Acronym SCREEN AND TOXIN
Category
Fisheries
Title Interference of sunscreens in the accumulation of marine biotoxins in shellfish (Donax trunculus) and search for green alternatives: innovation for environmental and socio-economic sustainability Programme Nat. Programme (supported by ESIF)
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National-European Coordinator Patrícia A. Oliveira Pereira Kowalski Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
UA - University of Aveiro (Portugal)
Institutions involved
CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (Portugal) ,
CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (Portugal) ,
Start year 2021 End year 2023 Funding (€) € 124,367 Website https://www.cesam-la.pt/projetos/screen-and-toxin-interferencia-de-protetores-solares-na-acumulacao-de-biotoxinas-marinhas-em-conquilha-donax-trunculus-e-procura-de-alternativas-verdes-inovacao-para-a-sustentabilidade-ambiental/ Summary The contamination of bivalve molluscs by lipophilic toxins is responsible for human poisoning with manifestations that can be severe. In Portugal, the most common toxins are those of the ocadaic acid (OA) group, associated with diarrheal poisoning called DSP (Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning). Given the danger of these poisonings, several species of bivalves with commercial interest are analyzed weekly at the National Marine Biotoxin Reference Laboratory of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) to evaluate the occurrence of lipophilic toxins. The capture and marketing of bivalve molluscs in countries belonging to the European Union is prohibited when the levels of toxins of the OA group exceed 160 μg equivalent of OA per kg of mollusc. According to IPMA data, the fishing and capture of shellfish (Donax trunculus) in the Eastern Algarve can be prohibited for about 4 months a year, with a higher incidence in the summer months. The impact of this ban is high in economic and social terms, considering the great dependence on this resource in the Eastern Algarve region. In fact, conquilla is emblematic in the Algarve and a regional delicacy, and its consumption has a positive impact on tourism in the region. Contamination of bivalves by OA toxins is associated with many factors, but the phenomenon is not yet fully understood. In the summer period, there is an increase in the local population in the Eastern Algarve that seeks the region for summer, mainly to enjoy the beaches. During this period, the use of sunscreens by vacationers is recurrent with the purpose of protecting the skin against UV rays, which are highly harmful to health. This consumption will lead to the introduction of a high concentration of organic compounds (with UV filter action) in coastal waters, essentially through the entry of bathers into the seawater. Thus, in the summer months there are new (and more) contaminants in the coastal waters of the Eastern Algarve, namely active ingredients in sunscreens, such as oxybenzone whose toxicity is scientifically recognized for aquatic organisms. In this project, it is considered that the shellfish (Donax trunculus) will take longer to eliminate ocadal acid in scenarios of co-exposure to oxybenzone, as will occur in the summer on the beaches of the Eastern Algarve. This delay in the elimination of ocadal acid will lead to an increase in the period of closure and capture of this valuable resource, with very negative socio-economic implications. It is also predicted that "greener" sunscreens (e.g. where oxybenzone is replaced by molecules originating from marine macroalgae) will not have the same effect of slowing down OA metabolism. Therefore, these alternative sunscreens will not have a negative impact on shellfish-dependent economic activities in the Eastern Algarve region (such as fishing, aquaculture, tourism). If these two hypotheses are verified, it will be recommended to replace sunscreens with oxybenzone with others "free of this compound", possibly with molecules originating from marine macroalgae (such as Ulva spp.) in their constitution. Awareness-raising actions on the harmful effects of sunscreen ingredients on the environment are foreseen in the project, as well as dissemination initiatives.
Keywords
Mollusc;
Toxic substances;
Shellfish;
Impacts;
Biology;
Bivalve;
Marine Region
38
Portuguese Waters (27.IXa,27.IXb)
1
Marine Region Map
