scholarly journals Ecotoxicological Assessment of Sediment Leachates of Small Watercourses in the Brno City Suburban Area (South Moravia, Czech Republic)

2010 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-164
Author(s):  
Miroslava Beklová ◽  
Olga Čelechovská ◽  
Radka Dobšíková ◽  
Ivana Haluzová ◽  
Helena Králová ◽  
...  

Sediments of two small watercourses Leskava and Troubsky Brook in the Brno city suburban area were examined for their ecotoxicity. Using a standard procedure, extracts of the sediments were prepared for diagnostic tests. These extracts were tested for acute toxicity to fresh-water organisms. The ecotoxicological tests were performed on the fresh-water algaPseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the vascular water plantLemna minor, on a representative of invertebrates – the water fleaDaphnia magnaand on theXenopus laevisfrog embryo and luminiscentVibrio fischeribacteria. Possible toxic effects were evaluated using the test determining the inhibition of the growth of white mustard rootSinapis alba. Results of ecotoxicological assessment of sediment leachates showed that their quality varied significantly during the year. Differences were found between results of sediment evaluations from different collection profiles, which may indicate effects of point source pollution. Of the ecotoxicological tests used, the most sensitive organisms included the green algaePseudokirchneriella subcapitata, bioluminiscent bacteriaVibrio fischeriand the African clawed frogXenopus laevis. The highest concentrations of arsenic were found by chemical analysis in both spring and autumn sediment leachate samples collected at Site L1 (Leskava). The highest organic pollutant concentrations were found in autumn sediment leachate samples from Site L1. In total PAH sums, phenanthrene was the dominant pollutant at all the sites investigated.

Author(s):  
Simona Ceschin ◽  
Amii Bellini ◽  
Massimiliano Scalici

AbstractThis paper reviews the current state-of-the-art, limitations, critical issues, and new directions in freshwater plant ecotoxicology. We selected peer-reviewed studies using relevant databases and for each (1) publication year, (2) test plant species, (3) reference plant group (microalgae, macroalgae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, flowering plants), (4) toxicant tested (heavy metal, pharmaceutical product, hydrocarbon, pesticide, surfactant, plastic), (5) experiment site (laboratory, field), and (6) toxicant exposure duration. Although aquatic plant organisms play a key role in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems, mainly linked to their primary productivity, their use as biological models in ecotoxicological tests was limited if compared to animals. Also, toxicant effects on freshwater plants were scarcely investigated and limited to studies on microalgae (80%), or only to a certain number of recurrent species (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Chlorella vulgaris, Lemna minor, Myriophyllum spicatum). The most widely tested toxicants on plants were heavy metals (74%), followed by pharmaceutical products and hydrocarbons (7%), while the most commonly utilized endpoints in tests were plant growth inhibition, variations in dry or fresh weight, morpho-structural alterations, chlorosis, and/or necrosis. The main critical issues emerged from plant-based ecotoxicological tests were the narrow range of species and endpoints considered, the lack of environmental relevance, the excessively short exposure times, and the culture media potentially reacting with toxicants. Proposals to overcome these issues are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3593
Author(s):  
Biagio Esposito ◽  
Francesco Riminucci ◽  
Stefano Di Marco ◽  
Elisa Giorgia Metruccio ◽  
Fabio Osti ◽  
...  

The worldwide increase in the number and use of agrochemicals impacts nearby soil and freshwater ecosystems. Beyond the excess in applications and dosages, the inadequate management of remnants and the rinsing water of containers and application equipment worsen this problem, creating point sources of pollution. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as photocatalytic and photo-oxidation processes have been successfully applied in degrading organic pollutants. We developed a simple prototype to be used at farms for quickly degrading pesticides in water solutions by exploiting a UV–H2O2-mediated AOP. As representative compounds, we selected the insecticide imidacloprid, the herbicide terbuthylazine, and the fungicide azoxystrobin, all in their commercial formulation. The device efficiency was investigated through the disappearance of the parent molecule and the degree of mineralization. The toxicity of the pesticide solutions, before and during the treatment, was assessed by Vibrio fischeri and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata inhibition assays. The results obtained have demonstrated a cost-effective, viable alternative for detoxifying the pesticide solutions before their disposal into the environment, even though the compounds, or their photoproducts, showed different sensitivities to physicochemical degradation. The bioassays revealed changes in the inhibitory effects on the organisms in agreement with the analytical data.


Chemosphere ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. S69-S74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Gatidou ◽  
Athanasios S. Stasinakis ◽  
Evangelia I. Iatrou

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J.E. Pearce

Freshwater resources exist in limited quantities and are subject to increasing demands due to the consumption by residential, commercial and industrial uses. There are concerns that the widely used chemical analysis of drinking water does not deliver timely results. This study examines the efficacy of developing a holistic, multi-organism early-warning biomonitoring technology to assess aquatic toxicity. Sensitive indicator species such as Lemna minor, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Euglena gracilis, and Anodonta grandis have been selected due to their specific behavioural and short-term biochemical responses in the identification of classes of contaminants in aquatic environments. Tributyltin, an antifouling agent in paints used on boats and atrazine, an herbicide widely used on agricultural crops, are evaluated in increasing concentrations to identify behavioural changes in these organisms. These graded responses, upon implementation in models, will warn water treatment operators of incoming contaminants and help identify the nature of the stressor. All organisms displayed some sensitivity to selected concentrations of the two test chemicals. The normal growth rate of L. minor dramatically declined with exposure to TBT (100.0 mg/L) and atrazine (500.0 g/L). Monitoring the biochemical changes, dissolved oxygen production, and also the growth rate, cell counts, of P. subcapitata showed significant effects to similar concentrations of TBT (100.00 g/L) and atrazine (500.00 g/L). The aquatic protest, E. gracilis, alters its cell morphology in the presence of low concentrations of TBT (10.0 g/L) and atrazine (50.0 g/L). Respiration patters of the bivalve, A. grandis, was directly influenced by the two chemicals, TBT (1.0 mg/L) and atrazine (50.0 mg/L). This study demonstrates that biological assessments of water samples deliver a rapid, realistic representation of the surrounding aquatic environment conditions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanjie Tong ◽  
Qijun Wang ◽  
Yafan Bi ◽  
Mingke Lei ◽  
Yezi Lv ◽  
...  

In order to evaluate the influence of ionic liquid 1- butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) on the soil micro-ecological system, the toxicity of [Bmim]Cl to soil microorganisms and its impact on soil physico-chemical properties were investigated. Three soil samples, which were taken from the rape land, nursery land and the broad bean land respectively, were used for this study. The toxicity test results show that the [Bmim]Cl inhibited the growth of soil microorganisms including bacteria and actinomycetes. This inhibition became stronger with the [Bmim]Cl concentration increasing. The EC50 of soil bacteria was close to that of the Vibrio fischeri, and the EC50 of soil actinomycetes was near to that of the Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. The soil physico-chemical properties test results indicate that the organic mass and the soluble salts in soil increased with the increase of the [Bmim]Cl concentration. The [Bmim]Cl also caused the pH change in the soil micro-ecological system. It suggests that the ionic liquid [Bmim]Cl would influence the soil micro- ecological system by inhibiting the growth of soil microorganisms and altering the soil physico-chemical properties when it contaminated the soil system.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Lauris Evariste ◽  
Emmanuel Flahaut ◽  
Clément Baratange ◽  
Maialen Barret ◽  
Florence Mouchet ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira Zovko ◽  
Željka Vidaković-Cifrek ◽  
Želimira Cvetković ◽  
Jasna Bošnir ◽  
Sandra Šikić

Acrylamide is a monomer widely used as an intermediate in the production of organic chemicals, e.g. polyacrylamides (PAMs). Since PAMs are low cost chemicals with applications in various industries and waste- and drinking water treatment, a certain amount of non-polymerised acrylamide is expected to end up in waterways. PAMs are non-toxic but acrylamide induces neurotoxic effects in humans and genotoxic, reproductive, and carcinogenic effects in laboratory animals. In order to evaluate the effect of acrylamide on freshwater organisms, bioassays were conducted on four species: algae Desmodesmus subspicatus and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, duckweed Lemna minor and water flea Daphnia magna according to ISO (International Organization for Standardisation) standardised methods. This approach ensures the evaluation of acrylamide toxicity on organisms with different levels of organisation and the comparability of results, and it examines the value of using a battery of low-cost standardised bioassays in the monitoring of pollution and contamination of aquatic ecosystems. These results showed that EC50 values were lower for Desmodesmus subspicatus and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata than for Daphnia magna and Lemna minor, which suggests an increased sensitivity of algae to acrylamide. According to the toxic unit approach, the values estimated by the Lemna minor and Daphnia magna bioassays, classify acrylamide as slightly toxic (TU=0-1; Class 1). The results obtained from algal bioassays (Desmodesmus subspicatus and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) revealed the toxic effect of acrylamide (TU=1-10; Class 2) on these organisms.


Ecotoxicology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 216-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Radić ◽  
Draženka Stipaničev ◽  
Petra Cvjetko ◽  
Ivanka Lovrenčić Mikelić ◽  
Marija Marijanović Rajčić ◽  
...  

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