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Gillmann SM, Lorenz AW, Kaijser W, Nguyen HH, Haase P, Hering D. How tolerances, competition and dispersal shape benthic invertebrate colonisation in restored urban streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172665. [PMID: 38653408 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Biotic communities often respond poorly to river restoration activities and the drivers of community recovery after restoration are not fully understood. According to the Asymmetric Response Concept (ARC), dispersal capacity, species tolerances to stressors, and biotic interactions are three key drivers influencing community recovery of restored streams. However, the ARC remains to be tested. Here we used a dataset on benthic invertebrate communities of eleven restored stream sections in a former open sewer system that were sampled yearly over a period of eleven years. We applied four indices that reflect tolerance against chloride and organic pollution, the community's dispersal capacity and strength of competition to the benthic invertebrate taxa lists of each year and site. Subsequently, we used generalised linear mixed models to analyse the change of these indices over time since restoration. Dispersal capacity was high directly after restoration but continuously decreased over time. The initial communities thus consisted of good dispersers and were later joined by more slowly dispersing taxa. The tolerance to organic pollution also decreased over time, reflecting continuous improvement of water quality and an associated increase of sensitive species. On the contrary, chloride tolerances did not change, which could indicate a stable chloride level throughout the sampling period. Lastly, competition within the communities, reflected by interspecific trait niche overlap, increased with time since restoration. We show that recovery follows a specific pattern that is comparable between sites. Benthic communities change from tolerant, fast dispersing generalists to more sensitive, slowly dispersing specialists exposed to stronger competition. Our results lay support to the ARC (increasing role of competition, decreasing role of dispersal) but also underline that certain tolerances may still shape communities a decade after restoration. Disentangling the drivers of macroinvertebrate colonisation can help managers to better understand recovery trajectories and to define more realistic restoration targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja M Gillmann
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Willem Kaijser
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Hong Hanh Nguyen
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Peter Haase
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, von Schiller D, Pace G, Gómez-Gener L, Pascoal C. Multiple stressors alter greenhouse gas concentrations in streams through local and distal processes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17301. [PMID: 38687496 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Streams are significant contributors of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere, and the increasing number of stressors degrading freshwaters may exacerbate this process, posing a threat to climatic stability. However, it is unclear whether the influence of multiple stressors on GHG concentrations in streams results from increases of in-situ metabolism (i.e., local processes) or from changes in upstream and terrestrial GHG production (i.e., distal processes). Here, we hypothesize that the mechanisms controlling multiple stressor effects vary between carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), with the latter being more influenced by changes in local stream metabolism, and the former mainly responding to distal processes. To test this hypothesis, we measured stream metabolism and the concentrations of CO2 (pCO2) and CH4 (pCH4) in 50 stream sites that encompass gradients of nutrient enrichment, oxygen depletion, thermal stress, riparian degradation and discharge. Our results indicate that these stressors had additive effects on stream metabolism and GHG concentrations, with stressor interactions explaining limited variance. Nutrient enrichment was associated with higher stream heterotrophy and pCO2, whereas pCH4 increased with oxygen depletion and water temperature. Discharge was positively linked to primary production, respiration and heterotrophy but correlated negatively with pCO2. Our models indicate that CO2-equivalent concentrations can more than double in streams that experience high nutrient enrichment and oxygen depletion, compared to those with oligotrophic and oxic conditions. Structural equation models revealed that the effects of nutrient enrichment and discharge on pCO2 were related to distal processes rather than local metabolism. In contrast, pCH4 responses to nutrient enrichment, discharge and temperature were related to both local metabolism and distal processes. Collectively, our study illustrates potential climatic feedbacks resulting from freshwater degradation and provides insight into the processes mediating stressor impacts on the production of GHG in streams.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giorgio Pace
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Lluís Gómez-Gener
- Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cláudia Pascoal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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3
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Sommaggio LRD, Mazzeo DEC, Malvestiti JA, Dantas RF, Marin-Morales MA. Influence of ozonation and UV/H 2O 2 on the genotoxicity of secondary wastewater effluents. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170883. [PMID: 38354810 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The implementation of novel wastewater treatment technologies, including Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) such as ozonation and ultraviolet radiation (UV) combined with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), can be a promising strategy for enhancing the quality of these effluents. However, during effluent oxidation AOPs may produce toxic compounds that can compromise the water reuse and the receiving water body. Given this possibility, the aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic potential of secondary effluents from two different Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) that were subjected to ozonation or UV/H2O2 for periods of 20 (T1) and 40 (T2) minutes. The genotoxic potential was carried out with the Comet assay (for clastogenic damage) and the Micronucleus assay (for clastogenic and aneugenic damage) in HepG2/C3A cell culture (metabolizing cell line). The results of the comet assay revealed a significant increase in tail intensity in the Municipal WWTP (dry period) effluents treated with UV/H2O2 (T1 and T2). MN occurrence was noted across all treatments in both Pilot and Municipal WWTP (dry period) effluents, whereas nuclear buds (NBs) were noted for all Pilot WWTP treatments and UV/H2O2 treatments of Municipal WWTP (dry period). Moreover, the UV/H2O2 (T1) treatment of Municipal WWTP (dry period) exhibited a noteworthy incidence of multiple alterations per cell (MN + NBs). These findings imply that UV/H2O2 treatment demonstrates higher genotoxic potential compared to ozonation. Furthermore, seasonal variations can have an impact on the genotoxicity of the samples. Results of the study emphasize the importance of conducting genotoxicological tests using human cell cultures, such as HepG2/C3A, to assess the final effluent quality from WWTP before its discharge or reuse. This precaution is essential to safeguard the integrity of the receiving water body and, by extension, the biotic components it contains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís Roberta Deroldo Sommaggio
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Av. 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - Dânia Elisa Christofoletti Mazzeo
- Department of Biotechnology and Plant and Animal Production, Center for Agricultural Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Araras, SP, Brazil.
| | - Jacqueline Aparecida Malvestiti
- School of Technology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Paschoal Marmo 1888, 13484332, Limeira, SP, Brazil; Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Centenário, 303, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Renato Falcão Dantas
- School of Technology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Paschoal Marmo 1888, 13484332, Limeira, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maria Aparecida Marin-Morales
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Av. 24-A, 1515, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.
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Di Prinzio CY, Andrade-Muñoz AS, Assef YA, Dromaz WM, Quinteros P, Miserendino ML. Impact of treated effluent discharges on fish communities: Evaluating the effects of pollution on fish distribution, abundance and environmental integrity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170237. [PMID: 38278256 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Domestic effluent discharges change water quality and habitat conditions in urban watersheds, though less known about how these impact fish communities. This work assessed the impact of chronic wastewater pollution on biotic and abiotic factors in six urban streams in Patagonia. Stream hydrological features, water quality conditions and fish communities were analyzed during a one-year period. The oxygen saturation and water velocity showed significant differences between up- and downstream locations of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Chemical parameters revealed an eutrophication process downstream of the WWTP input, with increased biological oxygen demanding (BOD), nitrogen, ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, and chlorophyll a concentrations, indicating nutrient enrichment that can lead to a potential for algal growth. The study highlighted significant differences in fish abundance, density, and biomass between reaches upstream (Control) and downstream (Impacted) of the WWTP discharges, suggesting a detrimental impact on fish communities. While juveniles, females and males of the native Catfish (Hatcheria macraei) preferred pristine zones, juveniles and males of the native Perch (Percichthys spp.) displayed preferences for areas with higher nutrient levels. Exotic species like Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (juveniles, females and males) preferred low-nutrient, high-quality habitats, while juveniles, females and males of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) were found near the WWTP facilities. Although some previous studies have suggested that nutrient enrichment might benefit fish, our findings highlight the negative impacts on fish abundance and distribution due to WWTPs. Fish species appear to demonstrate certain degrees of tolerance to pollution, with larger individuals displaying greater tolerance. Although the pollution levels may did not result in an irreversible collapse of the system, the absence of fish in the stream with the highest pollution level would indicate an ongoing environmental deterioration. Anthropogenic activities, especially municipal effluent discharge, exacerbate environmental degradation and demand specific management actions to maintain ecosystem integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Yanina Di Prinzio
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina.
| | - Alan Sebastián Andrade-Muñoz
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Yanina Andrea Assef
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Walter Mauricio Dromaz
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Pamela Quinteros
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - María Laura Miserendino
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
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de Guzman I, Elosegi A, von Schiller D, González JM, Paz LE, Gauzens B, Brose U, Antón A, Olarte N, Montoya JM, Larrañaga A. Treated and highly diluted, but wastewater still impacts diversity and energy fluxes of freshwater food webs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118510. [PMID: 37390732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have greatly improved water quality globally. However, treated effluents still contain a complex cocktail of pollutants whose environmental effects might go unnoticed, masked by additional stressors in the receiving waters or by spatiotemporal variability. We conducted a BACI (Before-After/Control-Impact) ecosystem manipulation experiment, where we diverted part of the effluent of a large tertiary WWTP into a small, unpolluted stream to assess the effects of a well-treated and highly diluted effluent on riverine diversity and food web dynamics. We sampled basal food resources, benthic invertebrates and fish to search for changes on the structure and energy transfer of the food web with the effluent. Although effluent toxicity was low, it reduced diversity, increased primary production and herbivory, and reduced energy fluxes associated to terrestrial inputs. Altogether, the effluent decreased total energy fluxes in stream food webs, showing that treated wastewater can lead to important ecosystem-level changes, affecting the structure and functioning of stream communities even at high dilution rates. The present study shows that current procedures to treat wastewater can still affect freshwater ecosystems and highlights the need for further efforts to treat polluted waters to conserve aquatic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioar de Guzman
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain.
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose M González
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Tulipán S/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Laura E Paz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario Sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, Universidad Nacional Del Centro de La Provincia de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Campus Universitario, Paraje Arroyo Seco S/n, Tandil, 7000, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. C.C 712-1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Benoit Gauzens
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biodiversity, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrich Brose
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena- Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biodiversity, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Alvaro Antón
- Department of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Didactics, Faculty of Education of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Nuria Olarte
- Department of Mathematics and Experimental Sciences Didactics, Faculty of Education of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - José M Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, French National Center for Scientific Research, Moulis, France
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
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6
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González JM, de Guzmán I, Elosegi A, Larrañaga A. Tertiary wastewater treatment combined with high dilution rates fails to eliminate impacts on receiving stream invertebrate assemblages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160425. [PMID: 36427726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The amount of wastewater processed in treatment plants is increasing following more strict environmental regulations. Treatment facilities are implementing upgrades to abate the concentrations of nutrients and contaminants and, thus, reduce their effects on receiving systems. Although many studies characterized the chemical composition and ecotoxicological effects of treated wastewater, its environmental effects are still poorly known, as receiving water bodies are often subjected to other stressors. We performed a field manipulative experiment to measure the response of invertebrate assemblages to one year of tertiary-treated wastewater discharges. We poured treated wastewater from an urban wastewater treatment plant into the lower-most 100-m of a previously unpolluted stream (3.6 % daily flow on average) while using another upstream reach as control. The positive correlation between effect sizes of abundance changes and IBMWP scores suggested assemblage modifications were following taxa tolerance to ecological impairment. The treatment increased the temporal variability of SPEARorganic, EPT relative abundance, and invertebrate functional redundancy. Our results show that even in this best-case scenario of tertiary-treated and highly diluted wastewater, the abundance of the most sensitive taxa in the aquatic assemblages is reduced. Further improvements in wastewater treatments seem necessary to ensure these effluents do not modify receiving water ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M González
- Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain..
| | - I de Guzmán
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - A Elosegi
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - A Larrañaga
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
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7
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Atristain M, von Schiller D, Larrañaga A, Elosegi A. Short‐term effects of a large dam decommissioning on biofilm structure and functioning. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miren Atristain
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) Leioa
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences University of Barcelona (UB) Barcelona
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) Leioa
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) Leioa
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8
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Benthic Biofilm Bacterial Communities and Their Linkage with Water-Soluble Organic Matter in Effluent Receivers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19041994. [PMID: 35206183 PMCID: PMC8872271 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19041994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Benthic biofilms are pioneering microbial aggregates responding to effluent discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, knowledge of the characteristics and linkage of bacterial communities and water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) of benthic biofilms in effluent-receiving rivers remains unknown. Here, we investigated the quality of WSOM and the evolution of bacterial communities in benthic biofilm to evaluate the ecological impacts of effluent discharge on a representative receiving water. Tryptophan-like proteins showed an increased proportion in biofilms collected from the discharge area and downstream from the WWTP, especially in summer. Biofilm WSOM showed weak humic character and strong autochthonous components, and species turnover was proven to be the main factor governing biofilm bacteria community diversity patterns. The bacterial community alpha diversity, interspecies interaction, biological index, and humification index were signally altered in the biofilms from the discharge area, while the values were more similar in biofilms collected upstream and downstream from the WWTP, indicating that both biofilm bacterial communities and WSOM characters have resilience capacities. Although effluent discharge simplified the network pattern of the biofilm bacterial community, its metabolic functional abundance was basically stable. The functional abundance of carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism in the discharge area increased, and the key modules in the non-random co-occurrence network also verified the important ecological role of carbon metabolism in the effluent-receiving river. The study sheds light on how benthic biofilms respond to effluent discharge from both ecological and material points of view, providing new insights on the feasibility of utilizing benthic biofilms as robust indicators reflecting river ecological health.
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de Guzman I, Altieri P, Elosegi A, Pérez-Calpe AV, von Schiller D, González JM, Brauns M, Montoya JM, Larrañaga A. Water diversion and pollution interactively shape freshwater food webs through bottom-up mechanisms. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:859-876. [PMID: 34862833 PMCID: PMC7614049 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Water diversion and pollution are two pervasive stressors in river ecosystems that often co-occur. Individual effects of both stressors on basal resources available to stream communities have been described, with diversion reducing detritus standing stocks and pollution increasing biomass of primary producers. However, interactive effects of both stressors on the structure and trophic basis of food webs remain unknown. We hypothesized that the interaction between both stressors increases the contribution of the green pathway in stream food webs. Given the key role of the high-quality, but less abundant, primary producers, we also hypothesized an increase in food web complexity with larger trophic diversity in the presence of water diversion and pollution. To test these hypotheses, we selected four rivers in a range of pollution subject to similar water diversion schemes, and we compared food webs upstream and downstream of the diversion. We characterized food webs by means of stable isotope analysis. Both stressors directly changed the availability of basal resources, with water diversion affecting the brown food web by decreasing detritus stocks, and pollution enhancing the green food web by promoting biofilm production. The propagation of the effects at the base of the food web to higher trophic levels differed between stressors. Water diversion had little effect on the structure of food webs, but pollution increased food chain length and trophic diversity, and reduced trophic redundancy. The effects at higher trophic levels were exacerbated when combining both stressors, as the relative contribution of biofilm to the stock of basal resources increased even further. Overall, we conclude that moderate pollution increases food web complexity and that the interaction with water abstraction seems to amplify this effect. Our study shows the importance of assessing the interaction between stressors to create predictive tools for a proper management of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioar de Guzman
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Paula Altieri
- Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet, Laboratorio de Bentos, CCT La Plata-CONICET-UNLP, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo/FCNyM, Universidad Nacional de La Plata/UNLP, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Ana Victoria Pérez-Calpe
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose M. González
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Mario Brauns
- Department of River Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - José M. Montoya
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, French National Center for Scientific Research, Moulis, France
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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10
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Wen Z, Song K, Shang Y, Lyu L, Tao H, Liu G. Natural and anthropogenic impacts on the DOC characteristics in the Yellow River continuum. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 287:117231. [PMID: 34000672 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Yellow River is the second largest river in China. Carbon transport by the Yellow River has significant influence on riverine carbon cycles in Asia. During the wet season, the riverine carbon was mainly found in dissolved form, i.e., dissolved organic carbon (DOC), along the entire course of the river. The distinct spatial variations of DOC concentration were observed at different reaches of the mainstream (p < 0.01), while the highest mean DOC concentration was generally observed at midstream (4.13 ± 0.91 mg/L). Carbon stable isotope analysis δ13C and C: N ratio of DOC, evidenced the sources of DOC in headwater and upstream were primarily the terrestrial plants (94% and 61%), but it was changed to soil organic matter (SOM) in mid- and downstream (36% and 37%), and the contribution of sewage to DOC were also increased to 17% and 18%. In the whole mainstream of the Yellow River, water temperature (WT) had a significant impact on DOC concentration, and it could explain 67% of the DOC variance. However, in a large catchment, the driving mechanisms on the DOC variations in headwaters will not necessarily be those controlling DOC trends in downstream. The study firstly quantified, in headwater and upstream, the natural factors explained as much as 65% and 73% of the DOC variations, respectively. In mid- and downstream areas, DOC was significantly influenced by the amount of wastewater discharged by the industry and the use of chemical fertilizers (p < 0.05). These findings may facilitate a better assessment of global riverine carbon cycling and may help to reveal the importance of the balance between development and environmental sustainability with the changing DOC transport features in the Yellow River due to human disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidan Wen
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China
| | - Kaishan Song
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China; School of Environment and Planning, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252000, China
| | - Yingxin Shang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China
| | - Lili Lyu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hui Tao
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ge Liu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China.
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11
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Pu Y, Pan J, Yao Y, Ngan WY, Yang Y, Li M, Habimana O. Ecotoxicological effects of erythromycin on a multispecies biofilm model, revealed by metagenomic and metabolomic approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 276:116737. [PMID: 33618119 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antibiotics such as erythromycin, even in trace amounts, has long been acknowledged for negatively impacting ecosystems in freshwater environments. Although many studies have focused on the impact of antibiotic pollution at a macroecological level, the impact of erythromycin on microecosystems, such as freshwater biofilms, is still not fully understood. This knowledge gap may be attributed to the lack of robust multispecies biofilm models for fundamental investigations. Here, we used a lab-cultured multispecies biofilm model to elucidate the holistic response of a microbial community to erythromycin exposure using metagenomic and metabolomic approaches. Metagenomic analyses revealed that biofilm microbial diversity did not alter following erythromycin exposure. Notably, certain predicted metabolic pathways such as cell-cell communication pathways, amino acid metabolism, and peptidoglycan biosynthesis, mainly by the phyla Actinobacteria, Alpha/Beta-proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Verrucomicrobia, were found to be involved in the maintenance of homeostasis-like balance in the freshwater biofilm. Further untargeted metabolomics data highlighted changes in lipid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism and their related molecules as a direct consequence of erythromycin exposure. Overall, the study presented a unique picture of how multispecies biofilms respond to single environmental stress exposures. Moreover, the study demonstrated the feasibility of using lab simulated multispecies biofilms for investigating their interaction and reactivity of specific bioactive compounds or pollutants at a fundamental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Pu
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yuan Yao
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wing Yui Ngan
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Li
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Olivier Habimana
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China; The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.
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12
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Assessment of Advanced Oxidation Processes Using Zebrafish in a Non-Forced Exposure System: A Proof of Concept. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9050734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Water bodies and aquatic ecosystems are threatened by discharges of industrial waters. Ecotoxicological effects of components occurring in untreated and treated wastewaters are often not considered. The use of a linear, multi-compartmented, non-forced, static system constructed with PET bottles is proposed for the quality assessment of treated waters, to deal with such limitations. Two synthetic waters, one simulating wastewater from the textile industry and the other one simulating wastewater from the cassava starch industry, were prepared and treated by homogeneous Fenton process and heterogeneous photocatalysis, respectively. Untreated and treated synthetic waters and their dilutions were placed into compartments of the non-forced exposure system, in which zebrafish (Danio rerio), the indicator organism, could select the environment of its preference. Basic physical–chemical and chemical parameters of untreated and treated synthetic waters were measured. The preference and avoidance responses allowed verification of whether or not the quality of the water was improved due to the treatment. The results of these assays can be a complement to conventional parameters of water quality.
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13
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Romeijn P, Hannah DM, Krause S. Macrophyte Controls on Urban Stream Microbial Metabolic Activity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:4585-4596. [PMID: 33754717 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban rivers worldwide are affected directly by macrophyte growth, causing reduced flow velocity and risks of flooding. Therefore, cutting macrophytes is a common management practice to ensure free drainage. The impacts of macrophyte removal on transient storage dynamics and microbial metabolic activity of wastewater-fed urban streams are unknown, preventing any assessment of the hydrodynamic and biogeochemical consequences of this management practice. Slug tracer injections were performed with the conservative tracer uranine and the reactive tracer resazurin to quantify the implications of macrophyte cutting on stream flow dynamics and metabolism. Macrophyte cutting reduced mean tracer arrival times in managed stream reaches but did not significantly decrease whole-stream microbial metabolic activity. In fact, transient storage indices were found to have increased after cutting, suggesting that macrophyte removal and the resulting increase in flow velocity may have enhanced hyporheic exchange flow through streambed sediments. Our results evidence that macrophyte cutting in nutrient-rich urban streams does not necessarily lead to lower in-stream storage and metabolism but that the gain in hyporheic exchange and streambed microbial metabolic activity can compensate for reduced in-stream storage. Increased stream flow resulting from macrophyte removal may therefore even enhance nutrient and pollutant attenuation capacity of streambed sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Romeijn
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - David M Hannah
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Krause
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Edgbaston B15 2TT, United Kingdom
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA), 69622 Villeurbanne, France
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14
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Pereda O, von Schiller D, García-Baquero G, Mor JR, Acuña V, Sabater S, Elosegi A. Combined effects of urban pollution and hydrological stress on ecosystem functions of Mediterranean streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:141971. [PMID: 33207454 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Urban pollution and hydrological stress are common stressors of stream ecosystems, but their combined effects on ecosystem functioning are still unclear. We measured a set of functional processes and accompanying environmental variables in locations upstream and downstream of urban sewage inputs in 13 streams covering a wide range of water pollution levels and hydrological variability. Sewage inputs seriously impaired stream chemical characteristics and led to complex effects on ecosystem functioning. Biofilm biomass accrual, whole-reach nutrient uptake and metabolism (ecosystem respiration) were generally subsidized, whereas organic matter decomposition and biofilm phosphorus uptake capacity decreased with increasing pollutant concentrations. Hydrological stress affected stream ecosystem functioning but its effect was minor compared to the effects of urban pollution, due to the large inter-site variability of the streams. Changes appeared mainly linked to the concentration of pharmaceutically active compounds, followed by other chemical characteristics and by hydrology. The results point to the need to further improve sewage treatment, especially as climate change will stress riverine organisms and reduce the dilution capacity of the receiving streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olatz Pereda
- Faculty of Science and Technology, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), PO Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Faculty of Science and Technology, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), PO Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gonzalo García-Baquero
- Faculty of Science and Technology, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), PO Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Jordi-René Mor
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona (UdG), Plaça de Sant Domenec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - Vicenç Acuña
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; University of Girona (UdG), Plaça de Sant Domenec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - Sergi Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Girona (UdG), Campus de Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Arturo Elosegi
- Faculty of Science and Technology, the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), PO Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
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15
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Abstract
Indirect effects in ecotoxicology are defined as chemical- or pollutant-induced alterations in the density or behavior of sensitive species that have cascading effects on tolerant species in natural systems. As a result, species interaction networks (e.g., interactions associated with predation or competition) may be altered in such a way as to bring about large changes in populations and/or communities that may further cascade to disrupt ecosystem function and services. Field studies and experimental outcomes as well as models indicate that indirect effects are most likely to occur in communities in which the strength of interactions and the sensitivity to contaminants differ markedly among species, and that indirect effects will vary over space and time as species composition, trophic structure, and environmental factors vary. However, knowledge of indirect effects is essential to improve understanding of the potential for chemical harm in natural systems. For example, indirect effects may confound laboratory-based ecological risk assessment by enhancing, masking, or spuriously indicating the direct effect of chemical contaminants. Progress to better anticipate and interpret the significance of indirect effects will be made as monitoring programs and long-term ecological research are conducted that facilitate critical experimental field and mesocosm investigations, and as chemical transport and fate models, individual-based direct effects models, and ecosystem/food web models continue to be improved and become better integrated.
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16
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Chemometric Assessment of Bulgarian Wastewater Treatment Plants' Effluents. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25194408. [PMID: 32992854 PMCID: PMC7583790 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface water quality strongly depends on anthropogenic activity. Among the main anthropogenic sources of this activity are the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. The discharged loads of nutrients and suspended solids could provoke serious problems for receiving water bodies and significantly alter the surface water quality. This study presents inventory analysis and chemometric assessment of WWTP effluents based on the mandatory monitoring data. The comparison between the Bulgarian WWTPs and previously reported data from other countries reveals that discharged loads from investigated WWTPs are lower. This is particularly valid for total suspended solids (TSS). The low TSS loads are the reason for the deviations of the typical calculated WWTP effluent ratios of Bulgarian WWTPs compared to the WWTPs worldwide. The performed multivariate analysis reveals the hidden factors that determine the content of WWTP effluents. The source apportioning based on multivariate curve resolution analysis provides detailed information for source contribution profiles of the investigated WWTP effluent loads and elucidate the difference between WWTPs included in this study.
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