UV-Filters from insular ocean-cities: Impact on the marine sustainability.

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UV-filters from insular ocean-cities. Impact on the marine sustainability

Publication . Íñiguez Santamaría, Eva; Cordeiro, Nereida Maria Abano; Dinis, Ana Margarida Brites Caetano; Kaufmann , Manfred Josef

Organic ultraviolet filters (oUVFs) are synthetic chemical compounds widely used in industrial applications and personal care products to protect human skin and materials from solar radiation. Over recent decades, increasing demand for these products has resulted in a substantial rise in production and consumption, leading to their release into the environment. Despite widespread use, information on environmental concentrations, chemical behaviour, spatial distribution, persistence, and potential adverse effects on marine organisms remains limited. Consequently, oUVFs are classified as Contaminants of Emerging Concern. Coastal ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to oUVF contamination due to intensified tourism and recreational activities, which constitute the main direct input pathways through activities such as swimming and bathing. Indirect pathways, including wastewater treatment plant effluents, industrial discharges, and terrestrial runoff, also contribute to inputs to marine environments and may influence their persistence and distribution. This doctoral thesis investigates the distribution, accumulation, and persistence of oUVFs, as well as their potential trophic transfer, using an oceanic island as a representative study scenario. This approach enables the assessment of oUVF contamination across a spatial gradient from coastal zones to deep-sea environments and across multiple trophic levels through the analysis of diverse marine organisms. Results indicate that areas influenced by direct coastal activities exhibit higher oUVF concentrations than locations affected by indirect sources. Sessile organisms, such as macroalgae, were particularly vulnerable, displaying elevated concentrations in areas subjected to higher anthropogenic pressure. Herbivorous species exhibited the highest diversity and concentrations of oUVFs, consistent with greater exposure and bioaccumulation potential at lower trophic levels. Similar patterns were observed at higher trophic levels, including pelagic species such as skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), bathypelagic species such as black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo), and deep-diving cetaceans. While sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) showed higher concentrations, resident short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) exhibited a higher frequency of occurrence. Furthermore, oUVFs were more prevalent in water column compartments characterized by elevated organic matter, including the surface microlayer associated with zooplankton communities, and the deep-sea bottom, associated with black scabbardfish habitat. In contrast, highly mobile species with broad vertical and horizontal distributions showed low or undetectable concentrations. Among the analyzed compounds, OC, EHS, HMS, BDBDM, and DTS were the most frequently detected, underscoring their persistence. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the widespread distribution of oUVFs beyond coastal environments, their impact on commercial species, and their accumulation in top predators. It also presents the first validated methodology for detecting oUVFs in marine zooplankton and provides concentration data across multiple species and habitats, thereby addressing critical knowledge gaps.

2026-05-08Tese de doutoramento

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Palavras-chave

, Natural sciences ,Natural sciences/Biological sciences

Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P.

Número da atribuição

PRT/BD/153506/2021