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Piña AE, Lougheed VL. Macroinvertebrate Community Composition in Wetlands of the Desert Southwest is Driven by wastewater-associated Nutrient Loading Despite Differences in Salinity. WETLANDS (WILMINGTON, N.C.) 2022; 42:128. [PMID: 36530519 PMCID: PMC9745719 DOI: 10.1007/s13157-022-01647-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The relatively rare freshwater ecosystems in the arid southwestern United States serve as biodiversity hotspots, yet they remain among the most threatened systems in the world due to human impacts and climate change. Globally, arid region wetlands remain understudied with respect to their ecology, making assessments of quality or restoration efforts challenging. To address these needs, this project aims to better understand the factors that drive water quality and macroinvertebrate community composition of wetlands of the US desert Southwest. Water quality and macroinvertebrate data were collected over three years from 14 different wetland and riparian sites spanning across West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that salinity related variables such as chloride, sulfate and conductivity were the greatest drivers of environmental variance (32%) among sampled desert wetlands. Nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate described a second axis, with 22% of variation in environmental data explained, where we found a clear distinction between wastewater and non-wastewater wetlands. Nutrients were shown to have the greatest impact on macroinvertebrate communities with wetlands receiving wastewater showing more uneven distribution of functional feeding groups and lower Simpson Index scores. These sites were dominated by filter feeders and had lower relative abundances of predator and collector-gatherer taxa. There was also a significant decrease in metrics related to diversity and environmental sensitivity such as % Ephemeroptera-Odonata-Trichoptera (EOT) within high nutrient sites. Increased salinity levels were also shown to correlate with lower Simpson Index scores indicating that increased salinity resulted in a decline in macroinvertebrate diversity and evenness. Overall, the nutrients within effluent water have shown to significantly alter community composition especially in desert wetlands where macroinvertebrates may be more adapted to high salinity. Though macroinvertebrate communities in wastewater sites may not fully resemble those of natural wetlands over time, creation of these sites can still benefit landscape level diversity. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13157-022-01647-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Elisa Piña
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 79968 TX El Paso, USA
| | - Vanessa L. Lougheed
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 79968 TX El Paso, USA
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Looi LJ, Aris AZ, Yusoff FM, Isa NM, Haris H. Application of enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, and ecological risk index in assessing the elemental pollution status of surface sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2019; 41:27-42. [PMID: 29982907 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-018-0149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sediment can accumulate trace elements in the environment. This study profiled the magnitude of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn pollution in surface sediments of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Trace elements were digested using aqua regia and were analyzed using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The extent of elemental pollution was evaluated using with the enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo). This study found that the elemental distribution in the sediment in descending order was Zn > Ba > Cr > Pb > Cu > As > Ni > Co > Se > Cd. Zn concentrations in all samples were below the interim sediment quality guideline (ISQG) (124 mg/kg). In contrast, Cd concentrations (2.34 ± 0.01 mg/kg) at Station 31 (Merlimau) exceeded the ISQG (0.70 mg/kg), and the concentrations of As in the samples from Station 9 (Tanjung Dawai) exceeded the probable effect level (41.60 mg/kg). The Igeo and EF revealed that Station 9 and Station 31 were extremely enriched with Se and Cd, respectively. All stations posed low ecological risk, except Station 31, which had moderate ecological risk. The outputs from this study are expected to provide the background levels of pollutants and help develop regional sediment quality guideline values. This study is also important in aiding relevant authorities to set priorities for resources management and policy implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ley Juen Looi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ahmad Zaharin Aris
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Fatimah Md Yusoff
- Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noorain Mohd Isa
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hazzeman Haris
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia
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Zhao XM, Yao LA, Ma QL, Zhou GJ, Wang L, Fang QL, Xu ZC. Distribution and ecological risk assessment of cadmium in water and sediment in Longjiang River, China: Implication on water quality management after pollution accident. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 194:107-116. [PMID: 29197813 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In early January 2012, the Longjiang River was subjected to a serious cadmium (Cd) pollution accident, which led to negatively environmental and social impacts. A series of measures of emergency treatment were subsequently taken to reduce water Cd level. However, little information was available about the change of Cd level in environmental matrices and long-term effect of this pollution accident to aquatic ecosystem. Thus, this study investigated the distribution of Cd in water and sediment of this river for two years since pollution accident, as well as assessed its ecological risk to aquatic ecosystem of Longjiang River. The results showed that it was efficient for taking emergency treatment measures to decrease water Cd concentration to below the threshold value of national drinking water quality standard of China. There was high risk (HQ > 1) to aquatic ecosystem in some of reaches between February and July 2012, but low or no risk (HQ < 1) between December 2012 to December 2013. Cd concentration in sediment in polluted reaches increased after pollution accident and emergency treatments in 2012, but decreased in 2013. During flood period, the sediment containing high concentration of Cd in Longjiang River was migrated to downstream Liujiang River. Cd content in sediment was reduced to background level after two years of the pollution accident occurrence. The study provides basic information about Cd levels in different media after pollution accident, which is helpful in evaluating the effectiveness of emergency treatments and the variation of ecological risk, as well as in conducting water management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Min Zhao
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Ling-Ai Yao
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Qian-Li Ma
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Guang-Jie Zhou
- The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Wang
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Qiao-Li Fang
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Zhen-Cheng Xu
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou 510655, China.
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Forio MAE, Van Echelpoel W, Dominguez-Granda L, Mereta ST, Ambelu A, Hoang TH, Boets P, Goethals PL. Analysing the effects of water quality on the occurrence of freshwater macroinvertebrate taxa among tropical river basins from different continents. AI COMMUN 2016. [DOI: 10.3233/aic-160712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Campus Coupure-Block F, Ghent University, Coupure links 653 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wout Van Echelpoel
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Campus Coupure-Block F, Ghent University, Coupure links 653 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Centro del Agua y Desarrollo Sustentable, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Thu Huong Hoang
- School of Environmental Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Pieter Boets
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Campus Coupure-Block F, Ghent University, Coupure links 653 Ghent, Belgium
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L.M. Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Campus Coupure-Block F, Ghent University, Coupure links 653 Ghent, Belgium
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