| Summary: | Mercury is a well-known hazardous element. Its toxicity and non-degradability in the environment has led to the necessity of its removal from the environmental compartments. Regarding the aquatic compartment, where its toxicity causes serious concerns due to bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes, several new techniques have been development for mercury removal. So far, most of the water treatment methodologies are intended to fresh water. Nevertheless, salt waters are often the last receptor of pollutants, which may constitute a risk, both to the environment and human health. In this perspective, the current study was executed with the following aims to: (a) assess the efficiency of dithiocarbamate functionalized silica coated magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) for mercury (Hg) decontamination, in the presence and absence of other hazardous chemicals (arsenic, As; and cadmium, Cd), in seawater; (b) assess the influence of increased water temperature on the NPs’ efficiency in the toxicity removal or decrease of Hg-contaminated seawater in the absence and presence of As and Cd; and (c) evaluate the toxic effects caused by the NPs used in the removal of Hg. To address the objective (a), the residual levels of Hg in spiked seawater were assessed and the toxicity of seawater to aquatic biota contaminated with Hg or with Hg, As and Cd, before (non-remediated solutions) and after (remediated solutions with and without NPs) the sorption process, were compared. To address the objective (b), Anguilla anguilla L. gill ex vivo approach was considered taking into account a scenario of increased temperature and its comparison with temperature 20 ºC. The influence of temperature was assessed using biochemical endpoints (lipid peroxidation, LPO; protein carbonyl oxidation, PC; 8--Hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine, 8-OHdG; and antioxidants protection: catalase; glutathione peroxidise; glutathione reductase; glutathione S-transferase; non-protein thiol; total glutathione) before and after the remediation process adopted, and for the ...
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