First reports of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Australian native and introduced freshwater fish and crustaceans

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Taylor

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants that have been extensively used in commercial and industrial applications, such as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations. Widespread use of AFFFs has led to an increasing number of reports documenting PFAS contamination around civilian and military airports. However, research on the presence and distribution of PFASs in Australia is lacking. This study presents the first report of PFASs in Australian native and introduced freshwater species, sampled from a watercourse adjacent to the regional airport and colocated fire training ground near Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia. Perfluorooctane sulfonate was the most abundant PFAS compound in biota samples from this area, and both introduced common carp Cyprinus carpio and native Murray cod Maccullochella peelii had average concentrations higher than the Australian trigger value of 5.2μgkg–1. Common yabby Cherax destructor and golden perch Macquaria ambigua carried low concentrations, and common yabby also had low concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonate. Differences in foraging habits provided some potential explanations of the differences observed among species. There is a clear and pressing need to better understand potential toxicological and reproductive effects of PFASs on Australian freshwater species.

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Somerville ◽  
H. I. Nicol

The mineral content of honeybee-collected pollen from 34 floral species was analysed for 10 elements. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of major and minor elements were the following: potassium (K) 5530, phosphorus (P) 4600, sulfur (S) 2378, calcium (Ca) 1146, magnesium (Mg) 716, sodium (Na) 82, iron (Fe) 67, zinc�(Zn) 58, manganese (Mn) 33 and copper (Cu) 12. Close correlations existed between Mn and Cu, P and S, K and S and K and Zn. Single species demonstrated similar element profiles. Echium plantagineum pollen had a high mean concentration of P (7411 mg/kg) and S (3133 mg/kg) when compared with the mean of the total; Brassica�napus pollen had high concentration of Mg (1400 mg/kg) and Ca (1750 mg/kg) and low concentration of Fe (27 mg/kg); Hypochoeris radicata had low concentrations of 6 elements — Fe (4.5 mg/kg), Zn (20 mg/kg), Mg�(240 mg/kg), S (1400 mg/kg), P (2066 mg/kg) and K (2433 mg/kg). Asphodelus fistulosus had the highest concentration of K at 38 000 mg/kg, the next highest value of 8200 mg/kg being for Prunus dulcis.


2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Austin ◽  
T. T. T. Nguyen ◽  
M. M. Meewan ◽  
D. R. Jerry

This study uses nucleotide sequences from the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene to investigate the taxonomy and phylogeny of freshwater crayfish belonging to the 'Cherax destructor' complex. The sequencing of an approximately 440-bp fragment of this gene region from freshwater crayfish sampled from 14 locations identified significant haplotype diversity. Phylogenetic analysis found three distinct clades that correspond to the species C. rotundus, C. setosus and C. destructor. C. rotundus is largely confined to Victoria, and C. setosus is restricted to coastal areas north of Newcastle in New South Wales. C. destructor is widely distributed in eastern Australia and shows significant phylogeographic structure, with three well supported clades. None of these clades, however, correspond to species previously recognised as C. esculus, C. davisi or C. albidus. The failure to genetically distinguish these morphologically defined species is consistent with reproductive information and morphological plasticity relating to habitat similar to that documented for other Cherax species.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D.M. Dove ◽  
A.S. Fletcher

AbstractNative and exotic fishes were collected from 29 sites across coastal and inland New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, using a range of techniques, to infer the distribution of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) and the host species in which it occurs. The distribution of B. acheilognathi was determined by that of its principal host, carp, Cyprinuscarpio; it did not occur at sites where carp were not present. The parasite was recorded from all native fish species where the sample size exceeded 30 and which were collected sympatrically with carp: Hypseleotris klunzingeri, Hypseleotris sp. 4, Hypseleotris sp. 5, Phylipnodon grandiceps and Retropinna semoni. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi was also recorded from the exotic fishes Gambusia holbrooki and Carassiusauratus. Hypseleotris sp. 4, Hypseleotris sp. 5, P. grandiceps, R. semoni and C. auratus are new host records. The parasite was not recorded from any sites in coastal drainages. The only carp population examined from a coastal drainage (Albert River, south-east Queensland) was also free of infection; those fish had a parasite fauna distinct from that of carp in inland drainages and may represent a separate introduction event. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi has apparently spread along with its carp hosts and is so far restricted to the Murray-Darling Basin. The low host specificity of this parasite is cause for concern given the threatened or endangered nature of some Australian native freshwater fish species. A revised list of definitive hosts of B. acheilognathiis presented.


2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean R. Jerry

The geologically complex eastern Australian coastal margin supports the highest taxonomic diversity of freshwater fishes on the continent. However, mechanisms leading to coastal biogeographic patterns are poorly understood. A 399-bp fragment of the hypervariable mtDNA control region was sequenced from populations of eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tandanus) to determine their phylogeographic structure and to relate this to proposed biogeographic mechanisms and landform evolution. Genetic structure in Tandanus is complex, with haplotypes clustering into three lineages: a phylogenetically distant, northern Queensland clade that is probably a new species; a mid-northern New South Wales clade corresponding to the recently discovered ‘Bellinger’ Tandanus cryptic species; and a third ‘derived’ clade T. tandanus. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that eastern Australian Tandanus originally invaded freshwaters from the coast where volcanic activity in the north and increasing aridity from the Paleocene reduced inter-fluvial connections, causing genetic divergence of northern Queensland and mid-northern New South Wales populations. The haplotypes represented by Murray–Darling drainage T. tandanus were the most derived, indicating that this species originally evolved on the coast and subsequently colonised the Murray–Darling basin. Tandanus in eastern Australia is phylogenetically structured and possibly comprises three species in this region; a pattern potentially shared by other eastern Australian freshwater fishes.


1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
CG Barlow ◽  
K Bock

The effect of cormorants on the survival of native warm-water fishes in farm dams in south-western New South Wales was monitored during 1979 and 1980. Three species of cormorants frequented the dams: the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, the little pied cormorant P. melanoleucos, and the little black cormorant P. sulcirostris. In dams fished by cormorants, more than 50% ofthe fish were consumed unless abundant alternative prey, in this case crayfish Cherax destructor, was present. Dams stocked with few fish (approximately 150 ha-1) were less commonly fished than those stocked with many fish (more than 450 ha-1). The majority of dams in the study area were fished by cormorants, which were present from midwinter to midsummer in both years. The results, and an examination of aspects of cormorant biology and methods used to prevent birds eating fish at hatcheries, indicated that buffer populations of crustaceans and low fish stocking rates are suitable methods for minimizing predation of fish in farm dams by cormorants.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 523 ◽  
Author(s):  
JP Langlands ◽  
JE Bowles ◽  
AJ Smith ◽  
GE Donald

Selenium concentrations in blood from cattle from 794 farms in northern New South Wales were classified on the basis of underlying parent material, soil type, altitude and rainfall. Blood selenium concentrations declined from west to east, and with increasing rainfall and altitude; low concentrations were particularly evident on both acid and basic igneous rocks. There were significant differences between basalts in different locations and between particular plutonic bodies. Cattle grazing on soils with contrasting and gradational profiles generally had lower selenium concentrations than those grazing on soils with uniform profiles. Podzolic soils and chocolate-prairie and kraznozem-chocolate soil associations were present in areas with low blood selenium concentrations.


1977 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
WJM Vestjens

Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) were studied in colonies at 2 lakes in New South Wales. Adults regurgitated food for the young. Those up to 2 weeks old took liquid food from inside the tip of the adult's upper beak. Older ones took solid food from the adult's gullet, to age of about 3.5 months. After being fed, the young had convulsions lasting about 1 min; that did not happen after a second feeding immediately after the convulsion. Where there were 2 young of different sizes, only the larger convulsed, and sometimes the smaller was prevented from feeding and died of starvation. The survivor continued to have convulsions after feeding, as did single young, when there was no competition for food. Food was mainly fish; the most abundant fish was goldfish (Carassius auratus); a minor item was perch (Perca fluviatilis). Fish were 60 to 247 mm long and weighed 17 to 320 g. Crustaceans were less important and included freshwater crayfish (Cherax destructor) and shrimp (Macrobrachius sp.).


Soil Research ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 735 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Diatloff ◽  
CJ Asher ◽  
FW Smith

Total, exchangeable, and soil solution concentrations were measured for 15 rare earth elements (REEs) in 9 soils from Queensland and New South Wales. In a further 10 acid soils, effects of amendment with CaCO3 or CaSO4 . 2H2O were measured on the concentrations of REEs in soil solution. The total concentration of the REEs in soil solutions from unamended soils ranged from below the detection limit (0.007 µM) to 0.64 µM. Lanthanum (La) and cerium (Ce) were the REEs present in the greatest concentrations, the highest concentrations measured in the diverse suite of soils being 0.13 µM La and 0.51 µM Ce. Rare earth elements with higher atomic numbers were present in very low concentrations. Exchangeable REEs accounted for 0.07 to 12.6% of the total REEs measured in the soils. Addition of CaCO3 increased soil solution pH and decreased REE concentrations in soil solution, whilst CaSO4 . 2H2O decreased soil solution pH and increased the concentrations of REEs in soil solution. Solubility calculations suggest that CePO4 may be the phase controlling the concentration of Ce in soil solution.


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