UV filters contained in solar sunscreens and other personal care items are increasingly released to aquatic systems. Recent studies have shown a negative effect on macroorganisms and selected microbial species. However, information on the effect on natural planktonic communities remains scarce. Exposing natural prokaryotic and microbial planktonic communities to different organic and inorganic UV filters at concentrations between 2.5 µgL^-1 and 2.5 mgL^-1 resulted in increased respiration rates and differing enzymatic activity rates. Microbial communities (including prokaryotes and eukaryotes <200 µm) had higher respiration rates and lipase activity when exposed to inorganic as compared to organic UV filters, whereas prokaryotic communities showed a more pronounced response to organic than to inorganic UV filters. Exposure of prokaryotes to avobenzone at low concentrations resulted in increased respiration rates and alpha- and betaglucosidase activity rates compared to sulisobenzone amended communities, and higher lipase activity compared to unamended prokaryotic communities. However, enzymatic activities of communities amended with the higher concentrations of avobenzone (2.5 mgL^-1) were inhibited. Taken together, our results indicate that UV filters alter the metabolism of natural microbial communities, with impacts on the food web and the carbon cycle of aquatic ecosystems.

Primary Presenter: Eva Sintes, Instituto Español de Oceanografía-CSIC (eva.sintes@ieo.csic.es)

Authors:

Eva Sintes, Instituto Español de Oceanografia-CSIC  ()

Pilar Baixauli,  Instituto Español de Oceanografia-CSIC  ()

Ana Bodí,  Instituto Español de Oceanografia-CSIC  ()

Mariana Strauss,  Instituto Español de Oceanografia-CSIC  ()

Luis Flor,   ()

Paula Rodríguez-Castells,   ()