Greenhouse
Chemical
spills at sea have highlighted the lack of reliable data
on the impact of such substances on marine organisms.
In 2003, Cedre designed and created an experimental tool
to expose marine organisms to different types of pollutants.
It allows a practical understanding of the environmental
risks of various chemical substances spilt at sea or in
fresh water in an operational emergency situation. These
unique facilities also allow the transfer of the pollutant
from the surface towards the aqueous phase according to
different parameters (agitation of the water column and
conditioning of the product in question).
Characteristics
This system for the exposure of marine organisms was installed
in a temperature-controlled greenhouse with a surface
area of 160 m2.
The greenhouse in fact shelters two independent experimental
devices which can continually be supplied with water (seawater
and fresh water), and are equipped with an effluent water
treatment system. The first is made up of four 1500 litre
breeding tanks where mobile marine organisms (crustaceans
and fish) can be exposed to dissolved or floating pollutants.
The second is made up of 12 autonomous units each comprising
a pollutant/water mixture tank (120 l) and a tank for
exposure of organisms to pollutant (310 l). In this tank,
the reactivity of the product in relation to the aqueous
environment and its impact on marine filter-feeding organisms
with a high economic value (mussels, oysters…) can
be studied.
System used to expose marine organisms to pollutants
Overall view of the greenhouse
Usage
The greenhouse was designed for work to be carried out
in association with biology, ecology and ecotoxicology
laboratories. Cedre sets up and carried out experiments
on a protocol defined by scientific partners and participates
in processing the results. From 2002-2004, in collaboration
with the University of Western Brittany, applied physiological
studies were carried out to determine the impact of the
dissolved fraction of a heavy fuel oil, similar to that
of the Erika, on turbot. When the Ievoli Sun accident
occurred, the olfactory thresholds had to be rapidly established
for the detection of marine organisms (crabs, oysters
and mussels) contaminated by styrene.