Abstract:
As the demand for rare earth elements (REEs) continues to surge in diverse industrial and medical domains, the ecological consequences of their ubiquitous presence have garnered heightened attention. Among the REEs, gadolinium (Gd), commonly used in medical imaging contrast agents, has emerged as a pivotal concern due to its inadvertent introduction into marine ecosystems via wastewater release. This study delves into the complex ecotoxicological implications of Gd contamination, focusing on its impact on the embryonic development and sperm functionality of Mytilus galloprovincialis. The findings from this study underscore the potential hazards posed by this rare element, offering a critical perspective on the ecological risks associated with Gd. Notably, this exploratory work reveals that Gd exerts a significant embryotoxic effect at elevated concentrations, with an observed half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 0.026 mg/L. Additionally, Gd exposure leads to a considerable reduction in sperm motility and alters sperm morfo-kinetic parameters, especially at a concentration of 5.6 mg/L. The results highlight a dose-dependent relationship between Gd exposure and the prevalence of specific malformation types in Mytilus embryos, further providing crucial insights into the potential risks imposed by this rare earth element.
摘要:
随着不同工业和医疗领域对稀土元素(REE)的需求持续激增,它们无处不在的生态后果引起了人们的高度关注。在稀土元素中,钆(Gd),常用于医学成像造影剂,由于其通过废水释放无意引入海洋生态系统,因此已成为一个关键问题。本研究深入研究了Gd污染的复杂生态毒理学含义,重点研究了其对galloprovincialis胚胎发育和精子功能的影响。这项研究的结果强调了这种稀有元素带来的潜在危害,提供了与Gd相关的生态风险的批判性视角。值得注意的是,这项探索性工作表明,Gd在高浓度下发挥显著的胚胎毒性作用,观察到的半最大有效浓度(EC50)值为0.026mg/L。此外,Gd暴露会导致精子活力大大降低,并改变精子形态动力学参数,特别是浓度为5.6mg/L结果强调了Gd暴露与Mytilus胚胎中特定畸形类型的患病率之间的剂量依赖性关系,进一步提供了对这种稀土元素潜在风险的关键见解。