How scientific networks can help advancing both scientific knowledge and public policies: the case study of the “Plastics, Environment and Health” network
The “Plastics, Environment and Health” research network (groupement de recherche, GDR) created in 2019 gathers the French scientific community working on plastic pollution in all environments (soil, air, water) and their impact on ecosystems and human health. The scientific objective is to rapidly increase knowledge on plastic pollution by supporting collaboration of researchers from different fields such as ecotoxicology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, oceanography and social science. Research is carried out at each stage of the plastic life cycle, (from resource extraction all the way to removal and remediation) and across the entire air-soil-water continuum, integrating transfers of both plastic particles (macro, micro- and nanoplastics) and plastic chemicals (e.g., additives) between different environmental compartments. In this context, the GDR supports the development of multi-scale and transdisciplinary approaches across three main axes: Axis 1 - Air-soil-water continuum: contamination levels and transfer between compartments; Axis 2 - Interactions and transformation of plastics in environmental compartments and living organisms; Axis 3. Plastic pollution risk assessment for ecosystems and human health. To do so, the GDR’s actions focus on (1) training and sharing of scientific knowledge, including developments towards innovation, (2) support for collaboration and interdisciplinarity between network members, (3) dissemination, structuring of the community and its national and international influence, and (4) support for public policy and/or decision-making by strengthening the link between scientists, decision-makers and the plastic industry. To date the research network includes more than 50 laboratories spread across France and over 300 scientists in the field of physics, chemistry, biology, ecology and social sciences. Such a network constitutes a powerful tool to build robust science-based knowledge significantly contributing to the international effort, to disseminate state-of-the-art scientific advances and research priorities needed to tackle plastic pollution to Society and to inform policy makers. This talk will present the French taskforce addressing 'Plastic, Environment, and Health' within the national research network, where the entire community works collaboratively to tackle the urgent challenges of plastic pollution, its environmental consequences, and the associated risks to human health. We will also discuss the importance of building a French-speaking community to support multilingualism in international political science interactions.
(25/03/2025)
LEMAR, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, IPREM, UPPA, INC-CNRS, CNRS, MMV, L2C, CNRS, UM, LSAl, ANSES, iEES Paris, IRD, SU, UPEC UP12, CNRS, INRAE, GERS-LEE, ToxAlim, ENVT, Toulouse INP, Comue de Toulouse, Toulouse INP, Comue de Toulouse, INRAE, EPE UT, Comue de Toulouse, EI Purpan, Comue de Toulouse, LOMIC, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, OOB, SU, CNRS, Softmat, INC-CNRS, CNRS, EPE UT, Comue de Toulouse, ICT, IRD, INC-CNRS, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Comue de Toulouse, EPE UT, Comue de Toulouse, IMMM, UM, INC-CNRS, CNRS, IRDL, ENIB, UBO EPE, Bretagne INP, UBS, UBO EPE, CNRS, ENSTA, IP Paris, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UMR MARBEC, IRD, IFREMER, CNRS, UM
Tide-dominated estuaries as gateways and filters of plastic pollution to the Ocean: insights from the PLASTINEST project
Around three-quarters of oceanic plastic waste come from land-based sources and is mainly transported via rivers and estuaries. However, not all plastics entering estuarine environments reach the open Ocean. Plastic litter and particularly microplastics, can accumulate in estuaries, creating pollution hotspots. This retention may be especially pronounced in macrotidal estuaries, where strong landward residual flows enhance trapping. The ANR PLASTINEST project aims to advance our understanding of the transport, trapping, and dispersion of microplastics within estuarine environments dominated by tides. Using innovative field measurements, controlled physical experiments, and enhanced numerical modeling, PLASTINEST offers new insights into the physical processes that govern particle transport under varying environmental conditions. Ultimately, this research contributes to the ongoing scientific debate on the assessment of plastic river input to the ocean and the existence of a “missing ocean plastic sink”, which to this day ignores the potential trapping role of tide-dominated estuaries. In this work, we present the methodology and key results of PLASTINEST, through three work packages:In the first work package, laboratory experiments provided insights into the erodibility, bottom trapping, and settling dynamics of microplastics in the presence of muddy sediments characteristic of estuarine environments. Both, bottom resuspension and settling behavior were primarily influenced by particles physical properties—shape, density, and size. The presence of cohesive sediment has a secondary influence on microplastics transport in turbid estuaries by increasing the critical shear stress of microplastics deposited on the bed and by promoting flocculation in the water column. These two processes favor the retention and accumulation of particles in turbid estuaries.In work package 2, the spatio-temporal variability of microplastics is evaluated across a macrotidal estuary, in relation to key physico-chemical parameters, through ongoing field campaigns. A novel protocol for sampling microplastics has been implemented in the Gironde estuary, using an innovative in-situ filtration system. Data post-processing will elucidate on the role of hydrodynamics (tides, river discharge, longitudinal tidal and salinity gradient, vertical mixing) on microplastic concentration variability and distribution patterns within the estuary.Numerical modelling tools for the transport of plastic debris were improved to include key microplastic transport processes in work package 3. The implementation of these in the Gironde Estuary provided key insights on the role of environmental factors and transport mechanisms on the trapping and dispersion patterns of microplastics across different temporal scales (from intratidal to seasonal) for floating and sinking particles. Beaching, convergent currents and tidal pumping were identified as key trapping mechanism retaining particles inside the estuary. Interestingly, during wet period, the high river discharge flushes important amount of floating particles into the Ocean , while settling particles remain in the estuary.By synthesizing insights from earlier findings, PLASTINEST will provide a comprehensive view of how plastic particles are transported, accumulate, and are periodically exported to the Ocean within tide-dominated estuarine systems.
(25/03/2025)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UAS, RHITME, Cerema, M2C, UNICAEN, NU, INSU - CNRS, UNIROUEN, NU, CNRS, SIAME, UPPA, MIO, IRD, AMU, INSU - CNRS, UTLN, CNRS, HydEE, Département FTC, PPrime [Poitiers], UP, ISAE-ENSMA, CNRS, UP, Cerema Direction Est, Cerema, CBMN, UB, ENITAB, INC-CNRS, CNRS
Gloves Standards and Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs in the European Context
ABSTRACT Background and Aims Over 12 million healthcare professionals in Europe are exposed to hazardous medicinal products, including antineoplastic drugs. Dermal route is recognized as the primary route of exposure to antineoplastic drugs, emphasizing the critical importance of skin protection provided by gloves, which necessitates a careful and specific selection process. This study aims to compare the current European standard EN 16523‐1:2015 + A1:2018 with the ASTM D6978‐05(2023) standard used in the United States. Methods Firstly, the three main performance parameters to consider when selecting gloves are described: standardized breakthrough time, standardized permeation rate, and cumulative permeation. Subsequently, the current European and American standards are compared based on the following criteria: part of the glove tested, substances tested, standardized permeation rate, test duration, test temperature, and the information provided on the glove packaging. Additionally, and with a focus on safety, clear examples of how to interpret graphical symbols and indications available on glove packaging are provided to enhance the transferability of the information contained in this study to healthcare settings. Results There is a significant disparity between the requirements of the two standards. Indeed, the only European standard applicable in the context of glove permeation by antineoplastic drugs requires a standardized permeation rate 100 times less stringent than the American standard and does not include any hazardous drugs in its list of substances to be tested. By proposing a list of 24 antineoplastic drugs to be tested, a test temperature of 35 ± 2°C (compared with 23 ± 1°C in the European standard), and by specifically targeting the thinnest part of the glove, the American standard is closer to real‐world conditions of use compared to its European counterpart. Conclusion This study underscores the limitations of current European standard, advocating for regulatory updates to better protect healthcare professionals, while emphasizing the complexity of selecting appropriate gloves for antineoplastic and hazardous drug exposure. Clinical Trial Registration Not concerned.
(Health Science Reports. vol. 8, n° 2398-8835, 24/03/2025)
IRSET-ESTER, Irset, UA, UR, EHESP, INSERM, Biosit : Biologie - Santé - Innovation Technologique, BPH, UB, INSERM, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
A Common Terminology to Unify Research and Conservation of Coralline Algae and the Habitats They Create
Linguistic uncertainty is a prime source of uncertainty pervading ecology and conservation. Coralline algae are a widespread and diverse group of calcifying red macroalgae that underpin coastal ecosystem function and service provision. Recent increasing interest in coralline algae in the scientific literature has revealed a diverse but confusing terminology at organism to habitat scales. Coralline algal research and conservation are international and multidisciplinary, so there are geographic and disciplinary imbalances in research and conservation efforts. To reach consensus and reduce uncertainty, we propose a unified terminology. We review trends in cultural and scientific use of coralline algal terms and propose a system based on six morphologies: (1) attached, (2) free‐living geniculate, (3) encrusting and free‐living nongeniculate coralline algae, the latter either being (4) nucleated or (5) non‐nucleated thalli or (6) fragments. We take inspiration from other coastal systems that have achieved consensus through umbrella terms, such as ‘coral’ and ‘kelp’, to accelerate global progress in coralline algal research and conservation. We characterise 14 coralline algae–dominated habitat global types, falling within seven functional groups, four biomes and four realms: (1) freshwater coralline streams; (2) coralline tide pools; (3) intertidal coralline rims and (4) turf; (5) coralline sea caves; (6) coral–algal reefs; (7) algal ridges; (8) coralligenous reefs; subtidal (9) carbonate crusts, (10) coralline barrens and (11) turf; and (12) articulith, (13) maerl and (14) rhodolith beds, which fall into the coralline algal bed functional group. We hope this unified terminology promotes data comparison, enables cross‐boundary and cross‐sector sharing of best practices, develops capacity for meta‐analyses and improves conservation strategies.
(Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. vol. 35, n° 1052-7613, 24/03/2025)
LEMAR, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, UFRJ, IUEM, IRD, INSU - CNRS, UBO EPE, CNRS, DYNECO, IFREMER, UGR, NHM, CDPQ, INTECHMER, Cnam, LUSAC, UNICAEN, NU, IMR, UiB, UDC, UAlg, FIOCRUZ, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Plant Community Responses to Climate Change: The Importance of Ecological Context Dependencies
(Journal of Vegetation Science. vol. 36, n° 1100-9233, 21/03/2025)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, IB / CAS, CAS, EDYSAN, UPJV, CNRS
From carbon to societal footprint : geoscience research in the face of the socio-environmental emergency
In light of the major socio-environmental challenges of our time, ensuring a safe and just world for humans and non-humans calls for profound changes in our societies. According to the 6th IPCC WG3 report, the scale and speed of actions required to keep global warming below +2°C are unparalleled at both individual and institutional levels. Consequently, no sector nor activity - whether in the Global North or in countries moving toward similar economic trajectories - should be exempt from critical reflection on its suitability for sustainable practices. This also includes scientific research, particularly our Geosciences community at large, which not only brings to light the above challenges, but also increasingly calls for decisive action. Geoscientist communities must therefore critically reflect on the societal impact of their findings and their research practices. These considerations are being increasingly raised by ethics committees at universities and research institutes, as well as in a growing number of opinion pieces, publications, and other forms of expressions within our communities. Here we present our experience of making this pressing issue a standalone chapter in the upcoming 5-year prospective document published by the French Continental Surfaces and Interfaces research community (in French, SIC), coordinated through the French state research organization (CNRS). This marks a significant difference from previous SIC prospective editions where such reflections were largely absent. Here, we address the environmental responsibilities, strategic actions, and systemic transformations required to align SIC research with sustainability goals while maintaining scientific relevance. We argue that the community must uphold transparency and ethical leadership to ensure a balance between the environmental benefits and impacts of research. We also reflect on the potential challenges that arise from reconciling such ethical commitment with the future scientific and instrumental challenges and priorities for the future.
(pp. EGU25-7054, 18/03/2025)
GET, IRD, INSU - CNRS, CNES, CNRS, EPE UT, Comue de Toulouse, IMBE, AU, AMU, CNRS, IGE, IRD, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, INRAE, Fédération OSUG, UGA, Grenoble INP, UGA, IMPMC, MNHN, SU, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, GR, UR, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LCE, CNRS, UMLP, HSM, IRD, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UM, CEREGE, IRD, AMU, CdF (institution), INSU - CNRS, CNRS, INRAE
Paucibranchia glemareci sp. nov. (Annelida, Eunicidae), a new species from the French Atlantic continental shelf
In this study, we describe a new species belonging to the genus Paucibranchia Molina-Acevedo, 2018 found in the area “La Grande Vasière” on the French Atlantic continental shelf (Bay of Biscay). Paucibranchia glemareci sp. nov. lives between 100 and 130 m depth on muddy sands. It is easily distinguished from most other European species of the genus by the absence of compound spinigerous chaetae. A key to the European species of the genus Paucibranchia is given.
(Zookeys. vol. 1232, n° 1313-2989, pp. 187-203, 18/03/2025)
LEMAR, IRD, IFREMER, UBO EPE, CNRS, IUEM, IRD, INSU - CNRS, UBO EPE, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, UMS POREA, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, INRAE
Records of vegetation and South Asian summer monsoon dynamics in the Bay of Bengal during the current and last interglacial periods
While it is accepted that the tropical hydrological cycle has intensified during past interglacial periods due to changes in insolation, greenhouse gases, and ice volume, variations in the intensity and spatial distribution of rainfall in the South Asian monsoon domain, as well as the respective influence of these forcings during past warm periods, remain uncertain. Here, we present a pollen record from the Bay of Bengal (IODP Site U1446, located off the Mahanadi river exit, outside the influence of the Bengal fan) that allows reconstruction of vegetation changes in the core monsoon zone of India during two warm periods, the current and last interglacial periods. We compare the data with numerical model simulations (HadCM3 and LOVECLIM1.3) to assess the influence of different forcing mechanisms on the response of summer monsoon rainfall during past interglacials characterized by different levels of warming (Clément et al., 2024). We also present a pollen record from cores (SO93) taken at 16°N from the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (G-B-M) river-fed Bengal fan, covering the current interglacial period.Results from IODP Site U1446 show tropical forest expansion between 11.7-5 ka and 127-120 ka, defining two Indian humid periods, with the last interglacial showing the strongest monsoon activity, consistent with salinity reconstructions. During the last five millennia of both interglacial periods, moist tropical forest largely declined in favor of savanna marking a significant decrease in summer monsoon rainfall. Although the pollen assemblages from sites SO93 and U1446 show substantial differences in Holocene vegetation cover between the basins, the maximum expansion of the evergreen component of the tropical forest is recorded contemporaneously in both sequences. This suggests a similar Holocene evolution of the summer monsoon from central to northern India. The model-data comparison highlights boreal summer insolation as the primary driver of vegetation dynamics and monsoon intensity during interglacial periods, with CO2 and ice-sheets having a limited effect. These results also show that vegetation remains unaffected by pre-industrial CO2 variations above 250 ppmv, a threshold value that characterizes most interglacials of the last million years.Clément, C., Martinez, P., Yin, Q., Clemens, S., Thirumalai, K., Prasad, S., Anupama, K., Su, Q., Lyu, A., Grémare, A., Desprat, S., 2024. Greening of India and revival of the South Asian summer monsoon in a warmer world. Commun. Earth Environ. 5, 685.
(pp. 9895, 18/03/2025)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ELI, UCLouvain, UL, CRPG, INSU - CNRS, UL, CNRS, IFP, MEAE, CNRS, UCLouvain, Bordeaux INP, WHOI
Fault segmentation, geometry and recent activity in the epicentral area of the 1956 Mw 7.5 Amorgos earthquake (Greece)
The Amorgos-Santorini region (Hellenic Volcanic Arc, Greece), suffered the most powerful earthquake in the Mediterranean in the 20th century (1956, Mw ~7.5). This event caused casualties, severe damage and a large tsunami. The epicentral area is offshore and is characterized by several basins bounded by submarine faults accommodating back-arc extension and the Anatolian extrusion. Recently, the Amorgos fault was identified as the causative fault of the 1956 Amorgos earthquake. However, the characteristics of this fault, such as its detailed geometry, segmentation and kinematics remain unclear and debated. Using new high-resolution bathymetric data and sediment cores, we present a detailed mapping of this fault and its neighbors.The Amorgos fault is composed of three segments separated by relay zones. Taking into account the onshore geology, where E-W striking late Miocene normal faults are mapped, the segmentation could be controlled by structural heritage. Offshore, all but the southernmost segments of the Amorgos fault exhibit cumulative scarps of at least 700 m in relief. The segments strike NE-SW, except for the northern one that displays a curved structure in its middle, at 60° with respect to the main fault (E-W striking).The central segment, where evidences of the 1956 earthquake rupture were found, is composed of several secondary faults that offset young geomorphic features at the seafloor (such as mass-wasting scars) with purely normal kinematics. In comparison, the curved northern segment shows fewer secondary faults, none of them offsetting the numerous mass-wasting scars observed along its trace. We also find here secondary NE-SW faults that are crosscutting its cumulative scarps, and are offsetting the Last Glacial Maximum wave-cut platform by up to 5 meters, testifying for their recent activity. These observations question the role of the northern E-W striking segment in the accommodation of the present-day stress regime (NW-SE extension), that may be now inactive, or activated as a strike-slip fault, although we do not observe markers laterally offset. We discuss how the geometry and segmentation of the Amorgos fault can impact the rupture propagation, especially in relation to the 1956 earthquake and morphology of the nearby faults.
(pp. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16612, 15/03/2025)
GEOAZUR 7329, INSU - CNRS, UniCA, CNRS, IRD [Occitanie], IRD, UniCA, GEGENA, URCA, Inrap, MSH-URCA, URCA, IPGP - UMR_7154, INSU - CNRS, IGN, UR, IPG Paris, CNRS, UPCité, NKUA, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LGENS, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, ENS-PSL, PSL
Aerosol spectral optical properties in the Paris urban area and its peri-urban and forested surroundings during summer 2022 from ACROSS surface observations
Abstract. The complex refractive index (CRI; n−ik) and the single scattering albedo (SSA) are key parameters driving the aerosol direct radiative effect. Their spatial, temporal, and spectral variabilities in anthropogenic–biogenic mixed environments are poorly understood. In this study, we retrieve the spectral CRI and SSA (370–950 nm wavelength range) from in situ surface optical measurements and the number size distribution of submicron aerosols at three sites in the greater Paris area, representative of the urban city, as well as its peri-urban and forested rural environments. Measurements were taken as part of the ACROSS (Atmospheric Chemistry of the Suburban Forest) campaign in June–July 2022 under diversified conditions: (1) two heatwaves leading to high aerosol levels, (2) an intermediate period with low aerosol concentrations, and (3) an episode of long-range-transported fire emissions. The retrieved CRI and SSA exhibit an urban-to-rural gradient, whose intensity is modulated by the weather conditions. A full campaign average CRI of 1.41−0.037i (urban), 1.52−0.038i (peri-urban), and 1.50−0.025i (rural) is retrieved. The imaginary part of the CRI (k) increases and the SSA decreases at the peri-urban and forest sites when exposed to the influence of the Paris urban plume. Values of k > 0.1 and SSA < 0.6 at 520 nm are related to a black carbon mass fraction larger than 10 %. Organic aerosols are found to contribute to more than 50 % of the aerosol mass and up to 10 % (urban), 17 % (peri-urban), and 22 % (forest) of the aerosol absorption coefficient at 370 nm. A k value of 0.022 (370 nm) was measured at the urban site for the long-range-transported fire episode.
(Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. vol. 25, n° 1680-7316, pp. 3161-3189, 14/03/2025)
LISA (UMR_7583), INSU - CNRS, UPEC UP12, CNRS, UPCité, LATMOS, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, SU, CNRS, LCE, AMU, INC-CNRS, CNRS, UiO, CERI EE - IMT Nord Europe, IMT Nord Europe, IMT, USD, TROPOS, INERIS, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, CAE, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, INSU - CNRS