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Marine Pollution and Ecological Environment
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Marine Pollution and Ecological Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Oceans".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 6844

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fehmi Boufahja

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Carthage, Tunisia
Interests: marine area; pollution; meiofauna; nematodes; ecotoxicology; ecology; DNA barcoding
Dr. Amor Hedfi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Interests: marine area; pollution; meiofauna; nematodes; ecotoxicology; ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The marine realm harbours a large number of aquatic organisms, which are, in varying degrees, affected by human activities. The study of ecotoxicology tries to understand the intimate interactions between toxic compounds and sentinel species, either individually or as assemblages. Other research focuses on the deleterious impacts of these compounds on marine fauna at the community level, highlighting the multiple interactions among species, their habitats and the compounds of interest. In most cases, ecotoxicology differs from classical toxicological studies by approaching these complicated interactions through an interdisciplinary approach, based on state-of-the-art chemical, biochemical (e.g., use of genetic markers), physical (e.g., understanding the structure of the compound of interest for a better understanding of how it interacts at a cellular or molecular level), and ecophysiological (e.g., consumption of growth rate) analyses. The current Special Issue aims to present a collection of papers emphasizing the latest advances in understanding the way that different compounds are inadvertently or purposefully released into marine habitats, and their effect on the diversity and the biology of various taxonomic groups.

Dr. Fehmi Boufahja
Dr. Amor Hedfi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • marine Pollution
  • bioindicators
  • ecology
  • ecotoxicology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4163 KiB  
Article
The Antidepressants Amitriptyline and Paroxetine Induce Changes in the Structure and Functional Traits of Marine Nematodes
by Sahar Ishak, Mohamed Allouche, Ahmed Nasri, Abdel Halim Harrath, Saleh Alwasel, Gabriel Plăvan, Hamouda Beyrem and Fehmi Boufahja
Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6100; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106100 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2511
Abstract
Increasing concentrations of the antidepressants amitriptyline and paroxetine were determined recently in marine habitats. However, their impact on marine biota is understudied, despite multiple undesirable effects they have on the environment. An important behavioral aspect that is increasingly measured following exposure to contaminants [...] Read more.
Increasing concentrations of the antidepressants amitriptyline and paroxetine were determined recently in marine habitats. However, their impact on marine biota is understudied, despite multiple undesirable effects they have on the environment. An important behavioral aspect that is increasingly measured following exposure to contaminants is the migration of fauna from contaminated areas. Hence, our aim was to better understand the migration pattern of marine meiobenthic fauna, but with a main focus on nematodes, following the exposure to both antidepressants, alone or in mixture. The experiment was carried out in microcosms, which comprised an uncontaminated upper and a lower contaminated compartment, where amitriptyline was added, alone or mixed with paroxetine, at concentrations of 0.4 and 40 µg L−1. The overall abundance of meiobenthic groups decreased significantly following exposure to amitriptyline in both compartments, a pattern augmented by the mixture with paroxetine. The migration of nematodes towards the upper compartments of microcosms was triggered by the level of contamination with antidepressants. As such, the species Terschellingia longicaudata showed no significant change in abundance, suggesting tolerance to both antidepressants. On the other hand, the abundances of nematode taxa Cyatholaimus prinzi, Calomicrolaimus sp., Calomicrolaimus honestus, Neochromadora sp., Chromadorina sp. and Chromadorina minor decreased significantly following the exposure to both antidepressants, even at low concentrations. At the end of the experiment, the dominant migratory nematodes belonged to deposit-feeders and omnivores-carnivores trophic guilds, with tail shapes of e/f types and body-sizes longer than 2 mm. Such functional traits increase their mobility in sediments and the chance to move away from contaminated habitats. Moreover, the sex ratio was imbalanced in the favor of males in contaminated lower compartments with mixtures of the lowest and highest concentrations of amitriptyline and paroxetine, suggesting that these drugs also affect the hormone system. In conclusion, the exposure to the antidepressants amitriptyline and paroxetine triggered important changes within nematode communities, as changes in taxonomic composition were a result of migration and survival of tolerant taxa, but equally acting on the hormone system and leading to unbalanced sex-ratio among the residents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollution and Ecological Environment)
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16 pages, 2267 KiB  
Article
What Is the Impact of Dexamethasone and Prednisolone Glucocorticoids on the Structure of Meiobenthic Nematode Communities?
by Mohamed Allouche, Sahar Ishak, Ahmed Nasri, Abdel Halim Harrath, Saleh Alwasel, Hamouda Beyrem, Octavian Pacioglu and Fehmi Boufahja
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5344; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095344 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1615
Abstract
The toxic effects of two commonly used glucocorticoids, the dexamethasone and prednisolone, on meiobenthic nematodes were assessed in a laboratory experiment for 30 days. Nine treatments were employed, comprised of two single and mixed concentrations of dexamethasone and prednisolone (i.e., 0.14 and 1.4 [...] Read more.
The toxic effects of two commonly used glucocorticoids, the dexamethasone and prednisolone, on meiobenthic nematodes were assessed in a laboratory experiment for 30 days. Nine treatments were employed, comprised of two single and mixed concentrations of dexamethasone and prednisolone (i.e., 0.14 and 1.4 µg·L−1). The exposure to both glucocorticoids showed significant effects on the abundance and taxonomic diversity of nematodes. Such changes were mainly induced by the decrease in the abundance of the species Microlaimus honestus, considered to be sensitive to prednisolone and by the increase in Enoplolaimus longicaudatus abundance, which can be considered tolerant. The exposure to these glucocorticoids also led to a decrease in 2A feeding groups, 2–4 mm body-size interval, and c-p3 life history type in most treatments, with type of life history and shape of amphids as the most relevant functional traits impacted by these two glucocorticoids. The results could also be explained by the potential antagonism between these two pharmaceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollution and Ecological Environment)
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12 pages, 3504 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Characterization of Cardoon “Cynara cardunculus” Wastes (Leaves and Stems): A Comparative Study
by Meryem Hajji Nabih, Maryam El Hajam, Hamza Boulika, Montaser M. Hassan, Noureddine Idrissi Kandri, Amor Hedfi, Abdelaziz Zerouale and Fehmi Boufahja
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13905; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413905 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
The disposal of vegetable wastes in nature is harmful for marine habitats and biota. These types of waste are frequently used as fuel, generating polluting products, with undesired side effects on the environment. Therefore, it is essential to find better alternatives for the [...] Read more.
The disposal of vegetable wastes in nature is harmful for marine habitats and biota. These types of waste are frequently used as fuel, generating polluting products, with undesired side effects on the environment. Therefore, it is essential to find better alternatives for the capitalisation of these waste products. Their diversified chemical composition can become a potential resource of high added value raw materials. The knowledge of the physicochemical properties of these wastes is therefore essential. The present work aimed for characterising the physicochemical properties of a plant residue belonging to the Asteraceae Family, collected from a vegetable market in Fez city, Morocco. The vegetal tissues were analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with EDX, X-ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy, and by Thermogravimetric/Differential thermal analyses. Other additional parameters were also measured, such as moisture, volatile matter, ash, and fixed carbon contents. Acidic and basic surface functions were evaluated by Boehm’s method, and pH points at zero charge were equally calculated. The results revealed a strong congruence between the morphological and structural properties of this plant. These vegetal wastes comprise a homogeneous fibrous and porous aspect both in surface and in profile, with a crystalline structure characteristic of cellulose I. A mass loss of 86.49% for leaves and 87.91% for stems in the temperature range of 100 °C to 700 °C, and pHpzc of 8.39 for leaves and 7.35 for stems were found. This study clarifies the similarities and differences between the chemical composition and morphological structure of these vegetal wastes, paving the way for future value-added applications in appropriate fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Pollution and Ecological Environment)
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