RT Journal Article
T1 Three decades of change in potentially toxic elements in Brown Algae in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean
A1 Pacín Salvador, María do Carme
A1 Fernández Escribano, José Ángel
A1 Conde Amboage, Mercedes
A1 Lazzari, Massimo
A1 García-Seoane, Rita
A1 Viana, Inés G.
A1 Varela Río, Zulema
A1 Real Rodríguez, Carlos
A1 Villares Pazos, Rubén
A1 Aboal Viñas, Jesús
K1 Seaweed
K1 Biomonitoring
K1 Marine pollution
K1 Hazardous elements
AB Marine pollution from potentially toxic elements (PTEs) threatens coastal ecosystems, making long-term assessments essential. This study analyzes trends in Al, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Hg using 446 samples of Fucus ceranoides, F. spiralis, and F. vesiculosus collected between 1990 and 2021 at 173 coastal sites in NW Spain. A consistent resampling approach revealed significant declines in most anthropogenic PTEs, including Cu (−84.7%), Cr (−84.6%), Hg (−49.6%), and Cd (−36.7%) over time. In contrast, arsenic increased by 36.1%, but the underlying causes remain unclear, with potential factors including changes in sediment inputs, bioavailability, or emerging sources such as groundwater discharges. Higher PTE levels were detected in inner estuarine areas, but no consistent latitudinal patterns emerged. Overall, the results suggest effective mitigation of coastal pollution, with reduced bioavailable PTEs entering the food web via Fucus spp. However, rising As levels and complex contamination dynamics underscore the need for continued monitoring. This study offers the most comprehensive standardized assessment of long-term PTE trends in brown algae to date, providing valuable insights for environmental policy and coastal management.
PB American Chemical Society
SN 0013-936X
YR 2025
FD 2025-05
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43317
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/43317
LA eng
NO Pacín, C., Fernández, J. Á., Conde-Amboage, M., Lazzari, M., García-Seoane, R., Viana, I. G., Varela, Z., Real, C., Villares, R., & Aboal, J. R. (2025). Three Decades of Change in Potentially Toxic Elements in Brown Algae in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. "Environmental Science & Technology". https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c14013
NO C. Pacín received a predoctoral grant from Xunta de Galicia (ED481A 2022/374). R. García-Seoane was supported by the postdoctoral research grant Juan de la Cierva-Formación (FJC2019-040921-I) from MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (Spain) and EU NextGenerationEU/PRTR programmes and is currently supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (101150001-PelCon). I. G. Viana was funded by the Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación programme (IJC2019-040554-I) and Z. Varela by the María Zambrano Programme from the Spanish Ministry of Universities.
DS Minerva
RD 27 abr 2026