Climate change, specifically increased temperatures, can heighten the effects of chemical pollution on nature and human health, a new study by University of Helsinki has found.
While traditionally, research has focused on either climate change or chemical pollution in isolation, the study, by Sabrina Roth, doctoral student at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, looks at the combined effects.
Disrupt ecosystems
“My research demonstrates that the concurrent stresses of heatwaves and chemical pollutants can harm species and disrupt ecosystems, alter food chains, and heighten the risk of human exposure to harmful chemicals through contaminated water and food,” Roth commented.
Roth began by testing the impact of heatwaves and an everyday antibiotic on a single species of phytoplankton, before moving on to exploring the effects of a common pesticide used in farming on a mixed-species planktonic community.
Further to this, she used computer models to predict how extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, could increase human exposure to harmful chemicals through food, water, and air.
Combined stresses
The research demonstrated that the combined stresses of heat and chemical pollution can affect everything from microscopic organisms to large-scale ecosystems, with far-reaching implications for public health.
“One of the most surprising findings was how ciprofloxacin, widely used in Nordic countries, typically considered safe at low environmental concentrations, became much more harmful during a heatwave,” Roth noted. “This antibiotic, often prescribed for bacterial infections, disrupts the growth and health of aquatic species like phytoplankton when combined with extreme heat.”
Additionally, Roth’s modelling study indicated that dietary habits can influence exposure to environmental chemicals.
Vegetarians may ingest more pesticide residues through plant-based foods, while omnivores may be exposed to pollutants like PCBs, which accumulate in animal products.
‘This highlights how personal food choices, combined with climate change, can alter our exposure to environmental chemicals in unexpected ways,’ the study puts it. Read more here.
