An investigation carried out in the lagoon seeks to shed light on new compounds created by the industry that end up in the water
They study how they accumulate in the tissues of organisms
New drugs, new cosmetics, new pesticides. The industry does not stop innovating and creating new products which consumers welcome with enthusiasm. However, they end up reaching marine ecosystems such as Mar Menor. The problem is that these natural spaces face components about which there is still not much information. They are called emerging contaminants.
A study carried out -in part- in the Mar Menor seeks to shed light on how these new components affect the marine ecosystem. The project is framed in the doctoral thesis of the researcher in training María del Mar García Pimentel of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), directed by researchers from the Murcia Oceanographic Center, Víctor Manuel León and Juan Antonio Campillo.
“Our research is focused on the study of contaminants with little persistence in the middle and ability to accumulate in tissues of organisms,” Campillo and Pimentel point out to this medium.
Emerging contaminants remain in the environment for less time than old ones
Right now, says Campillo, there is little information about how drugs, new pesticides that replace old or banned ones, and compounds that are present in daily use, such as personal hygiene products, affect the marine environment. “We know that all this reaches the marine environment and that it can be harmful,” he says.
Thus, the first ways to know these effects is identify and quantify them. From there, they will be able to know the degree of toxicity that these components have on the marine species of the Mar Menor.
The greatest presence of these pollutants occurs in coastal areas where there is greater human pressure, points out García Pimentel. “If you go to the middle of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic you won’t find them,” he says. Therefore, those found in the Mar Menor come from the area.
Beyond the advances, researchers believe that waste management must continue to be improved
The researcher in training explains that these new components go through numerous degradation processes, which is why they do not usually persist in the environment. Campillo adds that those found in marine areas far from the coast are because before, more persistent components were used in the environment. “The persistent pollutants are practically prohibited,” says Campillo.
In the study, they have quantified a certain number of compounds. They explain that most of the drugs on which they have focused their studies are widely used in humans, such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics or antidepressants. They have also found the presence of certain drugs for veterinary use.
“However, it is important to highlight that the entry pathways of these compounds into the environment are possibly different,” the researchers point out. In general, they say, drugs for human use have their main route of entry through the effluents of wastewater treatment plants, while those for veterinary use can reach the environment with runoff water, which they leach urine from livestock farms located in the areas of influence of the lagoon.
If anyone is wondering, yes. When people bathe in the Mar Menor, they come into contact with these pollutants. However, García Pimentel and Campillo give a reassuring message regarding the new components. Human skin is resistant and does not allow these contaminants to pass through. Yes, others that have been in the lagoon for decades are more dangerous, such as heavy metals.
small gestures
What could be done on an individual level? Researchers say that on a personal level it is important for society to be aware of the chemicals and their ability to damage the environmentjust like the Administration.
There are increasingly more environmentally friendly products and they give an example of the greater control there is over plastics and microplastics. “Measures have been taken at the social and governmental level, which we all know, that are allowing reduce its use and minimize the impact in the marine environment. In fact, when compounds capable of having harmful effects on the environment are identified, their use is promoted and replaced by other alternatives. However, it is still necessary to work to improve and raise awareness of waste management on both sides,” they say.