Meta-analysis of the thermal pollution caused by coastal nuclear power plants and its effects on marine biodiversity

Luiza Soares Ferreira Guimarães; Lécio de Carvalho-Junior; Gabriela Lima Façanha; Nathália da Silva Resende; Leonardo Mitrano Neves; Simone Jaqueline Cardoso

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115452

Meta-analysis of the thermal pollution caused by coastal nuclear power plants and its effects on marine biodiversity

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Oct:195:115452. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115452. Epub 2023 Sep 5.

Authors

Luiza Soares Ferreira Guimarães¹, Lécio de Carvalho-Junior², Gabriela Lima Façanha¹, Nathália da Silva Resende³, Leonardo Mitrano Neves⁴, Simone Jaqueline Cardoso⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Sciences, Campus Três Rios, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Três Rios, RJ 25802-100, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil.
⁴ Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Education, Department of Environmental Sciences, Campus Três Rios, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Três Rios, RJ 25802-100, Brazil.
⁵ Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil. Electronic address: simone.jcardoso@gmail.com.

PMID: 37677976
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115452

Abstract

The rise in seawater temperature due to industrial activities is one of the main threats to marine biodiversity. In nuclear power plants, large volumes of water are used for their operation, returning to the ecosystem at higher temperatures. A global meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the thermal effects caused by coastal nuclear power plants on marine organisms. We found 853 articles of which, 99 were included in the qualitative analysis and 75 in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed an increase of 4.38 °C in water temperature near the outfall, and the temperature variation of each study was found to be associated with the power plant latitudes. The main effects on organisms were related to changes in the structure and composition of aquatic communities, with species abundance, distribution, dominance, and density being the most cited ones. Among the affected groups, photosynthesizing microorganisms were the most cited, potentially contributing to shifts in ecosystem dynamics.

Keywords: Aquatic communities; Coastal biodiversity; Temperature rise; Thermal effluent; Thermal pollution.