoplastics. Hence, an increase in size through aggregation, a process likely to occur as nanoparticles enter natural ecosystems, does not reduce toxicity. In a broader context this finding provides a firm basis for societal decision making regarding the potency of nanoparticles as they enter natural ecosystems.
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5. |
- Hansson, Lars Anders, et al.
(author)
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Different climate scenarios alter dominance patterns among aquatic primary producers in temperate systems
- 2020
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In: Limnology and Oceanography. - : WILEY. - 0024-3590 .- 1939-5590. ; 65:10, s. 2328-2336
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In a future climate change perspective, the interactions among different life-forms of primary producers will likely be altered, leading to changes in the relative dominance among macrophytes, filamentous, and planktonic algae. In order to improve the possibilities to forecast future ecosystem services and function, we therefore conducted a long-term mesocosm study where primary producers were exposed to different climate scenarios, including both a mean increase in temperature (4 degrees C) and a similar energy input, but delivered as "heat waves" (fluctuations 0-8 degrees C above ambient). We show that in shallow systems, future climate change scenarios will likely lead to higher total macrophyte biomasses, but also to considerable alterations in the macrophyte community composition. The biomass of filamentous algae (Cladophora) showed no significant difference among treatments, although effect size analyses identified a slight increase at heated conditions. We also show that future climate change will not necessarily lead to more phytoplankton blooms, although a considerable alteration in phytoplankton community composition is to be expected, with a dominance of cyanobacteria and Cryptophytes, whereas Chlorophyceae and diatoms will likely play a less pronounced role than at present. In a broader context, we conclude that the total biomass of macrophytes will likely increase in shallow areas, whereas phytoplankton may not show any strong changes in biomass in a future climate change scenario. Instead, the major changes among primary producers will likely be mirrored in a considerably different species composition than at present.
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6. |
- Mei, Nanxuan, et al.
(author)
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Transfer of Cobalt Nanoparticles in a Simplified Food Web : From Algae to Zooplankton to Fish
- 2021
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In: Applied nano. - : MDPI. - 2673-3501. ; 2:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles (NPs) may be diffusely dispersed into natural ecosystems from various anthropogenic sources such as traffic settings and eventually end up in aquatic systems. As environmentally dispersed Co NPs may be transferred through an aquatic food web, this study investigated this transfer from algae (Scendesmus sp.) to zooplankton (Daphnia magna) to fish (Crucian carp, Carassius carassius). Effects of interactions between naturally excreted biomolecules from D. magna and Co NPs were investigated from an environmental fate perspective. ATR-FTIR measurements showed the adsorption of both algae constituents and excreted biomolecules onto the Co NPs. Less than 5% of the Co NPs formed heteroagglomerates with algae, partly an effect of both agglomeration and settling of the Co NPs. The presence of excreted biomolecules in the solution did not affect the extent of heteroagglomeration. Despite the low extent of heteroagglomeration between Co NPs and algae, the Co NPs were transferred to the next trophic level (D. magna). The Co uptake in D. magna was 300 times larger than the control samples (without Co NP), which were not influenced by the addition of excreted biomolecules to the solution. Significant uptake of Co was observed in the intestine of the fish feeding on D. magna containing Co NPs. No bioaccumulation of Co was observed in the fish. Moreover, 10–20% of the transferred Co NP mass was dissolved after 24 h in the simulated gut solution of the zooplankton (pH 7), and 50–60% was dissolved in the simulated gut solution of the fish (pH 4). The results elucidate that Co NPs gain different properties upon trophic transfer in the food web. Risk assessments should hence be conducted on transformed and weathered NPs rather than on pristine particles.
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7. |
- Mei, Nanxuan, et al.
(author)
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Transfer of Cobalt Nanoparticles in a Simplified Food Web : From Algae to Zooplankton to Fish
- 2021
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In: Applied Nano. - : MDPI AG. - 2673-3501. ; 2:3, s. 184-205
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cobalt (Co) nanoparticles (NPs) may be diffusely dispersed into natural ecosystems from various anthropogenic sources such as traffic settings and eventually end up in aquatic systems. As environmentally dispersed Co NPs may be transferred through an aquatic food web, this study investigated this transfer from algae (Scendesmus sp.) to zooplankton (Daphnia magna) to fish (Crucian carp, Carassius carassius). Effects of interactions between naturally excreted biomolecules from D. magna and Co NPs were investigated from an environmental fate perspective. ATR-FTIR measurements showed the adsorption of both algae constituents and excreted biomolecules onto the Co NPs. Less than 5% of the Co NPs formed heteroagglomerates with algae, partly an effect of both agglomeration and settling of the Co NPs. The presence of excreted biomolecules in the solution did not affect the extent of heteroagglomeration. Despite the low extent of heteroagglomeration between Co NPs and algae, the Co NPs were transferred to the next trophic level (D. magna). The Co uptake in D. magna was 300 times larger than the control samples (without Co NP), which were not influenced by the addition of excreted biomolecules to the solution. Significant uptake of Co was observed in the intestine of the fish feeding on D. magna containing Co NPs. No bioaccumulation of Co was observed in the fish. Moreover, 10–20% of the transferred Co NP mass was dissolved after 24 h in the simulated gut solution of the zooplankton (pH 7), and 50–60% was dissolved in the simulated gut solution of the fish (pH 4). The results elucidate that Co NPs gain different properties upon trophic transfer in the food web. Risk assessments should hence be conducted on transformed and weathered NPs rather than on pristine particles.
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8. |
- Odnevall, Inger, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Characterization and Toxic Potency of Airborne Particles Formed upon Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste Recycling : A Case Study
- 2023
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In: ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2694-2518. ; 3:6, s. 370-382
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Manual dismantling, shredding, and mechanical grinding of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at recycling facilities inevitably lead to the accidental formation and release of both coarse and fine particle aerosols, primarily into the ambient air. Since diffuse emissions to air of such WEEE particles are not regulated, their dispersion from the recycling plants into the adjacent environment is possible. The aim of this interdisciplinary project was to collect and characterize airborne WEEE particles smaller than 1 mu m generated at a Nordic open waste recycling facility from a particle concentration, shape, and bulk and surface composition perspective. Since dispersed airborne particles eventually may reach rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans, the aim was also to assess whether such particles may pose any adverse effects on aquatic organisms. The results show that WEEE particles only exerted a weak tendency toward cytotoxic effects on fish gill cell lines, although the exposure resulted in ROS formation that may induce adverse effects. On the contrary, the WEEE particles were toxic toward the crustacean zooplankter Daphnia magna, showing strong effects on survival of the animals in a concentration-dependent way.
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