exposome. Using passive sampling, in combination with both target and nontarget
methods, would allow for the acquisition of time-averaged, low-frequency data to build
up long-term data sets (plurennial or even decadal scale). This approach provides data
that are complementary to high-frequency sampling and that are needed to help
estimate the efficiency of regulations on the occurrence and dynamics of chemicals
of interest. Biota could also be used to this end, provided well-known sentinel organisms are used (e.g. gammarids or freshwater mussels).
Finally, future research should also address emerging issues regarding biological
contaminants, especially those that are not or are poorly related to the abundance of
faecal bacterial indicator. The study of pathogenic protozoa transfer in freshwater
ecosystems, or the emerging pathogens such Leptospira, is fundamental to improve
the microbial risk assessment of surface waters. In addition, protozoa may lead to the
modulation of physiological responses in sentinel organisms (e.g. bivalves), thereby
potentially leading to erroneous interpretations in environmental monitoring studies.
Thus, the influence of confounding factors such as the infection by protozoa
represents a major issue as regards the use of biomarkers for environmental quality
assessment (for further details regarding this issue, see [84]). Furthermore, the
transfer of genetic element encoding resistance to antibiotics (1) from environmental
microbial communities to strains that are pathogenic for humans or (2) from genes of
clinical origin to environmental pathogenic bacteria that are opportunistic for
humans (e.g. Pseudomonas, Aeromonas or Burkholderia) is identified as a major
risk to public health related to the environment. The assessment of such a transfer of
environmental resistance to humans (retro-transfer) is crucial to evaluate; it is,
however, challenging because it involves rare events occurring on a time scale that
remains difficult to determine.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge the support of EPHE and R2DS Ilede-France (i.e. Paris regional research network on sustainable development), which both provided a
PhD grant. The authors would also like to thank the Aquitaine Region and the European Union
(CPER A2E project) for their financial support, as well as the French National Research Agency
(ANR) for its funding through IdEx Bordeaux (ANR-10-IDEX-03-02, PhD grant), the Investments
for the Future Program (Cluster of Excellence COTE, ANR-10-LABX-45) and the SEQUADAPT
project (headed by L. Fechner). The authors wish to thank Marie Cécile Ploy (UMR INSERM
1092) for the molecular quantification of clinical integron. This work was conducted in the
framework of the PIREN-Seine research programme (www.piren-seine.fr), a component of the
Zone Atelier Seine within the International Long-Term Socio Ecological Research (LTSER)
network.
References
1. Flipo N, Lestel L, Labadie P et al (2020) Trajectories of the Seine River basin. In: Flipo N,
Labadie P, Lestel L (eds) The Seine River basin. Handbook of environmental chemistry.
Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2019_437
Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Seine River Basin: Overview of. . .
375
methods, would allow for the acquisition of time-averaged, low-frequency data to build
up long-term data sets (plurennial or even decadal scale). This approach provides data
that are complementary to high-frequency sampling and that are needed to help
estimate the efficiency of regulations on the occurrence and dynamics of chemicals
of interest. Biota could also be used to this end, provided well-known sentinel organisms are used (e.g. gammarids or freshwater mussels).
Finally, future research should also address emerging issues regarding biological
contaminants, especially those that are not or are poorly related to the abundance of
faecal bacterial indicator. The study of pathogenic protozoa transfer in freshwater
ecosystems, or the emerging pathogens such Leptospira, is fundamental to improve
the microbial risk assessment of surface waters. In addition, protozoa may lead to the
modulation of physiological responses in sentinel organisms (e.g. bivalves), thereby
potentially leading to erroneous interpretations in environmental monitoring studies.
Thus, the influence of confounding factors such as the infection by protozoa
represents a major issue as regards the use of biomarkers for environmental quality
assessment (for further details regarding this issue, see [84]). Furthermore, the
transfer of genetic element encoding resistance to antibiotics (1) from environmental
microbial communities to strains that are pathogenic for humans or (2) from genes of
clinical origin to environmental pathogenic bacteria that are opportunistic for
humans (e.g. Pseudomonas, Aeromonas or Burkholderia) is identified as a major
risk to public health related to the environment. The assessment of such a transfer of
environmental resistance to humans (retro-transfer) is crucial to evaluate; it is,
however, challenging because it involves rare events occurring on a time scale that
remains difficult to determine.
Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge the support of EPHE and R2DS Ilede-France (i.e. Paris regional research network on sustainable development), which both provided a
PhD grant. The authors would also like to thank the Aquitaine Region and the European Union
(CPER A2E project) for their financial support, as well as the French National Research Agency
(ANR) for its funding through IdEx Bordeaux (ANR-10-IDEX-03-02, PhD grant), the Investments
for the Future Program (Cluster of Excellence COTE, ANR-10-LABX-45) and the SEQUADAPT
project (headed by L. Fechner). The authors wish to thank Marie Cécile Ploy (UMR INSERM
1092) for the molecular quantification of clinical integron. This work was conducted in the
framework of the PIREN-Seine research programme (www.piren-seine.fr), a component of the
Zone Atelier Seine within the International Long-Term Socio Ecological Research (LTSER)
network.
References
1. Flipo N, Lestel L, Labadie P et al (2020) Trajectories of the Seine River basin. In: Flipo N,
Labadie P, Lestel L (eds) The Seine River basin. Handbook of environmental chemistry.
Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2019_437
Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Seine River Basin: Overview of. . .
375