Effects of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn) on algal food uptake by Elphidium excavatum (Foraminifera)

Foraminifera are unicellular organisms which are important for marine C and N processing. Feeding experiments showed that the food uptake and thus the turnover of organic matter are influenced by changes of physical parameters (e.g., temperature, salinity). Since many areas of the Baltic Sea are strongly affected by anthropogenic activity and therefore contaminated by heavy metals from shipping in the past, this study examined the effect of heavy metal pollution on the food uptake of the most common foraminiferal species of the Baltic Sea, Elphidium excavatum. In 2019, we collected water and sediment containing living E. excavatum in the Kiel Fjord. In laboratory experiments, Baltic Sea seawater was enriched with metals at various levels above normal seawater: Zn (9.2-, 144- and 1044-fold), Pb (2.4-, 48.5- and 557-fold) and Cu (5.6- and 24.3-fold), and the foraminiferal uptake of 13C- and 15N-labelled phytodetritus was measured by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Significant differences in food uptake were observable at different types and levels of heavy metals in sea water. An increase in the Pb concentration did not affect food uptake, whereas strong negative effects were found for high levels of Zn and especially for Cu. Interestingly, experiments with short incubation periods (1 and 5 days) showed greater differences in food uptake from undisturbed conditions than those of longer incubation times (10 and 15 days). In summary, an increase in the heavy metal pollution in the Kiel Fjord will likely lead to a significant reduction in the turnover of organic matter by foraminifera such as E. excavatum.

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Heavy-metal pollution alters dissolved organic matter released by bloom-forming Microcystis aeruginosa

RSC Advances ◽

10.1039/c7ra00414a ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (30) ◽

pp. 18421-18427 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Haiming Wu ◽

Li Lin ◽

Guangzhu Shen ◽

Ming Li

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Dissolved Organic Matter ◽

Microcystis Aeruginosa ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Eutrophic Lakes

The risk of heavy metals to aquatic ecosystems was paid much attention in recent years, however, the knowledge on effects of heavy metals on dissolved organic matter (DOM) released byMicrocystiswas quite poor, especially in eutrophic lakes.

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Heavy metals in the Baltic Sea

Deep Sea Research Part B Oceanographic Literature Review ◽

10.1016/0198-0254(81)91174-2 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 28 (12) ◽

pp. 866

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

The Baltic

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Evaluating ecological risks and tracking potential factors influencing heavy metals in sediments in an urban river

Environmental Sciences Europe ◽

10.1186/s12302-021-00487-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dongping Liu ◽

Jian Wang ◽

Huibin Yu ◽

Hongjie Gao ◽

Weining Xu

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Ecological Risk ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Risk Index ◽

Urban River ◽

Ecological Risks ◽

Background Values ◽

Potential Factors

Abstract Background Heavy metal pollution of aquatic systems is a global issue that has received considerable attention. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) have been applied to heavy metal data to trace potential factors, identify regional differences, and evaluate ecological risks. Sediment cores of 200 cm in depth were taken using a drilling platform at 10 sampling sites along the Xihe River, an urban river located in western Shenyang City, China. Then they were divided into 10 layers (20 cm each layer). The concentrations of the As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured for each layer. Eight heavy metals, namely Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Hg, were measured for each layer in this study. Results The average concentrations of the As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn were significantly higher than their background values in soils in the region, and mainly gathered at 0–120 cm in depth in the upstream, 0–60 cm in the midstream, and 0–20 cm downstream. This indicated that these heavy metals were derived from the upstream areas where a large quantity of effluents from the wastewater treatment plants enter the river. Ni, Pb, and Cr were close or slightly higher than their background values. The decreasing order of the average concentration of Cd was upstream > midstream > downstream, so were Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. The highest concentration of As was midstream, followed by upstream and then downstream, which was different to Cd. The potential factors of heavy metal pollution were Cd, Cu, Hg, Zn, and As, especially Cd and Hg with the high ecological risks. The ecological risk levels of all heavy metals were much higher in the upstream than the midstream and downstream. Conclusions Industrial discharge was the dominant source for eight heavy metals in the surveyed area, and rural domestic sewage has a stronger influence on the Hg pollution than industrial pollutants. These findings indicate that effective management strategies for sewage discharge should be developed to protect the environmental quality of urban rivers.

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Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution Levels in Sediments and of Ecological Risk by Quality Indices, Applying a Case Study: The Lower Danube River, Romania

Water ◽

10.3390/w13131801 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 1801

Author(s):

Valentina Andreea Calmuc ◽

Madalina Calmuc ◽

Maxim Arseni ◽

Catalina Maria Topa ◽

Mihaela Timofti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Ecological Risk ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Surface Sediments ◽

Risk Index ◽

Potential Ecological Risk ◽

Danube River ◽

Pollution Indices

It is a well–known fact that heavy metal pollution in sediments causes serious problems not only in the Danube basin, but also in the large and small adjacent river streams. A suitable method for assessing the level of heavy metals and their toxicity in sediments is the calculation of pollution indices. The present research aims to assess heavy metal pollution in the Lower Danube surface sediments collected along the Danube course (between 180 and 60 km) up to the point where the Danube River flows into the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO, protected area). In addition, this monitored area is one of the largest European hydrographic basins. Five heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cu) were analyzed in two different seasons, i.e., the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP– MS) technique. Our assessment of heavy metal pollution revealed two correlated aspects: 1. a determination of the potential risks of heavy metals in sediments by calculating the Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI), and 2. an evaluation of the influence of anthropogenic activities on the level of heavy metal contamination in the surface sediments, using three specific pollution indices, namely, the Geo–Accumulation Index (Igeo), the Contamination Factor (CF), and the Pollution Load Index (PLI). The results of this pioneering research activity in the region highlighted the presence of moderate metal (Ni and Cd) pollution and a low potential ecological risk for the aquatic environment.

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Cell-free extracellular enzymatic activity is linked to seasonal temperature changes: a case study in the Baltic Sea

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-13-2815-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 2815-2821 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Federico Baltar ◽

Catherine Legrand ◽

Jarone Pinhassi

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

Extracellular Enzymes ◽

Seasonal Pattern ◽

Critical Factor ◽

Hydrolytic Activity ◽

Seasonal Temperature ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

The Baltic ◽

Hydrolysis Of

Abstract. Extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs) are a crucial step in the degradation of organic matter. Dissolved (cell-free) extracellular enzymes in seawater can make up a significant contribution of the bulk EEA. However, the factors controlling the proportion of dissolved EEA in the marine environment remain unknown. Here we studied the seasonal changes in the proportion of dissolved relative to total EEA (of alkaline phosphatase (APase), β-glucosidase (BGase), and leucine aminopeptidase (LAPase)), in the Baltic Sea for 18 months. The proportion of dissolved EEA ranged between 37 and 100, 0 and 100, and 34 and 100 % for APase, BGase, and LAPase, respectively. A consistent seasonal pattern in the proportion of dissolved EEA was found among all the studied enzymes, with values up to 100 % during winter and <  40 % during summer. A significant negative relation was found between the proportion of dissolved EEA and temperature, indicating that temperature might be a critical factor controlling the proportion of dissolved relative to total EEA in marine environments. Our results suggest a strong decoupling of hydrolysis rates from microbial dynamics in cold waters. This implies that under cold conditions, cell-free enzymes can contribute to substrate availability at large distances from the producing cell, increasing the dissociation between the hydrolysis of organic compounds and the actual microbes producing the enzymes. This might also suggest a potential effect of global warming on the hydrolysis of organic matter via a reduction of the contribution of cell-free enzymes to the bulk hydrolytic activity.

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Pectenotoxin-2 and dinophysistoxin-1 in suspended and sedimenting organic matter in the Baltic Sea

Limnology and Oceanography ◽

10.4319/lo.2006.51.5.2300 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 51 (5) ◽

pp. 2300-2307 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Pirjo Kuuppo ◽

Pauliina Uronen ◽

Anika Petermann ◽

Timo Tamminen ◽

Edna Granéli

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

The Baltic ◽

Pectenotoxin 2

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The influence of dissolved organic matter on the acid–base system of the Baltic Sea

Journal of Marine Systems ◽

10.1016/j.jmarsys.2014.01.011 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 132 ◽

pp. 106-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Karol Kuliński ◽

Bernd Schneider ◽

Karoline Hammer ◽

Ulrike Machulik ◽

Detlef Schulz-Bull

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Dissolved Organic Matter ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

Base System ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

Acid Base ◽

The Baltic

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Opportunities for Biotesting of the Water Environment for Heavy Metal Pollution Using a Plant Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid

Ecology and Industry of Russia ◽

10.18412/1816-0395-2021-5-52-57 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 52-57

Author(s):

S.I. Alekseeva ◽

Zh.M. Okhlopkova

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Growth And Development ◽

Water Environment ◽

Biological Testing ◽

Spirodela Polyrhiza ◽

Model Object ◽

Chlorophyll A And B

The methods of biotesting of the aquatic environment based on the representative of the duckweed family (lat. Lemnaceae) greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid) were considered. A review is presented on the use of greater duckweed as a model object in biological testing, in partic-ular, when exposed to heavy metals salts. When cultivated Spirodela polyrhiza with the addition of heavy metals salts, a change in the growth and development of plants in the experienced line of plants was revealed, as well as a decrease in the content of chlorophyll a and b.

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Lightweight aggregates to reduce heavy metal pollution in green infrastructure for urban stormwater management

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-7915 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Concepcion Pla ◽

Javier Valdes-Abellan ◽

Miguel Angel Pardo ◽

Maria Jose Moya-Llamas ◽

David Benavente

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Metal Pollution ◽

Heavy Metal Pollution ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Stormwater Management ◽

Lightweight Aggregates ◽

Urban Stormwater ◽

Runoff Water

The impervious nature of urban areas is mostly responsible for urban flooding, runoff water pollution and the interception of groundwater recharge. Green infrastructure and sustainable urban drainage systems combine natural and artificial measures to mitigate the abovementioned problems, improving stormwater management and simultaneously increasing the environmental values of urban areas. The actual rate of urban growth in many urban areas requires the enhancement and optimization of stormwater management infrastructures to integrate the territorial development with the natural processes. Regarding the quality of runoff stormwater, heavy metals are critical for their impact on human health and ecological systems, even more if we consider the cumulative effect that they produce on biota. Thus, innovative stormwater management approaches must consider new solutions to deal with heavy metal pollution problems caused by runoff. In this study, we propose the employment of Arlita&#174; and Filtralite&#174;, two kind of lightweight aggregates obtained from expanded clays, to remove heavy metal concentration from runoff stormwater. Laboratory experiments were developed to evaluate the removal rate of different heavy metals existent in runoff stormwater. The lightweight aggregates acted as filter materials in column experiments to quantify their removal capacity. In addition, batch tests were also developed to evaluate the exhaustive capacity of the materials. Results from the study confirmed the efficiency of the selected lightweight aggregates to reduce the heavy metals concentration by up to 90% in urban stormwater runoff.

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Study on organic matter fractions in the surface micro layer in the Baltic Sea by spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric methods

10.5194/os-2017-4 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Violetta Drozdowska ◽

Iwona Wróbel ◽

Piotr Markuszewski ◽

Przemyslaw Makuch ◽

Anna Raczkowska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Baltic Sea ◽

Subsurface Layer ◽

Molecular Size ◽

Surface Microlayer ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

Vistula River ◽

Meteorological Observations ◽

Organic Matter Fractions ◽

The Baltic

Abstract. The fluorescence and absorption measurements of the samples collected from a surface microlayer (SML) and a subsurface layer (SS), a depth of 1 m were studied during three research cruises in the Baltic Sea along with hydrophysical studies and meteorological observations. Several absorption (E2 : E3, S, SR) and fluorescence (fluorescence intensities at peaks: A, C, M, T, the ratio (M + T) / (A + C), HIX) indices of colored and fluorescent organic matter (CDOM and FDOM) helped to describe the changes in molecular size and weight as well as in composition of organic matter. The investigation allow to assess a decrease in the contribution of two terrestrial components (A and C) with increasing salinity (~ 1.64 % and ~ 1.89 % in SML and ~ 0.78 % and ~ 0.71 % in SS, respectively) and an increase of in-situ produced components (M and T) with salinity (~ 0.52 % and ~ 2.83 % in SML and ~ 0.98 % and ~ 1.87 % in SS, respectively). Hence, a component T reveals the biggest relative changes along the transect from the Vistula River outlet to Gdansk Deep, both in SML and SS, however an increase was higher in SML than in SS (~ 18.5 % and ~ 12.3 %, respectively). The ratio E2 : E3

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