{
  "id": 18154430,
  "title": "Complementary chemical and effect-based risk assessments reveal ecotoxicological risks in Caribbean coastal bays and coral reefs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/complementary-chemical-and-effect-based-risk-assessments-reveal",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-04T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.02.763482v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anthropogenic chemical pollution, though often overlooked, poses a significant risk to coral reef ecosystems. This research focused on three bays on Curacao and their adjacent coral reefs, examining chemical mixtures in both wet and dry seasons. Researchers utilized passive samplers and targeted chemical analysis, as well as effect-based methods, to analyze the samples. Each bay displayed its own chemical fingerprint, most likely influenced by nearby land use.\n\nConcentrations of targeted chemicals were found to be higher during the wet season, particularly inside the bays. This suggests that rainfall helps mobilize terrestrial contaminants. A majority of these compounds exceeded their predicted no-effect concentrations, while the mixture's toxic pressure ranged from low to moderate, with the highest levels inside the bays. Bioassays, which measured the effects of the entire mixture, indicated that mixture toxicity was relatively low to moderate, with the strongest impact observed on the reefs.\n\nThe two methods of analysis provided complementary information: targeted chemical analysis identified the bays as pollution sources, while bioassays revealed that the mixture effects were strongest on the reefs. Thus, relying solely on targeted chemical analysis would not suffice in evaluating ecotoxicological risks. This study demonstrates the value of a multidisciplinary approach, which can help prioritize key chemical indicators and bioassays for monitoring coral reef water quality.",
  "summary": "Anthropogenic chemical pollution poses a significant, yet often unquantified threat to coral reef ecosystems. This study investigated the occurrence, dispersal, and ecotoxicological risks of chemical mixtures in three inland bays of Curacao (Southern Caribbean) and adjacent coral reefs during wet and dry seasons. Passive sampler extracts were analyzed with targeted chemical analysis and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}