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Lecture 1-2 Ecotoxicology

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7 views

Lecture 1-2 Ecotoxicology

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a195426
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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STAL3033: Marine Pollution

Ecotoxicology
Why?
Water

 Essential for life


 Marine and aquatic
environment are the homes
for a diverse array of
organisms
 Also needed for agriculture,
transportation and host of
other human uses.
 Only about 0.02% of the
world’s water is in a form
accessible to human and
organisms that rely on fresh
water
Freshwater Shortage

 Clean drinking water and basic


sanitation to prevent diseases
and to maintain healthy life
 For many of the world’s poorest
people, one of the greatest
environmental threats to health
remains the continued use of
polluted water.
 EXAMPLE : Mali – 88% of the
population lacks clean water;
Ethiopia – 94%.
 More than 2/3 of the world’s
households have to fetch water
from outside the home
Water Pollution

Simple definition :
‘ Environmental damage caused by wastes discharged into aquatic
system ‘

Complex definition :
‘ Introduction by human, directly or indirectly, of substances or
energy into aquatic environment (including rivers, lakes, estuaries,
seas) which resulting in such deleterious effects as :
o Harmful to living resources
o Hazards to human health
o Hindrance to aquatic activities including fishing, impairment of
quality for use of water and reduction of amenities ’
Sources of Pollution

Land (80%)
• Pipes discharging directly into marine waters (sewage, industrial,
chemical and food processing wastes)
• Riverine flows into the sea carry pollutants from the entire
catchment area

Air
• Global atmospheric inputs to the sea from air discharges

Maritime
• Discharges from ballast water and bilge water during ship operations
and illegal dumping of solid waste
• Designated dumping grounds at sea (dredge spoil, old munitions,
sewage sludge, fly ash, oil based drilling muds)
• Accidental spills from from ships carrying hazardous substances, oil,
gas, etc.
Impacts of Marine Pollution

Affects ecosystem health, public health,


recreational water quality and economic viability:

• Mechanical
• Eutrophication
• Saphrogenic (bacteria resulting from decay)
• Toxicity
• Mutagenic and Carcinogenic
Cost of Marine Pollution

• 100,000 mammals and 2 million bird


deaths annually
• Reduction of GDP by decreasing fishery
resource and decreased tourism earnings
• Loss of bio-diversity and potential life
saving medicines (for AIDS & Cancer)
Ecotoxicology

Ecotoxicology is an interdisciplinary field that draws from knowledge and


techniques in the fields of ecology and toxicology to study the effects of
toxic chemical or biological agents on biological organisms at the
population, community or ecosystem level.
Core Areas

1) Research
• Thresholds for adverse health
Biomarkers are used to
effects indicate a exposure to or
the effect of xenobiotics
• Toxic mechanisms and pathways (chemical substance not
naturally produced within
• Controlled experimental field a organism)

studies
• Mixtures and multiple stressors
Core Areas

2) Surveillance
• Habitat restoration effectiveness
• Chemicals of emerging concern
• Seafood safety and surveillance
• Environmental status and trends
Core Areas

3) Synthesis and Communication:


• Risk characterization and assessment
• Ecological modelling
• Resiliency forecasting
• Science communication
Marine Pollution

Main types of marine pollution:


1. Physical pollution – discarded materials, presence of
sediments, thermal pollution (cold or hot water), oil spills
2. Chemical pollution – inorganic nutrients (N, P), dead organic
matter (human, animal waste), synthetic organic compounds
(pesticides, flame retardants)
3. Biological pollution :

“Biological pollution refers to the introduction of living


organisms, which grow and become invasive, into the
environment”

Example: Zebra mussel, which has become a pertinent problem in the Great
Lakes and parts of the Mississippi River. These mussels invaded into these
waters, reducing the food available for fish and other aquatic animals.
Biomagnification
Bioconcentration
SEVERITY & EFFECTS
Solution to Pollution

Two main methods:

Correction : Costly and time intensive


Prevention : Requires attitude changes

“An ounce of prevention is


worth a pound of cure”

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