Silent smoke, silent stress: Mussels as sentinels of cigarette pollution in coastal waters

IF 4.2 3区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental toxicology and pharmacology Pub Date : 2025-08-13 DOI:10.1016/j.etap.2025.104791

Guilherme Mendes , Marta Cunha , Amadeu M.V.M. Soares , Rosa Freitas

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Cigarette butts are a major source of marine litter, releasing contaminants such as nicotine and its metabolite cotinine into aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed sublethal biochemical responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed for 28 days to environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5, 5.0, 10 μg/L) of both compounds. Biomarkers in gills and digestive gland tissues were analysed, covering energy metabolism, antioxidant and detoxification enzymes, cellular damage, and neurotoxicity. Gills exhibited stronger antioxidant responses, whereas digestive gland showed enhanced metabolic and detoxification activity. Nicotine induced more consistent antioxidant capacity than cotinine, potentially explaining higher lipid peroxidation in cotinine treatments. Principal coordinates analysis revealed distinct response patterns by contaminant type and dose. Findings support the role of mussels as bioindicators of tobacco-related pollution and underline the sublethal risks of cigarette-derived contaminants to coastal ecosystems. Further research should address long-term ecological effects to guide mitigation strategies for this pervasive pollutant.

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无声的烟雾，无声的压力：贻贝作为沿海水域香烟污染的哨兵。

烟头是海洋垃圾的主要来源，将尼古丁及其代谢物可替宁等污染物释放到水生生态系统中。本研究评估了两种化合物在环境相关浓度（0.5、5.0、10μg/L）下暴露28天后的亚致死生化反应。分析了鳃和消化腺组织中的生物标志物，包括能量代谢、抗氧化和解毒酶、细胞损伤和神经毒性。鳃表现出较强的抗氧化反应，而消化腺则表现出较强的代谢和解毒活性。尼古丁诱导的抗氧化能力比可替宁更一致，这可能解释了可替宁治疗中较高的脂质过氧化。主坐标分析揭示了不同污染类型和剂量的不同反应模式。研究结果支持贻贝作为烟草相关污染生物指标的作用，并强调了香烟衍生污染物对沿海生态系统的亚致死风险。进一步的研究应解决长期生态影响，以指导这种普遍污染物的缓解战略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Environmental toxicology and pharmacology 医学-毒理学

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

4.70%

发文量

185

审稿时长

34 days

期刊介绍： Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology publishes the results of studies concerning toxic and pharmacological effects of (human and veterinary) drugs and of environmental contaminants in animals and man. Areas of special interest are: molecular mechanisms of toxicity, biotransformation and toxicokinetics (including toxicokinetic modelling), molecular, biochemical and physiological mechanisms explaining differences in sensitivity between species and individuals, the characterisation of pathophysiological models and mechanisms involved in the development of effects and the identification of biological markers that can be used to study exposure and effects in man and animals. In addition to full length papers, short communications, full-length reviews and mini-reviews, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology will publish in depth assessments of special problem areas. The latter publications may exceed the length of a full length paper three to fourfold. A basic requirement is that the assessments are made under the auspices of international groups of leading experts in the fields concerned. The information examined may either consist of data that were already published, or of new data that were obtained within the framework of collaborative research programmes. Provision is also made for the acceptance of minireviews on (classes of) compounds, toxicities or mechanisms, debating recent advances in rapidly developing fields that fall within the scope of the journal.