CESAM researchers, in collaboration with LAQV-REQUIMTE at the University of Aveiro, have raised concerns about the environmental impacts of platinum-group metals on marine ecosystems.

The study examines platinum, palladium and rhodium, metals widely used in automotive catalysts, industry and medicine, which are increasingly accumulating in the environment. Using the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a bioindicator, researchers exposed organisms to the metals individually and in mixtures.

Results show that each metal causes different biological effects, while combined exposure leads to more complex and less predictable responses. The findings highlight the importance of assessing contaminant mixtures when evaluating risks to coastal ecosystems and advancing knowledge on emerging pollutants linked to human activities.

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Picture credit: CESAM