1
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Balraadjsing S, J G M Peijnenburg W, Vijver MG. Building species trait-specific nano-QSARs: Model stacking, navigating model uncertainties and limitations, and the effect of dataset size. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 188:108764. [PMID: 38788418 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
A strong need exists for broadly applicable nano-QSARs, capable of predicting toxicological outcomes towards untested species and nanomaterials, under different environmental conditions. Existing nano-QSARs are generally limited to only a few species but the inclusion of species characteristics into models can aid in making them applicable to multiple species, even when toxicity data is not available for biological species. Species traits were used to create classification- and regression machine learning models to predict acute toxicity towards aquatic species for metallic nanomaterials. Afterwards, the individual classification- and regression models were stacked into a meta-model to improve performance. Additionally, the uncertainty and limitations of the models were assessed in detail (beyond the OECD principles) and it was investigated whether models would benefit from the addition of more data. Results showed a significant improvement in model performance following model stacking. Investigation of model uncertainties and limitations highlighted the discrepancy between the applicability domain and accuracy of predictions. Data points outside of the assessed chemical space did not have higher likelihoods of generating inadequate predictions or vice versa. It is therefore concluded that the applicability domain does not give complete insight into the uncertainty of predictions and instead the generation of prediction intervals can help in this regard. Furthermore, results indicated that an increase of the dataset size did not improve model performance. This implies that larger dataset sizes may not necessarily improve model performance while in turn also meaning that large datasets are not necessarily required for prediction of acute toxicity with nano-QSARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Balraadjsing
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, PO Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Willie J G M Peijnenburg
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, PO Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands; Centre for Safety of Substances and Products, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Martina G Vijver
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, PO Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
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2
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Sinclair T, Craig P, Maltby LL. Climate warming shifts riverine macroinvertebrate communities to be more sensitive to chemical pollutants. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17254. [PMID: 38556898 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17254] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Freshwaters are highly threatened ecosystems that are vulnerable to chemical pollution and climate change. Freshwater taxa vary in their sensitivity to chemicals and changes in species composition can potentially affect the sensitivity of assemblages to chemical exposure. Here we explore the potential consequences of future climate change on the composition and sensitivity of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages to chemical stressors using the UK as a case study. Macroinvertebrate assemblages under end of century (2080-2100) and baseline (1980-2000) climate conditions were predicted for 608 UK sites for four climate scenarios corresponding to mean temperature changes of 1.28 to 3.78°C. Freshwater macroinvertebrate toxicity data were collated for 19 chemicals and the hierarchical species sensitivity distribution model was used to predict the sensitivity of untested taxa using relatedness within a Bayesian approach. All four future climate scenarios shifted assemblage compositions, increasing the prevalence of Mollusca, Crustacea and Oligochaeta species, and the insect taxa of Odonata, Chironomidae, and Baetidae species. Contrastingly, decreases were projected for Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera (except for Baetidae) and Coleoptera species. Shifts in taxonomic composition were associated with changes in the percentage of species at risk from chemical exposure. For the 3.78°C climate scenario, 76% of all assemblages became more sensitive to chemicals and for 18 of the 19 chemicals, the percentage of species at risk increased. Climate warming-induced increases in sensitivity were greatest for assemblages exposed to metals and were dependent on baseline assemblage composition, which varied spatially. Climate warming is predicted to result in changes in the use, environmental exposure and toxicity of chemicals. Here we show that, even in the absence of these climate-chemical interactions, shifts in species composition due to climate warming will increase chemical risk and that the impact of chemical pollution on freshwater macroinvertebrate biodiversity may double or quadruple by the end of the 21st century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Sinclair
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Peter Craig
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
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3
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Poyntz-Wright IP, Harrison XA, Johnson A, Zappala S, Tyler CR. Assessment of the impacts of GABA and AChE targeting pesticides on freshwater invertebrate family richness in English Rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169079. [PMID: 38049000 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169079] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Globally, riverine system biodiversity is threatened by a range of stressors, spanning pollution, sedimentation, alterations to water flow, and climate change. Pesticides have been associated with population level impacts on freshwater invertebrates for acute high-level exposures, but far less is known about the chronic impact of episodic exposure to specific classes of pesticides or their mixtures. Here we employed the use of the UK Environment Agency's monitoring datasets over 40 years (covering years 1980 to 2019) to assess the impacts of AChE (acetylcholinesterase) and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor targeting pesticides on invertebrate family richness at English river sites. Concentrations of AChE and GABA pesticides toxic to freshwater invertebrates occurred (measured) across 18 of the 66 river sites assessed. For one of the three river sites (all found in the Midlands region of England) where data recorded over the past 40 years were sufficient for robust modelling studies, both AChE and GABA pesticides associated with invertebrate family richness. Here, where AChE total pesticide concentrations were classified as high, 46 of 64 invertebrate families were absent, and where GABA total pesticide concentration were classified as high, 16 of 64 invertebrate families were absent. Using a combination of field evidence and laboratory toxicity thresholds for population relevant endpoints we identify families of invertebrates most at risk in the selected English rivers to AChE and GABA pesticides. We, furthermore, provide strong evidence that the absence of the invertebrate family Polycentropodidae (caddisfly) from one field site is due to exposure effects to AChE pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imogen P Poyntz-Wright
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Xavier A Harrison
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Andrew Johnson
- Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Susan Zappala
- JNCC, Quay House, 2 East Station Road, Fletton Quays, Peterborough PE2 8YY, UK
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
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4
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Rosner A, Ballarin L, Barnay-Verdier S, Borisenko I, Drago L, Drobne D, Concetta Eliso M, Harbuzov Z, Grimaldi A, Guy-Haim T, Karahan A, Lynch I, Giulia Lionetto M, Martinez P, Mehennaoui K, Oruc Ozcan E, Pinsino A, Paz G, Rinkevich B, Spagnuolo A, Sugni M, Cambier S. A broad-taxa approach as an important concept in ecotoxicological studies and pollution monitoring. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:131-176. [PMID: 37698089 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic invertebrates play a pivotal role in (eco)toxicological assessments because they offer ethical, cost-effective and repeatable testing options. Additionally, their significance in the food chain and their ability to represent diverse aquatic ecosystems make them valuable subjects for (eco)toxicological studies. To ensure consistency and comparability across studies, international (eco)toxicology guidelines have been used to establish standardised methods and protocols for data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, the current standardised protocols primarily focus on a limited number of aquatic invertebrate species, mainly from Arthropoda, Mollusca and Annelida. These protocols are suitable for basic toxicity screening, effectively assessing the immediate and severe effects of toxic substances on organisms. For more comprehensive and ecologically relevant assessments, particularly those addressing long-term effects and ecosystem-wide impacts, we recommended the use of a broader diversity of species, since the present choice of taxa exacerbates the limited scope of basic ecotoxicological studies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of (eco)toxicological studies, focusing on major aquatic invertebrate taxa and how they are used to assess the impact of chemicals in diverse aquatic environments. The present work supports the use of a broad-taxa approach in basic environmental assessments, as it better represents the natural populations inhabiting various ecosystems. Advances in omics and other biochemical and computational techniques make the broad-taxa approach more feasible, enabling mechanistic studies on non-model organisms. By combining these approaches with in vitro techniques together with the broad-taxa approach, researchers can gain insights into less-explored impacts of pollution, such as changes in population diversity, the development of tolerance and transgenerational inheritance of pollution responses, the impact on organism phenotypic plasticity, biological invasion outcomes, social behaviour changes, metabolome changes, regeneration phenomena, disease susceptibility and tissue pathologies. This review also emphasises the need for harmonised data-reporting standards and minimum annotation checklists to ensure that research results are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), maximising the use and reusability of data. The ultimate goal is to encourage integrated and holistic problem-focused collaboration between diverse scientific disciplines, international standardisation organisations and decision-making bodies, with a focus on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production for the One-Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rosner
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Loriano Ballarin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Stéphanie Barnay-Verdier
- Sorbonne Université; CNRS, INSERM, Université Côte d'Azur, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging Nice, 28 avenue Valombrose, Nice, F-06107, France
| | - Ilya Borisenko
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Embryology, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya embankment 7/9, Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Laura Drago
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via Ugo Bassi 58/B, Padova, I-35121, Italy
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana, 1111, Slovenia
| | - Maria Concetta Eliso
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Zoya Harbuzov
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Koushy Ave., Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Annalisa Grimaldi
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant, Varese, 3-21100, Italy
| | - Tamar Guy-Haim
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Arzu Karahan
- Middle East Technical University, Institute of Marine Sciences, Erdemli-Mersin, PO 28, 33731, Turkey
| | - Iseult Lynch
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Maria Giulia Lionetto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, via prov. le Lecce -Monteroni, Lecce, I-73100, Italy
- NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina, 61, Palermo, I-90133, Italy
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Kahina Mehennaoui
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
| | - Elif Oruc Ozcan
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, Cukurova University, Balcali, Saricam, Adana, 01330, Turkey
| | - Annalisa Pinsino
- National Research Council, Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), National Research Council (CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, Palermo, 90146, Italy
| | - Guy Paz
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Baruch Rinkevich
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Institute of Oceanography, PO 2336 Sha'ar Palmer 1, Haifa, 3102201, Israel
| | - Antonietta Spagnuolo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, 80121, Italy
| | - Michela Sugni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Sébastien Cambier
- Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), 41, rue du Brill, Belvaux, L-4422, Luxembourg
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Liang R, Maltby L. Spatial variation in the recovery potential of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages: Moving towards spatially defined assemblage vulnerability to chemicals. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168402. [PMID: 37939950 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168402] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The vulnerability of freshwater biodiversity to chemical stressors is dependent on its ability to resist chemical stress and recover from any stress-induced effects. Spatial variation in recovery has the potential to exacerbate or mitigate assemblage vulnerability but this has not been explored in detail. By combining information on assemblage-specific recovery potential with information on assemblage-specific chemical sensitivity, we have demonstrated that the vulnerability of 3307 macroinvertebrate assemblages to 18 different chemicals is spatially dependent and that recovery potential may reduce chemical risk. The recovery potential of each assemblage was quantified based on trait information and landscape factors using a weighted sum method, but it did not consider succession processes. Recovery potential varied by river type with assemblages in mid-altitude siliceous rivers with small catchments in the west of England having the lowest recovery potential. For 17 or the 18 chemicals investigated, there was a positive correlation between the recovery potential and sensitivity and this was strongest for assemblages exposed to metals. More sensitive assemblages had a higher recovery potential and were therefore potentially less vulnerable than would be expected based on sensitivity alone. Assemblages in rivers with small catchments were the most vulnerable to chemical exposure. Furthermore, assemblages with high vulnerability to insecticide exposure were more prevalent in mid-altitude rivers with siliceous geology in the west of England, whereas assemblages with high vulnerability to metals were more prevalent in lowland rivers with calcareous or mixed geology in the midlands. This study: (i) highlights the importance of spatial context in determining the risk of chemical pollution to freshwater biodiversity; (ii) demonstrates how spatial variation in taxonomic composition influences both the internal and external recovery of assemblages and how landscape factors modify trait-based recovery capabilities; (iii) provides the foundations for spatially-defined vulnerability assessment by identifying ecological scenarios for assessing chemical risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Liang
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, United Kingdom.
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, United Kingdom
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6
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Liang R, Sinclair TM, Craig PS, Maltby L. Spatial variation in the sensitivity of freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages to chemical stressors. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 248:120854. [PMID: 37992635 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Assessing spatial variation in the chemical sensitivity of natural assemblages will enhance ecological relevance and reduce uncertainty in ecological risk assessments and the derivation of environmental quality standards (EQSs). However, the majority of species in natural communities have not undergone toxicity testing for any chemical, which poses a major challenge when assessing their sensitivity. We investigated spatial variation and patterns in the sensitivity of 4084 freshwater macroinvertebrate assemblages across England to 5 general-acting chemicals (heavy metals) and 13 specifically acting chemicals (insecticides) using a novel hierarchical species sensitivity distribution method based on taxonomic relatedness. Furthermore, we explored how river typology relates to spatial variation in assemblage sensitivity to chemicals and the potential impacts of such variation on current EQSs. Our findings revealed that, whereas assemblages with similar taxonomic compositions exhibit comparable sensitivity distributions, assemblages with different taxonomic compositions could have very similar or very different sensitivity distributions. The variation in assemblage sensitivity was greater for specifically acting chemicals than for general-acting chemicals and exhibited spatial clustering patterns. These spatial clustering patterns varied depending on the chemical, and the regions where assemblages were most sensitive to metals were generally not the same as the regions where assemblages were most sensitive to insecticides. Spatial variation in assemblage sensitivity was related to river typology with sensitive assemblages being more common than expected in lowland calcareous (or mixed geology) rivers within very small to small catchments. Comparing spatial variation in assemblage-specific chemical sensitivity to EQSs, we found that the operational EQSs in England would protect most study assemblages (i.e., > 99.5 %), although a small proportion of assemblages may face potential risks associated with azinphos-methyl, copper, and malathion. In many cases the EQSs were very precautionary, potentially requiring expensive control measures or restricting beneficial chemical use with no additional environmental benefit. The development of spatially defined EQSs, possibly based on river types, could be developed to target areas that require the highest level of protection and thus strike a balance between the benefits of chemical use and environmental protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Liang
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom.
| | - Thomas M Sinclair
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Peter S Craig
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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Lee JW, Shim I, Park K. Proposing Effective Ecotoxicity Test Species for Chemical Safety Assessment in East Asia: A Review. TOXICS 2023; 12:30. [PMID: 38250986 PMCID: PMC10819827 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
East Asia leads the global chemical industry, but environmental chemical risk in these countries is an emerging concern. Despite this, only a few native species that are representative of East Asian environments are listed as test species in international guidelines compared with those native to Europe and America. This review suggests that Zacco platypus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Hydrilla verticillata, Neocaridina denticulata spp., and Scenedesmus obliquus, all resident to East Asia, are promising test species for ecotoxicity tests. The utility of these five species in environmental risk assessment (ERA) varies depending on their individual traits and the state of ecotoxicity research, indicating a need for different applications of each species according to ERA objectives. Furthermore, the traits of these five species can complement each other when assessing chemical effects under diverse exposure scenarios, suggesting they can form a versatile battery for ERA. This review also analyzes recent trends in ecotoxicity studies and proposes emerging research issues, such as the application of alternative test methods, comparative studies using model species, the identification of specific markers for test species, and performance of toxicity tests under environmentally relevant conditions. The information provided on the utility of the five species and alternative issues in toxicity tests could assist in selecting test species suited to study objectives for more effective ERA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wuk Lee
- Research of Environmental Health, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 404-708, Republic of Korea; (I.S.); (K.P.)
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Pinto R, Zanette J. Integrative ecotoxicity evaluation of Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni in aquatic animals reveals high tolerance of Artemia franciscana. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 341:140059. [PMID: 37673183 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140059] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals pose a significant threat to animals in aquatic environments due to the adverse effects they exert. Species of the genus Artemia have been described as heavy metal tolerant, but the sensitivity/tolerance range for these species has not been established. In the present study, the toxicity of Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni as reported in the ECOTOX and Web of Science databases was examined for Artemia franciscana and compared with other species and taxonomic groups using an integrative ecotoxicity evaluation. The hazard concentration for 5% of the species (HC5) of acute toxicity tests (24-96 h), obtained through a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) indicated that Cu (0.02 mg/L) and Cd (0.03 mg/L) were the metals with the highest toxicity to aquatic animals followed by Zn (0.15 mg/L) and Ni (0.23 mg/L). In addition to the higher hazard of Cu and Cd to aquatic animals, the comparison of acute LC50 values for A. franciscana indicates lower toxicity of Cd followed by Cu, Zn, and Ni (200.0, 14.5, 9.5, and 0.6 mg/L, respectively). Using the SSD and physiological sensitivity (S) approaches, it was demonstrated that A. franciscana is relatively tolerant to Cd (SSD= HC99; S = 2.21), Cu (SSD= HC97; S = 2.00), Zn (SSD= HC90; S = 1.29) and Ni (SSD= HC83; S = 0.96) compared with other species and taxonomic groups. It appears that tolerance to the metals Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni is unique to the family Artemiidae within the order Anostraca, as the families Streptocephalidae and Thamnocephalidae are not tolerant (have negative S values). Our study confirmed that as expected, A. franciscana presents higher tolerance to Cd, Cu, Zn, and Ni than other aquatic animals. Our findings confirm that A. franciscana can be used as a model organism to understand mechanisms involved in tolerance to heavy metals, mainly Cd and Cu, which are considered highly toxic to other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Pinto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia (IO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil
| | - Juliano Zanette
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia (IO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Av. Itália Km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96203-900, Brazil.
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Zubrod JP, Galic N, Vaugeois M, Dreier DA. Physiological variables in machine learning QSARs allow for both cross-chemical and cross-species predictions. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 263:115250. [PMID: 37487435 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115250] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge in ecological risk assessment is estimating chemical-induced effects across taxa without species-specific testing. Where ecotoxicological data may be more challenging to gather, information on species physiology is more available for a broad range of taxa. Physiology is known to drive species sensitivity but understanding about the relative contribution of specific underlying processes is still elusive. Consequently, there remains a need to understand which physiological processes lead to differences in species sensitivity. The objective of our study was to utilize existing knowledge about organismal physiology to both understand and predict differences in species sensitivity. Machine learning models were trained to predict chemical- and species-specific endpoints as a function of both chemical fingerprints/descriptors and physiological properties represented by dynamic energy budget (DEB) parameters. We found that random forest models were able to predict chemical- and species-specific endpoints, and that DEB parameters were relatively important in the models, particularly for invertebrates. Our approach illuminates how physiological properties may drive species sensitivity, which will allow more realistic predictions of effects across species without the need for additional animal testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nika Galic
- Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maxime Vaugeois
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, Greensboro, NC, United States
| | - David A Dreier
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, Greensboro, NC, United States.
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Theys C, Verheyen J, Janssens L, Tüzün N, Stoks R. Effects of heat and pesticide stress on life history, physiology and the gut microbiome of two congeneric damselflies that differ in stressor tolerance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 875:162617. [PMID: 36871721 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162617] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The combined impact of toxicants and warming on organisms is getting increased attention in ecotoxicology, but is still hard to predict, especially with regard to heat waves. Recent studies suggested that the gut microbiome may provide mechanistic insights into the single and combined stressor effects on their host. We therefore investigated effects of sequential exposure to a heat spike and a pesticide on both the phenotype (life history and physiology) and the gut microbiome composition of damselfly larvae. We compared the fast-paced Ischnura pumilio, which is more tolerant to both stressors, with the slow-paced I. elegans, to obtain mechanistic insights into species-specific stressor effects. The two species differed in gut microbiome composition, potentially contributing to their pace-of-life differences. Intriguingly, there was a general resemblance between the stressor response patterns in the phenotype and in the gut microbiome, whereby both species responded broadly similar to the single and combined stressors. The heat spike negatively affected the life history of both species (increased mortality, reduced growth rate), which could be explained not only by shared negative effects on physiology (inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, increase of malondialdehyde), but also by shared effects on gut bacterial species' abundances. The pesticide only had negative effects (reduced growth rate, reduced net energy budget) in I. elegans. The pesticide generated shifts in the bacterial community composition (e.g. increased abundance of Sphaerotilus and Enterobacteriaceae in the gut microbiome of I. pumilio), which potentially contributed to the relatively higher pesticide tolerance of I. pumilio. Moreover, in line with the response patterns in the host phenotype, the effects of the heat spike and the pesticide on the gut microbiome were mainly additive. By contrasting two species differing in stress tolerance, our results suggest that response patterns in the gut microbiome may improve our mechanistic understanding of single and combined stressor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Theys
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Julie Verheyen
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lizanne Janssens
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nedim Tüzün
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robby Stoks
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology, University of Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Rivetti C, Houghton J, Basili D, Hodges G, Campos B. Genes-to-Pathways Species Conservation Analysis: Enabling the Exploration of Conservation of Biological Pathways and Processes Across Species. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1152-1166. [PMID: 36861224 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5600] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed a strong momentum toward integration of cell-based and computational approaches in safety assessments. This is fueling a global regulatory paradigm shift toward reduction and replacement of the use of animals in toxicity tests while promoting the use of new approach methodologies. The understanding of conservation of molecular targets and pathways provides an opportunity to extrapolate effects across species and ultimately to determine the taxonomic applicability domain of assays and biological effects. Despite the wealth of genome-linked data available, there is a compelling need for improved accessibility, while ensuring that it reflects the underpinning biology. We present the novel pipeline Genes-to-Pathways Species Conservation Analysis (G2P-SCAN) to further support understanding on cross-species extrapolation of biological processes. This R package extracts, synthetizes, and structures the data available from different databases, that is, gene orthologs, protein families, entities, and reactions, linked to human genes and respective pathways across six relevant model species. The use of G2P-SCAN enables the overall analysis of orthology and functional families to substantiate the identification of conservation and susceptibility at the pathway level. In the present study we discuss five case studies, demonstrating the validity of the developed pipeline and its potential use as species extrapolation support. We foresee this pipeline will provide valuable biological insights and create space for the use of mechanistically based data to inform potential species susceptibility for research and safety decision purposes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1152-1166. © 2023 UNILEVER GLOBAL IP LTD. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rivetti
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Jade Houghton
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Danilo Basili
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Hodges
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Campos
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
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12
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Hamoutene D, Marteinson S, Kingsbury M, McTavish K. Species sensitivity distributions for two widely used anti-sea lice chemotherapeutants in the salmon aquaculture industry. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159574. [PMID: 36272477 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159574] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The main objective of the present study is to construct acute aquatic species sensitivity distributions (SSD) and generate proposed HC5 values (i.e. the hazardous concentration for which 5 % of species are affected or potentially affected) for two aquaculture anti-sea lice bath pesticides, azamethiphos, and hydrogen peroxide. These values could be used as the basis for the establishment of environmental quality standards (EQS). We have generated SSDs and inferred HC5 values for mortality and sublethal endpoints using LC50, EC50, and NOEC/LOEC data points separately and for each bath pesticide. Through the examination of literature data on the toxicity of both compounds, we opted to use tests with limited exposure times to ensure environmental relevance for bath pesticides. We also separated life stages for some of the sensitive taxa to account for differences in sensitivities and risk of exposure. The resulting threshold concentrations in environmental seawater are 0.10 μg/L for azamethiphos and 0.15 mg/L for hydrogen peroxide. These suggested azamethiphos and hydrogen peroxide thresholds are comparable to some previously reported EQS values. Further considerations need to be included in how to better use these thresholds in a regulatory context in relation to dispersion patterns. It is also clear that delayed mortality and sublethal effects documented in the literature require further study to fully anticipate the environmental risks of using these two bath pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hamoutene
- St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, NB E5B 0E4, Canada.
| | - S Marteinson
- National Contaminants Advisory Group, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa, ON K2P 2J8, Canada
| | - M Kingsbury
- St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, NB E5B 0E4, Canada
| | - K McTavish
- National Guidelines and Standards Office, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, QC J8Y 3Z5, Canada
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13
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Rueda‐Cediel P, Galic N, Brain R, Pinto‐Ledezma JN, Rico A, Forbes V. Using life-history trait variation to inform ecological risk assessments for threatened and endangered plant species. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:213-223. [PMID: 35373456 PMCID: PMC10083932 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Developing population models for assessing risks to terrestrial plant species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is challenging given a paucity of data on their life histories. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel approach for identifying relatively data-rich nonlisted species that could serve as representatives for species listed under the ESA in the development of population models to inform risk assessments. We used the USDA PLANTS Database, which provides data on plants present in the US territories, to create a list of herbaceous plants. A total of 8742 species was obtained, of which 344 were listed under the ESA. Using the most up-to-date phylogeny for vascular plants in combination with a database of matrix population models for plants (COMPADRE) and cluster analyses, we investigated how listed species were distributed across the plant phylogeny, grouped listed and nonlisted species according to their life history, and identified the traits distinguishing the clusters. We performed elasticity analyses to determine the relative sensitivity of population growth rate to perturbations of species' survival, growth, and reproduction and compared these across clusters and between listed and nonlisted species. We found that listed species were distributed widely across the plant phylogeny as well as clusters, suggesting that listed species do not share a common evolution or life-history characteristics that would make them uniquely vulnerable. Lifespan and age at maturity were more important for distinguishing clusters than were reproductive traits. For clusters that were intermediate in their lifespan, listed and nonlisted species responded similarly to perturbations of their life histories. However, for clusters at either extreme of lifespan, the response to survival perturbations varied depending on conservation status. These results can be used to guide the choice of representative species for population model development in the context of ecological risk assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:213-223. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Rueda‐Cediel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Nika Galic
- Syngenta Crop Protection LLCGreensboroNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Richard Brain
- Syngenta Crop Protection LLCGreensboroNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jesús N. Pinto‐Ledezma
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresMadridSpain
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ValenciaPaternaValenciaSpain
| | - Valery Forbes
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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14
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Schneeweiss A, Juvigny-Khenafou NPD, Osakpolor S, Scharmüller A, Scheu S, Schreiner VC, Ashauer R, Escher BI, Leese F, Schäfer RB. Three perspectives on the prediction of chemical effects in ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:21-40. [PMID: 36131639 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The increasing production, use and emission of synthetic chemicals into the environment represents a major driver of global change. The large number of synthetic chemicals, limited knowledge on exposure patterns and effects in organisms and their interaction with other global change drivers hamper the prediction of effects in ecosystems. However, recent advances in biomolecular and computational methods are promising to improve our capacity for prediction. We delineate three idealised perspectives for the prediction of chemical effects: the suborganismal, organismal and ecological perspective, which are currently largely separated. Each of the outlined perspectives includes essential and complementary theories and tools for prediction but captures only part of the phenomenon of chemical effects. Links between the perspectives may foster predictive modelling of chemical effects in ecosystems and extrapolation between species. A major challenge for the linkage is the lack of data sets simultaneously covering different levels of biological organisation (here referred to as biological levels) as well as varying temporal and spatial scales. Synthesising the three perspectives, some central aspects and associated types of data seem particularly necessary to improve prediction. First, suborganism- and organism-level responses to chemicals need to be recorded and tested for relationships with chemical groups and organism traits. Second, metrics that are measurable at many biological levels, such as energy, need to be scrutinised for their potential to integrate across levels. Third, experimental data on the simultaneous response over multiple biological levels and spatiotemporal scales are required. These could be collected in nested and interconnected micro- and mesocosm experiments. Lastly, prioritisation of processes involved in the prediction framework needs to find a balance between simplification and capturing the essential complexity of a system. For example, in some cases, eco-evolutionary dynamics and interactions may need stronger consideration. Prediction needs to move from a static to a real-world eco-evolutionary view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Schneeweiss
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | | | - Stephen Osakpolor
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Andreas Scharmüller
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
- Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg (ITES), UMR 7063, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg-ENGEES, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sebastian Scheu
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Roman Ashauer
- Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Beate I Escher
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Florian Leese
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
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15
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Holmes CM, Maltby L, Sweeney P, Thorbek P, Otte JC, Marshall S. Heterogeneity in biological assemblages and exposure in chemical risk assessment: Exploring capabilities and challenges in methodology with two landscape-scale case studies. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 246:114143. [PMID: 36201920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114143] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exposure concentrations and the composition of ecological receptors (e.g., species) vary in space and time, resulting in landscape-scale (e.g. catchment) heterogeneity. Current regulatory, prospective chemical risk assessment frameworks do not directly address this heterogeneity because they assume that reasonably worst-case chemical exposure concentrations co-occur (spatially and temporally) with biological species that are the most sensitive to the chemical's toxicity. Whilst current approaches may parameterise fate models with site-specific data and aim to be protective, a more precise understanding of when and where chemical exposure and species sensitivity co-occur enables risk assessments to be better tailored and applied mitigation more efficient. We use two aquatic case studies covering different spatial and temporal resolution to explore how geo-referenced data and spatial tools might be used to account for landscape heterogeneity of chemical exposure and ecological assemblages in prospective risk assessment. Each case study followed a stepwise approach: i) estimate and establish spatial chemical exposure distributions using local environmental information and environmental fate models; ii) derive toxicity thresholds for different taxonomic groups and determine geo-referenced distributions of exposure-toxicity ratios (i.e., potential risk); iii) overlay risk data with the ecological status of biomonitoring sites to determine if relationships exist. We focus on demonstrating whether the integration of relevant data and potential approaches is feasible rather than making comprehensive and refined risk assessments of specific chemicals. The case studies indicate that geo-referenced predicted environmental concentration estimations can be achieved with available data, models and tools but establishing the distribution of species assemblages is reliant on the availability of a few sources of biomonitoring data and tools. Linking large sets of geo-referenced exposure and biomonitoring data is feasible but assessment of risk will often be limited by the availability of ecotoxicity data. The studies highlight the important influence that choices for aggregating data and for the selection of statistical metrics have on assessing and interpreting risk at different spatial scales and patterns of distribution within the landscape. Finally, we discuss approaches and development needs that could help to address environmental heterogeneity in chemical risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul Sweeney
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell RG42 6EY, UK
| | | | - Jens C Otte
- BASF, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
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16
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Wieringa N, van der Lee GH, de Baat ML, Kraak MHS, Verdonschot PFM. Contribution of sediment contamination to multi-stress in lowland waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157045. [PMID: 35779724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water bodies in densely populated lowland areas are often impacted by multiple stressors. At these multi-stressed sites, it remains challenging to quantify the contribution of contaminated sediments. This study, therefore, aimed to elucidate the contribution of sediment contamination in 16 multi-stressed drainage ditches throughout the Netherlands. To this end an adjusted TRIAD framework was applied, where 1) contaminants and other variables in the sediment and the overlying water were measured, 2) whole-sediment laboratory bioassays were performed using larvae of the non-biting midge Chironomus riparius, and 3) the in situ benthic macroinvertebrate community composition was determined. It was hypothesized that the benthic macroinvertebrate community composition would respond to all jointly present stressors in both water and sediment, whereas the whole-sediment bioassays would only respond to the stressors present in the sediment. The benthic macroinvertebrate community composition was indeed related to multiple stressors in both water and sediment. Taxa richness was positively correlated with the presence of PO4-P in the water, macrophyte cover and some pesticides. Evenness, the number of Trichoptera families and the SPEARpesticides were positively correlated to the C:P ratios in the sediment, whilst negative correlations were observed with various contaminants in both the water and sediment. The whole-sediment bioassays with C. riparius positively related to the nutrient content of the sediment, whereas no negative relations to the sediment-associated contaminants were observed, even though the lowered SPEARpesticides index indicated contaminant effects in the field. Therefore, it was concluded that sediment contamination was identified as one of the various stressors that potentially drove the benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in the multi-stressed drainage ditches, but that nutrients may have masked the adverse effects caused by low and diverse sediment contaminants on C. riparius in the bioassays.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Wieringa
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - G H van der Lee
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - M L de Baat
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; KWR Water Research Institute, Groningenhaven 7, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
| | - M H S Kraak
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P F M Verdonschot
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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17
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Harrison LJ, Pearson KA, Wheatley CJ, Hill JK, Maltby L, Rivetti C, Speirs L, White PCL. Functional measures as potential indicators of down-the-drain chemical stress in freshwater ecological risk assessment. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:1135-1147. [PMID: 34951104 PMCID: PMC9543243 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Conventional ecological risk assessment (ERA) predominately evaluates the impact of individual chemical stressors on a limited range of taxa, which are assumed to act as proxies to predict impacts on freshwater ecosystem function. However, it is recognized that this approach has limited ecological relevance. We reviewed the published literature to identify measures that are potential functional indicators of down-the-drain chemical stress, as an approach to building more ecological relevance into ERA. We found wide variation in the use of the term "ecosystem function," and concluded it is important to distinguish between measures of processes and measures of the capacity for processes (i.e., species' functional traits). Here, we present a classification of potential functional indicators and suggest that including indicators more directly connected with processes will improve the detection of impacts on ecosystem functioning. The rate of leaf litter breakdown, oxygen production, carbon dioxide consumption, and biomass production have great potential to be used as functional indicators. However, the limited supporting evidence means that further study is needed before these measures can be fully implemented and interpreted within an ERA and regulatory context. Sensitivity to chemical stress is likely to vary among functional indicators depending on the stressor and ecosystem context. Therefore, we recommend that ERA incorporates a variety of indicators relevant to each aspect of the function of interest, such as a direct measure of a process (e.g., rate of leaf litter breakdown) and a capacity for a process (e.g., functional composition of macroinvertebrates), alongside structural indicators (e.g., taxonomic diversity of macroinvertebrates). Overall, we believe that the consideration of functional indicators can add value to ERA by providing greater ecological relevance, particularly in relation to indirect effects, functional compensation (Box 1), interactions of multiple stressors, and the importance of ecosystem context. Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1135-1147. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Harrison
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkYorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Katie A. Pearson
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkYorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Christopher J. Wheatley
- Department of BiologyLeverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of YorkYorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Jane K. Hill
- Department of BiologyLeverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity, University of YorkYorkHeslingtonUK
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- School of Biosciences, The University of SheffieldSheffieldWestern BankUK
| | - Claudia Rivetti
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science ParkSharnbrookUK
| | - Lucy Speirs
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science ParkSharnbrookUK
| | - Piran C. L. White
- Department of Environment and GeographyUniversity of YorkYorkHeslingtonUK
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18
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Huang A, Roessink I, van den Brink NW, van den Brink PJ. Size- and sex-related sensitivity differences of aquatic crustaceans to imidacloprid. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 242:113917. [PMID: 35908530 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Field collected aquatic invertebrates are often used as test organisms in the refinement of the standard Tier 1 risk assessment of various pollutants. This approach can provide insights into the effects of pollutants on the natural environment. However, researchers often pragmatically select test organisms of a specific sex and/or size, which may not represent the sensitivity of the whole population. To investigate such intraspecies sensitivity differences, we performed standard acute toxicity and toxicokinetic tests with different size classes and sex of Gammarus pulex and Asellus aquaticus. Furthermore, toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics models were used to understand the mechanism of the intraspecies sensitivity differences. We used neonates, juveniles and male and female adults in separate dedicated experiments, in which we exposed the animals to imidacloprid and its bioactive metabolite, imidacloprid-olefin. For both species, we found that neonates were the most sensitive group. For G. pulex, the sensitivity decreased linearly with size, which can be explained by the size-related uptake rate constant in the toxicokinetic process and size-related threshold value in the toxicodynamic process. For A. aquaticus, female adults were least sensitive to imidacloprid, which could be explained by a low internal biotransformation of imidacloprid to imidacloprid-olefin. Besides, imidacloprid-olefin was more toxic than imidacloprid to A. aquaticus, with differences being 8.4 times for females and 2.7 times for males. In conclusion, we established size-related sensitivity differences for G. pulex and sex-related sensitivity for A. aquaticus, and intraspecies differences can be explained by both toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic processes. Our findings suggest that to protect populations in the field, we should consider the size and sex of focal organisms and that a pragmatic selection of test organisms of equal size and/or sex can underestimate the sensitivities of populations in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Huang
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ivo Roessink
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nico W van den Brink
- Sub-department of Toxicology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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19
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Hong Y, Feng C, Jin X, Xie H, Liu N, Bai Y, Wu F, Raimondo S. A QSAR-ICE-SSD model prediction of the PNECs for alkylphenol substances and application in ecological risk assessment for rivers of a megacity. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 167:107367. [PMID: 35944286 PMCID: PMC10015408 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Alkylphenols (APs) are ubiquitous and generally present in higher residue levels in the environment. The present work focuses on the development of a set of in silico models to predict the aquatic toxicity of APs with incomplete/unknown toxicity data in aquatic environments. To achieve this, a QSAR-ICE-SSD model was constructed for aquatic organisms by combining quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR), interspecies correlation estimation (ICE), and species sensitivity distribution (SSD) models in order to obtain the hazardous concentrations (HCs) of selected APs. The research indicated that the keywords "alkylphenol" and "nonylphenol" were most commonly studied. The selected ICE models were robust (R2: 0.70-0.99; p-value < 0.01). All models had a high reliability cross- validation success rates (>75%), and the HC5 predicted with the QSAR-ICE-SSD model was 2-fold than that derived with measured experimental data. The HC5 values demonstrated nearly linear decreasing trend from 2-MP to 4-HTP, while the decreasing trend from 4-HTP to 4-DP became shallower, indicates that the toxicity of APs to aquatic organisms increases with the addition of alkyl carbon chain lengths. The ecological risks assessment (ERA) of APs revealed that aquatic organisms were at risk from exposure to 4-NP at most river stations (the highest risk quotient (RQ) = 1.51), with the highest relative risk associated with 2.9% of 4-NP detected in 82.9% of the sampling sites. The targeted APs posed potential ecological risks in the Yongding and Beiyun River according to the mixture ERA. The potential application of QSAR-ICE-SSD models could satisfy the immediate needs for HC5 derivations without the need for additional in vivo testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chenglian Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing, 100012, China.
| | - Huiyu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Na Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yingchen Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Sandy Raimondo
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division, Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, United States
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20
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Hose GC, Chariton A, Daam MA, Di Lorenzo T, Galassi DMP, Halse SA, Reboleira ASPS, Robertson AL, Schmidt SI, Korbel KL. Invertebrate traits, diversity and the vulnerability of groundwater ecosystems. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. C. Hose
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - A. Chariton
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - M. A. Daam
- CENSE ‐ Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research NOVA School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon, 2829‐516 Caparica Portugal
| | - T. Di Lorenzo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino Firenze Italy
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 5, Cluj Napoca 400006 Romania
| | - D. M. P. Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences University of L'Aquila Via Vetoio, Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila Italy
| | - S. A. Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont WA 6014 Australia
| | - A. S. P. S. Reboleira
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon Portugal
- Natural History Museum of Life and Health Sciences Denmark and University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - A. L. Robertson
- School of Life and Health Sciences University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD UK
| | - S. I. Schmidt
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Hydrobiology Na Sádkách 7, 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Present address: Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Magdeburg Germany
| | - K. L. Korbel
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
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21
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Welch SA, Lane T, Desrousseaux AO, van Dijk J, Mangold-Döring A, Gajraj R, Hader JD, Hermann M, Parvathi Ayillyath Kutteyeri A, Mentzel S, Nagesh P, Polazzo F, Roth SK, Boxall AB, Chefetz B, Dekker SC, Eitzinger J, Grung M, MacLeod M, Moe SJ, Rico A, Sobek A, van Wezel AP, van den Brink P. ECORISK2050: An Innovative Training Network for predicting the effects of global change on the emission, fate, effects, and risks of chemicals in aquatic ecosystems. OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2022; 1:154. [PMID: 37645192 PMCID: PMC10446038 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.14283.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
By 2050, the global population is predicted to reach nine billion, with almost three quarters living in cities. The road to 2050 will be marked by changes in land use, climate, and the management of water and food across the world. These global changes (GCs) will likely affect the emissions, transport, and fate of chemicals, and thus the exposure of the natural environment to chemicals. ECORISK2050 is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network that brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of academic, industry and governmental partners to deliver a new generation of scientists, with the skills required to study and manage the effects of GCs on chemical risks to the aquatic environment. The research and training goals are to: (1) assess how inputs and behaviour of chemicals from agriculture and urban environments are affected by different environmental conditions, and how different GC scenarios will drive changes in chemical risks to human and ecosystem health; (2) identify short-to-medium term adaptation and mitigation strategies, to abate unacceptable increases to risks, and (3) develop tools for use by industry and policymakers for the assessment and management of the impacts of GC-related drivers on chemical risks. This project will deliver the next generation of scientists, consultants, and industry and governmental decision-makers who have the knowledge and skillsets required to address the changing pressures associated with chemicals emitted by agricultural and urban activities, on aquatic systems on the path to 2050 and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Taylor Lane
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | | | - Joanke van Dijk
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annika Mangold-Döring
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands
| | - Rudrani Gajraj
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment (WAU), University of Natural Resources and Life sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - John D. Hader
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Markus Hermann
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sophie Mentzel
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, 0579, Norway
| | - Poornima Nagesh
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Francesco Polazzo
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 28805, Spain
| | - Sabrina K. Roth
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | | | - Benny Chefetz
- Department of Soil and Water Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Stefan C. Dekker
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Josef Eitzinger
- Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment (WAU), University of Natural Resources and Life sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Merete Grung
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, 0579, Norway
| | - Matthew MacLeod
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | | | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, 28805, Spain
| | - Anna Sobek
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Annemarie P. van Wezel
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Paul van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6700 AA, The Netherlands
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22
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Schuijt LM, Peng FJ, van den Berg SJP, Dingemans MML, Van den Brink PJ. (Eco)toxicological tests for assessing impacts of chemical stress to aquatic ecosystems: Facts, challenges, and future. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148776. [PMID: 34328937 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of chemicals in the aquatic environment by chemical analysis alone cannot completely assess and predict the effects of chemicals on aquatic species and ecosystems. This is primarily because of the increasing number of (unknown) chemical stressors and mixture effects present in the environment. In addition, the ability of ecological indices to identify underlying stressors causing negative ecological effects is limited. Therefore, additional complementary methods are needed that can address the biological effects in a direct manner and provide a link to chemical exposure, i.e. (eco)toxicological tests. (Eco)toxicological tests are defined as test systems that expose biological components (cells, individuals, populations, communities) to (environmental mixtures of) chemicals to register biological effects. These tests measure responses at the sub-organismal (biomarkers and in vitro bioassays), whole-organismal, population, or community level. We performed a literature search to obtain a state-of-the-art overview of ecotoxicological tests available for assessing impacts of chemicals to aquatic biota and to reveal datagaps. In total, we included 509 biomarkers, 207 in vitro bioassays, 422 tests measuring biological effects at the whole-organismal level, and 78 tests at the population- community- and ecosystem-level. Tests at the whole-organismal level and biomarkers were most abundant for invertebrates and fish, whilst in vitro bioassays are mostly based on mammalian cell lines. Tests at the community- and ecosystem-level were almost missing for organisms other than microorganisms and algae. In addition, we provide an overview of the various extrapolation challenges faced in using data from these tests and suggest some forward looking perspectives. Although extrapolating the measured responses to relevant protection goals remains challenging, the combination of ecotoxicological experiments and models is key for a more comprehensive assessment of the effects of chemical stressors to aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Schuijt
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Feng-Jiao Peng
- Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Human Biomonitoring Research Unit, Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A-B rue Thomas Edison, 1445 Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Sanne J P van den Berg
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Milou M L Dingemans
- KWR Water Research Institute, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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23
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Rico A, de Oliveira R, de Souza Nunes GS, Rizzi C, Villa S, López-Heras I, Vighi M, Waichman AV. Pharmaceuticals and other urban contaminants threaten Amazonian freshwater ecosystems. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 155:106702. [PMID: 34139589 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban areas in the Brazilian Amazon have grown at an unprecedented rate during the last years. About 90% of the wastewater produced by these urban areas are discharged untreated into Amazonian freshwater ecosystems, constituting a potential environmental pathway for pharmaceuticals and other chemicals consumed by modern societies (e.g. psychostimulants, personal-care products, hormones). The distribution of these chemicals into the Amazon River and their potential risks for freshwater biodiversity have not been evaluated so far. Here, we show the results of the largest chemical monitoring campaign conducted in the Amazon region. We assessed exposure patterns for 43 pharmaceuticals and other urban contaminants in 40 sampling sites distributed along the Amazon River, three major tributaries (Negro, Tapajós and Tocantins Rivers), and four large cities of the Brazilian Amazon (Manaus, Santarém, Macapá, Belém). We assessed risks for freshwater biodiversity using species sensitivity distributions and mixture toxicity approaches. We found that urban areas constitute important hot-spots for chemical contamination, with mixtures containing up to 40 different compounds and exposure concentrations reaching the world's maxima for some of them. We show that chemical pollution can result in long-term effects for up to 50-80% of aquatic species next to urban areas. Moreover, we identified several ubiquitous compounds which can be used as tracers of anthropogenic pressure in the Amazon basin. We conclude that the chemical burden created by urbanization significantly contributes to a biodiversity loss in the region and should be further controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Av. Punto Com 2, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Madrid, Spain; Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Rhaul de Oliveira
- University of Campinas, School of Technology, Rua Paschoal Marmo 1888 - Jd. Nova Itália, Limeira 13484-332, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Silva de Souza Nunes
- Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Zoology, Av. Prof Moraes Rego 1235, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Cristiana Rizzi
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Sara Villa
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Piazza della Scienza 1, Milan 20126, Italy
| | - Isabel López-Heras
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Av. Punto Com 2, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco Vighi
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Av. Punto Com 2, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Viviana Waichman
- Federal University of the Amazon, Institute of Biological Sciences, Av. Rodrigo Otávio Jordão Ramos 3000, Manaus 69077-000, Brazil
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24
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Cornejo A, Pérez J, López-Rojo N, García G, Pérez E, Guerra A, Nieto C, Boyero L. Litter decomposition can be reduced by pesticide effects on detritivores and decomposers: Implications for tropical stream functioning. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117243. [PMID: 33962306 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding which factors affect the process of leaf litter decomposition is crucial if we are to predict changes in the functioning of stream ecosystems as a result of human activities. One major activity with known consequences on streams is agriculture, which is of particular concern in tropical regions, where forests are being rapidly replaced by crops. While pesticides are potential drivers of reduced decomposition rates observed in agricultural tropical streams, their specific effects on the performance of decomposers and detritivores are mostly unknown. We used a microcosm experiment to examine the individual and joint effects of an insecticide (chlorpyrifos) and a fungicide (chlorothalonil) on survival and growth of detritivores (Anchytarsus, Hyalella and Lepidostoma), aquatic hyphomycetes (AH) sporulation rate, taxon richness, assemblage structure, and leaf litter decomposition rates. Our results revealed detrimental effects on detritivore survival (which were mostly due to the insecticide and strongest for Hyalella), changes in AH assemblage structure, and reduced sporulation rate, taxon richness and microbial decomposition (mostly in response to the fungicide). Total decomposition was reduced especially when the pesticides were combined, suggesting that they operated differently and their effects were additive. Importantly, effects on decomposition were greater for single-species detritivore treatments than for the 3-species mixture, indicating that detritivore species loss may exacerbate the consequences of pesticides of stream ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydeé Cornejo
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama.
| | - Javier Pérez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Naiara López-Rojo
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Gabriela García
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Edgar Pérez
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Alisson Guerra
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Carlos Nieto
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593, Panama City, Panama
| | - Luz Boyero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Bilbao, Spain
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25
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Yang L, Feng J, Gao Y, Zhu L. Role of Toxicokinetic and Toxicodynamic Parameters in Explaining the Sensitivity of Zebrafish Larvae to Four Metals. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:8965-8976. [PMID: 34129327 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08725] [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] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Given the persistence and toxic potencies of metal contaminants in ecosystems, animals, and human beings, they are considered to be hazardous global pollutants. While the lethality of metal toxicities (e.g., LC50) can significantly vary, even within the same species, the underlying mechanisms are less well-understood. In this study, we developed a subcellular two-compartment toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic (TK-TD) model for zebrafish larvae when exposed to four metals (cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc) to reveal whether differences in metal toxicity (LC50 values) were dominated by the TK or TD processes. Results showed that the subcellular TK and TD parameters of the four metals were significantly different, and the bioconcentration factor (BCF) value of copper was higher than those of the other metals. We also found that the TD parameter internal threshold concentration (CIT) was significantly positively correlated to the LC50 values (R2 = 0.7), suggesting a dominant role of TD processes in metal toxicity. Furthermore, the combined parameter CIT/BCF for a metal-sensitive fraction (BCFMSF), which linked exposure to effects through the TK-TD approach, explained up to 89% of the variation in toxicity to the four metals. The present study suggests that the observed variation in toxicity of these four metals was mainly determined by TD processes but that TK processes should not be ignored, especially for copper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanpeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Yongfei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China
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26
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Arenas-Sánchez A, Dolédec S, Vighi M, Rico A. Effects of anthropogenic pollution and hydrological variation on macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean rivers: A case-study in the upper Tagus river basin (Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 766:144044. [PMID: 33421783 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal hydrological variation and chemical pollution represent two main drivers of freshwater biodiversity change in Mediterranean rivers. We investigated to what extent low flow conditions can modify the effects of chemical pollution on macroinvertebrate communities. To that purpose, we selected twelve sampling sites in the upper Tagus river basin (central Spain) having different sources of chemical pollution and levels of seasonal hydrological variation. The sites were classified as natural (high flow variation, low chemical impact), agricultural (high flow variation, high agricultural chemical inputs) and urban (limited flow variation, high urban chemical inputs). In these sites, we measured daily water discharge, nutrients, and contaminant concentrations, and we sampled benthic macroinvertebrates, in spring, summer and autumn. Significant differences related to toxic pressure and nutrient concentrations were observed between the three groups of sites. Seasonal patterns were found for some water quality parameters (e.g. nitrites, ammonia, suspended solids, metal toxicity), particularly in agricultural sites. Taxonomic and functional richness were slightly lower in the polluted sites (agricultural and urban), particularly during low flow periods (summer and early autumn). Functional diversity was significantly lower in sites with seasonal flow variation (agricultural sites) as compared to the more constant ones (urban sites). The frequency of traits such as large size, asexual reproduction, aquatic passive dispersion and the production of cocoons increased in response to pollution during low flow periods. This study shows that the impacts of anthropogenic chemical pollution on taxonomic and functional characteristics of macroinvertebrate communities seem to be larger during low flow periods. Therefore, further studies and monitoring campaigns assessing the effects of chemical pollution within these periods are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Arenas-Sánchez
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sylvain Dolédec
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marco Vighi
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Cornejo A, Encina-Montoya F, Correa-Araneda F, Rovira D, García G, Nieto C, Villarreal V, Jaramillo N, Pérez E, Valderrama A, Pérez J, Boyero L. High sensitivity of invertebrate detritivores from tropical streams to different pesticides. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 216:112226. [PMID: 33848739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater organisms are often sensitive to pesticides, but their sensitivity varies across different taxa and with pesticide type and action mode, as shown by multiple acute toxicity tests. Such variability hampers predictions about how freshwater ecosystems may be altered by pesticide toxicity, which is especially critical for understudied areas of the world such as the tropics. Furthermore, there is little information about the sensitivity of some organisms that are key components of stream food webs; this is the case of litter-feeding detritivorous invertebrates, which contribute to the fundamental process of litter decomposition. Here, we examined the sensitivity of three common detritivores [Anchytarsus sp. (Coleoptera: Ptilodactylidae), Hyalella sp. (Amphipoda: Hyalellidae) and Lepidostoma sp. (Trichoptera: Lepidostomatidae)] to three pesticides commonly used (the insecticides bifenthrin and chlorpyrifos and the fungicide chlorothalonil) using acute (48 or 96 h) toxicity tests. Our study demonstrates that common-use pesticides provoke the mortality of half their populations at concentrations of 0.04-2.7 μg L-1. We found that all species were sensitive to the three pesticides, with the highest sensitivity found for chlorpyrifos. Additionally, we used the approach of species sensitivity distributions (SSD) to compare our study species with Daphnia magna and other temperate and tropical invertebrates. We found that the study species were among the most sensitive species to chlorpyrifos and chlorothalonil. Our results suggest that tropical detritivores merit special attention in ecological risk assessment of pesticides and highlight the need for accurate ecotoxicological information from ecologically relevant species in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydeé Cornejo
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panama City, Panama.
| | - Francisco Encina-Montoya
- Núcleo de Estudios Ambientales, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, 4780000 Temuco, Chile
| | - Francisco Correa-Araneda
- Unidad de Cambio Climático y Medio Ambiente (UCCMA), Instituto Iberoamericano de Desarrollo Sostenible (IIDS), Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile
| | - Dalys Rovira
- Water Laboratory and Physicochemical Services (LASEF), Autonomous University of Chiriqui, David City, Panama
| | - Gabriela García
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panama City, Panama
| | - Carlos Nieto
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panama City, Panama
| | - Víctor Villarreal
- Water Laboratory and Physicochemical Services (LASEF), Autonomous University of Chiriqui, David City, Panama
| | - Nicomedes Jaramillo
- Research Center for Natural Products and Biotechnology (CIPNABIOT), Autonomous University of Chiriqui, David City, Panama
| | - Edgar Pérez
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panama City, Panama
| | - Anayansi Valderrama
- Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Zoological Collection Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies, (COZEM-ICGES), Ave. Justo Arosemena and Calle 35, 0816-02593 Panama City, Panama
| | - Javier Pérez
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Luz Boyero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Bilbao, Spain
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28
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Short S, Robinson A, Lahive E, Green Etxabe A, Hernádi S, Pereira MG, Kille P, Spurgeon DJ. Off-Target Stoichiometric Binding Identified from Toxicogenomics Explains Why Some Species Are More Sensitive than Others to a Widely Used Neonicotinoid. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3059-3069. [PMID: 33559465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoids are currently licensed for use in 120 countries, making accurate nontarget species sensitivity predictions critical. Unfortunately, such predictions are fraught with uncertainty, as sensitivity is extrapolated from only a few test species and neonicotinoid sensitivities can differ greatly between closely related taxa. Combining classical toxicology with de novo toxicogenomics could greatly improve sensitivity predictions and identify unexpectedly susceptible species. We show that there is a >30-fold differential species sensitivity (DSS) for the neonicotinoid imidacloprid between five earthworm species, a critical nontarget taxon. This variation could not be explained by differential toxicokinetics. Furthermore, comparing key motif expression in subunit genes of the classical nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) target predicts only minor differences in the ligand binding domains (LBDs). In contrast, predicted dissimilarities in LBDs do occur in the highly expressed but nonclassical targets, acetylcholine binding proteins (AChBPs). Critically, the predicted AChBP divergence is capable of explaining DSS. We propose that high expression levels of putative nonsynaptic AChBPs with high imidacloprid affinities reduce imidacloprid binding to critical nAChRs involved in vital synaptic neurotransmission. This study provides a clear example of how pragmatic interrogation of key motif expression in complex multisubunit receptors can predict observed DSS, thereby informing sensitivity predictions for essential nontarget species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Short
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, BIOSI 1, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Robinson
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Elma Lahive
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Amaia Green Etxabe
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Szabolcs Hernádi
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, BIOSI 1, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, United Kingdom
| | - M Glória Pereira
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Kille
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, BIOSI 1, University of Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, Cardiff, CF10 3TL, United Kingdom
| | - David J Spurgeon
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
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29
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Peng FJ, Ter Braak CJF, Rico A, Van den Brink PJ. Double constrained ordination for assessing biological trait responses to multiple stressors: A case study with benthic macroinvertebrate communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:142171. [PMID: 33254878 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Benthic macroinvertebrate communities are used as indicators for anthropogenic stress in freshwater ecosystems. To better understand the relationship between anthropogenic stress and changes in macroinvertebrate community composition, it is important to understand how different stressors and species traits are associated, and how these associations influence variation in species occurrence and abundances. Here, we show the capacity of the multivariate technique of double constrained correspondence analysis (dc-CA) to analyse trait-environment relationships, and we compare it with the redundancy analysis method on community weighted mean values of traits (CWM-RDA), which is frequently used for this type of analysis. The analyses were based on available biomonitoring data for macroinvertebrate communities from the Danube River. Results from forward selection of traits and environmental variables using dc-CA analyses showed that aquatic stages, reproduction techniques, dispersal tactics, locomotion and substrate relations, altitude, longitudinal and transversal distribution, and substrate preferendum were significantly related to habitat characteristics, hydromorphological alterations and water quality measurements such as physico-chemical parameters, heavy metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Environmental variables significantly associated with traits using the CWM-RDA method were generally consistent with those found in dc-CA analysis. However, the CWM-RDA does neither test nor explicitly select traits, while dc-CA tests and selects both traits and environmental variables. Moreover, the dc-CA analysis revealed that the set of environmental variables was much better in explaining the community data than the available trait set, a kind of information that can neither be obtained from CWM-RDA nor from RLQ (Environment, Link and Trait data), which is a close cousin of dc-CA but not regression-based. Our results suggest that trait-based analysis based on dc-CA may be useful to assess mechanistic links between multiple anthropogenic stressors and ecosystem health, but more data sets should be analysed in the same manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jiao Peng
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Human Biomonitoring Research Unit, Department of Population Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, 1 A-B rue Thomas Edison, 1445 Strassen, Luxembourg.
| | - Cajo J F Ter Braak
- Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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30
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van den Berg SJP, Maltby L, Sinclair T, Liang R, van den Brink PJ. Cross-species extrapolation of chemical sensitivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:141800. [PMID: 33207462 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems are usually populated by many species. Each of these species carries the potential to show a different sensitivity towards all of the numerous chemical compounds that can be present in their environment. Since experimentally testing all possible species-chemical combinations is impossible, the ecological risk assessment of chemicals largely depends on cross-species extrapolation approaches. This review overviews currently existing cross-species extrapolation methodologies, and discusses i) how species sensitivity could be described, ii) which predictors might be useful for explaining differences in species sensitivity, and iii) which statistical considerations are important. We argue that risk assessment can benefit most from modelling approaches when sensitivity is described based on ecologically relevant and robust effects. Additionally, specific attention should be paid to heterogeneity of the training data (e.g. exposure duration, pH, temperature), since this strongly influences the reliability of the resulting models. Regarding which predictors are useful for explaining differences in species sensitivity, we review interspecies-correlation, relatedness-based, traits-based, and genomic-based extrapolation methods, describing the amount of mechanistic information the predictors contain, the amount of input data the models require, and the extent to which the different methods provide protection for ecological entities. We develop a conceptual framework, incorporating the strengths of each of the methods described. Finally, the discussion of statistical considerations reveals that regardless of the method used, statistically significant models can be found, although the usefulness, applicability, and understanding of these models varies considerably. We therefore recommend publication of scientific code along with scientific studies to simultaneously clarify modelling choices and enable elaboration on existing work. In general, this review specifies the data requirements of different cross-species extrapolation methods, aiming to make regulators and publishers more aware that access to raw- and meta-data needs to be improved to make future cross-species extrapolation efforts successful, enabling their integration into the regulatory environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J P van den Berg
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Sinclair
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ruoyu Liang
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, S10 2TN Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Paul J van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Ashauer R, Kuhl R, Zimmer E, Junghans M. Effect Modeling Quantifies the Difference Between the Toxicity of Average Pesticide Concentrations and Time-Variable Exposures from Water Quality Monitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:2158-2168. [PMID: 32735364 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic chemicals are frequently detected in water bodies, and their concentrations vary over time. Water monitoring programs typically employ either a sequence of grab samples or continuous sampling, followed by chemical analysis. Continuous time-proportional sampling yields the time-weighted average concentration, which is taken as proxy for the real, time-variable exposure. However, we do not know how much the toxicity of the average concentration differs from the toxicity of the corresponding fluctuating exposure profile. We used toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic models (invertebrates, fish) and population growth models (algae, duckweed) to calculate the margin of safety in moving time windows across measured aquatic concentration time series (7 pesticides) in 5 streams. A longer sampling period (14 d) for time-proportional sampling leads to more deviations from the real chemical stress than shorter sampling durations (3 d). The associated error is a factor of 4 or less in the margin of safety value toward underestimating and an error of factor 9 toward overestimating chemical stress in the most toxic time windows. Under- and overestimations occur with approximate equal frequency and are very small compared with the overall variation, which ranged from 0.027 to 2.4 × 1010 (margin of safety values). We conclude that continuous, time-proportional sampling for a period of 3 and 14 d for acute and chronic assessment, respectively, yields sufficiently accurate average concentrations to assess ecotoxicological effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2158-2168. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Ashauer
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
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Van den Berg SJP, Rendal C, Focks A, Butler E, Peeters ETHM, De Laender F, Van den Brink PJ. Potential impact of chemical stress on freshwater invertebrates: A sensitivity assessment on continental and national scale based on distribution patterns, biological traits, and relatedness. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 731:139150. [PMID: 32413660 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139150] [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: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Current chemical risk assessment approaches rely on a standard suite of test species to assess toxicity to environmental species. Assessment factors are used to extrapolate from single species to communities and ecosystem effects. This approach is pragmatic, but lacks resolution in biological and environmental parameters. Novel modelling approaches can help improve the biological resolution of assessments by using mechanistic information to identify priority species and priority regions that are potentially most impacted by chemical stressors. In this study we developed predictive sensitivity models by combining species-specific information on acute chemical sensitivity (LC50 and EC50), traits, and taxonomic relatedness. These models were applied at two spatial scales to reveal spatial differences in the sensitivity of species assemblages towards two chemical modes of action (MOA): narcosis and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition. We found that on a relative scale, 46% and 33% of European species were ranked as more sensitive towards narcosis and AChE inhibition, respectively. These more sensitive species were distributed with higher occurrences in the south and north-eastern regions, reflecting known continental patterns of endemic macroinvertebrate biodiversity. We found contradicting sensitivity patterns depending on the MOA for UK scenarios, with more species displaying relative sensitivity to narcotic MOA in north and north-western regions, and more species with relative sensitivity to AChE inhibition MOA in south and south-western regions. Overall, we identified hotspots of species sensitive to chemical stressors at two spatial scales, and discuss data gaps and crucial technological advances required for the successful application of the proposed methodology to invertebrate scenarios, which remain underrepresented in global conservation priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J P Van den Berg
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
| | - Cecilie Rendal
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook MK441LQ, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Focks
- Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Emma Butler
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook MK441LQ, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Namur Institute of Complex Systems, and Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Paul J Van den Brink
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Abstract
An increasing number of chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides and synthetic hormones are in daily use all over the world. In the environment, chemicals can adversely affect populations and communities and in turn related ecosystem functions. To evaluate the risks from chemicals for ecosystems, data on their toxicity, which are typically produced in standardized ecotoxicological laboratory tests, is required. The results from ecotoxicological tests are compiled in (meta-)databases such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ECOTOXicology Knowledgebase (ECOTOX). However, for many chemicals, multiple ecotoxicity data are available for the same test organism. These can vary strongly, thereby causing uncertainty of related analyses. Given that most current databases lack aggregation steps or are confined to specific chemicals, we developed Standartox, a tool and database that continuously incorporates the ever-growing number of test results in an automated process workflow that ultimately leads to a single aggregated data point for a specific chemical-organism test combination, representing the toxicity of a chemical. Standartox can be accessed through a web application and an R package.
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Douziech M, Ragas AMJ, van Zelm R, Oldenkamp R, Jan Hendriks A, King H, Oktivaningrum R, Huijbregts MAJ. Reliable and representative in silico predictions of freshwater ecotoxicological hazardous concentrations. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 134:105334. [PMID: 31760260 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A reliable quantification of the potential effects of chemicals on freshwater ecosystems requires ecotoxicological response data for a large set of species which is typically not available in practice. In this study, we propose a method to estimate hazardous concentrations (HCs) of chemicals on freshwater ecosystems by combining two in silico approaches: quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs) and interspecies correlation estimation (ICE) models. We illustrate the principle of our QSAR-ICE method by quantifying the HCs of 51 chemicals at which 50% and 5% of all species are exposed above the concentration causing acute effects. We assessed the bias of the HCs, defined as the ratio of the HC based on measured ecotoxicity data and the HC based on in silico data, as well as the statistical uncertainty, defined as the ratio of the 95th and 5th percentile of the HC. Our QSAR-ICE method resulted in a bias that was comparable to the use of measured data for three species, as commonly used in effect assessments: the average bias of the QSAR-ICE HC50 was 1.2 and of the HC5 2.3 compared to 1.2 when measured data for three species were used for both HCs. We also found that extreme statistical uncertainties (>105) are commonly avoided in the HCs derived with the QSAR-ICE method compared to the use of three measurements with statistical uncertainties up to 1012. We demonstrated the applicability of our QSAR-ICE approach by deriving HC50s for 1,223 out of the 3,077 organic chemicals of the USEtox database. We conclude that our QSAR-ICE method can be used to determine HCs without the need for additional in vivo testing to help prioritise which chemicals with no or few ecotoxicity data require more thorough assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Douziech
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ad M J Ragas
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Open University, Faculty of Management Science & Technology, Valkenburgerweg 177, NL-6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Rosalie van Zelm
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rik Oldenkamp
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health & Development, AHTC Tower C4, Paasheuvelweg 25, 1105 BP Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A Jan Hendriks
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Henry King
- Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Colworth Science Park, Bedfordshire MK441LQ, UK
| | - Rafika Oktivaningrum
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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de Baat ML, Wieringa N, Droge STJ, van Hall BG, van der Meer F, Kraak MHS. Smarter Sediment Screening: Effect-Based Quality Assessment, Chemical Profiling, and Risk Identification. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:14479-14488. [PMID: 31714076 PMCID: PMC6921687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Sediments play an essential role in the functioning of aquatic ecosystems but simultaneously retain harmful compounds. However, sediment quality assessment methods that consider the risks caused by the combined action of all sediment-associated contaminants to benthic biota are still underrepresented in water quality assessment strategies. Significant advancements have been made in the application of effect-based methods, but methodological improvements can still advance sediment risk assessment. The present study aimed to explore such improvements by integrating effect-monitoring and chemical profiling of sediment contamination. To this end, 28 day life cycle bioassays with Chironomus riparius using intact whole sediment cores from contaminated sites were performed in tandem with explorative chemical profiling of bioavailable concentrations of groups of legacy and emerging sediment contaminants to investigate ecotoxicological risks to benthic biota. All contaminated sediments caused effects on the resilient midge C. riparius, stressing that sediment contamination is ubiquitous and potentially harmful to aquatic ecosystems. However, bioassay responses were not in line with any of the calculated toxicity indices, suggesting that toxicity was caused by unmeasured compounds. Hence, this study underlines the relevance of effect-based sediment quality assessment and provides smarter ways to do so.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milo L. de Baat
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nienke Wieringa
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven T. J. Droge
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart G. van Hall
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Michiel H. S. Kraak
- Department
of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University
of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Verheyen J, Stoks R. Shrinking Body Size and Physiology Contribute to Geographic Variation and the Higher Toxicity of Pesticides in a Warming World. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:11515-11523. [PMID: 31498598 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To improve current and future risk assessment of pesticides under global warming, mechanistic insights and consideration of daily temperature fluctuations (DTFs) are needed. One overlooked mechanism how both higher mean temperatures and DTFs may increase toxicity is by reducing body size (temperature-size-rule). We studied whether a higher mean temperature and DTF magnified chlorpyrifos toxicity in Ischnura elegans damselfly larvae, and whether this was mediated by temperature-induced reductions in body size and/or physiological changes. The lethal effects of chlorpyrifos were magnified at the high mean temperature (up to ∼15%) and under DTF (up to ∼33%), and especially at their combination (up to ∼46%) indicating synergisms. This highlights that not only considering DTFs, but also their interaction with higher mean temperatures is pivotal for realistic predictions of pesticide toxicity. Both higher temperatures and DTFs resulted in smaller larvae, which were more sensitive to chlorpyrifos. Notably, the DTF-induced smaller body sizes, as well as the higher oxidative damage to lipids, contributed to the higher chlorpyrifos toxicity under DTF. By integrating the temperature-size rule and size-pesticide sensitivity pattern we provide proof-of-principle for a novel, likely general mechanism contributing to geographic variation and the higher toxicity of pesticides in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Verheyen
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology , University of Leuven , Charles Deberiotstraat 32 , B-3000 Leuven , Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology , University of Leuven , Charles Deberiotstraat 32 , B-3000 Leuven , Belgium
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Cornejo A, Tonin AM, Checa B, Tuñon AR, Pérez D, Coronado E, González S, Ríos T, Macchi P, Correa-Araneda F, Boyero L. Effects of multiple stressors associated with agriculture on stream macroinvertebrate communities in a tropical catchment. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220528. [PMID: 31393898 PMCID: PMC6687280 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical forests are declining at unprecedented rates in favour of agriculture, and streams can be severely impacted due to effects of multiple stressors that have rarely been considered together in tropical studies. We studied the effects of multiple stressors associated with agricultural practices (pesticide toxicity, nutrient enrichment and habitat alteration-quantified as TUmax, soluble reactive phosphorus concentration and sedimentation, respectively) on macroinvertebrate communities in a tropical catchment in Panama (13 stream sites sampled in 20 occasions from 2015 to 2017, with 260 samples in total). We examined how macroinvertebrate abundance, taxonomic richness, community composition and biotic indices (SPEAR and BMWP/PAN, which were specifically designed to detect pesticide toxicity and nutrient enrichment, respectively) varied depending on the studied stressors, considering their single and combined effects. Our analyses revealed significant effects of the studied stressors on macroinvertebrate communities, with two particular results that merit further attention: (1) the fact that pesticide toxicity affected BMWP/PAN, but not SPEAR, possibly because the former had been adapted for local fauna; and (2) that most stressors showed antagonistic interactions (i.e., lower combined effects than expected from their individual effects). These results highlight the need for toxicity bioassays with tropical species that allow adaptations of biotic indices, and of observational and manipulative studies exploring the combined effects of multiple stressors on tropical macroinvertebrate communities and ecosystems, in order to predict and manage future anthropogenic impacts on tropical streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydeé Cornejo
- Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Laboratory, Zoological Collection Dr. Eustorgio Mendez, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (COZEM-ICGES), Panama City, Panama
- Doctoral Program in Natural Sciences with emphasis in Entomology, University of Panama, Panama City, Panama
| | - Alan M. Tonin
- Department of Ecology, IB, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Brenda Checa
- Plant Health Laboratory, Agricultural Development Ministry (MIDA), Panama City, Panama
| | - Ana Raquel Tuñon
- Environmental Quality Laboratory of the Ministry of Environment, Panama City, Panama
| | - Diana Pérez
- Pacific Mariculture Station, Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP), Panama City, Panama
| | - Enilda Coronado
- Plant Health Laboratory, Agricultural Development Ministry (MIDA), Panama City, Panama
| | - Stefani González
- Plant Health Laboratory, Agricultural Development Ministry (MIDA), Panama City, Panama
| | - Tomás Ríos
- Museum of Freshwater Fish and Invertebrates, Autonomous University of Chiriquí, David, Panama
| | - Pablo Macchi
- Research Institute of Paleobiology and Geology, CONICET-National University of Río Negro, Río Negro, Argentina
- Center for Research in Environmental Toxicology and Agrobiotechnology of Comahue, CONICET-National University of Comahue, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Correa-Araneda
- Unidad de Cambio Climático y Medio Ambiente, Instituto de Estudios de Hábitat (IEH), Facultad de Arquitectura y Construcción, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco, Chile
| | - Luz Boyero
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV / EHU), Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Bilbao, Spain
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