_version_ 1868266082240823298
author Morales-Caselles, Carmen
Booth, Andy M
Baztan, Juan
Berget, Line-Marie
Carmona, Eric
Corcoll, Natàlia
Dirven, Hubert
Filella, Montserrat
Gómez-Martínez, Daniela
Herzke, Dorte
Hjertholm, Hege
Jahnke, Annika
Jepsen, Per Meyer
Kardgar, Azora König
Lorenz, Claudia
Negi, Neema
Rojo-Nieto, Elisa
Snapkow, Igor
Sørensen, Lisbet
Syberg, Kristian
Takada, Hideshige
Turner, Andrew
Carney-Almroth, Bethanie
author_facet Morales-Caselles, Carmen
Booth, Andy M
Baztan, Juan
Berget, Line-Marie
Carmona, Eric
Corcoll, Natàlia
Dirven, Hubert
Filella, Montserrat
Gómez-Martínez, Daniela
Herzke, Dorte
Hjertholm, Hege
Jahnke, Annika
Jepsen, Per Meyer
Kardgar, Azora König
Lorenz, Claudia
Negi, Neema
Rojo-Nieto, Elisa
Snapkow, Igor
Sørensen, Lisbet
Syberg, Kristian
Takada, Hideshige
Turner, Andrew
Carney-Almroth, Bethanie
Morales-Caselles, Carmen
Booth, Andy M
Baztan, Juan
Berget, Line-Marie
Carmona, Eric
Corcoll, Natàlia
Dirven, Hubert
Filella, Montserrat
Gómez-Martínez, Daniela
Herzke, Dorte
Hjertholm, Hege
Jahnke, Annika
Jepsen, Per Meyer
Kardgar, Azora König
Lorenz, Claudia
Negi, Neema
Rojo-Nieto, Elisa
Snapkow, Igor
Sørensen, Lisbet
Syberg, Kristian
Takada, Hideshige
Turner, Andrew
Carney-Almroth, Bethanie
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm. Morales-Caselles, Carmen Booth, Andy M Baztan, Juan Berget, Line-Marie Carmona, Eric Corcoll, Natàlia Dirven, Hubert Filella, Montserrat Gómez-Martínez, Daniela Herzke, Dorte Hjertholm, Hege Jahnke, Annika Jepsen, Per Meyer Kardgar, Azora König Lorenz, Claudia Negi, Neema Rojo-Nieto, Elisa Snapkow, Igor Sørensen, Lisbet Syberg, Kristian Takada, Hideshige Turner, Andrew Carney-Almroth, Bethanie Spain Plastics Animals Zebrafish Humans Water Pollutants, Chemical Microplastics Copepoda Environmental Monitoring Plastic pellet spills are a major source of microplastic pollution, and pellets are found on beaches worldwide. However, the potential environmental impacts of these spills remain poorly understood. In December 2023, approximately 25,000 kg of polyethylene pellets containing high concentrations of the additive Tinuvin UV-622 were spilled during a shipping accident off the northern coast of Portugal. Pellets collected from an affected beach located in Galicia, Spain, along with solvent extracts and aqueous leachates, were subjected to both target and nontarget chemical analyses and tested in a battery of toxicity assays including a green microalga (), a marine copepod (), a fish model (), and a human cell line. Chemical screening identified on the order of 50 chemical substances in addition to Tinuvin UV-622, including a range of known plastic additives and nonintentionally added substances (NIAS). Toxicity assays revealed significant growth inhibition and stress-induced cell aggregation in and acute toxicity causing immobilization in copepods, which could have potential implications in the environment via the disruption of primary producers and food web dynamics. In contrast, zebrafish embryos showed no significant developmental effects, while human cells exhibited modest, time-dependent reductions in viability. Our findings underscore the complex chemical burden associated with pellet spills and stress the need for policies and regulations to prevent them, reinforcing the importance of applying the precautionary principle in managing the environmental risks linked to plastic pellet production, transport, and accidental release.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_41711563
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher Environmental science & technology
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm.
Morales-Caselles, Carmen
Booth, Andy M
Baztan, Juan
Berget, Line-Marie
Carmona, Eric
Corcoll, Natàlia
Dirven, Hubert
Filella, Montserrat
Gómez-Martínez, Daniela
Herzke, Dorte
Hjertholm, Hege
Jahnke, Annika
Jepsen, Per Meyer
Kardgar, Azora König
Lorenz, Claudia
Negi, Neema
Rojo-Nieto, Elisa
Snapkow, Igor
Sørensen, Lisbet
Syberg, Kristian
Takada, Hideshige
Turner, Andrew
Carney-Almroth, Bethanie
Spain
Plastics
Animals
Zebrafish
Humans
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Microplastics
Copepoda
Environmental Monitoring
Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm. Morales-Caselles, Carmen Booth, Andy M Baztan, Juan Berget, Line-Marie Carmona, Eric Corcoll, Natàlia Dirven, Hubert Filella, Montserrat Gómez-Martínez, Daniela Herzke, Dorte Hjertholm, Hege Jahnke, Annika Jepsen, Per Meyer Kardgar, Azora König Lorenz, Claudia Negi, Neema Rojo-Nieto, Elisa Snapkow, Igor Sørensen, Lisbet Syberg, Kristian Takada, Hideshige Turner, Andrew Carney-Almroth, Bethanie Spain Plastics Animals Zebrafish Humans Water Pollutants, Chemical Microplastics Copepoda Environmental Monitoring Plastic pellet spills are a major source of microplastic pollution, and pellets are found on beaches worldwide. However, the potential environmental impacts of these spills remain poorly understood. In December 2023, approximately 25,000 kg of polyethylene pellets containing high concentrations of the additive Tinuvin UV-622 were spilled during a shipping accident off the northern coast of Portugal. Pellets collected from an affected beach located in Galicia, Spain, along with solvent extracts and aqueous leachates, were subjected to both target and nontarget chemical analyses and tested in a battery of toxicity assays including a green microalga (), a marine copepod (), a fish model (), and a human cell line. Chemical screening identified on the order of 50 chemical substances in addition to Tinuvin UV-622, including a range of known plastic additives and nonintentionally added substances (NIAS). Toxicity assays revealed significant growth inhibition and stress-induced cell aggregation in and acute toxicity causing immobilization in copepods, which could have potential implications in the environment via the disruption of primary producers and food web dynamics. In contrast, zebrafish embryos showed no significant developmental effects, while human cells exhibited modest, time-dependent reductions in viability. Our findings underscore the complex chemical burden associated with pellet spills and stress the need for policies and regulations to prevent them, reinforcing the importance of applying the precautionary principle in managing the environmental risks linked to plastic pellet production, transport, and accidental release.
title Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm.
topic Spain
Plastics
Animals
Zebrafish
Humans
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Microplastics
Copepoda
Environmental Monitoring
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41711563/