Metal in Coastal Ecosystems - Old Problems and New Challenges

• Main Author: Blasco, Julián
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: SETAC (Society) 2017
• Subjects: Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/174978

Trabajo presentado en la SETAC Latin America 12th Biennial Meeting ("Bridging the Gap between Science and Governance"), celebrada en Sao Paulo del 7 al 10 de septiembre de 2017. Metals occur in the rocks of the earth and soil, resulting from erosion processes, and its presence in the environment is related to natural cycles. However, other metal sources are related to anthropogenic origin, such as mining, smelters or industrial activities and commercial applications, among others. Metals are transported by different pathways, depending on their physicochemical properties to seawater. Coastal and estuaries are one of the most valuable ecosystems on earth because they provide a wide number of ecosystem services. Nearly half of the world’s population lives near of the coast areas, provoking high pressures in these ecosystems. One of the problems associated with the population increase in coastal areas is pollution. Metal contamination is not a new problem, and episodes of metal pollution have been reported in the scientific literature since the beginning of the industrial revolution. In the last century, many instances of contamination and pollution in coastal areas have been recorded. However, societal changes and the increase of ecological consciousness have generated a tendency to improve industrial processes, lessen residues in production, and focus on a healthy environment. However, in emergent countries, the residues management is a pending task. New technological developments, such as nanotechnology, can represent benefits to human beings, but the release of these engineered nanomaterials and specifically metallic and oxide metal nanoparticles in coastal areas can represent a new source of risks and challenges. Due to the nature of these nanomaterials, new approaches for assessing their toxicity should be implemented. Additionally, the effect of rising temperature and ocean acidification, associated to global climate change, can affect to bioavailability and toxic effects. In this talk, we are going to ...