Metals and Metal Mixtures

Metals enter the environment through natural and anthropogenic sources and their biogeochemical behavior brings about particular challenges for ecotoxicology and risk assessment. GhEnToxLab is most particularly interested in understanding how abiotic factors (e.g. pH, temperature) influence the aquatic toxicity of metals like copper, zinc, nickel, cadmium, and lead (commonly termed metals bioavailability research), including mixtures of these metals. Based on experimental data, GhEnToxLab develops bioavailability and mixture toxicity models that can be used in policy-context by industry and regulators. In addition, GhEnToxLab is also interested in understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms of metal toxicity, combined and interactive effects of metals and biotic stressors (like harmful algae, nutritional stress) often in a context of project climate change scenario’s, micro-evolutionary effects of metals, and extrapolation of standard metal ecotoxicity data to the population level.


Current researchers
Karel Vlaeminck, Simon Hansul, Sharon JanssenKristi Weighman

Past researchers
Charlotte Nys, Tina Van Regenmortel, Cecilia PereiraIlias SemmouriDavid DeruytterJennifer Hochmuth


PhD theses

Silva Pereira, C. M. (2018). The effect of temperature on metal toxicity and toxicokinetics in the aquatic model organism Daphnia magna. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering ; University of Antwerp. Faculty of Science, Ghent ; Antwerp, Belgium.

Van Regenmortel, T. (2017). Ecotoxicity and risk assessment of metal mixtures in the freshwater environment. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium.

Nys, C. (2016). Bioavailability and chronic toxicity of metal mixtures in freshwater: modelling and implementation in risk assessment. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium.

Hochmuth, J. (2016). Combined effects of chemical and natural stressors on Daphnia magna in a context of global change: extrapolating from short-term experiments on individuals to long-term effects at the population level. Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent, Belgium.

Recent publications

Van Regenmortel, T., et al. (2018). The effects of a mixture of copper, nickel, and zinc on the structure and function of a freshwater planktonic community. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 37(9), 2380–2400.

Silva Pereira, C. M., Blust, R., & De Schamphelaere, K. (2019). Effect of temperature on nickel uptake and elimination in Daphnia magna. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Nys, C. et al. (2016). Reproductive toxicity of binary and ternary mixture combinations of nickel, zinc, and lead to Ceriodaphnia dubia is best predicted with the independent action model. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY35(7), 1796–1805.

Van Regenmortel, T. et al. (2015). Comparison of the capacity of two biotic ligand models to predict chronic copper toxicity to two Daphnia magna clones and formulation of a generalized bioavailability model. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY34(7), 1597–1608.

Projects
Aquatic systems under multiple Stress: a new paradigm integrating aquaculture and ecotoxicology research (AQUASTRESS)

Mixture toxicity of metals, phase I (MET-MIX-1)