Problem addressed
The presence of chemical contaminants — including heavy metals, hydrocarbons, biocides and emerging contaminants — threatens the health of the marine environment and the ecosystem services it provides. Without appropriate ecotoxicological assessments, impacts may go undetected or be underestimated, making regulatory compliance and the implementation of effective mitigation measures more difficult.
What we do and how we do it
- We carry out toxicity bioassays at different trophic levels:
- Vibrio fischeri (Microtox® luminescence inhibition assay).
- Marine amphipods (Corophium multisetosum, C. urdaibaiense).
- Sea urchin larvae (Paracentrotus lividus).
- We conduct acute and chronic tests to assess mortality, growth, larval development and sublethal effects.
- We apply TIE techniques (Toxicity Identification Evaluation) to determine which contaminants are responsible for the observed effects.
- We assess biomarkers of exposure and effect in marine organisms, including oxidative stress, histopathology and genotoxicity.
- We analyse environmental matrices such as water, sediment and leachates, adapting methodologies to the specific context of each project.
- We prepare interpretative technical reports, including specific recommendations for mitigation and environmental management.
Key benefits
- Accurate ecotoxicological assessments to support environmental management decisions.
- Identification of the critical contaminants responsible for toxicity.
- Detection of sublethal effects that may not be identified through conventional physicochemical analyses.
- Support for compliance with European regulations and sustainability strategies in marine and coastal sectors.
- Backed by AZTI’s extensive experience in marine ecotoxicology and internationally validated testing methods.
