Lanthanide ecotoxicity: First attempt to measure environmental risk for aquatic organisms

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2015-04, Vol.199, p.139-147
• Main Authors: González, Verónica, Vignati, Davide A.L., Pons, Marie-Noelle, Montarges-Pelletier, Emmanuelle, Bojic, Clément, Giamberini, Laure
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aliivibrio fischeri; Animals; Aquatic; Aquatic Organisms - drug effects; Attenuation; Biodiversity and Ecology; Brachionus calyciflorus; Chlorophyta; Contaminants; Daphnia - drug effects; Daphnia magna; Ecological risk assessment; Ecotoxicity; Ecotoxicology; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Sciences; Heterocypris incongruens; Hydra attenuata; Lanthanides; Lanthanoid Series Elements - toxicity; Marine; Mathematical analysis; Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata; Risk; Risk Assessment; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.01.020

The geochemical cycles of lanthanides are being disrupted by increasing global production and human use, but their ecotoxicity is not fully characterized. In this study, the sensitivity of Aliivibrio fischeri and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata to lanthanides increased with atomic number, while Daphnia magna, Heterocypris incongruens, Brachionus calyciflorus and Hydra attenuata were equally sensitive to the tested elements. In some cases, a marked decrease in exposure concentrations was observed over test duration and duly considered in calculating effect concentrations and predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC) for hazard and risk assessment. Comparison of PNEC with measured environmental concentrations indicate that, for the present, environmental risks deriving from lanthanides should be limited to some hotspots (e.g., downstream of wastewater treatment plants). However, considering the increasing environmental concentrations of lanthanides, the associated risks could become higher in the future. Ecotoxicological and risk assessment studies, along with monitoring, are required for properly managing these emerging contaminants. •For alga and bacteria, ecotoxicity increases with increasing atomic number.•Interspecies differences and exposure condition strongly influenced ecotoxicity.•Current environmental risk for lanthanides appears limited to some hotspots. Current environmental risk for lanthanides appears limited to some hotspots, but increasing human use could promote a more widespread risk in the future.