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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2022) | Viewed by 21012

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Zhihua Li

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Guest Editor

Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, China
Interests: aquatic toxicology; environmental risk assessment; bioinformatics; endocrine disruption; molecular mechanism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, the health of the aquatic environment is deteriorating due to various kinds of pollutants, changes in environmental factors, and their coupling effects. The aquatic environment, as an important component of the biosphere, has been termed “the ultimate sink” for traditional and emerging contaminants. Given the finite supply of water available, the continued chemical contamination of the aquatic environment may pose a significant environmental health hazard. We sincerely invite investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the adverse effects and toxicological mechanisms of chemical contaminants (heavy metals, POPs, etc.) in an aquatic environment and encourage discussing the relationship between the toxic effects of environmental pollutants and changes in environmental factors. The Special Issue will become an international forum for researchers to summarize the most recent developments and ideas in the aquatic environmental health. We are particularly interested in articles about new monitoring techniques and novel molecular mechanisms of aquatic toxicology in recent years. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

Toxicology of water emerging contaminants on various organisms;
Mechanisms of interactions between environmental factors and aquatic toxicology;
New technologies and methods in aquatic toxicology.

Prof. Dr. Zhihua Li
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

environmental pollutants
aquatic toxicology
molecular mechanism
environmental factor
ecological health risk

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of Transcriptomics and Metabolomics for Evaluating Changes in the Liver of Zebrafish Exposed to a Sublethal Dose of Cyantraniliprole

by Lijuan Zhao, Hong Zhang, Zhidan Niu, Dandan Wei, Suyue Yan, Jianhua Bai, Lei Zhang and Xiaojing Shi

Water 2023, 15(3), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030521 - 28 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2332

Abstract

Diamide insecticides are a class of insecticides with high efficiency, a broad spectrum, and environmental and ecological safety. However, their effect on the environment cannot be ignored, especially the chronic environmental effects of sublethal doses. In this study, we evaluated the influence of cyantraniliprole on zebrafish and provided data for evaluating the risk of cyantraniliprole in water. An acute toxicity test was used to obtain LC₅₀, while 1/10 LC₅₀ was selected to study the toxicity of the sublethal dose of cyantraniliprole on the transcription and metabolism of zebrafish liver. Our results showed that after exposure to a sublethal dose of cyantraniliprole for 30 days, the expression of various functional genes (elovl6, cpt1ab, eci1, fabp6, etc.) was abnormal and the content of various metabolites (Taurine, 1-Acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, phosphatidylserine, betaine, sarcosine, etc.) was altered. In addition, transcriptional and metabolic correlation analysis revealed that sublethal doses of cyanobacteria could affect the fatty acid metabolism-related pathways of zebrafish liver (fatty acid elongation, metabolism, and degradation), as well as the PPAR pathway related to fat and the ABC pathway related to drug metabolism and transport. In conclusion, sublethal doses of cyantraniliprole caused abnormal liver metabolism in zebrafish by affecting fatty acid metabolism, up-regulating the PPAR pathway and down-regulating related genes and metabolites in the ABC pathway, which eventually led to liver damage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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12 pages, 1586 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The “Journey” of Microplastics across the Marine Food Web in China’s Largest Fishing Ground

by Rijin Jiang, Zhaochao Deng, Jingjing Li, Yi Xiao, Yongjiu Xu, Jing Wang, Tiejun Li and Chunfang Zhang

Water 2023, 15(3), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15030445 - 22 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3710

Abstract

Microplastics in marine environments are becoming a hot topic since they can be transferred through the marine food web and may finally be consumed by humans. Here, we investigate the distribution characteristics of microplastics in marine organisms at different trophic levels through their digestive tracts (entire organisms for zooplankton and zoobenthos). A total of 124 fish and 22 crustaceans from 10 fish and 3 crustacean species, as well as a few zooplankton and zoobenthos, were captured from the Zhoushan fishing ground, i.e., China’s largest ocean fishing ground. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 0.74 ± 1.29 to 4.71 ± 2.19 items per sample in fish species and from 0.83 ± 1.07 to 1.00 ± 0.93 items per sample in crustacean species. Among the detected microplastics, fiber was the most dominant type (i.e., 67%), transparent microplastics were the most frequently detected (i.e., 49%), and the majority of the microplastics were identified as natural particles (cellulose). The abundance of microplastics was positively correlated with the trophic level (correlation coefficient = 0.717; p < 0.05). Our results show that microplastics are widespread in the marine organisms of the Zhoushan fishing ground, and they might accumulate in marine organisms at higher trophic levels of the marine food chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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12 pages, 4066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thyroid-Disrupting Effects of Cadmium and Mercury in Zebrafish Embryos/Larvae

by Liqiao Zhong, He Zhang, Luyin Wu, Huijun Ru, Nian Wei, Fan Yao, Zhaohui Ni, Xinbin Duan and Yunfeng Li

Water 2023, 15(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010135 - 30 Dec 2022

Viewed by 2002

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) are two kinds of non-essential heavy metals. Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ can cause thyroid disruption, but very few researchers have investigated the thyroid-disrupting effects of these metals on fish, specifically during their early developmental transition stage from embryos to larvae. In this study, wild-type zebrafish embryos were exposed to varying concentrations (contents) of Cd²⁺ (0, 10, 100, and 1000 μg/L) and Hg²⁺ (0, 0.1, 1, and 10 μg/L) for 120 h. Thereafter, the thyroid hormone contents and transcriptional changes in the genes, including thyroid stimulating hormone-β (tshβ), thyroglobulin (tg), sodium-iodide symporter (nis), thyroid peroxidase (tpo), transthyretin (ttr), thyroid hormone receptor-α and -β (thrα, thrβ), types I and II iodothyronine deiodinase (dio1, dio2), and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1 family a, b (ugt1ab) associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis were measured. Results showed that zebrafish embryos/larvae malformation rates were significantly higher in the Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ groups. A significant increase in the thyroxine (T4) concentration and a decrease in the triiodothyronine (T3) concentration were observed in the Cd²⁺-exposed zebrafish embryos/larvae. On the other hand, the T4 and T3 concentrations were observed to be significantly increased after Hg²⁺ exposure. Additionally, changes were noted in the expression patterns of the HPT axis-linked genes after Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ exposure. Based on the results of the principal component analysis (PCA), it was concluded that Cd²⁺ exposure significantly affected the thyroid endocrine system at a concentration of 100 μg/L, whereas Hg²⁺ exposure led to a thyroid disruption at a low concentration of 0.1 μg/L. Thus, this study demonstrated that exposure to Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ metal ions induced developmental toxicity and led to thyroid disruption in zebrafish embryos/larvae. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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11 pages, 1553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sulfide Treatment Alters Antioxidant Response and Related Genes Expressions in Rice Field Eel (Monopterus albus)

by Liqiao Zhong, Fan Yao, He Zhang, Huaxiao Xie, Huijun Ru, Nian Wei, Zhaohui Ni, Zhong Li and Yunfeng Li

Water 2022, 14(20), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14203230 - 13 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1702

Abstract

Sulfide is considered as an environmental factor and toxicant with a wide distribution in aquatic environments. At present, the toxic effects of sulfide stress on rice field eel (Monopterus albus) are poorly understood. To ascertain these effects, the juvenile rice field eels were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of Na₂S (0, 0.2154, 2.154, and 21.54 mg/L) for 7, 14, and 28 days. Antioxidant parameters such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the related gene (including sod, cat) expressions were measured. The expressions of metallothionein (mt) and heat shock protein 90 (hsp90), which are used as physiological stress indices, were also detected. The results showed that exposure to sulfide altered the antioxidant response and related gene expressions in rice field eel. The activities of SOD were inhibited and the MDA contents were increased after exposure to sulfide. The activities of CAT and GPx were increased at 7 days and decreased at 28 days after treatment with sulfide at the highest dose. The expressions of sod, cat, and hsp90 were upregulated at 7 days and downregulated at 14 and 28 days after exposure to high doses of sulfide. The expression of mt was significantly downregulated in all sulfide treated groups. The toxic effects caused by sulfide were in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. In short, oxidative stress and physiological stress were caused in rice field eel after the exposure to sulfide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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9 pages, 9840 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chronic Toxic Effects of Waterborne Mercury on Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) Larvae

by Ya-Jun Wang, Cheng-Zhuang Chen, Ping Li, Ling Liu, Yi Chai and Zhi-Hua Li

Water 2022, 14(11), 1774; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14111774 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2704

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is a kind of heavy metal pollutant widely existing in the aquatic environment, and it is also recognized to have a highly toxic effect on fish. In this study, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) larvae were exposed to 0 (control), 1, 5, and 10 μg/L Hg²⁺ for 2 weeks. Antioxidant ability, neurotoxicity, and thyroid hormones (THs) content were evaluated. In comparison with the control, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the glutathione (GSH) activity were lower in silver carp exposed to 10 μg/L Hg²⁺. The lowest catalase (CAT) activity was found in the 10 μg/L Hg²⁺, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was not significantly different among all groups. Compared with the control, monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and nitric oxide (NO) content were significantly higher in the 10 μg/L Hg²⁺, while acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity significantly decreased. Compared with the control, triiodothyronine (T3) content was significantly higher in the 1 μg/L Hg²⁺ and significantly lower in the 10 μg/L Hg²⁺; the 1 μg/L and 5 μg/L Hg²⁺ groups had significantly higher thyroxine (T4) content than the other groups. In the 1 μg/L Hg²⁺, the integrated biomarker response (IBR) index value was the highest. In summary, exposure to Hg could decrease the antioxidant ability, cause changes in neurotoxic parameters, and induce disorders of the thyroid hormone system in silver carp larvae. The results of this study may contribute to the understanding of the adverse effects of chronic mercury poisoning on fish. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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11 pages, 2677 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Spatiotemporal Response of Fish Aggregations to Hydrological Changes in the Lower Pearl River, China, during the Main Spawning Season

by Zhi Wu, Shuli Zhu, Yuefei Li, Yuguo Xia, Yingqiu Zhang, Xinhui Li and Jie Li

Water 2022, 14(11), 1723; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14111723 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2104

Abstract

The Pearl River is a global hotspot of fish biodiversity, yet has the most threatened endemic fish species in China. Since the establishment of the Changzhou Dam in the lower reach, changes in hydrological rhythm have negatively impacted fish downstream of the dam, but their spatiotemporal distribution in response to flood alteration has received little attention. In this study, hydroacoustic surveys were undertaken monthly in 2016 to monitor the distribution and behavior of fish. Fish densities were higher during the water discharge rising stage than during the falling stage, indicating that the fish aggregate during flooding (coefficient of variation [CV] > 100%) and depart after flooding (CV < 100%), especially aggregations of large fish. The target strength (TS) was allocated to two groups as per their frequency distributions, defined as small fish (−55 dB < TS < −40 dB) and large fish (TS > −40 dB). The sizes of both groups were significantly larger during the rising stage when compared to those during the falling stage (p < 0.01). Comparatively more fish were present with a greater average TS, and a substantially greater proportion of large fish was detected during rising stages. Hydrological variation importantly influences fish aggregations, including the numbers and sizes present, with the differences being particularly pronounced between the rising and falling stages. Combined with relevant studies, it is suggested that water releases from the Changzhou Dam should be regulated to satisfy fish spawning and migration demands during the main breeding season. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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12 pages, 1262 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Distribution and Risk Assessment of Toxic Pollutants in Surface Water of the Lower Yellow River, China

by Zhi-Hua Li, Ze-Peng Li, Xue Tang, Wen-Hao Hou and Ping Li

Water 2021, 13(11), 1582; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13111582 - 3 Jun 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5098

Abstract

The lower reaches of the Yellow River is known for the rapid development of industry and agriculture, which has also led to some pollution. However, information about the level of toxic contaminants in the surface waters is lacking in this area. Therefore, five sampling points were set in the lower Yellow River to investigate the distribution of various pollutants and analyze the potential risks. The presence of heavy metals (Heavy metals tested for in this study were: Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), and Zinc (Zn)) and antibiotics (Antibiotics tested for in this study were: Enrofloxacin (ENR), Ciprofloxacin (CIP), and Norfloxacin (NOR)) in water samples taken from the lower Yellow River were measured to reveal the spatial distribution and risk potential of the compounds. Various water quality parameters (Water quality parameters used in this study were: chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN)) were also tested. Study results showed the main surface water pollution components were COD, BOD₅, TN, and TP. The average levels were 37.79 mg/L, 16.64 mg/L, 4.14 mg/L, and 0.42 mg/L, respectively. Among the detected metals from the water samples, Hg (LOD-0.1 μg/L) levels were only in line with the surface water class III or worse. Both fish and water samples contained antibiotics. According to an ecological risk assessment conducted along the river, the distribution of pollutants in the waters exhibited a spatial relationship with the land-use pattern in the study region and the Kenli site was the most polluted. Research shows that up-to-date data on the residual levels and distribution characteristics of pollutants in the lower Yellow River could provide valuable baseline data and technical support for relevant government departments and their management going forward. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Emerging Pollutants on Ecological Health in Aquatic Environment)

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