Emergent marine toxins like Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PSTs), Palytoxins, Ciguatoxins, and Tetrodotoxins pose a significant yet often underregulated threat to Europe’s marine ecosystems. Despite the profound economic risk to the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, valued at over £2 billion in the UK alone in 2021, regular monitoring and regulation of these toxins remain lacking.
The Rising Threat of Emergent Toxins
These toxins and toxin-producing organisms, such as harmful algae and bacteria, are thriving due to climate-induced ocean warming and chemical nutrient pollution. These environmental changes facilitate the proliferation of these dangerous organisms, leading to contaminated marine stocks that can cause severe illness or death if consumed. Additionally, irrigating crops with contaminated water can result in similar health risks.
The impact of these toxins is not only a public health concern but also a threat to the economic stability and sustainability of marine and coastal economies. Calls from sector agencies and stakeholders for a comprehensive assessment of emergent toxin risk underline the critical need to address this issue to ensure long-term ecological and economic sustainability.
Introducing the e-DNA 100: A Technological Breakthrough
As part of the Emertox project, Hexsor has been sub-contracted to develop a mobile filtration system to detect microorganisms and organic compounds in water. Traditional methods of mapping, measuring, and modeling biotoxic chemicals have been plagued by excessive costs, high sample failure rates, and delays due to lab-side testing. To overcome these challenges, Hexsor has introduced the e-DNA 100, a novel mobile sample filtration system set to transform marine water analysis.
Key Features and Benefits of the e-DNA 100
The e-DNA 100 is designed to enable point-of-need filtration, significantly improving sample integrity and ensuring absolute accuracy when monitoring marine analytes, even at extremely low concentrations. This innovative technology offers several key advantages:
- Cost and Time Efficiency: The e-DNA 100 provides substantial cost and time savings compared to traditional sampling methods, making it more feasible to conduct comprehensive, real-time assessments.
- Real-Time Analysis: By enabling real-time assessment of environmental DNA and toxin distribution, the e-DNA 100 ensures timely data collection and analysis, which is crucial for effective environmental monitoring and response.
- Enhanced Accuracy: The system’s ability to filter samples at the collection point enhances the accuracy of detecting and measuring toxins, leading to more reliable data and better-informed decision-making.
- Sustainability: Supporting a productive, safe, and sustainable blue food economy by ensuring the health and safety of marine ecosystems and food products.
Successful Deployment and Field Trials
The successful delivery of the first e-DNA 100 unit to the Marine Biological Association (MBA) has generated significant excitement among marine ecosystem stakeholders. Field trials conducted in partnership with the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) in Porto, a UK-based company, and MBA researchers have demonstrated the system’s effectiveness in real-time environmental DNA and toxin assessment.
Over the past few months, the e-DNA 100 has undergone rigorous testing, with results exceeding expectations. Laboratory tests showed that the device performed better and more efficiently than manual filtration units, highlighting its potential to revolutionize environmental sampling.
Client Testimonial and Future Outlook
One of our clients, the Marine Biological Association, provided glowing feedback on the e-DNA 100:
“We commissioned Hexsor to produce a device that would automate a manual filtration unit that utilized hollow fibre filters as part of an EU project. They produced our device in a timely fashion and for the most part to our specifications. Minor alterations were made in a timely fashion and to our satisfaction. Laboratory tests showed that the device they produced exceeded our expectations, performing better and more efficiently than the manual version of the same filtration unit. We look forward to bringing our device to the scientific market because we feel that this filtration unit will revolutionize environmental sampling, and we are pleased that Hexsor has enabled us to fulfill this major scientific achievement.”
As Hexsor Scientific continues to innovate and support the needs of marine ecosystem stakeholders, the e-DNA 100 stands out as a key technological advancement in the fight against emergent marine toxins. We are committed to ensuring the health, safety, and sustainability of our marine environments.
For more information about the e-DNA 100 Mobile Filtration System or to set up an exploratory call, please contact us. Together, we can safeguard the future of our blue food economy.
Hexsor Scientific remains at the forefront of environmental innovation, continually striving to meet and exceed the evolving needs of our clients and the broader scientific community.
