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Seaweeds have been used as animal feed since a long time and are consumed as food in several cultures. In fact, macroalgae are a source of protein, fiber, polyunsaturated fat, and minerals. The concentration of trace elements was determined in dominant macroalga species from three sites of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. A high interspecies variability was observed, with higher metal levels in brown and green than those in red seaweeds. The maximum values set by European regulations for arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in food and feed were never exceeded, but a few samples were very close to limits set for mercury. Conversely, the maximum limit for lead in feed was exceeded in all species from one of the considered sites. Analogously, lead in seaweeds could constitute a potential risk for human health, due to the exceeding of the maximum value set for food supplements.

We monitored the concentration of 21 trace elements in zooplankton samples collected in a Northwestern Mediterranean coastal ecosystem (Italy). In the last 20 years, this area has been the target of important anthropogenic impacts including maritime traffic and substantial industrial activities. Zooplankton contributes to the transfer of trace metals to higher trophic levels and constitute one of the recommended groups for the baseline studies of metals in the marine environment. The essential trace elements (As, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Mo, Co, Cr, Se, Ni) and the nonessential trace elements (Al, Be, Cd, Pb, Sb, Sn, V) were generally found at concentrations of no concern in the analyzed zooplankton samples, but showed important variations between seasons and different water depths. The zooplankton was found to be a significant accumulator of metals, and bioaccumulation factors were in the range of 28 (Co) to 109015 (Fe) in marine surficial waters, with increasing values at increasing water depth. Zooplankton is a useful bioindicator to assess metal contamination and its impact in the marine environment.

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The Mediterranean Sea is subjected to a high anthropic pressure, which determines direct or indirect discharges of persistent organic pollutants deriving from intensive industrial activities. These compounds could easily enter and contaminate the whole marine compartment, with possible transfers (and contamination) among water, sediment and biota. Based on the above-mentioned assumptions, in this work we studied the presence of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 14 dioxin and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the neritic protected marine area of the Southern Ligurian Sea, affected by the impact of human activities. The study was focused on the possible partition of micropollutants within seawater, sediment and zooplankton. Results showed that both seasonal and anthropic causes strongly affect contaminant transfer behaviors, with summertime periods more impacted by PAH and PCB contamination. Regarding the PAH contamination, low molecular weight congeners were mainly detected in the target matrices, revealing concentrations up to 1 µg/L in seawater (anthracene), 250 µg/Kg in sediments (benzo[b]fluoranthene) and 2.3 mg/Kg in carnivorous copepods. Concerning PCBs, only few congeners were detected in the matrices studied. To better understand the occurrence of preferential bioaccumulation pathways in zooplankton, partition studies were also performed in several taxa (hyperbenthic Isopoda, holoplanktonic crustacean copepods and ichthyoplankton) through the calculation of BAF values, observing that both living and feeding habits could influence the bioaccumulation process.