Microbiome and pollutants in the freshwater sponges Ephydatia muelleri (Lieberkühn, 1856) and Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1758) from the sub-Arctic Pasvik river (Northern Fennoscandia)

Article

Author: Rizzo, Carmen ; Lo Giudice, Angelina ; Giannarelli, Stefania ; Lena, Alessio ; Papale, Maria ; Patrolecco, Luisa ; Soldano, Rosamaria ; Pescatore, Tanita ; Termine, Marco ; Elster, Josef ; Maimone, Giovanna ; Spataro, Francesca ; Bertolino, Marco ; Caruso, Gabriella ; Azzaro, Maurizio ; Rappazzo, Alessandro Ciro ; Aspholm, Paul Eric ; Rauseo, Jasmin

Despite the ecosystem functions offered by sponges in freshwater habitats, fragmentary studies have targeted their microbiome and the bioaccumulation of legacy and emerging organic micropollutants, making it difficult to test hypotheses about sponge-microbe specificity and response to environmental factors and stressors. The sponge species Ephydatia muelleri and Spongilla lacustris, coexisting in two sites of the Pasvik River (northern Fennoscandia), were analyzed for persistent organic pollutant (POPs) and chemicals of emerging concern (CECs), along with quali-quantitative microbiological features. River water and sediment were similarly treated to establish if the obtained data were site- or sponge-specific. CECs mainly occurred in abiotic matrices, with trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin prevailing in water and sediment, respectively. Only ciprofloxacin and diclofenac were detected in sponges, with higher concentrations generally determined in S. lacustris than E. muelleri. Overall, POP concentrations were in the order polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons > chlorobenzenes > polychlorobiphenyls > polychloronaphthalenes, with higher values in sponges with respect to abiotic matrices. Generally, POPs occurred at higher concentrations in S. lacustris than E. muelleri. Enzyme activity measurements displayed diverse trends across samples and sites, with E. muelleri displaying higher glycolytic activity than S. lacustris. Prokaryotic abundance in sponges generally exceeded that found in abiotic matrices. Proteobacteria, Planctomycetota, Actinobacteriota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Cyanobacteria predominated in sponge samples, with slight differences between sponge species and sampling sites, whereas Desulfobacterota and Acidobacterota were retrieved mostly in sediment samples. The sponge-associated bacterial communities appeared to be differently affected by pollutant concentration at the site level. Overall, this study highlights the ecological role of freshwater sponges, shedding light on their microbial associations, pollutant bioaccumulation, and potential as bioindicators of aquatic ecosystem health. The findings emphasize the importance of considering both microbial diversity and contaminant accumulation for a holistic understanding of the roles played by freshwater sponges in human-impacted environments.

01 May 2025·Chemosphere

Non-essential trace elements, methylmercury, and organic contaminants in hunted ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

Article

Author: Lemire, Mélanie ; L'Hérault, Vincent ; Daoust, Pierre-Yves ; Amyot, Marc ; Simonee, James ; MacMillan, Gwyneth A ; Sudlovenick, Enooyaq ; Houde, Magali

Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) are a key food resource for Inuit communities in Nunavut, Canada, thus justifying the need for regular monitoring of environmental contaminants in these animals. The primary objective of this study was to determine the current levels of some non-essential trace elements, including cadmium (Cd), total mercury (THg), and methylmercury (MeHg), and of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in ringed seals of eastern Nunavut. Selenium (Se), an essential trace element, was also included because of its strong interaction with Hg. From 2016 to 2018, 117 seals were harvested and sampled during subsistence hunts. Young of the year (YY), the most harvested and consumed age class in this study, had lower levels of muscle and liver Cd, THg, and MeHg than juveniles and adults. Se and THg were highly correlated in liver, consistent with the presence of inert Se:Hg granules. Levels of PCBs and PBDEs in blubber were in the same range as elsewhere in the Canadian Arctic. Using recent European reference values for human consumption of food products, most seals of all ages exceeded the value for liver Cd, but many less exceeded the value for muscle Cd. Using the lower Canadian reference value for THg for human consumption of fish products but based on concentrations of MeHg, the more toxic form of Hg, no muscle samples and very few liver samples exceeded this value. These observations support the continuous use of ringed seals as a safe food source for Inuit communities of eastern Nunavut.

01 May 2025·Marine Pollution Bulletin

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) sampled in a mass stranding event (MSE) on the Irish coast

Article

Author: Noone, Conor ; O'Connor, Ian ; Berrow, Simon ; White, Philip ; Schlingermann, Moira ; Liquit, Danica ; Harman, Lynda ; Keogh, Myra ; McGeady, Ryan

On 6 November 2010, a mass stranding event (MSE) occurred on Rutland Island, Co Donegal involving 33 long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas). While the cause of the stranding remains unknown, the event enabled the collection of a large number of tissue samples for opportunistic quantification of Persistent Organochlorine Pollutants (POP) and from across a spectrum of age-classes, maturity, and sexes. The concentrations of 24 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), 15 Organochlorine Compounds (OCs), 5 Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) and 17 Polychlorinated-dibenzo-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) were investigated in blubber samples via lipid extraction and subsequent analysis by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Concentrations ranged from, 48.03 ng/g lw-46,860.76 ng/g lw for ΣPCBs, 1585.40 ng/g to 558,833.71 ng/g for ΣOCs, 3.24 ng/g lw-134.82 ng/g lw for ΣBFRs and 0.008 ng/g lw-0.0518 ng/g lw for ΣPCDD/Fs. Concentrations of POPs quantified were consistent with those reported in previous studies with the exclusion of organochlorine compounds which were found to have significantly higher total concentrations. With high levels of such legacy pollutants posing potentially severe implications for the health and reproductive abilities of this species and marine mammals, the continual monitoring of POPs concentrations in animals across multiple demographics remains vital.

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