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Ferzoco IMC, McCauley SJ. Novel habitats for biodiversity? A systematic review and meta-analysis of freshwater biodiversity in stormwater management ponds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 942:173467. [PMID: 38802007 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173467] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Stormwater ponds are increasingly becoming a dominant pond type in cities experiencing urban sprawl. These human-made ponds are designed primarily to control flooding issues associated with increased impervious surface in cities and serve to retain sediment and contaminants before flowing to urban downstream waterways. Along with these important functions, constructed ponds including stormwater ponds may be critical in urban freshwater conservation because they often represent some of the few remaining lentic environments (still water; e.g. ponds, wetlands, lakes) in many cities. We currently lack a clear understanding of the role that stormwater ponds play in serving as habitat for freshwater biodiversity. Here, we examined whether stormwater ponds support freshwater biodiversity in cities by reviewing the empirical literature on biotic community responses in urban stormwater ponds across a range of taxonomic groups. We conducted a meta-analysis on empirical papers that quantitatively examined differences in taxonomic richness between stormwater ponds and reference ponds (n = 11 papers, 22 effects). We also examined a broader set of 58 papers to qualitatively synthesize studies on stormwater pond communities and assess various indicators of habitat quality in stormwater ponds. In the studies examined, heterogeneity exists in the habitat quality of stormwater ponds and increased pollutant loads are often reported. However, the results highlight that stormwater ponds tend to contain alpha diversity comparable to reference ponds, and that overall, a range of ecologically important wildlife make use of and inhabit urban stormwater ponds. We find that stormwater ponds can often support communities with broad compositions of taxa, including those that are sensitive or vulnerable to environmental change. We compile recommendations provided within the studies in order to improve our understanding of the management of urban stormwater ponds for biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilia Maria C Ferzoco
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Shannon J McCauley
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
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2
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Bettencourt‐Amarante S, Furet R, Abensur R, Herrel A. Does habitat modification impact morphology, performance, and inflammatory responses in an amphibian with limited dispersal capacity ( Lisssotriton helveticus)? Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70114. [PMID: 39114165 PMCID: PMC11303843 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The environment of an organism exerts selective pressures that affect mobility, feeding, reproduction as well as predator-prey and conspecific interactions. Land use changes induced by human activities modify these selective pressures and may result in the adaptation of organisms. Amphibians are ectotherms that typically show a biphasic life cycle with an aquatic and terrestrial phase, which makes them particularly sensitive to environmental change. We studied the impact of habitat modifications on palmate newt populations in the Ile de France region across four types of habitats: urban, mixed, agricultural, and natural with at least two replicates for each habitat type. We measured the morphology of newts using callipers, quantified maximal running and swimming speed and acceleration using high-speed video recordings, and quantified the swelling of the hind limb linked to an inflammatory reaction. Our results show that in urban habitats, newts are larger and heavier and have a better body condition. Females, moreover, have a larger head in natural habitats, possibly due to diet specialisation of females during the breeding season. In mixed and agricultural habitats, newts have longer limbs and show a tendency to run faster, possibly associated with the selective pressures on movement in mixed habitats. Differences in inflammatory responses were observed between sexes but not habitat types. Overall, our results show differences in morphology and trends for differences in performance in newts living in different habitats suggesting that animals are adapting to human-induced changes in their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179 MECADEV CNRS/MNHNParisFrance
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of VertebratesGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AntwerpWilrijkBelgium
- Naturhistorisches Museum BernBernSwitzerland
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Richmond IC, Perron MC, Boyle SP, Pick FR. Connectivity of stormwater ponds impacts Odonata abundance and species richness. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2024; 39:63. [PMID: 38435963 PMCID: PMC10902110 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Context The successful dispersal of an animal depends, partly, on landscape connectivity. Urbanization poses risks to dispersal activities by increasing hostile land cover types. Objectives We investigated how connectivity of urban ponds impacted Odonata communities (dragonflies and damselflies), an order of semi-aquatic insects that actively disperse. Methods We sampled 41 constructed stormwater ponds and 8 natural ponds in a metropolitan area. The effect of connectivity and the quantity of available adjacent habitats was tested at different scales for dragonflies (900 m) and damselflies (300 m), determined by a literature analysis, to account for differences in suborder dispersal capabilities. Results Lower levels of connectivity and fewer nearest neighbours negatively impacted abundance, species richness, and composition of dragonflies (p values < 0.01, R2 = 0.18-0.70). Adult dragonfly abundance had a stronger positive relationship with connectivity than species richness. In particular, the abundance of adult dragonfly Leucorrhinia frigida, found almost exclusively at natural ponds, had a positive relationship with connectivity. Connectivity and the number of nearest neighbours had no significant impact on damselflies apart from a slight negative relationship between connectivity and species richness (p value = 0.02, R2 = 0.11). Natural ponds had significantly higher levels of connectivity when compared to stormwater ponds. Conclusions Our results suggest that dragonflies are positively affected by increased connectivity in an urban landscape, with no benefit of connectivity to damselflies at the scale measured. We recommend intentional planning of urban stormwater pond networks, where individual ponds can act as stepping stones, incorporated with strategic inclusion of beneficial land cover types. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01817-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. C. Richmond
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 Canada
| | - M. C. Perron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
- St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2 St. Lawrence Drive, Cornwall, ON K6H 4Z1 Canada
| | - S. P. Boyle
- School of Science and the Environment, Memorial University of Newfoundland - Grenfell, 20 University Dr, Corner Brook, NL A2H 5G5 Canada
| | - F. R. Pick
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada
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Pang X, Gao Y, Guan M. Linking downstream river water quality to urbanization signatures in subtropical climate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161902. [PMID: 36736411 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization has several hydro-ecological effects on receiving waters. Hence, understanding how urbanization influences river water quality is essential for proper river management. However, an inappropriate approach that correlates urbanization signatures with water quality may result in spurious correlations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of urbanization signatures with two key pollutants of stream flows: nutrients and pathogens. In contrast to the commonly used approaches that are based on economic or demographic metrics, our approach represents urbanization signatures using related anthropogenic activities and evaluates the effect of such activities on water quality parameters. The approach was also applied to evaluate the impacts of urbanization on nutrient and pathogen trends in the river waters of Hong Kong. The data were collected for the period of 1986-2020 from the Environmental Protection Department and monthly measurements were performed. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), Escherichia. coli (E. coli), and fecal coliforms (FC) showed consistently decreasing trends. However, the long-term seasonality of nutrients differed from that of pathogens. TP and TN exhibited homogenous seasonality with an approximately sinusoidal relationship from January to December, whereas the seasonality of pathogens was more complex and not dependent on river flow dilution effects. Additionally, urbanization impacts on station nutrients and pathogen characteristics were found to be unevenly distributed; under high water temperatures, nutrient concentrations were found to be decreased because of the rainfall dilution effect on river flows. Both urban point and diffuse sources of pollution significantly contributed to nutrient pollution in rivers. Furthermore, the concentrations of FC were not highly influenced by suspended solids, and dissolved oxygen was negatively correlated with all pathogens. Furthermore, the river flow rate was found to improve the water quality in terms of both nutrients and pathogens; urban point source pollution and river temperature alteration were shown to mainly contribute to seasonal variations in both nutrients and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Pang
- Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yao Gao
- Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki 00101, P.O. Box 503, Finland
| | - Mingfu Guan
- Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Márton Z, Szabó B, Vad CF, Pálffy K, Horváth Z. Environmental changes associated with drying climate are expected to affect functional groups of pro- and microeukaryotes differently in temporary saline waters. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3243. [PMID: 36828901 PMCID: PMC9957990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30385-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporary ponds are among the most sensitive aquatic habitats to climate change. Their microbial communities have crucial roles in food webs and biogeochemical cycling, yet how their communities are assembled along environmental gradients is still understudied. This study aimed to reveal the environmental drivers of diversity (OTU-based richness, evenness, and phylogenetic diversity) and community composition from a network of saline temporary ponds, soda pans, in two consecutive spring seasons characterized by contrasting weather conditions. We used DNA-based molecular methods to investigate microbial community composition. We tested the effect of environmental variables on the diversity of prokaryotic (Bacteria, Cyanobacteria) and microeukaryotic functional groups (ciliates, heterotrophic flagellates and nanoflagellates, fungi, phytoplankton) within and across the years. Conductivity and the concentration of total suspended solids and phosphorus were the most important environmental variables affecting diversity patterns in all functional groups. Environmental conditions were harsher and they also had a stronger impact on community composition in the dry spring. Our results imply that these conditions, which are becoming more frequent with climate change, have a negative effect on microbial diversity in temporary saline ponds. This eventually might translate into community-level shifts across trophic groups with changing local conditions with implications for ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Márton
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113, Budapest, Hungary. .,National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113, Budapest, Hungary. .,Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Beáta Szabó
- grid.481817.3Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.481817.3National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba F. Vad
- grid.481817.3Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.481817.3National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Károly Pálffy
- grid.481817.3Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.481817.3National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Horváth
- grid.481817.3Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.481817.3National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina út 29, 1113 Budapest, Hungary ,grid.5591.80000 0001 2294 6276ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1113 Hungary ,grid.5596.f0000 0001 0668 7884Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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Šigutová H, Pyszko P, Valušák J, Dolný A. Highway stormwater ponds as islands of Odonata diversity in an agricultural landscape. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155774. [PMID: 35537507 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155774] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Stormwater management ponds, which are constructed to retain excess runoff and pollutants from traffic, play an important role in the freshwater biodiversity in highly modified areas. However, their roles in agricultural and semi-natural landscapes remain largely unexplored. In this study, we used Odonata as a bioindicator to compare a set of highway stormwater ponds and surrounding ponds within an agricultural and semi-natural landscape to examine the extent to which stormwater ponds act as biodiversity refuges. We analyzed the differences in environmental parameters and the richness, compositions, and conservation values of the odonate communities of stormwater and surrounding ponds. We also examined the factors controlling the differences in the communities of both pond types. The stormwater ponds were smaller, less eutrophicated, less shaded by trees, less stocked with fish, and less connected with other waterbodies than the surrounding ponds. However, they had a higher plant diversity and pH values and were more densely overgrown with vegetation. Compared with surrounding ponds, stormwater ponds had a higher Odonata richness and β-diversity, but their taxonomic distinctness was significantly lower. Therefore, stormwater ponds hosted more variable communities but their assemblages were taxonomically similar. Indicator species were only identified in stormwater ponds. Furthermore, stormwater ponds harbored more species with higher conservation values. The most important factors affecting the differences between stormwater and surrounding ponds were the trophic state, relative tree shading, and fish stocking intensity. With their increase, the richness and rarity decreased. Our results highlight the potential of stormwater ponds to enhance the biodiversity outside urban areas by providing specific habitat conditions that are unique to the surrounding agricultural landscape. In addition, we suggest management practices that can be used to enhance their biodiversity conservation function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Šigutová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pyszko
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Valušák
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Dolný
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic.
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Grung M, Lindman S, Kringstad A, Girardin V, Meland S. Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Road Runoff Are an Environmental Risk and Should Be Included in Future Investigations. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:1838-1850. [PMID: 35678208 PMCID: PMC9543788 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and metals are important contaminants in road runoff. Vital mitigation measures against aquatic contamination from road runoff include the use of sedimentation ponds. However, it has been demonstrated that ecosystems in sedimentation ponds might be affected by road runoff. Sediments from six natural ponds and 27 sedimentation ponds were investigated to determine the environmental risk of contaminants. The amount of traffic on the respective roads associated with the sedimentation ponds was correlated with the environmental concentrations. Quantification included seven metals, the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylated PACs, dibenzothiophene, benzo[e]pyrene, and perylene. The environmental risk was assessed according to the European Union Water Framework Directive guidelines. Sedimentation ponds had a higher level of contaminants than natural ponds, and environmental risks were dominated by the concentration of PACs. Alkylated PACs contributed to the environmental risk posed by PACs and should be included in future monitoring. Only Cu and Zn were measured at concentrations above the environmental quality standards (EQSs), while 13 PACs exceeded the EQS. Sediment concentrations of Cu, Zn, and most PACs correlated significantly with the amount of traffic. The sources of PACs were determined by source apportionment ratios between PACs. Alkylation and pyrogenic indices showed that sources in natural ponds were of mostly pyrogenic origin, whereas in sedimentation ponds they were predominantly petrogenic. Asphalt was the probable main source of PACs. A hierarchical clustering technique was used to investigate both the environmental risks and the pattern of PACs in the ponds and revealed that a few sedimentation ponds were not protecting the environment as intended because the upper sediment layers had not been regularly dredged. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1838-1850. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merete Grung
- Norwegian Institute for Water ResearchOsloNorway
| | - Sofie Lindman
- Institute for BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | | | | | - Sondre Meland
- Norwegian Institute for Water ResearchOsloNorway
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
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Grung M, Meland S, Ruus A, Ranneklev S, Fjeld E, Kringstad A, Rundberget JT, Dela Cruz M, Christensen JH. Occurrence and trophic transport of organic compounds in sedimentation ponds for road runoff. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 751:141808. [PMID: 32882565 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentation ponds have been shown to accumulate several groups of contaminants, most importantly polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) and metals. But also, other urban organic pollutants have shown to be present, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate compounds (OPCs) and benzothiazoles (BTs). This investigation aimed at determining the occurrence of these four groups of contaminants in sedimentation ponds and determine their transport from water/sediment to organisms. PACs, including alkylated PACs, PBDEs; OPCs and BTs were determined in water, sediment, plants, dragonfly larvae and fish from two sedimentation ponds and one reference site. Fish were analysed for PAC metabolites. Overall, higher concentrations of all four pollutant groups were detected in water and sediment from sedimentation ponds compared to two natural lakes in rural environments (reference sites). The concentration difference was highest in sediments, and >20 higher concentration was measured in sedimentation ponds (3.6-4.4 ng/g ww) compared to reference (0.2 ng/g ww) for sum BDE6. For PACs and PBDEs a clear transport from water/sediment to organisms were observed. Fish were the highest trophic level organism (3.5-5) in our study, and all four pollutant groups were detected in fish. For PBDEs a trophic biomagnification (TMF) was found both in sedimentation ponds and reference, but higher concentrations in all matrices were measured in sedimentation ponds. TMF was not calculated for PACs since they are metabolised by vertebrates, but a transfer from water/sediment to organisms was seen. For BTs and OPCs, no consistent transfer to plants and dragonfly larvae could be seen. One OPC and two BTs were detected in fish, but only in fish from sedimentation ponds. It is therefore concluded that sedimentation ponds are hotspots for urban and traffic related contaminants, of which especially PACs and PBDEs are transferred to organisms living there.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merete Grung
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sondre Meland
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Anders Ruus
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sissel Ranneklev
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Eirik Fjeld
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Alfhild Kringstad
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jan Thomas Rundberget
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Majbrit Dela Cruz
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
| | - Jan H Christensen
- Analytical Chemistry Group, Department of Plant and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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