"BMMA – the occurrence and bioaccumulation of a new cyanobaterial toxin in our environment"
Birgitta Bergman (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from Plant Physiology, Stockholm University.
Email: bergman@botan.su.se
A few cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce substances that may be toxic for both humans and animals – a phenomenon that becomes evident every summer in our lakes and seas. It has been found that BMMA has a possible coupling to degenerative nerve diseases such as ALS (Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism) and is produced by cyanobacteria of worldwide dissemination.
It was previously believed that BMMA is only produced by cyclads on Guam. It has however recently been demonstrated that it is produced by a cyanobacterium that lives in the roots of the cyclad rather than in the plant itself. But it has now been found that cyanobacteria are of very common occurrence in soils, rivers and seas, and their evolutionary, ecological and medicinal significance have all been noted. Rising temperatures may be expected to stimulate mass proliferation in e.g. the Baltic Sea. It is therefore important to study the incidence of BMMA in our environment and to investigate the risks to human health.
"Multivariate modelling of contaminant data from the Baltic Sea biota in order to predict the biomagnification of new chemicals"
Katrin Lundstedt-Enkel (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from Ecotoxicology, Uppsala University.
Email: katrin.lundstedtenkel@ebc.uu.se
Every year, samples are taken in the Swedish environment in order to analyse the concentration of various environmental pollutants. This environmental monitoring has shown that certain environmental pollutants may have such low concentrations in the waters of the Baltic Sea that they cannot even be detected, but in spite of this the animals in the aquatic food web may have concentrations that are several magnitudes higher. This increase is called biomagnification and can be calculated if the concentration of the substance in the food of the animal is known. The question is whether it is the various properties of the chemicals that cause biomagnification. The hypothesis of the project was that the properties of the environmental effects might be used in modelling biomagnification.
The project works with unique data where the biology of the animal plays an important part with regard to environmental pollutants. The fat solubility of the chemicals affects the uptake of these substances, but the final concentration is also determined by the ability of the animal to excrete the substances.
Owing to the biomagnification model, the underlying processes can now begin to be understood. The model can be used in the risk assessment of substances, but it needs to be expanded to more animal species and other environmental pollutant classes.
"Assessment of anthropogenic stress - a battery of biomarkers and bioindicators for Baltic Sea environmental testing"
Brita Sundelin (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from Applied Environmental Research, Stockholm University
Email: brita.sundelin@itm.su.se
The environmental status of the Baltic Sea has deteriorated in recent decades. Although many classic environmental pollutants have decreased, new problems have been identified and a positive trend has in some cases been reversed. Biomarkers at cell level are sensitive instruments for detecting the effect of environmental pollutants, but they provide insufficient information regarding the consequences for individuals and populations. Using available methods it is difficult to discriminate between the effects of e.g. environmental pollutants and hypoxia, which makes it difficult to assess risks and decide on appropriate measures.
The study shows that biomarkers should be used in combination for the measurement and identification of specific environment related stress. The results also indicate that the amphipod Monoporeia affinis has a strategy for coping with the stress due to varying oxygen levels, but exposure to environmental pollutants modified this ability. Better knowledge of how different biomarkers in this species respond to a disturbance may increase the opportunities to interpret the data collected during monitoring.
"19th annual meeting of SETAC Europé on 31 May – 4 June in Göteborg"
Göran Dave (project leader)
Summary of results from Göteborg University.
Email: goran.dave@dpes.gu.se
There are ca 10 million multicellular species on earth (plants and animals), of which we know only one fifth. At the same time there are ca 10 million known chemical compounds, of which we daily utilise ca 50 thousand in various products without knowing about this for more than a fraction of these. One of the most important tasks of ecotoxicology is to understand how different species are affected, both individually and in their interplay with nature. The importance of international collaboration has therefore become increasingly evident in connection with the spread and effects of airborne pollutants.
Sweden has often been in the forefront of environmental work by arranging meetings at policy level. Through the SETAC conferences, a broad platform is offered for the international exchange of experiences in order to achieve sustainable development in this field.
Responsible for this page: Birgitta Bruzelius