Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Toconao Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Plastic pellet spills are a major source of microplastic pollution, and pellets are found on beaches worldwide. However, the potential environmental impacts of these spills remain poorly understood. In December 2023, approximately 25,000 kg of polyethylene pellets containing high concentrations of the additive Tinuvin UV-622 were spilled during a shipping accident off the northern coast of Portugal. Pellets collected from an affected beach located in Galicia, Spain, along with solvent extracts and aqueous leachates, were subjected to both target and nontarget chemical analyses and tested in a battery of toxicity assays including a green microalga ( Raphidocelis subcapitata ), a marine copepod ( Apocyclops royi ), a fish model ( Danio rerio ), and a human cell line. Chemical screening identified on the order of 50 chemical substances in addition to Tinuvin UV-622, including a range of known plastic additives and nonintentionally added substances (NIAS). Toxicity assays revealed significant growth inhibition and stress-induced cell aggregation in R. subcapitata and acute toxicity causing immobilization in copepods, which could have potential implications in the environment via the disruption of primary producers and food web dynamics. In contrast, zebrafish embryos showed no significant developmental effects, while human cells exhibited modest, time-dependent reductions in viability. Our findings underscore the complex chemical burden associated with pellet spills and stress the need for policies and regulations to prevent them, reinforcing the importance of applying the precautionary principle in managing the environmental risks linked to plastic pellet production, transport, and accidental release.
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BibTeX
@article{moralescaselles2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Toconao Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm}},
author = {Carmen Morales-Caselles and Andy M. Booth and Juan Baztan and Line-Marie Berget and Eric Carmona and Natàlia Corcoll and Hubert Dirven and Montserrat Filella and Daniela Gómez-Martínez and Dorte Herzke and Hege Hjertholm and Annika Jahnke and Per Meyer Jepsen and Azora König Kardgar and Claudia Lorenz and Neema Negi and Elisa Rojo-Nieto and Igor Snapkow and Lisbet Sørensen and Kristian Syberg and Hideshige Takada and Andrew Turner and Bethanie Carney-Almroth},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.5c16166},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05851598v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated Chemical and Hazard Assessment of Plastic Pellets from the Toconao Spill (Galicia, Spain) Indicates Potential for Environmental Harm
AU - Carmen Morales-Caselles
AU - Andy M. Booth
AU - Juan Baztan
AU - Line-Marie Berget
AU - Eric Carmona
AU - Natàlia Corcoll
AU - Hubert Dirven
AU - Montserrat Filella
AU - Daniela Gómez-Martínez
AU - Dorte Herzke
AU - Hege Hjertholm
AU - Annika Jahnke
AU - Per Meyer Jepsen
AU - Azora König Kardgar
AU - Claudia Lorenz
AU - Neema Negi
AU - Elisa Rojo-Nieto
AU - Igor Snapkow
AU - Lisbet Sørensen
AU - Kristian Syberg
AU - Hideshige Takada
AU - Andrew Turner
AU - Bethanie Carney-Almroth
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Environmental Science and Technology
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.5c16166
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05851598v1
AB - High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Plastic pellet spills are a major source of microplastic pollution, and pellets are found on beaches worldwide. However, the potential environmental impacts of these spills remain poorly understood. In December 2023, approximately 25,000 kg of polyethylene pellets containing high concentrations of the additive Tinuvin UV-622 were spilled during a shipping accident off the northern coast of Portugal. Pellets collected from an affected beach located in Galicia, Spain, along with solvent extracts and aqueous leachates, were subjected to both target and nontarget chemical analyses and tested in a battery of toxicity assays including a green microalga ( Raphidocelis subcapitata ), a marine copepod ( Apocyclops royi ), a fish model ( Danio rerio ), and a human cell line. Chemical screening identified on the order of 50 chemical substances in addition to Tinuvin UV-622, including a range of known plastic additives and nonintentionally added substances (NIAS). Toxicity assays revealed significant growth inhibition and stress-induced cell aggregation in R. subcapitata and acute toxicity causing immobilization in copepods, which could have potential implications in the environment via the disruption of primary producers and food web dynamics. In contrast, zebrafish embryos showed no significant developmental effects, while human cells exhibited modest, time-dependent reductions in viability. Our findings underscore the complex chemical burden associated with pellet spills and stress the need for policies and regulations to prevent them, reinforcing the importance of applying the precautionary principle in managing the environmental risks linked to plastic pellet production, transport, and accidental release.
SN - 0013-936X
SN - 1520-5851
ER -