Assessment of the toxicity of surfactants and oil in the marine environment using bioassays with the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula

Abstract

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, declared by the ONU, covers the period between 2021 and 2030, with the aim of promoting the preservation of the oceans and the management of natural resources in coastal areas. At the same time, it is known that human activities have greatly impacted coastal areas, making it necessary to develop innovative tools for assessing the effects of pollutants in the marine environment. In this scenario, there is the use of bioluminescence for rapid assessments through specific ecotoxicological tests for the marine environment. Considering surfactants as very common pollutants found in domestic and industrial effluents and as a result of cleaning tanks and reservoirs, the sea has been the final destination of this type of pollutant, introduced continuously. Furthermore, oil spill accidents that affect the coastal zone, including nurseries for marine life, such as estuaries and mangroves, cause negative impacts on the biota. In this context, surfactants are often presented as solutions for oil removal, and it is important to increase knowledge of the action of these contaminants on living beings, both unicellular and multicellular, as they all have lipoprotein membranous systems sensitive to the action of detergents and oil. Petroleum. Therefore, it is urgent to monitor this type of pollution in marine systems. This is the purpose of this research, that is, to study the effects of surfactants and oil on the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrocystys lunula, using the measurement of bioluminescence as a tool with innovative technological potential and rapid response in environmental impact assessment.